by Lural Ramirez | Mar 21, 2018
Did you know that Futuro Verde teachers actively collaborate with other educators across the country and the world? Futuro Verde prides itself on the understanding that we are not engaging in teaching and learning in a silo here in our corner of the peninsula. Our students this year come from 32 different countries or origin, our staff hail from 11 different countries and we are keenly aware that philosophies on education and theories on the very best way for students to learn varies drastically depending on the context in which you live and the educational training you have received. We open our minds and our school doors to input from other educators and educational contexts each and every day!
How does that happen, you might ask? Well, in so many different ways! For example:
- Our CAS teacher, Karol Madrigal, collaborates with the CAS teacher in Jersey, the Channel Islands, in order to unite our students with theirs in their Creativity, Activity and Service initiatives! She also guides students in service projects that directly impact both our local and global community.
- Our IB coordinator, Stuart Millar, maintains regular communication with other coordinators and IB educators across Costa Rica and the world as he strives to clarify policy, coordinate programming and seek out meaningful connections with other IB World Schools across the globe.
- Futuro Verde hosts an international education conference each year in June. BHS welcomes guest contributors to this conference from around Costa Rica and the world who come and share their expertise and knowledge related to Bilingual, Holistic and Sustainable education!
- When we have teacher changes at a given grade level or subject, we pride ourselves on our effective transitions- teachers collaborate before their departure, during the change over and after the new teacher has taken over the class. Curricular continuity is a priority at Futuro Verde!
- Do you remember former FV primary English teachers Eileen Waldschmidt and Shahnaz Sahnow, both of whom worked at Futuro Verde while on sabbatical from their teaching positions in the United States? They are no longer on site but both master teachers continue to stay meaningfully connected to the school through their support of current FV teachers, curriculum development and systems organization. Eileen, a co-founder of BHS, also continues to actively plan each year’s conference as a member of our conference leadership team.
- Lastly, several Futuro Verde teachers and administrators have established formal sharing agreements with schools, teachers and students at different schools and grade levels around the globe with pen pal programs, Skype calls and even student exchanges!
Part of the benefit of an international school is the opportunity to easily connect with other students, educators and schools around the world via our shared values and goals. We value the benefits these relationships bring and we encourage our families to support these important efforts by our students and staff!
by Angie Briceño | Mar 15, 2018
On April 23rd we will be hosting our Earth Day Charity event.
What´s this day about?
It´s about supporting an organization involved in local environmental protection and conservation, in an unusual and fun way. The challenge will be to raise money for a chosen organization both before and during the day of the event, with the participants spending the day up in a fig tree until they manage to collect $ 1,000 for their cause by reaching out to their connections through the internet and social media in order to promote the event. The participant(s) who reach the $ 1,000 goal before 2:30 pm on April 23rd, may come down from their tree. In addition, the first three participants will be able to donate the money raised to the organizations they chose to support. The rest of the funds raised will be used to invest in expanding Futuro Verde’s sports facilities. In 2017, we raised $ 6,093 and the beneficiary organizations were: Green Wave, ASOPROLAPA and Nicoya Peninsula Waterkeepers. The rest of the money was used to purchase 7 new computers for the multimedia center.
If you wish to participate, we invite you to investigate and find an organization that you would like to support next April 23rd, Earth Day. Don´t miss out on Earth Day!
by Stuart Millar, IB coordinator | Mar 15, 2018
Futuro Verde graduates of 2017, Derlin Dilana Campos and Elian Gonzalez, returned this year to join our first International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme class. We asked them to reflect on their experience so far.
2018 is Futuro Verde´s first year as an IB World School. The IB Diploma Programme provides ample opportunities that open many doors to a higher education, besides being intellectually stimulating.
Last year, at the end of the 2017 school year, we were offered the opportunity to be part of this program and continue studying at Futuro Verde for an additional two years while receiving a better, more holistic education that will prepare us to face global challenges.
IB classes are notably different from MEP classes. We can notice a change in how and what we are learning. Classes are more interactive and we participate more in discussions. The main focus is on acquiring useful information that helps us analyze our surroundings and develop critical thinking.
I would say that time management has proven to be our biggest challenge because IB means more homework and projects, which can be difficult to complete if you are not good at organizing your time.
Despite the extra work, we feel excited about being back at Futuro Verde and receiving classes in the new and updated music and arts classrooms. Analyzing visual arts pieces or composing music means the world to us and inspires us to follow our dreams.
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
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
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.
