by Javier Sánchez Cáceres | Aug 2, 2017
Nature, its ecosystems, and natural resources are the mainstay of humanity. Although this assertion seems to be very obvious and common knowledge among even the youngest of children, human beings repeatedly act against this principle, with their actions directly affecting the integrity of our ecosystems and the services they provide us with. The foregoing often occurs due to a lack of education or interest, poor administration of district services and/or a lack of priorities.
During last July, as we all know, essential waste collection and disposal services in the entire Cobano district were suspended due to an alleged budget shortage.
In the aftermath of this terrible news and the problem it has unleashed, it is very gratifying to see how people have come together and focused all their effort and energy on seeking a solution to the unmeasured production of waste. Among various measures carried out, worth mentioning are the remodeling of Montezuma’s collection centers, the reduction of solid waste, and efforts to educate the public about the management of recyclable materials and raise awareness about the importance of keeping our gorgeous part of Planet Earth healthy. At Futuro Verde, we work on our commitment to protect and conserve nature every day. We have renovated our recycling center with the aim of being able to sort and dispose of recyclable materials from both the school and the members of our school community who do not have waste collection services in their neighborhoods. We are very much aware that any measure is insufficient when it is not accompanied by educational efforts, which is why we are promoting values linked to nature conservancy, waste reduction, and recycling more than ever.
Finally, we wish to share some suggestions with you regarding how to reduce solid waste at home:
– Buy only what is necessary and, when possible, what is biodegradable.
– Eliminate the consumption of disposable products (straws, plastic cutlery, glasses, dishes, among others).
– Reduce the consumption of products containing several wrappings and the Tetra Pak.
– Use returnable containers.
– Preferably use glasses or ceramic glasses, cups, and dishes.
– Use reusable bags instead of asking for plastic bags.
– Use rechargeable batteries.
– Try to use cloth napkins.
– Use organic waste for composting.
by David Brookshire, MPH/ School Counselor & Special Education Case Manager | Aug 1, 2017
Our IB learner profile value for the month of August is “Open-Minded.” This value is described by the International Baccalaureate organization in the following way:
We understand and appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, and are open to the perspectives, values, and traditions of other individuals and communities. We are accustomed to seeking and evaluating a range of points of view, and are willing to grow from the experience (IB 2013)
Being open-minded is especially relevant in a diverse school and community such as ours. With at least 30 different countries represented and 10 languages spoken, there is a multitude of perspectives all around us. This implies a range of beliefs, ways of seeing the world, communicating, and solving problems. By practicing being open-minded ourselves, and teaching our students to do the same, we can enter every unique situation with empathy as we seek to understand others. By being “willing to grow from the experience” of “evaluating a range of points of view,” we can recognize that it’s not always important to be right. Recognizing others’ perspectives, whether we agree with them or not, liberates us to celebrate differences and come together as we coexist and co-create our community.
by Lural Ramirez | Aug 1, 2017
The Futuro Verde community has been so loving and supportive of our amazing school and has followed our IB* candidature process closely. A final answer is still to come regarding confirmation of our request for verification to offer the IB Diploma Program starting in the 2018 school year. As we await for the answer, feeling positive and confidant of the result to come, we are excited to announce that registration is now open for the 2018 school year! The dates regarding the pre-registration priority period, scholarship window for all applications and regular registration window are listed below.
As you plan for your child’s schooling for the coming year, make sure to register early in order to secure your child’s spot in the only school on the peninsula that offers all school levels in one location: Preschool, primary and secondary. Remember, students from Futuro Verde receive MEP signed and authorized diplomas from all grades that require a MEP accredited graduation (Kindergarten/Reception, 6th grade, 9th grade and 11th grade). Upon receipt of our IB verification, Futuro Verde students will also have the unique opportunity to receive a 12th grade diploma from both IB and MEP. Wait-lists are already active for the coming year, so make sure to decide early and complete the registration process in time.
For the 2018 school year, prices will remain the same as the 2017 school year. The same loving, supportive and high quality education you’ve come to know and trust at Futuro Verde and with no price increase! Space is limited, so register today!
Pre-enrollment period: August 1st – December 10th
Scholarship applications accepted: August 1st – November 15th
All families receiving a financial support for the 2018 school year will be notified: December 1th
Regular enrollment period begins: December 11th
For further information on admissions requirements, scholarship applications, to reserve a time for a personal tour or to schedule admissions exams for your child, please contact our admissions officer, Angie Briceño, at angie@futuro-verde.org or by phone at 2642-0289 or 2642-0291.
by Lural Ramirez | Jul 5, 2017
Recently all Futuro Verde teachers gathered to brainstorm and collectively ponder the changes that have happened at Futuro Verde during the past four school years and to begin to plan for the changes to come in our future as an IB* world school. The great majority of Futuro Verde families and staff members have welcomed the quantity of change our school community has experienced in the past years, however it is a valuable exercise to continue to reflect on our ability to accept and assimilate change positively.
Change is a constant in life. Remember- although we cannot always control whether a change happens or not, we can control the way we receive and process change. The decision to see change as a positive is a choice. For example, as we strive to receive change positively, we can appreciate the positive attributes of new members to our school staff or student body. We can also look at curricular changes as positive opportunities for our children to learn new information or in a new and more innovative way. And, of course, it is hard not to see infrastructure changes and improvements at Futuro Verde as always positive!
I challenge and implore you to continue to lean in to the changes at Futuro Verde and to find the many positive benefits of each new change as it comes. As you support your children, remember that the journey of effectively accepting and processing change is an important part of every child’s social-emotional development. Effective parents have meaningful conversations with their children, explore their emotions as they process change and model and support seeing the positive in the changes that come into our lives.
Thank you for engaging in regular and meaningful conversation with your children. If you need any support, or identify special needs for your child, please remember to contact the Futuro Verde support team and we will be happy to coordinate adequate additional support as needed for your family.
*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 Lural Ramirez | Jul 5, 2017
Futuro Verde’s secondary program, which currently assures a high-quality, fully MEP accredited education for students in middle and high school grades from 7th to 11th grades, has a new requirement coming in 2018. All 11th graders starting in 2018 will be required to own a personal computer and will be expected to bring that personal computer to each of their classes each day. We recommend that students in 7th through 10th grade, starting in 2018, also have access to a personal computer, which they may be asked to bring to class as the teachers deem fit.
The main purpose for this new requirement is to assure that our students have access to a personal computer for their classes; to both access Google Classroom and other G Suite applications but also to assure that a word processing capability is available to all secondary students at all times, without having to access the school computer lab.
If you have a secondary student, or are soon to have one in the years to come, please begin to plan now for the upcoming laptop future at Futuro Verde. As you plan for the purchase of a laptop computer for your child, please assure it has the following minimum specifications:
- i3 processor
- 4GB RAM
- Mac or PC, 2012 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 this new requirement for the 2018 school year, please contact me at any time for a personal appointment time.
Futuro Verde
Inspiration. Dedication. Innovation.
by Eileen Walschmidt | Jun 26, 2017
Centro Educativo Futuro Verde is hosting the 3rd Annual Bilingual, Holistic, and Sustainable International Conference June 29-30, 2017. We are very excited that this conference, focusing on these three important educational areas, is in its third year and going strong.
It is common knowledge that, “The quality of an educational system depends on the quality of its teachers (UNESCO 2013) and continuing professional development is key to sustaining and enhancing teacher quality” (Borg 2015). As a school-based conference that predominantly highlights the work of practicing teachers in a bilingual school, this conference offers a meaningful teacher professional development experience in which the knowledgeable, committed and caring Futuro Verde teachers share and learn from each other knowledge and strategies that have contributed to their success as teachers.
Along with the teacher presentations, the BHS Conference 2017 will also have an entire day that focuses upon Sustainability that will include such presentations as, “Life Lessons of an Ocean Photographer Dedicated to Conservation” and “‘Todos somos agua’ (We Are All Water): Student Scientists Exploring the Rivers.”
We are very excited that this year’s keynote addresses will be presented by an exemplary classroom teacher, Shahnaz Sahnow. As a classroom practitioner, adjunct instructor at Oregon State University, and Fulbright Scholar, Ms. Sahnow brings current classroom and district wide experience combined with research based knowledge. Ms. Sahnow has taken on leadership roles in the development of bilingual programs in her school district in Oregon, as well as leadership in implementing the use of authentic assessments for all students. Her keynote presentations will be of interest to not just the Futuro Verde teachers, but to parents and community members as well
As with the previous two BHS conferences, this year’s conference will also include cultural presentations by local groups. These presentations go beyond entertainment to sharing information about cultural traditions.
The Bilingual, Holistic, and Sustainability International Conference is open to everyone. We encourage parents and community members to attend. We know that this year’s BHS Conference will provide our Futuro Verde students and community with valuable information. We look forward to seeing you at the conference!
Cited work
Borg, S. (2015). The benefits of attending ELT conferences. ELT Journal, 69(1), 35-46. Doi:
10.1093/elt/ccu045
