by Jennifer Middleton | Dec 13, 2022
This school year has been off to an exciting start. There have been many changes related to administration, staff, school wide systems, facilities and more. One of the biggest changes pertains to my role as the Interim Director. After the previous director unexpectedly resigned at the end of the 2021-2022 school year, the Board of Directors offered me the position, taking into consideration my experience as an educator, my skills and qualifications, and my passion and love for Futuro Verde.
I have been involved with the school for many years in many different roles. My first role was as a teacher from 2013 to 2015. After teaching in California for several years, I moved back to the area in 2019, where I slowly started getting involved in the school again. I started volunteering as a parent and then when an opportunity arose to join the Board of Directors in 2020, I decided to run. I wanted to be in a position where I could help give guidance and be an agent of change. With my skill set, I knew that I could add value to the Board of Directors and work with the administration to develop plans for the future.
When I came into the position of Interim Director, I knew there would be many challenges and that it would be a learning experience. During the first three months, I have been focused on learning, observing, and working with the administration and staff to understand our current practices. I have been able to analyze our strengths and also recognize areas for improvement. Also, I have been focused on connecting with our community. Cultivating relationships is key to developing a strong school community. Whether it’s connecting with parents in the morning during drop-off, chatting with students in the lunch line or meeting with staff members to offer support, these are things I do on a daily basis to connect. This foundation is necessary for us to move forward as a school and make progress.
I am very optimistic about the future of our school and I look forward to working with the Board, staff and families to achieve our goals. Below you will find the primary objectives that we are working towards as a school:
- Strengthen various systems and procedures within the school such as communication, admissions, behavior, and assessment.
- Work with the Board of Directors to develop a strong strategic plan for the next school year and beyond.
- Continue to focus on teacher retention strategies and develop a strong sense of community and positive school culture.
- Strengthen our dual immersion language program and offer more opportunities for support for language learners.
- Work to create more vertical and horizontal cohesiveness with our curriculum, mainly in the areas of English language arts, Spanish Language arts and math.
Thank you for your confidence and trust as I lead our school during this transition period. I greatly appreciate the dedication and support of our families, students and staff.
Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Middleton
by Jennifer Middleton | May 25, 2022
Hello Parents!
This article is to provide you with an overview of the extraordinary assembly meeting that took place this past April 20th 2022 at 4:00 pm via Zoom.
The full presentation is attached if you would like to review:
- Overview of the Extraordinary Assembly
- Strategic Planning & Teacher Retention
- Financial Report
- Vote for tuition increase
- Results: 75% in favor of a 15% increase in tuition rates, compared to 25% in favor of a 20% increase in tuition rates.
- According to the vote, there will be a 15% increase to tuition rates for the 2022-2023 school year.
Questions & Answers from the meeting:
- What does it mean to be bilingual? What English and Spanish is offered, native versus non-native?
Our immersion program involves teaching content in both languages and students being exposed to both English and Spanish languages throughout the day. We offer English language arts and Spanish language arts. We do not offer English or Spanish as second language courses due to the fact that we are a dual immersion school and the idea is that students acquire the language through content.
- If people (teachers and students) come and go, how do you guarantee academic rigor? Who oversees this ?
The director and the administration team are responsible for ensuring rigor and fluidity through curriculum. Each course has a study plan and we are currently in the process of updating and strengthening the scope and sequence of each course. We are also in the process of reinforcing internal systems so that these transitions are not so disruptive.
- What type of teachers do you want to attract? What is the focus ?
We want to recruit all types of teachers which include: Nationals, Residents, and International career teachers. The focus is on all, however, as mentioned in the presentation, it is difficult to hire international teachers due to many factors such as low pay, lack of affordable housing, etc. We will work to create packages to attract international teachers. Simultaneously, we will focus on hiring qualified teachers who already live in Costa Rica, whether they are national or foreign hires. It is likely that if they already live in Costa Rica or in the region, they will be more established and accustomed to what it is like to live in Costa Rica.
- Would creating part time positions be an option?
Our experience has been that teachers who are only here part time are only partly committed to the school and have been disconnected to the day to day operations, mission and vision of the school. Part time support positions could be an option, but part time teaching positions are not likely.
- Could the school facilitate after hours tutoring where teachers can charge an hourly rate?
Some of our teachers provide tutoring outside the school, but this is a service that is not provided by the school but by the teacher. Currently, the school only offers FARO centers.
- Is there concern that once the world opens up again, those numbers come down?
School expansion and contraction is a natural phenomenon all schools face over time. Instead of being concerned, we are exercising caution and strategic planning to ensure our finances are sustainable through these natural cycles.
- Is the focus on investing in more buildings, that in a few years will probably be moved the best priority? Or should we focus on inward growth instead?
The Board is currently focused on both facilities and infrastructure. However, the reality we face in the coming academic year is that we are limited on instructional space to operate all of our programs. New construction projects are now being evaluated for their impact on our natural space, ability to relocate, and cost.
- Instead of more class rooms, should we invest first in housing for teachers to support the current school?
The costs to build a residential village for teachers is not a viable financial option. Rough financial projections of the two projects are not even comparable. Unless we are able to secure a major donation or corporate sponsorship, we simply do not have the capital to take on a project that scale.
- If growth this big is a guessing game, why focus on expansion?
The focus of the current Board is not expansion. Our priority remains to provide the best academic program possible with the resources at our disposal. If the student population decreases in the coming years, the investment in our facilities will continue to provide value to the school community. We will NOT have empty classrooms.
- Have you thought about offering a third option with a lower increase to loyal students that have been with the school for many years and a higher increase to new students?
We HAVE NOT considered a third tuition option for “loyal” students, but will take the suggestion into consideration as we develop our strategic plan for the coming 5 years.
- Have you considered (projected) the increased tuition may result in some families exiting the program, potentially altering your projected growth figures for upcoming years?
Yes, we have factored in the attrition of our student population as a result of the tuition increase. For this reason, it is imperative we have a tuition base that can cover our operating expenses and establish a fiscal reserve in the event of a significant decrease in enrollment
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact junta@futuro-verde.org.
Sincerely,
Futuro Verde Board of Directors
LINK
by Jennifer Middleton | Apr 30, 2022
With the help of our volunteers, we completed or made significant progress on the following projects:
Greywater and Rainwater Harvesting
Volunteers assisted with the digging of a banana circle and improvements to the drainage of water along our new dry creek. Grey water pvc pipes from handwashing sinks were rerouted underground to eliminate tripping hazards and irrigate the food forest. Lots of dirt was moved for this project, making it one of the most challenging projects of the day!
Food Forest Maintenance
Volunteers cleaned up the food forest, rebuilt the pathways, and reinforced the planter beds with tree trunks. The bananas and other plants were pruned and compost was added. In addition, volunteers also planted a variety of plants such as vetiver, turmeric, lemon grass and yuca.
Painting and General Cleanup
Volunteers on this project focused on painting the gates at the front of the school and staining all of the wood at the entry of the school. Volunteers also focused on general cleanup throughout the campus, removing trash and touching up green and white paint.
We look forward to hosting another Beautification event in May to focus on finishing the remaining projects such as building the compost bin, creating a fence for the school garden, and completing the rainwater infrastructure improvements.
A huge thanks to Green Wave for the donation of materials for our compost bin and providing permaculture expert Irene to assist in implementing the design principles on campus. Most importantly, thanks to the students, parents, teachers and staff who volunteered their time to make this event a success!
by Jennifer Middleton | Aug 11, 2021
¡Saludos Familias!
Me gustaría aprovechar esta oportunidad para compartir una actualización con todos ustedes acerca de la Organización de Padres y Maestros (PTO) de Futuro Verde. Al inicio de este año escolar, yo y otra madre, Alejandra Cano, creamos esta organización con los siguientes objetivos:
1) Apoyar la experiencia educativa en Futuro Verde.
2) Desarrollar una conexión más estrecha entre el hogar y la escuela con más participación de los padres.
3) Mejorar el ambiente en Futuro Verde a través de voluntarios y apoyo financiero.
Me complace decir que hemos sido capaces de cumplir estos objetivos y seguimos haciéndolo. Hasta la fecha, hemos recaudado fondos para ofrecer un desayuno al personal durante sus reuniones mensuales. Hemos comprado muchos juegos de mesa para que los alumnos los utilicen durante el recreo, el almuerzo o el tiempo de clase designado.
También hemos llevado a cabo con éxito eventos y actividades como sodas, actividades del Día del Libro y nuestro más reciente Día del Espíritu Color Clash. El día del espíritu fue un gran éxito y se pudo ver el entusiasmo entre los estudiantes y el personal por igual. A medida que nos acercamos al final del año, esperamos llevar a cabo más eventos divertidos y significativos y comprar más artículos que beneficien a nuestros estudiantes y al personal.
También quiero agradecerles a todos por su continuo apoyo, ya sea que formen parte del PTO o no. Sin nuestras familias, esta organización no sería posible y, por lo tanto, tampoco lo sería ninguna de las otras cosas que hacemos. Dicho esto, animamos a más padres a que se involucren y ayuden en lo que puedan. Si usted está interesado en aprender más acerca de PTO o quiere unirse, por favor, póngase en contacto con Jennifer Middleton en jenni@futuro-verde.org.
Saludos cordiales,
Jennifer Middleton
Presidenta del PTO de FV
