by Angie Briceño | Nov 20, 2018
We come to the end of one more school year and we finished very successfully, some go others come but the enthusiasm is preserved.
We are very happy to confirm new families that join Futuro Verde during the next school year 2019. FV has grown a lot in the last 10 years since its foundation, in such a way that families who come to FV from various parts of Costa Rica and the world have decided to change their entire lives so that their children can receive a quality education.
With each passing year we experience important changes in our annual enrollment and you can see these changes in the classes. For the 2019 school year, we are very happy to confirm that we have groups that have reached their limit of 20 students per group.
All this was possible thanks to the enrollment process that has been improving year after year, and for this reason, we want to thank all the families that have collaborated with the flexibility towards these changes to have better results which have helped improve the school.
by Futuro Verde | 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!
by Angie Briceño | Feb 20, 2018
This year, the Futuro Verde community has grown thanks to the different families that have joined us from different parts of the world:the United States, Belgium, Nicaragua, Switzerland, Italy, England, France and Spain, as well as families from Costa Rica who come from Paquera, Santa Teresa, Cabuya, Montezuma and surroundings. Futuro Verde has a visitor program for all those families who want their children to take part in an enriching academic, cultural and linguistic experience. Through this program, families visit us from Italy, Canada and the United States (New York, Los Angeles, Nebraska and Wisconsin).
We extend a warm welcome to all the families that will be accompanying us throughout or during part of the 2018 school year. We hope your year will be filled with learning and fun and cultural experiences!
by Hileyn | Feb 20, 2018
We are pleased to inform the entire educational community that our library is evolving!
During the past months we have seen our educational center grow by leaps and bounds and our library is not far behind. Great efforts have been made to update and extend our service: the hiring of a librarian, the expansion and remodeling of the reading spaces, the new shelves, the labeling, classification and respective decoration, the acquisition of software to carry out the transactions digitally, new strategies to stimulate reading (library classes and future book fairs), in addition to the purchase and reception of new books. They offer our readers an increasingly interesting and captivating atmosphere.
We currently have more than 4800 books for the enjoyment and benefit of our users, which has been achieved thanks to the great efforts of our staff and the generous donations that were continuous throughout the previous school year.
It is gratifying for us witness the evolution that this school area has undergone and we hope to continue on the path of progress and innovation. Hence, we wish to remind our Futuro Verde family that our Library is open to all (parents, students and staff of the institution) and request you to make donations of both new and used books that will be of great benefit to the institution.
Library Check Out and Return Policy
- Users look for the book(s) they wish to read in an orderly manner.
- They turn to the person in charge of the Library (Daniela), to make their registration in the M3 system by means of user’s name and book code.
- Users will be given a library page separator (reusable) so they can record the date on which the book should be returned and their user’s name.
- Users have a period of 14 days to return the books. When returning, users must return the book directly to the person in charge, so the return process can be completed. The page separator of the school must also be returned. If the person in charge is not present, users will leave the book on the desk along with a note specifying the title of the book, the user’s name and the bar code.
- Each month a report of late returns informs the librarian which books are late. The librarian will notify the users involved. Next, a reminder is sent home via the planner. If a third reminder has been delivered, and the book is not returned, it will be registered as lost, and a letter will be sent home requiring it to be replaced (purchase a replacement or send in the amount to cover the cost).
- In the event that a book is damaged or lost, the librarian will deliver a letter to the parents informing them and clarifying the steps to be taken (replace the book by purchasing a new one or send in the amount to cover the cost).
* As part of our commitment to reading, students who read more than 4 books will be given a personalized page separator. *
by Stuart Millar, IB coordinator | Jan 20, 2018
The start of every school year brings some new things to get excited about, and this year is no different!
Middle and high school students in grades 7-10 will be offered greater choice than ever before in the areas of physical education, the arts, and a third language.
Just some of the highlights include:
- Visual arts and music electives will be offered on a semester basis. This will allow students more hours per week to focus on the visual arts or music course they are taking. As they move up the grades, students will be able to select visual art or music courses that interest them, depending on availability and space.
- All 7th-grade students will embark on a Classical Languages course with Don Byrne, while students in 8th and 9th grades will be given the option of studying Classical Languages with Oscar Leal Méndez or French with Eugenia Allen. It is worth noting that French is for students who are new to or have little experience with the language. It is not designed for those who are already advanced or native speakers.
- Athletic director Alejandro Ramírez, with the support of Eugenia Allen, will be incorporating more options and choice, while still focusing on a core offering for all students. The list of choices for the entire year is yet to be finalized but the first choice will be between swimming and mountain biking.
We are excited to bring even more to our holistic offering at Futuro Verde. As the school year starts, students will hear much more about our offering of electives. Make sure you ask your middle or high school student what fun and exciting things they are up to!
by David Brookshire, MPH/ School Counselor & Special Education Case Manager | Sep 18, 2017
Our IB learner profile value for the month of October is “Balanced.” This value is described by the International Baccalaureate organization in the following way:
“We understand the importance of intellectual, physical, and emotional balance to achieve personal well-being for themselves and others (IB 2017).”
My favorite way to discuss this topic with students comes from research in the field of positive psychology. The 5 ways to well-being are practices we can all incorporate in our lives, the research shows, to achieve intellectual, physical, and emotional balance. Here they are as a great reminder for how we can all make choices to enrich our own lives:
- Connect – By making connections with friends, family, colleagues. and neighbors, we add value to our lives with new experiences and opportunities. We can also connect with nature by prioritizing time outside.
- Be Active – By making time to move, exercise not only makes us feel good and it keeps us healthy. The benefits for mental health, physical health, and learning are profound and supported by decades of research.
- Take Notice – By being mindful, curious, and aware, like a child, we can see the wonder and beauty of the world around us. Noticing surroundings, with new appreciation, allows us to be present and grateful for all of the positive aspects of our lives
- Keep Learning – There’s no reason to ever stop learning. By trying something new, a new hobby you’ve been wanting to take up, or a more challenging task at work, challenges and novel experiences keep us alert and increase our confidence and satisfaction throughout the day.
- Give – Choosing to be generous, whether with time, knowledge, talents, or service; provides great reward for ourselves and those around us. It’s a true win/win for everybody and a great way to boost happiness.
By taking a proactive, mindful approach to balance and well-being, we can teach our children, and remind ourselves, how to create equilibrium and happiness in our lives.
