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Osa Peninsula conservation highlights:
-Assisting scientists with cataloging native trees
-Fascinating workshops by Costa Rica’s director of turtle conservation and a scientist who tracks big cats
-Releasing nearly 600 baby sea turtles into the waves, and finding a mother turtle nesting during nightly beach patrols
-A spirited soccer game with students, staff and members of the community that transcended language barriers
-Assisting scientists with cataloging native trees
-Fascinating workshops by Costa Rica’s director of turtle conservation and a scientist who tracks big cats
-Releasing nearly 600 baby sea turtles into the waves, and finding a mother turtle nesting during nightly beach patrols
-A spirited soccer game with students, staff and members of the community that transcended language barriers
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A Recap from our Cloud Forest Adventures:
-Snacking on sweet, ripe blackberries at Monte Sky Eco-Lodge and including them in a delicious pancake breakfast
- Integrating academic themes of cloud forest ecology and biomimicry with the personal growth process through an ecopsychological lens
-Spotting a beautiful vine snake and colorful poison dart frogs on the banks of the Pacuare River
-Climbing waterfalls and jumping into river pools while whitewater rafting
-Snacking on sweet, ripe blackberries at Monte Sky Eco-Lodge and including them in a delicious pancake breakfast
- Integrating academic themes of cloud forest ecology and biomimicry with the personal growth process through an ecopsychological lens
-Spotting a beautiful vine snake and colorful poison dart frogs on the banks of the Pacuare River
-Climbing waterfalls and jumping into river pools while whitewater rafting
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Highlights from our Corcovado Aventura!
-Seeing coatimundi, crocodiles, monkeys, toucans and an anteater in the rainforest
-Chilling at the lodge after a challenging and rain-drenched 13-mile hike
-Competing in an improvised driftwood javelin contest
-Learning about forest succession and light gaps from fallen trees while sitting on a fallen tree!
-Seeing coatimundi, crocodiles, monkeys, toucans and an anteater in the rainforest
-Chilling at the lodge after a challenging and rain-drenched 13-mile hike
-Competing in an improvised driftwood javelin contest
-Learning about forest succession and light gaps from fallen trees while sitting on a fallen tree!
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NSA’s seniors are currently in the midst of the college application process. As early action deadlines are here, and with regular decision deadlines approaching, our students are busy writing and editing essays, filling out applications, and requesting letters of recommendation. To arrive at this point, our students have spent the previous months involved in an introspective process to determine what characteristics will lead to their continued success. We then take those characteristics and generate schools which meet them, providing students with an initial list of possibilities. After much research, discussion, family input, and campus visits, students are now finalizing their apply-to lists and taking the steps to submit applications that reveal their unique stories of challenge and growth.
Best of luck to our seniors as they complete this important step!
Best of luck to our seniors as they complete this important step!
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Fostering a sense of global citizenship – understanding the interdependence of our world and how our choices affect and are affected by others – is a key component of our mission at NSA. Our innovative Global Citizenship program engages students in the investigation of facets of what it means to be a global citizen and the application of that knowledge in all aspects of students’ lives. This month, our community’s facet focused on Sustainable Development, and students voted to investigate the ideas within the context of business practices and solutions.
Our two-day workshop included classes on problem-solving and creativity, investigations of sustainability issues, and a culminating project which had student groups pitching business ideas addressing campus sustainability to a panel of judges, with the winners receiving up to $500 to implement their solutions!
Our two-day workshop included classes on problem-solving and creativity, investigations of sustainability issues, and a culminating project which had student groups pitching business ideas addressing campus sustainability to a panel of judges, with the winners receiving up to $500 to implement their solutions!
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NSA’s relationship with Hogar de Vida, our neighborhood children’s home, has grown into something truly wonderful over the years. Students and staff volunteer their time weekly to provide individualized attention to these children, while receiving much more than they give. In Costa Rica, Children’s Day is a national holiday celebrating fun and recognizing that nurturing children is key to a healthy future.
To do our part, New Summit Academy (and especially Daisy, our Cultural Coordinator) came together to organize a Children’s Day celebration for the little ones at Hogar de Vida. Our students escorted the children to campus, where they were entertained with games, participated in horseback rides, and shared a delicious meal with our community. Hogar de Vida is such an important part of our students’ experiences, and celebrating Children’s Day is a small effort to give back!
To do our part, New Summit Academy (and especially Daisy, our Cultural Coordinator) came together to organize a Children’s Day celebration for the little ones at Hogar de Vida. Our students escorted the children to campus, where they were entertained with games, participated in horseback rides, and shared a delicious meal with our community. Hogar de Vida is such an important part of our students’ experiences, and celebrating Children’s Day is a small effort to give back!
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October 12th is celebrated in Costa Rica as Dia de las Culturas, or Cultural Appreciation day. Costa Rica recognized the need for building respect for diversity, and takes this national holiday to embrace the various cultures that make this country such a vibrant place to live.
With the understanding that one of the best ways to express one’s culture is through food (as well as knowing that nothing engages teenage boys like a feast), our staff came together to prepare traditional foods that represent a unique part of their own culture.
Members from all NSA departments shared with our students pejibaye dip from Costa Rica, empanadas from the Dominican Republic, tea from Argentina, traditional chili from the Midwest, and guacamole from Mexico -- among many other tasty dishes.
More importantly, each staff member shared their story, and why these meals hold special significance. Thanks to everyone at NSA for pitching in to make this celebration a success!
With the understanding that one of the best ways to express one’s culture is through food (as well as knowing that nothing engages teenage boys like a feast), our staff came together to prepare traditional foods that represent a unique part of their own culture.
Members from all NSA departments shared with our students pejibaye dip from Costa Rica, empanadas from the Dominican Republic, tea from Argentina, traditional chili from the Midwest, and guacamole from Mexico -- among many other tasty dishes.
More importantly, each staff member shared their story, and why these meals hold special significance. Thanks to everyone at NSA for pitching in to make this celebration a success!
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No other high school teaches Spanish quite like New Summit Academy! Our talented Spanish teachers, Daisy and Vianney, have worked to develop a truly unique Spanish Language program, which overlays grammatical learning objectives onto our yearly Cultural Immersion calendar.
This allows students to master Spanish grammar by studying and preparing for upcoming Cultural Immersion activities, making both their language acquisition and their cultural engagement that much richer.
Last week, students in all levels of Spanish learned about Costa Rica’s Bosque Eterno de Los Niños, Costa Rica’s largest private nature reserve, which was founded with donations made by children from 44 different nations. After learning the history of the park and relevant language skills, students spent Sunday hiking the trails and putting their new Spanish into practice!
This allows students to master Spanish grammar by studying and preparing for upcoming Cultural Immersion activities, making both their language acquisition and their cultural engagement that much richer.
Last week, students in all levels of Spanish learned about Costa Rica’s Bosque Eterno de Los Niños, Costa Rica’s largest private nature reserve, which was founded with donations made by children from 44 different nations. After learning the history of the park and relevant language skills, students spent Sunday hiking the trails and putting their new Spanish into practice!
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Students continue to develop critical self-advocacy and organizational skills by being in charge of clubs and club outings at NSA.
Last month, students organized a 10k race for members of the Running Club, while the Climbing Club practiced their technical skills at an indoor rock climbing gym.
Other student clubs successfully planned day trips to a skate park in San Jose as well as Playa Esterillos for some epic surfing.
By organizing and participating in club outings in their areas of interest, students continue to develop healthy lifestyles, ownership of their processes, and an understanding that sometimes we need to put in some work to have some fun!
Last month, students organized a 10k race for members of the Running Club, while the Climbing Club practiced their technical skills at an indoor rock climbing gym.
Other student clubs successfully planned day trips to a skate park in San Jose as well as Playa Esterillos for some epic surfing.
By organizing and participating in club outings in their areas of interest, students continue to develop healthy lifestyles, ownership of their processes, and an understanding that sometimes we need to put in some work to have some fun!
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The other half of our students traveled to the untouched rainforests of Sarapiqui to study the art of Teaching English as a Foreign Language. Daily classes were planned by our English teacher, Brooke, herself certified and experienced in TEFL.
Students applied their new knowledge and skills with practice teaching at a nearby elementary school, where they also participated in community service.
To celebrate, students and staff took to the whitewater of the world-famous Sarapiqui River for well-deserved fun after earning their TEFL certificates!
Students applied their new knowledge and skills with practice teaching at a nearby elementary school, where they also participated in community service.
To celebrate, students and staff took to the whitewater of the world-famous Sarapiqui River for well-deserved fun after earning their TEFL certificates!
