by Ariadna Lopez Vargas | Jul 2, 2018
“Music is a universal language and it is always connecting us” by Anonymous
For me, as a student and young person, participating in the Huntsville Alabama Music Camp was a totally enriching experience in every way, not only because of the technical learning that it provided to me, but also because of the opportunity to expand my mind getting to know the culture, the place and the exceptional good reception that these people gave me.
The camp lasted about a week, however, my stay was 13 days and it was as Miss Susan says… “every day I learn something new”. I learned a lot every day I spent there. The camp was held in Huntsville Alabama, in a Methodist church that was spacious enough to house rehearsals, master classes and workshops of more than 8 different orchestras. The organization was always very professional and the directors, composers, instrumentalists and teachers worked in a strictly professional and committed way which allowed us to have very good results at the end of the camp.
The second week was much quieter and we spent it in Nashville, Tennessee, where we were with another family that was just as friendly and hospitable as the family that awarded us a place to stay in Huntsville. In Nashville we visited downtown, museums, and other touristic places which were very fun and enjoyable. In summary, it was a very nice experience.
by David Brookshire, MPH/ School Counselor & Special Education Case Manager | Jun 25, 2018
I’m often asked by parents to recommend strategies they can implement at home to support the development of their child. There are 3 strategies that come to mind that are easy to apply at home that support the developing brain, set appropriate limits, and create a peaceful atmosphere.
Thinking Aloud
Thinking aloud is a simple tip that helps kids gain communication skills, problem solving abilities, and more confidence. Adjustable for any age level, you can model critical thinking and appropriate communication in real time. For example, the next time you go into the supermarket, you can explain a short list of items you plan to purchase to your child and engage their help in remembering and finding the items. On a Saturday morning, you could present a menu of option for things to do this weekend and ask for input based on what they want to do. And, simply talking as much as possible all the time asking questions about what’s happening in the moment, what happened earlier, and what might happen in the near future, can engage a child’s brain in a way that supports integration and engagement with other people and the environment. Being as verbal as possible while modeling thinking skills is an easy and great way to support the development of your child.
Connect and Redirect
This strategy comes from the book, The Whole Brain Child by Daniel Siegel, PhD. When a child is frustrated, upset, or having a conflict, we can be tempted as parents to quickly redirect our child, expecting them to follow through with what we’ve asked them to do in the precise moment. While this is completely understandable, it can be more effective, according to Dr. Siegel, to first connect with and validate the child’s emotion. By giving them a hug, and saying something simple like, “It’s hard sometimes, isn’t it?” can give them validation while connecting with the right hemisphere of their brain which is likely most dominant in that moment. After having their current experience and emotions validated, the child is then in a much more receptive state for being calmly redirected. This, then would be a more appropriate time to restate an expectation as they will be more ready to follow through. This whole process can happen in as little as 5 minutes and allows the child to feel heard and understood while also teaching them appropriate boundaries and limits.
Keeping Parent Conversations for the Parents
Finally, a way to keep a peaceful atmosphere in the home is to remember to keep arguments and difficult conversations among parents, saved for a time when children are not around. This can sometimes be difficult but with practice, can reduce stress and anxiety in the home. By choosing, as adults, to disengage from conflict until we are calm and saving conversations for later, we allow children to be free from the worry of adult problems. When exposed to constant conflict and disagreement, chronic stress can set in and create a whole list of problems that aren’t necessary or appropriate for kids to deal with. By letting kids be kids and saving adult conversations for later, you can help your child free up more mental space for things like imagination, creativity, and play which supports their development in a positive way.
by Stephanie Nuñez Jiménez | Jun 25, 2018
As yearly tradition dictates, Costa Rica celebrates and breathes its “Civic Week” in commemoration of its independence in the month of September.
The Civic Week is the appropriate framework for the development of commemorative civic events related to the anniversary of Costa Rican Independence. The focus of these activities is a series of civic celebrations highlighting the topic of values duly authorized as formative events within the educational process.
This year, big and small will join the party, with dances and costumes, patriotic corners, music and traditional food. There will be activities such as the torch run, the lantern parade and the evening participation in the civic week, culminating in the display of the September 15th parade, when drum rolls resound and the streets fill up with colorful parades reflecting the joy with which Central Americans began their path of freedom.
by Lural Ramirez | Jun 21, 2018
In 2018, Futuro Verde began requiring our IB diploma students to have a personal laptop for use in classes daily. The implementation of the laptop requirement has been a success and our first generation of IB students now research regularly using their personal laptop and the school subscription to EBSCO research databases. Students also use their laptops to access the applications available to us as a Google For Education school, like Classroom, among others. In Classroom, students have a digital connection to all of their in person subject matter and teachers regularly use Classroom for projects, announcements, homework assignments and as a communication tool. Finally, the need to have a laptop for word processing projects throughout the school day, and from any location, across our school campus make having a personal laptop a huge convenience for our students.
Starting in 2019, Futuro Verde will require that all 9th through 12th grade students have a personal laptop, extending our current requirement down from only the 11th and 12th grade diploma program grades and into our full High School. Students in 7th and 8th grade are encouraged to own a laptop, but not yet required to do so.
For parents with students going into 9th through 11th grade in 2019 and for any new families into 12th grade, we remind you of the suggested laptop specifications already shared with our current 11th grade families when they purchased their child’s laptop. As you make this investment for your child, please follow the below recommendations. Thank you for assuring your child has the tools necessary to be a successful High School student at Futuro Verde!
Laptop minimum requirements:
- i3 processor
- 4GB RAM
- Mac or PC, 2013 or newer
- Windows 7, 8 or 10 or Ubuntu o MacOSX 10 or higher
- WIFI capabilities
- A Chromebook, though acceptable, is not recommended due to its software limitations
- A tablet with an external keyboard, though acceptable, is not recommended
- A smart phone is NOT an acceptable substitution for the laptop requirement
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the student laptop requirement, please don’t hesitate to contact me for an individual appointment time to discuss your concerns. Thank you, again, for your support and commitment to your child’s learning!
by Khalida Lockheed | Jun 18, 2018
This year’s athletic season, and swimming in particular, has prompted some confusion amongst our community. “What national competition are you talking about NOW?” In an effort to clear up some of the confusion, the following is an explanation:
MEP – Student Sports Games
Every year, since 2014, Futuro Verde has participated in the Student Games organized by the Ministry of Education which is overseen by the Costa Rican Sports Commission (ICODER). We have won medals in swimming at the National level in both individual and relay events since we first entered these games. In 2016, after winning a gold medal in her individual event, Emma Garcia was invited by ICODER to join a selection of Student Games winners at the Central American Student Games in El Salvador. This year’s national events for primary and secondary took place in June with gold and silver medals. Emma Garcia won gold medals in both the 50 meter breaststroke and freestyle, the relay team in Category B (Elana Jiménez, Emma Garcia, Maya Salazar, and Samantha Fonseca) won silver medals in two relays, and our combined relay team in Category A (Leandro Salazar, Kai MacKenzie, Quetzal Ramírez, and Solana Chiaverini) won gold!
ICODER National Sports Games
This year, several of Futuro Verde’s more senior swimmers were invited to join the team of the district of Nicoya (ANANI) to participate with them in the National Games, also overseen by ICODER. These games include a wide array of sports and the finals take place in June and July. Accompanied by our Athletic Director, our swimmers participated in two Eliminatory competitions, with only the top 8 swimmers qualifying in each event. The final for swimming will take place in Cartago from July 9-12th. Four of Futuro Verde’s swimmers qualified for the finals: Sebastian Bravo, Fiona Jiménez, Elana Jiménez, and Emma Garcia. (Soleil Michaud qualified as a substitute). Fingers crossed for our swimmers in this prestigious event!
FECONA National Championship
As if the above weren’t enough, four of Futuro Verde’s swimmers, Soleil Michaud, Fiona Jiménez, Elana Jiménez, and Emma Garcia, also became “federated” swimmers with the swim club “El Milenio” in Escazu and had the opportunity to participate in the nationally recognized competitions associated with FECONA (National Federation of Swimming). During the course of the season, they competed in swim competitions which took place around the country providing the swimmers with the opportunity to post official times with FECONA. Swimmers who achieved times qualifying them in Mark A or B were invited to participate in the National Championship which took place in Cartago in May. All four Futuro Verde swimmers qualified to compete in the Championship and Fiona won the bronze medal in the 50 meter breaststroke event.
The sports program at Futuro Verde, often under-resourced and without adequate training facilities, has nevertheless offered our students a base from which they have sprung to achieve national success. Enormous credit for this success is shared by all involved – our dedicated coaches, our strong and resilient athletes, our committed parents and the Futuro Verde school philosophical commitment to the development of holistic student-athletes. We look forward to seeing an even larger group of Futuro Verde athletes in more sports participate in national events in the future!
by Melissa Kovics | May 29, 2018
Thank you Futuro Verde. It was an amazing evening!
Upon entering the Core:club, our guests were welcomed by the soothing sounds of Latin music, opening to a packed room where everyone was socializing and learning all about the magic of Futuro Verde.
Mateo and Elian transformed into the Two Princes of Costa Rica that special evening. They were magnificent! Guests were huddled around them excited to learn more about their lives and the school. The energy was alive and on true FV form, caring… Our guests were extremely interested in our school community, and their main question was “How can we help?”
We sold auction packages, auction items and most importantly, a number of student scholarships were successfully sponsored.
We made amazing contacts and the fundraising team is already working on next year’s event.
We are so grateful to all the parent volunteers and Futuro Verde staff that helped make this event a success. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Thank you Futuro Verde community for your love and commitment.
CORE:club Fundraiser 2018
Melissa and Mateo
CORE:club Fundraiser 2018
Rico, Board President, giving his speech
CORE:club Fundraiser 2018
Elian talking with attendee
