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The British School of Costa Rica

Dec31
2011 Leave a Comment Written by admin

The British School of Costa Rica is an independent, co-educational day school for students from Early Years through Grade 12. The school was founded in 1981 and is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges as well as the Costa Rican Ministry of Education. Maximum class size is 24 in the upper grades and 18 in Early Years classes; the average class size is 22. The British School is an IB World School.

image: JoseR

Mission
The school mission is to offer students a bilingual education that helps students develop their academic, moral and aesthetic potentials, in addition to assisting them in developing emotionally and physically.

Facilities
The school is located in an upscale neighborhood of San Jose. The purpose-built, 2.2 hectare campus includes a sports field, a separate Early Years block of classrooms, playgrounds, 46 classrooms, 2 libraries, 5 science labs, 1 science activities room for Primary School students, a cinema, 3 computer labs, a art studio, a 300-seat auditorium, a gym and a tuck shop.

Curriculum
The British School of Costa Rica is bilingual; most classes are taught in English, but some are taught in Spanish. The school uses the International Primary Curriculum for students in the Primary School. Grade 9 and Grade 19 students are offered the International General Certificate of Secondary Education. Grade 11 and Grade 12 students take the IB Diploma Programme, or as an alternative can take a one-year National Bachillerato programme and graduate upon completion.

Extracurricular Activities
The British School offers a range of activities that include handicrafts, religion classes, tae-kwon-do, volleyball, Latin, gymnastics, guitar, basketball, football, dance, drama, music, traditional games and handicrafts.

Technology
The school has three computer labs and is working on getting wireless access for the Secondary School.

Professional Development
No information is available on the school website.

Employment
The teaching staff is primarily British and Costa Rican: 63% are Costa Rican, 23% are British and the remainder are “international.” Openings are listed online. Initial contracts are for two years, and these may be extended for an additional year.

Salaries generally fall into the range of $38,376 per year to $50,688.30. Social Security, pension and taxes of 18-24% of the annual salary are deducted from teacher’s pay. Salaries are paid in the local currency. Benefits include airfare, shipping allowance, assistance in finding an apartment (but teachers have to pay the rent), a loan of furniture for housing that is not furnished, 50% of a medical insurance policy, and an interest free loan for the purchase of a car. While the pay looks good, once you add in the deductions and the cost of renting a house or apartment ($600-650 per month), the whole package looks a little thin compared to many other international schools, especially those in Asia.

Posted in British international schools, costa rica, IB World Schools, international schools, international teaching positions, schools with teacher benefits listed, schools with teacher salary schedules online - Tagged , , , , ,

Colegio Internacional de San Salvador (International School of San Salvador)

Dec14
2011 Written by admin

The school website for The Colegio Internacional de San Salvador is surprising in that, at first glance, it looks quite complete and easy for interested teachers, parents and students to navigate through. However, once you start looking around for information, there is much less available than there should be on a good school website.

The Colegio Internacional de San Salvador (International School of San Salvador) is a private, for profit, co-educational day school for students from Kindergarten through Grade 12. CISS was founded in 1979. The school is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the Ministry of Education of El Salvador. Approximately 330 students are enrolled at CISS.

Mission
The school mission is to offer students a holistic American curriculum that will help them become lifelong learners that value cultural diversity and who are critical thinkers and responsible global citizens.

Facilities
No information is available on the school website. What?

Curriculum
CISS has two programs of study: one meets the standards of the El Salvador Ministry of Education and the other meets the requirements of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Students must meet the requirements of both programs to be promoted. They are given annual standardized tests from third grade through twelfth grade: students must achieve a minimum score to be promoted. The curriculum primarily follows a prep-school American curriculum. An ESL program is offered to students who need to improve their skills with the English language. Spanish is used as the language of instruction for Social Studies and Spanish language classes.

Extracurricular Activities
The school offers a variety of activities including dance, swimming, sports, community service, student council and more. Senior athletic teams compete with other schools in the Association of American Schools in Central America.

Technology
Computer classes are taught as part of the regular curriculum.

Professional Development
No information is available about the school PD program.

Employment
CISS has 30 full-time teachers; 10 are U.S. citizens. Teachers must have a Bachelor’s Degree and have completed a teacher education program. Job openings are listed online. Benefits include a salary of $1,000 per month tax-free, shared furnished housing, group medical and life insurance and annual round trip airfare. Interested teachers can apply online.

Posted in American international schools, el salvador - Tagged , , , ,

The American School of Tegucigalpa

Jul29
2011 Leave a Comment Written by admin

The American School of Tegucigalpa is a private, co-educational, non-profit school provides educational services for students from Nursery through Grade 12. AST was founded in 1946. Both the Honduran Ministry of Eduction and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accredit AST. The school is an IB World School with authorization to use the IB Diploma Programme.

AST has over 1,100 students that represent 19 countries. There are 101 faculty members; most teachers are Honduran although about 25% are from the United States.

image: LeRoc

Mission
The American School of Tegucigalpa’s mission is to provide a college preparatory education that is student oriented and emphasizes social responsibility within a bicultural environment.

Facilities
The school is located in a wealthy neighborhood of Lomas de Guijarro, just above Tegucigalpa, Honduras. AST has 80 classrooms, 5 science labs, 4 computer labs, a media center, a computer technology center for teachers, 2 libraries, music rooms, a gym and athletic fields.

Curriculum
AST has a college preparatory curriculum with English as the primary language of instruction. The school is committed to a student-centered approach to teaching and learning. Students that graduate receive the Honduran Bachillerato, an American High School Diploma and may receive the IB Diploma as well.

Extracurricular Activities
The school offers a wide range of extracurricular activities including yearbook, National Honor Society, student council, music and drama, cheerleading, an assortment of clubs, Habitat for Humanity, soccer, basketball and volleyball. The school athletic teams compete with other schools in the Association of Bilingual Schools in Honduras and the Association of American Schools of Central America. Teachers that sponsor after school activities receive a stipend.

Technology
AST has four computer labs with 30 terminals in each lab. Computer classes are taught as part of the school curriculum.

Professional Development
The school has a professional development plan that includes a teacher performance appraisal program.

Employment
The school has an interesting teacher handbook available online. I say interesting because it has a list of teacher standards that include forbidden activities for teachers, such as chewing gum in class, possessing or selling weapons and punishing students by requiring repetitive copying assignments. Hmm. Teachers get paid once a month; Honduran Social Security (3.5%) and Honduran Teacher Retirement (7%) is taken out of your salary each month. No information is available on employment opportunities or salaries and benefits, which I find rather curious. The school does, however, attend the ISS recruitment fairs.

About Tegucigalpa
Tegucigalpa is an old colonial city and the capital of Honduras with a population of around 1.1 million. The city is located in a valley encircled by mountains. Tegucigalpa has fourteen museums for teachers with an interest in history, including the National Anthropology and History Museum, the National Art Gallery and the Archaeological Museum. The National Zoo is located in the city and has the usual collection of tropical animals and birds. The city has many shopping centers and malls. There are a variety of restaurants around the city offering international and local cuisines. For those teachers with a mad desire for eating fast food, Tegucigalpa has McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s and Subway.

Posted in American international schools, Honduras, IB World Schools, international schools, international teaching positions - Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Escuela Internacional Sampedrana

Jul27
2011 Leave a Comment Written by admin

Escuela Internacional Sampedrana is an independent, co-educational day school that provides educational services for students from Early Childhood through Grade 12. EIS is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. There are over 1,000 students in the school; most students come from San Pedro Sula.

image: jan pesulaMission
The mission of the school is to give students the academic/social/emotional skills they need to have successful university careers and become positive members of society.

Facilities
EIS has a purpose-built campus in San Pedro Sula that includes 61 classrooms, an Early Childhood Center, playgrounds, a gym, a cafeteria, a soccer field, 2 libraries, a computer lab, music classrooms and science labs.

Curriculum
The school has a college preparatory curriculum organized on a modified American model. High School graduates can receive the Honduran Bachillerato and an American High School Diploma.

Extracurricular Activities
The school offers a variety of activities including soccer, art, student council, cooking, yearbook, drama club, board games, badminton, basketball, volleyball, Model United Nations, National Honor Society and more. Senior students can participate on sports teams that play competitively with other schools in the region.

Technology
EIS integrates technology throughout the curriculum. Computer classes are taught throughout the year. The lab has 22 computers. Smartboards are available to use in classrooms.

Professional Development
The school is committed to professional development activities for the staff. Teachers plan together and have access to in-services and an on-site Master’s degree program.

Employment
Approximately 60% of the teachers are overseas hires. The school attends the Association of American Schools in South America Recruiting Fair. Job openings are listed online.

Salaries are not mentioned, but EIS does list teacher benefits on the school website. These include life and medical insurance, payment in United States dollars, a relocation bonus of $750, an annual returning bonus of $500, annual round-trip airfare, a utilities allowance, visa assistance, a free gym membership, shared housing, free Spanish lessons, free calls to the U.S. from the school’s phone, a cell phone and a reduced payment plan for the phone, reduced rate plan with the local taxi service, assistance for the on-site Master’s program and two personal days per year.

About San Pedro Sula
San Pedro Sula is the second largest city in Honduras. It is located in the northwest part of the country and has a population of around 800,000. The city is the industrial center of Honduras and is responsible for generating over half of the country’s income. Among San Pedro Sula’s points of interest are the Museo de Antropologia y Historia, the Museo de la Naturaleza and the Planetario Infantil.

Posted in Honduras, international schools, international teaching positions, schools with teacher benefits listed - Tagged , , , , ,

Mazapan School

Jul22
2011 Leave a Comment Written by admin

Mazapan School is a private, co-educational, bilingual school that is owned by Standard Fruit de Honduras (Dole) and provides educational services for students from PK to Grade 12. It was founded in 1928 and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the Honduran Ministry of Education.

There are over 300 students studying at MS

Mission
The school mission is to provide a safe educational community where students can develop excellent academic and social skills, intellectual curiosity, ethical values and a respect for world cultures.

Facilities
The school’s five-acre campus is located in a subdivision of La Ceiba. Facilities include 20 classrooms, 2 science labs, 2 computer labs, an auditorium, a cafeteria, sports facilities, playing fields and a media center.

Curriculum
The school has a U.S.-style college preparatory curriculum with instruction in both English and Spanish. The school has four divisions: Pre-School, Elementary School, Middle School and High School. Students in Pre-School and Elementary school study in self-contained classrooms. High School students can receive a U.S. High School diploma, as well as a Honduran Baccalaureate degree.

Extracurricular Activities
Mazapan School offers a wide range of extracurricular activities including performing arts, basketball, volleyball, soccer, National Honor Society, yearbook, music and drama among others.

Technology
The school believes in integrating technology in daily classroom instruction. The school uses PCs, and they have internet access.

Professional Development
the school is committed to professional development. Teachers can take workshops at regional conferences or in-service sessions, or they may take graduate courses at the school.

Employment
Qualifications for teaching at Mazapan are a Bachelor’s degree, U.S. certification, a minimum of two-years teaching experience in the United States, evidence of recent professional development, technology skills, a commitment to using technology in the classroom, and strong written and oral communication skills. The school prefers teachers that have a Master’s degree, international school teaching experience, and an ability and interest in sponsoring after school activities. The average tenure is over five years, which is quite good for an international school. Job openings are listed online. They are also listed on TIEonline. Interested teachers can submit a resume online.

While salaries are not mentioned, among the benefits are a medical plan, a dental plan, life insurance, long term disability insurance, a cash retirement benefit, relocation allowance, a resigning bonus, housing allowance and a salary that is paid in U.S. dollars.

About La Ceiba
La Ceiba is the third largest city in Honduras. It’s located on the Caribbean and has a population of around 175,000. The city is officially known as the “Eco-Tourism Capital of Honduras.” La Ceiba has a tropical rainforest climate so new teachers can expect a lot of rain.

The city has an active nightlife and is home to its popular Carnival Week. It also has many outdoor recreation opportunities such as Pico Bonito National Park and the Cuero y Salado Wildlife Refuge. Water activities like diving and sunbathing on white sand beaches are available in the Bay Islands, which are home to the second largest Coral Reef in the world.

Posted in expat employment, Honduras, international schools, international teaching positions, schools with teacher benefits listed - Tagged , , , ,
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