by Noelia | May 5, 2019
“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out” is a phrase by Robert Collier that sums up the work we do at Futuro Verde in general and, more specifically, in the library perfectly.
From the moment the library was founded, firm goals and convictions were established that are reinforced day by day, regardless of the circumstances. We started out with a simple space with a closed bookcase and a collection of no more than 750 books. Today, we have more than 7,000 copies in accessible shelves, as well as two reading, study and teaching areas. Hence, we believe that every minute dedicated to the library has been worthwhile and has paid off.
With the aim of changing the perception that documentation centers have become tedious and lifeless places, the school administration, collaborators and library employees have taken on the task of converting this area into a comfortable and attractive hub, mainly for the students. Attempting, without a doubt, to draw them closer to the most important source of culture, information and knowledge: books. Through school investments, donations and various fundraising activities, we have managed to improve in 4 essential areas:
Increase the bibliographic volume of books in Spanish, English and French.
Bring library spaces to life.
Provide the necessary means for successful investigations.
Instill a love of reading from the smallest levels onwards.
This last point is, undoubtedly, one of the most important and the school decided to support it by hosting our first Annual Book Fair, held the same day as International Book Day on 22, 23 and 24 April.
Since we sold 70% of the books that we had purchased, recovered the money we had invested, and earned a profit in both money and books (since all the books that were not sold will be incorporated into the library), we are extremely proud to announce it was a huge success! Moreover, we feel great satisfaction knowing that many parents and students invested their money in books, which they are enjoying today.
For all of us involved in the preparation of our fair, it was gratifying to see the excitement and emotion on the face of each child, youngster, teacher and parent who came to the stand to admire or buy a book.
I would like to extend our sincerest thanks to the people involved and collaborators: Doris Madrigal, Mariel Urban, Jusneyling Marenco, Angie Briceño, Katie Chiaverini, Lural Ramírez, Evelyn Vargas, Joaquín Salas, Hannia Granados, Hellen Molina, Walter Mairena, Alannah Anglin and Khalida Lockheed, without your support and collaboration this wonderful week would not have been possible!
We also wish to thank the sponsors of our bingo:
- Chelo’s Pizza
- Farmacia Montecristo
- Transporzuma
- Repostería Doris Madrigal
- La Selva
- Maureen’s bracelets
- Piscina Torogoz
- Macondo Montezuma
- Santa Teresa Travels
by Lural Ramirez | Mar 29, 2019
Preface and Context
As a part of my role as Head of School for our International Baccalaureate (IB) authorization at Futuro Verde, I had the pleasure of participating in a Leadership and Governance Webinar Series offered to Heads of School over the long holiday. The learning and inspiration from the series covered four topics: consistency of mission and vision, growth and accreditations, research-informed models of teacher evaluation and school finance. On the basis of the mission and vision webinar, our teachers engaged in a series of reflective activities during their professional development prior to the start of the school year with the goal of articulating our school values. Throughout this school year, we will be sharing the articulation of these values across our social media platforms and our communications channels. When you come and visit us next, please also read our teachers’ Six Word Memoirs which are posted on a bulletin board in the main office. These amazing Six Word Memoirs are a further extension of the articulation of Futuro Verde’s values.
Futuro Verde: Always Connected, Forever Evolving
In 2018, the IB celebrated its 50th anniversary and, that same year, Futuro Verde celebrated its 10th anniversary. Over the course of our 10 years, much like the path taken by the IB in its anniversary book, “The International Baccalaureate: 50 Years of Education for a Better World” which was sent to all IB Heads of School, we have seen an evolution of our school and the benefits to our students of a coherent, connected educational experience. The Futuro Verde community continues to grow in size, but our evolution in numbers, in quality of teaching and learning and in scope and breadth of servicing for students has not led to a disconnection from our original mission as a school and our main goal of connecting our diverse communities.
For our staff and our board of directors, it is essential that our school community know that we will continue to grow and evolve and, as we do so, we will continue to prioritize our connections and support of each other! The heart of our school is the connections we have with one another, the multilingualism, the diversity in national origin, religion and beliefs and the unity we all share as we progress forward and evolve as a school.
Thank you for your connection to our school and for joining us on our journey of ongoing evolution!
by Axel Alvarado | Mar 29, 2019
This event allows students to express themselves, through music and literature. Our debut was on March 28th, from 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm, at Futuro Verde Educational Center. Garage bands, dance, poems, and songs crowned the night. 11th grade prepared a soda full of delicious food and snacks. There was a jam session time for those who wanted to improvise and showcase their talent. We are grateful for the support of parents, family, and friends.
The reason behind this CAS project is the lack of artistic expression in this area. We know that some places, offer Open Mic nights, but more are needed. Many people want to showcase their talents, and do not have the opportunity. This is why we felt the need to create a space where students, teachers, and parents get together during an afternoon of entertainment filled with improvisation in both music and literature.
We know that more and more people are going to want to participate, so we decided to organize one every two months. We are counting on the collaboration of parents to announce the event to more people!
by Angie Briceño | Mar 27, 2019
We want to share with you this new initiative and encourage you to attend and participate. Parent classes are an initiative that we started in order to support you as parents or caregivers by providing useful resources as you serve as the main guide for our students through life.
It is extremely important that we work as a team to support our students, clearly identifying our roles as educators and yours as parents or guardians. For every child, school starts at home and from the moment the child begins to be part of the family nucleus. As parents we often have doubts, feel overwhelmed and even confused when tackling this responsibility. Hence, creating a meaningful space where we can share, discuss and learn is of great importance. The topics of the parent classes were chosen based on concerns voiced by parents.
Even though classes started a few weeks ago, topics vary, so you are welcome to join us any time. Parents who attend all sessions get a certificate of attendance!
Please find below the topics to be discussed in the next sessions:
Session Title / Date
- Promoting Self-Management for Parents and Children: Persistence Leads to Academic and Social-Emotional Success! Tuesday, April 2nd, 1:30-3:00 pm
- How Much is Enough? How Much is Too Much?: Expert Guidance on Developmental Ages and Stages. Tuesday, April 9th, 1:30-3:00 pm
- Guiding With Love, Patience and Consistency. Tuesday, April 23rd, 1:30-3:00 pm
- Prosocial Behaviors: Developing Resilience, Overcoming Fears and Building Self-Esteem. Tuesday, April 30th, 1:30-3:00 pm
- Growth Mindset: A Solution for the Barriers to Holistic Development. Tuesday, May 7th, 1:30-3:00 pm
If you have any questions can contact the main office or you can write to Alannah directly at alannah@futuro-verde.org.
We look forward to seeing you here!
by Angie Briceño | Feb 23, 2019
As every year, this 2019 during the month of April we will have the Earth Day Charity Challenge, where students support a local organization to achieve their goals and carry out fundraising campaigns to help them achieve them.
This year, each organization competing in the Earth Day Charity Challenge will be participating with a specific project or initiative within its program, so the money raised will go directly to the development of that initiative or specific project.
Participant organizations will be competing for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place as the following:
1st place wins $1000
2nd place wins $750
3rd place wins $500
Below, the list of participant organizations:
- Futuro Verde Student Government
- ASVO
- Wild Sun
- Refugio Romelia
- Karen Morgensen Reserve
- Futuro Verde Animal friends
We will be sharing more information soon. Get ready for 2019 Earth Day Charity Challenge!
by Angie Briceño | Feb 21, 2019
2019 comes with many surprises, emotions and new faces!
This year we had 46 new students who will be accompanying us throughout their educational career, we wish them many successes and have a year full of adventures and learning here at Futuro Verde.
9 new students joined us while visiting Costa Rica, beautiful country they have decided to have an unforgettable educational and cultural experience, which is why they have been attending Futuro Verde and have participated during this month of all the activities in the classrooms.
We feel very fortunate to continue growing as an institution and we are very grateful with all of you who placed your trust in us with the education of your children. We are very happy to have more families visiting us and permanent families around the area, this year our students come from the United States, Canada, Argentina, England, France, Nicaragua, Germany and of course Costa Rica.
We wish all our students a successful year and we hope to keep growing together!
Big thank you to ALL Futuro Verde families!
