Annual Report 2013-2014

La Paz Community School

Annual Report 2015

 

A N N U A L

R E P O R T

La Paz Community School

Brasilito - Guanacaste - Costa Rica

2 013 - 2 014

La Paz Community School

Annual Report 2013-2014

La Paz Community School

Mission Statement Our mission is to educate the culturally diverse youth of Guanacaste through bilingual experiential learning and enrichment that integrates the local community and ecology, while preparing students to become thoughtful, creative, and active stewards of their environment and future leaders of the world.

Objectives To form an educational cooperative that integrates the members of a community in creating a collective, bilingual learning environment.

To implement meaningful service learning that empowers students to become active stewards of their environment.

To develop skills and nurture values that cultivate the well-being of self, family, community, and world.

To emphasize place-based, experiential learning and discovery.

To uphold high academic standards through authentic assessment and grade level benchmarks.

2 To inculcate in all community members a genuine appreciation for and involvement in nature, the arts, and physical education.

La Paz Community School

Annual Report 2013-2014

From the Director´s Desk Abel McClennen What is our hope for La Paz students?

This graphic, shared with me by a fellow colleague, immediately caught my attention because it captures the definition of purpose that we are attempting to teach our students at La Paz. Our student body, representing a diverse range of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, is a product of a positively globalized planet where intercultural discourse is embraced so that we may all learn from and respect one another’s differences in order to improve our planet.

La Paz students are taught to be selfdisciplined, life-long learners who possess determination, endurance, cross-cultural competence and the life skills necessary to identify and pursue their passions while living with a sense of purpose that balances worldly needs with personal goals.

Our eighteen La Paz Graduates from the first three generations embody the ideals we instill in our students through our Peace Practices, the IB Community Learner Profile and our Place-Based Dual Immersion educational program. These alumni have headed down diverse paths that include studying tourism at the local Universidad Latina, business and social work at the Universidad de Costa Rica, aeronautical engineering at Antelope Valley College in California, applied language studies at La Sorbonne University in France and systems engineering at Stenden University in Holland.

Others have embraced their inner entrepreneur by becoming private boutique surf and scuba instructors.

While many of the career and university paths above seem clearly defined, they are the result of a challenging exploratory process that involves learning from both successes and failures. This search is best exemplified through the reflections of one of our seven firstgeneration IB graduates from the class of 2015 who is about to embark on her own life journey.

Abel McClennen Director

“When I think of a role model, or a family, I honestly think of this school. It has left a very clear mark on my heart. I know there have been rough times, as with any situation that pushes for growth, but they were all very much worth the discomfort, since now I will soon have the gift of calling myself a La Paz Community School Graduate; I hold this magical place dearly within me.

These past 5 and a half years attending La Paz have been completely life changing, and I mean it in the least cliché way possible.

Your school, and now mine as well, has presented me with the most amazing life lessons, from compassion,empathy and kindness to appreciation and thoughtfulness, and I am truly grateful for that.

As for my plans for the future; as you know, the future will always be undefined and unpredictable, but what I can tell you with certainty is that mine will never lack inspiration.”

Koral’s selfproclaimed life path over the next few years will take her to a horse farm in Holland, to a vegan catering service in New York City, to Ayurvedic studies in India.

Koral Coopwood - Class of 2015 3

La Paz Community School

Martyn Hoffmann

Annual Report 2013-2014

Martyn and his son Dylan

Board President It’s been an exciting year to be part of La Paz Community School as a parent, community member and as your Board President. Working with our talented Board of Directors, tireless administrative staff and passionate teachers is an honor and a humbling experience. Whenever I walk through the school’s campus the energy, sense of contentment and level of comfort and security exhibited by our students is contagious. This year, our school has reached a new level of maturity and sustainability in many fundamental ways. Here are the highlights that I’d like to share with you.

New Campus: Thanks to the commitment of our parents and donors, one year ago we raised close to $400,000 in under two months to fund construction of Phase 2 of the school campus, which we completed in September. The results of this achievement have been incredible, as every parent who visits the school can attest. Our focus now shifts to raising an additional $400,000 over the next several years to build the Pre-K through 3rd Grade phase which will finally unite the entire school campus in one amazing location.

Stabilized Growth: In 2015, La Paz has nearly reached its capacity of approximately 300 students.

Since its founding, La Paz has grown at double-digit rates, and this year is significant in that we have finally reached a point where we can stabilize our growth and focus on quality, diversification and student retention.

Parent and Community Involvement: So far this year, our parents have volunteered over 10,000 hours of their personal time to supporting La Paz. Whether it’s substitute teaching, running the library, coaching sports or organizing the increasingly popular Wednesday Organic Farmer’s Market, our parents are more engaged than ever and their contribution to the culture at La Paz is priceless. We are incredibly blessed to have such a rich, diverse and giving community of families at La Paz. Debt Reduction: La Paz continues to aggressively pay down capital debt associated with the school facility construction, and I am pleased to report that we are on track to retiring 24% of our total financial debt by the end of the 2014-2015 Budget year!

IB Program: This year marks our first graduating class of IB Diploma students! What a milestone for these seven talented students as well as for La Paz. We are incredibly proud of each of them!

Scholarship Program Fundraising: This past year La Paz saw its most dramatic increase in annual fundraising ever. Last year we changed our approach to how we communicate with donors, and we have connected many of them directly to our Scholarship students so that they can see the impact of their donations on the lives of the individual students they sponsor. This program is working, and it shows in our Sponsors’ renewed commitment to the Scholarship program. During the past twelve months, (since May 2014), we have raised over $207,000 towards the program!

La Paz Community School has succeeded thanks to the community comprised of our families, students, and staff. Without you, these successes would not be possible. Thank you for making La Paz a thriving, energetic, and successful school that makes me extremely proud!

Martyn Hoffmann Board President

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La Paz Community School

Annual Report 2013-2014

Evan Upchurch Alumni-2013 La Paz Alumni are Choosing the Road Less Traveled "I came to France thinking that I was going to find my place right away, and quite the opposite happened. The American University of Paris was a good gateway but not representative of what I was looking for, which is why I only stayed 1 semester. I soon enrolled in the Cours de Civilisation Française de la Sorbonne - language school - to perfect my French (considering I spoke no French when I moved to Paris). Through my coursework, I fell deeper in love with the French language and soon after, I became set on going to the Sorbonne to be a language major. After a lot of stress, tears, and paperwork, in March of 2015, I was accepted into the Sorbonne (a year and a half after my arrival in Paris), meeting all language requirements (listening, writing, grammar, speaking). I will start my undergraduate degree (Applied Foreign Languages) in Sept. of 2015.¨ Evan.

University Matriculation

La Paz by the numbers 25

Full-Time teaching staff

7

Part-Time teaching staff

16

Teachers with a Masters or PhD

Since 2013 La Paz has graduated 18 seniors who already are making an impact on the world through diverse life paths. The following colleges and universities have accepted La Paz Students into their programs.

Costa Rica: University of Costa Rica (Liberia and San Jose) Universidad Latina (Santa Cruz)

United States:

288

__________ Students for 2014-2015 - a 34% increase over 2013-2014

31%

__________ Percentage of students on full or partial subsidies

Antelope Valley College (CA) University of Florida (FL) University of Colorado (CO) Northeastern University (MA) University of Denver (CO) Allegheny College (PA) Rutgers University (NJ) St. John's University (NY)

Europe: Stenden University School of Engineering (Holland) The Sorbonne (France) American University of Paris (France) Franklin University (Switzerland)

Other: Xavier School of Medicine (Aruba)

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La Paz Community School

Annual Report 2013-2014

Sarah Starkey Non-profit Development Director The 2013-2014 school year was a watershed for the development of La Paz Community School. We broke ground and completed Phase 2 of the Master Development Plan, (the New Elementary School Pod), resulting in the creation of 100% more classroom space at La Paz South to accommodate our rapidly growing student body. Additionally, we expanded enrollment in the Scholarship program to accommodate more talented students from the community. Our generous donors catalyzed these exciting achievements, and their commitment to La Paz’s mission was reflected in their giving levels.

Fundraising was an “all hands on deck” effort, with the entire La Paz community - parents, staff, students and others - contributing through programs such as Students Sponsoring Students, the Tennis Marathon, Ruta La Paz and Amigos de la Educaćion, to name a few.

These efforts supplemented numerous generous individual gifts.

Student - Sponsor connections: With the help of some very passionate parents, we initiated a program to connect interested donors directly to Scholarship students, resulting in eight students becoming sponsored during the year. Committed sponsors receive regular progress updates, personalized letters and the opportunity to interact directly with their students.

Giving was not restricted to cash: Notably, fundraising volunteers gave valuable time and energy, and others donated essential materials such as solar panels that have already saved La Paz thousands of dollars in energy costs!

Total giving: For the twelve months from September 1, 2013 through August 31, 2014, cash and in-kind gifts reached $268,000.

2014-2015 update: As of April 2015 we have 35 students in the Scholarship Program representing 12% of the student body. We are pleased to report that 21 Scholarship students now have personal sponsors and we continue to seek sponsors for the remaining 14.

Projected total fundraising for all Programs for the current school year should amount to around $175,000. Our goal is to cover 100% of Scholarship costs with non-operating funds and we are exploring all avenues to make this happen.

We wish to extend our warmest gratitude to all those who have given their time, money, heart and soul to La Paz this past year and we thank you for entrusting us with stewardship of your generous gifts!

Sarah Starkey Non-Profit Director 6

La Paz Community School

Annual Report 2013-2014

Finances  

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La Paz Community School

Annual Report 2013-2014

Student Profile Camila IB Student - 2015

Camila has been at La Paz for six years.

Due to her consistent participation, desire to learn, creativity and responsibility she has emerged as a student leader. Camila has shown that with effort and dedication, dreams are achieved. During her years at La Paz Community School, Cami la has participated in various groups that have enhanced the student community, including Students Sponsoring Students, Yearbook, Student Government, and she capped this

“The IB gives students the opportunity to express themselves and follow their passions while being guided by set rubrics for the different Internal and External Assessments.

For example for my math IA, I choose to study how math is involved with dance, one of my passions.

Learning how to manage stress was harder than any assignment because many times we had so much work to do that I didn’t know where to start and it seemed liked my “TO DO” list didn’t actually get shorter until my last trimester.

off with a summer study abroad science program at Allegheny College where she raised funds so that local students could travel to the United States for this unique experience. We will all miss her dearly but are eager to see her light shine brightly in her post-secondary years.

Camila has been accepted to St. John’s University (New York), the University of Denver, the Xavier University School of Medicine in Aruba and Franklin University in Switzerland. We wish her the best!

It was difficult to manage time to do my Creativity, Action, and Service (CAS) project because I had to do it on my own free time and include it in my schedule, which already was really packed. However when I was really enjoying my CAS project, I would stop everything else just to work on it. For example I would spend entire afternoons sending emails to organize different fundraisers for the Creek Camp Scholarship Fund or for the Yearbook.”

Camila Arguedas

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La Paz Community School

Annual Report 2013-2014

Student Profile Bianca 1st grade student Bianca Contreras is a first grader who was selected for a scholarship from a strong pool of highly qualified applicants in August 2015. She stood out as an outgoing, eager learner with strong family support. Bianca’s family has deep historical roots in the Potrero community where she lives with her parents in a oneroom wooden house with a tin roof near the village center. Her father descends from the Moreno family who were Potrero’s original settlers. He makes his living driving cattle from pasture to pasture and helping the owners sell their steer at the local “subastas” (auctions). Bianca's mother is originally from the city of Alajuela in the central valley of Costa Rica and moved to Guanacaste seven years ago due to her fascination with the beach and Guanacasteco culture.

Bianca’s strong spirit shows in her passion for horse riding; she is an avid rider and particularly enjoys participating in the local traditional “Topes” (horse parades) where she can be found riding proudly for all to see. She also loves to dance and earns high marks in Physical Education. While Bianca spoke no English when she arrived at La Paz, after just five months, through grit and determination, she has achieved a conversational level of English. She is a fast learner who is praised by her teachers for her strong work ethic, meticulousness, positive attitude, dynamism, and for her care for her classmates and the greater community.

Bianca perfectly embodies the La Paz Scholarship program; she is a talented, motivated student who can reach her full potential within the rich learning environment that La Paz offers, and evolve into a future leader in her fast-growing community and beyond. Bianca is one of our Scholarship students who does not yet have a sponsor - her costs are heavily subsidized by the School. We are very fortunate to have her in the program and would love to see her benefit from a personal connection to one or more sponsors!

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La Paz Community School

Annual Report 2013-2014

Master Development Plan

ZONA

3

ZONA VERDE

CALLE 1 40.54

14.86

102°21'36"

102°13'48"

2.60

2 hect

ares

86.42

SOCCER FIELD 45X90 METROS

17°24'00"

CAFETERIA

$300,000 Gym + Pool

DE O NTA PLA AMIENT T TRA GYMNASIUM

PREK-2

PARKING LOT 8 9

2

16

10

3

11

12"

1

PREK-2

7

13

14

55.2

15

20 296°13'

21

Phase 1 - Office and Pod 1 (7th-12th grade) = $740K COMPLETE!

PREK-2

1

30

4

29

5

28

12

27

6

26

18

25

19

24

17

Land Acquisition of 2.6 Hectares =

$1,5M COMPLETE!

23

22

The consummation of a generous 2.6 hectare land donation by the Mar Vista Development has driven us to look ahead towards the completion of the La Paz Master Development Plan. Over the past four years, we have accrued over $3M in assets, including in-kind donations, land donations, financial donations and financing to complete the first 75% of the estimated $4M Master Plan. Our goal in the upcoming year is to raise the remaining 25% of the funding necessary to complete the build out which includes a variety of projects that will transform an already awe-inspiring campus into a m a g n i fi c e n t l y d e s i g n e d l e a r n i n g laboratory to serve many generations to come.

Phase 2 - Showers, Locker Room, Soccer Field and Pod 2 (3rd-6th grade) = $520K COMPLETE!

LIBRARY 31

DROP OFF

0

5 10 15 20 25 m

PLANTA DE CONJUNTO

10

0°29 '1 43 .2 49 9"

La Paz Community School

Annual Report 2013-2014

J u e g CALLE 1 o s

10 10 0 p 23

3

ZONA VERDE

VERDE

8.5

8.5

60.24 102°09'36"

24.93

45.63

1-10

102°01'12"

1-9

102°22'12"

19.84

9.86

102°15'36"

102°02'24"

1-8 1-7 1-6

1-A

1-5

1-4

1-3

closet

1-1

12.31

1-2

201°18'00"

1-B

21.33m

1-A

closet

1-B

1-C

bodega

1-D

FRUIT TREES

casilleros closet

1-C

1-D

bodega

1-D1

1-E

i

19m

showers

I n f a n t

1-F

l e s

1-G

VESTIDORES escala 1:50

1-H

PHYSICS LAB

1-I

1-k

$150,000

1-J

1-4

Science Laboratories

1-3 1-2

1-1

19m

$100,000

Guanacaste Cafe

VIVERO AND PLATANOS

CHICKEN AREA

34.5m

PATIO

B8

B7

B6

BA

A2

B5

19m

PIG AREA

B2

PA

PA

B4 B3

A2

3

B1

PA A2

BA

AULA 62,28 m2

AREA MULTIUSO

BODEGA

COVER PLAYGROUND

SS MUJERES

8,47 m2

$150,000

SS HOMBRES

BB AULA 62,28 m2

BC

BB B6 B5

MUSIC ROOM 9'48" 153.9 9

B7

BC

B4 BD

202°1

B8

34.5m

Music/Art

SALA DE PROFESO RES 30,18 m2

POD "B"

AULA 62,28 m2

19m

62,00 m2

4

AMPITHEATRE

BD BE

$400,000

BE

AREA MULTIUSO

ART STUDIO

62,00 m2

PreK-2nd

34.5m

BF

AULA 62,28 m2

BF

BG

19m

BG

PREK-2

BH pend 10%

PREK-2

B3

BH

5

B2 B1

OFFICE SPACE

DROP OFF

34.5m

"

30

9°15 '00 6.6 " 5

14

20m

PARKING LOT 31

13 12

25

9

22

10

23

11

24

27 28 29 30

8

21

6 5

7

4

20m

7

20 18

33 34

17

0"

3

35 °15 '00 " 39.

77

2

301

38.75m

1

7'0

30.15m

15

6

6

16

44 302°2

19

32

42

5°0 6'0 0" 25 .53

43

30

31

41

48

40

47

9°36 '00 22 " .33

39

30

38

46

37

45

26

36

0°05 '2 5.92 4"

49

6

'48

50

9°28

51

30

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La Paz Community School

Annual Report 2013-2014

Board of Directors Title

Name

President

Martyn Hoffmann (2009)

Vice President

Gerardo Brenes (2007)

Secretary

Marcela Fernandez (2014)

Treasurer

Christian Desmond Fautz (2009)

Vocal

Brian Patrick Crites (2007)

Vocal

Ashley Javogue (2009)

Vocal

Julia Berry (2009)

Vocal

Rebecca Clower (2011)

Vocal

Marianela Pastor (2013)

Fiscal

Alejandro Elliott Berkowitz (2010)

Donors, September 1, 2013 - August 30, 2014

Platinium $25,000

Gold $10,000

Peter Paul

Michael Hartmann

Anonymous

Kevin & Carolyn Herman

Charles Brewer/Las Catalinas

Martyn & Debi Hoffmann

Estate of Bruce E. Tricinella

Pascal & Nadja Imbert Jake & Amy Jacobs

Silver $5,000

Alejandro Berkowitz

Bill & Desiree Schrader Pura Vida Energy Systems S.A.

Anonymous

James Palmer

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La Paz Community School

Bronze $2,500

Brass $1,000

Copper $ 500

Iron $100

Annual Report 2013-2014

Byron Knief

Marilee Rhodes

David Jacobs

Natasha Avrith

Keith Herman

Summer Coast Realty

Alan Adams

Christian & Jamie Fautz

Pura Vida Ride

Amigos de la Educaci贸n

Don Machum

Quentin & Marjorie Dodge

Andrew & Jenny Duerkop Eddy Clinaz

Tiffany Resig

William Nevins

Anthony Lawler

In Memory of Dorothy McGowan

AXA Foundation

Kata Kis

Bank of America Charitable Fund

Leslie Anderson

Clarie Schenebeck

Harvey & Kathy McGowan

Michael Gordon

Cross Holding

Howard Dunaway

Portia Culley

Faith Tjardes

Julia Berry

Tom Rothermel

Gerard Ezcurra

Julie Wright

Alexander Hartnett

Kate Spector

Pat Fuscoe

Alyssa Berg

Katherine Hunt

Paul Errickson

Caleb McClennen

Kristen Sawyer

Phil Eitman

Carol & Walter McClennen

Laura Merritt

Scott Landale

Carolyn Herman

Lea Holliday

Sean Cliver

Catherine Boyd

Leal Carter

Seth McClennen

David Dredge

Lisa Powers

Sharleen Friedman

David Kaminski

Lois Thompson

Susannah Weaver

Dawn Tatro

Melissa Burroughs

Tanya Rauzi

Duncan Calhoun

Michele Berg

Thomas Horst

James Snediker

Michelle Lower

Timothy Capozzi

Jeffrey Osborne

Molly Perencevich

Victoria Zoch

Kate Burke

Nicola Cleary

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La Paz Community School

Annual Report 2013-2014

A N N U A L

R E P O R T

La Paz Community School Asociación Escuela Comunal La Paz de Brasilito Cédula Jurídica 3-002-498041

SOUTH CAMPUS: | 400 Metros Este de la Entrada al Proyecto Mar Vista | Guanacaste, Santa Cruz, Costa Rica 50301

NORTH CAMPUS (Prek-2): 500 Metros Sur de la Ferreteria | Flamingo, Guanacaste, Costa Rica North: +(506) 2654-4532 | South: +(506) 2654-6087 | Mobile: +(506) 8350-9102 | paz@LaPazSchool.org www.lapazschool.org La Paz Community School is partially supported by US 501(c )3 recognized World Children's Project EIN# 42-1649091 Eugene, Oregon http://worldchildrensproject.org/

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First International Baccalaureate students.

14 Andrea Ramírez, Omar García, Bianca Javogue, David Blanco, Camila Arguedas, Nils Fravalo and Koral Coopwood.