CDSG Agenda

CALENDAR ITEMS

REMINDERS

• Sports Day and Silent Auction

Our next Sports Day will be held on Saturday, February 4th. We will also have a silent auction on that day. Please see information from the Parent Committee below:
There are some great Silent Auction items available for purchase from our Holiday in Paradise gala.  We had a few duplicate donations, along with some items that didn't get the display exposure they deserved.  These will be displayed on Saturday, February 4th at our next all school Sports Day. For students:  Lunch Line Server, La Paz Waterfall Gardens Tour for 20 (located at the Peace Lodge), "Pinilla Beach Party" with Mr. Townley, "Adventure Day" on Dante Beach with Mr. Tom and Mr. Chapman, "Paddleboarding Adventure" with Kim and Dan Baldwin, "Sports Day Party" with Mr. Diego, Mr. Willie, and Mr. Vargas, Gatekeeper for 30 Minutes. For families:  VIP Parking Space for a Month, Mailboxes, Etc. service for 2 months, Toh Gouttenoire Photography portrait session. Personal:  Various massages from Carolina Varela, Two Rounds of Golf at Hacienda Pinilla, Elm Twig Mobile Site Generator Membership.

• SGA Candygrams for Sale

The Upper School SGA will have Candygrams for sale next week. Buy one for your favorite teacher, student or friend or send one to a secret admirer! Celebrate friendship this month with a Candygram! See US SGA representatives for details. The cost is 500 Colones for each one.

• SGA Bake Sale

There will be a bake sale during Sports Day tomorrow and all proceeds will go to our Upper School SGA. Please show your support and buy something yummy!

• Parent Surveys

All parents are asked to fill out an online survey through "Survey Monkey" in an effort to kick start our reaccreditation. A link to the survey will be sent home to all parents early next week. The survey will take between 30 minutes and one hour to complete. Please take the time to fill this out. The more information we have, the more effective we can be in assessing our school's needs. Thank you!

• AP Exams

February 29th will be the last day to pay for AP exams. Please see Kim Baldwin for information if your child is in an AP class and wishes to take the exam. Her email is This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

• SCUBA Certification

Does your 7th-12th grader want to get certified in SCUBA? If so, please let me know as we are offering SCUBA certification here at school starting next week. We already have a few students signed up and there are a few spaces left. Please let me know if you are interested and I will give you the details regarding dates and times.

• Parent Committee Notes

Please find the notes from the most recent parent committee meeting attached to this email. Please join us for the next parent meeting which will take place on Tuesday, February 21st at 1:00.

• Security Car Badges

If you still have not picked up your car badge, please come into the office to do so. Car badges will be with Rebecca. If you do not have a car badge, you will need to sign in each time you come to campus. Additionally, you must have your photo taken for our security book. If you have not done this, please send in your photo to Vera Naranjo at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it as soon as possible. Please list your first and last name and name of your child/children.

• Study Skills Seminar

Does your child complain about studying? Does he/she have a hard time keeping organized? Does he/she get test anxiety? Are you searching for answers as to how to get your child to do better in school, on tests and quizzes and homework completion? If you answered yes to any of these questions, this workshop is for you! Please join us on Thursday, February 23rd from 10:00-12:00 for a Study Skills workshop presented by local psychologist Monica Riascos. This is for parents only and the cost is $15 per person. Please sign up with Rebeca in the office. Advanced payment is required and space is limited to the first twenty participants.

• Booster Club Forms

If your child is new and wants to play a sport, he/she will need to fill out a Booster Club form and pay $20. This money goes towards uniform rental, pays for referees, trophies, etc. Please get a booster club form from your child's coach and turn all money and forms into Rebecca in the front office.

• Book Fair

The Book Fair is scheduled for April however we will start sending the catalogues home for children to choose and order the books they would like! Lower School teachers will send each child home with a catalogue for ordering. We only have a few catalogues so each child will only have one night to choose and order books. Please see the instructions that come home with your child on his/her day. Additionally, for all Middle and Upper School Parents: The catalog is quite extensive and offers many books for Grades 6-12. If your son/daughter is interested in ordering any, please contact Pam at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it /8355.9993 for a catalogue.

• Facebook

Please check out our CDSG Facebook page! It contains lots of photos and school related information.

• Golden Garbage Can

We take great pride in our school. We have a beautiful campus and we need to keep it that way! Each week, we will choose a classroom that is clean on the inside and out. This means that lockers are closed and have locks on them, there is no garbage on the ground around the classroom, items are stored in lockers or on top of lockers and not on the floor, backpacks are on hooks inside the classrooms, etc. The class that does this each week will win the "Golden Garbage Can" award. The Golden Garbage Can will be filled with something tasty or fun so be prepared and let's take initiative to make our school SHINE! Last week's winners were 7th grade and 3rd grade. Today, the 6th graders took the trophy…who will be our LS winners? We will find out on Friday!

• Roadmap to College

This will be a very informative presentation by Kim Baldwin and Scott Muller. All parents of MS and US students are invited and encouraged to attend. You will learn about necessary tests for college, how to prepare your child for those tests, testing dates and what those tests mean. You will also learn about when to start thinking about college for your child, how to prepare for the application process, the college search, etc. This is not just for juniors! This is for anyone who has plans to attend college in the future. Come and learn what it is all about!

• Coffee Talks

I am available each Tuesday from 2:45 until 3:45 in the library for coffee and conversation. Bring your ideas, concerns and questions. Please remember that every Tuesday from 2:45-3:45 I will be available in the library for parents who would like to come, share ideas and concerns. This is in an effort to keep our Parent Committee meetings focused on the agenda. I invite you to come to this time whenever you wish!

You can always reach my by email or phone:

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

8822-6797 (cell)

2654-5042 ext. 6100 (office)

KUDOS

• Congratulations to Senior student Morgan Osborne for her acceptance to the University of Tampa this week!
  
  
• Congratulations to Senior Alana Eitman for her acceptance to the University of West Florida this week.
  
  
• Nice job Middle School students! The El Llanito School looks fantastic because you took the initiative to make it so. Awesome!
  
  
• Kudos to our student teachers! They are jumping in and helping to make our school a better place for our kids. We applaud your efforts!
  
  
• Thank you Ms. Colleen, Ms. Lizzie and Ms. Crystal for organizing a fantastic "100th Day of School" celebration for our kids. It was fun to see you dressed up and acting like old ladies! The kids LOVED it. Thanks for making it a special day!

QUOTE FOR THE WEEK

The Character Trait for January

Love and Friendship

"Most people come into our lives and quickly leave. It is the special few that come in and leave a footprint in our hearts, and we are forever changed."

No lapse of time or distance of place can lessen the friendship of those who are truly persuaded of each other's worth."