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Adriana Reyes Martínez
Iris Garcia, Marcela Lopez, Jimena Paredes, Daniela Alburez
Ileana Hurtarte
Mónica Maddaleno
Monte María has always been dedicated to providing an integrated education, encompassing various aspects of learning. One of its core strengths lies in the quality of English language instruction it offers. Recognizing the students’ proficiency in English, the school has decided to showcase their language skills to a wider audience.
The English Festival, an annual event, serves as a platform where all students of Monte María can actively engage in an English-speaking environment, allowing them to fully utilize and demonstrate their abilities in the language.
The English Festival has been a longstanding tradition at the school, although the exact year of its inception remains unclear. However, what is certain is that it is celebrated in honor of Sister Elizabeth, dearly called “Sister Pasita,” an esteemed figure within the school community, the teacher of teachers, on the date in which her birthday would be celebrated.
To gain further insight into the English Festival, we had the opportunity to interview Mónica Maddaleno, the English Area Coordinator at Colegio Monte María. During the interview, she shed light on the different themes that have been explored in past festivals.
Adriana: Mónica, could you tell us about the themes of previous festivals?
Monica: I can’t recall the specific years, but I do remember The Circus, Cinema, a Fair, under the sea, Decades in which Colegio Monte María has existed, Remarkable Women through history, among others.
Adriana: Interesting! So, do the students perform every year, or are there instances where they present pre-recorded content, like in the case of the cinema theme?
Monica: Well, not every year involves live performances; as you mentioned, some years have incorporated recorded presentations, other years it has been an integrated presentation with the Artistic Expression Area.
Adriana: That’s fascinating. Monica, I have a question for you. While the students present in English, I’m curious about the parents who might not understand the language. Have you considered any measures to include these parents? Perhaps subtitles or any other means of ensuring their involvement?
Monica: Not currently. The English Festival primarily serves as an opportunity for students to showcase what they have learned at school, to their parents.
Based on the insights shared by Mónica, it is evident that the English Festival is a cherished tradition that provides students with a platform to demonstrate their English Language Skills. Furthermore, it fosters a sense of pride and enables them to exhibit the multitude of talents they have acquired through their education at Monte María.
Regarding this year’s festival theme, “Transformation,” it is noteworthy that various classes explored different topics, such as the evolution of electronic devices, fashion trends, plays representing classics such as A Christmas Carol, in which Scrooge experiences a remarkable transformation process, The Ant and the Grasshopper, Harlequin and the Gift of Many Colors, The Knight in the Rusty Armor, How colors transform the world, How women’s role has been transformed over the years, and even simulated newscasts, among others.
Throughout our academic journey, Monte María has consistently encouraged us to showcase our skills. In the case of the English Festival, it provides us with an invaluable opportunity to communicate with the world using a foreign language we have mastered proficiently.
