ASPV Staff & Infrastructure Grows
In view of the start of the 2012-2013 school year, we visited the General Director of the American School of Puerto Vallarta, Mr. Gerald Selitzer, and took a tour of the school. During our visit he told us about some of the new improvements added to the school during the summer.
First and probably most important, is the construction of three new classrooms in the primary section of the school, coupled with the expansion of the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade rooms. When asked, Mr. Selitzer informed us that all primary classrooms now measure a whopping 76 square meters, more than sufficient to comfortably house the active learning style employed by our teaching staff. Additionally, a new campus wide wireless computer system was installed in order to monitor the use of all computers on campus simultaneously, as well as direct extra bandwidth to specific classrooms upon request to ensure rapid and uninterrupted service on demand.
During our visit, Mr. Selitzer told us that the three football fields were reseeded and improved so that the entire sports program, both during and after school would be safer as well as greener and much more attractive.
Not as obvious to the naked eye, but just as important as the other improvements, was the addition of a new and larger electrical substation that ensures uninterrupted service to all corners of the two hectare campus currently housing twenty-six classrooms, two administrative suites, one conference room, one fully equipped infirmary, two complete libraries, two science and two computer laboratories, as well as a music, art and theater complex, all air conditioned and connected to the school’s own private fiber optic computer network that incorporates more than one-hundred and sixty computers campus wide.
Visibly excited about the new school year, Mr. Selitzer told us that they are very proud to welcome nine new American and Canadian teachers to their professional staff, all of whom are university graduates and certified to teach in the area of their specialty, as are all teachers on staff. Over half of the teaching staff hold master’s degrees in education.
In closing and visibly pleased, Mr. Selitzer said, “I am very proud of the fact that we are the only educational institution in the region that can show off their staff in this manner. We are the only educational institution in Puerto Vallarta that is accredited both in the United States and Mexico, which is a true indicator of the high quality education our students receive”.
