Costa Rica 2006 - Green Valley School

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Green Valley School was started by two Costa Rican women who felt it was important for students to have bilingual education. They started with just the early grades, then added rooms and grade levels as students progressed.

They now have students in grades 1-11 (final grade of high school). Most of the students plan to attend university.

Sunia teaches in the elementary school. Students can identify English words in grade 1. By grade three they can converse pretty well. By grade 5 and 6 they are pretty fluent readers. The day we were there, the students were able to hold a pretty good discussion of post-World War 1 Europe and the League of Nations and the 14 Point Plan in English - frankly, they knew more than we remembered from our school daze!

The doors all open out into the courtyard. There is a flowering tree and a dog that has attached itself to the school. The students eat and do projects at the outdoor tables.

Sunia works with Mrs. Illiana. What a great pair! She couldn't have had a better mentor for her bilingual teaching experience.

We only snapped a couple of pictures, but we're sure Sunia will have more to add to this entry when she returns home.

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Photos

Green Valley School
This is the elementary school.

Sheila, Sunia, and Mrs. Illiana
A talented and energetic teacher, Mrs. Illiana has been a great mentor for Sunia.