鶹ӳý American k-12 school in Costa Rica Mon, 02 Sep 2024 17:29:41 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 /wp-content/uploads/2022/05/cropped-鶹ӳý-Escudo-Site-Icon-32x32.png 鶹ӳý 32 32 Newsletter from the Director September-2024 / Carta de la Directora Setiembre-2024 /archives/8342 Mon, 02 Sep 2024 17:29:37 +0000 /?p=8342 Dear 鶹ӳý Community,
We welcome the 21 new families and 24 new students who joined 鶹ӳý in August. I look forward to getting to know every one of you. Please feel free to reach out to your Homeroom Teacher or Principal if you need assistance at any time.

We also welcome our new teachers: Ms. Micaela (LSP), Ms. Vanessa (Math) and Mr. Juan Manuel (Music). Greetings as well to the student-teachers from Washington State University who will be co-teaching with our faculty members during the first semester: Mr. Jake and Mr. Jordan.

Congratulations to our senior student and Golf athlete Michael Mikus for obtaining 2nd place in the Valle Shootout Costa Rica.

We thank the PTO for another wonderful Mothers’ Day Celebration this year, it was a beautiful event! Thank you!

Our best wishes go out to the students who will be competing in different tournaments this month: Math Olympiads Team in the second round of OLCOMA, Swimming athletes in the Costa Rica Open, Basketball Teams in the Action Tournament, Gymnastics Team in Copa Libertad, and Model UN Team in the Costa Rica International MUN Conference. Go Falcons!

The month of September brings a lot of excitement with the celebration of the Costa Rican Independence Day and much more.

]]> Newsletter from the Director August-2024 / Carta de la Directora Agosto-2024 /archives/8337 Thu, 01 Aug 2024 14:49:21 +0000 /?p=8337 Dear 鶹ӳý Community,
Welcome to a new school year! We look forward to seeing our students again! The Welcome Activities for include some water games, please bring a change of clothes (just in case you may need it).

This year we will have very exciting events and celebrations including the 55th Anniversary of our school, Sports and Academic Tournaments, we’ll host the 1st AASCA MUN, our students will travel to Space Camp in Alabama, STEAM Camp in Florida, Global Innovation Summit in Qatar, and more! I invite you to stay tuned for our official communications and social media pages for more details.

Dear parents, I remind you of the importance of including the school’s whatsapp phone number as part of your cell phone contacts, in order to receive reminders of school events. Also, because this will be our communication channel in case of an Emergency if we do not have access to your emails via Seduca.

The School Transportation routes have some spaces available for this school year, to contract the service you must contact the provider directly. Please ask our front desk staff for their contact information.

Please be aware that we have had a delay with the delivery of this year’s uniforms and at this time we do not have units available for sale. We appreciate your patience if you are waiting to purchase these products. This delay responds to a change in fabric of the polo shirts (now it will be a cooler material) and a change in the color of the physical education shirts.

Students who do not have uniforms from last year will be able to attend school with private clothing while the new shirts arrive. It should be noted that families are not obliged to buy the new uniforms, students can continue using last year’s shirts. Even the change in the color of the PE shirt does not represent the obligation to purchase the new uniform.

]]> How the Nicoya Peninsula became one of the five ‘Blue Zones’ of the world /archives/8308 Fri, 19 Jul 2024 17:43:21 +0000 /?p=8308 Costa Rica, a beautiful country located in Central America is known as the place with one of the only five blue zones in the world. “Blue Zones”, a term created by National Geographic’s Dan Buettner, who led a team of scientists to discover why people in some areas of the planet live longer and healthier lives than the rest of us. Nicoya, Costa Rica, was one of the sectors studied.

The scientists studied Nicoya Peninsula, not only as a whole, but mainly focusing on the rural landscapes of the Nicoya, where people have some of the longest lifespans in the world. People that live in Nicoya have proved that they live long and extraordinary lives due to some key factors, mainly their social, economic, and lifestyle ways.

When it comes to lifestyle, families tend to eat larger meals at lunchtime and lighter meals early in the evening. They likely will always eat all together at least once a day to interact with those they love. The interaction and good food is just a bonus since the food is low in added sugar, and there are few processed snacks. Studies have linked diets that are lower in calories to longer lifespans.

The water may also be a factor that affects longevity in this region. This is because the water of the Nicoya Peninsula is high in calcium and magnesium, contributing to low osteoporosis rates and low rates of heart disease.

Not only are the natural resources useful for the physical health of the citizens of Nicoya but their secret goes beyond healthy eating.The one thing all Nicoyans in this Blue Zone have in common is having a positive mindset. When faced with adversity, the most common advice given by each citizen is to look at the bright side, pick yourself up, and keep going.

Besides its Blue Zone, Costa Rica is known for its countrywide Green Season. The Green Season is the most beautiful time of the year. It is characterized by the lush scenery, the rich and happy wildlife, and all the flowers in bloom. After a long, dry summer, the Green Season is every Costa Ricans favorite time of the year. It brings cool breezes, cool mornings and afternoons, and an excuse to stay in to enjoy a nice
calm evening.

This is not only the most calm and lush season but it is also characterized by the recollection of coffee. The coffee is just-picked, freshly dried, and ready to be roasted. It is then sold in both grocery stores and small family markets. It is one of the many reasons why this is the best season to buy locally grown coffee and for any coffee enthusiast, the best season to enjoy tasting various of Costa Rica’s delicious
varieties of it.

Whether it is because of its Blue Zone or its Green Season, Costa Rica is truly a wonderful place to live in. Life, and every experience in between, can be categorized as rich, splendid, and educational for every citizen and tourist.

By Daniela Álvarez, Class of 2024.

]]> Newsletter from the Director June-2024 / Carta de la Directora Junio-2024 /archives/8303 Fri, 31 May 2024 21:06:00 +0000 /?p=8303 Dear 鶹ӳý Community,

We thank the parents, staff and 12th grade students who joined the Voluntary Blood Donation Rally. Thanks to our Nurse (Ms. Karla) for organizing this event, and also coordinating the Rubella, Measles and Mumps Vaccination Campaign for the students under 10 years old.

Congratulations to our sports teams and arts clubs for another successful semester of Afterschool programs. Some of the teams will schedule training sessions in June and July, please pay attention to the upcoming messages from Ms. Dylana.

Our gratitude goes out to the families who donated groceries and cleaning supplies, as requested by the NHS students, in favor of the Palliative Care Association in Belén.

Congratulations to the 6th and 12th grade students who took the Standardized Tests for the MEP diploma this month.

We remind you of the Annual 鶹ӳý Show and Art Display on Thursday, June 6th at night.

Kindergarten, 6th Grade and 12th Grade Graduations will be on Friday, June 14.
Congratulations to our 2024 Graduates!

]]> Newsletter from the Director May 2024 / Carta de la Directora Mayo 2024 /archives/8296 Thu, 02 May 2024 20:59:47 +0000 /?p=8296 Dear 鶹ӳý Community,

We thank the PTO for the organization of BINGO NIGHT last week. The celebration was a total success and it was enjoyed by adults and children alike. Also, our gratitude goes out to the families who donated prizes and their time to support this effort. Thank you so much!

Our Basketball, Soccer and Volleyball teams continue to obtain victories in their tournaments, congratulations! Go Falcons!

We also honor our middle school students who competed in the International Kangaroo
Math Tournament. We are proud of the performance of our team during 鶹ӳý’ first time
participating in this competition. Special mention to the students who brought home the
medals. Go Falcons!

We remind you of the Voluntary Blood Donation Rally, this Friday, May 3rd, from 8:30
am to 11 am. This is a great opportunity to collaborate with the hospitals in the country. Registration is available with the Nurse.

]]> Newsletter from the Director April-2024 / Carta de la Directora Abril-2024 /archives/8270 Mon, 01 Apr 2024 23:08:00 +0000 /?p=8270 Dear 鶹ӳý Community,

Welcome to the last quarter of the school year! We hope you enjoyed a well-deserved Easter break.

We thank the families that donated food and attended The 鶹ӳý Annual International Luncheon and Assembly last month. It was a heartwarming event, where we were able to celebrate the 41 countries that are represented in our educational community. Thank you so much!

The invitation is cordial to collaborate and participate in the Bingo Night that will be held on April, starting. Stay tuned for official communications via Seduca and WhatsApp, this event is open to all 鶹ӳý families, alumni and friends.

We are very proud of our sports and academic squads! Congratulations are in order to the Soccer and Volleyball teams for the excellent results they had in their matches last month, to Model United Nations for their successful participation in the LMUN Conference, and to NHS + Generation Amazing for the development of the Soccer School for children sponsored by Roble Alto. Go Falcons!

We will have an Open House session on April for new families looking to join 鶹ӳý. If you have friends or relatives who wish to get to know our school and learn more about our programs, they can send a WhatsApp message to attend this session or to schedule a private visit.

]]> Newsletter from the Director – March 2024 / Carta de la Directora – Marzo 2024 /archives/8263 Thu, 29 Feb 2024 21:09:38 +0000 /?p=8263 Dear 鶹ӳý Community,

Our gratitude goes out to the PTO for organizing a memorable FAMILY DAY, which reported the attendance of more than 500 people. Thank you very much!

We congratulate the Model United Nations (Model UN) team for hosting a very successful 2nd Annual 鶹ӳýMUN Conference last weekend. The event included the participation of 15 visiting schools and more than 115 delegates from all over the country. It was extremely nice to hear advisors from other teams refer to 鶹ӳý as their role model for this program. What great pride! Congratulations!

Good luck to the Female Volleyball Team that is competing in the Action Tournament (American schools in CR). We invite all our families to attend the games that will be played in our gym and also those scheduled to take place in other schools. Go falcons!

There are still a few spaces available for middle school and high school students who would like to attend the STEAM Camp in Orlando, Florida in October-2024. For more information, please send an email to Dylana Vincenti.

]]> Goleada de Oportunidades /archives/8254 Wed, 21 Feb 2024 14:53:04 +0000 /?p=8254 Through Soccer, a program will cater comprehensive development to socially vulnerable
boys, girls and young people from San José.

Goleada de oportunidades will help 41 girls and boys that are assisted by Asociación
Roblealto.

The objective of “Goleada de Oportunidades” is to create spaces where children, from 7
to 14 years old, get involved actively in soccer and physical activities to keep them away
from the social risk factors to which they are exposed in their communities.
The population benefiting from this initiative are members of the care centers managed
by the Roblealto Association that serves socially vulnerable boys and girls in the areas
of Hatillos, Desamparados and Los Guidos.

“The values promoted during the five-day program (from October 2023 to April 2024)
are tolerance, empathy, equity, respect, fraternity and sorority.” Mr. Roy Araya from
Roblealto, declared.

Goleada de oportunidades became a reality thanks to four high school students from
the 鶹ӳý who were selected by FIFA and
CONCACAF to be part of the global social aid program, Generation Amazing 2022.

These Costa Rican students traveled to Qatar to train on social inclusion, and
subsequently designed a project: ¨Goleada de Oportunidades¨, a youth-driven program
that provides sessions on practical life skills and promotes the empowerment of the
members of Roble Alto.

Generation Amazing (GAF) is the emblematic human and social legacy program of the
FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and CONCACAF, through which, their country members,
can optimize their own training programs to deliver entertaining, safe and engaging
football sessions to young people from all over the world.

“The initiative is based on sports as a transformative tool that will positively impact
Costa Rican communities. Professional soccer players Christopher Meneses and Emily
Valenciano joined the program to tell their life stories.” Indicated Dylana Vincenti, Co-
Curricular Coordinator of the 鶹ӳý.

]]> Newsletter from the Director Feb-2024 / Carta de la Directora Feb-2024 /archives/8258 Wed, 31 Jan 2024 15:03:00 +0000 /?p=8258 Dear 鶹ӳý Community,

Welcome to the second semester of the 2023-2024 School Year!

Greetings to the 12 new families who joined our educational community!

We remind all parents to please include the phone number 7070-0731 in your contact list on your cell phones, so that you can receive reminders and emergency messages from the school through WhatsApp.

We congratulate the Model United Nations (Model UN) team that was traveling in January, for their participation in the international conferences held in Geneva, Switzerland and at Yale University, USA. You can see the photos and videos of these experiences on our
social networks.

The PTO reminds you of our Annual FAMILY DAY scheduled for this Saturday, February 3rd, from 8am to 2pm. Admission is free and the program includes a variety of sports and entertainment activities for all ages, as well as food trucks and an entrepreneur fair. We recommend that our families who live nearby get to the school by bicycle, scooter, on foot or in another way that avoids the use of fuel, to contribute to the reduction of emissions and continue supporting our ecological sustainability projects such as Blue Flag and the UNESCO Objectives.

We wish the very best to our MUN Team, which will conduct our 2nd 鶹ӳý MUN CONFERENCE in February. Over 100 delegates have already confirmed attendance to this event, some of them traveling from remote regions of the country.

The MEP National Standardized Diagnostic Tests are scheduled for 6th grade in the week of February 12 to 16 and for 12th grade from February 19 to 23. The Principals and Homeroom Teachers of these grades will be providing specific details to their classes.

]]> Newsletter from the Director Dec-2023 and Jan-2024 / Carta de la Directora Dic-2023 y Ene-2024 /archives/8246 Fri, 01 Dec 2023 15:00:00 +0000 /?p=8246 Dear 鶹ӳý Community,

What a joy to have celebrated our Thanksgiving Luncheon once again, we hope that this family time marks the happy beginning of the holiday season.

We congratulate the winning teams of the STEM Fair. We thank the Science Department for coordinating the event, the educators who participated in the implementation of the projects with the students, and the parents and staff members who served as judges.

The MEP National Standardized Diagnostic Tests were rescheduled for February 2024. We will inform you when we have confirmed dates, meanwhile our 6th and 12th grade students continue preparing to take these exams needed for the Costa Rican diplomas.

The activities for the closing of the first semester and the beginning of the second semester are approaching, such as the Christmas Celebration, Santagrams’ Sale, Last and First Day of School, etc.

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