Insights from a new family at Futuro Verde

Insights from a new family at Futuro Verde

by | Aug 6, 2018

It didn’t take long to make the decision. The forest fires were out of control in Southern California; 2017 turned out to be the most destructive year on record. The day I walked our son, Django, to his school in Venice, the sky was eerily yellow, almost apocalyptic. Ash fell like snow into my scalding latte. News of another mass shooting. The inevitable insane tweets of a madman followed. The air was thick with contaminants of all kinds.

It seemed like the perfect time for a change. France or Spain perhaps? We’d travelled extensively around Europe and could imagine ourselves living there. Dreaming up Django’s perfect future school – a mix of Waldorf, Forest and multi-lingual education, we began our search. My husband, Gary, was in between jobs and had started a consulting gig. I was in the midst of financing post-production for my documentary so as long as there was internet, we figured a digital nomadic lifestyle could work. Then a friend mentioned Costa Rica. It was never on our list of countries to visit, let alone live.

Two months later, our apartment packed up, we found ourselves Costa Rica-bound on an unexpected adventure. As it turned out, Futuro Verde was the school of our dreams – at least on paper.

With a couple of weeks to get settled before the first day of term, the reality of living in an actual jungle had not quite sunk in. I hate to use clichés, but there was no question we were fish out of the water. The first night in the little village of Panica, we lay awake under the sheets, terror-stricken by the sounds of a demon-like creature, bellowing ever closer to the pitch-black bedroom. No-one had warned us that power outage were the norm. Having just recovered from the fright of a scorpion scuttling by our feet at dinner time, these urbanites were truly panicked. Or only the adults, should I say, as Django was in his element, relishing every bit of the drama. Discovering that those supernatural sounds came from the sheepish howler monkey was a great relief.  

It’s no exaggeration that we were immediately spellbound after the first week of school. Observing Django’s excitement in his new environment surrounded by nature, was nothing short of joyous. Futuro Verde was beyond anything we had imagined and a place that fueled this 7-year-old’s imagination. Intricate accounts of a cat world under the assembly stage; lizard rescue missions from the magical Banyans; eating mangoes straight from the trees during recess – dinner time stories were endless.

Although it took longer than expected to settle in due to the setbacks of a labyrinthine banking and postal system, finding places to work and live with good internet coverage, appalling and dusty road conditions, which made us feel like bit players in a Mad Max movie, it was all worthwhile for an extraordinary educational experience for our son. The jungle has provided us a new way of seeing and a deep appreciation of the natural environment.

Mother’s Day!

Mother’s Day!

by | Aug 2, 2018

Many countries celebrate Mother’s Day, usually with dinner, gifts and flowers. In Costa Rica, this celebration takes extraordinary dimensions. Mothers are honored with a big party full of delicious typical foods, handwritten cards by their children, music, gifts and, of course, lots of love and joy.

Mother’s Day in Costa Rica is celebrated every year on August 15th. While there are several versions of how this tradition began, all agree that the official date was in 1932, when a decree was issued marking this day as a holiday and stipulating its celebration in schools, institutions and nursing homes, as well as in every Costa Rican home.

We surveyed our students about what they like most about their mothers. The vast majority responded without hesitation:

  • “That she always takes care of me and worries about me”
  • “That she cooks the most delicious meals”
  • “That she always supports me and gives me the best advice”

Mothers would give anything for their children, they cook, wash, iron, are counselors, judges, drivers, trainers, nurses, administrators, and so much more.

To all Mothers, whether by nature or choice, woman or man, who assume this role 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and whom silently and without realizing vowed to protect their child from the moment it was born. To you, Happy Mother’s Day!

Conferencias guiadas por los estudiantes

Conferencias guiadas por los estudiantes

by | Jul 23, 2018

Marque sus calendarios, las conferencias dirigidas por los estudiantes se realizarán el 10 de septiembre de 2018. Planifique que su hijo esté presente para dirigir la conferencia. Las conferencias dirigidas por los estudiantes son una parte integral de la cultura de Futuro Verde y tienen muchos beneficios tanto para los padres como para los estudiantes.

Como padres, su papel en la conferencia es escuchar a su hijo(a) mientras explica sus éxitos, crecimiento, reflexiones y metas para el futuro. Luego, también es importante que le comparta sus observaciones sobre las áreas de crecimiento que ha visto y desea que logre.

El papel del estudiante es expresar su propio crecimiento dentro del proceso de aprendizaje a través de muestras de trabajo, reflexiones y la formulación de metas. Esperamos que los estudiantes compartan su información de manera organizada, sean buenos comunicadores y puedan responder a sus preguntas a medida que surjan para aclarar su aprendizaje.

A diferencia de las conferencias entre padres y maestros, el papel del docente es principalmente ayudar a facilitar la conferencia, con el estudiante como líder. Los maestros guiarán a los estudiantes a través del proceso de reflexión a medida que se preparan para compartir su aprendizaje en este formato específico. Debido a que desempeñan un papel más pasivo en este tipo de conferencias, es posible que el docente facilite varias conferencias dirigidas por estudiantes a la vez.

En Futuro Verde, nos esforzamos para que nuestros estudiantes se conviertan en pensadores críticos, comunicadores efectivos, independientes y reflexivos. La investigación señala que las conferencias dirigidas por los estudiantes son una forma de involucrar activamente a los estudiantes en el proceso de aprendizaje y brindarles oportunidades para desarrollar los rasgos mencionados anteriormente. Las conferencias dirigidas por los estudiantes también les permiten a los padres jugar un papel más activo en la educación de sus hijos, ofreciendo tiempo y espacio para compartir el aprendizaje y hacer preguntas aclaratorias. Futuro Verde les da la bienvenida a todas las familias a participar en este día especial compartiendo los logros y las oportunidades de crecimiento de su estudiante.

Conferencias guiadas por los estudiantes

Student-led Conferences

by | Jul 23, 2018

Mark your calendars, student-led conferences are coming up on September 10, 2018. Please plan on having your child present to lead the conference. Student-led conferences are an integral part of the Futuro Verde culture and have many different benefits for both parents and students alike.

As parents, your role in the conference is to listen to your child as they explain their successes, growths, reflections, and goals for the future.  Then, it is also important for you to give your child feedback on areas of growth that you have seen and wish that you would like to see them accomplish.

The student’s role is to be able to express their own growth within the learning process through work samples, reflections, and goal setting. We expect students to share their information in an organized manner, be good communicators, and be able to answer your questions as they arise to better explain their learning.

Different from parent-teacher conferences, the teacher’s role is mainly to help facilitate the conference, with the student as the leader. Teachers will guide students through the reflection process as they prepare to share their learning in this specific format. Because they play a more passive role in this type of conference, you might find that the teacher will facilitate several student-led conferences at once.  

At Futuro Verde, we strive for our students to be critical thinkers, effective communicators, independent, and reflective. Research shows that student-led conferences are one way to actively engage students in the learning process and provide them opportunities to develop the aforementioned traits. Student-led conferences also allow parents to play a more active role in their child’s education by offering the time and space to share learning and ask clarifying questions. Futuro Verde welcomes all families to take part in this special day to share glows and grows of each and every student.

What is it that motivates people to engage in environmental activism

What is it that motivates people to engage in environmental activism

by | Jul 4, 2018

professinal development, BHS, pd, capacitación, desarrollo profesional, Dr Ken Winograd

With this question, the 2018 BHS Conference was off to another great start.  This unique annual professional development opportunity for educators, parents, and community members is a one of a kind experience that takes place in the beautiful jungle environment of the Costa Rican Nicoya Peninsula. Beginning with the first keynote presentation by Dr. Ken Winograd, a retired professor from Oregon State University, a theme of resilience in the face of global environmental and political issues, and hope achieved through activism, was threaded throughout the conference sessions. Teachers, international visitors, parents, and local environmental activists presented a wide variety of sessions on Bilingual, Holistic and Sustainable educational practices that offer compelling ideas that can be applied in the classroom, in the community, and in one’s personal life.

The 2018 BHS Conference included 25 presentations held over two days, with two to three sessions offered concurrently at a time. Ten of the presentations focused on sustainability (e.g., analyzing river water, beach cleanups, solving real world problems in the classroom, permaculture, global education, child nutrition, living a balanced life, sustaining FV goals over the next 50 years in the Cóbano area); four addressed bilingual education (e.g., benefits of being bilingual, a comparative language class, bilingual poetry, creating a library of bilingual literature); in the “holistic” category, two sessions were on Mindfulness with one of these sessions being presented by our other special guest, Melinda Winograd; three sessions involved music (e.g., ukulele workshop, music and poetry, integration of music in the curriculum); one session focused on helping teachers with organizing student data using a digital register and another session introduced teachers  to alternative summative evaluations that utilized games and activities to reduce test anxiety and to better assess what students really know.

The talents of the FV community were also on display during the conference. Musical interludes presented by FV teachers, parents, and students added a relaxing backdrop to each of the meriendas/snacks and almuerzos/lunches in the comodor/dining area. When asked in the final evaluation what aspect of the conference they considered most useful, informative, and/or interesting, participants responded:

“Considero que la variedad de temas y el alto intelectual de las ponencias.”

“De todos aprendí algo nuevo.”

“Todo–La comida, la música. El hecho de compartir el conocimiento con los demás.”

“Todas las conferencias a las que asistí me aportaron algo que puedo aplicar en mi trabajo diario.”

Reflecting back on the question that opens this article, “significant time in nature” is what Dr. Winograd shared with us that researchers found when studying what motivates people to engage in environmental activism. “And you live that everyday here at Futuro-Verde and provide that for your students,” he told the BHS Conference attendees. This, along with curricular integration, collaborative work, problem solving together, the teaching of critical thinking, projects that are place-based, and the importance of being “connected” are examples of how the Futuro-Verde administration, teachers, and staff have made this school an optimal space for helping students develop resilience in the face of adversity. The 2018 BHS Conference was an important “space” for bringing together FV teachers and administrators with local activists and educators from points as far away as states in the U.S., Alaska and New Mexico, to strengthen connections and exchange ideas.

We want to thank Dr. Winograd and all the other presenters who made this year’s conference such a meaningful experience. As we look forward to BHS 2019, planning is already in place to follow through on participant suggestions for our 5th annual conference, such as offering only two concurrent sessions at a time so that participants can attend more of the presentations, making the conference affordable to local community members and educators, and planning an extracurricular activity to close the conference. See you next year!

portpholio bhs

BHS 2018

BHS 2018

BHS 2018

BHS 2018

Parenting Strategies for the Developing Mind

Parenting Strategies for the Developing Mind

by | 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.