by Hileyn | Aug 26, 2019
In our institution ethics, research, and information literacy are very important, which is why teaching and guiding our students to locate reliable, safe and credible sources for academic writing and to make sound decisions both in and outside of school is high on our list of priorities.
EBSCO is the most reliable database in the field of education, a valuable and verified information tool available to students, which will help them find the resources they need to perform their academic tasks and learn about specific topics, making their academic research being more effective and credible.
It takes a transition process for search preferences to point to EBSCO compared to more traditional search engines, which, although they may be a faster and simpler option, have the disadvantage of not being reliable sources.
With training in how to search for information within a world full of technology and with the constant use of the EBSCO database, students will develop more qualified search competencies that prepare them for a more advanced academic and professional world, such as university.
EBSCO opens the doors to digitally reliable, reviewed and certified resources from all over the world. The use of this tools allows us to find resources such as: prestigious magazines, complete academic articles, electronic books, videos, maps, images and much more.
Hoping that these technological advances will benefit the student community in their learning and training process, EBSCO is one of the most important academic research tools at Futuro Verde, providing the assurance that what is produced within the institution is of high quality.
Futuro Verde EBSCO packages
We have databases that cover all the specific needs of our institution. At primary level, we have a subscription to more than 1000 ebooks, academic articles in the elementary field, and educational videos, all of which support our curricular goals from first grade to sixth grade, being of great benefit to both teachers and students.
At secondary level, we are subscribed to more than 5,000 prestigious academic journals, have access to the best ebooks with topics related to high school, to support for teachers regarding pedagogy, adolescence and learning methods, to a Premier Academic Source, and to a database specialized in secondary schools with over 8,800 available titles for students to gain information from quality primary sources.
IB students also have access to their own databases, designed with academic excellence in mind and containing information for their professional growth through full texts and thousands of photos, maps, and more.
by Katie Chiaverini | Aug 8, 2019
Scarlet Macaw Release at Wild Sun Rescue Center
Last Friday, July 26th, four Futuro Verde students were invited to be the Masters of Ceremony for the fifth annual Scarlet Macaw Release at Wild Sun Rescue Center. Futuro Verde is excited to be collaborating with ASOPROLAPA and Wild Sun Rescue Center with several different projects so our students participate in hands-on experiences with various environmentally focused entities and learn to take action for a cause they support. It was an emotional event and wonderful to see our students as leaders within our community.
Reflections from our student and teacher participants:
Ashlen in 10th grade: “It was a really great experience to be able to encounter the release of a reintroduced animal who goes out and explores once again in an area. It was also great to have the possibility to speak in front of lots of people to improve my public speaking skills. It was a big responsibility to take part in representing the school in such a sensitive topic.”
For her CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) Project, Ashlen was volunteering at Wild Sun Rescue Center. When asked about the connections she was able to make between these two experiences, Ashlen responded, “because of my CAS project, it was great to come back and experience WIld Sun from another standpoint, seeing it from another point of view, seeing a different side. We were working on bringing more volunteers and educating students for my project and this was helping in the release of reintroduced animals.”
Rafa in 8th grade: “It was really beautiful to see the work that Wild Sun and ASOPROLAPA did together and how all that work was reflected in the release. It was also really amazing to be involved in the event as a presenter.” Rafa’s mother also expressed her pride in her son for being chosen to take part in the event as a Master of Ceremony.
Lian in 5th grade: “I liked when Jeremy (Wild Sun Director) talked with so much emotion about how much effort he and his team put into the project and how much he loves animals. It was very exciting when they opened the gate and all the macaws went out, especially when one went out first and then called to the others to come.”
Atila in 4th grade: “The best part was when I saw the first Macaw. It was so cool because I had never seen one so close. Then, suddenly they were going to freedom. I also liked seeing so many people together at an important event.” When Atila turned to Don Alex, Operations Manager for Los Delfines – ASOPROLAPA base and said “this is the first time I have been involved in such an important event” with very wide eyes as he looked at all taking place around him his teachers got a bit emotional.
Javier, IB Biology Teacher and Sustainability Coordinator: “Activities such as the Macaw Release at Wild Sun Rescue Center are those that make one proud of being part of a community so united in environmental conservation issues and efforts.”
Katie, Curriculum and Special Programs Coordinator: “It was very exciting to see the joint efforts from so many different community groups, including local businesses, non-profit institutions, schools, and community members. The 5th Annual Scarlet Macaw Release is an excellent example of the power of collaboration and the importance of involving youth in community initiatives. I was so proud to see our Futuro Verde students take active roles in this important environmental event.”
by Lural Ramirez | Aug 7, 2019
We are excited to announce that we are in the final stages of remodeling for our school kitchen! Over the mid-year school break, demolition of the old kitchen floor and walls took place and now the tile has been installed and our new electrical and gas are being finished. The challenges of remodeling existing buildings have been ongoing at Futuro Verde and we are thrilled that our kitchen updates will now allow our staff to provide even healthier and more diverse dining options each day!
Kitchen upgrades have included: new kitchen appliances- including a lowboy fridge, new grill, stove and oven as well as an industrial sink and clean, stainless steal shelving and prep space.
One of the most exciting new additions to our kitchen is our service area, which has lowered the food service space to eye level for most students and has double boilers installed within the appliance in order to keep food heated at all times. The protective sanitary shield also helps keep food clean, yet visible, to those receiving their meals.
Again, we are excited for these important changes which have improved the safety of our kitchen for employees and changes which now allow us to provide a more professional and industrial setting for the preparation of nutritious and delicious meals for students and staff at Futuro Verde each and every day!
by Noelia | Aug 6, 2019
In the past newsletter, Katie Chiaverini highlighted the benefits of summer camps in a detailed article. If you haven ́t read it yet, you can still see it here – it is also worth reading again. This month, several of our students share their personal experiences with summer camps in the past vacation period.
Fiona Jimenez
I went to Oxford Royale Academy for two weeks this year. It took place in Oxford, England. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I took two morning courses on medical biology and genetics and an afternoon course on acting and performance skills. It was very well balanced. We had a lot of freedom, so we could really explore Oxford and have a better understanding of what university life is. I made friends from all over the world. In a group of just 8 of us, we represented 13 countries. It was extremely diverse. I met people from countries I didn’t even know existed. I learned so much about biology and about different people’s cultures. It was truly incredible.
Abayneh Millar
The gist of my summer camp was a bunch of kids doing crazy tricks on skateboards, scooters, roller blades, skis, roller skis, snowboard, and roller board, and having fun while doing them. The biggest take-away from the experience was learning how to do a 180 off a jump on skis. I would definitely recommend this camp to somebody who would like to learn tricks on skateboards, scooters, roller blades, snowboards, or skis. I would recommend it because WoodWard is a positive and supportive environment that doesn’t push you unless you want it to. If you go to WoodWard wanting to learn something they will try their hardest to teach you how. Everyone that I met there where nice people.
Santiago Ramírez
I went to a camp called IDTech and it was AWESOME! The camp happened at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon in the US. In the camp we made and coded our own computers. The name of the computer is Pi-top. On the computer we got to code games on Python. Some of the games were Hangman, Black Jack, the creation of spiral drawings and games on Scratch. My instructor’s code name was Kiwi and she was the coolest! I made good friends, including one from Hawaii. I own the computer now that I put together and coded and I learned how to continue to add more code by myself. It is so much fun! Learning how to code was really, really cool! A lot of people think coding is hacking, but it isn’t. Coding is creating and designing your own programs within a computer. My camp also taught me about hardware of a computer (and now I own that computer!) and that was really special as well! I would recommend this camp because you don’t only code but there is also free time during breaks and during that free time you get to have fun with the coding you are learning. It means you get to socialize, code and have fun- which was the best part of it all!
Wilson Millar
My camp is called Westwind, there’s a lot of fun things you can do like: gu gu ball, elimination (it’s kinda like volleyball) and we go to the beach. The water at Westwind is really cold. I do really recommend this camp to other people because you get to learn new stuff and socialize with other kids. I love this camp. We also sing songs and I go to this camp with my cousins and brother. Love this camp so much.
Joaquín Ramirez
I went for a week to a basketball camp called Cascade Sports Camp in the state of Oregon in the United States. It is a great camp if you love basketball because you play for five days straight. I got four blisters and I twisted my ankle, but it was all worth it. Also the counselors are really good there and the coaches are well qualified for the sport. What I most enjoyed about the camp was the opportunity to learn more about basketball and to practice my skills. We did drills for shooting, dribbling and defense. I would say that my skills in shooting, dribbling and defense all got better throughout the week. I really recommend this camp but you have to be in good shape before you go. The food is great there and you get to go to a really cold river daily.
Dilana Campos
Traveling has always been one of my favorite things and music is one of my passions, so mixing both experiences was incredible. I have always been interested in getting to know new cultures and countries. My twelve days in the United States helped me to see that we are not limited to anything, you just have to work hard for what you want to achieve. I hope that was the first of many experiences to come during which I will have the opportunity to combine music and travels, two activities that provide great pleasure and a touch of adventure. Each piece, each concert, the new people and the many hours of travel made all the effort of going worthwhile.
by Stuart Millar, IB coordinator | Aug 4, 2019
What a successful Conference on Bilingual, Holistic, and Sustainable education we had this year! Now in it’s fifth year, the BHS conference is a valuable opportunity to provide our staff and educators from near and far, students, parents, and other community members with a rich learning experience which might otherwise not be easily accessible from our location.
There were twenty presentations over the two days with keynote addresses by David Rogers, a leader in the dual language education community. Other presentations covered a wide range of topics including: artful thinking routines, the strengths of quiet students, reflection and metacognition in math assessments, whether vegetarianism is sustainable, and the diversity and richness of musical traditions in Costa Rica. Students took part in presentations, attended sessions, and gave wonderful performances to entertain the conference attendees during breakfast and lunch. In the end it was a wonderful event which benefited greatly from this integration and interaction of people of all ages and backgrounds.
For many it was not their first BHS, while for others it was their first experience. However, everyone was unanimous in their praise for this year’s conference, reporting that they finished the two days feeling inspired and grateful that they had shared a wonderful experience together.
by Lural Ramirez | Jun 28, 2019
Over the course of this year I will be sharing with you reflections on our school’s core values. My article in May explored the second of five core school values, “Futuro Verde: Feeling safe and comfortable to be ourselves helps our learning to thrive”. Today, I will be sharing reflections on our third core school value.
Futuro Verde: Our cultural oxygen expands your curiosity
But, wait…what is cultural oxygen? As our former school counselor, David Brookshire, who coined the term, said: “Our school culture is so palpable, you breath it!” He isn’t the only person to proclaim that there is a feel to Futuro Verde. Futuro Verde is truly a unique community! There are aspects of the school you can point to that are great examples of our culture and then, much like the oxygen we breathe, we have aspects to our school culture that are much less palpable. But, when you enter the school gate you are bound to exit that same gate some day with an expanded personal curiosity!
Speaking with our 12th graders, all International Baccalaureate (IB) students, they identified the following palpable and non-palpable school culture components:
- Do the right thing! Not because you are afraid of getting into trouble but because you want be a person who does the right thing.
- Be open-minded and seek to understand your peers that are so different than yourself.
- Make connections all of the time: to your own life, to the place you live, to other places you have lived or traveled, to what you have read or to what you are learning in other classes at Futuro Verde!
- Find a passion and go for it- without fear! You will be supported and loved as you take risks. You are not likely to be criticized when you try new things (and aren’t perfect yet) here at Futuro Verde!
- Make sure you are always thinking because you will always be asked what you think- about an environmental issue, about a subject you are studying, about something happening in the world, or even about what you want to learn and how you want to learn it!
- Come in peace! We don’t welcome conflict, anger or hate. But come with your own criteria, your arguments and be ready to share them so that others can hear them.
- We welcome you! You, person X with X characteristics and X beliefs! You belong here too!
This unique culture is a breeding ground for an expanding curiosity! Once you let your guard down, and find the differences you notice interesting and intriguing, you become innately curious. Quickly, as a student at Futuro Verde, you find it interesting to be open to learning about the world around you and the people within it. What is better than that? With curiosity at our center, we are guaranteed to be life-long learners! And with Futuro Verde deep in your heart and soul and lungs, you are guaranteed to be a good, open-minded, connected, passionate, peaceful thinker and human being. You keep your uniqueness and you enrich it with us!
