by Angie Briceño | Oct 15, 2021
We are starting the new academic year and our second year of transition to the international calendar. We congratulate all families and students on successfully concluding this short and fast-paced academic year and thank you deeply for your commitment to Futuro Verde.
We celebrate this new year with the reinstatement of music classes for preschool through 10th grade. We offer a new and exciting arts program. In addition to the reinstatement of music, we continue with art classes, and we will be including a theater class in elementary and theater and dance in middle school.
Having a strong Arts program as part of the school curriculum benefits the overall development of any individual. Some of those benefits may include:
- Increases self-esteem
- Boosts creativity
- Improves communication
- Encounter different sensory experiences that help the human being from a young age to develop other cognitive abilities, among others.
In the middle years (7°-9° grade) we have included new electives where students can choose between Robotics, Personal Project and Community Project. These last two are what the IB calls ¨MYP (Middle Year Programs) Projects¨.
MYP projects are student-centered and age-appropriate and allow students to engage in hands-on explorations through a cycle of inquiry, action and reflection. MYP projects help students develop the attributes of the IB learner profile; offer students a significant opportunity to demonstrate the learning focus skills developed through the MYP; and foster independent, lifelong learners.
The community project focuses on community and service, encouraging students to contribute to the community welfare through their service project. The personal project offers students the opportunity to undertake independent, age-appropriate exploration in an area of their interest. (International Baccalaureate Organization 4).
We are very excited that our 7th-9th graders will be able to explore these two options ,or Robotics, and broaden their educational experience.
Last but not least, we have added swimming lessons through 6th grade, so students from Pk to 6th grade will be enjoying this wonderful sport.
A warm welcome to the 2021-2022 school year and second year of transition! See you back on November 5th!
References:
International Baccalaureate Organization. Community Project Guide. International Baccalaureate Organization, 2021. United Kingdom International Baccalaureate Organization. Personal Project Guide. International Baccalaureate Organization, 2021. United Kingdom
by Hileyn | Oct 1, 2021
In the Peninsula sector, especially in the area of Paquera, Tambor, Cóbano, Montezuma, Santa Teresa and surrounding areas where there are more than seven thousand people, access to information is scarce due to the lack of libraries in the area, both public and private, Attempts have been made by the municipality to create a library in the area, but with results that ended up closing its doors in the short time it was open and the nearest public library is more than 100 kilometers away.
This literacy problem is accompanied by the problem of poverty, according to INEC in 2020 ”the Central Pacific region is the one with the highest level of poverty and extreme poverty with 34.7% and 11.3% respectively”. This raises social alarms to extreme levels, and the need to do something to help the community to overcome this socio economic crisis.
With the renovation project of the library space, a computer lab, conference rooms, 8,000,000 physical books and a database, and trained personnel, the first community library is planned to meet the needs of the nearby population.
In November, the pilot plan for the community library will begin, working hand in hand with different governmental and private organizations, including the National Women’s Institute (INA), COPROBRI, and the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Policy (MIDEPLAN).
We will be working with approximately 25 families, who are already in different social programs in the area, offering workshops for children in literature, arts and languages, financial, computer, cooking and language training for women heads of household.
All activities go hand in hand with the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which propose ”global goals to eradicate poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all as part of a new sustainable development agenda” (UN).
Scholarships of up to 100% will be given to low-income people and they will have the priority of attention in each of the opportunities, in addition to a volunteer opportunity.
We need all the help possible for this social action project to achieve the expected success for the whole community, that is why if you want to be part of this initiative, please do not hesitate to contact directly the person in charge biblioteca@futuro-verde.org
by Karol Madrigal | Sep 20, 2021
The month of September is a month of celebration throughout Central America and, for this reason, in Costa Rica, for example, we call it “the month of the homeland”. This is because on these dates each country celebrates the important process that began the night before September 15, 1821, when the representatives of the towns that previously made up the Captaincy General of Guatemala, decided to draft a document to demand to declare themselves independent from Spain. Those people who fought together for their sovereignty in those years, are the current nations of Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Costa Rica.
In this way, events such as the journey undertaken by students from all over Central America with torch in hand, which begins on September 1 leaving Guatemala and ends, when it has passed from country to country, arriving in Cartago, Costa Rica on the night of September 14. This commemorates the journey that was made to bring the news of independence to each nation of the Captaincy, which was made with a torch that illuminated the way and today is a symbol of freedom.
At the end of the torch’s journey in Cartago, when it is received by the president of our country, it is customary to start the parade of lanterns, which reminds us of the moment when the neighbors of Guatemala went out at night, with lamp in hand, around the place where the act of independence was being drafted, to demonstrate their enthusiasm and support for such a decision.
However, the celebration does not end like that, since the news of independence generated so much joy among the people, that we can remember how every September 15 the streets were filled with the beating of drums and colorful parades that reflect the joy with which the Central Americans started on that road to freedom.
It has been 200 years of journey, in which they have struggled to build a solidary, peaceful and hard-working nation. The journey has not been easy and we are far from being a perfect nation, but we can feel grateful to have a soil that gives us shelter and provides us with tranquility and stability.
Whether it is because we were born in this little piece of land, or because at a certain moment we decided to make it our home, let us feel privileged to be celebrating another year of freedom.
by Noelia | Aug 12, 2021
The process for getting a scholarship is carried out by the Social Worker, Verónica Peréz. She is the person in charge of receiving the scholarship applications and forms, collecting and analyzing the information, and making phone calls to the families, or home visits, if necessary, in order to interview the families and answer any questions they might have. At the end of the process, the Social Worker delivers a complete report on each family and also her recommendations of percentages for each one.
For the 2021 academic year we established three different percentages: 30%, 50% and 70%.
Below the 2021 scholarship process:
- Analyzing scholarship application´s process and established criteria:
- Submission of the completed application is mandatory and necessary for the application in order for it to be considered.
- Stages of analysis and study of the cases:
- 1st stage: analysis of the application
- 2nd stage: case review
- Once the analysis is complete, the social worker will provide her recommendations to the Futuro Verde administration. Decisions will be communicated to the families who have participated in the process.
- Families who have been approved for the scholarship must sign the corresponding contract.
2021-2022 Scholarship Program Important Dates:
- Scholarship application period: June 14 – July 16, 2021
- Review period for completed scholarship applications and discount requests: July 19 – August 13, 2021
- Announcement of scholarships and discounts: week of August 16, 2021
- Pre-registration period for students with scholarship or discount granted: August 23 to September 3, 2021
Reasons for denial or withdrawal of a scholarship or discount:
- Student or family misbehavior.
- Poor academic performance.
- Delays in payments without maintaining communication with the finance department.
- The execution of any serious misconduct stipulated in the internal regulations of the institution.
This year scholarships will be awarded to:
- Preschool
- Second Grade
- Seventh Grade
- Eighth Grade
- Ninth Grade
Remember that the scholarship program is an annual program, so the scholarship or discount granted applies for one academic year only.
This process will be carried out every year for all those families who wish to apply and also meet the requirements for a scholarship or discount.
by Angie Briceño | May 18, 2021
We have reached the end of the first semester of the year of transition to the international calendar and the students have made a great effort despite the difficulties of the bimodality that has occurred on different occasions.
We are aware of the difficult times that our community and the country have been going through during these months and that they have been challenging for students, that is why we want to communicate the importance of attending the parent-teacher conferences that will be held virtually this coming June 9th and 10th. During the parent-teacher conferences you will be able to learn more about the performance of your child. . It is important to be prepared and take into consideration some aspects for these conferences:
- It is a two-way conversation that focuses on the student’s academic performance and emotional development. The conversation should inform the parent of how the student is doing in class and how the student can improve. Make sure you bring questions you can ask the teachers to learn more about your child’s classroom performance and emotional development.
- Just like you, as a parent, the teachers at Futuro Verde also want your child to succeed, that is why during the conferences you will be able to discuss possible areas of growth both academically and in their overall development. It is important for you to be ready to ask questions about how you can support your child at home as well as how you can support your child at school, and together be able to come up with an action plan.
- If you are still not sure about the Futuro Verde´s assessment in your child’s grade, now is a good time to ask about it.
- Share with teachers information about your child, what is your child good at, the areas your child needs more support, areas in which your child is passionate about, and areas your child may not be that interested.
After teacher conferences, the appropriate follow-up is very important:
- Take notes on all the information you received during the conference. What will the teachers be doing to support the student and what will you be doing at home to support your child.
- You can talk to the teachers during the conference and schedule a meeting some time after the parent-teacher conference to follow up on the action plan.
- Remember that parent-teacher conferences are about your child, so be sure to tell them! Tell them what you learned and how they will receive support from both school and home. Ask what he or she thinks about the plan and about the suggestions.
We hope to see you all at the parent-teacher conferences on June 9 and 10 to share with teachers and stay informed. Invitations for the virtual conferences will be sent out closer to the conference dates. Do not miss them!
by Angie Briceño | May 15, 2021
During this time of uncertainty, where the number of cases in our area has been increasing, Futuro Verde continues to work in order to provide educational services to all of our students. We improve and learn day by day which leads us to offer the modality of virtual lessons and in campus lessons. Our goal is to offer spaces for students where they can continue with their lessons without interrupting their learning process.
A group of teachers and members of the administrative team have worked hard creating the virtual schedules shared above and we will continue working on improving and offering the best virtual education to students when necessary.
It is important for you to consider that even though due to the positive cases of Covid-19 that have been presented in the past and that have forced us to change to on-line lessons in certain grades, these classes are still just as important as the in-person ones. We would like to share with you some tips to follow during these weeks:
- Keep basic materials handy, such as a notebook, white sheets of paper, and a pencil case with supplies.
- Follow the virtual class schedule so that your child can be accompanied by the teacher synchronously and asynchronously throughout the day.
- Contact the teachers at the end of the week and stay informed of your child’s progress.
If you have any questions, all the teachers and staff are here to help.
