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Richmond Directives Your children are in the best hands

Founder

ALICIA GONZÁLEZ DE BECERRA

  • About me:

I am a firm believer that in every life situation, and every step we take, there is a wonderful story to tell, and if there is a secret ingredient, it is love. That love that is only felt when one is passionate about what they do.

And when we talk about passions and interests, I can only think of telling the story of CBR, as the founder, and since I started making this wonderful dream a reality, I was moved by love, dedication, and affection for each of the hundreds of students who, to this day, carry an important piece of CBR in their lives.

As a mother of three children and mentor to hundreds, I managed to consolidate this bilingual pedagogical project called CBR, with the help of a great team of passionate and loving human beings who have accompanied me on this adventure of building "An ideal place to grow." My family, who, after more than three decades of dreaming, are an essential part of this great project that aims to transform society and to leave a contribution to the world in which we live in, can attest to this.

My favorite phrase: what I always tell my teachers is "everything can be achieved with love."

Recommended books: all autobiographies, I am sure that real-life stories are the most inspiring and can teach us the most valuable lessons.

Experience:

Founder of CBR. Working on this pedagogical project since 1989, now institutionalized as "An ideal place to grow," proud standard-bearer and spokesperson for a great team of professionals who, along with families who firmly believed in a new educational institution, allow us to be a great place to study today.

Among the main achievements to highlight is also our international accreditation from Cognia - AdvancED, and being able to offer our students, in addition to the highest international quality standards, methodologies and accreditations; double degrees, High School Diploma, and Colombian Academic Baccalaureate.

General Director

HERNANDO JOSÉ BECERRA

  • About me:

Co-founder of CBR, convinced that a family that works together stays together, passionate about art and humanities. I believe that human beings learn and find intellectual and spiritual meaning through experiences.

If there's one thing I can attest to, it's that CBR is the ideal place to grow. Thirty-two years supporting the development of this project and 15 years as a professional affiliated with it make me proof of this. Growth is in all aspects: physical, intellectual, spiritual, and emotional.

I grew up in the midst of academia, pedagogy, and passion for this institution, where I learned to act quickly to solve problems, listen to understand, and monitor to innovate.

Favorite quote: "If you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning for a decade, plant trees; if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people" - Chinese Proverb

Favorite book: "From Good Schools to Great Schools" by Susan Penny Gray.

Experience:

Professional from Universidad de Los Andes with over 15 years of experience in CBR, holding administrative, teaching, and leadership positions.

Being a co-founder, general manager, and member of the board of directors has allowed me to develop 360° knowledge of institutional processes, get to know families, and position our institution.

As my main achievements and contributions to the institution, I highlight the constant pedagogical innovation and questioning, which today allows us to be leaders and have global and cutting-edge methodologies such as STEAM, Reggio Emilia, and Teaching for Understanding.

Headmaster

LUIS EDUARDO RIVAS GARZÓN

About Me:

I am Luis Eduardo Rivas. 57 years ago, I was born into a beautiful family. Guillermo and Graciela are My parents who installed in my hearth a Love for Family and a love for education.

Neither of them are Teachers, but they have been and continue to be the teachers of my life. Each one are closed to be 80 years Old, and they have allowed me to support them and give them all my love.

I am the brother of Guillermo and Rubén Darío, a systems engineer and a graphic designer, respectively. I have 5 wonderful nieces and nephews whom I love very much. Family is very important to me because it is the engine that remains throughout life. I want us to become a family that supports each other, a family that respects each other, and a family that continues to grow together.

I feel very honored to now be part of this family and coming to Richmond Bilingual School has a very special meaning to me. I believe that my vision of learning and my experience are perfectly aligned with schools like Richmond School that follow a unique child-centered approach.

I consider myself a highly capable and experienced educational leader, and a person willing to share, support others, and continue learning. I am fully bilingual (English-Spanish), with extensive experience in the IB framework, and I am constantly looking for ways to improve International Baccalaureate outcomes. I have frequent contact with parents and students because I believe this is an essential part of the responsibility of a school leader, and I think the combined effort of the school and parents is of enormous benefit to all aspects of student development.

I have a Bachelor's degree in Education and two master's degrees: One in Learning difficulties and another one in Educational Institutions management. I have been an International Baccalaureate (IB) educator for over 12 years and currently have the honor of being the Director of the IB Schools Association in Colombia.

I am coming to The Richmond Bilingual School with great entusiasm and with the goal to share my experience in international programs and my passion for education.

I greatly enjoy working with children and young people, and I believe it is essential to build teamwork with families and all members of the teaching and non-teaching staff of the school.

Likewise, I want to share with you and offer the Richmond Family my key personal strengths that I consider support my management at the helm of our beloved school:

  1. I am an open-minded person.
  2. I strive for excellence in all aspects of education and learning.
  3. I fully believe in and commit to teamwork.
  4. I am a goal-oriented educator and leader.
  5. I possess extensive knowledge and experience in the IB framework and in Cognia certification areas.

Thanks to my experience and passion for learning, I have a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of school management, both academic and formative in child development, achieving excellent academic results, as well as in the business and administrative aspects of school administration. Additionally, I have experience leading large international IB schools and have always believed in the benefits of working within and between different schools to achieve lasting results.

I hope to have the opportunity to gradually get to know each of you and together continue making CBR "An Ideal Place to Grow" and one of the best schools in the city and the country.

Favorite phrase: Less is more.

Recommended book: Reinvent Yourself: Your Second Chance by Mario Alonso Puig

Experience:

Over 30 years ago, I started my career in education. I had the honor of being the Elementary Director at the International School of Bogotà. From 2001 to 2018, I worked at The English School, where I held the roles of Elementary Director, Vice Principal, and for 8 years, Rector in Colombia. From 2018 until June 2023, I held the position of General Director at Victoria School.

Employment History:

* September 1st, 2018 - June 2023: General Director, The Victoria School (IBO World School)

* January 2012 – September 2018: Colombian Principal, Deputy Head - The English School- Bogotá (IBO World School)

* January 2017 - Present: IBO Global Council Heads Member

* August 2015 – July 2016: Headmaster (acting) - The English School- Bogotá

* March 2012 IB FIELD REP. (PYP-MYP-DP) /IBEN Active Member

* September 2010 – Junio 2023: AACBI Executive Director (Colombian IB Schools’ Association)

* August 2010 – January 2011: Headmaster (acting) - The English School- Bogotá

* August 2009 – January 2012: Deputy Headmaster - The English School- Bogotá

* August 2001- June 2009: Head of Primary - The English School- Bogotá

* August 1995 - June 2001: Head of Primary - Colegio Internacional de Bogotá

Qualifications:

* 2019: Cognia (Advanced) / Lead accreditation Visit. The Victoria School

* 2012: Master’s in School Administration and Management, Universidad de la Sabana, Bogotá – Colombia.

* 2009: EFQM European Foundation for Quality Management. Certified as a leader of Excellence and Management.

* 1993: Masters in Learning Difficulties, Universidad Externado de Colombia, Bogotá

* 1989: BA in Education, Universidad Pedagógica Nacional, Bogotá

Preschool and Elementary School Director

RITA ACOSTA

  • About me:

I am a daughter, sister, friend, and mother of two beautiful children. My family is, in every sense of the word, the Richmond Family because my husband and children also accompany me in my daily life at this wonderful school.

I am happy to be in "An ideal place to grow." In my professional life, I have experienced that growth, from my beginnings as a teacher, Instructional Coach, and now as the director of the Elementary School, confirming that we are in a place of growth and opportunities for all.

I am moved to be a source of inspiration for a great team of teachers with whom we have as a premise: to work in a special way with children while promoting enthusiasm for the growth and success processes of each student.

Favorite phrase: "A school should be a place for all children, not based on the idea that everyone is equal but that everyone is different." Loris Malaguzzi.

Recommended book: The Bible

Experience:

I have 13 years of professional experience where I have developed skills focused on the development of projects, methodologies, and strategies for early childhood education, applied within the framework of the Reggio Emilia philosophy.

My knowledge includes didactics, classroom projects, inclusive education, art, and child psycho-pedagogy. As a Preschool Director, I have had the opportunity to carry out my work with responsible and autonomous leadership, capable of innovating integration processes between school education and family education; fundamental for the integral development of children.

In my daily work, I apply the law proposed by George W. Bush, "No Child Left Behind," which aims to help students achieve better results in their school life, taking into account their individual pace and abilities.

Middle and High School Director

LUZ IVONNE PINTO GARCÍA

About me:

If life is a journey and I am the pilot, my roadmap is education, my destination a better world, and my transport commitment.

I am a wife, mother, sister, but above all a daughter; today, recognizing my mother for every teaching and care, I am convinced that we must have a purpose in this world and mine is to give back, that is why I am also a fervent environmentalist; I recycle and preach about the importance of the environment, which, like our neighbor, must be taken care of.

With positive teaching as my mantra, I have managed to integrate evaluation as a measurement tool to understand how things are done; connect with people through affection and empathy, to analyze and provide feedback.

A natural traveler in reality, thanks to my international experience as a teacher in Spain, Peru, and Ecuador, and now in Colombia, but also in fantasy, enchanted by the magical realism of Garcia Marquez, heroic fantasy series and movies such as "The Lord of the Rings" and "Game of Thrones".

Favorite quote: "Common sense is the least common of the senses" Voltaire

Experience:

More than 23 years of professional experience in which I have developed important skills, achievements, and cases that today make me an integral academic, with abilities focused on all aspects of the direction and management of IB programs, as well as in the development of projects, methodologies, and strategies in child education. I have extensive knowledge of the main aspects related to the direction and management of a bilingual high school, and leadership of academic teams. I am an expert in Psychology based on the vision and philosophy of schools, which adds to my broad skills in attention to parents, students, and teachers, allowing me to create, promote, and lead several academic challenges in school and international contexts in Ecuador, Peru, and Spain, with a focus on bilingualism.

Thanks to my expertise in Evaluation and Skill-Based Learning, I have managed to establish important competencies when establishing and promoting high standards and expectations for methodologies and processes that require high academic performance.

My experience in Colombia, which began in 1990, is complemented by an international perspective thanks to my experience as IB Coordinator of the Anglo American School Prescott Arequipa Secondary School, as well as my work for more than two years at the International School CEBI, Ecuador, and the Colegio Internacional Sek Ciudalcampo Madrid-Spain.

Coordinator of Coexistence and Well-being for Elementary and Middle Schools

ANDREÍNA PÉREZ QUINTERO

About me:

I am a teacher with over 25 years of experience in multiple areas including high school, university teaching, and the last 12 years in applied sciences to improve neural reconnections. I love forming work teams that allow me to share my skills to plan, develop, and apply techniques in scientific research projects.

In addition to my participation as a teacher at the high school and university levels, I have acquired great experience working with children, adults, and family groups in the use of complementary and integrative techniques, neurolinguistic programming, super learning, brain gymnastics, and multiple intelligences, as well as subconscious reprogramming through kinesiology and various neuro-reconnection tools such as the PSYCH-K® technique.

I have had the great opportunity to work and train as an expert in children with learning difficulties, concentration and hyperactivity issues or distinct abilities, brain training, management of the neuro-feedback technique and biofeedback with individualized protocols.

I have an advanced handling of positive psychology tools, mindfulness and visualization techniques, as well as psychoneuroimmunology for activation of states of well-being in children and adults. I am the creator of the Unit of Complementary and Integrative Therapies in Healthy Brain Training.

Recommended book: How to Make Good Things Happen to You by Mariam Rojas Estapé

Favorite phrase: When you align thought, mind, heart, word and action, the breath of God appears and miracles begin to be seen every day of your life.

Experience:

Teacher in charge of the subjects of Nature Studies, Health Education and Biology, Educational Coordinator in more than 50 research projects in students enrolled in the last academic year to opt for the title of high school graduate at COLEGIO BILINGÜE SIMON BOLIVAR II and LICEO ESTEBAN GIL BORGES (Venezuela - 2003 to 2017)

Co-Founder and Shareholder of CINA Neuro-Learning Unit (Venezuela)

Co-Founder and CEO of Bio-training Consultants S.A.S (Colombia)

Coexistence Coordinator High School

Óscar García Guzmán

About me:

"If you treat a human being as they are, they will remain as they are; but if you treat them as they could be, they will become what they are destined to be." This quote by poet and novelist Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe has been my inspiration to positively impact the lives of my students and encourage them to fully develop their potential.

As an educator, I have focused on the development of the potential of hundreds of children, knowing that discipline is the key to success. I have applied coaching and mentoring models to my students, so that they are aware that true competition in life is with themselves and that self-improvement should be a priority.

I have achieved this in many of my students by believing in them, planting seeds of confidence, and using a proven mentoring and support model. Today, I am proud to consider myself more than a teacher, a mentor. This has been expressed by my former students such as Luis Fernando Díaz, one of the most important Colombian players who currently plays in the English Premier League, and Andrea Arciniegas, a recognized financial analyst in Washington (USA), who says "having a figure like Oscar and receiving his lessons and advice is truly an opportunity that serves for life."

Recommended book: The Bible

Favorite phrases: In life there are no good or bad people. In life, there are those who want and those who do not want.

Experience:

I am a specialist in physiological development in children and adolescents from the EACI University in Argentina, a Sports Coach from the Cervantes University in Spain, and I am currently studying Pedagogy for non-graduates with La Sallista University in Medellín.

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Horacio Faccini Marketing & Communications Manager
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Creado con una imagen de Alexas_Fotos - "play stone figures wood"