Ponce School
William Guzmán – High School Principal
For 16 and a half years, I have been working at Ponce School, initially as a high school religion teacher, which quickly got me involved in pastoral work and its activities, as well as learning about who San José de Calasanz was to teach my students about him. Since that first contact with Calasanz’s figure, I have not stopped working in the pastoral field and delving into Calasanz’s teachings and his life in all the roles I have held up to the present, where I am the Principal of the High School. This role has made me more involved and closer to the students, teachers, and families.
OUR SCHOOL
Ponce School was founded in 1926 by María Serra Gelabert in the city of Ponce, in southern Puerto Rico, as a private Catholic school dedicated to preparing male students for university entrance. From 1930 to 1969, it was run by the Marianist Brothers. In 1969, at the initiative of the Bishop of Ponce, Ponce School came under the control of a lay corporation, whose Board of Directors handed over the administration and direction of the School, with full autonomy, to the Order of Piarists or Pious Schools Fathers. Since then, numerous lay teachers have collaborated with the Piarists in educational and administrative tasks. In 1973, the School became coeducational.
“Ponceño,” as everyone commonly calls it, is close to celebrating its first centenary, which indicates that it has had a long history and has impacted many people’s lives through academics, sports, technology, mathematics, music, and many other fields. What sets us apart from other schools is the spirituality and presence of the Piarists and that the life of our school does not end when the bell rings for dismissal, as activities continue until late at night with sports practices, tutoring, clubs, catechesis, and robotics, among others. This reality, which has persisted for decades, reflects that we have always been a full-time school connected to the Calasanctian charisma, providing our students with the opportunity to develop in many areas unrelated to the academic aspect.
CHALLENGES AND GOALS
Although we have been walking with the Piarists for many years and have adopted their charisma, we need to incorporate the Calasanz Movement and the Piarist Fraternity to strengthen Piarist spirituality further and to yield the necessary fruits, including more vocations to consecrated and lay life committed to the Church and the order. On the other hand, we face low birth rates in our country and many parts of the world, which translates into reductions in enrollment and a shortage of teachers. We are responsible for making the gospel of Christ and the beautiful vocation of teaching ever more credible.
PASTORAL CARE
Pastoral care is one of the pillars of our school. It is very active and promotes everyone’s participation. We have a highly committed team that lives the Calasanctian faith and spirituality. We work on student and employee retreats, spiritual gatherings, Eucharistic celebrations, and catechesis and support the guidance department in cases where it is needed.
We are taking the initial steps to begin the Calasanz Movement and the Piarist Fraternity. We want to offer our school community the opportunity to participate in the order from which the Lord inspires and calls them.
MY PASSION
Throughout my 16 years at the school, I have had the opportunity to work from different angles, from which I have learned a lot, which motivates me to continue dedicating myself daily to the entire school community, especially our students. I have learned to value every opportunity given to me, which has inspired me to accompany and inspire others.
I am passionate and very excited about my work as Principal because it gives me the opportunity to contribute to decisions that can help develop our school in all aspects, especially in the development of faculty and projects that motivate students. I can say with complete certainty that this is my place.
INNOVATION
After enduring the onslaught of several hurricanes and earthquakes, the school will start building a new school in a project that will last several years and be worked on in stages. This will allow us to have modern facilities that meet our current needs.
On the other hand, we have always been at the forefront of technology in collaboration with Microsoft and its teacher development program through certifications.
Regarding pastoral care, we are the only school in the area that offers 4-day spiritual retreats in the last three years of high school, designed in three stages where space is provided for silent reflection and simultaneously to share dynamics and reflections.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Address: 1900 Carr 14, Coto Laurel PR 00780-2147
Official Contact: office@copin.net / 787-848-2525
Date of foundation: 1926
Number of students: 547
Number of teachers: 49
Formal educational offer: Preschool, primary, and secondary
Other activities: Open School, Tutoring, Robotics, Drone Soccer, Ponceño Volleyball Academy (PVA), Ponceño Football Academy, student clubs and associations, Creative Summer Camp, and Crusader Summer School.
