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I guess that when it comes to research — like everything else — you have to start somewhere. Unfortunately for all of you, I’m starting here! : )
My wife and I are thinking of moving to CR for a year starting in the fall of 2014 (sort of a sabbatical year, I guess you could call it). I lived in CR for part of a year back in the mid-90’s (post university volunteering) so I am loosely familiar with the country but: (i) clearly much has changed in CR since then; and (ii) clearly my needs as a 22 year old are much different than they are now with a spouse and four kids!
I was curious to hear some thoughts from people in country these days re: where we should think about living, maybe a bit about schools and so forth, etc. My wife and I will probably be making a “scouting trip” sometime this fall (thus the desire to check out a few of these sites to see what I can learn in advance).
A bit about what we are looking for from our year abroad…
— a bit of ex-pat exposure is definitely welcome but we don’t want to end up in a self-segregated “ex-pat and vacationer” area of some sort. We want the family to get some cultural immersion from the year as well.
— if we were going for longer, throwing the kids in a school speaking 100% spanish would be great but given the “one school year” time frame, i don’t want them to fall wildly behind and we are therefore looking to locate ourselves somewhere near an international school where they can be on a US calendar and get a MIXTURE of english and spanish in school.
— main point is that we want the kids to have enough schooling in english that they don’t miss a beat when we return but we very much want them to pick up a good amount of spanish over the year
— my wife wants to be near a spanish language school where she can take some classes (she knows some spanish but not a lot). i used to be (close to?) fluent but that was many years ago so I could definitely use some practice, too!
— my wife is a social worker and very active in the non-profit world (has started multiple charities of her own, etc.) and wants to be in an area where she can find volunteer opportunities
— more of a “nice to have” but wife also loves yoga, book stores, etc. and being nearby those types of amenities would be great. Same thing with ideally having access to stuff like music teachers for the kids, etc.
— my wife doesn’t necessarily want to be on the beach and in the heat, but she is a bit wary of some spots (like my initial push to move to the Monte Verde area) b/c she wants to at least be able to appreciate some of the benefits of being in a warmer/tropical location for the year
— we’d be looking to rent a house for the year. and ideally be in a spot we could use as a good launching point to explore the country more on weekends, with visitors, etc.On the one hand, saying “it’s Cost Rica, let’s live near the beach” sounds great but we think that would suck us too much into vacationer/ex-pat/less-authentic sort of a vibe.
As I said above, I love the Monte Verde area but i’m not sure my wife would want the weather there for a year and the isolated nature of the area might not be ideal.
We definitely don’t want to live IN the city.
So…I was thinking maybe the best bet would be to pick a cool, smaller town/city outside of San Jose? Probably gets use near schools. Near amenities and classes my wife likes. Good launching off point. I’m just not sure where to look and what all of those towns are like these days.
Gotta run. I’ll stop rambling and see if any responses come in before I write more!
thanks for reading this!
Let us look at one requirement at a time.
Always first, in my mind, are the children. What ages are they?
Every village has an elementary school for children up to the age of 12. It has been my experience that children adjust very quickly and well to a change in environment, including language, as long as the home is steady and supportive.
If you are concerned about the academics that they might miss while out of the country, there are several sites on the internet that list requirements for each grade level and even assist parents in home schooling.
The time spent in school each day is not long and leaves plenty of time to practice mathematics and read history.
Consequently, were it my children, I would enroll them in the local school so that they could learn a new language and culture by immersion.
If the school lacks ‘things’ instead of paying exorbitant fees for a private school education, you could supply the local school with material things.
Ticket and entry requirements alone is cause for you to figure out how you would be allowed into the country for a year, when the tourist visa is good only for a maximum of 90 days… and then you must exit then re-enter the country to reset your visa and drivers license.
This website has a good post regarding private schools.
https://www.welovecostarica.com/public/1072.cfm
Unfortunately, having four children will make it easier for them to continue speaking with their siblings in English…8)
It is important to find the appropriate/acceptable schools and locations [u]before[/u] you commit to a rental property.
Speaking of school hours, some public schools offer only half days, and can close ‘on a whim’. Just yesterday, my friend dropped of their daughter at high school and 2 hours later, they were called to pick her up, as school was now ‘out for the day’. Also, since you may have to choose both an elementary and a high school depending on the ages of your children, take into consideration for dropping of the kids in the morning ‘rush hour’ as schools tend to start much earlier here.Public schools have a different calender year to the US schools and [u]may not permit[/u] your child, as a tourist, to enroll ‘mid term’ and that not all public schools will permit students who do not speak Spanish.
You are required to produce medical records, especially showing that all inoculations are all up to date.This is strictly enforced.
At both public or private facilities, you [u]may[/u] be asked for a translated report card [i]by an authorized translator from the Ministry of Foreign Relations [/i]which must be stamped by the CR consulate closest to where you presently live. Some private schools [u]may [/u]waive all this, since it is ‘temporary’ but then you[u] may[/u] not get a report card, so check this before you commit to any school.
Sounds confusing? Yes, it will be…:roll: x’s 4!
Come and find out for yourself where you think will suit you and your family requirements
Great feedback here….
Just a note for people who are concerned about: “You are required to produce medical records, especially showing that all inoculations are all up to date. This is strictly enforced.”
For religious or whatever reasons there are Doctors here who will provide you with proof of vaccinations without you actually having them…
Scott
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