Rainy Season Reminders
Hello NDS families,
I hope you had a great weekend. Our third trimester is well under way, and from the looks of things tonight, rainy season is back in full effect. This post has some important reminders, so please take a moment and give it the time it deserves. Footwear and personal items are a common theme. It is helpful for tupperware, gear, clothing, and towels to be labeled with family names.
For Garden days, please remember that students should have boots for the garden, inside shoes, and outside shoes. We strongly suggest running shoes to protect the feet during play. On Fridays we have P.E. Class and running shoes are mandatory. Students should have a change of clothing and a raincoat. We work outside come rain or shine. If it is raining during recess hours, we cannot let children go outside unless they have the proper apparel, and this can be upsetting to some students who enjoy going out in light rain and splashing around a bit. It is acceptable to leave a change of clothes and raincoat at school.
On Ocean days students must come ready for the ocean snorkel activity, and students will still need indoor and outdoor shoes. They are welcome to bring sandals to the beach, but shoes are necessary for school hours. All students must have their own mask, snorkel, and fins (even the explorers). Every group has been learning how to use this equipment. Fins are very important for this final trimester. Students without fins cannot swim safely in open water. For comfort and safety everyone needs proper ocean gear. The extra gear that has been available at the school is for reserved use only. Students who arrive without their gear will be allowed to use the reserved gear, but the families will be charged a $15 fee per use. This policy has been under consideration for some time, and after noting loss and damage from over-use, we have come to the conclusion to implement it. The ocean and garden classroom are an important part of our curriculum and a main reason why most families choose to attend our school. Thank you for making sure your child is properly prepared for all our school has to offer.
Our shared snack program is another defining characteristic of our school, designed to help build community among the students and to limit waste. As a school we produce less than one full 20-gallon bag of garbage per month! Typical lunch snacks are wrapped in a lot of packaging, but by bringing home-made goodies, fruits, and vegetables with reusable containers, we can all do our part to limit waste. We'd like to thank all our families for continuing to make this tradition special. Please continue to think about packaging when preparing a healthy snack on your child's snack day. When planning how much to snack to prepare and send, please consider that we normally have between 20 and 30 children, and they often like to take seconds. We suggest that a snack include a grain with sliced or cut fruits and vegetables. The snack MUST be prepared upon delivery to the school, and your child will aid in serving the snack on their designated days.
Upcoming this week:
On Saturday September 14th we will participate in the Faroles Evening Lantern Parade. Please meet at Luperon on Coco’s main street by 5:30 pm; the parade will begin at 6:00 pm with the Costa Rican National Anthem, and we will march down main street to the basketball court in the Amor de Temporada park, where Coco’s Public School will present a civic act. There is no dress code for this event. Students are making faroles in class this week.
On Sunday September 15th we will participate in the morning Independence Day parade. We'd like all of our families to march with us in the parade. Please meet at San Carlos Hardware Store by 7:15 am; Lakeside School will present a Civic Act at 7:30 am to initiate the parde, which will march down main street to the Amor de Temporada Park. Students should wear their typical dress costumes for Sunday’s morning parade. If you require a typical Costa Rican attire and have paid the annual costume fee, please let us know what size you'll need and we will provide you with a costume on the Friday before the parade. If you need a costume but have not paid, you can either rent one from the school for c10,000 or purchase a typical outfit in town. We'd love everyone to participate in the parade in formal wear. Adults who do not have typical clothing can come in Costa Rican red, white, and blue.
Lastly, I have a few families looking for early morning rides to school from the Las Palmas area. If you are able to carpool, please let us know and we can put you in contact with families needing rides for their children.
Thank you, have a lovely evening, and we look forward to sharing the weekend celebrations with you!