VISION AND MISSION OF MONTEVERDE FRIENDS SCHOOL
(Approved by Meeting for Business, September 12, 2010)

Surrounded by nature, supported by love, we work and grow in community that our lives may contribute to a more just, peace-filled and hopeful world. 

Under the care of the Monteverde Friends Meeting, the school primarily serves local communities by educating children of families who value a Quaker education.  Our small rural bilingual school welcomes diversity. We educate the whole person, nurturing each student’s spiritual, intellectual, physical and creative potential. We endeavor to transform the lives of young people, that they may seek truth with curiosity and awe, and care for and honor all people and the earth.

PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT

(Approved by Meeting for Business, May 8, 2011)

Grounded in the values of integrity, truth, community, and peace, the Monteverde Friends School provides a challenging academic environment in an atmosphere of love and respect for our students, staff, and community.  The school strives to lay a foundation of solid intellect, the pursuit of truth, and the values necessary to contribute to a peaceful and just society.

ABOUT US

Nestled high in the cloud forest environment of Costa Rica, the Monteverde Friends School (MFS) was founded in 1951 by Quaker families who left the United States in search of a non-militaristic society.  Due to its strong ethics, curriculum, and dedication of the community, the school has successfully grown to its present size of 120 students who represent Quaker, Costa Rican, and international communities. The School has evolved and thrived in this multicultural environment, rich in biodiversity for over 60 years.

Our school, under the care of the Monteverde Friends Meeting[1] and accredited by the Costa Rican Ministry of Education, provides rigorous academic instruction for students in pre-kinder through 12^th grade. The MFS curriculum addresses a well-rounded education, preparing students for continuing education or their chosen vocations.  Students are admitted regardless of race, creed[2], socio-economic status, or sexual orientation.  Once a student has been accepted, applications for financial assistance are reviewed.  In case of demonstrated need, we offer assistance within the ability of the school.  The school exists to educate children of members of the Monteverde Friends Meeting and other local families who value Quaker education.  We also appreciate the richness of perspectives international students bring. 

The school’s ability to integrate members of the community and staff with our student population creates a unique environment where parents, teachers, students, and community members of all generations work and learn together. By tapping into the broad knowledge base of our diverse community, we are able to provide educational, creative, and real world experiences that enrich our students’ lives.

The physical location of the school enhances the education of our students through the incorporation of the bio-diverse tropical environment into our studies. The school promotes an appreciation of nature and the wise use of resources.  Access to many protected areas and to people doing scientific research creates a strong environmental understanding and ethic.  

We are an English-predominant bilingual school.  Two-thirds of the curriculum is taught in English and one third in Spanish. Students learn from each other, and from their teachers and other adults in the school, in authentic interactions in the two languages.  Students who are not Spanish-dominant begin with Spanish as a Second Language before entering the full immersion Spanish program.  English as a Second Language is required for non-English speakers who enter at first or second grade.  Students admitted to the school after second grade must be appropriately proficient in English.  The school strives for its graduates to be fully bilingual, bi-literate, and prepared to enter systems of higher education or pursue vocational interests in Costa Rica and abroad.

Our small multi-grade classes provide an excellent opportunity to accommodate a range of learning styles.  Teachers employ a variety of teaching methodologies to address these diverse learning styles and allow individual students to strive toward their potential.  Teachers promote sharing, and creative and cooperative learning, and the pursuit of independent learning goals.  Students are encouraged to develop critical thinking skills that will allow them to identify problems and create strategies to find solutions.

Our teachers are key to the vibrant life of our school.  These dedicated professionals, from Costa Rica and beyond, bring their knowledge and enthusiasm to our school community.  Drawn by their appreciation of the values and academic excellence of our school, they share with the students their passion for learning and commitment to the search for truth.  The school seeks and hires employees regardless of race, creed, socio-economic status, or sexual orientation.[3]   

Education at MFS is holistic, reflecting the values of the Quaker community. In addition to our academic pursuits, we search for the spiritual meaning in day-to-day life.  We encourage reflection, questioning, and appreciation for the life of the Spirit in our daily interactions and during our Wednesday Meeting for Worship, which all students and teachers attend.  Students, teachers, staff, and their families are also invited to participate in the Sunday Quaker silent Meeting for Worship, if they so choose, further strengthening our ties to the community in which we live and work.

EDUCATION AT MONTEVERDE FRIENDS SCHOOL

We believe that seeking truth and pursuing a fuller understanding of the world in which we live is a lifelong process. We endeavor to give students the practical and academic foundation they will need to continue to learn and grow. We cultivate open minds, critical thinking, and curiosity, seeking to make inquiry and involvement a way of life. Our commitment to truth encompasses deep listening, honest intellectual investigation, and waiting patiently for the guidance of the Spirit. We hope to heighten awareness and an active sense of awe and wonder.

Students learn about themselves and explore their own roles in the world.  They learn to care for others and for themselves as a foundation for healthy engagement with the challenges and gifts of life.

Students come to understand how their personal choices can produce change in a larger, interdependent world.  As they grapple with ethical issues, solve real problems, and actively serve their neighbors, they discover how to build and extend a sense of community amongst themselves and others.  They also learn to participate responsibly in the larger community and in the world at large. Within the school as well as in the larger community, we seek to live in ways that eliminate the causes of war, injustice, and violence.  Learning to resolve conflicts in just and creative ways that promote an understanding of the needs of others is standard practice at the Monteverde Friends School.

WE ARE DRAWN TOGETHER BY A COMMON COMMITMENT TO CHERISHED QUAKER VALUES

Love and respect: Listening deeply to the Divine Spirit in ourselves and others has great power to transform lives.  In our quest to contribute to a more just, peace-filled, and hopeful world, we begin close to home, by trying to love our neighbors and ourselves.

Simplicity:  We seek to focus our lives on that which sustains us, both physically and spiritually, avoiding excesses that may strain our balance.

Peace:  Building alternatives to violence and war is a long held Quaker testimony. The founders of the Monteverde Quaker community, in their search for a non-militaristic society in which to make a new life, chose Costa Rica for the importance it placed on peace. They valued being part of a culture whose economic development was not dependent on waging or preparing for war. Within the school, we too seek to live in ways that eliminate the causes of war, injustice, and violence.

Community:  We collectively aspire to build community with those around us wherever we may live, creating an environment where people of different ages and cultures unite together in worship, work, and play.  Enabling our students to communicate effectively in both Spanish and English and to function respectfully in two cultures is one manifestation of this commitment.  We encourage and facilitate useful service, in the greater Monteverde community as well as in our school environment. Students participate in bi-weekly Town Meetings, in which they address, as a group, issues that affect the school.  

Equality:  We wish to honor and respect that of God in everyone, striving against prejudice.  Each child, woman, and man has the right to be heard, and we teach mutual appreciation and respect for all ages.  As a consequence, students serve as full members of both the School Committee and a discipline committee.

Consensus:  We believe that when we combine deep listening with spiritual guidance, we are better able to discern our right path.  We aim to seek unity in our group decision-making at school, at meeting, and in the community at large.  Insight and wisdom may come from persons of any age.  Using a consensus approach to decision making builds our capacity to listen, to be flexible and creative in our thinking, and to support decisions once they are made.

Stewardship:  The school promotes an appreciation of and connection to the natural world. By increasing our awareness of our interdependence with all life on earth, we strive to use water, land, and other resources mindfully and wisely.  Our resolve is enhanced by the natural beauty and biodiversity that surrounds us.  Classroom walks through the woods, gardening, recycling, and daily clean up chores are a few of the ways we instill stewardship. 

Integrity:  We believe in speaking truthfully, keeping our word, and striving to be a living testimony to the values we teach our students.  We try to inspire individual responsibility by working to let our lives speak more than our words.  Living our values asks of us the courage to meet challenges with discernment and love.