Summer!

Saludos!

Hope your summer is off to a great start. (Not sure if the official day has arrived, but as far as I’m concerned - summer is here! Disfrutalo!) 

Where to start, where to start...

How about with a GRACIAS! During the week of May 22, we reached the fundraising goal! (All in less than 2 months! A-mazing). To everyone who donated to, read about, shared, and supported the Special Education Resources project, thank you for your time, interest and kind messages. Because of you, my school will make steps toward a long-term goal of school-wide Montessori education, helping 15 teachers help 52+ students meet their individual needs in the classroom. You’ll be able to find photos and updates about the process here, and I can’t wait to share what happens next! I’m excited for the kids, the teachers, my project partner, and all you caring individuals willing to support the education of students that you have never even met (...yet!). Thank you so much.

Since I last updated this, fellow volunteers and I had our 1 Year IST (In-Service Training).  We shared successes, struggles, past, current and future projects - and I found it so worthwhile - the best Peace Corps mandated training yet, in my opinion. Love our group.

And it may be summer, but there’s still a lot going on in June. So far in these first two weeks, my youth threw a Mother’s Day party for the moms in the barrio, IDENE wrapped up the school year for the students, and we held a week-long summer camp for the kids. This Friday we’ll start the first round of Teacher Training, which will be held daily through the end of June. Really looking forward to it, so hopefully it goes well. Vamos a ver! 

Here's June (so far) in pictures:

Youth Group’s Mother’s Day Party

The kids' celebrated Mother's Day at the beginning of June with a party for all the moms. They invited every mother in the neighborhood and SO many people showed up. The kids put on plays, sang songs, recited poems, and performed a dance. They also gave all the mothers a number, and raffled off prizes. It was great, and the kids are already at work planning something similar for Father's Day in July. Basically - the best jovenes ever. Enjoy the pics & Feliz Dia de la Madre!

Welcoming the moms!

hangin' out.

The kids made me make this welcome sign for the event and gave me a can of spray paint. I tried, and wound up successfully creating the ugliest poster ever. But they still said it was "bien linda." :)

Dona Dominga

Simon & Dona Dominga

welcoming everyone to the event

Raffling off gifts for the mothers

over 100 mothers from the barrio came out! place was packed.

the youth in one of the 5 mini-plays they performed

IDENE Summer Week

Pictures from our Semana de Verano! Lots of fun, games and activities for the kids such as: cooking, art, manualidades...and baton ballet  aka baton twirling (pero, claro).  

 

so much twirling talent!

these kids were naturals! 

Last Day of School/Entrega de Notas

During the end of last week the teachers were busy getting all of the students' evaluations ready. Each student and their family received a personalized, typed evaluation with pictures of activities from throughout the year. Check out the folders that the teachers decorated for every single kid. So artistic!

Evaluations folders for the youngest students - so darn cute! 

almost all the teachers

teachers presenting the Summer Camp participation certificates

feliciades!

 ...& finally - So. Much. RAIN.
A little weather update: hurricane season has arrived reminding us daily of its presence with downpours every afternoon. As a side effect, everything is even greener and growing faster than normal here in the lovely Cibao.

storm's a-comin'! 

rain. como siempre.

Thanks for reading! Take care all.

XO

Happy (very) belated (12th! omg!) Birthday to Camie!

Happy belated Birthday to Angie!

& Happy Birthday, Uncle Tim!