It is my sincere pleasure to announce that Lakeside has earned its MEP Accreditation. We invite you to join us for our celebration potluck on Thursday May 13th at 6:00 p.m. Enjoy student presentations and performances as well as the camaraderie of the Lakeside family.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the extended Lakeside Family who has supported us during this process. The phones have not stopped ringing as congratulations are pouring in. Please share this great news with your friends and help us spread the word!

Please call us at: 2667-0066 for more detailed information about the Potluck Celebration.

Click here to view a copy of our actual accreditation.

We’d like to thank everyone who participated in the 2009 parent survey which was conducted in the final quarter of last year. We had a 39% response rate. Although this represents a significant number of parents, we would like to encourage everyone in 2010 to participant in this year’s surveys. Below are the results of the survey:

Overall satisfaction with Lakeside:
94% completely or mostly satisfied

Overall Satisfaction with Teaching at Lakeside:
81% completely or mostly satisfied

Overall Satisfaction with Lakeside Curriculum:
81% completely or mostly satisfied

Quality of the feedback on students’ performance:

• 68% completely or mostly satisified
• 19% neutral
• 12% mostly dissatisfied

Action Taken: In 2010 Lakeside is introducing student portfolios which will highlight student work and achievement. Your child will become the docent as they guide you through their learning process. Experience your child’s performance first hand. In addition, join Mr. Charles once a month for coffee and discuss the Lakeside evaluation philosophy and methodology.

Suggested Improvements to Facilities:
69% responded

• Parking Lot with a system for the safe circulation of vehicles and a more welcoming set-up.
• Sports facilities: gymnasium, soccer field, basketball court.
• Library
• Lockers

Action Taken: The parking lot has been redone to include a separate entrance and exit which are clearly marked. In addition, a round about was added to help control the flow of traffic. We have also added an attendant to greet parents and children and help control traffic. (his name is Bismark, be sure to say hello!) Our after-school sports of soccer and baseball have been moved to our own fields where practice is held every week.

Extra-curricular activities:
Suggestions on extra –curricular activities included:

• an improvement on current sports activities so that there are age appropriate activities e.g. T ball instead of baseball for younger ones, younger children separated from the older ones for soccer.
• Activities that take advantage of the Lakeside farm
• computer club
• homework assistance
• martial arts
• band/music
• dancing

Action Taken: In the first semester of 2010, Lakeside has a wide variety of after-school offerings including a variety of sports, dancing, yearbook, art and science. Check out our after school calendar at: http://lakesideschoolcr.com/2010-school-calendar/

How important is IB accreditation:

Results were divided
• 50% indicated that IB Accreditation was not very important
• 50% indicated that IB Accreditation was very important

After School Calendar

On September 15th, Lakeside celebrated the Independence of Costa Rica!

Everyone learned a bit about the history of the “Antorcha”, parade of faroles and the meaning of Costa Rican Independence. The traditional food provided by Karen Lios, Ana Cruz and Millie Ramirez was delicious and every last tamale disappeared!

At 6pm we joined the nation in the singing of the National Anthem and then sat back and enjoyed traditional dances performed by the troupe “Siempre Joven”. We would like to thank them for sharing this special evening with us.

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The night was damp and the anticipation heavy in the air as Lakeside students & Parents waited for the torch to arrive. Not even a small thunderstorm earlier in the evening could dampen the spirits of the three runners. The mood was jovial up until the torch arrived, and then it was all business as the three runners outpaced the official escort vehicles. Sirens, honking and a line of cars that stretched over 2km followed the runners as they made their way to the Lakeside School entrance where they handed off the torch.

We are very proud of our students and consider it an honor to have been included in this traditional celebration.

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T.G.I.F. Archives:
T.G.I.F. Vol 2 Issue 3
T.G.I.F. Vol 2 Issue 2
T.G.I.F. Vol 2 Issue 1
T.G.I.F. Vol 1 Issue 4
T.G.I.F. Vol 1 Issue 3
T.G.I.F. Vol 1 Issue 2
T.G.I.F. Vol 1 Issue 1

The first impression of the Lakeside Art Exhibit I, is a burst of color, like a bright sun over the desert. It is hard to believe that young students from 5 to 15 years old created these mini-masterpieces. The Exhibit enjoyed a great turn out of family, friends and the community. The exhibit will remain open until Sunday August 23rd and we encourage everyone to stop by and enjoy these wonderful images.

Click here to download a copy of the artist showcase program.
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We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers who want to make a difference!

“Some kids don’t know how good they are,
how smart and how much they have to say.
You can tell them. You can shine that light on them one human interaction at a time”
- Dave Eggers (founder of 826Valencia tutoring center)

What can you teach someone?
What’s something new you can expose kids to?
What do teachers need help with?
The school needs you.
Teachers need you.
Students and parents need you!
You say “how would I make a difference”? How can I help?

Volunteer Opportunities

After School Tutoring Program
We know that students can make great leaps in their understanding and self-expression through one-on-one attention from skilled teachers and tutors working in support of classroom instructors. We are opening an after-school tutoring center that pairs students with volunteers to help strengthen them academically and hopefully inspire a love of learning. This program will start with Lakeside students and then extend to the community schools as well.

Story Time
Kinder & Prepa/1st grade are looking for people to become story time volunteers! Help kids become “Ready to Read” at our informal story times, where you spend 30 minutes reading to a small group of students. Become a positive influence in the lives of our Lakeside kids. (Positive experiences with language and reading have been proven to be critically linked to a child’s ability to learn to read and their later performance in school.)

Classroom Volunteers
Volunteers are needed in pre-school through secondary in all subjects. Classroom volunteers must commit to a regular schedule, working at least 1 hour per week. Volunteers are assigned to one classroom under the supervision of a teacher. Duties include one-on-one tutoring, small group assistance and special projects.

After-School Programs
Volunteers help students after school, assisting in completion of homework assignments and providing extra help in reading or math. Volunteers also provide supervision to after-school recreational activities. Help is needed between 1:30 and 4:00 p.m., one or more days a week.

Library
Volunteers assist staff with overall library operation and maintenance as well as providing assistance to students using the library.

Clerical/General Support
Volunteers can help school staff by answering telephones, filing, collating, entering data — the possibilities are endless.

Business Partners
Business Partners develop personalized relationships with a particular school program. Partners engage in a variety of activities, determined in consultation with the school, which can include tutoring, sponsoring school clubs or contests, technology projects – it’s up to you! Lakeside will help coordinate all the arrangements.

Get Inspired!
Make it happen!
Tell the story!

For more information about how you can get involved,
contact Marlene Ballinger at: 8990-1079.