131 result. “Our everyday struggle, in which life is a reflection of our capacity for work, our dedication, our good standing and our knowledge, there is nothing more rewarding than doing something useful, especially for the benefit of the community. It isn’t rare for suffering and difficulties to bar the achievement of wholesome goals, particularly due to lack of objectiveness and perseverance on the part of those who set out to pursue them. We are the kind of people who believe in hard work, and we don’t know success without sacrifice. Serving consistently is our motto, and we know no barriers to fulfilling this aspiration.” The president of the Deliberative Council went on to explain the Fundação’s motivations to maintain the Colégio and invest in its constant improvement: “We have erected this monument intrepidly, with the best ideals in mind, giving the city we live in an institution that lives up to the most advanced standards of a proper education, always standing out for good family values and a high level of professional ethics.” Among the numerous acknowledgements he gave to those who contributed to the construction of the building and to keeping Rio Branco in the forefront of educational institutions, emphasis must be placed on his special thanks to president Juscelino “for the great assistance he has given us and for honoring us with his presence at this glorious celebration.” In reply, right at the start of his speech, the president of the Republic pondered that the Fundação didn’t have to thank him for getting Caixa Econômica Federal (Brazil’s federal savings bank) involved with the construction. He said that, in fact, he was the one who should be thankful “to you for allowing such a useful and highly significant undertaking to be associated with my administration.” To demonstrate that his compliments were not only a matter of protocol, he proceeded to justify them: “It is unnecessary to praise with words something that is so eloquently apparent. This school adds to the just causes for being proud of the creative ability of the people in São Paulo. It is a testament to what can be accomplished through collaboration between the private sector and the State. It’s becoming more and more evident that by combining their efforts, they can provide something we had been missing until now: a construction project that lives up this country’s promise, whether in terms of material development or concerning social work and education.” Associating the great building he was opening with the progress Brazil was experiencing during his administration and with the optimism that then existed about the future, Juscelino Kubitschek also said, “This is an important moment for our destiny as a country, a time that calls for looking ahead. Let there be confidence in our future, and increasingly so. May the spirit of confidence in Brazil inspire us forever. In the young generations, in those who are sheltered here in this school, which is aggrandized by the name of the Baron of Rio Branco, and in as many people as are living in the spring of their days, we try to arouse a sense of both our grandeur and our responsibility simultaneously. Believing in Brazil and knowing how much our Brazil needs us —that’s what must be repeated, taught and take root in the young.” Once the building was officially opened, it was time to get back to work. Although the new facilities were really good, there still was a long way to go, and the Fundação was able to rely on people who were willing and able to carry on with the tasks it had set itself. Among them was Maria Olívia Valentini Montenegro, currently assistant principal of the Colégio. In 1961, she started working as an assistant teacher in the 1st grade of primary school. “The building still smelled like fresh cement, as it had just been made ready for use. Since the number of classrooms had been increased, along came new hires, including me. But I spent only one year in the classroom because I was invited by Ms. Soledad, who was then the primary school principal, to be her assistant. I worked with her for 17 years, and she was a great mentor to me,” she recalls. The administration and documentation work was put under her responsibility. It was hard work, but it was always done very diligently and responsibly. “We eventually had 1,200 students per year in primary school, and without today’s technology, all enrollment records were made in books, manually. Exams would be typed out and then mimeographed,” she says. Those were different times not only regarding technology, but also in habits and behavior. Maria Olívia recalls that the teachers would hold classes wearing suit and tie, and that only women would teach primary school lessons. “But many things were already around at that time and have remained, such as the goal of educating students to be leaders and good citizens,” she points out. A curious fact at that time, which was bolstered by the move to Avenida Higienópolis, was the strong presence of students from the Jewish community. Rio Branco’s reputation and secular school profile attracted that public, who lived in the neighborhood in large numbers. While Colégio Rio Branco gained a new home —more consistent with its prestige, according to Marcos Paulo Salles—, the Fundação, whose headquarters now did justice to its importance, had its role strengthened. As senator José Ermírio de Moraes pointed out in his
Livro Comemorativo dos 70 anos da Fundação de Rotarianos de São Paulo - Uma história de ideias e ideais
To see the actual publication please follow the link above