St. Luke Primary School, Belize City - Standard Six Graduation Night

On Wednesday, the 23rd of June, we had the pleasure of attending the St. Luke Methodist School Graduation ceremony as special guests. Anthony was selected by the graduates to be their guest speaker, and he was honored to be chosen. He spent several weeks writing and revising his speech - even adding in notes at the last minute. His speech was moving and inspirational and certainly gave the graduates much to think about as they embark on whatever comes next in their lives. Here in Belize for many children standard 6 (like grade 8) is the highest level of education they will attain, so this is a very significant ceremony and Anthony did his best to address all the students with his remarks. It was a beautiful ceremony and a great speech - here are the highlights of the event.

Pre-Ceremony Preparations Underway

All 96 graduates march down the aisle with their candles glowing

Everyone at the Start of the ceremony

Time for awards and certificates

Students enjoying the pre-graduation activities

Anthony with Ms. Shirley

The award winning Saint Luke's Choir sings their rendition of the National Anthem

Anthony's Introduction as Guest Speaker

Anthony's Speech to St. Luke Standard Six Graduates:

Good Evening Reverend Papaloute, General Manager Patricia Bennet, Reverend Goff, parents, family, friends, teachers and staff of Saint Luke, Principal, Ms. Bodden, Vice Principals Miss Welch and Mr. Parham, and the students from the graduating class of 2010.

There’s an old joke about a young student’s first day of school. A little boy returns home after his first full day in the classroom, and his mother says to him, “What did you learn at school today?” the little boy turns and looks back at his mother and says, “Not enough I guess, they want me to come back again tomorrow.”

Congratulations are due to this outstanding group of standard six students for not only their successful completion of Primary School, but more so, for their willingness to return to school each day and commit themselves to a lifetime of learning. As you sit here tonight, know that we are all here because we are extremely proud of each and every one of you.

Twelve years ago I began my teaching career with the Los Angeles Unified School District. I was new, inexperienced, slightly intimidated, and even a little bit terrified of what seemed like an impossible challenge that lay before me. The only experience I had ever had in a classroom was as a student, and never in my wildest of dreams did I ever think to myself that I would become a teacher. Well, as it was, I entered my classroom on the first day of school not knowing if I would be chewed up, squashed, and eaten alive, or welcomed by the 36 young students who sat at their desks staring back at me. As we all looked back and forth at one another, I was silently overwhelmed. I gazed into their eyes and saw not just a young group of boys and girls, but rather the future of our country. As their teacher, I was not only tasked with simply dispersing information, facts, figures, and ideas, but rather I was given responsibility for helping to mold these young minds into doctors, teachers, bankers, business men and women, and future leaders of the world. As it turned out, we all survived, no one was eaten alive, and actually things ended up being a lot less scary than I had initially thought they would. So, after my first teaching experience and a number of additional years working in various schools, my decision to leave my family behind, move to Belize to work with teachers and students, make attempts at trying to understand a new language, and being assigned to work with the students, teachers, and staff at one of the largest primary schools in Belize was also initially overwhelming. However, it didn’t take very long before the students of Saint Luke made me feel as though I had found a second home. The students here and the moments that we spent reading, learning, and laughing together further cemented for me the incredible and sincere importance we must all place on the welfare of a child, since they are indeed to become the very backbone of our society. Whether they are the brightest or the funniest, the quietest or the loudest, the most creative or the most athletic, we must remember that each student is an individual, every one is unique and special.

Tonight is a special night for each of us here. It is special because each and every person in this building has in one way or another played a role in enabling these students to arrive here tonight. Parents, I’m not sure where to even begin. To be a parent is to dedicate oneself to a lifetime of responsibility and commitment toward the well being of another person through unconditional love and undying support. The mothers and fathers, aunts and uncles, grandparents, and other family members who sit here tonight have each helped to nudge, guide, and encourage all of you to always be the best person you can be, to do your best, and to never give up. Graduates, always remember that your family and friends are your guiding lights in what can sometimes seem like a never-ending and complicated journey. Know that they are here for you, that they love you very much, and will always be there to support you as you continue along life’s path. Take care of them, love them, laugh with them, cry with them, appreciate all of the sacrifices they have made in their lives for you, and above all, cherish and hold dear the moments that you share together. These are the riches that make life rewarding. In the end graduates, you are each the sole person in charge of your destiny and the choices you make will determine the life that you lead; however, listening to the advice and counsel of your parents will certainly assist you along your path, especially when things become difficult.

To the teachers, staff, and administrators at Saint Luke, a million thanks could not possibly compliment the hard work, dedication, and tireless efforts you have each put forth over the course of these students’ careers at the school. A school is in many ways, as I’m sure teachers would agree with me, a larger and more extended family outside of our own homes. Saint Luke’s family is quite large, but also very close. The teachers, principals, and staff are all dedicated to doing what is best for the boys and girls who spend their days here. With many who are so willing to provide additional classroom, reading, or tutoring time, that they often sacrifice their own free time to provide support to their students. Lee Iacocca, a prominent and successful businessman once said, “In a completely rational society, the best of us would aspire to be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something less, because passing civilization along from one generation to the next ought to be the highest responsibility anyone could possibly have.” I firmly believe this to hold true. To be anything less than stellar as a teacher, and to dedicate less than 100% of your energy, effort, and passion toward learning would be not just a disservice to a child, but also to society. Thank you teachers and principals for taking the work that you do seriously; thank you also for preparing these graduates as they depart St. Luke and venture forth to new and unknown places where they will confidently overcome the challenges that come forward on the path toward accomplishing their dreams.

To the graduates of Saint Luke, you are at a crucial point in your lives right now. You have successfully completed your primary school education. For some of you, it has been a lot more difficult than it has been for others, but for all of you, this is the first, in a long series of steps that will lead you to the new, exciting, and sometimes challenging adventures you will face throughout your life. Although you will always be part of the Saint Luke family, you are each moving on from here. Some of you are heading in a similar direction, some even to the same schools, and others still have yet to determine where their next path in life may lead. This being said, and you can take this directly from someone who has been in your shoes many times, it’s okay to not always know which direction the road will lead, it’s okay to take a chance on something after carefully considering all of your options, and yes, the unknown can be a pretty scary place. When faced with a question or a problem, we can try to avoid making choices by doing nothing, but even that is a decision. In every single thing you do, you are choosing a direction. Your life is a product of choices. We alone are responsible for our choices, and we have to accept the consequences of every deed, word, and thought throughout our lifetime. You will indeed be faced by adversity, challenge, heartbreak, and tough decisions, but you will also be granted moments, opportunities, and experiences that will be filled with such happiness and bliss that to dwell on the negative or bad experiences in life will seem pointless.

The theme that you have chosen for your graduation is very appropriate for the event. Our dreams and our aspirations are our invitations to set new goals, attempt new tasks, and dare to travel uncharted courses. We each have gifts to offer one another, but many, frequently need encouragement to recognize our own strengths and talents. Be proud of yourself, your talents, and all that you can offer. Do not be shy about offering help, support, and encouragement to those around you. Today’s successes and accomplishments were once yesterday’s struggles and challenges.

I have never heard of anyone dreaming of failure or aspiring to be unsuccessful. Failure does not play any part in dreaming. It is a dreamer that encourages failure, not the dream. History has proven to all of us that there were many very successful dreamers who failed numerous times before they experienced success. The difference is that their experience with failure was not going to end their dreams, but instead only motivate them to dream bigger. "If You Can Imagine It, You Can Achieve It, If You Can Dream It, You Can Become It.”

Over the last few years I’ve watched you grow from boys and girls to young men and women who will become the future of Belize. In the few years that I have worked with Saint Luke Primary School, I feel as though I have been blessed with many opportunities to get to know each and every one of you both individually, and as a collective group. You have made us smile each and every day; some of you have even made me laugh so hard that my sides hurt. Above all, you have all treated me like a member of your family, and I thank you for that. I know that no matter what path you choose to follow, you will forever be part of one another’s lives, and the experiences that you have had thus far will continue to mold each of you for many years to come. We love you all and wish you all the success in the world. I hope your dreams take you to the corners of your smiles, to the highest of your hopes, to the windows of your opportunities, and to the most special places your heart has ever known. Congratulations and good luck.

3 December 2010

It’s just a day under 6 months away and it’s our final, official last day with Peace Corps Belize. It’s definitely for real this time! I know we talked a lot about finishing in July/August; we were planning on it – I mean, we’ve been exchanging Belize dollars, we’ve been clearing out items we don’t need, we’ve been telling people we were coming home, … . After great deliberation, many hours of conversations, pondering, and pro and con lists (and even attempts at PACA) we both came to the realization that it makes the most sense to be here through some major projects and activities we are committed to. While it means another 4 months beyond our anticipated completion date and longer until we are back among American family and friends, we know it’s just a very short time in the grand scheme of things. Really, what’s another 4 months after 3 years? Granted, it is hurricane season, but it’s okay.

Anthony is in the midst of a major project with the HIV/AIDS Committee, he’s coordinating a barrier analysis on the usage of Belize’s Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) curriculum in primary schools. This has been a major undertaking that started over a year ago with the creation and publication of a supplemental teacher’s manual that covers required curriculum items with new and engaging lessons and activities. The project is also taking place within the designing for behavior change (DBC) framework we were trained in last November by the PTO from Peru. It’s such an incredible and important approach to all the work we do as Peace Corps volunteers and really makes sense (I wish I’d known about it when I was working with the teachers, the kids, and the teen moms) and fit perfectly with the mission of the HIV/AIDS Committee. To be able to see through the entire project and subsequent training planning and implementation is important to each of us, as well as to the members of the committee. In addition to the behavior change project, we are also overseeing a number of initiatives that will help address the goals and objectives for PEPFAR. PEPFAR is the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Launched in 2003, PEPFAR holds a place in history as the largest effort by any nation to combat a single disease. Belize has been granted $2.5 million over the next three years, some of which has been allocated for our Peace Corps post to further the community development and health-related work that volunteers are involved with as we help to improve health and education services. Over the past couple of years we have partnered with a number of agencies and developed close working relationships with some that have really had an impact on the overall success of the committee’s initiatives. Most recently, we have met with and plan to collaborate with UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) on a number of common issues and concerns raised by multiple agencies and organizations country-wide. So, suffice to say, there is definitely a lot of excitement in the air as many of the projects and work from the last few years begin to show great promise and future success.

We also have a major initiative coming up in the programming department with a review of our four projects in order to reduce to three projects that will involve the activities of the fourth within all of them (we’d no longer have a stand-alone youth development project, but would instead have all volunteers include youth-focused work in their assignments). This will have major programming implications and we both want to be a part of making those reality. With my strong passion for youth development and service focused on youth (considering 70% of the population of Belize is under the age of 30), I would like to be here as we incorporate this into our project plans and make it an intentional focus of our site development and planning for the next class.

We also feel really good about being able to see and support the class of 2010 as they complete their service, the class of 2011 as they reach their one-year mark and the class of 2012 as they reach their 6-month mark. Since I trained the latter classes, I feel I will be able to continue that valuable support to their work throughout these coming months and look forward to being a part of the entry-into-site events for the new class and the mid-service check-ins with the 2011 class. Also, we have our second IST on DBC that we want to take part in since we’ll have completed the process with the HIV/AIDS Committee and have direct, relevant work in which to ground the theory. We are also looking forward to the other upcoming IST and AVC training activities we will continue to be involved with by staying through December.

Finally, it’s just not yet time to say goodbye to Belize. Though we’ll never truly say goodbye, we both feel these remaining 6 months will be the right length of time to have our work in the office become more institutionalized and enable us to share and hopefully implement more of our big ideas with the new staff on board (our fabulous new CD and the incoming PTO) to help in making the progress needed to help Belize become the strongest post it can be.

We guarantee that this time around, the date is set. We want to be home for the holidays and we both know that the time to move onto something new is with the start of a new year (although it would be pretty neat to be with Peace Corps for the 50th anniversary… ;) ). Thank you all once again for your encouragement, love, and continued support.

PEACE!

2010-2012 PCVs' Swearing In Ceremony and Reception

The final event of PST is the Swearing In Ceremony. On Friday, 28 May 2010, 36 of the most appreciative (they thanked us for every single thing we did throughout training) trainees swore in for service in Belize. Once again the ceremony was held at the Governor General’s (Sir Colville Young, who also attends and participates in the ceremony) Field under a massive tent. The trainees take the Peace Corps Oath and are officially sworn in by the US Ambassador to Belize. In addition, a trainee from each language group gives a short vote of thanks in the local language (for this class it’s Mopan Maya, Spanish, Garifuna, and Kriol) and one trainee is selected by the entire class to give a speech. The language speeches were excellent, and the main speech was highly inspirational – it was timely not only for those swearing in, but for those PCVs who’ve been here for 7 months and 19 months to remind them of the reason we are here and the work we do.

After the main event, we have time for a Belizean lunch and then the annual futbol game between the new class and the current PCVs. This year the game ended in a tie; after all the trash talk from both sides that was probably best!

We have also been privileged enough to be invited to the Ambassador’s home for a reception for each of the 2009 and 2010 swearing in events. Our Ambassador came to Belize in August of 2009 and has made it part of his mission to work together and be partners in our development work. He is extremely supportive of Peace Corps and we feel fortunate to get to work with and know such an incredible man. His wife puts together a delectable Indian meal and we all enjoy a wonderful celebration. The trainees present their training slide show of pictures from the previous two months and award their class superlatives. We’ve also had to say farewell to a staff member at each dinner thus far – with our former country director’s departure in 2009 and now our programming and training officer’s departure in August. Each time, Anthony has taken the lead on coordinating the farewell speech(es) and purchase of a gift. We had the added bonus of welcome speeches for our new country director who arrived in April.

The whole week was a whirlwind of excitement leading up to the swearing in and a lovely celebration of the success of the trainees and best wishes for their two years of service.

We took some silly photos

The Final Days of PST 2010!

Continuing along in the mini-series is the final week of pre-service training, called Bridge to Service. By the way, I got bored of the mini-series title, so now we'll have more interesting topic-related titles again!

After the 10-Day Future Site Visit, trainees returned to Belmopan for their final days of training (Bridge to Service). During Bridge to Service there are a few more safety and security and medical sessions for trainees as well as sessions on the volunteer handbook and policies and a few final wrap up presentations.

trainees compete in safety and security family feud

Each CBT site group prepared a 25-minute presentation about their experiences throughout CBT – this year, we trainers did a great job of encouraging them to be creative because all the presentations were well done and interesting. From a fun news cast to an MTV-style cribs show to dramatizations and to a Belizean version of The View, we all learned about each others’ sites in really creative ways.

The training culminates in one of the most anticipated activities of PST – the Talent Show! Actually, I began to wonder if it was only the training staff who got excited about the show, but this year’s group really brought out their talents and we got to enjoy comedy, singing, inspiration, and even an interpretative dance. It was a lot of fun and we staff members did not disappoint with this year’s video which was titled PST: The Musical. Last year, we did a pretty funny video that involved a reverse Peace Corps in which Belizeans went to volunteer in America – it was also hilarious. Neither video will be posted due to personal image rights and a lack of interest in further embarrassment… seriously, they are not for the internet, but we will share with friends and family upon request only. They are definitely videos made in the context of training and probably only make trainees and staff laugh anyway, so we won't force them on anyone!


Just following the talent show, trainees have their closing activity – one of my favorites, and one I used to do at the end of retreats with SGA and OLs – Touch Someone Who, a closing teambuilder that has an inner and outer circle. The people in the inner circle close their eyes as the people in the outer circle walk behind them and touch their shoulder when a statement is read that applies to them (such as “touch someone who helped you get through training/taught you something new/you consider a friend…”). It typically results in tears and hugs, as was the case here as well. In fact, this group is big on the group hug, so of course a massive group hug ensued.

My Life as a PTS Mini-Series, Part Nine (Ginnie)

Trainees' Future Site Visits

After Site Assignment Day the trainees had just a few more training activities until they went out to their future sites. We had our final day of CBT with the trip to Cockscomb and then everyone returned to the office for a half-day of sessions and logistical details for the Counterpart Workshop and traveling to future sites. After lunch, the folks living south of Silk Grass Village headed to Punta Gorda town for their counterpart conference and everyone else stayed one more night in Belmopan.

Counterpart Workshop is the day trainees meet their counterparts and in which we review some important information on the role of the counterpart in the volunteer experience, as well as review expectations of counterparts, volunteers, and Peace Corps Belize staff. The day is filled with a variety of sessions and activities designed to enable the counterpart and trainee to get to know one another, share skills and experiences, and begin the discussion on project planning for the volunteer’s future work. We also spend time going over some strategies for overcoming potential challenges and provide information on PC policies that both counterparts and trainees need to know.

I’ve enjoyed both conferences as a trainer because in 2009 I got to reconnect with Ms. Gillett and Mrs. Enriquez since one of my trainees replaced me at Trinity and this time I reconnected with Earleth and Ms. Karen from YES since they are now getting a full-time volunteer (which I would have loved to do!). I also enjoy seeing the excitement and eager anticipation from both trainees and counterparts as they await the official introduction to one another.

Following counterpart day, the trainees travel to their sites with their counterparts and move in with their new host families. They then spend 10 days (it was 2 weeks for the 2009 group) in their sites visiting with their counterparts and host agencies and spending time with host families to get to know their new community. I visit each trainee in site to check in and to complete our final trainee assessment interview. It’s fun to see the trainees in their sites and to talk with them about their first impressions and any initial concerns, excitement, other issues they wish to discuss.

In 2009, my trainees were split between southern and central, so it was pretty easy to make a plan starting in the south visiting the village volunteers and then heading into Dangriga for the town volunteers and ending with a trip to my old stomping grounds in Belize City. This time, my group is spread from far south to far north, Barranco in southern Toledo to Copper Bank in northern Corozal and throughout the country in between! With a shorter time in which to plan the visits and longer distances between them, I managed to put together a pretty good schedule, but it had me on the road a lot for six days. Anthony came along for nearly all the visits and we enjoyed seeing even more beautiful pieces of Belize.

Highlights from the 2010 Tour:

• First trip to far south Toledo and the Garifuna village of Barranco (a coastal village of about 120 where Laura will serve)
• Another delicious vegetarian dinner from Gomier in Punta Gorda

• Anthony stocked up on Goss Dark Chocolate – our favorite indulgence, more so his, clearly!

• Meeting pikni in Barranco on their crab-hunting trip; they invited us along

• Traveling to Monkey River in Stann Creek and hopping on a little boat to cross a river to get to see Cassidy in her new home with about 100 community members


• Spending the afternoon chatting with Cassidy’s amazing counterpart and taking pictures of the gorgeous sea-view from her future house


• Encountering a herd of cattle just walking along the road into Monkey River – they formed themselves into a nice neat line as we passed and did not try to run into me as I hung out the car door (we stopped) to take some photos

• Not getting stuck in the south due to rain ;)


• Saving Kaitlyn from further mosquito attacks with a net and some deet – Copper Bank is on a beautiful lagoon, but it’s a breeding ground; we were swarmed the instant we stepped out of the vehicle


• An afternoon in San Jose Palmar with Jim and Janine and the kids who came to entertain us and show me their fantastic classroom


• My first visit to the fascinating store in Orange Walk that everyone talks about – Boundary; this is where the things people in America donate end up (there were high-end designer (e.g. Louis Vuitton) handbags for under $7 BZ. In addition to handbags, there is an entire floor of discarded shoes and rows of old toys (we saw a PeeWee Herman doll, Rainbow Bright and pieces of popular Little Tykes things). That was interesting, for sure


• Dinner at my favorite place in OW (and one that has some of the best prices for portions in Belize) – The Lamanai Riverside place (after a complicated drive and ultimate rescue with excellent directions from local PCV Olivia, we actually found it!)


• A relaxing night in my favorite Belizean hotel, The Orchid Palm Inn


• A lovely visit with Colleen at her school in Orange Walk town


• A fruitful shopping trip to American Best (a store that gets regular shipments from major retailers of items they didn’t sell and no longer want – I always find something fun there and managed to get my dress for the swearing in reception!)


• Picking up fruits and vegetables at the Orange Walk market, where I got the best Gala apples I’ve had in country


• A quick stop at Brodies on the Northern Highway for the only good deli sandwich one can find in Belize


• Returning to Georgeville to see how happy Jenna is being back out in the country and farmland she loves and hearing how grateful the principal is to have a volunteer be at her school after hoping for so long


• A disappointing stop in Spanish Lookout, where Anthony and I were going to have pizza and soft serve for lunch – but there was no non-meat pizza and the vanilla soft serve didn’t work (and despite how much I love soft serve, it just isn’t strong enough for me to get chocolate ice cream, yuck) and then it was to the giant shop to replace Ant’s Twizzlers supply, only to find no Twizzlers! WHAT! Oh well, we got some coconut m&ms to try so that was something


• Another drive down the Hummingbird Highway to see Kim in the beautiful seaside village of Hopkins


• An attempt at a peaceful lunch by the sea at my favorite spot in Dangriga – the Pelican Resort (where they charge way too much for the grilled cheese with tomato, but it’s still okay because I got it anyway) that was spoiled by a loud American trying to make sales of Belizean property and NOT at all acting culturally appropriately when speaking with Belizeans {and, really, was it necessary to be so loud that I could hear every word of his conversation from across the outdoor seating area throughout the entire lunch time? These are the folks we have to work so hard to show are not representative of all Americans!}


• Some beautiful views in trainees' villages

I was so happy to hear all the fun stories the trainees already had from their first days in their new communities and glad all are with good host families and counterparts. They returned to Belmopan for Bridge to Service and Swearing In on Sunday the 23rd and came to our house for a pizza party - more to come on that in a post to follow.

Mennonite crossing sign?