A little over two years ago my wife and I got this crazy idea in our heads that Costa Rica was where we were supposed to live.

Preparations began and five months later we found ourselves living in Tamarindo with no real plan. Life caught up with us though and it was time to start working again. As a teacher, I quickly found a job at Educarte, a local primary school. Here in the Gold Coast area there are so many options when it comes to education.

Going in to our second year in Costa Rica I took a job as a 5th grade teacher at the Country Day School, a private K-12 American school in Brasilito. The experience has been amazing, especially for my children.

The campus is tucked in the jungle off the main road and is frequented daily by howler monkeys, giant iguanas, and tropical birds. In fact, we have so much wildlife right outside my class that the students recognize and have named the animals. You’ll see a picture below of Bieber, an iguana who visits us daily, right outside our window in his favorite tree.

Quality of education is always a concern for foreigners relocating in Costa Rica. As a father of three, it was certainly on my mind. Country Day School, as well as the other schools in the area, have done a great job recruiting experienced teachers and established a strong curriculum.

Teaching such a diverse group of kids has been a great experience. The majority of the student body is from the United States, but there are also many Canadians, Europeans, and, of course, Costa Ricans.

The Country Day campus is the center of many fund raisers and public events. You can read about one such event, sponsored by Country Day School here. Through the families at Country Day and other generous businesses and individuals throughout the community we were able to raise about $6,000 in Christmas aid for families in need. The money went towards food, clothing, bedding, and toys for the children.

I’ve enjoyed organizing an after school skateboard club… makes me feel young. There are many after school activities that kids can participate in through school and other community organizations. Kids participate in surf club, skate club, basketball, volleyball, soccer, competitive swimming, art, dance, and cheerleading.

Outside of school there are other great art and sports activities that the kids can get involved in. Personally, my favorite thing to do is enjoy the stunning nightly sunsets as the kids surf or boogey board on some of the most amazing beaches in the world – Not a bad life!

As it turns out, we weren’t so crazy. Pura Vida!

Please see how to promote your school on WeLoveCostaRica.com for only $97 per month here.

Written by Tom Burton & Becky Clower Tom is a teacher at Country Day School and his friend Becky Clower is our Recommended Realtor in this area. Becky grew up in Buffalo, NY and graduated from Arizona State University. Becky is fluent in Spanish, thanks to her mother who is Tica.

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Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.