Instituto San Roberto

Instituto San Roberto
Location
Monterrey, Nuevo Leon
Mexico
Information
Type Private school, Co-ed
Established 1982
Founder Monica Sada
Oversight Meritas
Headmaster Hortensia Prieto
Grades Pre-K-Ninth grade
Enrollment 2,055
Campus San Agustín and Valle Alto
Campus size San Agustín 7-acre campus and Valle Alto 20-acre campus
Mascot Venados
Accreditation SACS
Website sanroberto.edu.mx

Instituto San Roberto is a private school in Monterrey, Mexico, founded in 1982 by Mrs. Monica Sada. In September 2006 the Meritas Family of Schools acquired ISR, making it the first school in Latin America to become part of this group. Meritas is a worldwide family of elite college-preparatory schools.

2055 students from 33 countries attend either of the school’s two locations: San Agustín Campus, in the suburb of San Pedro Garza García, or Valle Alto Campus, in the southern part of Monterrey.

The school offers an international academic program for students from PreNursery to grade 9, based on the Meritas Academic Plan. ISR is also recognized for its robust values and character education program.

Both campuses of ISR have an international accreditation by SACS (now AdvancED), since 2002. ISR Notable memberships include: Association of American Schools in Mexico (ASOMEX), Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), Association of American Schools of Central America, Colombia, Caribbean, and Mexico (Tri-Association), and International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).

ISR fosters a values-centered community where active parent participation is not only encouraged but also expected. Notable activities include: the La Gloria Project and the ISR Values Conference.

History

Instituto San Roberto was founded in 1982 by Monica Sada. It first opened its doors as a preschool. Activities began in a small rented house in San Pedro Garza García, Nuevo León. The name “San Roberto” was chosen in honor of Mr. Roberto G. Sada Jr., one of Monterrey’s most distinguished businessmen and father of Mrs. Sada. Success in the preschool levels led to the opening of the elementary levels a year later, adding a bilingual program.

The increase in the student body and the need for new facilities led to Mrs. Cristina Sada, the founder’s sister, to join the school as an investor. The new San Agustin Campus opened in November 1984. Middle school levels opened in 1989. To serve the growing population in the southern part of the city, Valle Alto Campus opened its doors in September 1994. Both campuses were accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) in December 2002, and currently hold the accreditation by SACS, now as a division of AdvancED.

In September 2006 the Sada sisters sold the school to the Meritas Family of Schools, an elite family of international private schools. To this date, Instituto San Roberto remains the only school in Latin America to belong to this prestigious group. Meritas has helped elevate ISR’s status to an elite school, which offers students, faculty, and staff international learning opportunities such as: Touchpoints, The Meritas Games, The Meritas Olympiad, and the Meritas Teachers College.

Academics

Early childhood education is based on active learning experiences to develop student’s personality, potential and social skills. Team activities allow students to make connections between the classroom and their daily lives. In nursery, instruction is given in small groups of 12 students, entirely in English, except for the physical education and values classes.

The preschool program focuses on literacy skills, numeric concepts, and social and personal abilities, including personal working habits. The nursery and preschool lunch was designed by nutritionist Dr. Patricia Rivero, and is based on the Asterisk Diet.

Even though the core curriculum is given in English, elementary and middle school programs incorporate a few classes in Spanish, additionally French is offered in grade 9.

ISR is recognized for its robust Balanced Literacy program, which begins as early as nursery.

Beginning in grade 2, students participate in Touchpoints, a program in which they are paired with a class from a sister Meritas School. Both groups work year-round on a world problem via Wikis and videoconference sessions. They address the problem from different perspectives, through research, discussion, and debates.

Other notable programs include: Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, Habits of Mind, and the 1to1 laptop program in Middle School, which has been named Apple Distinguished Program for 2014-2016.

Students from all grade levels have a Personal Learning Plan, part of the Meritas Academic Plan, which tracks their progress and sets individual goals based on data gathered from standardized tests such as: MAP and WrAP.

One to one learning is offered through the RTI and SWAS programs.

Introduction to music begins in early childhood. Lower elementary students are active in the violin program, and move on to wind instruments, and chorus or percussion in their later years. Students from grades 7 to 9 participate in the Model UN program. ISR’s Model United Nations simulations are recognized as one of the strongest in Monterrey.

Grade 9 students participate in the Interims program. For a week they get a hands-on experience on a variety of topics that may require them to travel to places such as: China, Japan, Italy, Orlando, Thailand, and Costa Rica.

Campus and Facilities

Facilities in both campuses

Exclusive to San Agustín

Exclusive to Valle Alto

Values and Character Education

ISR’s robust values and character education program centers on four institutional values (identity, respect, responsibility, and spirituality) and includes four main areas:

Habits of Mind® - to develop abilities in the students that will help them make intelligent decisions during challenging situations, and lead them to be successful people, while exercising critical thinking and creativity.

Life, Study and College Prep - to provide students with the social and emotional skills they need to fit in the adult world and obtain learning for life. The curriculum incorporates preparation for college, career research and skills for studying and living.

Personal and Social Responsibility – to promote helping the less fortunate, as well as instill a community centered in respect. Activities include: La Gloria Project, fundraising campaigns, anti-bullying campaigns, and conferences for students and parents.

Spiritual Growth – to educate centered on the values and attitudes of Jesus, within a Catholic-inspired environment that respects and includes other ideologies and cultures. Activities include a weekly sessions offered by volunteer parents, and key activities per grade level.

Digital Citizenship

ISR’s values and character education program includes the responsible use of technology, particularly noted in ISR Digital Nation. This program involves every member of the ISR community to commit to being responsible users of technology. Everyone is expected to become role models of digital etiquette.

La Gloria Project

La Gloria Project is a key part of the ongoing social responsibility activities that take place at the school. La Gloria is an underdeveloped community in Coahuila, Mexico that San Roberto has been helping since 2007.

ISR Student Governments proposed this project during the 2007 Meritas Student Governments Summit, and for five years every school in the Meritas family contributed to making La Gloria a self-sustained community.

Their efforts contributed to the construction of a community center, which opened in June 2010. Probably the most important project to help La Gloria is the scholarship program. The first to graduate from this project is Vanessa Hernández, who is now a resident nurse in La Gloria, tending to the locals’ needs.

Currently, Meritas efforts have moved to a new social responsibility program, “Feeding Children Everywhere”, but the San Roberto community continues to actively help La Gloria.

The scholarship program is still in place. A group called "Misión Permanente", formed by ISR students, parents, and staff, visit La Gloria once a month and offer workshops, tutoring, and help better the homes and lives of the residents of the community.

ISR Values Conference

ISR’s pledge to make its community a better place goes beyond educating students in a values-centered environment. Their aim is to create awareness of the social responsibility and commitment needed to construct a better Mexico.

They achieve this via the ISR Values Conference, an event for students from grades 7 to 9. The event began in 2012, and has included international speakers such as: Kim Phuc, Katie Spotz, Dr. Sameer Hinduja, and former first lady of Mexico, Margarita Zavala de Calderón.

Over 800 students from Monterrey and the metro area attend this event every year, which is made up of three key components: Keynote Conferences – International leaders inspire our students with their life stories. Workshops – Students choose their topics of choice and interact on small groups led by experts. Dialogue Sessions – Led by ISR alumni, where students share their concerns and life stories.

External links

Coordinates: 25°34′31″N 100°15′29″W / 25.5753°N 100.2580°W