PARENT TESTIMONIALS

Rick Chalmers and Heidi Dawn

By putting our daughters in Del Mar Academy it is an obvious and clear choice in our area. DMA gives them access to the best educational foundation and opportunities for their future.

More specifically, Del Mar Academy's mission and values are consistent with those of our family: an emphasis on citizenship and pro-social values, physical and emotional health seen as important as academic achievement- these values we hold dear in our family.

Academically, the school is also excellent: the students are immediately immersed in the school's culture of respect and preservation for the environment, earth science, ecology, and geography, and our daughters receive all of this while satisfying both Costa Rican and international educational standards.

Del Mar Academy has been an eye opener for us. The unique Montessori modality in a multicultural, multilingual environment is such a rich setting for our girls. We could not be more pleased with what they are learning, with and from whom, and how they are growing in so many ways. It's a joy to see them learn to be intelligent, critical thinking world citizens while also exploring art and creativity, and becoming more self expressed daily.
Thea and Clayton Judge

At Del Mar Academy there is an atmosphere of imagination, consciousness, fellowship, and kindness that undoubtedly fosters the academic as well as overall growth of our children. We feel exceedingly fortunate that they are able to attend a school where 5th graders know the names of the toddler class and speak to them every morning. Where they are able to experience life in a foreign country, surrounded by nature, all while learning a new language and never sacrificing the quality of their education. The transition from the United States has been flawless, the children love the school, their new friends and especially surf club!

We are so pleased every morning when we send our children to school. We know they are having a unique experience that will shape their lives forever and imprint their perspective about the world and environment for years to come.
LaLanne Delis, Luca and Zale

“Our year at Del Mar Academy will always have special memories attached to it. My twins were 8 turning 9 years old and are now speaking fluent Spanish thanks to the extra attention they received at the school. Throughout the year, the Spanish speaking teachers helped the boys grasp the whole language concept, better than their mother got it!! The boys were VERY open to learning and practicing Spanish so they were excited to live in Costa Rica and experience this different culture. They had never spoken Spanish before. They now feel like they are part of the small village and definitely speak the language. It truly is like a second home to us. We feel privileged to have been in a small enough school where there were many opportunities to receive that one-on-one attention. It was our goal to leave speaking Spanish, but I also did not want their other school subjects to weaken. They are right on-track with all subjects today and even in the top of their class.

Del Mar pays close attention to details that larger schools cannot. They have a very qualified staff, of which all loves working with children. The Montessori program was a very relaxed way of learning that allowed my boys to flourish at their own pace. The competitiveness of school was not pushed in anyway and this allowed a lot of freedom for creativity. I am very thankful to all the staff who worked so well with my family. We love all you guys and can't wait to see you soon when we visit
Sara Matarrita

For three years I was part of the Del Mar Academy family and I don’t have enough words to describe what it meant for us. Del Mar Academy is not only a learning institution, it is a home. Each parent can rely in the fact that their children will not only learn in the academic arena but will also grow regarding values, ethics and learning to love nature.

I am so satisfied with the level of English that was reached by my daughter. When she started she didn't have a strong command of the English language and after only 6 months the changes were immense. She has received excellent comments for her attained level, which makes me a very proud mother. At Del Mar Academy Lyanna learned to appreciate the love of reading, something she is going to carry with her for the rest of her life.

I am profusely grateful to have been involved during the development of such a valuable institution. The administrative staff and teachers have unique human qualities. I will have you in my heart for the rest of my life and am so happy to have been part of such a beautiful family where everyone is treated with equality.

Please continue molding the leaders of the future!
Rich & Aimee Burnam

Dear Del Mar Staff,

We just wanted to take a moment and give a ‘thank you’ for our experience with your school. Our daughter Kaiya truly enjoyed the Casa Class and her teachers Miss Aidi and Mr. Joey. She truly felt welcome and looked forward to going to school most every day. When we had to travel or go out of town she would often ask ‘Can I stay here and go to school?’ Of course moving to a foreign country is challenging and everyone has concerns about raising a family in a foreign country. One of the biggest blessings we have here in Nosara is having Del Mar Academy and knowing our children can get a good education. So please accept a big ‘thank you’ from our family and know we greatly appreciate everything you do here in the community.

Best wishes,
Oscar & Melania Araya

As a Costa Rican family, we are very pleased with the skills that our children have achieved in DMA, not only because of the benefits that the Montessori system offers, but also because of the quickness with which they have learned English. It is also very gratifying to observe how our kids are growing in the care for nature, self esteem and respect for others.
Barry Oliver

We had our daughter in another school that we were not very happy with and we were looking for something better. I had attended Montessori for 5 years as a child and when I visited DMA for the first time it brought tears to my eyes. It was like an Oasis. A beautiful Montessori school with great teachers and staff just 2 miles from where we lived. That was a Friday and by Monday we had relocated back to Costa Rica and she was in class.

As a person she has grown so much each and every day and we are excited to continue with DMA into the future.
Lucía Fallas

I love Del Mar Academy because my Costa Rican daughter is fully bilingual. She can read, write and speak in English almost as well as her mother tongue. She has also made great friendships and learned from their multicultural backgrounds.
Felipe, Irene, Xavier & Ximena

After over 4 years of experiencing life in Nosara, being part of such a community, meeting new people and making new friends, we find ourselves pulled by gravity back to earth, back in San José. We find ourselves facing a tremendous challenge, way beyond what we could have imagined; we find ourselves searching for a school for our children. One would think that it would be easy, after all, this is the "city", right?, where there's supposed to be more opportunities. Well… it is not, at least not in this sense. I guess the tricky part is to compare every school we visit to Del Mar.
For our kids, and for us as parents, DMA became more than a school, it became a family. A family where our children found their friends, their companions, their equals, their partners in the wonderful adventure of discovery and learning. A family where they felt supported, respected, encouraged and most of all, loved. A family with whom we shared our values: solidarity, commitment, respect for people and respect for nature.
It is in the little details that we find the differences in truly "walking the talk": efforts to provide proper nutrition (no junk food! really!!), a sense of fraternity that just feels natural, a profound connection with nature (having lunch under a guanacaste tree, every day, seriously?!), personalized guidance as part of a set structure within a free framework that allows the children to learn how to think and explore and develop their gifts without cutting their wings off. Ok, maybe these details are not so little. Above all, the opportunity (and the requirement) of families getting involved and actively participating in their children's education, in making the school a better place, seizing parents knowledge and skills as well to make it grow. Let's face it, in a fast-pace world of non-stop competition, having to take a moment to observe your children learning in class is a really nice break! and what a treat! Every day now I would love to sneak in the classroom to watch them interact with their friends, play, learn, grow… and have fun!
So… I guess a big Thank you doesn't suffice to express our gratitude, but for now it'll do. We miss you!

Felipe, Irene, Xavier & Ximena