Spanish Teachers

Hace tres años, yo no hablaba español para nada. De hecho, todo lo que sabía era hola, adios, y ¿Dónde está el baño? Gracias a mucha gente con muuuuucha pacienci, he aprendido montónes, pero montónes, en estes tres años que he estado aquí en Costa Rica. Yo quiero tomar un momentito para reconocer estes individuales, aunque es muy probable que ellos nunca van a ver esto testimonio (en un blog en que, en general, yo escribo en ingles, jeje). Los siguiente son gente que realmente me han ayudado y me han animado en esto proceso de aprender:

Rosena Guerrero

Lidia Yanez

Maria Ledesma

Marta

Professor Starzinsky

Mimi Castillo

Mau Escobedo

Elsa Valverde

Carolina Vargas

ManRi y Blanca Cabezas

Judit Cabezas

Albin Contreras

Yoji Takahashi

Ayde Zuñiga

Lissette

Roxana Araya

Fiorella Fúster

Maria Chavarría

Roger Brown

Merce Mejía

Michael Muñoz

Marilyn Garcia

Natalia Marín

Daniela Mejía

Mariana Garita

Christina Orozco

Diego Cruz

¡Muchísimas gracias a todos y que Dios los bendiga en cumplir sus sueños!

International Connections

I have been reminded daily this week of the people I have met from all over the world. From breakfast with a Venezuelan/Italian family to dinner with a Canadian family (whose five children are citizens of three countries) to hugs from the Nicaraguan cleaning lady at school to more hugs from a Columbian acquaintance at a Costa Rican church... I am reminded of how blessed I am to have had the experience to live outside the United States, even if just for a few short years. I am reminded of how God has worked on my heart to open my eyes to the perspectives, cultures, and languages of those around me. God is good!!

The Venezuelan/Italian family invited several teachers over for an appreciation breakfast. Adelina (the mom) taught us how to make arepas, delicious corn flour bread that reminded me somewhat of English muffins. Arepas are a traditional food in Venezuela and Columbia. We ate and talked in Spanish and I learned a lot about what not to say in Venezuela :). The kids were all outside playing in the pool while we ate breakfast and when it was time for goodbyes, I got a big dripping wet hug from my recently graduated students, lol.

Then the Canadian family invited several teachers over as well for an appreciation dinner. We ate pasta and caesar salad and chocolate fondue while hearing about the kids' summer vacation dreams, which included Peru and Cuba. Quite the dreamers, these kids. Well, I thought they were dreaming, but seriously, this family has travelled all over the world. In fact, the parents' next dream is to take a few years to sail around the world. With FIVE kids!!!! I admire these modern day hippies that have already lived in Korea, Argentina, and now Costa Rica.

Márcia has been the cleaning lady at Lighthouse now for a couple years. She is an immigrant from Nicaragua and is so grateful for her work at the school that she is always singing and greeting everyone with a smile. (Before I go on, I have to tell you that I easily forget that it's not just the white people that are foreigners here in Costa Rica... there are many dark-skinned people here that are also foreigners.) Márcia came into my classroom on the last day to give me a big hug goodbye and to tell me that she knew my momma was super excited to have me back home because Márcia knew her mom would be equally excited to have her come home. So picture this: she's half my height and hugging me really tight and I'm crying like a baby because I'm sad and happy and any emotion possible and I'm realizing (again) that I'm not the only one living so far away from ''home''.

And Sole from Columbia. Last Sunday was Father's Day here in Costa Rica (just like the U.S.), and in church, the pastor asked all the fathers to come forward. As the dads walked toward the front, Sole (sitting next to me), turns to me and asks if my dad is here at church today. I said no. She put her arm around me and said, ''Neither is mine, but we know they're in God's hands.'' Again, I was reminded that I'm not the only one living so far from home and from family.

So there you have it: a summary of my international encounters this week.

I GOT A JOB!!!!

Great news! I have a "next step" already planned for when I come back to the Chicago area. I will be teaching in a 5th/6th grade English Language Learners classroom in District U-46. I will be able to live in Elgin and commute a mere 20 minutes. :)

Thanks to all family and friends for your support and prayers for direction in the next step. God is good!

I posted this on Facebook a couple weeks ago but forgot to put it on my blog! An apology to those of you that check on my blog but are not Facebook users!

Graduation Party

After the graduation ceremony, the kids were excited about our graduation party that night at a classmate´s house. A mom helped me do nearly all of the planning, invitations, food, decorations, etc., and so the planning part was fairly stress free for me :)

It was a blacklight party, so all students came in black and white clothes. We hung the mural to block off the rest of the porch to create a party room.

The flourescent paint glowed with the blacklight. Very cool :).

I was surprised by my students' dancing skills. Then again, I shouldn't have been surprised since most of them have latino blood. In case you didn´t know, latino blood = natural dancing talent. My white Caucasian blood has never experienced this natural dancing talent, lol.

We had lots of food like Doritos, Cheetos, and yummy peanut butter chocolate brownie bites. Nothing like some gringo food for a tico party :).

I think this is the best smile I captured all school year form my shyest student. He has progressed so far in his English speaking since he came from Honduras in October. I am proud of him!

The kids discovered early on that if they popped the balloons that were hanging on the ceiling, there were glowsticks inside. They started making hats, jump ropes, necklaces, bracelets, and hula hoops.

The cake was beautiful and matched our painted mural!

A group photo in front of the mural. 19 of my 22 students were at the party.

And then another hyper group photo. By this point, the boys started throwing each other into the swimming pool while I was waving goodbye to all and leaving all the students for their parents to calm down :).

Fifth Grade Graduation

At Lighthouse, elementary school ends with 5th grade and then middle school starts in 6th, so we had a graduation celebration for the students as they excitedly anticipate being in middle school!

The girls went all out with their cute cocktail dresses.

More excited girls.

And more...

Seriously, all the students looked so grown up!!

Another photo right before we go out for the processional.

The church sanctuary was decorated very nicely. We had to sit straight and tall during the ceremony.

The director, Ms. Head, was on the stage the whole time. Each student had to stand front and center to give their speeches we had practiced millions of times. They all did well and I was very proud! :)

Then after the ceremony, we went outside to release balloons to symbolize our prayers going to God about our future goals and dreams.

Mural Process and Product

Here's what it looked like when the white was finished...

And students starting to paint the black...

And putting on finishing touches...

And again, not everyone had to help...

What it looked like when the black and white were finished...

And then, the best part! THROWING paint! :)

We used yellow, blue, pink, and green flourescent paint so the colors would shine in the blacklight at our graduation party...

And the finished product! :) Cool, huh?

Please Meet the Prop Box

I have a fancy cardboard box that contains any 5th graders' imagination needs...

...for creating ... well, anything!

Preparing for the ''Freeze Frame'' guessing game...

Students dress up and act out a ''freeze frame'' of something we've been studying and the rest of the students have to guess. Here you see Ms. Fúster teaching with freeze frames and my magic prop box during Estudios Sociales class.

And another freeze frame...

...All from this magic cardboard box :)