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Newsletter - January, 2015

Barra Honda National Park

Middle School Field Trip 

 

The Secondary School students visited Parque Nacional Barra Honda in December.  The park, which is located less than 2 hours from the school, features an interesting nature hike, a lookout point with views stretching to the Gulf of Nicoya and impressive subterranean caverns for exploring.  The students were led by a knowledgeable park guide on a walk in the primary and secondary forests to the entrance to the caverns.  The Caverns, which host impressive stalactite and stalagmite formations created by the calciumcarbonite rich water, are full of interesting and beautiful formations which date back thousands of years. Students were given the opportunity to climb down into the caverns and explore under the strict supervision of teachers, parent chaperones and park staff.  They exited the caverns muddy, excited and in awe of the adventure of exploring such an impressive place.   

 







Happiness!

Holiday Concert

 

Our holiday program was a wonderful success.  The theme of the program was Happiness.  Some say the secret to life is happiness, but we know the words are in the wrong place.  The secret to happiness is life!  Make every moment count and enjoy these special times, as they will soon be fleeting memories. We were able to have a no trash event by using banana leaves for plates, and everyone brought their own water bottles - a good demonstration of using our resources wisely and conservatively.  We finished the final act with the entire school singing Pherrel William's song Happy and a good time was had by all!

 

 







 

Beach Clean-ups 

Keeping the Nosara Beaches Clean


During our first trimester DMA held several clean-ups helping keep our beaches beautiful and engaging our young students in being proactive in their community. The first clean up was organized by the Lower Elementary in Playa Guiones in early November. The second one was organized by the DMA Environmental Committee on Saturday, Novemeber 8th at the Nosara River Mouth. During this clean up we were able to collect about: 50 flip flops, 71 plastic bottles, 3 glass containers, 5 cans, 100 foam pieces and many small pieces of plastic. A total of 4 bags of recyclable material was collected and deposited at the Nosara Recycling and Education Center. The last clean up was organized on December 4th by the Upper Elementary students in conjunction with the Serapio L�pez public school book buddies.


 







Ecological Blue Flag

& Environmental Theme of the Year


Del Mar Academy won the Ecological Blue Flag for six consecutive years. We currently hold a 5 star Blue Flag, which is the highest distinction possible. This program awards a highly respected and recognized national eco-label called the Blue Flag. Blue Flags are awarded to schools that meet strict criteria with regard to everything from water quality to environmental education programs. 

 

The environmental committee of DMA chose the theme for the year: "Sustainable Food Production and Consumption". The children chose between 4 "fun" names for this theme: 1) Food for life, 2) Food cycle 3) Growing green, 4) You are what you eat. The winner is: "YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT". We have so many activities planned for this theme and we are very excited for our new project: a plant nursery. 

 

Some of DMA�s environmental efforts include: Conservation and Ecology class, Guardians of Nature school audits, field trips, recycling, composting, solar energy, beach clean-ups, environmental theme of the year and environmental festival among many other initiatives.

 

 



Educational Field Trips

Upper Elementary

 

During the month of November our 5th and 6th grade students visited the picturesque, cone-shaped volcano of Miravalles, located nine miles north of Bagaces in the province of Guanacaste.  Miravalles is a great example of a successful geothermal project in Central America.  During this trip the children had the opportunity to meet Costa Rican president Luis Guillermo Sol�s and learn about  this renewable energy source.


 

Fourth graders visited the Nosara Wildlife Reserve managed by Lagarta Lodge. This is a great setting to learn about the dry forest and mangrove flora and fauna.

 

 

 

First Open House

A Window Into Our Classrooms 

 

DMA�s first open house for the 2014-2015 school year was held Friday, October 24th. The open house is a great time to explore our classrooms, meet our teachers and discover what makes this school so special. Children love showcasing their work to their parents, so this is a great opportunity to connect and understand what goes on in their daily routine.

   


















Biome Dioramas

Upper Elementary School Project

 

 

In Science, the fourth graders made dioramas of different biomes around the world.  We are studying the interconnectiveness of plants and animals within their unique environments.  We will present these projects to the parents during our Open House next month.

 


Junior Lifeguard Training

Marine Education Program

 

During our first trimester the Marine Education after school program included the Junior Lifeguard Training. Throughout this program children learned about beach and ocean safety, as well as the fundamentals of being a lifeguard.  Students developed an  understanding of ocean conditions and the appreciation of the ocean's power and abilities. The program ran for six straight weeks, meeting two times per week.  Monday's session took place at the pool, while Wednesday's session took place at the beach.  We would like to thank our program volunteers: Hayley Macmillan Ord, Debra Pearce, Maria del Mar Alfaro and John McGovern.

 

For more pictures CLICK HERE 

 




 

Halloween Party 

Raising Funds to Build a Playground at Santa Marta School

 

 

We would like to thank all the residents at Paseo del Sol for hosting DMA�s Halloween party for four consecutive years.  Money raised during this event by the Community Committee will go towards building a play ground for Santa Marta public school. Great costumes, fun music, yummy food and lots of candy always makes this party one of our student�s favorite annual event.

 

To view more pictures from this activity please click HERE 

      



Back to School 

Sunset Beach and Welcome Party

 

The Del Mar Academy Social Committee organized a  back to school party at La Luna Restaurant at Playa Pelada. We wanted families to catch up with old friends and meet new families.  Beach games, slip n' slide, and a children's disco were some of the activities planned for the evening. The  'Ice Cream Sundae' bar was organized by the Middle School Students as their first fundraiser of the year.  A percentage of the bar sales' will go to aid the DMA Community Committee, helping the local public schools.