Practical & FAQ
It’s hard to picture a school from a list of features. So here’s the actual rhythm of a week at Ballena, the way a kid lives it, from the gate in the morning to the projects that carry across the days.
The Shape of a Day
Gates open at 7:30, and the day starts at 8:00 with a campus-wide morning meeting, the whole school beginning together. Classes run until dismissal at 3:00.
A typical day includes daily language arts and math, plus either science or social studies, an elective or project block, and a rotation of art, music, PE, and SEL. For our youngest, PreK and Kinder, the day is integrated and play-based rather than split into subjects.
Two Languages Across the Week
The bilingual model runs through everything. English Language Arts and Math are taught in English. Spanish Language Arts and Social Studies are taught in Spanish. Science blends both. So across a week, your child isn’t taking a language class, they’re living in two languages.
The Project Block
The elective and project block is where a lot of the magic happens, especially for older students learning through concept-based, real-world projects. It’s time to go deeper, build something, and follow a real question rather than racing through a chapter.
Beyond the Classroom
A week isn’t only desks. There’s a rotation of art, music, and PE, and our extracurriculars run wide, guitar, ukulele, piano, drums, school band, theater, dance and cheer, painting, cooking, Model UN, plus basketball, soccer, and volleyball. After-school clubs rotate each semester. (Clubs and lunch are paid separately.)
Roughly four times a year per grade, the classroom moves outdoors entirely, monitoring bats at Reserva Playa Tortuga, learning dance with the Boruca community, cleaning the beach, or heading to San José for an overnight with older students.
Lunch in the Comedor
In the middle of it all is lunch in the comedor, catered by The Bakery, a local restaurant families already love. Arroz con pollo, olla de carne, fresh fruit, daily handmade juice, with gluten-free and vegetarian options. It’s where the school becomes a community for an hour every day.
Editor’s note: confirm the exact daily and weekly timetable, including period lengths and elective rotation, with the academic team before publishing a detailed schedule.
That’s a week: structured, bilingual, hands-on, and rooted in this place. Come see one in person. Schedule a tour on our Admissions page.
