Service Projects

Our students have proposed some ambitious service projects to complete. All of the elementary student teachers are engaged in after-school tutoring with their students. Miss Kristen Brenton, Mrs. Amanda Barnes, and Miss Wendy Unsworth have all committed many hours to the primary students. Miss Addy, the school principal as encouraged the student teachers to be engaged in the service. They have participated in student parades during Earth Watch as well as attended many of the fundraising activities that have taken place on the island to generate school funds. The student teachers have proposed to clean and organize some of the rooms in Isla Bonita Elementary School as well as participate in some of the service activities of the high school student teachers.

The secondary student teachers are working on a variety of initiatives of their own. The athletic court behind the high school has been in disrepair for some time as the salt winds and the always sandy/dusty environment is unrelenting. Kristen Trotter has acted as painting supervisor! All teacher interns have begun to clean the outdoor concrete surface and are readying to re-paint the athletic courts at the request of Mr. Kelly, the science teacher and coach, and Mr. Vasquez, the high school principal. Alberto, the school carpenter and groundskeeper, has acquired the necessary materials and the student teachers have begun the work. John Derian and Margo Ennis is currently gathering teacher information to add to the school website. Mr. Palma, the school’s technology coordinator, has granted the students access to the San Pedro High School’s website. The students intend to add this teacher information to the web site as static web pages. Many of the students at San Pedro High School are technologically literate and would appreciate access to instructor web pages for informational purposes. The final student project includes the creation of a short documentary for the school’s promotional efforts. Will Fassbender will lead the effort to collect short video segments. He is looking forward to generating a 10-15 minute video for the high school with many images integrated.

All the efforts have been well received by the San Pedro High School faculty and staff.

Inland Week, Complete.

I missed last week’s post…sorry! While we have had intermittent e-mail access, the real reason for the delay: we have been busy! So, we are back in San Pedro Town after an eventful week traveling around Belize. We arrived back on Ambergris Caye Saturday afternoon after traveling via the San Pedro Express ferry. We’ve seen many things during our inland trip! We’ve ridden packed busses, hired unique and knowledgeable guides, met old friends and family, established new relationships, traveled to Mayan Archeological sites, visited the zoo, and dined at local flavorites. See our experiences as I write about the highlights:


Caves Branch – I think the accommodations at Caves Branch and the waterfalls tour was one of my favorites! This was quite a diversion from the hustle and bustle occurring daily in San Pedro Town. The location was halfway between Belize City and Guatemala to the west. Caves Branch is a natural setting described with adjectives such as, serene, peaceful and inviting. The teacher candidates and I stayed three to a cabin, and we reserved three cabins for a one-night stay. Upon arrival but after ‘settling in’ to our cabins, we decided to take a pre-dinner excursions and short bus ride with a Cave’s Branch tour guide to the ‘Blue Hole’. There, we walked down a large hill to the awaiting river below. The swimming hole quickly revealed itself to us! We all swam in the deep, fresh water hole about as blue as one could imagine. The swimming hole was an obvious local favorite as around 10 Belizeans were already enjoying the water. The ‘Blue Hole’ is part of an active national park system that transverses the nation (http://www.centralamerica.com/belize/parks/bluehole.htm).

We had a hearty dinner and light breakfast in the ‘mess hall’ before heading out on our excursions. The students chose to participate in three different excursions: river tubing, repelling, and waterfall exploring. I chose to explore the waterfalls. The well trained guides drove the group through rows and rows of orange trees. We rode on old school busses and prepared ourselves to hike into the forest on our way to the cave’s entrance. From there, we entered the cave with helmets secured tightly to our heads and illuminated lights strapped around each helmet. We entered the cave’s opening along an exiting river of water. As we hiked deeper and deeper into the caves we observed both biotic (insect and fruit bats, scorpion spider, cave cricket, catfish) and abiotic (stalagmites, stalactites, cave openings, rock types) factors. But, we had little idea of what was to come as all of us tried to avoid getting wet in the river by jumping from dry rock to dry rock. While we had come to see the picturesque waterfalls, many of us were unprepared for the invitation to jump off into awaiting pools below. All-in-all, we climbed above and jumped into around 5 large cave waterfalls ‘hooting and hollering’ each time. The water was chilly, but not cold. All of us were quite comfortable as getting wet was the theme of the day’s hike. We enjoyed a well deserved lunch in one of the large chambers of the cave. We exited the cave and drove back to Cave’s Branch, anxious to tell our stories to the others. (http://www.cavesbranch.com/adventures/caving.html)

I think my only regret is that we only spent one night at Cave’s Branch. During future excursions, I think we will spend two or three evenings here as many other students enjoyed their excursions just as much!


Belize Zoo – Despite our early disappointment in missing the Belize Zoo at the onset of the trip, Margo, Kristen, and I decided to depart San Ignacio on a public bus for Belmopan ($2.50 each way). Upon arrival, we paid the $5.00 entrance fee and quickly encountered the Tapir, the Belizean National Animal. This animal is otherwise referred to as the mountain cow. The animals are so close to the visitors that in many cases you can reach out and touch them. Kristen trotter did just that! But, we just had to be careful to not get too close to many of the other more dangerous animals. The Spider Monkey’s exhibit was a highlight of the visit. The animals are threatened due to poaching, viral outbreaks, and capture to satisfy the dangerous pet trade. They really put on a good show for us! We traveled through the small park seeing white-tail deer, keel-billed toucans, paca, scarlet macaw, collared aracari, jaguaroundi and ornate hawk-eagle. The Ocelots (or tiger cat) were some of the more beautiful big cats I’ve ever seen! The big paws and the leopard-like coloring were really neat. The ocelot rubbed the fence as a common household cat would, purring and waiting for dinner. The black howler monkeys were in true form…howling and yelling at pitch and decibel levels that are amazingly loud. The very endangered harpy eagle was the size of a human. Two were on display and it was the closest I’ve ever been to one. But, the Jaguar (tiger) was the highlight for me! Such a beautiful and majestic animal…one could see that protection of such a species is paramount. The agility and the grace were present in the large cat. We had the opportunity to watch the cat being fed treats. (http://www.belizezoo.org/zoo/zoo/mammal.html)


Navigating the Countryside – Many students enjoyed the challenge of traveling inland Belize using public transportation. BUT, I had to navigate the need to get to students to the accommodations on time while allowing all students the flexibility to travel in unique ways. Many folks had warned me about the challenges and sometimes the dangers of traveling on the public busses. And, it is true, the busses and system seem antiquated by our standards in the states, but there is raw enjoyment to conquering (maybe never understanding) the journey from one city to the next. We never really knew which stop was the correct one or when to get off of the bus, but we never encountered any problems or any unpleasantness. It is really been pleasurable to see many students overcome their fears of this type of foreign travel while many others have lead the group in one travel conquest after another. All in all, we navigated airports, busses, boats, taxi’s, private transports, golf carts, bikes, and feet! (http://belize-guide.info/getting.around/buses/)


Lamanai – This was another highlight of the travel experience inland. Lamanai (submerged crocodile) is a Mayan ruins that covers over 10 miles of riverside. John, Kristen B., Kristen T., Margo, Will and I decided to take the popular river boat tour from Orange Walk to reach ruins. We were lead by Carlos, our fearless leader! The river boat held around 30 passengers, had twin 200 Yamaha engines, and quickly navigated the small river flowing from the ancient lakes over 20 miles from departure. Along the way, we stopped to observe crocodiles, watch wading birds, and feed spider monkeys.

We slowed past canoes of fisherman with stringers of fish and swimming children jumping from docks emerging from the shoreline. We even pasted a Mennonite village along the way. It was interesting to learn that the Mennonites made up 10% of the overall Belizean population and produced 70% of the agricultural products for the country. But, the highlight of the visit was arrival at the Mayan site and bearing witness to the ten story temple that emerged out of the river mountainside. We quickly ate lunch on the shore, visited the museum and gift shops, and departed to explore the once thriving village! We hiked through the ruins to emerging at the base of the Mayan temple. It was thought that 40,000 to 60,000 people considered the site home during the first millennium. The climb to the top was steep and we had to use a rope to assist in the assent. But, what a view from the top of the temple! One could clearly see why the top was considered a place of convening with the Gods. I think I will “require” this excursion of all our students participating in future field experiences. It was a great visit! (http://www.belize-vacation.com/belize/lamanai.htm)

Two weeks down!

What a second week we have had! Our teacher candidates have assumed many of the teaching responsibilities from their host teachers. The elementary teachers have had the opportunity to switch teachers and learn from teaching students in different standards. While many our secondary teachers have been teaching the same classes for the better part of week 2. Many of the current high school teachers had to travel inland with their students for the yearly senior field trip. This allowed our UNCW teachers to lead the high school classes on their own. Both the elementary teacher candidates and the high school teacher candidates have done an outstanding job. In fact, I’ve even had the pleasure of working the student lunch cantina during the day. The proceeds from the student lunches served go to an annual faculty trip at the end of the year. The teachers travel for a week of celebration to places like Las Vegas, Puerto Rico, Miami, Monterrey, etc.

We head inland Saturday morning to explore all that Belize has to offer! Our itinerary looks like this:

· We depart from San Pedro Town in the morning for Belize City on the passenger ferry. It is around a 1 hour commute to the mainland by boat. Upon arrival, we will visit Old Belize in Belize City for a couple of hours. See the site here: http://www.oldbelize.com/

· We have hired a tour operator to pick everyone up from Old Belize and take us to the Belize zoo in Belmopan in the afternoon (http://www.belizezoo.org/)

· After our tour of the zoo, we arrive in Caves Branch for our first night of accommodations and an evening of relaxation. We plan to river tubing on Monday afternoon. See the web site here: http://www.cavesbranch.com/

· We depart Caves Branch on Sunday afternoon for the foothills to the jungle and the town of San Ignacio (http://www.belizex.com/san_ignacio.htm)

· We will arrive in San ignacio on Sunday evening by bus. We intend to stay in town for four exciting days and will depart on Thursday morning. Our accommodations are at Cahal Pech…as described on their website: “Cahal Pech Village Resort is located in the heart of the Mayan world, San Ignacio, Cayo District, Belize. We offer professionally guided tours of local and other Mayan ruins in English and Spanish, as well as access to Mayan Healing, Culture and Art. We also offer Eco-tours, Jungle Adventure, Horseback Riding, Reef Diving and more. Relax at our Pool, or see Belize’s Beaches and Caves, Waterfalls, Sink Holes and Zoo.”

Sounds like fun, huh? See: http://www.cahalpech.com/.

Our tours may include the following
o http://www.tikalpark.com/ - Wikipedia says, “Tikal (or Tik’al, according to the more current orthography) is one of the largest archaeological sites and urban centers of the Pre-Columbian Maya civilization. It is located in the archaeological region of the Petén Basin in what is now modern-day northern Guatemala.”
o http://www.belizex.com/xunantunich.htm - Belize Explorer says, “Xunantunich is located across from San Jose Succotz, a few miles from the western border. The partially-excavated and largest pyramid, El Castillo, rises 130 feet above the main plaza and offers an impressive Panoramic View of the Belize's Cayo District and nearby Guatemala.”
o http://jaguarpaw.com/ - From their website, “Jaguar Paw is an all inclusive Belize Resort that is located in 200 Acres of the Rainforest on a River and Cave System. On the grounds activities abound. From Cave Tubing on Caves Branch River system or Crystal Caves - Rock Climbing and Repelling - Zip Lining through the Jungle Canopy, and so much more.”

· On Thursday morning, we travel North for the village of Orange Walk and a river boat day tour of Lamanai (http://www.lamanai.com/index.htm. We will explore the mayan ruins maybe even spot a Keel-Billed Toucan! From the travel Belize website, “The Maya Site of Lamanai, one of Belize's largest ceremonial centers, is located on the banks of the 30 mile long New River Lagoon in North Central Belize. With one of the longest occupation spans in the Maya World, Lamanai was occupied continuously for over 3,000 years. The Lamanai Archaeological Reserve also contains a museum, the remnants of two 16th century Spanish churches and a colonial sugar mill that was established in 1860. Set in tropical forest and providing spectacular views from several of its large temples, Lamanai provides a unique experience into the culture of the Maya and the biological diversity of the tropical forest.”

· On Thursday evening we travel to Corozol Town. A quiet city found on the North end of the country and home to many of the teachers in San Pedro. The country also lies on the border with Mexico. See the website here: http://www.belize-vacation.com/belize/corozal.htm. We are hoping to use our time to visit a Mayan archeological site, Cerros, “an important Mayan trading center during its heyday from 400 B.C. to 100 A.D.”, and the Community Baboon Sanctuary, “a unique conservation effort bringing together eight villages to protect the population and the habitat of Black Howler Monkey”.

· We leave for Belize City on Saturday and back to San Pedro Town for the final two weeks.

Reflections on the first week of elementary school

I’ve had the opportunity to observe all of our interns in Isla Bonita Elementary School. The primary teacher candidates are doing an absolutely fantastic job providing instruction to the elementary students. They have all been give opportunities to lead their classes and the faculty at the elementary school is so supportive of their efforts. As I enter the classrooms, the students will rise and say, “Good Morning Mr. Dennis!” All have school uniforms (boys in red polo shirts and khaki pants; girls in red polo shirts and khaki skirts) and are often as polite as can be.

I’ve observed Miss Wendy Unsworth teach science (levers) in Mrs. Yvette’s Standard 4 class and Health Science (HIV aids) in Mrs. Sharon’s standard 5 class. All the teachers are tasked with visiting a health science curriculum on a yearly basis; that is, the content is recursive from year-to-year. And, I'm really surprised by the explicit nature of the sex education discussion. But, confronting teen pregnancy, alcohol and drug use, and AIDS education through effective strategies at an early age offers solutions to the problem. Students are encouraged to ask any and all questions of their teacher during class. At first, it was uncomfortable to observe, because the curriculum contrasts with the education I’ve had as a student and the education I was tasked with providing as a teacher in the states. But, Wendy presents the content is such an approachable and enthusiastic way. She facilitated conversations that were exciting and viable. I think the students benefit by being well informed of the dangers while extinguishing those “urban myths and legends”.

I’ve observed Mrs. Amanda Barnes teach Standard 3 science in Hector Trejo’s class. She led a great lesson on the solar system and integrated her laptop computer. She downloaded a solar system software package titled “Microsoft World Wide Telescopes”. The students were amazed by the software and graphics! I was amazed as well and I teach high school science. Student interest is very high! The students are definitely enjoying her presentation…this is a great way to add visualization for students addressing the problem of “scale” that many students have. Amanda has a way of making direct instruction more student centered and student active.

Miss Kristen Brenton has real approachable voice and style with the Infant 1 and 2 children (5 and 6 years old). You can tell the students are really motivated by her instruction! Kristen was asked to lead Mrs. Addy’s class during the first week. What a challenge! Mrs. Addy is also the principle and as you could imagine, leading a daily classroom and running a school at the same time sure would present some challenges for any administrator. I think Kristen has really risen to the challenge and adapted quite well to the prescribed curriculum. And, I believe Mrs. Addy appreciates the freedom to lead the school in the daily tasks required.

The teacher candidates marched in a parade with the Isla Bonita marching band on Saturday afternoon. They thought the experience was long but very cool! The band marched for Earth Hour and many people lined the streets cheering the bands on. They marched to the north end of the island and attended the bonfire in celebration. On Sunday, the teacher candidates assisted with a cookout to raise finances for the student trip inland. They ate and hung out with the teachers and students all afternoon. We can’t be thankful enough for the reception we have received! And, I’m proud of the ongoing job that our teacher candidates are doing at Isla Bonita.

Reflections on our first week in the high school

Without getting into great detail, we’ve had a very successful first week in the high school. Week One began as teacher candidates became acclimated to their physical surroundings, met and observed their partner teachers, reviewed their schedules, and were introduced to their new students. San Pedro High School is a small high school (450 students), but the building and the classrooms are new. And, while the schedule seems confusing at first, it makes sense after a week of attending classes. The language of English is shared, but we have heavy accents relative to the English spoken on campus. And, to make communication more difficult, students have a tendency to mix English, Spanish, and Creole, during one conversation. So, the struggle to effectively communicate is always present, but in general, all the teacher candidates get their message across to the students.


Interesting: The students don’t move from the class to class, the teachers do! So it’s the teachers that rotate, not the students.

The science laboratory is ‘in process’ of being refurbished. The laboratory classroom is one of only two classrooms on the third floor of the high school. There are five sinks and each has water running to it. There is a few shelves of chemicals but many look old. We’re told by the Science Department Chair, Paul Kelly, that teachers often have to use household chemicals as replacements. I asked if there was a chemical company in Belize and he said no. They will periodically order materials from Mexico or the United States, but it is very expensive (more expensive than what we pay). And many of the chemicals ordered from the Mexican company come directly from the US anyway.

Interesting: Available chemicals are ‘difficult to come by’ so many are beginning to explore on-line support (i.e. Chemistry – burette simulations). But teachers make due as best as possible.

The computer laboratories are on the second floor and are air conditioned. This is quite a relief when escaping the outdoor sun and the heat. The computer room is well lit and the students have availability to the computers. The rooms are not sterile like they are in the states. Dust from the outside is always a concern and it often covers some of the keyboards and screen. There are some computers that don’t work, but for the most part, it is a working computer laboratory. John Derian and Margo Ennis led four “integrated science” classes in the computer lab. Their partnership teachers, Mr. Che’ and Mr. Paul Kelly, encouraged them to take the students to the lab to explore volcanoes. Margo and John chose to use a National Geographic Kids website. The students investigated volcanic characteristics using authentic images and small simulations. They classes was so well behaved and each student seemed to really enjoy and learn from the activity. They were able to almost complete the entire worksheet that Margo Ennis prepared to guide the learning experience.
They do have an LCD projector to present information onto the front screen. John Derian had also utilized the tool to give a lecture of the “phases of the moon” on Friday. His students sat around a large table and took notes from the lecture.

Interesting: While the computer lab is very well equipped, the processing speed is a bit antiquated. It is not impossible to use, but one requires patience.

It is interesting as many of the rooms in the high school have candy wrappers and plastic bottles strewn about despite the best efforts of the teachers and the principal to encourage the students to keep their areas clean. In fact, this has become a topic of conversation during the past faculty meeting. The school isn’t necessarily dirty, just very dusty. Tropical breezes constantly flow ashore from the adjacent ocean. In fact, it has been so windy the last week that snorkeling and water activities are difficult. But it is the breezes that keep the school cool. There are few air conditioners. So we aren’t complaining!

Monday, March 23rd

Today was the first formal day all of our UNCW students will spend in San Pedro’s schools. I was able to see all elementary students and their teachers at a morning assembly. Wendy Unsworth taught all the primary school students (and teachers) to “create rain”, a short interactive activity where students created clouds then thunder and then rain using their hands and snapping their fingers. All seemed to have so much fun! I was introduced to the students later during morning assembly as ‘Dr. Dennis’. I made a short speech to the teachers and student body, thanking the school for allowing us to visit and the opportunity to be engaged in such a ‘cool experience’.

I later observed both Kristen Brenton teach infant 1 or Kindergarten. The topic of her presentation was the science topic 'wedges'. Students were asked to visualize how a knife might work as it cuts butter or how an axe would work as it chops down a tree. I was able to assist her in the instruction, and I appreciated her involving me. The curriculum is very prescribed and all teachers have a strict standard course of study to follow. The students are tested using a Caribbean exam at the end of the year. They have to be prepared! She did a great job and she is so patient with the students. Most of the curriculum is teacher-directed, but Kristen tried to engage the students using authentic and practical examples.

I was able to also observe Wendy Unsworth teach standard 4 or fifth grade. She also was teaching science and focused on work. That is, Force X Distance = Work. She asked if one of the students could pick me up. He tried, but couldn’t. So, I asked if work was done. We had a long discussion with the students as to why work hadn’t been done because I hadn’t moved a distance. Wendy had lots of energy and enthusiasm. It is so contagious for the students to see her so excited.

I’m really enjoying the opportunity to observe our students as they begin and to see the friendly faces and enthusiasm of the Belizean children.

I attended the high school in the afternoon and met with many of the high school teachers again. We had lunch prepared for us by the teachers who had taken us fishing the Saturday prior. The meal was arranged in the cafeteria…that is, a open air stand that you would see at a high school football game. You know, the ones where the windows are prepped open and there is only room for like six people inside. See the picture included! They prepared whole snapper with a Cajun mix of vegetables and fresh tortillas. We even had the opportunity to serve the students from the stand.

I was able to observe Will Fassbender teach during the day. He read a short story called the lottery. The students listened and he questioned them about the story. In fact, he gave out pieces of paper to each student and one was labeled with a black mark prior to the story. The students soon realized that the lottery from the story wasn’t a money lottery, but a sacrifice ritual. Will didn’t sacrifice anyone, but he did award the winner with a snickers bar!

We were invited to attend the Monday afternoon faculty meeting. The teachers discussed their attendance policy and why it wasn't being enforced by the principal. They discussed specific student academic issues and the problems they were having with discipline. Principal Vasquez was questioned about specific students and whether or not expulsions were possible for those who had missed too much time in class. Seemed eerily similar to the many faculty meetings I had attended as a high school Biology teacher!

We were asked to present some ideas for professional development and to my delight, the teachers were most interested in have some training in student-centered methodology. We will prepare a 2-hour seminar, and I will deliver to the high school teachers over the final two weeks we are in schools.

We went out to dinner with three Belizean teachers: Michelle, Che’ and Rafeal. They took us to a Belizean food stand and we all ate for less than two dollars! We enjoyed their company and exchanged stories.

Sunday, March 22nd

We have coffee available each morning at the Inn. This saves the students and me a little bit of money each day. Many of us enjoy the coffee by the pool under the increasingly hot sun…and it gets hot quick!

The NCAA basketball games begin at 10:00 AM here and luckily we have a TV to watch…or at least get updates.

I had a great breakfast…pancakes with fresh bananas baked in with tomato juice…yummy!

Many students decided to snorkel on Sunday afternoon off the dock in front of the resort hotel Ramon’s. The pier extends around 200 yards from the beach. A few students have bought a basic mask and snorkel for $12.00 in the local gift shops. This is pretty cheap for San Pedro Island. Many of us were able to see grouper, yellow fin snapper, parrotfish, red snapper and silk snapper to name a few of the fish.

We celebrated Kristen Brenton’s 22nd birthday at a restaurant on the water called the Blue Water Grill. While the restaurant was expensive, even by our standards, the food was delicious. The flavor and the spices added to each of dishes are really different from many restaurants in the states. Sometimes it doesn’t matter what food you are eating because the spices and sauces create such incredible flavor. I had conch and shrimp ceviche for an appetizer and Thai beef salad…spicy and sharp to the taste. And, Bellikan Beer is the beverage of choice for many folks on the island. But, we won’t be having too many of these type of evenings…too expensive when there is other good food on the island.

Some students went for ice cream late while the others went home to prepare lesson plans for their first day in schools. It seems that all are a bit nervous because few know what to expect. Tomorrow should be an exciting day for everyone!

Saturday, March 21st

We decided to pursue a recommendation of a teacher in one of the schools and eat at a small restaurant called Papouses. Again, the restaurant is like walking into someone’s kitchen, except one wall is missing…the wall to the road. A real nondescript store that you’d never notice unless you were really looking for it. There had maybe three tables in one small room (like a tiny waiting room), and all eight of us seemed to take up almost the entire space. Most of the food is cooked on the side of the road (more like an alley) on ‘makeshift’ grills. I made the wonderful mistake of ordering a shrimp burrito. All of the other students had received their meals and even finished their dinners before I had a chance to even see my food. When the server/cook/hostess (she performed all the culinary functions!) brought my meal, I had never seen a burrito so large in my life. It could’ve fed a family of four. We all laughed, but it was really good food. John, Kristen, and Amanda helped me finish my meal!

What a morning! Kristen Trotter, Will Fassbender, John Derian, and I met the Dean of San Pedro Junior College, Gustavo Ellis, the San Pedro High School vocational teacher, Alberto, and the Chairwoman of the School Board’s husband, Mr. Guerrero. The rest of the student group will fish next weekend. We all arrived at 7:00 AM and went off to the back bay on the other side of San Pedro island. We were all excited to see a different side of the island.

El Capitan Guerrero is acting president of the local Lion’s Club in San Pedro town, and is perhaps the most influential man in town. He also is the oldest fishing guide on the island, and we are told, the best! We soon will see. We left the dock in a 25 foot skiff. Mr Guerrero caught live bait (sardines) first using a cast net. “Just look for the birds,” he says. Sure enough, there was a huge school of sardines in around 4 feet of water. And the birds were wading and roosting from their morning meal. We drove south with our bait, parallel to coast but inside the barrier reef. The reef is a short ½ mile from the coast. You can see the waves break over it from the shoreline. We turned West, away from the ocean, and coasted through mangrove forests. I am acutely aware of the trash on the shore. It seems like there is more garbage than one would usually see on Masonboro Island.

The fishing trip began well…we caught mangrove snapper, silk snapper, yellowtail snapper, and some small groupers. All told we reeled in 95 fish over the course of two hours. We were now prepared for dinner. Kristen caught the most fish as she is quite the fisherwoman! And john soon found out how long it takes to clean 95 fish! We cleaned the fish at the dock while large rays, bonefish, and pelicans swam around eating the tasty morsels.

More importantly, we all had the opportunity to talk about collaborations, partnerships, past failed efforts with American schools, and future efforts that would work best. I am now aware that a process exists for placing students in Belizean schools. Dean Gustavo talked to me about the Consortium for Belize Educational Cooperation (COBEC) and the positive influence the group is having. I hope to be at the conference on July 30th at Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah Georgia. The opportunity to talk and share stories was so valuable! I learned more on this fishing trip about the process of schooling and collaboration than I did researching the field experience for the past two years.

Hey All!

Our WSE International students group arrived in San Pedro early this Wednesday afternoon after a long day of travel. We’ve checked into our accommodations and are excited to get started. Our four rooms on the first floor. You can see were we are staying here: http://backpackersbelize.com/

Wednesday Afternoon


In fact, we’ve already met with La Isla Bonita’s Elementary School principal Miss Addy Martinez, her teachers, and her staff this afternoon. We had a positive 30 minute meeting! It seems as if the school will be a good fit for our UNCW students. Our elementary teacher candidates will again visit with faculty and students for an hour tomorrow. The local paper is going to do a story on our students in the local paper and post to the web. I’ll be sure to share. Their start day in the elementary school is next Monday.



See their website here: http://islabonitaelementaryschool.com/index.html

We meet with San Pedro High School principal, Emil Vasquez at 2:30 (Central America time – 2 hours behind ours) tomorrow. We are hoping for results as positive as today!

Wednesday Evening

We enjoyed pizza and beverages at Pedro's Pub. We even rallied together an NCAA basketball pool for the group. Peter (the owner of the Inn) is a unique character and enjoys his Bellikan.




Thursday Morning

We enjoyed a Belizean Breakfast at one of the more uninviting restaurants on the island. But as we are finding out quickly, the more uninviting the establishment, the better the food! So, were told by the host schools, the 'cafe's' and 'deli's', while not attractive and very small (one table!), have incredible burritos, pupusas, and rice and beans.



Before our high school visit, we returned to Pedro's and watched some first round Basketball. But the basketball courts here look a little different! The high school does offer select sports and has a small marching band.





Thursday Afternoon

Principal Vasquez greeted our secondary students at the front of the school with a smile. He was really excited to see us! In fact, he was so excited to see us, he asked if we would be introduced to the San Pedro High School student body. ALL 400 high school students arrived to the open air auditorium from the three story school building as their classes ended. It was quite intimidating and we were definitely in the position of being the "other". Emil introduced me to the students and we received quite the reception. After some welcoming remarks, I introduced each of the four secondary students. Margo Ennis, Kristen Trotter, John Derian, and Will Fassbender (see each of the students here): http://people.uncw.edu/kubaskod/International/Student_summary.htm.
The reception for Will Fassbender was hilarious. You'd have thought he was a member of a "boy band". All the young ladies whistled and cheered!

After a 20 minute assembly, we met with the faculty. Principal Emil led the meeting and we all exchanged introductions. The three science teachers will be dispersed amongst the 5 science teachers at the high school. Schedules, textbooks, and syllabi's will be shared with us tomorrow. We had a brief tour around the building and were joined by the elementary student teachers. Mr. Kelly, the secondary chemistry teacher, shared with us a Belizean soup. It was affectionately called cow hoof soup and contained tripe...yummy!


How exciting to be here after all the planning. See the school's website here: http://ambergriscaye.com/highschool/

We have wireless Internet access at Pedro’s Inn, so feel free to e-mail me.

I do have a cell phone signal, but it is expensive to recieve calls. Please, e-mail me if you need my number.

I’ll post to the blog twice weekly. As the bandwidth provides in the future, I'll add images and video as the bandwith permits. As the students begin to post to their blogs, I’ll be sure to share those with everyone this weekend.