Blog Archives - New Summit Academy Costa Rica

Students Prep for Peru!

6/25/2017

In order to prepare students for their upcoming adventure to Peru, the teachers and academic staff facilitated three days of workshops so that this international experience is as rich as possible. When NSA journeys to a new destination, it is important that we do so as travelers, not tourists. These workshops were intentionally designed with that goal in mind.

Students have been working with our English teacher to learn the intricacies of travel writing, studying the history of Peru with our Social Studies teacher, learning travel etiquette and curiosity with our Coordinator of Student Success, and pondering how travel changes them and their destinations through daily reflective writing.

Keep an eye out for exciting photos and stories in our next issue from this once-in-a-lifetime experience!

Summer Recreational Aventura

6/20/2017

Following a successful quarter and graduation ceremony, students and staff embarked on NSA’s Summer Recreational Aventura for some well-deserved rest and relaxation (and adrenaline!) We first traveled to the Fonseca House, a family business located in the heart of the rainforest on the famous Savegre River.

Here, students took full advantage of the pristine forest as they climbed trees, zip-lined, rappelled waterfalls, and swam in the river. After three full days at Fonseca House, we continued to the coast, first to Manuel Antonio Park and then to Esterillos -- two beautiful spots along the Pacific -- where we explored the national park, held a bonfire, and swam in the waves.

Students returned rested and energized for their next adventure: Peru!

June Graduation at NSA

6/17/2017

On Friday, June 16th, the New Summit Academy community celebrated as 10 graduates successfully completed the NSA program, high school, or both.

Graduating from the program or high school means that these young men have developed the skills, cultivated their curiosity, and honed their resourcefulness to become successful Global Citizens. Some of this June’s graduates will be returning to finish out their high school careers with new insights into how they learn and how to best advocate for themselves.

Those completing high school have all been accepted to and enrolled in colleges, including Bennington College, the University of Southern California, The University of Colorado Boulder, Fairfield University and the University of Arizona.

Congratulations to all of our graduates and their families, and we look forward to news of their future successes!

Academic Fair at NSA

6/16/2017

Classes at NSA are organized using a project-based model, where students and teachers collaborate to design a final project, and work on steps throughout the semester to complete the project.
This model allows students to see daily learning and homework tasks within a larger context, increasing student ownership of their learning.

At the close of each semester, our community takes a day to present the final products to students, staff and visiting families. This week, our students presented projects that included:

a poetry and model-building collaboration between the Biology and Literature classes
a “protest music mixed tape” from Humanities
a film about Frank - our beloved Experiential Education staff member - from the Documentary Film class
a Rube Goldberg machine demonstrating each of Newton’s laws from our Physics class

This is learning at its best!

Homestay Dance – Saying Thanks with Style

6/11/2017

ew Summit Academy’s homestay experience – immersing students in the culture of Costa Rica through weekly stays with local families – is an integral part of our program. Our homestay families give of themselves with no expectation other than to interact with our students and share their day-to-day lives.

We usually take one day each quarter to thank these amazing members of our community with a homestay picnic. This quarter, our students felt that a dance would be a dynamic and fun thank-you. Daisy, our Cultural Coordinator, along with our Experiential Education team and the Student Council planned an event, made decorations, and ensured the best in music, food and entertainment. A wonderful time was had by all, with the best entertainment being the eclectic dance moves of our own students!

NSA Students Help Plant 3,000 Trees

6/6/2017

Students and staff rose with the sun on a recent Sunday, donned boots and gloves, and got to work. Their goal was to be a part of community efforts to help improve access to water in our hometown of Atenas.

While the drinking water in Costa Rica is clean and pure, issues with infrastructure mean that some communities or individuals may have limited access. Costa Rican water laws stipulate that wells must be planted with native tree species to help with water retention, which is where our students came in, participating in a tree-planting drive.

By the end of a day of hard work, students and staff had planted over 3,000 native trees -- a huge contribution to the water access efforts!

Summiting Chirripo – The Final Aventura!

6/2/2017

New Summit Academy’s Aventura program is a one-of-a-kind series of integrated challenges in the wilderness of Costa Rica where students have an opportunity to, not only progress in Personal Growth, Academic and Experiential Education, but to reflect on their growth so far.

The final Aventura – climbing Cerro Chirripo (the highest peak in Costa Rica), serves as the ultimate opportunity to reflect, and to ponder the future. Transition students who have met all program requirements are approved by their Transition Team to take on the mountain, climbing alongside their peers in a culminating celebration of their growth and of their futures filled with success.

Congratulations to our June graduates, who will be summiting Chirripo this week. As we say to our graduates “When you reach the summit, keep climbing!”

NSA’s Relationship with Hogar de Vida Continues to Grow

6/1/2017

Our neighbors, the amazing children and staff at Hogar de Vida, continue to enrich our students’ lives and experiences by opening their doors and their arms. Each week, our dedicated Cultural Coordinator Daisy leads a team of student volunteers who visit the children’s home to spend time with the little ones playing, helping with dinner, and running around like kids themselves!

Daisy also organizes weekend activities, picnics and parties, sharing our students’ culture with the children, and providing small --but needed-- breaks for the tias (aunties) who give so much of their time and love.

In the coming weeks, Daisy and the NSA community will be spearheading a fundraiser for our wonderful neighbors who give so much. Keep an eye out for information in our next newsletter about how you can help!