PINILLA ACADEMY ARTICLE

While many articles have been written in the local newspapers and magazines about Pinilla Academy, its Board of Directors would like to take this opportunity to give the community a direct update. Much progress has been made since twenty acres of the teak, melina, pochote and guanacaste tree-filled finca in Pinilla was purchased and slated for donation by Donny and Christi LaLonde and Bill and Margaret Nevins. The property owners have now completed their donation process by transferring the property to the school’s foundation, and the Board has opened the foundation’s first bank account.

Chairman Nevins states the Pinilla Academy’s mission: “To provide students an international, college preparatory education with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in an ever-changing environment by inspiring in them the social, artistic, physical, linguistic, ecologic and intellectual skills needed to realize their power as good citizens of local and world communities.”       

There has been significant progress made on all fronts towards the Pinilla Academy’s scheduled pre-kindergarten through grade six opening in September 2007. The Board of Directors has been accepting resumes and interviewing qualified candidates, and is very close to deciding on a headmaster and project manager. However, from the beginning Maria Christina de Urbina the founder and CEO of Escazu’s Blue Valley School, and former principal of the Lincoln School in San Jose, has been a board consultant on all matters. David C.L. Mears, founder of the Hermosa Valley School in Malpais, will be developing the sports curriculum.       

Costa Rican architect Carla Carranza along with Michael Rotundi and John Osborne of RoTo Architects in Los Angeles, California, have presented the strategic master plan to the Academy’s Board. This site plan is extensive and includes a four-phase system for development over the next several years.

Jim Ryan from Agua Solutions is developing a rainwater harvesting project onsite and will be incorporating water conservation into the educational program of the school, both in the structure of the building and in the courses taught at the facility.        

Pinilla Academy’s middle school (grades seven and eight) is scheduled to open September 2008, with high school (grades nine through twelve) planned for September 2009. The Board’s goal is to obtain Costa Rican, U.S. and International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) accreditation by 2011. The IBO, founded in 1968, has 1,722 schools in 122 countries.      

Of utmost importance to the founders is that Pinilla Academy be a bilingual school that encourages and assists Costa Rican children’s attendance and that the school be accessible to everyone. At the present time, an aggressive fundraising plan is under way for both the construction of the school and scholarships/sponsorships for local children unable to meet admission prices.

The Pinilla Academy Board of Directors will host their first spectacular fundraising event on November 18th at Hacienda Pinilla Beach Resort and Residential Community. All interested philanthropists, scholarship providers, “angel” investors, donors, community leaders, local area business owners and interested community members are encouraged and invited to attend.

Hacienda Pinilla and Mr. Pattillo have generously offered to hold the event at the Ranchos at Playa Bonita, a stunning location for an elegant evening, with Martha Fonseca providing the spectacular live entertainment. We will be featuring all the best food our area has to offer from all of your favorite restaurants as well as an open bar, live and silent auctions, raffle prizes and a presentation of the Pinilla Academy. This will be an elegant evening not to be missed, and we hope you can all attend.

If you are interested in further information for the Gala Gourmet Fundraiser, please contact us at gala@pinillaacademy.org. For all other inquiries please contact us at info@pinillaacademy.org.