Dear Helvetia School community

I would like to begin by thanking, on behalf of myself and the entire school, the support we have received from the families that are part of this community. Their messages of solidarity and willingness to support us in specific issues help us to turn this situation into an opportunity for growth and learning. Soon we will be communicating about the space to define the steps to follow.

I would like to inform you about the concrete actions we are currently working on in favor of healthy school coexistence:

  1. Recognizing what happened, and the need to work together to improve, the two affected families have been offered joint paths of reparation, in which representatives of the community would be present under the advice of Human Partner, an expert organization in facilitating processes of restoration and non-violence.
  2. During the induction week, the teaching staff received extensive training in the management of care protocols, led by representatives of the District Secretary of Education.
  3. In order to attend to our students, who have also been affected by the media coverage, spaces for conversation and reflection were opened with the courses of Cycles II and III.
  4. The rectory invited families to reflect during the beginning of the year meetings, and participated in the Parent Council, with the new representatives for this school year.
  5. In the interest of talking to the students instead of about the students, the rector approached the Student Council to generate joint proposals to ensure healthy coexistence among them.
  6. The school continues to be in permanent contact with the control entities, responding to their requirements and at the same time proactively showing the actions implemented in favor of a healthy school coexistence.
  7. We have set the date for the Week of Reflection on Coexistence, November 14-17, 2023; we are working on its planning, so that this event becomes a model for other schools in Bogota.
  8. We have again disseminated the importance of the institutional channels of attention to conflict situations that affect coexistence and the need to report any situation in a timely manner for the resolution of conflicts and agility in the application of the protocols.

Although new news may appear in the media, we will continue to work with the same commitment and rigor to make Helvetia School a model for healthy school coexistence. Stay tuned to the social media campaign that will soon be launched. As a community we have the obligation to face today's challenges in an open manner, and we invite society in general to unite around this reflection to generate a change in favor of the girls and boys of Colombia.

Cordially yours,

Martin Kobel
Rector (E)
Helvetia College