We have lived to the expectations of being a college preparatory school. Throughout SESO history, 100% of our high school graduales have been accepted to pursue further education. SESO carries the honor of having our alumni accepted in the best universities of the  world: Harvard, MIT, Comen, Yale,  Princeton, Oxtord and many  other prestigious undergraduate and graduate academic insUiutions abroad, as well as the University of Puerto Rico. As recent as last week, we received an official report from the Universily of Puerto Rico discussing the statistics of retention and GPA at the end of the first year at the RUM.  We are proud to communicate that SESO students showed by far the best performance among private and public schools in Puerto Rico (copy enclosed).  This is not only an honor, but also a commitment to continue looking into options to provide the best altematives to strengthen the academic foundation of our student’s future.  lt was also very rewarding to realize that many of the most prestigious awards granted in the 2012 commencement exercises of the RUM were also granted to SESO alumni (copy of the academic accomplishments of sorne of our last 7 yrs. SESO graduates enclosed).  As you may realize, it makes us feel really proud to see that we have been able to provlde our students with the tools necessary to succeed in their professional education.

This  academic  year is a very important one for our instítution. SESO will be celebrating 40 years of delivering educational excellence to a wide variety of students that have proudly become our product. Many interesting activities are being developed to celebrate our 40 anniversary within the community we serve. Our commitment has to move farther than school premisas, therefore we are planning to establish SESO presence in many other areas of the Western community, such as sports, community services, health, and every possible aspect we can. We are very proud of what we have become through the years, and this is the perfect time to make it public. 40 years is a big affair, and we intend to show it.

I am sincerely looking forward for an exciting year in which we can join efforts for the benefit of our students and every member of the SESO family. Our 40th anniversary is the perfect occasion for a rebirth with new and interesting ideas to make our years at SESO a pleasant and enriching experience at every level, and for every member of the SESO communíty.

Dear SESO Community:

It is with great pride that I have accepted the enormous challenge of becoming the new SESO Interim School Director. After more than 20 years of a very close relationship with this institution I can express that I not only know this system very well, but also respect it and seriously believe in its product.  I’ve had the opportunity to be part of the SESO community as a parent, teacher, Board Member, Board Secretary, Chairperson for the Academic Programs Committee, General Board Member and President of the Board of Directors from 1999 to 2003; and now I will be using all the knowledge and experience acquired through the years to guide the institution trough the challenges of times, working very hard so our success will continue growing day by day.  I am counting with all the SESO community to make it happen.

There are several important items that I want to share with you, so you may be well informed about where we are right now.

Last week we received a visit from the National School Lunch Program better known as “comedores escolares”. The Federal Government approved laws  103-448 (1994) “Healthy Food for Healthy Children”  published by USDA, and LP 108.265 (2006), requesting from the institutions that are recipients of the National School Lunch Program  to improve the nutritional quality of every kind of food available to the students. Now they are urging institutions to comply, or services form the program can be suspended. They met with Mr. and Mrs. José Sánchez, from the vending store (“tiendita”), Mr. Israel Ramos, owner of the vending machines, and members of the school administration and Board of Directors. During the next couple of months, a complete face out of any kind of carbonated beverages and snacks with low nutritional levels has to be done.  Only products allowed by the agency, following their specific guides, can be sold at school. It is very important that parents understand the reason for the changes about to happen.  The US Health Department is promoting healthy living styles, and Federal protocols have been created for schools to follow, such as the one that forbids the vending store to sell heavy food to the students two hours before their lunch period.  As an institution we receive federal funds in the form of grants for equipment and professional development as a result of being part of the program.  We should not jeopardize those funds, therefore I encourage you as parents to help us by explaining to your children the importance of following the rules in the vending areas, so we do not have further difficulties implementing the Federal Government requirements. Then, by the beginning of next academic year, the changes will be totally implemented for the safety and benefit of all our students.

I also want to express my appreciation  for the support given to the “Rose Carnival” held on school premises last Saturday March 3^rd. Mrs. Saavedra is still recovering from the surgery and we hope to have her back soon.  She really appreciates your kind support during this difficult time of her life. We sincerely hope to have her back really soon.

As part of the Middle States Accreditation, some of our families randomly selected by a process described in a previous communication, have received a questionnaire to fill out and return to school. It is very important that we receive the complete document on or before Tuesday, March 13, so we can continue preparing for the evaluation from MSA.  Even though we need to have a representative sample,  any family who voluntarily wants to be part of the evaluation process please pass by the school office to pick up a copy of the questionnaire to be filled. We really appreciate your input.

Soon you will be receiving important information from the administration and the Board of Directors in preparation for the parent’s assembly to be held on Tuesday, April 24, and details of the SESO Summer Program, that promises to be a very exiting experience.

We are all looking forward for a very rewarding end of the academic year. Soon enough it will be summer time, so encourage your children to work hard towards the end, and then enjoy their time off as a reward for a job well done.

Finally, I reiterate my pleasure and great honor having the opportunity to work together with the SESO community to proudly maintain our standing as the “Best of the West”, and make it stronger every day.

Feel free to come to me if you have any questions. The doors of my office will always be open for every member of our SESO family.

Come to SESO, Feel at home!!!

Respectfully,

Wanda Ayala de Torres

Interim Director