happy new year!

happy new year!

 ahh bequia...

GSS Cheerleaders at practice

my little students chezroy and reno.

jodel wearing his helmet for once.

christmas in the caribbean

i know it's christmas but in between my donny hathaway and boyz to men let it snow, i cant stop listening to Konshens...big tune!! God has really blessed me this year. ONE LOVE.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ORWyGED0is8#!

Konshens Big Tune!!!

family

family is so important, they truly nourish you.  i didnt realize how much i missed my family until they came and visited me last week. my mom and my favorite aunt, explored st. vincent and the grenadines thoroughly.  

st. lucia was decent but rather expensive on a peace corps budget.  cant wait to tell all my vincentian friends that my family prefers st. vincent over st. lucia....take that! smile.    i actually met a few nice folks so im already planning to return for their annual jazz festival in May.  who's coming??

Focus on the positive

Focusing on the positive can be quite a challenge when the road seems so arduous and never-ending.  How do you teach teenage students how to read? Some students have given up on themselves and just don't participate, some are so behind their peers (read: kindergarten level) they simply "tune-out", others are bored with the primary school repetition and themes. 

What to do? What to do? Well, in an attempt to introduce more adolescent themes to students, I realized that although they want more adult themes they actually have trouble grasping the concepts as their vocabulary is extremely limited and their reading level is stuck at primary grade 2-3.  After class ends I often feel as if I have not helped the students improve at all.

With a remedial reading class totaling nearly 35 students, I'm always shocked by how many teens appear at school each morning in full uniform ready for whatever the day brings.  This is a fairly uncommon sight in the good ol' U-S of A, teenagers who are unable to read simply "take a pass" on school and hit the streets for better or worse.  I guess focusing on the positive isn't so hard after all.

Patience

All things come round to him who will but wait. - Longfellow


The journey began back in February with the International Alliance for Child Literacy ("IACL"), a US-based non-profit dedicated to Caribbean educational outreach.  After a lengthy conversation with IACL President Andrea de Vries, it was apparent her outreach efforts seemed to fall right in line with several literacy intervention projects I wanted to launch at Georgetown Secondary School ("GSS").  To say she was a God-send would be an understatement.  After clarification regarding the types of books and materials we could use Andrea set out to make things happen.  I busily started preparing the students immediately for the pending supplies (PAUSE) first a letter must be drafted and approved to insure proper delivery and notification to all involved as well as customs clearance and verification. Disappointed, I realized the books would not be arriving in 2 weeks as I'd hoped. 


Fast forward to June and the barrel is now officially being held in customs here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines("SVG"). I readied myself to sort and catalog the books and supplies during the summer break. (PAUSE) Fortunately, Customs in SVG  is quite thorough and after a couple mistaken barrels delivered to GSS, the barrel finally arrived on August 19th and it's right on time!


We are currently cataloging our new supplies and placing the finishing touches on a unique reading contest to launch in the coming weeks. 


Many thanks to my Principal Allen Burnett, the IACL and of course Andrea deVries for her patience and support. 


A few pics of the infamous barrel, the students and Mr. Burnett.


Updates to follow...

GSS Graduation 2011

I finally found a few pictures from the graduation ceremony at Georgetown Secondary.  It was a great ceremony where students were given awards for their varied talents, including, art, sports and technical drawing/drafting. 


The decorations were done by none other than myself and fellow teacher Ms. Corke. Try not to look closely or you will see that we clearly have very little imagination. ha!

Summer Fun in SVG

I cant believe there are only a few short weeks left of summer vacation.  Ive been quite busy.  From teaching with the Youlou Summer Art camp, going away party for my buddy Toussaint, catamaran sailing to Mustique and Bequia, and finally a beach lime with my neighbors.

Next week, I will facilitate an HIV/AIDS education camp for secondary students on how to develop life skills and finding positive role models.

students from the Youlou Art Camp visiting an archeological dig site in the Brighton area of SVG