by Stuart Millar, IB coordinator | Mar 2, 2018
by Stuart Millar with Persis Ferrón Ciampi and Alexa Alayeto Valdehita
We took the opportunity in 8th grade English B to talk about all the new or improved buildings and facilities at Futuro Verde. It was great to see how much the students notice and appreciate the progress we are making. It was also very interesting to hear about schools in other towns, cities, and countries that the students had attended.
Top of the list for praise was the new high school and primary libraries. The primary space is a much more relaxed environment to read books in, with comfortable beanbags to sit on. Persis commented on the fact that the high school library now has many more books in Spanish than before. She also appreciates the openness of the new multi-use classroom shared by business management, theory of knowledge and language acquisition. There is nearly always a breeze, even on the hottest days. We all enjoyed having the science lab last year, but it is now fully equipped and students of all ages are enjoying conducting experiments.
Although not new, there were improvements made to several learning areas over the vacation. The 1st to 3rd-grade classrooms were all extended and the floors were tiled. The teachers and students are all appreciating the extra space and the cool floors! The art room was also given a tiled floor and the interior was rearranged to make it lighter, brighter, and more spacious feeling. IB visual arts student, Elian Gonzalez, commented that the improved space gives a better quality of light and is more conducive to creativity.
There have been many changes, but students are excited about what is to come – a new garden and space to relax where the play structure used to be and the much anticipated outdoor sports facility.
by Stuart Millar, IB coordinator | Jan 20, 2018
El comienzo de cada año lectivo siempre trae algunas cosas nuevas y emocionantes…
Los estudiantes de colegio en los años 7º-10 º tendrán más opciones que nunca antes en las áreas de educación física, artes y un tercer idioma.
Lo más destacado:
- Las optativas de artes visuales y música se ofrecerán semestralmente. Esto les permitirá a los estudiantes enfocarse más horas por semana en las artes visuales o en el curso de música que están cursando. Cuando suban de nivel de grado, los estudiantes podrán seleccionar cursos de artes visuales o de música que más les interesen, según disponibilidad y espacio.
- Todos los estudiantes de 7 ° año iniciarán un curso de lenguas clásicas con Don Byrne, mientras que los estudiantes de 8 ° y 9 ° años tendrán la opción de estudiar lenguas clásicas con Oscar Leal Méndez o francés con Eugenia Allen. Cabe mencionar que el francés es para estudiantes nuevos o con poca experiencia en el idioma. No está diseñado para estudiantes avanzados o hablantes nativos.
- El director atlético Alejandro Ramírez, con el apoyo de Eugenia Allen, incorporará más opciones, mientras continúa enfocándose en una oferta general para todos los estudiantes. La lista de opciones para todo el año aún no se ha finalizado, pero la primera opción será entre natación y ciclismo de montaña.
Nos sentimos entusiasmados por ampliar aún más nuestra oferta holística en Futuro Verde. Al comenzar el año lectivo, los estudiantes se enterarán mucho más sobre nuestra oferta de materias optativas. ¡No olvide preguntarle a su estudiante de secundaria en cuáles cosas divertidas y emocionantes se está enfocando!
by Stuart Millar, IB coordinator | Jan 20, 2018
The start of every school year brings some new things to get excited about, and this year is no different!
Middle and high school students in grades 7-10 will be offered greater choice than ever before in the areas of physical education, the arts, and a third language.
Just some of the highlights include:
- Visual arts and music electives will be offered on a semester basis. This will allow students more hours per week to focus on the visual arts or music course they are taking. As they move up the grades, students will be able to select visual art or music courses that interest them, depending on availability and space.
- All 7th-grade students will embark on a Classical Languages course with Don Byrne, while students in 8th and 9th grades will be given the option of studying Classical Languages with Oscar Leal Méndez or French with Eugenia Allen. It is worth noting that French is for students who are new to or have little experience with the language. It is not designed for those who are already advanced or native speakers.
- Athletic director Alejandro Ramírez, with the support of Eugenia Allen, will be incorporating more options and choice, while still focusing on a core offering for all students. The list of choices for the entire year is yet to be finalized but the first choice will be between swimming and mountain biking.
We are excited to bring even more to our holistic offering at Futuro Verde. As the school year starts, students will hear much more about our offering of electives. Make sure you ask your middle or high school student what fun and exciting things they are up to!
by Stuart Millar, IB coordinator | Dec 26, 2017
Acreditación ✅
Nuevos uniformes IB ✅
Nuevos estudiantes matriculados ✅
Aulas, laboratorio de cómputo, biblioteca, laboratorio de ciencias ✅
Recursos ✅
Futuro Verde ha culminado un capítulo y está preparado para comenzar un nuevo y emocionante capítulo- ¡la implementación del programa diploma del IB! Logramos el proceso de acreditación brillantemente y recibimos menciones importantes, sin embargo hay un sentimiento de aprehensión y de vez en cuando los nervios afloran. Esto ha sido tema de conversación durante las clases del último trimestre. Es comprensible, ya que hemos emprendido un viaje hacia lo desconocido. Nuestros estudiantes se preguntan si ¿están de verdad listos, serán capaces y tendrán la fuerza suficiente como para estudiar en dos idiomas? Nuestros profesores sienten la presión de lograr lo mejor que puedan para sus estudiantes. Es una enorme responsabilidad formar parte de este proceso que moldeará el futuro de nuestros estudiantes.
Los nervios son normales ya que hay algo nuevo en el horizonte. Sin embargo, no debemos permitir que los nervios nos incapacitan. Sí, el IB es nuevo, sabemos que es riguroso y un reto grande, ¡pero no sabremos la realidad hasta intentarlo! El problema con los nervios es que pueden resultar infecciosos. Antes de ni siquiera darse cuenta, usted y los que le rodean se pueden encontrar en medio de una tormenta de preocupación y depresión. Tomen cada semana, cada día y cada lección un paso a la vez y traten de alejarse del drama de los que le rodean. A veces nuestro pesimismo puede convertirse en una profecía realizada. Cuando percibimos algo como “demasiado difícil”, retrocedemos. “¿Qué caso tiene? ¡De todas maneras fracasaré!” Una vez que hemos determinado que algo es demasiado difícil, nos entra la tentación de esforzarnos menos. Con esta mentalidad negativa, nos encontramos automáticamente en desventaja, nos enfocamos menos en las tareas que tenemos en frente, comenzamos a no tener éxito y luego proclamamos, “¿Vieron? ¡Les dije que iba a fracasar!” Finalmente, lo que hay que recordar es que cuando más se le dificulta- ¡sea determinado, no derrotista!
Este nuevo paso será emocionante para nuestra primera generación de estudiantes IB y para todos sus profesores y padres de familia.
by Stuart Millar, IB coordinator | Dec 26, 2017
Accreditation ✅
New IB uniforms ✅
New students enrolled ✅
Classrooms, computer lab, library, science lab ✅
Resources ✅
Futuro Verde has reached the end of one episode and is ready to start a new and exciting one – implementation of the IB Diploma Program! We passed the accreditation process with flying colors and received great comments, yet there is still an air of apprehension, and nerves sometimes bubble to the surface. This has been a topic of conversation in class during the last few weeks and months. It is understandable, as we head into the unknown. Students wonder if they are ready, capable, and strong enough to study in two languages? Teachers feel the pressure to do the best they can for their students. It’s a great responsibility to be part of the process as students shape their futures.
Nerves are normal as something new is on the horizon. However, we must not let nerves disable us. Yes, IB is new, we know it’s rigorous and challenging, but we won’t know for sure until we try! The problem with nerves is that they can be infectious. Before you know it, you and those around you can be caught in a spiral of worry and depression. Take each week, each day, each class, one step at a time and try and stay detached from the drama of those around you. Sometimes our pessimism can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. When we perceive something to be “too difficult” we back off. “What’s the point? I’m going to fail anyway!” Once we’re determined something is too hard, we are sometimes tempted to give it less effort. With that negative mindset, we put ourselves at an automatic disadvantage, focus less on the task at hand, don’t do well, and then say, “See! I told you I would fail!” Finally, the thing to remember is that when things get hard, opt for grit not quit. Dig deep, look for support, organize your time and finish!
This is going to be an exciting journey for our first group of IB students and their teachers and parents.
