Chile Forum

Hi,
My husband and I will be moving to region 10 next year. We are from the States. Am looking for a school for high school aged son. he doesn't speak spanish and isn't especially strong academically. I've been googling and looking at all the websites can find/think of but nothing really looks like a good match w/ the limited info i can get. Any help, opinions, pointers, experiences from others would be most apreciated. Thanks CCD

Hi Newbie and welcome. Where in Reg X? Not likely you would be coming to the Futa area, but if that's where you are considering landing, I could get the email address for the EL coordinator for the school in Futa. This year will be their first year for grade 10 though. Let me know.

Vicki

We are in the same boat! Looking for 9th. My son is not keen on academics, my daughter is. We are bringing a teacher along but want them to go to local public school for the language and interaction. My son play's american football does yours? When are you headed out there? From where? Should be intersesting

you need to consider private schools. I am sure there are some exceptions but in general, public education in Chile in general is not the same as public schools in USA. I have some friends with a son in an Italian school in Santiago which costs about 200,000 or 250,000 CLP per month. I believe the monthly costs for most schools to be around 200,000 CLP.

As for american sports, the US ambassador had made a push to have baseball around Santiago....but if your son is into the American football and American sports, then he will be in for a huge SHOCK adjusting to life here because like most of the rest of the world, the main sport is futbol (soccer).

Thanks for replies. We will be in Panguipulli in Region 10. My son likes karate, and weight lifting mostly, no interest in american football,althought some in soccer. We are having a small place built. We bought the land 4 years ago. We just put our house here (states)on the market so we need to sell that before we move. Unless we have to give up and rent it. So we have no definate time frame to move yet.

Somebody said there are some good english/bilingual schools in Vina, one is SEK Pacific the other MacKay, I saw on the net. He will need to board somewhere most likely with a family. I also found an english speaking school on the net in Antofagusta (sp?). I think that Nido is way out of his league academically. But I will go for a private school instead of the local public schools (for reasons mentioned by others) but also so he can get hopefully IB diploma. If he ever wants to try community college back in the states that diploma is recognizable (so i've read).

Anyone have any more thoughts please jump in CCD

Sounds like a plan! We are going to bring a teacher with us from their current school. She will make sure that they get all the credits needed here in the states. I am thinking if I put them in the public school it is only for them to emerge themselves in the language and culture. I have no idea if they will be excepted in the public school on a tourist visa but we will see. The international schools kind of defeats the purpose of our trip. We want them to learn spanish. We figure if we don't do it now we won't be able to do it later. Where are you living in the states now? We are in Cali and will be renting our house since the market is so bad here and everywhere for that matter. We are moving to Chile September 1st 2009 should be interesting!

I'm 20 and I didn't understand the American football until i got to the U.S..however back in Chile I always like the sport since the first time I saw that BAll..I was like WOW I want to play like that.

Yes, I've heard that soccer is one of the most popular sports in the world. It's easily accessible to everyone all you need is the ball pretty much. American football is a very expensive sport to play because the equipment costs are high. I know a woman whose son played in high school and they had to pay in the thousands for his pads, uniform, cleats etc.

We are in Massachusetts. If we don't sell our house by this summer we'll consider just renting it.

Sounds like getting your kids into the local public school in Chile is a good idea. It may be hard for them depending on their temperment. But a great learning experience none the less.If it doesn't work out you can always homeschool for the balance of time. We tried homeschool for two and half years and I think it was excellent, but it can wear on your relationship w/ your child if you are limited in your social networks.

What is the ratio of gringos in residence versus temporary?

Antofogasta is a very long way from Pangapulli, You might as well send him to school in the US. I'm sure there are some private schools in the south, but I was unable to find them either.There is one in Concepcion which might save an hour on the bus home on weekends. I found this one
http://www.windsorschool.cl/
there is also a instituto aleman

I coudn't sleep so I have been searching. Here is a promising start.
http://www.matriculascolegios.cl/colegios_chile.htm

AND HERE IT IS! what you have all been waiting for - Agrupacion Chileno de Football Americano

triple double U dot achfa.cl/homeframeset.html

hut hut hut
and out of the shotgun
he looks and he throws
touchdown!
jon

Thanks for the replies and links!

It is still a possibility to let him finish his studies in the states. But if the States is gonna be going thru a financial crisis and then employment/social problems I might feel safer to have him in Chile even if it's hours away from us by bus. It's closer than that long international flight. Then I was supposing if he boards w/ a Chilean family he could start to learn Spanish and all the while he'll be putting in his time towards residency.

I was researching a bilingual school in Concepcion called Thomas jefferson but sounds like it's falling apart. Then a school St John's (i think) but the upper grades are taught in Spanish so that would be too diificult to take ones principal classes in a foreign language. Ahhh, many considerations. But I appreciate any and all points to mull over CCD