The Arrecife neighborhood of Altavista began its patron saint festivities in honor of San Antonio María Claret with the reading of the opening speech by Jesús Toledano Sánchez, a recently retired teacher who has dedicated a good part of his professional life to the neighborhood and who, for 35 years, has maintained a close relationship with the educational centers Los Geranios and Mercedes Medina.
At 7:00 PM last Friday, the vibrant rhythms of the Batucada Los Yaiceros, directed by Javier Jiménez, announced to the neighbors the arrival of much-anticipated days. After parading through several streets of the neighborhood, its members offered a lively performance that set the festive tone for the first moments of the celebration and welcomed the speaker.
Upon his arrival, Jesús Toledano was welcomed by the president of the Padre Claret de Altavista Neighborhood Association, Mari Carmen Santacruz; members of the board of directors and the Festival Committee; the first deputy mayor and councilor for Festivals of the Arrecife City Council, Echedey Eugenio; the councilor for Culture, Abigail González; other representatives of the municipal corporation and numerous neighbors.
Everyone moved inside the society hall, whose social room, renovated and elegantly prepared for the occasion, was dressed in its finest to host one of the most significant events on the festive calendar: the reading of the opening speech.
Music opened a very special evening
The ceremonial event began with a performance by the young singer Iballa González, accompanied on the piano by professor Cielo Guzmán. Both offered a varied musical selection in a highly elegant staging, which highlighted the singer's interpretive qualities and the pianist's musical sensitivity.
The audience followed the performance attentively and responded with prolonged and warm applause, recognizing the talent of the two artists and setting the first emotional tone for a night that promised to be unforgettable.
Next, the president of the Neighborhood Association, Mari Carmen Santacruz, took the stage, a tireless woman who, along with her team, has worked intensely to ensure the society looked its best and could welcome neighbors and visitors as these festivities deserve.
Visibly emotional, Mari Carmen thanked her colleagues for the effort, dedication, and work done, and encouraged everyone present to enjoy the scheduled events. She also expressed her gratitude to the town crier for accepting the invitation to officially announce this year's 2026 patron saint festivities.
Next, the first deputy mayor and councilor for Festivities, Echedey Eugenio, spoke, congratulating the board of directors and the Festivities Committee for their work. He also invited residents to take advantage of these days to take a break from daily obligations, share good times, and enjoy the numerous planned activities.
Jesús Toledano Sánchez, a life linked to teaching and Altavista
Then came the most anticipated moment of the evening: listening to the town crier for the 2026 festivities, a responsibility that this year fell to Jesús Toledano Sánchez, a teaching professional who, after a lifetime dedicated to education, recently retired, leaving a deep mark on the educational community of Arrecife and, especially, on the Altavista neighborhood.
Born in Córdoba, into a working-class family, Jesús is the youngest of five siblings. His mother worked as a fishmonger and his father as a waiter, a family environment that is part of his roots and personal history.
He completed his early studies with the Salesians and later trained at the Sagrado Corazón Teacher Training College, specializing in Spanish Language and Literature and French Philology.
In 1987, he began his teaching career at San Rafael school and, a year later, arrived in Lanzarote to complete his military service in the Army. However, the island left a special mark on him, to the point that he decided to establish his residence here.
After a period dedicated to giving private lessons, both to children and to adults over 25 years old preparing for university entrance, he returned to Andalusia in 1990 to work as an interim teacher. In 1991, he obtained his position as a permanent civil servant, and his first assignment was the CEIP Los Geranios, in Altavista.
From then on, his professional career was closely linked to the neighborhood. His work continued at CEIP Mercedes Medina and, subsequently, at the Las Maretas and Arrecife institutes. In 2005, he took over the direction of CEIP Los Geranios, a responsibility he held until his retirement in June 2026, bringing an end to a long career dedicated to the education of generations of students.
An educator committed to families and reading
Jesús Toledano's work went far beyond the classroom. In 1994, he began to lead the Family Schools at Mercedes Medina, an initiative he developed for several years in different educational centers in Arrecife. Between 2005 and 2009, he continued this work at Los Geranios and, subsequently, carried on with La Caixa's "Educar juntos, vivir en familia" program.
The development of parental skills has been one of the main objectives of his professional career, a commitment to family involvement in education that has received recognition from many people and has also encountered resistance from sectors less inclined to educational innovation.
Writing and promoting reading have also held a prominent place in his journey. Jesús began writing children's stories for the students of Los Geranios, works that were later published. For several years, he also participated in the Ministry of Education's project dedicated to Canary Islands writers, helping to bring literature closer to students and their families.
To this facet is added his experience in literary creation workshops for gifted students, an activity he developed for eight years with the aim of stimulating imagination, fostering creativity, and, above all, helping participants overcome their fear of writing.
His commitment to education has also been reflected in his willingness to open the doors of schools to the social environment. In this regard, he always maintained a close and collaborative relationship with the Padre Claret Neighborhood Association and its president, Mari Carmen Santacruz.
The result of this collaboration included, among other initiatives, Christmas celebrations and the installation of the Nativity scene, activities that for several consecutive years contributed to creating spaces for meeting and coexistence for the enjoyment of the entire neighborhood.
A recognized career and a fight for teaching rights
His commitment to teaching and his contribution to education in Arrecife have been recognized throughout his career. Among the distinctions received is the Viera y Clavijo Mention, linked to his professional work and his active participation in shaping the school map of Arrecife.
In this area, he played a prominent role in the 2016 educational reorganization process, which allowed Altavista to have its own institute, the IES Altavista, formerly CEIP Mercedes Medina.
Jesús Toledano has also distinguished himself by defending the rights of teachers. Within the framework of a claim that remains open with the Ministry of Education, he has promoted initiatives aimed at establishing a protocol of action against harassment of teachers, an issue he considers fundamental to protect those who practice the educational profession.
All this professional and human journey, along with numerous shared experiences and memories with the neighborhood, was present in his speech. A proclamation in which experience, closeness, and commitment to education intertwined with affection for a community of which he feels a part.
A proclamation that won over the audience
Jesús Toledano Sánchez was supported at all times by his only daughter and by colleagues who wanted to accompany him on such a special night. During his speech, applause interrupted his words on several occasions, reflecting the affection and recognition he evoked among those present.
The speaker appeared comfortable, spontaneous, and proud to assume the responsibility of announcing the Altavista festivities, a neighborhood with which he has shared 35 years of experiences, work, and coexistence.
His speech made it clear that his relationship with Altavista has transcended the strictly professional. It has been a story of closeness with the neighborhood, collaboration with its groups, and commitment to an education open to families and society.
Because, beyond the positions held and the recognition received, his legacy is also in the people he has accompanied, the students he has taught, and the bonds he has helped to strengthen.
There could have been no better way to summarize that relationship than with an idea that defines his career: a lifetime dedicated to teaching and shared with Altavista.
The recognition of a grateful neighborhood
After the reading of the proclamation, another of the night's highlights arrived. Echedey Eugenio, deputy mayor and councilor for Festivals of the Arrecife City Council, presented Jesús Toledano with the insignia accrediting him as the Favorite Resident of Altavista, a recognition full of symbolism for his connection with the neighborhood and his contribution to the educational community.
Immediately after, Yisenia Berrios, a member of the board of directors of the Neighborhood Association, presented him with the diploma accrediting him as the town crier for the patron saint festivities of 2026. His daughter also received a bouquet of flowers as a token of affection on an especially significant evening for the family.
After the customary photographs, attendees shared refreshments in a relaxed atmosphere, bringing a fitting end to a night where music, emotion, recognition, and a sense of belonging to the neighborhood were the main protagonists.
An elegant and personal proclamation, in which Jesús Toledano's spontaneity won over the audience. This is how Altavista began its patron saint festivities of 2026, with recognition for a person who has dedicated a good part of his life to teaching, accompanying, and building community.
Indeed, there are proclamations that announce festivities and others that, in addition, serve to pay homage to an entire career. Jesús Toledano Sánchez's did both: it welcomed the celebrations of San Antonio María Claret and recalled the value of those who, through their daily work and commitment to others, end up becoming part of the living history of a neighborhood.
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