Eight students from Costa Rica were officially welcomed to Lee Burneson Middle School on Tuesday.

The students, who are between the ages of 12 and 15, have been in town since last week and will leave Jan. 28.

While here, they will go to school, live with host families, and do activities and see the sights around the area.

The Burneson Brigade, the school's song-and-dance troupe, performed in the welcome assembly. There was also a video presentation about Costa Rica.

Then, the exchange students put on a show, doing a traditional folklore dance. Two students did a more modern dance.

This is the first year of an exchange program with the Guanacaste students, said Burneson Spanish teacher Claudia Vakos. The plan is that Westlake students will go to Costa Rica in 2014.

"Eventually, we're hoping for a partnership," she said.