by Karol Madrigal | Mar 28, 2017
160 years ago, in 1856, a war raged in Central America that lasted an entire year. The war started because some North American soldiers set out to invade this territory and govern it with the aim of profiting from the numerous resources at hand. These soldiers, called filibusters, initiated their endeavor when they arrived in Nicaragua, where political chaos made it easy for them to take control of the government. When the Costa Rican president heard that the filibusters had taken over in Nicaragua and that they intended to take control of the other Central American nations as well, he communicated to the Costa Rican people that he would not allow Costa Rica to lose its independence. Combatantly, he requested those who agreed with him to form an army so as to stop the invasion. While the army was still being formed, the filibusters had already made their way down to Santa Rosa, in Guanacaste Province, and occupied a mansion. When the Costa Ricans found out, they planned a surprise attack to lure them out of the mansion under the cover of darkness. Upon their arrival, the battle began and finished in mere minutes, because many filibusters fled after hearing gun shots. Nonetheless, the Costa Ricans´ mission was not over, as the filibusters continued their efforts from the Nicaraguan territory. The final battle was fought in Rivas, Nicaragua, during which a Costa Rican soldier called Juan Santamaría set fire to the meson where the North American soldiers had been hiding out. The Costa Rican army triumphed when the North Americans abandoned the area. Given the fact that Costa Rica never had to fight a war to obtain independence, the Rivas battle represents the first time the Costa Rican people took up arms to defend their sovereignty and territory.
by Webmaster | Mar 28, 2017
Do you have a hidden talent that is ready for the stage? Are you finally prepared to put yourself into the spotlight? Do you have what it takes to WIN? Well, get your ACT TOGETHER! Your time to shine has come!
We are pleased to announce the 1st annual Futuro Verde’s Got Talent Show on June 9th, 2017.
Dance to your favorite song
Sing with a group or go solo
Get your rock band out of the garage
Demonstrate your skill at soccer, martial arts, gymnastics, or ?
Perform a magic trick
Create a short video or play
Don’t want to be in the spotlight?
Join the Backstage Crew to help with sound, lighting, costumes, and props.
Comfortable in front of a crowd?
Join the MC team and help to host FV’s Got Talent.
Is your talent in Literary or Visual Arts?
Submissions accepted through May 19th.
Applications for all are being accepted NOW through April 28th online HERE
Auditions for stage presentations and acts will be scheduled during the week of May 3-9.
Don’t be shy, take part in a spectacular, never seen on the Futuro Verde stage, showcasing talents of all kinds and the participation of the audience!
Winners to be awarded via popular vote and judges panel. Selected winners will have the opportunity for further competitions.
by Stuart Millar, IB coordinator | Mar 27, 2017
We are fortunate to live in such a beautiful place but can feel a little isolated and cut off from the bigger world around us. Even with all the technology at our disposal, it is easy for time to pass without us really being aware, although global events and political and economic change directly impact us.
Being knowledgeable is a choice and takes effort. When asked how they stay informed, one colleague replied that they choose not to read the news very often so they won’t be depressed about things they can’t change. Another colleague felt that being informed, both locally and globally, helps them make more considered decisions and gives a sense of control over their life. On a local level that could be where to send their children to school, where to live, or even when and where to surf that weekend. Global events can affect decisions about mobility and finances. Being aware of world issues also gives one a sense of perspective about our own situation, and can make you more appreciative. For example, we should feel fortunate that we can be informed and make decisions about our students’ education while six years of conflict in Syria has left a whole generation without a childhood or steady education.
There are so many ways to be locally and globally informed, but it’s important to make sure that we use quality sources and that we are aware of possible bias. The following are available on the internet or have applications: BBC Mundo, BBC News, CNN, CNNEspañol, Guardian, TED, CNN, NPR One, La Nación, Tico Times, Al Jazeera, Reddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/)
by Stuart Millar, IB coordinator | Feb 27, 2017
After School Activities!
Check all our clubs in this link.
Also, if you want to enroll your kid in a club, fill this form.
For times, prices, further details, or to sign up, contact each club organizer.
If any parent or community member has a special skill, interest or hobby to share then maybe you would like to run your own club? We are always on the lookout for something new!
by Noelia | Feb 24, 2017
Photo by Maya Reolon
This new school year is full of opportunities for your child to represent the school in different sports and teams and I invite all students to consider participating and to try out for a competitive sports team at the school. This year we will not only continue to develop the sports teams we had last year in Cross Country, Swimming, Basketball (for 5th and 6th graders only), and Table Tennis; but we are also adding Volleyball for secondary students and Chess for all grade levels. During the weeks to come, tryouts will be held for each sport and students will be notified if they have made a team as well as provided with practice schedules and possible competition dates. We will also be notifying parents regarding the level of commitment necessary to be on a sports team for our school.
At Futuro Verde we work hard to provide opportunities, both competitive and recreational, for students to be involved and we hope as many students as possible take advantage of these opportunities!
by David Brookshire, MPH/ School Counselor & Special Education Case Manager | Feb 23, 2017
As an IB* candidate school, we aim to develop certain values. This month we are practicing being inquirers.
According to the IB* learning profile, as inquirers, “We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning throughout life (International Baccalaureate Organization 2013).” I’m reminded of the work of Dr. Carol S. Dweck in her book, Mindset: How You Can Fulfil Your Potential (2012). In it, she outlines the characteristics of a “growth mindset” with ideas that we can all embrace as we enthusiastically sustain our love for learning and support our children in doing the same.
With a growth mindset, we understand that intelligence can be developed as we “embrace challenges and persist in face of setbacks,” according to Dweck (2012). While this may often seem like common sense, it can be really helpful if we fully explain and model this for children as they develop their skills as inquirers. When we see the inevitable pitfalls, failures, and challenges of life and learning as a normal part of the process and an opportunity to grow, we teach our children to see the road to mastery as one that entails work and practice. This helps them to persevere and understand the learning process as one that serves them regardless of difficulty.
Praising students for their effort and engaging them in asking meaningful questions allows them to find ownership and empowerment as they develop their own skills and support the development of their peers. What a great way to nurture curiosity! I see this everyday with my own children as they come home from school wanting to read or discover, excited for each new school day. The enthusiasm is contagious!
*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. For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit http://www.ibo.org
