by Claudia Liliana Piñeros Henao | Feb 21, 2021
Celebrated on 21 February
Preserving the Language Diversity
Languages are of vital importance for people and the world. Unfortunately, due to the growth of globalization , they are increasingly under threat of disappearing altogether. When languages vanish, so does the world´s cultural diversity. Traditions, opportunities, memories, unique manners of expression and thinking will sadly also disappear.
According to the United Nations, at least 43% of the estimated 6000 languages spoken in the world are endangered. “Only a few hundred languages have genuinely been given a place in education systems and the public domain, and less than a hundred are used in the digital world”.
International Mother Language Day has been taking place every year since February 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.
Everybody should always be aware that languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing our cultural heritage. We must encourage our children to cherish their mother tongue as it is a precious treasure, and It also helps them appreciate their personal, social, and cultural identity.
On the other hand, when our children develop strong communication skills in their mother language, they could have stronger literacy skills in other languages.
“Multilingual and multicultural societies exist through their languages which transmit and sustainably preserve traditional knowledge and cultures.” ( UN)
by Karol Madrigal | Feb 20, 2021
This past February 20th was the International Day of Social Justice and what better opportunity than this to dedicate a few minutes of our time to ask ourselves how involved we are when a situation seems unjust, how informed we are about the reality that many people around the world live, and the existing possibilities to combat this problem.
A primary need related to this topic begins through the understanding that our perception of what is unfair or unjust is determined by our own reality. Thus, our personal history inclines us to be more or less empathetic to these situations. Therefore, a wise process to generate awareness of the unjust conditions faced by many people would begin with the simple exercise of trying to put ourselves in the other person’s shoes. Asking ourselves, “What would I feel in those living conditions or in that specific situation?” and, at the same time, understanding that each person’s reality is not necessarily the result of personal decisions or merits, not even in our own case. Not everything we get in life is because we deserve it; this applies mainly to the privileged.
With these simple questions it is possible to begin a very significant contribution to the unstoppable struggle for social justice, which is the objective of celebrating this type of world commemoration.
by Noelia | Jan 29, 2021
This year Futuro Verde will be conducting school tours a bit differently than in the past. Due to Health Ministry protocols, in person tours of the school by prospective families are not permitted. However, you can still schedule a virtual tour and information session! During the virtual tour, I will happily answer questions regarding school logistics, curriculum, extracurriculars, health protocols, and more. Virtual tours can be scheduled on Thursday mornings or afternoons. Please see the table below to review available time slots. We encourage interested families to contact us now and book your virtual tour!
To book your virtual tour, please contact Jennifer Middleton, jenni@futuro-verde.org.
by Angie Briceño | Jan 5, 2021
We are starting 2021 with a lot of enthusiasm in a hybrid way on our campus. With the green light from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education, we begin a year of learning back in the classroom together with online learning.
Parents who wish their children to return to classroom learning must respect and follow all the protocols implemented by the Ministry of Health for the opening of the campuses and those families who stay at home will continue to receive online education in an asynchronous modality with synchronous classes once a month per subject. You will be receiving an e-mail where you must choose the modality of preference in which your children will receive classes during the 2021 school year (January to October).
Our teachers are ready, prepared and excited about the new year and all the learning opportunities that are coming up at Futuro Verde, and we are very excited and grateful to all the families who continue to trust us with their children’s education!
Don’t forget to fill in the enrollment modality form at Futuro Verde!
by Lural Ramirez | Jan 1, 2021
Dear Futuro Verde staff, teachers, board, parents and students,
The final week has come of what, for our family, has been a seven year adventure here on the peninsula and in Costa Rica! It has been over 15 years since we first made the plan to take our lives around the world, to join school communities in far off lands, to learn as much as we could, to give as much as we could, and to do our very best to live deliberate and full lives, replete with diverse experiences and enriching challenges. Finding Futuro Verde was a perfect fit over these seven years and we move on now with very full hearts and an enduring love for this inspiring school community!
When we came here our kids were still so little and we leave now with three teenagers in tow, growing taller each day, and excited for the adventures ahead. As parents, we are grateful that our own children leave with their hearts planted firmly in the rich soil of this beautiful land, with a love for the oceans, rivers, waterfalls and jungle. It has been an enviable childhood for them, by any accounts! As educators, we are grateful to each and every teacher at Futuro Verde who has shaped our children’s lives and has inspired in them an insatiable love for learning and a curiosity about the world. Thank you all for the big and the small moments- for teaching them to read, how to master long division, how to hook a reader into a story…and for the much more important teachings: how to be good people, to be kind and polite, to listen and to care. And, to our school’s loving auxiliary staff we extend our warmest appreciation. You have been like extra moms for our kids- finding their lost items, cheering them on when they try something new, and loving them even when they arrive early each day and hang around until late, waiting, like teacher’s kids do, for mom and dad to finally head home. We are firm believers in the village that is needed to raise all children and we thank you all for being part of our children’s village of caring and loving adults!
As members of the school staff, we send our love and appreciation to the Board of Directors for keeping this amazing school front and center in their lives, breathing air into its lungs and keeping the wind beneath its wings when it has been needed. You are the true, unsung heroes of the school and though many may not perceive just how important the work you do is, as your Head of School these past six years, I can attest to how important you all are- representatives of a broader association of parents, giving of your time and your energy, with no benefit but knowing that what you do truly matters. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for everything you have done, and will do, to support Futuro Verde!
Alejandro and I will miss the parent community dearly! Thank you all for all you have done for us throughout the years, for your kind and friendly nature, your commitment and support and for raising these beautiful and special children that are our Futuro Verde students! Parents are the first teachers and you all are doing a fantastic job- committed to sacrificing so much to ensure your child lives in an amazing place AND has a top-notch education, leaving the doors open for endless future opportunities! We salute you and we reaffirm for you that the most important investment you will ever make, hands down, is the one you make in your child’s education!
But, as a teacher, it is always your students you most remember and miss and we have been fortunate to have made such a meaningful connection with all of our FV students over the years and we will miss you all! Thank you for joining in sport and song with us, for the heartfelt conversations, the laughs and for aguantando nuestras regañadas! We hope the best for each and every one of you- that you may be happy, fulfilled and that you learn as much as you can so that you can go off into life and do important and good things in the world, that you think of others before yourself and that you live purposeful lives.
Our Futuro Verde school community has come so far and the future is bright for this little school, with a big heart and big dreams, here on the tip of the Nicoya Peninsula! There is nothing more powerful than joining together, united behind a cause like good education and we hope the community continues to unite and to support one another, bringing this dream of a school for all, united in peace and sustainability and determined to develop the leaders of tomorrow, and that you all hold our school forever in your hearts and in your minds because a good school is a game changer for the entire community and yet it must be prioritized, tended to and loved as we all strive to, as Barack Obama has said, ¨belong to ourselves, while belonging to others, in just the right amount.”
Thank you all for these incredible years and for your support and love! Happy Holidays, take care and be well!
Sincerely,
The Ramírez Family
Lural, Alejandro, Joaquín, Santiago and Quetzal
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.
