Seeing
and
playing
in
the
snow
for
the
first
time
has
been
a
favorite
pastime
for
Costa
Rican
students
visiting
Park
City,
Utah,
as a
part
of
an
exchange
program.
The
students
have
attended
Park
City
Day
School
classes,
toured
the
Park
City
Historical
Museum,
volunteered
at
the
food
bank
and
Holy
Cross
Ministries
and
gone
sledding.
This
is
the
first
year
for
the
exchange,
according
to
Park
City
Day
School
teacher
Molly
Alden-Rabenau,
who
said
it
has
been
a
dream
to
start
the
exchange
program
with
Costa
Rica's
Liceo
Experimental
Bilingue
de
Turrialba.
"I
lived
in
Costa
Rica
for
three
years
and
taught
students
and
they
said
'Could
you
take
us
to
the
U.S.?'
It's
not
the
same
students,
but
at
least
we
made
it.
I'm
really
excited
for
this
group
to
have
this
experience,"
Alden-Rabenau
said.
"They
will
host
Park
City
students
down
in
their
homes
in
June.
We
hope
that
this
can
be
something
to
continue
each
year."
Alden-Rabenau
said
that
the
students
who
were
selected
for
the
trip
have
the
highest
grades
in
their
classes.
Costa
Rican
student
Hellen
Baltodario
said
attending
school
in
Park
City
is
different
than
she's
used
to.
Costa
Rican
students
attend
school
from
7
a.m.
to
5:30
p.m.
during
the
week.
"I
love
everything
around
here,
the
snow
and
the
people
are
really
nice,"
Baltodario
said,
adding
that
her
favorite
activity
so
far
is
sledding.
Costa
Rican
teacher
Corina
Diaz
said
she
spoke
with
her
students
about
the
cold
temperatures
and
what
cultural
differences
to
expect
on
the
trip.
"To
be
in a
country
like
this
where
they
have
to
be
really
open
as
far
as
food,
culture
and
language,
I
suggested
that
they
open
up
to
their
host
families
and
encouraged
them
to
bring
pictures
as
an
ice-breaker
activity,"
Diaz
said,
adding
that
her
hope
is
that
the
American
students
will
feel
comfortable
when
they
visit
Costa
Rica
because
of
the
picture
sharing.
Students
take
between
18
and
20
English
classes
per
week
and
they
get
excited
when
they
can
communicate
with
other
people
in
English,
Diaz
said,
adding
that
students
are
required
to
speak
English
at
school.
"They
have
to
speak
English
all
the
time.
They
love
to
watch
to
TV
and
listen
to
music
in
English
too,"
she
said.
"I'm
so
proud
of
their
attitude
and
the
way
they
behave
in
the
(Park
City
Day)
school
and
with
their
families."
Jose
Mario
a
9th-grader
from
Costa
Rica
said
English
is a
large
portion
of
the
curriculum
they
cover
in
school.
Internet
is
available
at
the
school,
but
only
for
teachers,
Mario
said.
"We
have
a
little
less
free
time.
When
we
are
not
in
school
we
hang
out
with
friends
maybe
at
the
park,
get
ice
cream,
pizza
or
have
a
drink,"
he
said,
adding
that
they
have
homework
almost
every
day.
Alden-Rabenau
said
about
eight
students
from
Park
City
Day
and
Park
City
High
School
will
travel
to
Costa
Rica
in
June.
She
said
the
group
will
stay
with
host
families,
help
with
community
development
projects
and
attend
school
with
their
counterparts.
"It's
been
very
interesting
because
the
students
have
exchanged
information
about
cultures
and
about
politics,
government
systems,
and
nature
and
the
similarities
and
differences,"
she
said,
adding
that
the
exchange
students
spent
one
afternoon
teaching
local
middle
school
students
about
the
Costa
Rican
government.
An
information
session
for
those
interested
in
participating
in
the
exchange
program
will
be
held
at
Park
City
Day
School
on
Feb.
16,
at
3:45
p.m.
Students
14
and
older
and
their
parents
are
welcome
to
attend.
For
more
information
contact
Molly
Alden-Rabenau
at
molly@costaricaexplorations.org
.
By
Megan
Yeiter
,
The
Park
Record
Costa Rica's Daily English News
Source
Apdo. 2133-1000, San José, Costa
Rica
Tel: (506) 8399
9642
Fax: (506) 2232 6337
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