Academic Programs

At San Juan del Sur Day School, our future ready PreK-12 academic program embodies our mission of cultivating inquisitive, self-reliant, lifelong learners. From our primary level, deeply rooted in student-centered, Constructivist principles, to our Cognia International Diploma and the Nicaraguan MINED Diploma in later grades, we offer a comprehensive educational journey. Our innovative bilingual curriculum in English and Spanish is complemented by a robust sustainability program, connecting students with the natural resources of our farm and forest campus and beyond.

Learning Structure

The structure that is utilized to support the learning process dictates how and when we provide various sorts of learning experiences. This system is designed to provide consistent, flexible, well-rounded, and comprehensive learning experiences. The learning structure is composed of three areas:

  • Making us who we are. Core values are a set of personal qualities, fundamental beliefs, ideals or practices that inform how you conduct your life, both personally and professionally. Our values convey the beliefs that positively influence our behavior and the way we interact with individuals, groups and our community. They represent the deepest beliefs and sentiments to which we can aspire, and they shape our School community. As a school, we’re all about our school values.

    These are the values that shape our School:

    Compassion

    Truthfulness

    Peace

    Respect

    Responsibility

    Service to others

    Joyfulness

    Gratitude

    Respect for the Environment

    Enthusiasm

  • The teaching learning cycle continually answers three critical questions:

    • What do we want to learn?

    • How best will we learn?

    • How will we know what we have learned?

  • The knowledge component is taught through six transdisciplinary themes of global significance that provide the framework for exploration and study.

    • Who we are

    • Where we are in place and time

    • How we express ourselves

    • How the world works

    • How we organize ourselves

    • Sharing the planet

    The six transdisciplinary themes help teachers to develop a program of inquiries–in-depth investigations into important ideas, identified by the teachers, and requiring a high level of involvement on the part of the students. These inquiries are substantial, in-depth and last for several weeks.

  • The Building Blocks are the core subjects found throughout our studies. They form the foundation of the learning environment and are the design elements used to create an orderly, stable, and accessible environment. These lessons target core-skills that need repetitive practice. This is where our students build the foundational skills, tools and know how to succeed. The attention to detail, hard work and repetition are underlying factors for proficiency. The six transdisciplinary themes are integrated into 6 subject areas:

    • English Language Arts

    • Spanish Language Arts

    • Social Studies

    • Mathematics

    • Arts

    • Science

    • Physical Education and Wellness

  • To achieve a balance in learning, we emphasize five parts of the curriculum, which are called the Essential Elements.

    The Elements are learning loops where learning can be focused on a particular topic. They are the generators of learning and knowledge-sharing. They are dynamic and iterative. This allows students to have a truly rewarding learning experience, grow as individuals, and remain involved in the learning process. The interconnected topics promote the students’ ever-expanding interests and levels of awareness.

    Students are given the opportunity to: gain knowledge that is relevant and of global significance, develop an understanding of concepts, make connections throughout his or her learning, acquire transdisciplinary and disciplinary skills, develop attitudes that will lead to internationally-mindedness, and take action as a consequence of his or her learning. The five essential elements are:

    • Knowledge  (What we want the students to know about)

    • Concepts (What we want the students to understand)

    • Skills (What we want the students to be able to do)

    • Attitudes (What we want the students to feel)

    • Action (How we want the students to act)

  • At San Juan del Sur Day School, we empower students to thrive as engaged learners through our Sustainability program. By integrating rotating an ever evolving subject matter focused on life skills and regenerative practices such as gardening and mindfulness, and immersive nature based experiences, we nurture life-long learners with a deep sense of responsibility for our planet and the future. Through hands-on projects, students develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration skills, while connecting with nature and their community. Our program fosters a passion for learning, a love for the environment, and a commitment to making a positive impact on the world.

Our Learning Philosophy

At the San Juan del Sur Day School, we are deeply committed to the holistic development of each child as an inquirer, nurturing their hearts and minds while addressing their social, physical, emotional, and cultural needs alongside their academic growth. Our learning philosophy revolves around the belief that education is not about passive acquisition of knowledge but an active, contextualized process of constructing it. We value the significance of personal experiences and hypotheses in shaping a child's understanding of the world around them.

In crafting our educational framework, we draw upon a rich tapestry of research and best practices from various international systems, tapping into the knowledge and experiences of effective schools. By doing so, we create an engaging, challenging, and meaningful educational environment that is relevant for every child. Our approach is centered on fostering a love for learning, empowering students to take an active role in constructing their knowledge, and instilling lifelong skills that extend beyond the classroom. Together, we aspire to inspire a generation of curious, empathetic, and resilient learners who are well-prepared to embrace the ever-evolving challenges of the future.

How we learn

The Learning Methods are our fundamental shared views about how to create effective and transformative learning experiences.

It is clear the way in which our children are taught has a much deeper impact on them than what they were learning at the time. While we honor that each educator is unique, as a school we encourage learning methods that are:

  • Holistic and Advisory

  • Responsive and Intentional

  • Experiential and Transitional

  • Authentic and Connected

  • Social and Cultural

What we Learn

At San Juan del Sur Day School, we've partnered with elite curriculum providers Savas (formerly Pearson) and National Geographic Learning to offer the best resources aligned with North American and Nicaraguan standards.

Our project-based curriculum is centered around transdisciplinary themes and sustainability. This approach allows students and teachers to explore knowledge beyond traditional subjects, fostering holistic learning.

Our PreK-Grade 5 curriculum revolves around six transdisciplinary themes, guiding students through comprehensive units of inquiry over six to eight weeks. This helps them develop essential concepts while applying skills across multiple disciplines. By incorporating rigorous global standards and key questions that drive each unit, students gain a deep understanding of the interconnectedness between subjects and the broader world.

Our middle and high school curriculum prepares students for global careers and higher education. Through rigorous academics and project-based learning, students explore interdisciplinary connections, emphasizing sustainability and transdisciplinary themes. This inquiry-driven approach fosters critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration while meeting international university standards, empowering students for lifelong learning and global success.

Our curriculum framework combines evolving global standards to create a diverse, internationally relevant education. We empower students to excel academically, build vital life skills, and become well-rounded global citizens. By revisiting and threading transdisciplinary questions through lessons and projects, we nurture attitudes that encourage socially responsible behavior, enabling students to become inquirers, thinkers, communicators, and reflective individuals with a passion for lifelong learning.

Today, more than ever, education is not just about imparting knowledge but also fostering critical thinking, adaptability, and creativity in our students. It’s about community, core values and growing in a safe and supported environment. Here, in a farm and forest setting with discovery all around, our learning community enables students to the build knowledge, life skills and develop the values needed to be successful in their life journey. We believe in the power of holistic education that nurtures not only their intellectual growth but also their emotional well-being and sense of global citizenship.

Our school is committed to staying at the forefront of this transformation, incorporating innovative teaching methods, embracing technology, and creating learning environments that inspire curiosity and a passion for lifelong learning.

To manage the implementation of our mission as a school for a sustainable future, we have created a framework which identifies and nurtures the learning areas of: Program, Environment, Community, Organization and Setting.

This framework represents our belief that we are all striving to ensure a collective approach to learning. Individually and collectively, we transform, meet milestones, make connections, share knowledge and skills. Our relationships, environment and life experiences form our social and cultural values. At the core of this transformative learning journey is our mission.

We are dedicated to equipping our students with the skills and mindset they need to thrive in an ever-changing world, and we are honored to be part of this exciting educational journey.