Fun with the Kids in Benque

Friends and Family,

Our time in Belize has been magical. After a long and arduous trip from Belize City to Benque Viejo del Carmen, the students kept their heads and spirits high as they prepared for their first day of teaching at Mt. Carmel Primary School. Because of their hard work before flying down to Belize, all that is took for the students to be ready for the morning was a good night's sleep and some authentic Belizian Chinese food.

When we got to the school Wednesday morning, the students were broken into four classrooms where they taught about: horses, American football, American dancing, and American folklore. In the "horse" classroom, Kelli Gough and Maggie McHargue helped students understand the difference between Belize and American horses, in size and function. Then the students were able to show off their artistic talents by coloring in pictures of their favorite horse before the students conducted horse races like they hold in Kentucky; it is amazing how long these students were able to pretend to be like horses and run back and forth across the grass. After each race, they ecxclaimed, "Can we race again Mister and Misses?"

The American football class, taught by Rocio Leon, opened the students' eyes to a sport that most of them had not known about. Rocio began by observing the skills the students already had in playing futbol (which were quite impressive and they probably could have taken most Lloyd students), then she explained the rules of how our football worked. After conducting an interactive, explanatory lecture, Rocio led the students through basic passing and running plays which the students loved, although most students did better with catching the football with their faces than with their hands (as they are used to playing soccer with their heads and feet). Then today, Mr. Gels worked on passing routes with the boys as Rocio taught the girls the best Lloyd Juggs cheer ever!

In the folklore class, led by Randi Stewart, the students were told spiders stories and a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story. For the spider story, the students created their own scary spider bracelets, and for the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story, the students created two-faced masks. The spiders were so scary with the googley eyes that they scared Randi half to death.

Lastly, in the American dance class, Krista Gels taught standard American dances such as the "Chicken dance," the "Hokeypokey," and "YMCA." This class was started off by a game of musical chairs that got all of the students fighting for their life to win the game; students were falling all over one another. Then with the other dances, the students portrayed their "happy feet" and arms as they got very into each dance, often with the students ending up on the floor again.

With our students' teaching, the Primary school at Mt. Carmel came to life. The smiles on the kids' faces were infectious, and all we could hear during the school day, that night when we saw students, and this next morning, were "Hello Miss. Hello Mister." Our students were so effective with their teaching that the administration begged that we come down for at least a week next time. We also switched what we were doing in our second and final day today to visit the rest of the primary classes we missed, in two hour blocks, so the other students at the school wouldn't feel left out.

This experience has showed us that the students here are passionate, smart, and eager to learn. They thrive on personal attention, and that is what our students are able to provide them. The kids' gratitude can be seen in their smiles, the bounce in their steps, and through the little presents many of them have given to their teachers (our students).

We hope that this, our first interaction with Mt. Carmel Primary School, is only the beginning of a long friendship between the students of Northern Kentucky and Mt. Carmel Primary School.

Please leave any comments you have and we will try and respond as quickly as possible. Also, PICTURES TO COME!

Greetings!

Welcome students, parents, and northen Kentucky community members who are viewing this brand new blog. We are excited to be taking students down to Belize for a service learning trip beginning May 28th, 2007, and two weeks later leading a group of students on an eco-tourism trip to Costa Rica on June 10th, 2007.

In this, our inaugural year taking students to Belize, we will be taking 6 students on an unforgettable experience. For the first part of our 10 day trip, students will be teaching in an elementary school called Mt. Carmel Grade School in Benque Viejo del Carmen, a border town of Guatemala. Students have prepared lesson plans that compare and contrast elements of Kentucky and Belizian life. This is an opportunity that will enable the students to learn how to master and teach material, learn about how other cultures function, and it will help students appreciate a way of life compeltely foreign to themselves. Students will engage in various extra-curricular activities with the kids of the Benque community and they will have an opportunity to make some home visits. While in Benque, students will also be able to visit various Mayan ruins, learning about the rich and vast history of this impressive cultural dynasty. The largest of the ruins we will be visiting is called Caracol.

After staying in Benque, we will move towards the coast and stay on two islands off the coast of Belize: Caye Caulker and San Pedro. This jaunt will allow the students to experience one of the most impressive reefs in the world. Students will get to snorkel, swim with nurse sharks and rays, and kayak around Caye Caulker. The students will be seeing things they have only seen pictures of in biology class.

This trip is something we hope many students from northen Kentucky will partake in in the future. It is an invaluable experience that will make the students more aware of their surrounding and make them more worldly people. Please share your thoughts!