by Angie Briceño | May 28, 2018
The collaboration and donations of both parents and friends of Futuro Verde play a very important part for the institution.
Since Futuro Verde is an independent non-profit, we only have two sources of income: students’ monthly tuition payments and donations.
Our different donation campaigns support the following initiatives:
- Improvements in school infrastructure.
- Enrollment of a wide range of families to guarantee the socio-economic diversity of the community.
- The development of sports and sustainability programs within the institution.
- Library improvements and programs and the purchase of books for all grades in English and Spanish.
We deeply appreciate all the people who have accompanied us during our journey without whom our growth and the continuation of our program would not have been possible.
If you wish to support any of the aforementioned initiatives, please visit https://www.futuro-verde.org/get-involved/give-now/
by Emma Ruppert | May 28, 2018
I have always been a very curious person and very dedicated to my learning and study processes, and growing up I have always wanted to give the best of myself and push myself as much as possible in every aspect.
Arriving at Futuro Verde at the beginning of the 2017 school year, in ninth grade, my desire to improve was persistent and my goals were firmly fixed in my mind. Each day, the teachers taught me something different that sparked my interest, led me to investigate and enabled me to have enlightening conversations of which I still think fondly of today. Every lesson was transformed into something exciting and interesting. Thanks to the academic programs and the teachers, I had the opportunity to work in an art laboratory, take a classical languages course, be part of a women’s volleyball team and win the school tournament with my class, write essays about topics that I felt passionate about for the first time in my life, experience challenging learning methods and really appreciate the lessons that awaited me on a daily basis.
During this year and a half of study time at Futuro Verde, I have not only met exceptional people with whom I shared new experiences with, yet I also learned to really appreciate the work that each teacher does in order to instruct each student, and the effort they put in so that each lesson is successful. For this reason, I want to thank teachers, classmates and the entire school administration for the wonderful opportunity they have given me in helping me grow, strive and believe in myself. It is thanks to my studies at Futuro Verde that my vision of the world has changed and that my desire to change it continues to increase, but it is especially thanks to this educational center that I have discovered the power of education and teaching.
Futuro Verde, meaning the people that shape it and all my experiences with them, is a second family that I will always take with me, especially now that my new goal at UWC Hong Kong is approaching.
by Lural Ramirez | May 25, 2018
As we head into the month of June, our appreciation goes out to the collaborative nature of our educators at Futuro Verde. Do you know about the work that our music department has done this year after the unexpected illness and departure of our beloved music teacher, Oscar Leal Mendez?
Since March, Futuro Verde has been fortunate to have an incredible long-term substitute heading up our music program. And what an impact José Arturo Calvo González has made in such a short amount of time! From designing interactive and meaningful music classes for all grade levels to refining translation skills with our 3rd language students in secondary classes to his biggest job catching IB music students up to their timeline for their music studies, Arturo has been working so very hard! And, in his spare time, he has made his mark with individual and group guitar lessons for students and adults. Arturo has also been working hard to collaborate with his colleagues at Futuro Verde, with our IB coordinator, Stuart Millar, and with incoming, permanent music teacher, Irene Jover and, in so doing, has assured a seamless transition between permanent music teachers at Futuro Verde.
As our permanent hire for the position, Irene Jover, arrives at the end of this month, please take some time to thank Arturo and to welcome Irene. Our children are always enriched by the many talented and loving teachers who bring their expertise and joy to our school for short or long periods of time and we appreciate them for their time, their dedication and their commitment to keeping our students and their learning and development front and center at all times!
by Elian Gonzalez | May 24, 2018
Before getting to the States I had imagined it as a totally different place than that I experienced. I thought it would feel like a different world, but it did not. When we came out of the airport I was thinking only one thing, “How come it still feels like the same world?”. I was expecting to feel a rush of excitement as soon as I arrived but it wasn’t happening (I guess the only way to feel out of this world is going to outer space). New York wasn’t exactly what I had imagined, the buildings weren’t that impressive and there were trees! However; that is not a surprise since I was in New Jersey. I hadn’t realized that yet.
Throughout the whole trip, I was amazed by how many immigrants there were. Everywhere, in shops, the streets, restaurants, New Jersey or New York, there were so many immigrants, so many that it doesn’t feel so much like the USA but a place that belonged to nowhere, no one. As opposed to Costa Rica where one would only see diversity in tourist areas, there you would see people from all over the world as you walk down the streets.
Oh, and by the way, it is not walk down the streets but rather run down the streets. As Costa Ricans, I think Mateo and I could really feel how New Yorkers are always in a rush. Costa Ricans move slow. It is a generalization, but myths always have a little bit of truth. We all know about ‘Tico time’, we don’t have the culture of always being punctual, whereas, Americans are very punctual, and in the streets of New York you have to rush if you want to get somewhere on time. Everything is so much faster, one would rush through the overwhelming amount of people who are also in a rush, stopping a moment to tie your shoes could be a terrible decision since it takes just a few seconds to lose sight of someone in the Big Apple.
In life we need new experiences, something to keep us going. We need new things to stay excited about what is coming next. However, if too many new experiences come over and over, non-stop, we lose our ability to be amazed. The latter is the case for lots of people in and around Manhattan. From a guy walking around with a lizard on his shoulder to a model filming an ad in the streets; the most crazy scenarios you could imagine didn’t even make locals look twice.
Manhattan has so many people from all over that one could stay there for months without being able to see all of its culture. Manhattan is full of things to see and you don’t have to go any further than the street to see them.
by Lural Ramirez | May 24, 2018
Futuro Verde’s annual education conference, focused on Bilingual, Holistic and Sustainable education. is designed to attract educators from around the country and the globe. But, did you know that most BHS sessions are targeted for parents as well? Parents who have attended BHS in years past have raved about the learning they’ve experienced and have appreciated the perspective it gives them on their child’s educational journey.
What can parents learn from BHS this year? Conference sessions are divided into three strands: Bilingual education, Holistic education and Sustainable education. Below is a highlighted list of some sessions coming to this year’s conference:
- Global Mindsets for a Sustainable World
- Community Blue Flag Green Certification: A Case Study
- Connecting Music with Poetry
- Childhood Nutrition
- The Perfect Balance between Work and Play
- Bilingual Reading Ability from a Young Age: Benefits and Advantages
- Experiential Education- Solving Real World Problems in the Classroom
- Permaculture
- Play and Inquiry Based Learning / Reggio Emilia Approach
- Comparative Language Study: a universal tool for interculturality and multilingualism
- Assessment Through Interaction and Games
- Mindfulness as a Tool for Emotional Resiliency
As you can see, BHS offers topics for every area of interest and expertise! We encourage you to register today to attend this life-changing educational conference in our own backyard. For registration details, click on the link: https://www.futuro-verde.org/professional-development/
See you at BHS 2018!
by Jose Arturo Calvo Gonzalez | May 24, 2018
From May 8-11, Futuro Verde witnessed a true display of artistic expression. Students from almost every grade stepped forth and brought their talents to the stage during the audition process, leaving the jury panel in awe and wonder. Who needs American Idol?
This year we had participants showcase their many abilities in musical performances, plays, and energy-packed-choreographies. We are looking forward to the main event, which will be taking place on Friday, June 15 where the student community and guest jurors will be excited to enjoy, comment, and choose the best performances.
There will be a dress rehearsal on Wednesday, June 6 in order to tune up any fine details before the big day. If you have any questions, please contact any of the FVGT committee members for more details. Remember the key to a successful performance is PRACTICE. Practice doesn’t make perfect, it makes consistent.
Also, please do not hesitate to schedule a hearing before the dress rehearsal with the committee member most adequate to assist in the process (for Music: Arturo; for Visual Arts: Khalida; Literary Arts/Drama: Izaura).
All the best to all participants. Happy practicing!
