by Angie Briceño | Jan 5, 2021
On behalf of the administrative team we are pleased to announce that we have now hired the new members of the FV 2021 team. We are proud to have such a talented group of teachers and staff and are very happy that Noelia, Adriana, Francine, Daniela and Jimena are joining this group of professionals.
Get to know them a little better:
Adriana
My name is Adriana Fernández Colombari. I am Costa Rican, mother of two children and I am 37 years old. I love sports, especially running and swimming. I enjoy spending time in nature, a good walk in the mountains and a nice sunset on the beach.
Teaching is my passion. I have been a teacher for 21 years and have experience in both primary and preschool. I am fluent in two languages; English and Spanish. I love teaching and motivating children to be independent. I enjoy teaching through meaningful experiences, discovery and play. I consider myself an organized person, responsible, collaborative, a leader and with many intentions to grow and continue learning as a person, as well as professionally.
It is an honor to be a part of the Futuro Verde team!
Francine
I was born in San José, Costa Rica, but moved with my family when I was very young to Pérez Zeledón, a beautiful rural area in the south of the country. In 2018 I began my studies at the National University in Education with a focus on primary school. Before working at Futuro Verde, I completed my professional practical at a small school in Liberia, Guanacaste. I am very excited and appreciative for the opportunity to work professionally in what I loves best, teaching!
I am also very happy to be living so close to the beach and to be surrounded by so much nature.
Daniela
Daniela was born and raised in Cartago, Costa Rica and has only recently moved to Cóbano. She studied English language education bringing together her two favorite things: English and teaching. She has worked with children for the last 7 years, work she feels passionate about. She enjoys teaching and also learning new things from her students every day. In her free time she enjoys spending time with friends and family, going to the beach, running, having a cup of coffee and listening to music.
I am happy and enthusiastic to be joining the Futuro Verde staff and to get to know and work with my students.
Jimena
My name is Jimena, and I am a psychologist by profession, but beyond that I consider myself a lover of life. I love new experiences, learning and teaching. I love accompanying people through different phases of life, mainly educational and social.
I have a certification in Art Therapy and was a dancer for many years. I also have certifications in teaching yoga classes for children, a certification in Mindfulness, a yoga training for adults in process, a technique in managing addictive behaviors, and 8 years of experience in social and educational fields, working with different communities.
Futuro Verde is a new adventure that I want to take on with the same energy, passion, versatility and leadership that characterizes my projects and myself.
Noelia
My name is Noelia Morales Perera. I was born in Alajuela 26 years ago, and I moved to Santa Teresa in April 2019. It was a wonderful change, since I love nature and the beach. I studied for 7 years at the Universidad Latina de Heredia, where I obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with emphasis on Marketing, and I am currently specializing in Digital Marketing.
I have experience in customer service and in my area of study, since I worked three years as a teacher’s assistant in a high school, as well as a year as a Project Manager of Digital Accounts in an Advertising Agency, and a year and a half at the Front Desk in the prestigious hotel Casa Chameleon Mal Pais. I love children, they fill me with joy and happiness, as well as being surrounded by people and being able to share the importance of social media and the digital world in business.
Being part of Futuro Verde combines the things I love in a school environment of excellence and prestige!
We welcome the new members of the Futuro Verde educational community!
by Angie Briceño | Jan 5, 2021
You may be wondering what a PTO is, you may never have heard the term, but the answer is easy: it is an organization made up of teachers, staff members and parents that aims to facilitate parent participation in school activities. Parent involvement in student life is extremely important, according to research by PTOtoday.com the benefits for students are innumerable, but among the most important the children are more likely to:
- Attend school regularly
- Have better social skills
- Show improved behaviour
- Be more positive in their attitude towards school
- Complete and fulfill their responsibilities
- Graduate and continue their education
Parents who join the PTO of a school are a role model for their children, because with this simple act they are demonstrating to their child the great importance of education in their lives.
Belonging to the PTO of a school or college brings great benefits to parents as well:
- There is no better way to be connected with school and ways to help
- The functions of a PTO provide opportunities to connect with other parents, teachers and staff, creating open lines of communication where different issues and ideas are addressed to make positive changes in the institution, you are part of the solution to problems and the growth of the institution
- Be more confident in themselves as parents and their ability to help their children learn
- Being part of the growth and change which generates more confidence in the school by being involved
The positive and active participation of parents in the school brings many benefits to students, parents and also the school. This upcoming 2021 school year we are very excited about creating an active PTO to support students and teachers in various activities.
The objective of the PTO at FV is to enhance and support the educational experience at Futuro Verde, develop a closer connection between school and home by encouraging parental involvement, and improve the environment at Futuro Verde through voluntary and financial support. The activities you will be participating in as part of the FV PTO during the 2021 school year will be:
- Model United Nations Club – Fundraising and logistics
- Library activities
- Welcoming to FV 2021 staff/teachers
- Preparation of meals for the monthly FV teacher meetings
- Art exhibitions
- Civic events
- Teacher/staff appreciation week
Register to be part of the Futuro Verde PTO here!
by Khalida Lockheed | Nov 30, 2020
This has been a challenging year for all students, but for our 12th graders, finishing internal assessment tasks and preparing for exams with the uncertainty of whether or not these exams would, in fact, take place, was particularly challenging and stressful. The wonderful news is that they were all successful in completing and handing in all their work and uploading it to IB to be examined externally by IB examiners. Furthermore, Futuro Verde was one of only three IB World schools in Costa Rica to elect to hold in-person exams, permitted by both the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health. After in depth investigation regarding the required health protocols and the methods and algorithms used by the IB to calculate scores when no in person exams are conducted, it was clear that it was in our students best interest to sit the exams, if possible. Worldwide, roughly 75% of IB students sat exams with only 25% electing the alternative assessment route.
On November 13th, the 12th graders finished their last exams, which were sent off via DHL to England to be distributed internationally for assessment. Final scores will be released to the students in early January. We are so proud of their achievement, no matter what their scores! Meanwhile, our 12th graders are wasting no time as they prepare university applications, find employment while they wait for university admission, and prepare for their graduation.
by Lural Ramirez | Nov 30, 2020
The global pandemic and consequent closures of schools around the world has presented an unprecedented administrative and school leadership challenge. Only time will truly tell what the most appropriate approach will turn out to have been, but at Futuro Verde we are striving to stay true to the intentions of our founders and to the mission and vision that guides us as a school. With those founding principles at the forefront, we have added in a good deal of grit, determination and creativity to arrive upon our current programming models, all of which fall within the broader Futuro Verde Project: a non-profit association with the goal to create a community education organization consisting of three parts:
- Centro Educativo Futuro Verde: Private bilingual international school which is auto-financed by monthly school fees and which extends scholarships of some kind to at least 30% of the student body.
- Educación Interactiva Futuro Verde: Outreach to area rural public schools to provide academic enrichment programs through our volunteer and service learning program.
- Centro Recreativo Futuro Verde and Centro de Atención Integral (CAI) FV: Extra-curricular program open to all students of the region providing organized activities (sports, arts, music, language, etc.) and Integrated Educational Center designed to support students ages 3 to 12 years.
Our students in Centro Educativo Futuro Verde are currently working through a blended learning model, designed to meet the needs of all students, irrespective of their specific and individual circumstances and preferences. At this time, we are not operating any part of Educación Interactiva Futuro Verde. However, you can read more about our blended learning program as a school and our complimentary and optional programming through Centro Recreativo FV and CAI FV by accessing the latest updates on our website.
Futuro Verde Website: Blended Learning
During these difficult times we are all living, we remind our entire community of our love for you all, our sincere desire that you take all necessary precautions to keep yourself and your loved ones safe, and our hope that we will be able to see one another under more “normal” circumstances very soon!
by Angie Briceño | Nov 30, 2020
Due to the Covid-19 crisis, many job sectors at the global and local level have suffered, some more than others. The educational sector has been no exception.
Since the beginning of this crisis in Costa Rica, schools and colleges have been called to close their doors and venture into the world of online learning to ensure continuity during this time of crisis. The educational sector, as well as others around the country, has been negatively affected since it depends on monthly tuition payments from students. We have seen a particularly severe impact since we live in a tourist area, and the tourism industry has also taken a hit, as well as the education sector.
Our families suffered economic loss, and as a community-oriented school we took on the challenge of offering responsible and professional discounts to the monthly tuition payments for those families that were seriously affected. That way, the students could continue their education during this time of constant change. It has not been an easy road, but we have tried our best as individuals and as an institution to ensure that students do not lose the educational opportunities or the holistic benefits of FV. Thanks to the constant work of the administration and teachers, as well as the support of parents, the board of directors and individual donors we have had along the way, not everything is bad news! We have been able to continue offering education, new programs to support the social-emotional development of the students, as well as encouraging physical movement and sports for the students.
The donations we received helped us to leverage our resources, materials, and facility improvements to implement the recreational center and welcome the students into a new program.
Fortunately, 2019 was a very favorable year in terms of the finances of the institution, which allowed us to weather this crisis and provided economic support for practically all of 2020 for the families that requested it.
2021 will be a different year, full of challenges and the search for financial stability. Our challenge will be to seek new income through donations and sponsorships as well as to find alternative benefits and incentives for our staff and student groups.
Summary of financial information for 2021
- The general assembly has approved a maximum 15% increase in monthly dues for the year 2021, with the commitment of the Board of Directors and administrative staff to work to decrease this increase.
- A financial committee was formed to evaluate new forms of income and improve finances.
- Early registration fee valid until December 1st
- New Family Fee (may be paid in installments during the 2021 school year)
- Monthly tuition payments can be paid in two installments (on the 5th and 17th of each month) upon request.
- If you refer a student you’ll get a 5% discount each month that the new student stays at the institution
- If you make your annuity payment in January you will get a 5% discount on that amount.
by Angie Briceño | Jul 11, 2020
Over the past few weeks, we have all gotten to know our 12th grade, and 2nd generation International Baccalaureate students, through Tuesday’s social media posts “Portraits of a Graduate”.
2020 is a very different year for the 12th graders, where what was to be a last year of memories together in class has ended up being an isolated experience in each of their homes, working towards a common goal of obtaining the International Baccalaureate degree. What we can conclude from these “portraits’ is that Futuro Verde has been not only a portal of knowledge but also a family, for this group of students. The relationships and friendships they have established at Futuro Verde will be forever carried in their hearts. Futuro Verde has been an extremely important part of their lives and they have been important to the growth and evolution of Futuro Verde. Many of them have been with us since elementary school, others joined us at the beginning of high school. We have seen them grow as students and also as people. We have watched their trajectories and we can agree that today they are citizens of the world and are ready to go out and give the best of themselves and contribute to making our world a better place. We wish them all success!
I was born in San José, Costa Rica, but moved with my family when I was very young to Pérez Zeledón, a beautiful rural area in the south of the country. In 2018 I began my studies at the National University in Education with a focus on primary school. Before working at Futuro Verde, I completed my professional practical at a small school in Liberia, Guanacaste. I am very excited and appreciative for the opportunity to work professionally in what I loves best, teaching!
Daniela was born and raised in Cartago, Costa Rica and has only recently moved to Cóbano. She studied English language education bringing together her two favorite things: English and teaching. She has worked with children for the last 7 years, work she feels passionate about. She enjoys teaching and also learning new things from her students every day. In her free time she enjoys spending time with friends and family, going to the beach, running, having a cup of coffee and listening to music. 
My name is Jimena, and I am a psychologist by profession, but beyond that I consider myself a lover of life. I love new experiences, learning and teaching. I love accompanying people through different phases of life, mainly educational and social. 
My name is Noelia Morales Perera. I was born in Alajuela 26 years ago, and I moved to Santa Teresa in April 2019. It was a wonderful change, since I love nature and the beach. I studied for 7 years at the Universidad Latina de Heredia, where I obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with emphasis on Marketing, and I am currently specializing in Digital Marketing. 
