Every school has a beginning. Ours started more than four decades ago, in a single room, with a handful of students and one clear conviction: that every child deserves to be known, challenged, and truly cared for. Four decades later, that conviction still defines Marian Baker School.
To mark four decades, Ms. Bonnie — who has been part of the Marian Baker School community for many years — sat down to share how it all began. Here is her story, in her own words:
A one-room school with a big vision
Marian Baker School opened its doors as a small, one-room school in Costa Rica — students of different ages learning side by side, all together, under one roof. What the school lacked in size, it made up for in purpose: an American education built around the whole child, delivered in a place where every student was known by name.
That’s where we started. And from that first room, the community we know today began to take shape.
The woman behind the name
Marian Baker was never a distant figure. Ms. Bonnie remembers her as a tireless worker who gave herself fully to the school and its students. She cared about the details. When something mattered, she would stop, gather the children, and make sure they understood it — really understood it — before moving on. Learning, for her, was never something to rush.
That warmth reached beyond the classroom. She was the kind of person who welcomed the community into her home and celebrated its milestones personally. Her name on our door is not a formality. It’s a reminder of the standard she set.
Traditions that brought everyone together
From the earliest years, Marian Baker School was built around togetherness. Whole-school gatherings, performances, and celebrations were a constant — moments when every student, no matter their age, took part in something bigger than a single classroom. Those traditions created the close-knit community that families still feel the moment they step onto our campus.
Four decades on, the heart is unchanged
Marian Baker School has grown from that one room into an American school in Costa Rica serving students from Early Childhood through High School. The campus is larger. The programs are broader. But the heart of the school — knowing each child, caring for the whole child, learning together — is exactly where it started.
That’s how it all began. And it’s why, four decades later, families continue to choose MBS. Explore Admissions or schedule a visit to see the community Marian Baker built.
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