by Katie Chiaverini | Jan 6, 2020
All Futuro Verde students and families are cordially invited to join us at our Open House on February 10th from 12:30 to 3 pm. This is a great time to check out the recent updates on the school campus as well as meet new staff members. In the past, families were asked to bring all their school supplies but that is not necessary this year as all supplies were purchased with a portion of the matriculation fee. All of the teachers will be able to organize and label materials before students arrive, so exciting! Each student will receive their Futuro Verde School Planner on this date with their class schedule inside.
All students and families will get to personally meet their teachers and ask any questions, while also getting to know their classrooms for the 2020 school year. Futuro Verde school uniforms will be available for purchase as well. Please come and help us kick off the 2020 school year, we expect it to be an exciting one with lots of positive changes!
by Angie Briceño | Jan 2, 2020
On December 19th, 2019 our first IB generation graduated, what an exciting day for everyone!
Even more exciting is the great opportunity that Futuro Verde has presented to 12th graders, the John Dolan Scholarship for the start of the university career!
As you know, John Dolan highly valued the importance of quality education, therefore his family showed great commitment in founding the John Dolan Scholarship Fund. Now, the 12th grade students who meet the requirements will have another incredible opportunity that comes from the legacy of John Dolan, which is that those who obtain the IB Diploma and have entered the university may be granted the $ 1000 John Dolan scholarship to launch their university career. We are very grateful to John Dolan and his family for this incredible opportunity to support students to begin a new stage of their educational career and we wish them all success in this new adventure.
And remember that education is our passport to the future because tomorrow belongs to the people who get prepared for today.
by Alejandro Ramírez | Dec 3, 2019
As usual at Futuro Verde, the 2019 school year was full of sports and recreational achievements. From circuit to national levels, our students proudly represented our colors and demonstrated that everyone’s effort and perseverance are the basis of athletic success.
Both in team sports, such as volleyball, and in individual sports, such as swimming, chess and cross country, our institution´s name has been very well represented by our athletes. Among the highlights are two of our students reaching cross country nationals, where they had an outstanding participation, and nine students qualifying for swimming nationals, where they won gold, silver and bronze medals. For the first time in our history, we also managed to classify a team to the national chess tournament, with our team achieving an honorable fifth place.
The competitive season of the Ministry of Public Education is over. However, this does not mean that opportunities for our students and families to get involved in sports activities have come to an end. We will be closing the school year with our annual trail run during which all our students run all parents and community members are invited to participate. Futuro Verde Trail Fun Run 2019 will be on December 13, save the date! Come and enjoy exercising your body in the company of the entire Futuro Verde community.
If you have any questions or would like to get involved in the Trail Fun Run 2019 race, do not hesitate to contact me at alejandro@futuro-verde.org
by Noelia | Dec 3, 2019
The end of the year is always a busy time for everyone and school life at Futuro Verde is no exception. The end of the 2019 school year comes loaded with many fun activities and important family events, so we wanted to make sure you wouldn´t miss anything by sharing the dates with you today!
- December 6th, 8 am – 3 pm: Sustainable Solutions Fair, preschool to 10th grade students share their innovative projects and ideas on how to best protect our environment and how to live a healthy life making sustainability part of our daily lives.
- December 9th, 7 am – 3 pm: Professional development – no school.
- December 11th: RAP (schedule to be confirmed): the end of the year event that brings together our diverse school population with dance, music, theatre, lyrical poetry and much, much more.
- December 13th, and 14th: The Mousetrapp, a fabulous play adapted and produced by the students.
- December 13th, 8 am – 1.30 pm: Futuro Verde Trail Fun Run – on the last day of school we hold our traditional Futuro Verde Trail Fun Run race, a fun event for the whole family. Sign up here! School release time is at 1.30 pm.
- December 16th and 17th, 8 am – 5 pm: Parent-Teacher Conferences – no school.
- December 18th, 4 – 6 pm: 6th grade graduation ceremony.
- December 19th, 4 – 6 pm: 12th grade graduation ceremony – 1st FV IB generation.
2019 Holiday Giving Campaign
The holidays are a time to reflect, share and give! Our annual donation campaign, Holiday Giving Campaign, benefiting our community´s families in need has begun! From November 28th to December 6th, bring your used clothes for all ages that remain in good condition and new or barely used toys to Futuro Verde. Do not wrap the items and deposit them in the corresponding boxes before Friday, December 6th! Let’s contribute to a happy holiday season for everyone!
We look forward to your presence to celebrate the end of a great year together!
by Noelia | Dec 3, 2019
Middle School Dance
The middle school dance, Tropical Spring Fling, was a smashing success! We had 38 students from 6th, 7th, and 8th grades attend the first ever Futuro Verde middle school dance. A student-led committee organized the entire event: food, security, games, decorations, music playlist, dress code and space layout. The “lounge” area with couches and beanbags next to the stage was the perfect place to chill and visit with friends. Excellent music provided by our own Futuro Verde student, Axel, had everyone dancing. There was lots of pizza provided by Chelo’s restaurant and delicious desserts provided by the students. This amazing event will now become part of Futuro Verde’s middle school experience.
PROM
Our high school dance, PROM, with the theme “An Arabian Night”, was a great success. The students and their friends enjoyed and danced all night.
The PROM committee was very happy with the results, decorations and the food that parents helped organize, all very popular among the guests. It was a magical night that everyone could enjoy. We would like to thank all the students and parents who supported this student event during the month of November.
We encourage students to apply to be members of the PROM 2020 committee!
by Lural Ramirez | Dec 3, 2019
Every school community celebrates school level graduations in unique ways and Futuro Verde’s traditions are a perfect match for our singular and proud school community! At Futuro Verde, and after extensive polling of our entire school community during our 10th year anniversary school year, we came upon our permanent graduation traditions. We have been intentional in the development of these traditions as an opportunity to define the Futuro Verde experience and include consistent ceremonies from year to year that are filled with meaning and depth.
I share with you details on the Futuro Verde graduation traditions:
High School Graduation
Futuro Verde 12th graders culminate a rigorous 2-year diploma program full of learning, unforgettable experiences and preparation for their independent lives ahead. The final two weeks of school for 12th graders has them: finishing final exams, attending their final Prom and then climbing mount Chirripó (the tallest peak in Costa Rica)! As graduation rolls around at the end of the school year, our 12th graders join us at an off-site location for an evening designed to acknowledge their efforts, celebrate their successes and send them off into the world prepared for the opportunities and challenges that await them. 12th grade graduation is a formal event and students wear formal attire, caps, gowns and sashes. The ceremony includes speeches from meaningful adults in the students’ lives and ceremonial aspects allusive to this special occasion, including an event photographer.
Elementary School Graduation
Following successful completion of 6th grade at Futuro Verde students have their first formal graduation ceremony at Futuro Verde! The event is held yearly on the Futuro Verde main stage. Students wear semi formal attire and don caps, gowns and sashes for the event. Futuro Verde’s student body president welcomes students to secondary school with a meaningful rock ceremony, students receive a bounty of well wishes prepared especially for them by family, friends and teachers, parents escort their children to the stage and student diplomas are presented to them in a custom designed Futuro Verde diploma holder. A photographer is on site to capture special moments from the event as well.
Grade Levels with Special Activities, but no Formal Graduation Ceremony
In Costa Rica, some schools also celebrate graduation from Prepa and 9th grade. At Futuro Verde, our school community was clear in not wanting to adopt and continue with this tradition and graduation ceremonies for Prepa and 9th grades have not been held since 2017. As an international school with lofty goals for our students, it is customary to celebrate the completion of primary and secondary school only and for the second year in a row we will follow this important tradition.
Prepa and 9th grade do not have formal graduation ceremonies at Futuro Verde, although per Costa Rican Ministry of Education (MEP) expectations students do receive a diploma during parent-teacher conferences at the end of the year in 9th grade and during a class party for Prepa at the end of the year.
A highlight for students in Prepa and 9th grade is the tradition of a joint artistic performance during our end of the year RAP: Respeto, Amor, Paz celebration. This spectacle is not to be missed!
As you can see, graduation traditions are well thought out and meaningful aspects of school life at Futuro Verde! If your child is graduating this year- congratulations! If your child is heading toward a graduating year soon, I hope this article has helped explain our processes and traditions.
