by Katie Chiaverini | May 4, 2020
Conferences offer the opportunity for families and teachers to discuss student progress, share the report card, discuss student strengths and areas of growth and to allow time for parents to ask important questions and share with teachers valuable information regarding their child. During the COVID-19 Pandemic from March 17th until now, all Futuro Verde students and teachers shifted learning to an online delivery. We have continued educating our students with our online program that fully complies with curricular and grade-level requirements. Futuro Verde also created a modified rubric for evaluation purposes that fairly accounts for student learning while also taking into consideration the challenges inherent to the global and local crisis. Following our online education model, we will move ahead with our trimester I parent-teacher conference plans, but in a modified online format.
As a staff and school, we have tried several different formats for online collaboration among teachers, administration and students, including the two we have found most popular and user friendly, Zoom and Google Hangouts. At this point, teachers and families can decide which method will work best whether it be Zoom, Google Hangouts, or phone calls. If anything changes, we will provide updated information but at this time you can get a head start by downloading Zoom on your phone, tablet, or computer. Follow this link to sign up for this free application and be ready to speak with your child’s teacher on May 19th or 20th. More information will be sent out soon regarding the scheduling of conferences, how to access your child’s report card and any additional technical support that you might need assistance with to successfully connect with your child’s teacher.
We remind you that one way to keep up on your child’s work and progress is through their Google Classroom account. You can receive regular messages through the platform but we also recommend sitting down with your child to look over their to-do lists, feedback on assignments and grades. In the primary years, teachers will continue communicating with families on a regular basis through Google Classroom, Google Hangouts, Seesaw, emails or phone calls. We know that not just one communication method works for all so we are trying to accommodate different needs.
At this time, we are noticing that students are being pushed to sharpen their “soft skills” which include things like communication, time management, and organization. Our modified online rubric accentuates these soft skills by giving weight to students who show effort, creativity and resilience as well as timeliness and communication, while continuing to evaluate content mastery. We hope that we can find a “silver lining” in the crisis and focus on developing these other areas which we know build character and more balanced human beings. As teachers and administrative staff, we are definitely being given the opportunity to develop new skills and strengthen those we already possess. Learning is definitely a life-long process and we are on that journey together right now!
We look forward to taking the time to celebrate your child’s growth during such a difficult time and also to work together as a team to identify ways in which we can help them be even more successful. As the age old saying goes….it takes a village to raise a child… and in this crisis this saying rings more true than ever.
by Khalida Lockheed | May 3, 2020
An integral part of an IB education, which our students are well aware of, is the IB’s Profile of a Learner. All students can name at least a few, having seen them on the coveted Valores and participated in fun Peace Practice activities illustrating them. As a reminder to our larger community, they are: risk takers, inquirers, knowledgable, thinkers, good communicators, principled, open minded, caring, balanced, and reflective. But, did you know that another very important aspect to an IB education is the Approaches to Teaching and Learning, or ATLs? These are the skills embedded in an IB education which truly prepares students for further studies at the university level:
Rarely have these skills been so vigorously tested as in this current online learning context! Learning online, oftentimes independently, requires students to put self-management into rigorous practice. In addition, students have needed to learn different modes and skills of communication. Teachers, across the board, have been truly impressed with the work students have produced, in spite of these new challenges. We have all been delighted to see these 21st century skills on display by students and have been challenged as teachers to find new ways to deliver our lessons online which inspire these approaches to learning.
by Angie Briceño | Mar 29, 2020
Futuro Verde has an amazing and unique bilingual program. As the language specialist at our school, I get to work with students in all stages of development of both Spanish and English, from pre-K to 12th grade. In addition to receiving instruction in both languages throughout the day, language development has several layers here at Futuro Verde. The base layer that all students receive is a course in which they study multilingual and multicultural themes. This course, called Comparative Language Study at the elementary level and World Languages for our middle-schoolers, also helps students develop important language-learning strategies such as identifying cognates (words that sound or look the same in two or more languages), or using prefixes to infer meaning. The second layer of our language development program involves supporting specific groups of students who could benefit from extra instruction in either Spanish or English.
So what do both components of our bilingual program look like during online learning?
Delivering language support virtually can be a challenge, but we are finding ways to help language learners at all levels! Our Comparative Language Study course continues with online mini-lessons that I record myself teaching (for the younger grades) and assign independent work for (in the case of upper elementary). I have also been working with CREW teachers and other specialist teachers to have instructions for all assignments translated so that students and families understand how to complete each task. Additionally, we have provided video supports and modified assignments as added help for certain grade levels and assignments, not only to explain instructions more thoroughly or to guide students in completing certain tasks, but also to adapt the assignments to the needs of language learners. Videos are key here, so that we can convey meaning and content through gestures, images, objects, etc.
Parents, please feel free to reach out if your child is having difficulty understanding their assignments at anika@futuro-verde.org.
Online Special Education Support
by Alannah Anglin
Futuro Verde is lucky to have a multicultural and multilingual student population. The Support Team focuses on serving the population in a multidisciplinary manner, guiding and supporting students from preschool through twelfth grade through three different but related approaches: social, emotional and academic. Since our learning has taken a temporary turn towards virtual learning, the team has taken on the task of continuing to support students, working together with both teachers and parents. We have taken the following initiatives:
Create set schedules for online learning, seeking to bring balance, well-being, family cohesion and academic structure to homes.
Proposed Online Learning Schedule for PreK – 2nd grade
Proposed Online Learning Schedule for 3rd – 6th grade
Create virtual support ¨chats¨ in Seesaw or Hangouts, where we seek to maintain immediate communication with students and parents or guardians who wish to do so; providing guidance and answering any questions about the assigned activities.
Keep in touch with parents about their children’s progress, making sure to provide the support required by the students to facilitate the understanding and performance of the activities.
We have continued to give the Writing and Reading Workshops, taking into account the needs and objectives of each individual student.
by Angie Briceño | Mar 27, 2020
As of today we have been in online learning for a few weeks now, which as everyone knows is necessary due to the difficult situation the world is currently in. However, we want to take this moment to congratulate all teachers, parents, but especially students who have maintained such an excellent attitude through this transition. None of this would be possible without the positive and energetic attitude that students have shown in response to this emergency.
Futuro Verde was able to quickly mobilize all of this online learning thanks to the constant training that teachers and administrative staff have received. We’ve had the opportunity to be part of an organization called Principal’s Training Center (PTC), an international organization that specializes in training, coaching, and sharing tools and guidelines with schools around the globe. Thanks to this connection we have been able to respond quickly to an emergency like this one. We have experienced a supportive environment where we receive resources that are being implemented in other schools in Costa Rica and around the world.
The resources and guidelines that we have implemented are adapted for online learning; that is, we have adequate rubrics and assignments, and have implemented tools so that the educational process of the students is not affected. Teachers are adopting and using these tools. Both parents and teachers will be receiving technology tips that will help continue this process. We invite both students and parents to take the initiative and use these tools to connect with classroom teachers.
Despite the difficulty we have encountered in switching to online learning, it brings certain benefits that will stay with our students for a lifetime: the development of skills such as self-discipline, patience, effort, and time management.
by Khalida Lockheed | Mar 25, 2020
It has become a tradition in June for Futuro Verde students (and oftentimes staff) to wow audiences with a variety of talents in our annual Futuro Verde’s Got Talent Show – and this year will be no different! Plans are still underway to gather together to celebrate the Literary, Musical, and Visual Arts on June 12th for an arts extravaganza!
Normally, we would be announcing dates for auditions and groups of students would begin the process of practicing dance moves or songs. This year, however, is not turning out to be exactly normal. No matter! Bored at home in quarantine? Use the time to work on an artwork to display, or practice a musical or dance number to perform, write a short story or poem to submit. You can collaborate virtually with friends, too, using Hangouts, FaceTime, WhatsApp, etc. And, you have the time now!
We hope to conduct auditions in late April after we return to in-person classes and will update you as we have the specific information. In the meantime, practice those moves, work on that story, create that masterpiece, and wonder to yourself: “What will the teachers do this year?” Hmmm….
by Lural Ramirez | Feb 27, 2020
Every year at Futuro Verde brings with it new and exciting progress in our facilities and campus development. The 2020 school year investments have brought us three new elementary school classrooms and an addition on our current administration building along with a remodel of our current administration facilities. All of these new learning and work spaces are beautiful!
Some features of our new classroom construction include:
Our light construction approach- metal framing and half walls keep the construction light and the open spaces allow for optimal air flow, natural light, and connection to the surrounding jungle!
The decision to raise the base of our buildings above the ground is consistent with our permaculture commitments and allows for uninterrupted flow of rain water beneath the buildings during the rainy season.
Classrooms are much larger than the previous spaces and this large space allows teachers and students to have ample and flexible learning spaces, with table and floor space used for different pedagogical approaches and needs.
A set of new bathrooms are adjacent to the 4th grade classroom and their strategic location places new bathrooms right in the middle of the elementary wing of our school, conveniently located for all elementary aged students.
Features within the administrative building addition and remodel:
- A large, dedicated library space for secondary and another for primary and preschool.
- A new computer lab with space for 25 desktop computers.
- A dedicated testing and conference room, fully enclosed, air conditioned and ready to support in class assessment times as well as student national FARO and international IB exams. When not used for assessment, the conference room will be used for board meetings, community organization and cooperation efforts and teacher meetings.
- A dedicated counseling space for our school psychologist to be able to attend to the social and emotional needs of our students.
- Additional bathrooms for students to access on the south end of the campus and during recess times especially.
- Multiple offices for our amazing specials teachers, leadership team, coordinators and finance department.
As you can see, our campus continues to expand and grow to meet the needs of our diverse community. We are thrilled to have our new buildings, to have access to comfortable and inviting learning and work spaces meant to inspire a love for learning, and we are forever grateful to our families for their commitment to our school and to our donors for their willingness to give toward our expansion efforts and facilities development! Thank you!
