La Paz celebrates the donation of 2 hectares of land for future school construction!

The site is ideal for the future of the school. The community is forever grateful to Mar Vista and the Berkowitz family for their generosity.

A Guanacaste tree eagerly awaits the students of the future

All images courtesy of Dana Klein Photography

Students ran a three day long camp for over 30 kinder through 3rd graders during vacation with activities ranging from sports, music, dance, art, and horseback riding. All proceeds went to Student Sponsoring Students!

Students of all ages spent time over vacation learning how to climb on the multitude of beachfront cliffs in Guanacaste. With the installation of a climbing wall at the school, the La Paz Climbing Club gives students a different kind of challenge.

Unique climbing locations such as this make learning experiences unparalleled at La Paz.

Returning to classes, students were excited to learn that the school had won the coveted Ecological Blue Flag Award with a maximum of three stars for the second year in a row. Director Abel McClennen was the keynote speaker. Read more at the previous post.

9th graders will be applying science and math concepts that they are learning through the construction of a 16 foot sloop. Here they are cutting out the hull from plywood that they had vacuum bagged together.

Is there a better way to learn about the strength of atmospheric pressure than to vacuum bag fellow classmates?

To complete the first week back from vacation, La Paz hosted a book fair for six local schools on International Book Day.

Local book store Books and More Books filled the gymnasium with thousands of books for all to enjoy, exchange, and purchase.

• Applications for pre-k through grade 10 are being considered on a rolling admissions basis for the 2010-2011 school year. 
  Click Here to Apply Now!
• School community celebrates the arrival of a New Preschool at La Paz!  Read More Here
• Certified Teachers from Pre-kinder through Tenth Grade (Addition of 10th grade in August, 2010)
• Rigorous Dual Language Program (Spanish and English) utilizes best practices in differentiated instruction to push all learning styles to reach their true potential
• Experiential, place-based learning provides authentic, meaningful experiences across grade levels
• Thematic unit planning across grade levels creates interdisciplinary learning and a cohesive curriculum
• Click Here to Learn More about the Challenging, Innovative La Paz High School Experience
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Thank you to the Blue Flag committee, ICE, Maria Leal School, and the Santa Cruz Regional Ministry of Education for giving me the opportunity to speak here today and thank you to the beautiful country of Costa Rica for valuing the environment through such a wonderful program.

Today I am here to speak to you all about the importance of disseminating the values put forth by the Bandera Azul Program in your community. Raise your hand if you have ever walked by a piece of trash on the street or beach? Raise your hand if you have ever wasted water by letting the water run unnecessarily?  Raise your hand if you have seen a person watering the road in front of their house at the height of the dry season? Raise your hand if you have ever left the lights on in your room even though you aren’t in it?  These are all examples of behaviors that we must all address in our communities.

As students, teachers, and administrators it is now time to be part of the change and transform the answers to the previous question into a resounding NO!…not just for you but your entire community. It is great to see that within our schools we are able to live up to the values put forth by the Bandera Azul Program but it is essential that you not stop there.  There is simply too much work to do and you as active stewards of the environment have the responsibility to step up and lead the charge.

In the words of Sr. Zeledon, “Cuando alguno pretenda tu gloria manchar, verás a tu pueblo, valiente y viril”. It is time to live our Anthem. Spread the gospel of environmental awareness. Don’t let apathy and ignorance pervade your communities as each and every one of you has the power to be the change. Make it happen today, and tomorrow so that Guanacaste and Costa Rica can remain at peace with their environment.

Students commemorate Santa Rosa Day with music from the past and present including the Costa Rican Anthem, Beetles, and Coldplay

Students participate in a schoolwide yoga session to celebrate the end of the wellness theme

Fifth and sixth graders visit the local tropical fish farm as they study sustainability in the fish industry

Students visit a local finca to understand more about the cattle industry in Guanacaste

50 meter dash at the Annual La Paz Beach Olympics

Long Jump at the La Paz Beach Olympics

La Paz Community School ~ Further diversifying an already academically dynamic and rigorous curriculum.

• School community celebrates the arrival of a New Preschool at La Paz!  Read More Here
• Certified Teachers from Pre-kinder through Tenth Grade (Addition of 10th grade in August, 2010)
• Rigorous Dual Language Program (Spanish and English) utilizes best practices in differentiated instruction to push all learning styles to reach their true potential
• Experiential, place-based learning provides authentic, meaningful experiences across grade levels
• Thematic unit planning across grade levels creates interdisciplinary learning and a cohesive curriculum
• Click Here to Learn More about the Challenging, Innovative La Paz High School Experience
• Applications due by April 30th for the 2010-2011 school year.  Apply Now!

The second and third graders demonstrate their learning on wetlands

The 9th grade class focused on prehistoric man and their interaction with land and sea

Volcan Tenorio participates in the Las Baulas National Park Festival

Students present skits on the importance of compost, reusable bags, and recycling

La Paz Community School ~ Preparing Students for University and The Real World

• Certified Teachers from Kindergarten through Tenth Grade (Addition of 10th grade in August, 2010)
• Rigorous Dual Language Program (Spanish and English) utilizes best practices in differentiated instruction to push all learning styles to reach their true potential
• Experiential, place-based learning provides authentic, meaningful experiences across grade levels
• Thematic unit planning across grade levels creates interdisciplinary learning and a cohesive curriculum
• Click Here to Learn More about the Challenging, Innovative La Paz High School Experience
• Applications due by April 30th for the 2010-2011 school year.  Apply Now!
  

The Cusucos Class mucks around in the Brasilito Estuary while testing water quality and studying species diversity

Students from all grade levels have gone on excursions both near and far to put into practice the various aspects of “Land and Sea” that they have learned over the past month.

The school community also spent significant time on the celebration of democracy in action.  After learning about the candidates and their respective parties students held a mock vote to elect the future president of Costa Rica.

The Humming Bird Class investigates tidepools as part of their beachology unit	The Tenorio class goes spelunking to uncover the mysteries of cave ecosystems
A mixed age group learns about the ocean during Friday Creative Block	The Pumas class travelled to the Miravalles Volcano to study the Geothermal turbines that power 7% of the country

La Paz Community School ~ Preparing Students for University and The Real World

• Certified Teachers from Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade (Addition of 10th grade in August, 2010)
• Rigorous Dual Language Program (Spanish and English) utilizes best practices in differentiated instruction to push all learning styles to reach their true potential
• Experiential, place-based learning provides authentic, meaningful experiences across grade levels
• Thematic unit planning across grade levels creates interdisciplinary learning and a cohesive curriculum
• Click Here to Learn More about the Challenging, Innovative La Paz High School Experience

La Paz students sing the school song

The third annual La Paz Community School Fundraising Fiesta at the Flamingo Marina Resort was a huge success as well over 300 people attended to enjoy a night of live music, delicious food, raffles, and a silent auction with representation from over 120 local businesses.  People from all around our community and world joined La Paz in raising $18000 for the scholarship program.  With silent auction bids via the web from Canada and the United States coupled with local contributions from the diverse population represented in the Guanacaste Region, the event was truly a global affair supporting the importance of community, non-profit, bilingual, enivironmentally conscious, experiential education!

The Silent Auction Raised nearly $10,000 with donations of goods and services from over 100 local businesses

People of all ages enjoyed a wealth of raffle drawings