by Stuart Millar, IB coordinator | Aug 29, 2018
While we excitedly await the arrival of our new high school and IB English teacher, Vidhi Gada, I have been the substitute teacher for our 11th-grade students. Often we teach what we already know, but I think I have the most fun when I learn with the students. Did you know that Shakespeare invented countless words and phrases that we use in English? 1,700 words actually, and countless was one of them. You just can’t get “too much of a good thing!” (Shakespeare). I feel the same teaching Business Management. It has re-awakened my passion for the subject and I find myself spending hours reading the business news and researching company statistics. It’s all worth it when you see students light up and get involved with their learning as well. Show them how to learn, model how to learn, and most importantly model how fun it is to learn.
We have made an auspicious (thanks Shakespeare!) start to our IB program. We’re learning so much and learning together – not just facts and figures, but about ourselves and each other. Students continue to learn how to research, how to write according to the MLA style guide, and to question not only their sources but what they think they know or believe. They are starting to plan their Extended Essay as well as their Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS) project, and have already completed some IB Internal Assessments which will contribute to their final grade. Oh! And we’re talking about university applications as well!
With so much going on we are all learning something else that is very important. Organizing their priorities and time will be the key to our students’ success. There is a lot to do in IB. There is no getting away from that. It is a rigorous program of study and makes a lot of demands on students. An important realization must be that classwork and homework is not optional and deadlines are not suggestions! Some might have to adapt their outlook and how they use their time. For example, the weekend can still be a time for relaxation and fun, but sometimes it’s not. What I have seen so far is that those who put in the time and effort are really moving forward and making big gains.
So students, dig deep, be resilient, accept that it’s important to do your best work, stay up to date, and don’t forget to ask for help and support. We’re here for you! The IB diploma program is about many things, including building character and developing lifelong learning skills. It’s also about scoring as high as possible to give yourself as many opportunities as possible in the future. You can do it!
by Lural Ramirez | Aug 28, 2018
For over a year now Futuro Verde students, staff, parents and our greater school community have worked together to raise the funds needed for a multi-use sports court for the school. With our efforts thus far we have raised over $5,000. The total cost of the court is estimated at $40,000, which would include the court base and roof. Our board president, Rico Reolon, has been working hard to secure an external donor willing to support the funding needed for our court and just this last month the good news came in- a Swiss donor has committed to $20,000 toward our sports facilities!
We held a surprise announcement with our staff and students and filmed the moment to share with our social media community and as a thank you to our donor. Students and staff celebrated in full- overjoyed to have achieved such impressive progress on this important goal for our school community! It is never lost on our school community that we have and continue to thrive thanks to the support of generous donations just like our current Swiss donors and we are tremendously grateful for this ongoing support.
Phase one of construction for the sports court will begin as soon as possible. This phase will complete the court base and will boast a purpose-built facility designed for:
School Enrichment
- Basketball
- Indoor football (soccer)
- American 5-man football
- Handball
- Goalball
- Acrobatic gymnastics
- Artistic gymnastics
- Volleyball
- Tennis
- Hockey (roller skate and tennis shoe)
- Badminton
Community Enrichment
- Pilates classes
- Yoga classes
- Zumba
- Dance classes
- Crossfit
- Group recreation activities
Multipurpose Uses
Community and school events
- Assemblies
- Guest speakers
- Civic events
- Band practices
- Graduation
We would love to achieve Phase 2 of the sport court construction, primarily the construction of a roof over the facility and bathrooms, showers and lockers, and encourage donors interested in supporting this to contribute to our current online campaign. Thank you!
Donate here
by Stephanie Smith | 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.
by Noelia | Jul 27, 2018
Futuro Verde teaches students to appreciate their surroundings and to make the best of jungle life! This school year a committee of teachers and students have been tasked with the challenge of organizing a chaperoned, formal school dance, called prom, for our eldest high school students (9th -11th graders). This formal dance will start a new school tradition of a formal dance to be held toward the end of each school year. The prom committee has worked all year to make this event a success and raise the funds needed by October, in time for the prom in November. The efforts so far have been focused on fundraising money to buy the food, drinks, and to pay for the DJ and also have focused on organizing the logistics of the event. This year’s prom will be especially important because our school is celebrating its 10th anniversary! Holding a formal dance is a special way of commemorating this exciting anniversary.
For those of you unfamiliar with the American tradition of prom, it is a magical night and a part of many high school traditions around the world. We want our school to join in this tradition as a way of creating lasting memories for our high school students. As the dance is a chaperoned event, it is a safe and fun way to socialize, dance and create lasting high school memories!
We would appreciate any and all support we can get for our prom. There will be a couple of activities held to support our fundraising goals. The first event our committee is holding is a Date Night to be held in two locations, Cobano and Mal Pais, on August 17th. This initial fundraiser is a great way for dads to celebrate moms after Mother’s Day, with a romantic night out together while your kids are cared for by responsible high school students and adult chaperones.
Thank you for your support and see you at Date Night on August 17th!
by Katie Chiaverini | 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.
by Katie Chiaverini | 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.
