Educational project

Our Educational Philosophy

The Thomas Jefferson STEM School, since its inception, has been conceived and officially recognized by the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) as a private, bilingual English-Spanish school that adheres to the STEM methodology. With an innovative spirit inspired by American education, it focuses on the holistic development of children and young people, preparing future leaders with strong ethical and moral values, such as respect and tolerance for diversity.

The school has a demanding curriculum, and proficiency in English is fundamental, according to the levels and curricular areas established by the school. Therefore, the academic program, regulations, and activities related to personal development may not be appropriate for all individuals and their families.

Educational model and STEM methodology

Creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills are best developed through active intellectual engagement. The guiding educational model will be one of active student participation in the teaching and learning process, utilizing student-centered activities that complement the curriculum, such as academic trips, field trips, community studies, science labs, a digital language platform, monograph projects and publications, bibliographic research, the use of ICTs, public speaking and debates, dance, drama, and sports participation, among others. This type of educational program is based on carefully planned curricular integration and articulation.

The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) educational program at Thomas Jefferson STEM School equips its graduates with the ability to study and succeed in diverse careers that align with their personal interests, provide them with excellent job opportunities, and allow them to contribute directly to the social and economic development of our country.

National and international assessment standards are used as benchmarks to maintain appropriate performance, with the goal of preparing our students for further higher education and/or admission to national or international universities.

To present the principles of our Educational Philosophy, we have grouped them into four areas:

Value Principles

TJSS works to develop universal values such as honesty, compassion, charity, and respect for life. These principles will be integrated throughout the curriculum and will be included in each and every school activity. They will also guide students’ actions, shaping their culture, behavior, and social performance.

Democracy and Equal Opportunities: Thomas Jefferson was a proponent of a democratic form of government for his country. Consequently, TJSS will promote tolerance of human differences, combating all forms of discrimination against individuals who hold social and/or political ideals different from those promoted at the school, provided they respect basic human ideals of coexistence.
Respect: TJSS students will learn to respect authority and, most importantly, to conduct themselves within the boundaries of the system. The TJSS will strive to identify the models that Chilean culture considers positive and truly necessary for successful participation in society. Students must also learn that respect is not only for parents, teachers, and community authorities, but also for friends, classmates, personal and school property, the building, and the environment in which they live and work.
Leadership: We aim for all TJSS graduates to become leaders in their community and nation. One of the main goals of the TJSS is to develop and train our students to be leaders in various areas of society. Each graduate will be prepared to assume leadership positions in their chosen vocation or profession, or in areas of community service. In this regard, the Academic Programs will develop creativity, critical thinking, teamwork skills, the ability to think independently and critically, tolerance for differing opinions, and so on.
The Importance of Personal Effort: Students must come to understand that the greatest satisfaction in life comes from achieving goals through personal effort. As Thomas Jefferson aptly pointed out, “A hard-working spirit makes a happy spirit.” Students will also be taught to balance hard work with time for rest and leisure. They should be encouraged to work hard while always taking care to avoid boredom at all costs.
Love of Country, Love of Family, and Civic Awareness: Students should be able to critically examine their own nation and Chilean culture. Teachers will always strive to instill in children a deep love for Chilean history and traditions. One of the important principles of Chilean culture is love and respect for family. Efforts will be made to promote the idea that students’ personal development and growth are linked to the family unit.
Resilience: The ability to get back up after a setback is one of the fundamental skills to be developed. Making mistakes is part of learning, and it’s probably necessary to make them to grow. This isn’t a pleasant reality, but it must be accepted. The TJSS will recognize that each individual is unique and, as such, will be attentive to the individual differences of the students and their levels of interest, motivation, and learning.
Respect for Confidentiality: Avoiding rumors and respecting private and confidential information is a fundamental ethical value for our society and our Educational Project.
Positive Role Models and Examples: A positive climate is essential and conducive to the healthy development of the individual. The school will promote a positive attitude that translates into the use of humor, tolerance, respect for others, and the development of a positive self-image. This will be integrated into all curricular activities, both inside and outside the classroom. Every teacher, and particularly the homeroom teacher, must be a role model for the children. Older students who are successfully completing their training process should also become role models for younger students.

Academic Principles

Master and Learning: The Master and Learning methodology suggests that instruction should focus on determining the time each student requires to achieve a learning objective. In this approach, there are no good or bad students, but rather fast, intermediate, or slow learners. This methodology identifies two factors that affect a student’s learning speed: the student’s perseverance and the learning opportunities provided by the teacher. Due to its high productivity, this system is implemented throughout the TJSS curriculum.
English Immersion: The total immersion methodology in English begins at the pre-primary levels and continues with a communicative approach at all subsequent levels. Students develop the skills of understanding, speaking, reading, and writing creatively, emphasizing clarity of thought and spelling accuracy in English. It is a gradual process that begins when students enter TJSS so that by the end of their studies in 12th grade, they will have acquired a level and mastery of bilingual English very close to that of a native speaker, with the ability to communicate both in writing and orally. The TOEFL exam certifies the achievement of second language acquisition.
Love of Learning: TJSS will strive to maintain a natural environment of love for learning by offering attractive and motivating programs that keep children interested in educational tasks. Each student, with the help and guidance provided by their teachers and other members of the educational community, will be encouraged to develop a genuine love of learning. When these conditions are present, students feel motivated to discover the world, develop their thinking, cultivate positive attitudes, and strengthen skills and abilities. Thus, the learning achieved ceases to be rote and superficial, becoming meaningful and lasting.
Breadth of Knowledge: Basic and secondary education provide opportunities to acquire fundamental skills and attitudes for learning, critical thinking, problem-solving, and social skills. While students will not be discouraged from pursuing personal interests, they will be guided to develop their skills and competencies according to the standards provided by the national curriculum and the demands of a globalized world through the required learning areas.
Combination of Practice and Theory: Every child or young person at TJSS will be guided to learn and develop motor skills as a source of personal satisfaction and as an opportunity to generate new ideas by applying theoretical principles. This can take place in the science lab, on the sports field, in the recreation area, in the music and art room, and in many other places where students are provided with opportunities to apply their scientific knowledge and develop their creativity.
Development of Basic Skills: Reading, writing, listening, speaking, and mastering computer tools are skills that must be developed as a priority. Each teacher will be responsible for developing these skills in their students. Reading comprehension, the production of texts appropriate to the context, oral expression, and attentive listening, as well as proficiency in utility software, are transversal skills that will be developed progressively throughout schooling.
History and Literature: These humanities disciplines are a key component of the Social Sciences curriculum. In particular, students will be instilled with an appreciation for classical culture and literature, linking each work of art to its context of production, thus establishing a connection with history.
The Role of Homework: Homework is a valuable complement to school instruction. To be effective for learning, it should be of reasonable scope and demands and should also be relevant to the learning objectives.

Principles of Integrity

Work-Life Balance: Throughout their training, TJSS students will be taught that a fulfilling life results from a healthy balance between work and leisure time, thus achieving a healthy and productive equilibrium. Leisure time, including participation in sports, offers many advantages: it helps channel physical and mental energy, promotes solidarity through teamwork, fosters the ability to calmly accept the development of new skills, and teaches the acceptance of both positive and negative interactions as essential parts of training.
Humor: Students will be encouraged to develop their sense of humor. Humor is an important expression of human emotion and contributes positively to student development. TJSS teachers and students will be receptive to humor as part of the learning process. Learning is fun, and so is teaching. Expressions that distort humor, such as sarcasm, ridicule, and others, are excluded.
Imagination: Imagination is a combination of a wide variety of creative experiences and intelligence. TJSS students will be encouraged to let their imaginations flourish through games, stories and narratives, paintings, drawings, etc. This does not mean that a creative child will become someone who cannot adapt to traditional culture and customs; it simply means that they can generate a wide variety of solutions to any given problem.
Leveraging all developmental opportunities: One of TJSS’s goals is to foster autonomous learning. Therefore, the school’s physical environment must be adapted and available to meet this need, enabling the development of both formal and informal teaching strategies. In line with the above, field trips can be extremely valuable learning opportunities. For example, Saturday mornings are an excellent opportunity to schedule family activities where children can connect with, learn about, and appreciate the environment and culture in which they are immersed, thus becoming familiar with the vocabulary and concepts related to their surroundings.
Expression and Creativity: Music and Art
One of the goals of both primary and secondary education is for each child to develop an interest in and skills related to art, music, or technology, as vehicles for expression and personal development. These mediums can encompass areas such as visual arts, dance, music, sports, technology, etc.
Oral Expression: One of the most important communicative skills is the ability to express oneself orally in public contexts. The emphasis on teaching written language has delayed the curricular development of these skills. This weakness, coupled with hostile environments and the resulting fear of ridicule, makes teaching all oral expression, including learning a foreign language, difficult and often impossible. Presentations, forums, public speeches, and other forms of oral communication will be regular tasks at TJSS.
The Free Market as an Economic System: Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the free market system (the global economic system today) is a cultural aspect that children and young people should learn. The free market economic system should stimulate talent and creative energy not only in the financial sphere but also in other vital dimensions.
Travel: Knowledge of other places and cultures is an inexhaustible source of learning. TJSS students will therefore be encouraged to travel throughout their community, region, and nation, and, to the extent possible, also abroad. High school students will participate in exchange programs with the United States and other English-speaking countries that provide students with the opportunity to acquire a good understanding of the second language, and can also give them an appreciation of cultural differences in various areas.

Estate Principles