by Lural Ramirez | Sep 3, 2017
Our Futuro Verde community have been so enthusiastic regarding the recent improvements made to our campus as we comply with the requirements of IB* verification! Read below for a summary of the improvements we’ve had and the students who will access these beautiful, new spaces.
- State of the art science laboratory: designed to support exploration and experimentation, our science lab features science counters with stations for up to four students to work together as they do experiments. Each station features a sink, gas connection for a Bunsen burner and electrical outlet. Our adjacent science prep room keeps all our lab materials and equipment safe and ready for student use! Beakers, graduated cylinders, scientific sensors, petri dishes, microscopes and much, much more. Our science lab is a space that all students, preschool through secondary, will use in science and environmental education classes!
- Big and welcoming school library: with separate library wings for preschool/primary and secondary, all students in Futuro Verde have full access to our continually growing collection of books. We have over 4,000 books in our collection currently, all cataloged within a library inventory system and with a schedule for weekly visit and lending processing for all grade levels. Comfortable seating, private study space and a beautiful mural welcome our students to develop their love of reading daily! Our collection ranges from board books for our preschoolers to non-fiction texts on global warming for our oldest students and all the way to classic literature in both Spanish and English and texts in multiple languages other than Spanish and English (Hebrew, French, German and Italian- just to name a few!). Our school library is a space that all students, preschool through secondary, access daily during both free play times, before and after school times and integrated into regular classroom instruction and learning!
- Spacious multi-media center: 20 desktop computers are available to our students of all ages in a dedicated computer lab, set up to support all multi-media needs. With regular technology classes at all grade levels, Futuro Verde students from preschool through high school learn about all aspects of Information Technology Systems. A new, and exciting, addition to our multi-media center is our school site license with EBSCO, which offers research databases for our students, Ebook collections for students in kindergarten through high school, access to thousands of online magazines and periodicals and so much more! Our multi-media center is a space that all students, preschool through secondary, use in support of their learning in all subject areas and classes!
- Dedicated and creative art studio: with two separate levels and an open design, all students from preschool through secondary enjoy weekly art classes in our dedicated art space, with adjacent and spacious art supply space full of art supplies and materials of all kinds. With a studio approach deeply rooted in our constructivist methodology, students explore collage, painting, drawing, printmaking and so much more! Coming soon: the electrical installation for our new pottery kiln! Our school art studio is a space that all students, preschool through secondary, use during their weekly art classes and access as desired during secondary flex blocks.
- Dedicated music classroom: constructivism is alive in our music classes with a balance between music theory, instrumental work and music creation for students from preschool through 11th grade at Futuro Verde. Recent improvements include new instruments for student use: two electric pianos, multiple professional quality recorders and percussion sets that join our current collection of string and wind instruments already available at the school. With new recording equipment currently en route from the US, we are excited for the upcoming music creation possibilities. Also, stay tuned for a new purpose built music classroom that is coming soon! Our music classroom is a space that all students, preschool through secondary, use during weekly music classes and access as desired during recess and flex blocks.
If you haven’t yet seen our new and renewed spaces in person, please come by for a tour and be amazed by our inspiring improvements. Remember, these changes, which directly supported our candidacy for IB*, now benefit Futuro Verde students of ALL ages and grade levels!
*Centro Educativo Futuro Verde is a candidate school* for the Diploma Programme. This school is pursuing authorization as an IB World School. These are schools that share a common philosophy- a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education that Centro Educativo Futuro Verde believes is important for our students.Only schools authorized by the IB Organization can offer any of its four academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme or the Career-related Programme (CP). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted.
For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit http://www.ibo.org
by Stuart Millar, IB coordinator | Aug 15, 2017
After almost three years, Futuro Verde is nearing the culmination of our process to secure authorization as an IB World School to offer the IB Diploma Program. Following the visit by two inspectors at the end of May, we received the written response listing the outstanding items that still need to be completed before the official judgment will be made.
We are working hard to finish the biology lab, expand the library, and purchase the resources we need to successfully introduce the IB Diploma at Futuro Verde. Once we submit proof that the outstanding items have been completed, we hope to hear the final decision within the next two or three months.
Thank you to all our teachers, parents and students for your support during this application process. We are excited to be getting closer to the finish line!
*Centro Educativo Futuro Verde is a candidate school* for the Diploma Programme. This school is pursuing authorization as an IB World School. These are schools that share a common philosophy- a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education that Centro Educativo Futuro Verde believes is important for our students. Only schools authorized by the IB Organization can offer any of its four academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme or the Career-related Programme (CP). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted.
by Stuart Millar, IB coordinator | May 23, 2017
Futuro Verde is at the final stage of the application for authorization to offer the IB* Diploma Program. On May 29th and 30th we will be hosting two visitors from IB* as they conduct the verification visit. Over the two days, there will be interviews conducted with all our prospective IB* teachers, the diploma program coordinator (designate), head of school, parents of prospective IB* students, students, and board members. The visit will also include a tour of school facilities. At the end of the visit, the inspectors will give their findings verbally to the head of school and IB* coordinator (designate). Thank you to all board members, staff, parents, and students for all the support they have given as we pursue authorization as an IB* World School.
*Centro Educativo Futuro Verde is a candidate school* for the Diploma Programme. This school is pursuing authorization as an IB World School. These are schools that share a common philosophy- a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education that Centro Educativo Futuro Verde believes is important for our students. Only schools authorized by the IB Organization can offer any of its four academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme or the Career-related Programme (CP). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted. For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit http://www.ibo.org
by Stuart Millar, IB coordinator | Jan 30, 2017
Futuro Verde has now entered its third, and hopefully final, year of the application process to offer the IB Diploma Program. We all continue to work hard: teachers continue to attend IB workshops and revise their curricula; new installations are being built at school; and a workshop was held for board members, parents and new teachers. The next, and perhaps most important, stage of our application is the verification visit which IB will conduct on the 29th and 30th of May, 2017. Two IB representatives will inspect the school and meet with the director, the IB coordinator (designate), teachers, parents, students and board members. After this visit, our application will be approved, denied, or remain pending with matters to be addressed. It is very important that all stakeholders understand that during this process we continue to be a candidate school*, applying to offer the IB diploma program.
Our goal is to prepare our students to be successful. With this in mind, we have adapted the 10th grade subject offering for 2017. Students will have now have three music and three art classes per week, to prepare them for when they choose a group six subject in the arts. Integrated science will prepare them for the Biology IB diploma course, and a new elective “Collaborative Study: Sustainable Innovation” will give students the opportunity to run their own business project, and face all the challenges and successes that a real-life situation will bring. Finally, students will have the opportunity to meet once a week to prepare themselves for Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) as they work on their 10th grade community work project.
*Centro Educativo Futuro Verde is a candidate school* for the Diploma Programme. This school is pursuing authorization as an IB World School. These are schools that share a common philosophy- a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education that Centro Educativo Futuro Verde believes is important for our students.
Only schools authorized by the IB Organization can offer any of its four academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme or the Career-related Programme (CP). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted.
For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit http://www.ibo.org
by Stuart Millar, IB coordinator | Dec 14, 2016
Some of us are filled with excitement at the thought of school vacation with our children and are full of ideas to entertain them, while others are less thrilled at the prospect. Just because they are on vacation doesn’t mean work and the demands of life can be put on pause. After all, the summer is the busiest time of the year on the Peninsula as tourists flock to the area. “I’m bored!” might be something we will hear more than once. As parents or guardians is that something we should rush to fix?
A large amount of research indicates that we should not immediately try and fix our children’s problem when they say they are bored. A BBC article recommended that children be allowed to get bored so that they can start to explore their own creativity, their imagination, and find their own motivation to fix their problem. The article quoted Dr. Belton, an expert on the impact of emotions on behavior and learning. He believes that boredom can feel uncomfortable for children, but that it is good for them to learn to deal with being uncomfortable. With so much technology at our disposal children are developing the need, an addiction, to be constantly stimulated and entertained.
“Find something to do!” might not be the most constructive thing for you to say while our children are first learning how to deal with their perceived problem of being bored. One idea, that has had good results in our family, is to brainstorm and make a list of all the things that could happen during the vacation and then put it in a visible spot.
- As you make the list with them, show them how to think of things to do. Reflect on fun things they have done in the past and could maybe do again.
- You might already have some big activities or travel planned, but don’t forget to add in the simple things too.
- Make sure some of the ideas are easy for your children to do alone.
- Some ideas might take some planning to come to fruition. Involve your children in that planning. “Can you write a list so we don’t forget what to take for lunch on the beach?”
- Remember that vacation can be a time when our children take a backward slide with reading, math, and language acquisition. Remind them that they won’t want to return to school and feel behind. Add in opportunities to read, write and use their new language in authentic situations.
- Learning doesn’t just happen at school. With a varied list of ideas, learning can take place all the time. On the day your child plans to bake cookies they will be reading a recipe, checking they have what they need, writing a shopping list, following instructions, learning through trial and error, and doing science!
- Make sure screen time or electronics are not the automatic go-to.
- Keep adding to the list as new ideas come up.
“I’m bored” can become a bit of a habit for children. Our normal response might come from a place of frustration. Remember it is ok for our kids to be bored sometimes, and that with some gentle redirection and some new tools they should start being able to cope with that uncomfortable feeling of not being entertained all the time and be quicker to discover new things to do.
References and further reading:
Richardson, Hannah. “Children Should Be Allowed to Get Bored, Expert Says.” BBC News. 22 Mar. 2013. http://www.bbc.com/news/education-21895704
Rosenthal, Lisa. “Stop Summer Brain Drain | Parenting.” Parenting. 11 Mar. 2016. http://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/stop-brain-drain/
by Lural Ramirez | Dec 3, 2016
Those familiar with Futuro Verde know that we are a community of professionals committed to on-going self-reflection and with a strong desire for continual school improvement. As we look toward the 2017 school year, I am excited to announce some incredible curricular improvements to come:
- Our whole-school 50-50 Spanish/English immersion program’s additional language component (currently French) makes a groundbreaking transition! Following the advice of current research and experts in the field of language acquisition, Futuro Verde will now provide a new course to all preschool and primary students called “Comparative Language Study”. This class will replace the current French lesson students receive in the primary grades. The reason for this change is responsiveness by Futuro Verde to new research that shows that one of the highest leverage investments in our young language learners is direct instruction and support “bridging” across all of their languages. Students will work with Futuro Verde’s language specialist and polygot, Debbie Bruylant, as the main teacher and will receive additional input and support from Futuro Verde’s new classical languages teacher, Futuro Verde’s new secondary French teacher, FV classroom specialists and even from me, the school director! The focus of the class will be students exploring all their languages within a context of: communication, culture, connections, comparisons and community. The goal is to foster young learners with strong metacognitive and metalinguistic skills, irrespective of their home language(s) and current proficiency in Spanish or English. This is a very exciting and innovative addition to our curricular offerings!
- Speaking of Classical Languages, I am proud to announce that Futuro Verde secondary students in 7th-9th grade will now have the option of choosing between French or Classical Languages (Latin, Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic) as their additional language! Did you know that Futuro Verde’s music teacher, Oscar Leal Mendez, is also an accomplished scholar of classical languages? Students can now learn all about these classical languages by choosing to take the Classical Languages tract, starting this coming 2017 school year. French or Classical Languages- what will your middle years student choose?
- Speaking of our music teacher, Oscar Leal Mendez, Futuro Verde is proud to announce that we are finally able to increase music instruction at all grade levels in 2017! More music is music to our ears here at Futuro Verde!
- We are also proud to announce that next school year our primary students will have 2 arts classes a week from our new full time Arts teacher! So exciting, so inspiring- so much to learn and explore!
These are only a snapshot of the curricular improvements to come! Please make sure to schedule our end of the year whole-school celebration- Respect, hArmony, Peace (RAP), to be held on December 13th, into your personal calendar. Beautiful student presentations are not to be missed from 3:00-5:00 pm. Potluck dinner to follow! We hope to see you there!
