We decided we should add chores to our daily schedule. They don’t each have one every day, but at least a few times a week. I think this chore has quickly escalated to the top of the list. Gladys was uncontrollable giggles, while Nigel couldn’t stop snickering. I asked them to “wash up”, as they say here, the blocks and potato head toys. We added a little purple flash, lavender scented, to the bottom of the bucket, tossed in the toys, and they scrubbed. I forgot to give them the red and white marbled dishrags, so I’m wondering if instead of washing up they deposited the dirt from their fingers onto the toys. When I realized my mistake, it was too late, and they had already scrubbed every block with their skinny little fingers. We tossed them all into a basket and rinsed with the pipe water. Can you see the two different shades of yellow on their shirts? It’s because the pipe decided to attack us, and we were all dripping wet. Good thing it has been close to 100 each day for the last week and this was a welcomed relief! Cheers for washing up!!
Washing Up April 4, 2011
You want to race? April 3, 2011
We went from race to race, had been practicing for the full week ahead of time. Still, MIss Jolene had to carry someone across the line! This was a favorite race though, as they laughed so hard they could barely keep hold of their partners legs. The partners on the ground had trouble keeping their laughing faces up from the ground; it takes real strength you know to control laughter. I don’t think there was a single winner for this, or the lime and spoon, or the hopping, or the running, or the three-legged race, or any of them really- but there were winning smiles from every one of the students, parents, and teachers who participated.
It was a hot Friday morning, and Miss Nicole- a parent volunteer, spent 2 hours cutting up the fresh pineapple, oranges, papaya, bananas and watermelon parents brought. I’m pretty sure we took as many breaks as we had races, and it was all worth it. Afterwards, some of the students, and two mothers Yanira and Sonja and I stepped up to play a game of futbol (soccer). I swear the field grew bigger than I ever knew it was in a matter of seconds. Yanira was calling out my name “Heather, Heather” with a sincere urgency, as if I wasn’t running fast enough to reach the ball on time. But in the end our team scored 4 goals- so I think that’s pretty good!
Cousins Ana and Yesenia were quite the pair of three-legged racers int heir matching shirts! You go girls!
Oasis School- Cultural Day! April 2, 2011
Miss Vanessa- Creole
Miss Karina- East Indian
Miss Jolene- Traditional Indian
Miss Tiffany- Garifuna
Miss Heather- Mennonite
What a day of food, fun, and families from our school. Our outfits, if you could call them that, were indeed the talk of the day!
We all gathered to celebrate the cultural groups students spent the past month learning about. Many children came all decked out and were especially happy when their songs, and lines were completed and it was time to share in the food!
Precious March 31, 2011
I was checking to see how the independent work went in their prayer journals, as Miss Vanessa and I worked with reading groups. One little girl blessed me so much with her precious entry…
Jesus please help Mis spelk kdn wrd te erewun to me. (Jesus, please help Mia speak kind words to everyone and to me.)
It is common we ask Jesus to help our friends, or mom or someone who is sick. This is the first of many journals I looked at that had such insight, and melted my heart. They really understand what it means to “pray in everything.”
I love this and know Jesus hears these prayers.
Out of Nowhere March 16, 2011
They became stuck like glue. Occasionally they had chosen to sit together, but this was an unusual day. “Miss Heather, I saved a spot for Adrian.” Elbia commented. “Miss Heather, look I da hold Elbia’s hand,” Adrian responded. I said “OK.”
So we sat in morning meeting, while they held hands and talked.
We went to class and Elbia helped Adrian find the right page. Adrian made sure he smiled and said thanks. Next thing I know they are sitting together at snack and Elbia is handing him some snack to share.
Later in the day they worked together to finish their math and just as quick as they became stuck like glue, they were unstuck again. It was really quite precious the way they were looking out for one another. Maybe next time it’ll last longer….
Let’s Go!! March 9, 2011
Friday was La Ruta Maya…A day were you awake early in the am, place a “sweater” (long sleeve shirt) on and pile in the truck to go watch the start of a three day race. Many train for months for this event, and some even enter from other countries like Japan and America. Three people make up each team and they ride in a dory. Essentially it is a lightweight wooden canoe like boat, carved out of tree trunks. Some have become more modern I admit. They prepare by stuffing the boats with snacks, many had bananas and granola bars. There were teams from high schools, fruit growing companies, and businesses alike. This year there were less in the crowd, which meant I could see clearly through others heads as we stood on the wooden bridge to watch the start of the race. They had let the dam go and there was water rushing underneath, which meant only a few boats tipped this year as they passed under the wooden bridge. It was over in a matter of seconds, but so worth the early morning rise….
Thankfully I got to experience this year’s race twice! Miss Vanessa and Miss Jolene agreed we could take a walking field trip. How Fun! I bribed the dogs with some food and locked them in the house. The girls single filed behind Miss Vanessa, while Miss Jolene lead the boys and I picked up the back of the line. We marched out the gate, hung a right, and a next right down the crushed stone driveway to our neighbors property. We walked all the way down to the hillside so we could overlook the river. How awesome!
We settled the students on the edge of the hill, and I’m pretty sure they had inched their bottoms further down by the end of our half hour there. The girls mostly stayed together on the right side or huddled back on Miss Jolene’s blanket under her umbrella. The sun was HOT HOT HOT as the Belizeans say. We reached just in time for the leading boats to pass. Wow what excitement. Next bunch of duries came and the cheering began again “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go, woohoooo!!!” It was accompanied by a 
steady clap. For thirty minutes we stood and sat and cheered. The kids loved it!!! So did we…
Two Peas in a Pod March 3, 2011
Mavrick and Shelton, Shelton and Mavrick. Wherever one goes, the other goes with.
They are really quite a pair. Both began the year as quiet students. Mavrick stemming from a painfully shy family of children, and Shelton never having been in school before. The quietness has so left the school! Well at least Shelton’s. Both have built up some courage and boldness and I think they are enjoying figuring out their personalities and just how special and unique they each are.
Mavrick and Shelton had been “banned” (a gentle ban of course) from sitting together during class time generally speaking, but during Bible and book time Miss Jolene and I often make exceptions to our own rules. They are so hysterical together, that you can’t help but listen and be amazed!
Today I ran in to watch the Infant 1 class, while Miss Jolene stepped out for a minute. They were all sitting in the curved plastic chairs, red, green, blue and purple; while holding their Dr. Seuss board books. They have been practcing reading these for the past month, but since they technically don’t know all their letters yet, they are just making up words and repeating the teacher at this point. But, hey that’s how reading starts!
Mavrick is sitting quietly, flipping through the pages, and keeps stealing a sideways eye glance at Shelton. Shelton is on his right, reading away. The thing that got me was his enthusaism. In Infat 2, I have taught them there are three ways to read a book: 1- read the words 2- read the pictures 3- retell the story. Obviously, the goal is to read the words, but we aren’t quite there yet. So I hear Shelton repeating some phrases he has heard his teacher read in the story….and then in declare in exclamation some phrases of his very own! “They play bat on the wall. Swing the BAT!” and the next page… “NOOOOO Don’t sit there!!!” With the perfect voice intonation and everything. I was in shock! The page actually reads something like… “Sit on Pop. They jump on Pop. NO don’t jump there!”
It was a priceless moment indeed. When Miss Jolene returned to the classroom I shared with her the joy of watching the two together. she reminded me how they play together at recess everyday, and if the other isn’t there it is as if they are in a period of mourning, walking the school yard with a head hung in sadness that their other pea in the pod is missing! She also told me that yesterday she asked Mavrick to ask Shelton to be quiet. They were working near one another, and Shelton was just talking and talking and talking! Shelton has the high pitched voice and it sort of squeaks, for real- not an exaggeration- when he speaks. He has these big brown eyes that just look at you…”Shelton, Shelton, Shelton, please be quiet Shelton.” Miss Jolene had tried several attempts to encourage silence. When Mavrick opened his mouth he said these words “Shelton, shut-up boy, shut-up!” in a QUIET controlled voice and with a smile! Now before you all go commenting on the allowance of shut-up, I will share a few things about that word here.
Yes, I continue to urge my students to use the words Be Quiet, knowing it sounds much nicer and is less insulting. However, shut-up is used here almost as the serious, stern way of saying be quiet. Everyone knows what it means business and the children really do respond to one another of their older siblings when being scolded in this way. Not that I am recommending it, but it was another instance of these two peas in a pod shining, because Shelton’s face was flooded with a grin and he just started giggling, that’s another thing he loves to do.
When I see them on the church bus, or at the bus stop, or even as I pass the village, their moms are always hailing me and asking, “does he like school?” I don’t think they believe me when I tell them how much they love it- they are just two peas in a pod and they couldn’t be happier!
You’re Invited March 2, 2011
You’re Invited: To a Wedding
For: Jasmine and Jesse, students in Infant 1
Date: sometime in the future!
I keep saying it, and I have a feeling I might just be right…They are the last two on the bus in the afternoon, and from the moment the rest of the children exit the bus they can’t stop talking. And what gets me is they aren’t talking about where they are going or silly things like what they ate for breakfast. They talk about this one time they were scared or what they did with their family over the weekend. They ask each other questions and actually listen to the answers. They share their projects and work with one another. They tell of their future plans. They giggle at all the right times and share genuine “goodbyes” at the end of their bus ride. They will repeat the other’s name until the next one answers. It is as if they are the only two on the bus and they have a captive audience with one another. It is indeed precious to watch and listen to.
And maybe, just maybe someday we will really be invited….
This picture is missing something…. March 1, 2011
The swings were always my favorite part. We had a swing set in the backyard and Sara and I loved swinging and using the teeter totter. As a teacher, I always gladly volunteered to march, even in the snow, across the field to the swings on the hill. There I stood “monitoring” the swings. Really I was just standing smiling, watching as the kids swing back and forth. There is a freedom about being on a swing. That’s how I know there is something missing…
Last year we had two, and another bar that everyone liked to swing on. It was really a highlight at recess. I will never forget the day Elbia learned how to pump and declared that she would gladly teach everyone how to pump, so they too could swing freely! Put there were still those kids who couldn’t be happier to take turns pushing one another. One would swing, the other push, and then switch time! There was constantly a line by the sandbox, those waiting for their turn on the swings.
Well, over the course of summer school we somehow lost the s hooks. That created one obstacle in re-hanging the swings this year. When we dug the swings out to re-hang for the school year, the plastic seats were ripped, and the chains were coming apart. Yet another obstacle. Hence the missing swings…
This is where you come into the picture. Do you think that any of you would like to contribute to replacing our swings? I don’t make a practice of doing this sort of thing, asking for help, but with our meal program and general supplies for school we are maxing out our school budget each month. We think we have estimated the cost to be around $100 US to cover new swings, chains, and such. Maybe you can give $5, and that means we would be $5 closer to new swings!
Let me know if you are interested in helping fill in the missing picture!
Please email me @: heatherinbelize@gmail.com.
Jordy February 28, 2011
Everyday during Infant 1 math class I have been trying to spend some time with Jordy. Miss Vanessa is teaching reading and working with the daily poem with our Infant 2 class and Jordy just needs a little extra special attention. We pull up the red stools at the Infant 2 eating table, and do math work together.
When I first sat with him I was pretty sure he couldn’t recognize numbers, let alone do the addition set before him. I was impressed to find out if we placed a number line at the top of his page, then he could at least count up the number he needed to recognize and write as the answer. Now each time we sit together, he knows we need to do this. He cannot do it independently, but he does count a long with me as we write the numbers 1-10.
At the end of the week, we finished u addition, so today we started subtraction! Oh no I thought… He marched over in typical Jordy fashion, with purpose and grandness, and sat down at the table. He has worked so hard to create a number line already but I’m pretty sure every number was backwards and that there were a few numbers missing.
I showed him subtraction first just with those stackable counters. Then I started writing the numbers down. I admit I made a game out of it, “ok 5 take away 2″ and then Id snatch away the two super quick. By the third time he was outright giggling with glee as we did subtraction. Yes we still had to use the number line to figure out how to write each answer, a painstaking process really, but the joy that filled his face when he got to snatch his own numbers away!
I think tomorrow everyone will get to use the stackable counters, and then there will be much joy spread around!
