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This month, students and staff traveled to Costa Rica's northern zone to explore Arenal – a once highly active volcano that periodically rumbles to life – and the surrounding area, famous for its beauty and adventure opportunities. When students were asked about their favorite part, each answered differently, with highlight quotes including:
“We swam in the crater of an extinct volcano. [Volcan Chato] Who gets to do that?”
“The best part was hanging out with Tom.”
“The whitewater rafting was amazing, even though it is the dry season.”
Besides navigating mighty rapids and crater-lake swimming, students hiked to and swam in the 200-foot La Fortuna waterfall, handled snakes at a serpentarium, and enjoyed quality time with Tom! The students all returned positive and energized for the upcoming quarter.
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This quarter at NSA, students came to a realization of how important developing leadership skills could be for individuals as well as for our community. In response to this epiphany, students took the initiative to work with staff to organize a weekly club which develops those critical leadership skills.
Each week, the LEAD Club meets to learn about and discuss topics which include assertive communication, leading by example, effective body language, and public speaking.
The student-created LEAD Club is not only a great example of NSA students being empowered to develop programmatic aspects, but a valuable resource for them and our community.
Each week, the LEAD Club meets to learn about and discuss topics which include assertive communication, leading by example, effective body language, and public speaking.
The student-created LEAD Club is not only a great example of NSA students being empowered to develop programmatic aspects, but a valuable resource for them and our community.
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Each graduation, students stand at the podium and thank their friends, parents, faculty and staff. They then turn to look into the eager eyes of their Homestay Families and thank them in Spanish. These members of the NSA community welcome – out of the goodness of their hearts – our students into their homes each Sunday. Students learn Costa Rican culture and customs by attending soccer matches and birthday parties with their families. Their Spanish rapidly improves as they work to communicate with homestay mothers, brothers, sisters and fathers. Students sit with families and share home-cooked meals (always mentioned in their graduation speeches.) In short, our Homestay Families provide our students with unique cultural immersion experiences and a family while away from home.
Each quarter, to thank these valuable community members, New Summit Academy hosts a Homestay Picnic. Daisy, our Cultural Coordinator, along with our Experiential Education staff, plan a day full of fun and activities. This quarter, students and families posed for portraits and competed in wheel barrow races. Our chefs prepared picnic food, and the community sat to share a meal and memories of the quarter. Our talented students gave back as well, entertaining families and peers with live music.
Thank you to our Costa Rican homestay families who do so much to enrich the experiences of the students at New Summit Academy!
Thank you to our Costa Rican homestay families who do so much to enrich the experiences of the students at New Summit Academy!
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Let’s face it: sometimes you just have to roast meats, wrestle, and feast. At least, if you are an adolescent male you do. A number of weeks ago, an idea was born among a number of NSA’s students: host a medieval fest with food, music and feats of strength.
Students began to brainstorm ideas and to approach staff for assistance. Matthew, one of our dedicated Experiential Education staff members (and a master of games) took up the challenge. Student Council joined in, and preparations began. Menus were planned, students created swords out of PVC and pool noodles, costumes were sown (or found), and competitive games were devised.
On the day of the event, every member of the student body attended class in t-shirt that the organizers had made, separating the students into different “houses” or clans. As the afternoon wore on, the Culinary Arts class pitched in to prepare a medieval beef stew. Banquet tables were set outside near the freshly-lit bonfire, where vegetables and meat roasted.
Students began to brainstorm ideas and to approach staff for assistance. Matthew, one of our dedicated Experiential Education staff members (and a master of games) took up the challenge. Student Council joined in, and preparations began. Menus were planned, students created swords out of PVC and pool noodles, costumes were sown (or found), and competitive games were devised.
On the day of the event, every member of the student body attended class in t-shirt that the organizers had made, separating the students into different “houses” or clans. As the afternoon wore on, the Culinary Arts class pitched in to prepare a medieval beef stew. Banquet tables were set outside near the freshly-lit bonfire, where vegetables and meat roasted.
Between courses of the feast, students engaged in (safe) wrestling matches, noodle-sword duels, and gave their teams rousing speeches to galvanize them in competition. The students should be commended for taking it upon themselves to organize and host healthy, fun activities – and we hope to see more in the future!
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NSA students who have graduated the program but chosen to remain enrolled to complete high school have the opportunity to enroll in the Second Summit Program, which focuses on building real-life skills for a successful transition. Part of that development is the opportunity to learn and practice important organizational and travel skills on Second Summit’s international Aventuras.
This quarter, these senior students traveled to Belize and Guatemala to help plan our July all-school trip. Students booked transportation, accommodations, arranged service-learning opportunities – all while enjoying the history of Mayan sites and the beauty the Belizean coast.
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Students in their second quarter traveled to the Osa Peninsula to hike into the stunningly diverse Corcovado National Park. Each time NSA travels to the area, students return with stories about seeing tapir, monkeys, anteaters, and even crocodiles (from a safe distance, of course.)
This trip proved extraordinarily special in the realm of wildlife encounters. One student, fascinated with photography, was hiking in the back of the group with one of our EE staff. As they rounded a headland on the beach, the two spotted a mother puma with two cubs. This unique experience helped make the classes on forest succession and biological diversity that much more meaningful.
This trip proved extraordinarily special in the realm of wildlife encounters. One student, fascinated with photography, was hiking in the back of the group with one of our EE staff. As they rounded a headland on the beach, the two spotted a mother puma with two cubs. This unique experience helped make the classes on forest succession and biological diversity that much more meaningful.
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With so many Aventuras happening simultaneously, smaller groups allowed students and staff to bond like never before.
Three lucky students traveled to the peaceful Golfo Dulce to study tides, mangrove ecosystems, coral reefs and watershed systems. During their daily paddles, students were followed by a pod of dolphins, which may have helped the fishermen bring in dinner each day.
Three lucky students traveled to the peaceful Golfo Dulce to study tides, mangrove ecosystems, coral reefs and watershed systems. During their daily paddles, students were followed by a pod of dolphins, which may have helped the fishermen bring in dinner each day.
Even though kayak can be the most logistically demanding Aventura, the group's instant camaraderie led one student to describe the journey as more of “a trip with a few friends instead of a school trip. It was amazing.”
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This quarter’s Community Service Aventura was one for the record books. With a recent reduction of Osa Conservation staff, help was desperately needed and NSA’s group of students and staff logged nearly 100 miles on foot in order to rise to the challenge. The students assisted with the demolition and reconstruction of a bamboo turtle hatchery, performed various greenhouse and gardening chores including relocating hundreds of pounds of dirt and beach pebbles.
They patrolled the beach for eggs each midnight and sunrise and studied in daily academic classes and PG assignments. Students kept extremely positive attitudes while continuing to exceed expectations both physically and academically.
Students commented that doing good feels good, and agreed that the trip highlight was stumbling upon 18 turtles hatching and beginning their own exciting life journey.
Students commented that doing good feels good, and agreed that the trip highlight was stumbling upon 18 turtles hatching and beginning their own exciting life journey.
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This quarter's Cloud Forest Aventura cohort was a particularly tight-knit group. With only four students and three staff members, the group made record time hiking from our campsite at Alto del Roble to Monte Sky.
Students transformed the house at Monte Sky into a museum exhibit to teach about the world's major biomes. At the Pacuare River Camp, students spoke with local river guides about President Luis Guillermo Solís' recent decision to ban hydroelectric dams on the river for the next twenty-five years. The presidential decree, made after decades of community opposition to dam construction, was an excellent real-life example of the Aventura's personal growth theme of community impacts.
Students transformed the house at Monte Sky into a museum exhibit to teach about the world's major biomes. At the Pacuare River Camp, students spoke with local river guides about President Luis Guillermo Solís' recent decision to ban hydroelectric dams on the river for the next twenty-five years. The presidential decree, made after decades of community opposition to dam construction, was an excellent real-life example of the Aventura's personal growth theme of community impacts.
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Let’s face it: sometimes you just have to roast meats, wrestle, and feast. At least, if you are an adolescent male you do. A number of weeks ago, an idea was born among a number of NSA’s students: host a medieval fest with food, music and feats of strength.
Students began to brainstorm ideas and to approach staff for assistance. Matthew, one of our dedicated Experiential Education staff members (and a master of games) took up the challenge. Student Council joined in, and preparations began. Menus were planned, students created swords out of PVC and pool noodles, costumes were sown (or found), and competitive games were devised.
On the day of the event, every member of the student body attended class in t-shirt that the organizers had made, separating the students into different “houses” or clans. As the afternoon wore on, the Culinary Arts class pitched in to prepare a medieval beef stew. Banquet tables were set outside near the freshly-lit bonfire, where vegetables and meat roasted.
Students began to brainstorm ideas and to approach staff for assistance. Matthew, one of our dedicated Experiential Education staff members (and a master of games) took up the challenge. Student Council joined in, and preparations began. Menus were planned, students created swords out of PVC and pool noodles, costumes were sown (or found), and competitive games were devised.
On the day of the event, every member of the student body attended class in t-shirt that the organizers had made, separating the students into different “houses” or clans. As the afternoon wore on, the Culinary Arts class pitched in to prepare a medieval beef stew. Banquet tables were set outside near the freshly-lit bonfire, where vegetables and meat roasted.
Between courses of the feast, students engaged in (safe) wrestling matches, noodle-sword duels, and gave their teams rousing speeches to galvanize them in competition. The students should be commended for taking it upon themselves to organize and host healthy, fun activities – and we hope to see more in the future!