Think of a seed growing into a mighty tree. That is similar to the story of the Colégio Salesiano Santa Teresinha. This school began as a small initiative and blossomed into a significant educational institution.
Colégio Salesiano Santa Teresinha has a rich history in São Paulo. It stands as a testament to the Salesian mission of education and community service. Founded on May 9 1937 the school has been educating generations.
Let’s journey back to 1919. The Spanish flu hit São Paulo hard. The Liceu Coração de Jesus the city’s only Salesian school needed a place to isolate the sick. Salesians sought out properties to house the ill. The school acquired a farm in the Chora Menino neighborhood. This farm later became the site of Colégio Salesiano Santa Teresinha.
In 1926 the Salesians built a church dedicated to Santa Teresinha. This was to thank her for protecting students and Salesians during the 1924 military revolution. Father André Dell’Oca founded the Externato Santa Teresinha in 1937. It was a parochial school for local children.
By 1953 Externato Santa Teresinha became independent. It received the old Chácara do Recreio and the Igreja Paroquial de Santa Teresinha. The Colégio Salesiano Santa Teresinha faced financial struggles in 1962. Despite this the school gained approval for its “ginasiais” series equivalent to middle school.
The Santana neighborhood grew rapidly in the 1960s. The Colégio Salesiano Santa Teresinha expanded its offerings and opened its “2º grau” or high school in 1970. Despite growth the school still struggled financially.
The Colégio Salesiano Santa Teresinha launched an ambitious expansion plan. They built a new two-story school building. They added a preschool building a canteen soccer fields and basketball courts.
The neighborhood experienced a boom of large buildings in the mid-1980s. This attracted an upper-middle-class population. The Colégio Salesiano Santa Teresinha adapted to these changes. It expanded its administrative and pedagogical structure. The school added a soccer field a sports gymnasium a running track and a cultural center.
By 1996 the Colégio Salesiano Santa Teresinha was the largest in Zona Norte. It occupied nearly 30000 square meters. The school remained committed to Dom Bosco’s educational approach.
Today Colégio Salesiano Santa Teresinha is part of the Rede Salesiana de Escolas RSE. This network includes over 100 educational institutions across Brazil. The RSE promotes humanistic and Christian values. Reason religion and care are central to its educational system.
The Colégio Salesiano Santa Teresinha offers various facilities. These include sports courts a gymnasium the Teatro Dom Bosco and science labs. There is also a soccer field an activity area a running track a dance room and a chapel.
Colégio Salesiano Santa Teresinha is more than just a school. It is a place where students learn to live believe learn and grow. Generations of families have passed through its halls. They carry forward the values instilled here. This school stands as a beacon of education and community in São Paulo.