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Did you know?
UCA is the only private, bi-lingual school in Uvita that offers a US accredited diploma!
UCA already has seven high school graduates! Most are currently attending university in the United States, and one is serving in the Coast Guard in the United States. Way to go graduates!
UCA has low teacher turnover – the same teachers year after year!
Every classroom at UCA is bi-lingual, with teachers who speak both Spanish and English.
***Since UCA started in 2013, we’ve learned a lot about the parents and students living in our area. We’ve come to understand that for some subjects, one way of learning is better than another. Check out how we like to do things below – it’s the best of both worlds!
Learn more about UCA Curriculum from our Directress of Learning
Self-Paced Learning
At UCA, students are given the ability to learn at their own pace when studying certain subjects like Math, English, Spelling/Etymology, and Literature – and this is perfect for them! Because some students learn faster than others, self-paced learning is just what the doctor ordered: kids who need to spend extra time working on a math lesson can get the help they need, while students who are learning really fast can keep moving ahead. This cuts down on student frustration – there are no penalties for working slowly, but no aggravation for those who don’t need to! Also, students receive lots of individual attention via this teaching method.
Whole-Class Instruction
Whole-class instruction is the most traditional model in education, and it has a lot of strengths…that’s why we incorporate it also. The following subjects are taught according to this model: Science, Social Studies, Spanish Grammar, Physical Education, and Art. We like this model, too, because students who like to interact with their teachers and other students have the chance to be very expressive! There’s always a synergy and a special dynamic developed through this style of teaching; students have the chance to share their knowledge, opinions, and understanding of subject matter.
Our Campus
Our UCA Campus has two different locations: our Pre-School building is located in Bahía, while our Elementary, Jr. High, and High School Classrooms are located in Uvita at the synthetic soccer field complex. In each classroom, students daily receive individual attention from two types of teachers, a lead teacher and an assistant teacher. Lead teachers speak both Spanish and English, and most assistant teachers do, also.
A note about Spanish courses: At UCA, Spanish classes are designed so that students learn not only Spanish spoken in Costa Rica, but also what is appropriate in different countries, where dialects always differ. Students learn proper Spanish concepts, practice conversation, and invest time listening to spoken Spanish. To learn more about how UCA incorporates Spanish into daily classes and routines click here.
Related Arts
It’s no surprise that every child is unique. At UCA, our teachers try to find out what students need to learn to bring balance to their education, and to make sure there are no missing pieces! This is where our Related Arts classes fit in.
Our core curriculum always includes the study of Spanish, Math, English, Etymology/Spelling, Literature & Creative Writing, Science, and Social Studies, but we want to give our students MORE – they need to be challenged in ways that make them ready for the future!
At UCA, we develop the “whole person”… sometimes, parents volunteer their time to teach these exciting classes!
Related Arts classes have included, but are not limited to:
Technology Class (can include Typing)
Speech
Physical Education
Art and Art Appreciation
Writing Workshops
First Aid/CPR
Speech/Debate
Students are a part of these classes during different trimesters of the academic year, depending on which instructors are available; not all grades/levels participate in these classes every trimester, or every academic year.
