Its Not Goodbye, its See You Later!

                               Note: Out of the 10 pictures this is the best, lesson: kindergartners move a lot. 

  Its been a long two weeks since I left Costa Rica, but I finally  have time to sit here and tell you all about my experiences in the classroom at the La Paz school. I would like to thank Ms. Shera and the other north campus teachers for making me feel welcome, and thank you Mr.Abel for giving me the opportunity to work with some amazing kids. A big thank you goes out to the kindergartners and first graders who really stole my heart in just a week and a half, I will miss you all and hope you all the best. Working with La Paz kids is truly an amazing experience that I recommend to anyone who loves to work with children.

  La Paz kids really know how to make someone feel welcome, on my first day in Ms. Beaverly's first grade class (also known as the Dolphins)  I was greeted with a unanimous "Good Morning Ms. Alex!"; which was followed up by a student named Mia giving me a big hug and sitting back down. Ms. Shera's kindergarten class wasn't much different, I was greeted with hellos and questions raging from how old are you to what is my favorite fruit (I am apparently very old at the age of 24).

  A typical day at La Paz for me would usually start in the first grade classroom where I would help with reading and writing. During these work shops a lot of the kids worked independently, while I only worked with a few kids at a time. These workshops called “centers” allow the kids to take their education into their own hands learning responsibility and independence. As a teachers assistant my job was to go around and spend time with just a few kids individually, which allowed me to see how those individuals were progressing and where they would need more help. What I love about the La Paz approach is that even when helping individual students, you are really helping them arrive at the answer themselves. I also often worked with parent volunteers, showing how dedicated La Paz parents can be to the kids and the school.

The next part of my day is probably my favorite part of the day, snack time! Not because of the snacks, but more because this is the time I really bonded with the kids. Snack time also included play time, which for me meant “Palapa Duty”. The palapa is essentially an outdoor studio with a thatch roof, which is used for yoga and dance classes, as well as other fun games. Once such game I played was an adaptation of tag featuring safe zones along the wall. I looked forward to playing this game everyday, because the kids were so excited to have me play.

 After snack and play time, I would work with the kindergartners also known as the Bunnies. Let me tell you these are some of the sweetest kids you will ever know, and they all have their own unique personalities. Even at the ages of five and six these kids were always on the ball (well almost always), they knew their schedule and all the songs that went with it. As you can imagine a large part of your day working with small kids involves a lot of songs, which to this day I will never be able to forget. Like the first graders the Bunnies learn to work independently in order to instill what they have learned in the classroom. Watching these kids work by themselves, and turning to one another for help made me realize we don't give kids a lot of the credit they deserve. Although every kid might not be at the same level, they are all capable of learning the material you want, without you actually giving them the answer but rather a set of tools (often in song form).

A lot of my time was also spent prepping materials for different centers or creating learning tools. I had a lot of fun creating some illustrations for writing workshop:

As you can see this is very educational. During a lot of my prep time the kids had other activities such as Art or P.E, and often switched between Spanish and English language. As kindergartners their day is split 50/50 between Spanish and English learning, a lot of this is possible through bilingual pairs. Each pair consists of a native English speaker and a native Spanish speaker, who help each other learn the language. I can honestly say I learned a lot of my Spanish from these kids.

La Paz is all about contributing and learning more about your community, which often results in weekly field trips. The Bunnies spend every Wednesday morning at the Farm (Granja) where they learn how to take care of the animals, and learn about all the resources animals give us. One week I got to go on an extra special field trip to a goat farm with the kids. It was a beautiful farm where the goats were fed a high quality home grown organic diet, in order to make delicious milk, cheeses, and yogurt. Let me tell you it was absolutely delicious. Unfortunately, I was unable to get as many pictures as I would have liked due to camera malfunction. This makes me sad because I missed all the good shots of the kids milking a goat!

I am truly sad that I only had a week and a half with these awesome kids, they are really a bright bunch and I see them doing amazing things in the future. If there is one thing I have learned working with kids, is that you tend to learn a whole lot more about yourself. I tended to find a little bit of myself in each of these kids, and they help remind you to have no fear. Kids aren't afraid to take risks or challenges, and its important to keep a certain level of that fearlessness alive.

My favorite day would have to be my last day at La Paz even though it was also sad. As discussed in previous blogs La Paz celebrates themes, and I was lucky enough to be there for the origins theme. It was a busy day getting ready for the origins party that would ensue later that day. I was prepared to be covered in glitter from arts and craft tables, and to also enjoy some international foods. Then just before the festivities were about to start I got an awesome surprise. I walked outside to the picnic tables were both the Dolphins and the Bunnies were gathered, and Ms. Shera holding a big yellow card. In big letters I could see the outside read “It's Not Goodbye”, followed by the words “It's See You Later! -Your La Paz Family” on the inside. What was even better was that the entire inside was full of the students signatures and little messages to me. What happened next really took a lot of will power for me not to cry, each of the Dolphins stood up and told me why they were thankful for me being there. This was all of course followed up with a big group hug with me in the middle. I definitely will never forget my time spent at La Paz and I am truly thankful that I am considered part of the family.

Don't forget to check out the La Paz Page and the Seeds to Trees Facebook!

Part Two: La Paz Community School; Self, Family, Community, World

   

     Can you imagine a school that doesn't rely on standardized testing and letter grades? A place where students are graded on their creative abilities and not their memorization skills? At La Paz, students are evaluated on portfolios that they put together as well as a narrative evaluation from the students' teachers. Students are also numerically evaluated on a 0-4 scale based on the learning objectives of Bloom's Taxonomy:

    

    You might remember asking yourself or your teacher the question: “When am I ever going to use this?” At La Paz you will find students ask this question very little if at all. Everything taught at La Paz across all grade levels are based on “Themes”. The eight themes of the school year include: Peace Ambassadors, Sustainability, Origins, Land and Sea, Wellness, Energy, Creative Expression, and Gratitude. During the sustainability theme, for example, students and teachers have used recycling to teach math using volume, mass, etc. Bianca Javogue, now a senior, spoke of her class project a couple years ago relating to the theme Land and Sea; where she and her classmates constructed a boat, learning geometry, algebra, bouyancy, and more. The boat was later used to teach other biological sciences in the field putting their project to use.

  As a way of giving back to their community and school, students participate in service learning. Each year, students come up with their own unique projects, giving them the ability to express themselves while bettering the community, school, environment, or other places where they see need. Many of the projects are environmentally focused, but there are students who choose to express their talents in videography and other arts. Students aren't the only ones chipping in either parents are required to donate 8 hours of their time per school year. This includes transportation, fund raising, and program coordinating. Some other parents like Ashely Javogue also serve on the board of directors, providing as a voice for other parents and even students.

    Everything La Paz does comes down to their “Peace Practices”; it holds the essence of everything La Paz is trying to accomplish. You will see the words Self, Family, Community, and World on each students uniform. The peace practices are designed to help students develop peace within themselves and the ability to become long-term learners. Once they have been able to develop themselves, they will be able to carry those same values to their families, community, and eventually the world.

    All grade levels, Pre-K through 12^th grade, work together as a community, and strive to bring each other up through mentoring. While there are still complaints about school lunches, nosy teachers, gossip, and worst of all homework, students still love the relaxed mentality of the school. There isn't a constant pressure to succeed, rather that it is ok to fail and make mistakes. Failure only makes students try harder, create new ideas, and build to something they can be proud of. Student also have the choice to go to dance class, yoga, futbal, surfing, basketball, tennis, rock climbing, and it all counts towards learning. Extracurricular activities provide another class room disguised as fun, but non the less teaches confidence, grit, teamwork, and life lessons.

    Guanacaste is not the only place in the world whose culture and environment are in danger; the La Paz model and schools like it can be followed elsewhere. Working with students and teachers in order to create active learners, creators, and inquirers, is the key to bringing the world together as a community. This can all be accomplished by supporting schools like La Paz, and helping those trying follow their example.

  

    Please don''t forget to check out the La Paz school's website as well as their facebook page, they are always looking for volunteers and donations. You can also see the La Paz school short documentary here. 

Sorry for the Delay!

Due to some delays in the editing process, Part Two of the La Paz story will be posted next week. However, there is some good news tomorrow I will be present for a La Paz morning meeting and will hopefully have some good footage (if my camera decides to cooperate). There will also be some additional photos of the students presentation of this month's "Origins Theme". So stay tuned, and look out for updates on the Seeds to Trees facebook page.

Warm wishes from Guanacaste!

Part One: La Paz Community School: Self, Family, Community, and World

       In the past month I have found myself nestled in a small coastal area called Playa Flamingo, which is located in the beautiful Guanacaste region of Costa Rica. I must thank Emmanuel Javogue and his family for opening their home to me, and for introducing me to the La Paz Community School. La Paz is a very unique and innovative school that is changing the paradigm through which we see education.

       ”All of it was meant to be for various reasons”, according to Kerry McClennen fellow founder, teacher, and wife to director Abel McClennen. The McClennens and four other concerned teachers began thinking of a way to create a cohesive learning community among the vastly growing diverse population of Guanacaste. With the stress of tourism and development it became obvious something had to be done to save Guanacaste culture, environment, and to create a coexistence between the native and non-native population. So, they began to suggest a bilingually focused school with a foundation in community and environmental stewardship. The idea was accepted by several parents and teachers in the community who were looking for the same change. Shortly after a board of directors formed and together they came up with this mission statement:

“Our mission is to educate the culturally diverse youth of Guanacaste through bilingual experiential learning and enrichment that integrates the local community and ecology, while preparing students to become thoughtful, creative, and active stewards of their environment and future leaders of the world.”

       After being approached by Abel McClennen, Don Ruetz, owner of the “Jungle Gym”, graciously donated his land and was ready to begin the construction of the north campus. To begin the construction the founders had to obtain building permits, and get the school certified as a non-profit with both Costa Rica and the U.S. With the help of some political friends and the help of parent volunteers, La Paz was able to open only four months after the first official parents meeting in 2007.





 

  La Paz is not only a non-profit but it is also a International Baccalaureate (IB) certified school. The IB program is recognized globally and works with close to 4,000 schools in 147 countries. Following the IB model, La Paz strives to create a relationship between students, teachers, parents, their communities, and eventually the world. La Paz's adaptation of the IB learner profile is unique in its own way, incorporating a variety of learning tools including place based education. Place based education is expanding the classroom into the field using different environments in to teach basic and challenging concepts.

   
      My favorite part of La Paz story is their very first day of school. There were only 50 students and their teachers, and in the middle of the courtyard stood a tiny Caro Caro sapling (the Guanacaste tree) waiting to be planted. Clutched in the hand of each student was a bit of earth, and right before the sapling was fully covered they each added their handful. The tree and the school grew together, and the students learned to care for it and to learn from it. Seven years later the tree had grown too large, and the students moved it to its new home at the new south campus. Today, the school boasts about 300 students, consisting of both native students and students from all around the world.

 Stay tuned for Part Two of this article on Friday, November 14th!

Learn More

Volunteer at La Paz

An Update from Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Hello everyone, It has been quite sometime since my last blog post, and I thought it was about time for an update. I have been traveling through Costa Rica since September 18th and have met many friends. More importantly I have made friends with someone who has been nothing but helpful in furthering my research for "Seeds to Trees". Emmanuel Javogue and his family have been gracious enough to invite my fiance and myself into their home located in the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica. They also introduced me to a school here called La Paz where both of their children attend. Both Emmanuel and his wife Ashley have also donated a lot of their time and money to help further La Paz's progress. La Paz is a very different school in comparison to most traditional schools, and has a heavy focus on community and environmental stewardship. I have already spent some time at the school observing some of the classes, and even became a student in their 10th grade Spanish class (that was definitely a challenge). During this process I have also had the opportunity to interview Ashley who serves on the school board, and Bianca her daughter who will be graduating this year. I have also introduced myself to the school's director Mr.Abel and his wife Kerry, whom I will be meeting with on November 4th. I am truly excited to be learning more about the La Paz school, and possibly even doing some volunteer work. I encourage you all to keep an eye out for my next blog post, which will be featuring a full article on the La Paz school. Until then please check out the school's website for more information.

A Shout Out to the Bullet Tree Falls

 
  Bullet Tree Falls is an awesome little town located just outside of San Ignacio in the Cayo district of Belize. This was one of my favorite places to visit whether it was to admire the amazing environment or just to kick back with a rum in my hand while floating down the river in a tire inner tube. When you are coming into the falls you will go across a big bridge that is high above the Mopan river and one of the things you will most likely see while walking across are children and their families splashing away.



From this view you can also see what is often referred to as the "Tube Shoot", if you look off into the distance you can see somewhat of a split in the river where the water rushes through two bits of land. This small but fast water fall of sorts is probably some of the most fun you can have in an old tire tube, plus you get the challenge of swimming yourself to the bank in order to enjoy a couple more "Tube Shoot" rides before floating further downstream. 








 If you ever find yourself in Bullet Tree Falls don't worry about a place to stay either, especially if you are looking for a homey retreat in the jungle with a great view of the river. One such place that is definitely worth mentioning is the Parrots Nest lodge, where you will get to spend your time with this lovely family:





Where you will do a lot of this:

(This by the way is Marcus the happiest man you will ever meet, seriously I don't think he ever stops smiling. Anyways he is an amazingly kind person, who you can absolutely have a blast with.)

While spending your evening in one of these:




    The Parrots Nest is definitely the place to be if you want to be treated like family, this includes having amazing meals cooked for you and plenty of honest advice as to where to go and what to see while staying in Bullet Tree and the Cayo area. Also it is worth mentioning if you want to stay up to date on whats happening in San Ignacio check out the Cayo Scoop another side project Marcus contributes a lot of his time to.

   If you are feeling a bit more on the fancy pants side, don't worry there is a place for you too in Bullet Tree at  Mahogany Hall . If you like fine dinning, upscale rooms, and all that fancy stuff than Mahogany Hall is the place for you. Although I have never stayed the night it is an awesome place to visit. In particular I am speaking towards their awesome location on the Mopan where you can catch some awesome currents and go soaring down the river.

(Photo's of Mahogany Hall are copy-written by Johnathan Cariddi)

If you ever have the pleasure of meeting one of the owners of Mahogany Hall Jonathan Cariddi you will not be disappointed. He is a very funny but also a professional, along with Mahogany Hall Jonathan also runs Mr.Greedy's Pizzeria located in downtown San Ignacio.

Now that you have a taste for places to stay and visit while in Bullet Tree, I would like to talk to you about the Bullet Tree Environmental Committee.


This is a committee made up of locals from Bullet Tree Falls and the surrounding area with a love for the environment and the willingness to protect it. On their facebook page one of their goals is "Support Programs for Community Development", something more communities need. In addition to their efforts towards protecting the local environment and water ways the committee focuses on community involvement. This includes creating campaigns such as "The Bullet Tree Falls Safe Water Mission". You will also see a lot of events on their page such as river clean ups, but it is also important to remember that this committee puts a lot of time and effort in organizing these events and proposing better solutions to current environmental issues.
In other words a lot of discussion and paperwork!

Another large part of the committee is focused on helping preserve the green iguana populations, which is highlighted in their committee logo. 







I chose to give a shout out to the Bullet Tree Falls Environmental Committee not only because I love Bullet Tree, but because they are doing amazing work for their community and environment. This is the type of work I want to be able to do when in Belize, and have this type of community involvement because those are the people who are going to make changes in Belize. Belizeans are some of the kindness and hardworking people I have ever had the pleasure to meet, and I am confident that they are capable of anything, which is why I want to promote and start my own Environmental Education Center there. So, please do check out all these lovely people I have highlighted throughout this post, they are definitely worth it. Also, don't be shy to branch out do some of your own reading on Belize culture and their environment I promise you will not be disappointed.