Mission Statement
American International School of Costa Rica enables a broad spectrum of students to learn and work at their maximum potential in order to meet college preparatory standards for admission into leading colleges and universities in the United States and abroad. Students attending American International School of Costa Rica, who so wish, can also elect to prepare for the Costa Rican Baccalaureate leading to admission into local institutions of higher education.
Instruction is given to small group of students in a friendly, family-oriented environment, which encourages an appreciation of cultural diversity and self-discipline. American International School of Costa Rica aspires to develop in its students a solid foundation for social, emotional, and intellectual growth so that they may become responsible citizens of the world.
SCHOOL BELIEFS
1) Each student is a valued individual with unique physical, social, emotional and intellectual needs.
2) Students learn in different ways and should be provided with curriculum and instructional practices that incorporate a variety of learning activities to accommodate differences in learning styles.
3) Assessments should provide students with a variety of opportunities to demonstrate their achievement.
4) Exceptional students (e.g. special education, limited English proficiency, talented and gifted, etc.) require special services, resources, or accommodations.
5) A student’s self esteem is enhanced by positive relationships and mutual respect among and between students and staff.
6) Cultural diversity can increase students’ understanding and appreciation of different peoples, cultures, and themselves.
7) Schools need to function as a learning organization and promote opportunities for all those who have a stake in the success of the school to work together as a community.
8) The commitment to continuous improvement is imperative.
9) Students learn best when they see the relevance of what they are learning to their daily lives.
10) Schools must encourage students to develop self-motivation, self-direction, and self-discipline.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
In keeping with the above stated beliefs, American International School of Costa Rica is committed:
• To provide an environment that fosters the development of intellectual, social, aesthetic and ethical values and responds to the needs of students growing up in a multicultural environment and an increasingly complex international community.
• To provide an environment that promotes personal responsibility by encouraging students to ask questions, to explore their surroundings and their beliefs, and to make decisions based on responsibility to self, peers, community and world.
• To help children, parents, and teachers identify each student’s unique learning style and, to the extent possible, incorporate it into the learning that takes place at school and at home.
• To employ the best qualified teachers and counselors and to provide for them on-going opportunities for professional development and personal growth.
• To maintain a low student/teacher ratio from preschool to twelfth grade in order to promote the development of a strong sense of community which will foster student learning.
• To provide a curriculum that, while sensitive to human growth and development, prepares students for admission to post-secondary institutions and universities throughout the world.
• To provide activities that address the developmental needs of students and that prepare students for a world of rapid change in which lifelong learning, continuing education, creative thought, critical thinking, and acquisition of skills are essential.
• To uphold a United States model of education, offering a curriculum that prepares students for higher education, and to provide service to Costa Rican and international students wishing to participate in a U.S. style education.
• To provide students, who so wish, with a quality education upholding the standards of the Costa Rican Ministry of Education.