| - | Before & After School Programs |
| - | Costa Rica Studies Program |
| - | Curriculum in Action Video Series |
| - | OWLS (Wildlife Project) |
| - | Summer Reading 2009 |
| - | Guided Reading Lists PDF Document |
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| - | Special Programs and Events |
| - | ERB Presentation (PowerPoint) |
Costa Rica Studies Program
Brochure (PDF)
Foundations
The seeds of the Costa Rica Studies Program are first sown when the youngest children enter Friends School Haverford. The early elementary curriculum promotes an appreciation of the earth, as well as service to others. Students begin speaking Spanish and practicing Quaker values. By the time students reach the 4th grade, a strong foundation of core values has been established. Within this framework of values, the Costa Rica Studies Program begins for these emerging global citizens.
Curricular Implementation
Environmental Education–Students learn to be stewards of the earth by understanding, preserving, and restoring the earth’s resources. Costa Rica’s tropical forests and fascinating wildlife inspire FSH faculty and students to become more aware of our interactions with the environment in order to promote a sustainable future for all life.
Global Awareness–A part of the core curriculum at FSH is to help students develop an awareness and an appreciation of other countries and their cultures and people.
Integrated Curriculum – Important connections are made to other disciplines. In the arts, students study Hispanic artists, music and literature. Students draw and create the animals of the rainforest. They sharpen their math skills by measuring coffee, learning another currency, and exploring exchange rates and the metric system.
Language Arts – Includes school plays, research projects and papers, journal writing and essays with Costa Rica as a central topic. Fourth grade has performed a musical adaptation of When the Monkeys Came Back, based on the book by Kristine L. Franklin that is set in a valley very much like the San Luis Valley of Costa Rica. The sixth graders write personal narratives about their experiences and create a narrative slide show.
Peaceful Living – The Quaker value of peaceful problem-solving is introduced in the preschool classroom, and the emphasis on conflict resolution continues through sixth grade. In a nurturing environment, children learn to respond to each other with respect and kindness, and come to understand the importance of cooperation. Costa Ricans take pride in being the first nation in history to abolish its army, becoming a practical demonstration to the world and a learning environment for our students.
Science – The study of Costa Rica brings to life many important science concepts, such as topography, geology, biodiversity, evolution and climate. More than a dozen distinct climatic patterns, extremes of elevations, earth movement and the flora and fauna of North and South America, the Caribbean and the Pacific result in an incredible diversity of terrain, biota and weather in this tropical country. Students plan and grow an herb garden at FSH comprised of herbs used in Latin America with which they make a Hispanic meal.
Service to Others – Friends education strives to emphasize social responsibility. FSH emphasizes the development of a caring community and service to others, which helps our students grow into compassionate and responsible adults. Our students have reached out to a small rural farming community in northwestern Costa Rica, and to the students of our partner school. They have raised thousands of dollars for reforestation efforts, stable electricity, consistent water supply and much needed school supplies.
Social Studies – Children focus on the people of Costa Rica and the country’s culture of peace. Students learn about Costa Rica’s peaceful formation of a democracy and study the life of Nobel Peace Prize recipient and Costa Rican President Oscar Arias Sanchez. They compare and contrast our government, education system, environment and economy with those of another country.
Spanish – Students are first introduced to Spanish when they enter Heritage House. Simple words and expressions are woven into daily activities in a seamless and natural way. The program continues in the elementary grades with a gradual building of concepts through games, songs and stories. An appreciation of Hispanic culture and an emphasis on oral communication are important cornerstones of the program. In fifth grade, students begin a pen-pal program with our partner school in Costa Rica, which continues through the sixth grade. By the time the students are in sixth grade, they have acquired a solid foundation of the basic skills. The Costa Rica Study Tour to Monteverde is the exciting culmination of many years of language study. The students are well prepared and ready to try their language skills in this exciting full-immersion experience!
Quakerism–Our students learn about the Quakers who left the United States in the early 1950’s and settled in Monteverde, and their ongoing efforts to protect the cloud forest, support the local community and assist the people of the San Luis Valley. This is an excellent example of the important Quaker values of stewardship and peace, applied to real lives and making a difference.
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