February
A very happy 2007 to all of you!
After a nice, long vacation, we are already back in full swing. Yet, I�d like to first revisit the old year for a bit.
As part of their Social Studies classes, the 5th � 9th graders visited the ruins of Iximch�. To find out exactly why they went and what their archeological findings were, please read the next edition of our student newspaper, The L.I.F.E. Times.
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the six school teams created colorful Turkey posters at our last November assembly that included everything that they were grateful for. If you�d like to see a sample, please check Nancy�s big window. All posters included families, friends, and the school! Nancy�s students also hosted a Thanksgiving luncheon for their families.
An early Christmas present came in December courtesy of Jenny Audette, a professor of physical therapy from the University of Rhode Island and a friend of George Nippo. She and a group of students came down to volunteer at the Centro Maya in San Juan la Laguna. Our students� eyes were gleaming with joy when they got to open the package: brand new books and sports equipment! Our reading nooks, fields, and courts have been buzzing with activity every since.
Of course, the biggest event at the end of the year was our theater production of �The Grinch,� which brought the entire school on stage. Each class truly made the play their own by re-writing scenes and including several additional songs. The fantastic performance of our students ended in a surprise visit from Santa who brought a present for every child in the room with leftovers going to children in surrounding communities. While the teachers and students were busy preparing their acts, the Holiday committee spent weeks organizing everything around the play such as the location, the transportation, the seating, and the food sale. Countless additional parents and friends also contributed their skills and resources behind the scenes. Please join me in thanking everyone for helping to make this event a smashing success!
Speaking of performances, Bob (Roberto) McCracken, Catlin�s dad, will be helping us to put on a production of �The Wizard of Oz.� Bob has been directing musicals at schools and universities in the United States for decades, and we are delighted that he has offered to work with our students. Be prepared to see some excellent acting, singing, and dancing this June.
From November through January, we piloted a new vacation program for students who are on the Guatemalan calendar and thus on vacation from November to January. Students got a chance to take classes from our exemplary teachers, be exposed to our international curriculum, and be fully immersed in an English environment for two months. All of these temporary families loved the experience; some liked it so much that they decided to stay!
News
As many of you know, our school depends heavily on fundraising to achieve our mission of providing a top-notch, multicultural education to all of our students. One of our most recent successful efforts has been the sale of local crafts, jewelry, and textiles in the US and Europe. Of course, we couldn�t have done it without the support of several parents, teachers, and friends. We are indebted to Jennifer Easter for her immensely generous donation of over 80 fair trade items from Maya Traditions.
We are also grateful to the Lux Nix and Panjoj families for allowing us to buy small quantities at wholesale prices. A big thank you to Lisa Vandervalk and her family for including us in their Christmas Tree sale. Finally, thank you to Garrett Dinnel for traveling with extra baggage and to Paul and Anne Dunn for offering to be our US inventory and storage facility. If you or someone you know might be willing to put on a sale, please let us know!
French? Yoga? Flamenco? Soccer? Piano? What would you like to learn this year? Come check out our new after-school and adult education program.
Classroom Updates
Walk into Catlin�s kindergarten and at any moment you might be catching our students reading, writing, counting, sorting, mixing, acting, singing, or painting happily. Nancy�s first and second graders are working on a physical science unit exploring, reading, and writing about types of matter as well as light, sound, magnetism, and electricity. The third and fourth graders in George�s class are loving their current dinosaur unit, which includes reading group discussions, online archeological adventures, science labs, and art projects.
Courtney�s science classes have moved on from Chemistry to Physical Science. In addition to teaching our first and second graders, her students will also be cooperatively building Rube Goldberg machines as a culminating project. Matt�s English students are analyzing various literary genres as well as refining their public speaking skills. In History, B�sico students are finishing up a unit on colonialism and slave trade while reading The Kidnapped Prince by Ann Cameron.
Upcoming Events
For an up-to-date calendar, go to: http://calendar.yahoo.com/lifeschool_director