Marian Baker School (MBS), one of Costa Rica’s leading English-speaking college preparatory schools, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this month with a variety of activities.
The school in San Ramón de Tres Ríos, east of San José, will begin its weeklong celebration with opening ceremonies April 24.
Festivities will include a Family Day, MBS Pride Day, Career Day given by alumni, bake sales and volleyball competitions.
MBS opened its doors in 1984 as a privately owned K-12 school, founded by the late Robert and Marian Baker, who moved to Costa Rica from the U.S. state of Kansas in the early 1960s. After a few earlier locations, the school moved to its present facility – originally part of the Bakers’ dairy farm – in 1987. A modern library, science complex, art rooms and elementary building were added in 2001. In addition to 32 classrooms, MBS grounds include a gymnasium, tennis court, soccer field, cafeteria and complete playgrounds. Special programs include English as a second language, student support services, art, drama and music.
Except for Spanish and Costa Rican social studies, all subjects are taught in English. MBS, which has grown from 50 to more than 200 students, attracts both Tico and international students.
“We are committed to providing a nurturing community that fosters moral integrity and inspires a lifelong and passionate love of learning,” says MBS Business Manager Bonnie Heigold, who shares ownership of the school with MBS General Director Linda Niehaus.
Some 300 students hold diplomas from MBS, according to Heigold. Almost all graduates go on to college, and many have won full or partial scholarships to prestigious universities, such as Harvard and Princeton in the United States.
Niehaus says the school is proud of its history, its graduates and its current students. “We look back with pride, and we look to the future with great anticipation and excitement,” Niehaus says. “We have plans on the drawing board for new construction.”
Niehaus says MBS encourages diversity in the student body, believing it creates a learning environment that “stimulates intellectual curiosity and global awareness.”
For more information about the school, call 2273-0024 or visit www.mbs.ed.cr.
–Mary Chalker
