The Traveling School

 

 

February 23, 2009

 

Having just returned from the beginning of TTS13, I can say with full authority that Guatemala is amazing and these girls are on the path for an extraordinary adventure. There is something magical about the onset of a new semester – the anticipation of meeting each other the first time, the first few fragile days when everyone quietly establishes their identities, and the nervousness of the unknown.  This incredible group of women has an added element of anticipation in that they are pioneers for the Mexico/ Central America semester.  Although the logistics, curriculum, and activities for this semester have been carefully reconnoitered and thoughtfully planned, these girls are the first TTS girls to explore this new area.  With their gentleness, kindness and openness – their adventures are certain to be exceptional.

The semester started in Houston, with all of the families flying in from all parts of the country to spend an evening getting to know each other.   From Maine to Seattle and lots of places in between, the girls arrived on inbound flights, their backpacks full to bursting. We all spent the evening eating our last American hamburger and telling stories of home before our flight left in the morning.

The flight to Guatemala was only long enough for a light nap and a snack, before the plane descended into Guatemala City.  At the airport, our clan was met by Rhea, the TTS13 Science and Journalism teacher.  She presented us with a huge bunch of sweet bananas and we all clambered into the awaiting vans, strapping our backpacks on the roof.  The two vans weaved a steady path through the traffic of the city.  The girls chattered as the Latin Pop music bared from the van’s speakers. The traffic slowly dissipated as the van drove toward Antigua, a quieter, colonial city which is one of the United Nation’s World Heritage Sites.  The van climbed out of town, over cobble-stoned road and down a dusty two-track to the road’s end.  The tired girls left the van and shouldered their backpacks, preparing for the hike down the hill to the lodge.  The hike took a beautiful ten minutes along the steep hillside of a mountain overlooking the city.  Three volcanoes loomed in the distance, overwhelming the vista from all sides.

“Welcome!” Greeted our hosts, Briana and Drew, as the girls sat down to a sleepy lunch.  Organic vegetables, spicy salsa, sweet tea, and homemade guacamole from avocadoes grown on the trail completed the meal. Exhausted, the girls left lunch to unpack their backpacks in their assigned dorms and in private cabins.  They would switch accommodation every few days during the first couple of weeks to enable all of the girls to room together and get to know each other equally. We spent the waning afternoon relaxing in hammocks and taking pictures.  After a spectacular sunset behind the volcanoes, we all curled up in a small room to watch a movie before Briana treated us to a second round of delicious food – homemade tortillas with more guacamole, cheese and salsa. 

Yum.

So, who are these girls who said good-bye to their friends and families at home and dared to travel south for a semester in Guatemala, Chiapas (Mexico), El Salvador and Honduras?

Biz from Vermont: Biz is a gentle and observant individual with a mature outlook of the world and a wicked hip-swing on the dance floor.

Anita from Maine: The youngest member of the group is dedicated to the beauty of this experience – from her poetry, to her reflective rituals, to her bubbly laugh.

Evelina from Italy: Is back to TTS for her second semester.  She has an amazing smile and a big heart – her thoughtful gestures make a world of difference to everyone she meets.

Anna from Maine: Anna rocks the group with her strong athletics and big personality. She is fun and encourages others to get the most from this experience along with her.

McKenna from Seattle: McKenna is a gentle, thorough individual who watches everything and soaks it all in. The girls love to be around her because of her kind nature and peaceful energy.

Mallory from North Carolina: Mallory was just in Africa and is now finishing high school in Central America. Mallory has huge, earth-shattering ideas and the energy to make them happen. Keep an eye on her, because she is going to do something BIG.

Olivia from Washington: Olivia is the life of the crowd and the person to get the party started. But, in addition to her wild side, she is thoughtful, kind and a true friend.

Clarissa from California: Clarissa has an artist’s soul and is always looking to capture moments of the world through a different medium – be it a painting or a thought. She is kind, thoughtful, and clear about her desires for her journey.

Merritt from North Carolina: Merritt has a smile that could jump off a page. In fact, Merritt’s whole personality bubbles with energy and joy.  Her bubbly exterior is matched with a sincere interior, which holds a good friend who is true to everyone and herself.

Greta from Montana: Greta decided a year ago that she would do anything to make this journey happen. Her joy at having it come to fruition is evident with her every move. She is in-the-moment, reaching out to people outside of the TTS community and excelling within the group.

Robin from New Mexico: Robin can run like the wind. She is also up for any adventure and is eager to jump in with both feet. She is caring and considerate – and a good friend.

Charlotte from Connecticut: Charlotte has a natural gift for making people feel at ease.  She is gracious and kind-hearted. Her Spanish skills are strong and she has established herself as a clear leader with her natural language ability.

The first weeks in Guatemala were a blur.  The girls were able to have classes in the sunshine, enjoy a traditional Mayan sauna with a sweat lodge ceremony, go mountain biking to small villages surrounding Antigua, hike a local volcano and watch people try to roast marshmallows on the lava, sort macadamia nuts on a chemical-free sustainable plantation, play with children during an afternoon at the local elementary school… and this was all before the trip even gained momentum!

 

ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHTS:

Mathematical Applications had the girls evaluating their future financial goals and starting on a personal budget for the semester.  The girls had a challenge trying to convert their quetzals into dollars for the budget – a task they’ll have to master with the multiple currencies during the semester!  Spanish class jumped right in with an evaluation of everyone’s conversational abilities.  The advanced girls were able to learn local expressions from a Spanish teacher at a local school who guest-taught their classes for several days.  All of the girls learned a Spanish version of “Head-shoulders-knees and toes” that had everyone singing in the sunshine. Science class started with a natural investigation of volcanoes and geology.  Where better to learn than a classroom overlooking three active volcanoes – with one named “Fuego” regularly spitting plumes of ash into the sky? Literature and Composition started with an understanding of a Writing Workshop and created an atmosphere where the girls will be editing and sharing their writing with each other. They also started reading Isabelle Allende’s Zorro, and the girls were buried in the quick plot in no time!  Travel Journalism started with an introduction to photography, article writing – and the girls began creating mini-articles about their experiences to share. PE and Nutrition had the girls up at dawn for Boot Camp-style workouts.  One workout had the girls running up and down the mountain hiking path with exercises interspersed. We all ate a HUGE breakfast that morning! Algebra 2 started its study of non-linear systems and quadratic equations, and Global Studies delved immediately into definitions of “culture” and how to continue the credo of a peaceful traveler. History and Government began with ancient civilizations – and beginning to understand the complexities of the Mayan civilizations before traveling north to Tikal.

On my final night with the group, we had the first TTS13 Coffee House. As closure to the night, I shared the following poem with the group:

 

TTS13 – A Poem for the Coffee House

Starting here at Earth Lodge under the bright stars above,
12 girls and 4 teachers all falling in love,
With travel and learning and laughing delight,
Dreaming and questioning and deciding what’s right.

Cara – the leader – so kind and in-the-know,
Merritt – so smiley and willing to grow,
McKenna – so gentle, like a colorful flower,
Rhea – so friendly and wielding great power.

Dreaming of what this adventure brings now,
Travel, exploring and together learning how,
To support each other and become good friends,
And forming the sisterhood that never will end.

Clarissa – so creative, so smart and so strong,
Biz – so open to expression with her words or a song,
Charlotte so cool – laughing with wild abandon,
Anita – so reflective, as deep as a canyon.

Complicated plans for what to do with the days,
Workouts and town time, backing in the sun’s rays,
Each minute so HUGE and each moment so GRAND,
Dreaming of jungles and oceans and sand.

Robin so strong and always willing to play,
Emily so thoughtful, coordinating each day,
Mallory introspective, examining each thought,
Greta – so dedicated to this journey she’s sought.

Your families and friends all supporting your plans,
To spend a semester exploring faraway lands,
They know and they love this journey you’ve taken,
And know that not one of them feels you’ve forsaken
Any of them because you’ve chosen this path,
Whether you think of them with a tear or a laugh.

Anna – so cool, taking it all in,
Thea – so excited for the adventure to begin,
Evelina – so fun and wanting to share,
And sweet Olivia treating others with care.

I will miss you all as I get on my flight,
And return to my family (to their great delight),
And from home I will be listening and loving you all,
As you explore and you grow
And you rise and you fall.

Know you are strong and beautifully different from each other,
And this community we love will all soar together.

Safe travels.

All the best,
Gennifre Hartman
Principal
The Traveling School

 

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March 9, 2009
Greetings from San Cristobal de las Casas!

I am happy to bring you the second TTS13 trip report straight from an Internet cafe in San Cristobal.  The girls are all happy and healthy, our days are as full as they can be of classes, museums, hikes, bus rides, good food, speaking Spanish, and so much more. To let you in on what we have been up to for the last few weeks, let me bring you back to week two...

After two weeks of being spoiled with delicious, healthy food, beautiful views of volcanoes, and tranquil country life, we had to leave our home for the first couple of weeks.  Though it was hard to say good-bye, the girls were all excited for the next adventure and ready to experience somewhere new. With and ¨adios¨ to the beautiful, colonial city of Antigua, we loaded in the ¨micro busses¨ and were on our way to Lanquin.

As is normal for travel days in this area, what we thought would be a 6-hour car ride turned out to be quite a bit longer. After several hours of windy mountain roads, two hours of bumping over rocks and potholes on a dirt road, and backing up for half a mile to let another car pass, we made it to our lodge.  Set outside of the small town of Lanquin, surrounded by lush jungle and right along the river, the thatched roof cabanas made the perfect jungle lodge setting. We settled in with a half-day of classes and a visit to the famous Lanquin caves, where the girls had science class and their first introduction to spelunking! Clarissa was especially interested in the ways Mayans used the caves for spiritual purposes and went out of her way to talk with locals for her Travel Journalism article.

Using our new found caving skills we set out the following day for our biggest adventure yet – the Santa Maria caves and Semuc Champey! We woke up early, donned our swimsuits and headlamps and set out for the caves. Our guide Elvis handed out candles and we entered the darkness with excitement and a bit of apprehension.  After only a few minutes we found ourselves swimming through pools of water, scrambling over twisted rock formations, climbing up ladders, and of course extending a hand to each other as we navigated through the darkness. McKenna was able to conquer her fear of heights, and Robin impressed us with her agility and ease in the challenging terrain. Before heading back, we turned off all of our lights and spent several minutes in total darkness, listening to the rushing river echo through the caves, feeling the humidity on our skin, and absorbing the experience of being deep within the earth.

It was surprising to find a sunny day outside as we left the caves and lathered up in sunscreen for the rest of the day. Elvis passed out inner tubes and we flopped into them one by one to float down the river – warming our skin in the sun. Evelina and Anna W. took turns flipping each other out of their tubes and splashing into the cold water. It had been enough adventure to fill one day, but we still had the biggest treat to come- Semuc Champey. After hiking up to an overlook, we found ourselves staring down at a cascade of clear blue pools, small waterfalls and smooth limestone formations leading from pool to pool. We hiked down for an afternoon of swimming and exploration. Merritt, Cheese (a.k.a Queso, a.k.a. Charlotte) and Greta held hands and jumped off the limestone edge, splashing into the pool below. Surrounded by vibrant green vegetation, it felt like a magical jungle paradise.

Another long day of travel led us from Lanquin up to Tikal, where we set up our tents for the first time at near the entrance to the legendary Mayan ruins. Everyone was in bed early, knowing that our guide Cesar would arrive at 5:45 in the morning to take us to temple IV to watch the sunrise (little did we know what a character Cesar would turn out to be). We were all blown away by the towering ruin of temple IV as we approached the staircase that led to the top. Ten stories tall, the temple overlooks the entire park, a sea of green trees with pyramids rising above.  The misty morning added to the mystery of our explorations, but didn’t allow us to see the sunrise. Instead we sat in silence listening to the howler monkeys in the distance, the chorus of birds, and the gentle breeze, trying to absorb the idea that people used to inhabit the very place we were sitting over 1,500 years ago! We explored the ruins all morning, listening to Cesar’s expertise about the Mayans (dotted with eccentric stories from his own life). His shouts of ¨immortalized¨ every time we took a photo, led to a joke that will certainly last throughout the trip. While identifying the jungle flora and fauna of Tikal for science class, we made our way back to the hotel for lunch. Later we returned for history class, which took place in the central plaza in the middle of the ball court. It was amazing to hear the girls make connections between what they had read and what they were seeing as they highlighted what most impressed them in the museum and mused about the disappearance of this great civilization. Olivia headed up a reenactment of a Mayan sacrifice, which Anna H. (a.k.a. Anita) caught on video, before we headed back for the night.

After Tikal, it was time to say good-bye to Guatemala for a little while and cross the border into Mexico. The winding Uscimicinta River marks the line between the two countries, and we loaded our backpacks and group gear into boats and motored downriver for 20 minutes to the Mexico side.  Waiting for us was Alejandro, our Lacondon river guide and member of the family that owns the campamento where we stayed. An indigenous group descendent from the Mayas, many of the Lacondon families have set up sustainable, ecotourism operations that allow them to save the natural surrounding areas and sustain their traditional customs. We took advantage of the opportunity to learn about the Lacondon way of life, talking with family members in Spanish class and trekking though the forest to look for seeds with the grandmother of the family.  

After several days of classes at the campamento, we headed off on our overnight rafting adventure.  Split up into three rafts, we started down the Rio Lacanja totally unaware of the thrills that lay ahead.  After the first waterfall drop of a meter we got a taste for what the rest of the day would hold. The limestone formations, similar to that at Semuc Champey, created waterfalls that dropped off into big pools – some of over 2 meters high!  Needless to say the girls were ecstatic and loved every moment! We camped that night near a waterfall, cascading down into more clear, blue pools, which provided perfect swimming holes.  Our guides made a delicious dinner and campfire and answered questions about life in Chiapas and the Lacondon Jungle.  The next day was a little mellower ending at the ruins of Bonampak, another opportunity to see the magnificence of the Maya through their Estiles (carved stones) and wall paintings.

Leaving the campamento in the morning, we arrived in Palenque with some time for classes and preparation to visit the ruins the next day. The group explored in the morning and had a two-hour science class, consisting of presentations about different aspects of the jungle ecosystem. Mallory's jungle parasite presentation about and a man who studied a bot fly growing in his head was definitely memorable. The girls were impressed by the differences between Palenque and Tikal and got a thrill from the tomb in the Palenque museum.

We left the lush green jungles of Palenque for the cool mountain air of San Cristobal.  A beautiful colonial town with classic Mexican churches, narrow cobblestone streets, and the rich culture of the surrounding indigenous groups, San Cristobal has been the perfect place to call home for a week. The girls love being back in the city, using Internet, drinking coffee in cute cafes, and of course, shopping. The colorful crafts and clothing from the markets here are irresistible. We have also enjoyed cooking for ourselves. Just last night Biz showed off her Italian side and impressed us with a delicious panni dinner.

We have discussed the Zapatista movement in both Global Studies and History class.  The girls are fascinated by the remnants of the revolution: graffiti decorating the walls, T-shirts for sale, and cooperative markets where Zapatistas support themselves through their crafts. We were able to visit several traditional villages and learn about the diversity of cultural groups in the region while in San Cristobal.

Next we head back to Guatemala.  It feels like our time in Mexico has been short, but we have been busy taking advantage of every opportunity we can here.  Saturday we will start on a four-day backpack through several rural mountain towns in the highlands of Guatemala.  After that it we have midterms, groupstays, a service project and soon after, the parent trip.

And now a little bit about our classes:

 

Mexico and Central America History and Government:

We began our History class with a discussion about the influence of perspective on history and the recording of the historical events, a theme we will revisit throughout the semester.  Next, we studied the political geography of Mexico and Central America.  It was an eye-opening experience for some to realize how little they knew about the geography of countries in the same hemisphere with the United States.  Before diving into discussions about the Maya, we analyzed time lines of various Mesoamerican civilizations including the Olmec, Toltec, and Maya.  Our study continued with an in-depth analysis of Maya cosmology, corn and agriculture, calendar, architecture, and navigation.  We traveled to Tikal where we visited the spectacular ruin and discussed the accomplishments of the Maya while sitting in the middle of ruins at the ball court.  It was incredible to be surrounded by centuries old limestone structures made by the hands of the Maya – truly a Traveling School moment!  Afterwards students wrote an essay about the various theories of the collapse of the Maya civilization. Now in San Cristobal we are delving in to the complex history of the Zapatista movement. We are discussing the concepts of justice and rebellion and will be visiting a Zapatista village.

 

Literature of Mexico and Central America:
In Literature we are finishing up the book Zorro by Isabel Allende.  The girls have been enjoying the love story and adventure of the novel while also discussing issues of cultural oppression, colonization, justice, and wealth. At the beginning of each class, students respond to a topic in their journal, allowing them to record their thoughts as well as working on their writing. We have also started writing descriptive essays. The girls have chosen many creative topics from an old pair of tennis shoes, to their mom, to a cabin in the woods.  We are using a writing workshop format which allows students to get feedback and make revisions through several drafts and mini-lessons targeting areas for improvement.

Travel Journalism:
The talented journalists of TTS 13 are working through a series of intensive writing workshops as they revise their first complete travel pieces. We hope to meet our midterm deadline and share these inspiring stories with the world in less than two weeks. After setting up a personalized class blog (where we plan to post and share all of our articles) we learned important tricks of the trade to becoming expert photographers, interviewers, observers, and information gatherers. Stay tuned for a link to our first press release from Xela, Guatemala! 

Mathematical Applications:
The hard working Math Apps girls (AKA Bobby Goodal, Zoey Horseshoe, Taco Smith, and Gareth Smartmouth) are deeply invested in the ever-exciting Game of Life. After learning more about the decision-making process, the importance of setting financial goals, and establishing smart budgeting practices, each student set up a personal budget to track their expenses and the fluctuating exchange rates as we make our way through Central America. Each student then took on a new persona and a new life to learn important financial life lessons as they became familiar with the sometimes harsh realities of budgeting, paychecks, taxes, housing, rent, lease agreements, banking services, and credit awareness. We are finishing up with the specifics of financial aid and student loans before moving into resume writing and landing the perfect job!

 

Algebra II:
In Algebra II we have been exploring polynomial functions. We started out classifying polynomials and then refreshed our memories of the properties of exponents as we added, subtracted, multiplied, and divided different polynomials. We also learned an application of Pascal’s Triangle when expanding polynomial functions.  The girls then practiced what they had learned last semester about factoring as they worked to solve and find roots of polynomial functions. We ended the chapter by analyzing graphs and identifying how changes in a function transform the graph of that function.  The girls are currently preparing for their end of chapter test before we move on to exponential and logarithmic functions.

 

Independent Studies:
Mallory is working hard in AP Calculus. She has been reviewing what she learned last semester and making sense of it all. She is now beginning on integration, the last new section before we begin practicing for the AP test

Robin is working through understanding graphs in Pre-calculus.  She has been analyzing families of graphs, transformations of functions, and continuity of graphs.  She is currently preparing for and end of chapter test.

Anna has worked through her first chapter in Geometry.  She practiced using ratios, and proportions, triangle similarities, and understanding dilations. She is currently exploring trigonometric relationships in triangles.

Clarissa is delving into her independent study of the relationship between the United States and El Salvador.  She has recently been searching for additional sources online to support her research paper she will write at the end of the semester.

 

Natural Science:
The scientists of TTS 13 just returned from a visit to a Mayan medicine museum where they spent the day learning about traditional healing techniques still practiced by the local indigenous cultures of Chiapas, Mexico. After learning about various plants, animals, and traditions through a guided tour of the museum, the students explored the medicinal plant garden and pharmacy. Last week, the students had a blast presenting their rainforest projects in the middle of a Mayan ruin at Palenque. Sheltered by towering Matapalo and Ceiba trees, each student demonstrated her expertise on a specific phenomenon of rainforest ecology, engaging the rest of class with colorful visuals and fun activities. Next week, we plan to delve into our unit on Conservation Biology and Biodiversity.

P.E. and Nutrition:
Delicious smells have been wafting out of our hostel in San Cristobal, Mexico all week. As we wrap up our unit on food in Nutrition class, each student is planning, shopping, and preparing for one delicious and nutritious meal of their choice to present to the group as part of their midterm grade. In addition to planning and cooking a meal, each pair of students also designed and taught a complete morning workout routine to the rest of the group in P.E. class. The meals and workouts presented thus far have been phenomenal. Each student is showcasing how much she has learned in the past few weeks about beneficial athletic activity, setting and reaching personal goals, and making healthy decisions.

 

Beginning Spanish:

We began our class with a discussion on various methods of communication - verbal, facial expressions, body language, etc.  We studied greetings, personal introductions, numbers, and shopping vocabulary. At our lodge, we role-played a market scene with a woman selling jewelry to help prepare students for their shopping time in Antigua.  Students also studied food vocabulary, the uses of ser and estar and adjectives.  Before our rafting trip in Mexico, students created a list of interview questions for our rafting guides in order to learn more about their lives and to practice their speaking skills.  The girls spend each week filling their language journals, which include new words they hear or see outside of class.

 

Intermediate Spanish:
The Intermediate Spanish girls are already getting more comfortable with using their Spanish in daily interactions and conversations. We started off with reviewing some of the basic greetings and verb conjugations and are now moving on to more difficult concepts of direct and indirect object pronouns and past tense. We have been taking advantage of the rich opportunities to practice Spanish as well. The class talked with a Lacondon artisan about her crafts and explored the market of San Cristobal while talking with vendors.  Recently, the Intermediate Spanish girls have started a project that requires them to pick a topic of interest and interview local people about it.  The girls will continue this project throughout the trip, creating a presentation, in Spanish for their final exam.

 

Advanced Spanish:
The Advanced Spanish girls are already making tremendous improvement in their ability to speak and understand the language.  We have had several guests come to class to speak with us; talking with our guide for Semuc Champey and several Lacondon Mayans at the campamento gave the girls a chance to practice their Spanish as well as learn about the culture of the places we visited. As is necessary when learning a language, we have been practicing grammar and vocabulary as well. We have been reviewing some of the more advanced concepts such as the future conditional and past perfect and he girls are keeping a language journal to catalogue new vocabulary words. Like the Intermediate class, the Advanced Spanish girls are also participating in a project that requires them to research a topic they are interested in through interviews of the local people we meet. They will also present to the group at the end of the semester with all of their newfound insights.

 

Global Studies
In Global Studies we try to bring together everything that we are seeing and experiencing here in Guatemala and Mexico.  We began with a discussion about culture and the way it spreads and changes. The girls then created beautiful, creative pamphlets about different aspects of the culture of Guatemala and Mexico, sharing their insights with each other in small groups.  Here in Mexico, we have been discussing the Zapatistas, social revolution, political change, and hope in our recent classes.  We have visited several indigenous villages near San Cristobal and our discussions have included talking about cultural diversity among people here and in our own culture. In Global Studies the girls are required to write a weekly reflection about some aspect of the trip that has changed the way they look at the world.  Recent topics have included, deforestation, tourism, treatment of animals, and poverty.

As teachers, this group of girls has consistently impressed us. Their high quality work, positive energy and excitement for everything we are doing make it a pleasure to be their teacher and friend. We are excited for what the next two months will bring!

 I must sign off for now, but I will check in with another update in a couple weeks.

 Hasta pronto,

 Cara (Emily, Rhea and Thea)

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April 2, 2009
Greetings from Panajachel!

As I sit in the Internet cafe typing this trip report, just a short distance away the volcanoes of Atitlán and San Pedro tower over the wide, blue waters of Lago de Atitlán. A favorite vacation spot for both travelers and Guatemalans, Lago de Atitlán is dotted with quaint hotels, small villages, and remote beaches. Motorboats zoom from town to town, carrying tourists and locals across the lake. We have been fortunate to share this beautiful place with Cheese´s, Merritt´s, and Clarissa´s parents, all on their way back to Antigua after a heartfelt goodbye to the group.  It is hard to believe how fast time flies when our days are packed with hiking, kayaking, shopping, and of course classes! Let me fill you in on what we have been up to since the last update from San Cristobal.

First, there was the ¨Epic Trek¨ from Todos Santos to Nebaj. To the outside observer we looked like professionals: A quick-moving group of determined, muscled women sweating their way 3,600 feet up the side of a rugged mountain. They would never have guessed that it was Day 1 of our very first backpacking trip. The girls’ performance on this difficult, adventurous, and breathtakingly beautiful trek was nothing short of amazing. After 6 hours of climbing straight up into the gorgeous Cuchumatanes (the highest non-volcanic mountain range in Guatemala) the group lunched on a ridge, overlooking their progress in a breezy patch of shade. After taking in this most gratifying view, the girls rewarded themselves with a restorative, unforgettably delicious, two-hour nap. In total, we covered 41 miles of ground in 4 days – not bad for a first trek. With our incredible guides Kathi, Charlie, and David, we made our way through cornfields, pine/oak forests, and re-built indigenous villages once devastated by the civil war. Our many unforgettable experiences included sleeping in a tiny rural school building, huddling together at the campfire and in our tents in order to protect ourselves from the high-elevation cold, playing intense rounds of Silent Football and 20 Questions, and crawling from the warmth of our sleeping bags when the sky was still deep purple in order to watch the sunrise’s brilliance paint the beginning of another incredible day on the trail.

Here is what a few of the hard-core señoritas of TTS 13 had to say about the trek:
¨This trek was one of the most physically challenging things I have ever done. After hiking up one of the highest non-volcanic peaks in Central America on the first day, I zipped up my sleeping bag and went to sleep at 7:30, exhausted and unbelievably proud of what I had done.”  --Anna H

¨Our guides Kathi, Charlie, and David were fascinating people; they provided us with great stories and many memorable moments to look back on and laugh about. Early on the second morning, as we giggled over the mystery of Charlie’s disappearing oatmeal, we waited for the sun to peak over the horizon and watched as the sky filled with beautiful stunning light and the shadow of night lifted from the towns below.”  --Greta

¨Whether it was walking through a village, or swimming in a river, or turning around to see that we had just come from the opposite side of an enormous mountain; realizing how far the group hiked each day was really quite amazing. It was an awesome, bonding experience for all of us.”  --McKenna

After four days of hard backpacking we were all excited for a hot shower and some rest time. We settled into our dorm beds in the hostel and got ready for a full day of classes the following day. We were happy to find out that by staying in this hostel we were also supporting a series of social projects benefiting the indigenous communities in the area. One of the men who started the project came in to speak to the group for Global Studies. We were impressed both by the scope of the projects and by Cheese, Robin, Biz, and Clarissa translating the talk into English. Anna W. described the organization’s work:
¨They had five products to sell; packets of seeds, glasses, water filters, Eco-friendly light bulbs and stoves. They teach entrepreneurs (local people) how to use and sell each of these products, so that customers understand how they would help them. What really impressed me was how this organization cared more about people than making money.”

We spent the next morning exploring Mayan spiritual sites in the area with a local guide. The sites and their stories were fascinating, but what will really stick with us is our guide’s stories about his life experiences. Robin recounts, ¨We learned that our tour guide was a guerrilla in the Guatemalan war. He told us how he had gone to school, but had to leave because he had to go up into the mountains to fight. He spent 17 years up in the mountains fighting! He wishes he could go back to school, but now all his children attend school. He also told us how he got shot and the bullet went right through him.
After hiking through small towns that had been shattered by the war and hearing the stories from our hiking guides, it was eye opening to talk to someone who had actually experienced such atrocities...¨ The gravity of the situation took on a whole new meaning for the girls.

Next it was on to Quezaltenango (also known as Xela) for a few days of city time before heading up into the mountains for an amazing week of Spanish School. TTS13 students had intensive one-on-one Spanish lessons for four hours each day.  This opportunity allowed each student to greatly improve her Spanish language skills. Olivia said,
¨Being part of the Spanish school was a great experience. It helped me become more confident with my Spanish and with myself as a person.”  Spanish classes were in thatch- roofed, open-air huts.  For Clarissa, ¨This week of classes was the most in-depth level of learning Spanish that I have ever experienced. My understanding of the language has grown more in these few days than the last three years I spent in classes back home.”    With her teacher Ani, Evelina, ¨Went over basic subjects such as verbs, adjectives, and common sayings in Spanish, but always ended up going off topic and just conversing (in Spanish, of course).” 

TTS students and teachers ate meals with host families in the local communities of Fatima and Nuevo San Jose. The community members welcomed us as if we were family. Former coffee finca (plantation) workers founded both of these communities within the past 20 years.  These workers faced tremendous hardships while living on the fincas.  Their stories were captivating and helped us understand more about the complexities of Guatemalan history and hardships endured by Mayan indigenous groups. The relationships each student formed with their families became a central part of our time at the Spanish school.  Biz remembers her Guatemalan mother’s kitchen as,
¨A place of warmth and family, where all could sit, drink tea and chat by the tiny fire which powered the ancient stove.”

The TTS13 girls instantly made friends with many of the local youth who enthusiastically chanted our students’ names as they walked to and from their families´ houses.  Many TTS girls received a tortilla-making lesson from their Guatemalan mothers. During the week, we cleared a field of banana trees, knocked down a cement building, and hauled dirt to make a soccer field for the local communities.  We participated in ¨Noche Cultural,” an evening of games and activities with local kids.  We met with community leaders to learn about issues facing the communities and organized a farewell lunch for our host families and visiting parents.  We had heavy hearts and many wonderful memories when we left the Spanish School.

 The parent trip was definitely a highlight for all of the girls!  The parents met us at the Spanish school for lunch. Some of the families that the girls had eaten with during the week joined us, so parents and host families had a chance to meet.  Queso described the arrival of Jennifer and the parents as, "A moment of bliss as some embraced their parents and others ripped open gifts and letters from home."  Merritt felt a little bit differently when she discovered that her parents and Dawn had taken a chicken bus for the adventure and she had to wait an hour to see them. "As soon as I heard voices, the tears started flowing and I pushed Cara out of the way to jump on my Mom and Dad." 

From the Spanish school, we made our way to Panajachel, a little town situated on the beautiful Lake Atitlán. Parents and daughters reconnected with some personal time for dinner. The next day, the girls had classes while the parents enjoyed a late morning bike ride around town. In the afternoon, we motored over to Santa Cruz, another tiny lake town, and our home for the next two days. The parents stayed in an enchanting hillside hotel and the girls stayed in a relaxed traveler hostel, a 30-minute hike away.  Everyone savored our 4-course family style dinners together at the parent’s hotel.

Tuesday morning, half the group set out on the lake in kayaks and the other half set out by foot along the coast, meeting in San Marcos. The kayakers then traded sandals for hiking shoes and took to the trail, while the hikers donned life vests and paddled out onto the lake.  It was a gorgeous, sunny day and the views were stunning with volcanoes San Pedro, Tolimán, and Atitlán towering on the opposite side of the lake. After a good day of physical exercise, the group made their way to San Juan de Laguna on Wednesday. Mallory described San Juan as, "A small village filled with weaving cooperatives that only use natural dyes and artists with fresh perspectives on life in Guatemala." They found beautiful textiles, artwork, and bracelets, some of which will be making their way back home as souvenirs and gifts!  We had a tearful goodbye on the dock in San Juan when the two groups parted ways, but in the words of Queso it was just a transition,
"From one family to another."  The students went back to Panajachel to prepare for our three-day trek to Xela and the parents set off for Santiago de Atitlan and their last few days in Guatemala.

And now a little bit about our classes...

History of Mexico and Central America:
We continued our study of the Maya with a visit to the archaeological site of Palenque in Chiapas, Mexico. We studied about Chiapas and the Zapatista movement and met with members of the Zapatista movement and visited a Zapatista village where individuals continue to work for the rights of the impoverished in Chiapas. Upon returning to Guatemala, students studied the impact of the Spanish conquest on Mexico and Central America and the history of Guatemala ending with the 2008 presidential election. We also met individuals who fought in the Guatemalan civil war. For their mid-term projects, students read selections from Jennifer Harbury´s powerful book Bridge of Courage: Life Stories of the Guatemalan Companeros and Companeras and analyzed themes presented in the book in short essays. We have also read excerpts from Nobel Laureate Rigoberta Menchu´s book, I, Rigoberta Menchu: An Indian Woman in Guatemala.

 

Beginning Spanish:
Students had one-on-one Spanish classes every day during our time at the Spanish school.  They also finished their mid-term project, creating a bound ABC book in Spanish with colorful visuals and Spanish sentences to highlight each letter of the Spanish alphabet.

 

Natural Science:
Following our visit to the Mayan Medicine Museum, we discussed global biodiversity and factors affecting extinction, particularly human-induced factors. With a new perspective from our travels through Guatemala and Mexico, the students engaged in a discussion about environmental ethics, taking on a case study from different sides. They argued from anthropocentric, biocentric, and ecocentric viewpoints and analyzed the differences between conservation and preservation. During their groupstay in the small communities of Fatima and Nuevo San Jose, the students began our next unit on agriculture and sustainability by conducting interviews with their host families about their gardens and harvesting practices. To establish a solid foundation as we begin our exploration of agriculture, we discussed soil formation and characteristics, as well as soil profiles in class. The students then learned about erosion and different agricultural practices used to prevent erosion.

 

Algebra II:
Having completed the chapter on polynomial functions, we are now beginning to explore exponential and logarithmic functions. The students have learned the characteristics of exponential functions, as well as the definition and properties of logarithms. Through this, they have become familiar with inverse relations and functions. The girls will be preparing for a mid-chapter quiz in the next week.

 

Independent Studies
In Geometry, Anna has worked through the chapter on similarity and is now starting on trigonometric relationships. She has learned how to find unknown angles or sides of right triangles using trigonometric ratios. She is now exploring the relationship between and applications of these functions.

In Pre-Calculus, Robin completed the chapter on the nature of graphs with an end of chapter test. She is now beginning a new chapter covering polynomial and rational functions.

Having just received her Peterson’s AP Calculus AB review book, Mallory is now beginning to look at calculus through the lens of the AP test. She will be reviewing suggested topics for the AP Test and beginning practice problems.

 

Literature of Mexico and Central America:
In literature the girls are finishing up their descriptive essays. Today we had our final peer conferencing and students will be typing up their essays at the next Internet cafe. I am so impressed with how hard all the girls have been working and how much their writing has improved from their rough drafts! We finished up Zorro with a lively and somewhat ridiculous reenactment of scenes from the book. We happened to come across a dress up closet full of random clothes at our last hostel and the girls decked themselves out in capes, and pirate clothing, complete with ¨swords¨ made from bamboo. Luckily, Anita got it all on tape! We are already on to our next novel, Like Water for Chocolate, and the girls are delving into the genre of magical realism.

 

Advanced Spanish:
In Advanced Spanish students just gave midterm presentations about their groupstay experience while taking classes at the Spanish School. The ten-minute presentations, all in Spanish gave great insight to the families and the ways of life in the community where we lived. I was impressed by the girls’ fluency and improvement in the language after a week of intensive study. They are continuing with their semester-long individual projects, and we will be continuing to bring native speakers into our class.

 

Intermediate Spanish:
Intermediate students also just got back from a week of intensive language study and are soon to be giving family groupstay presentations.  Their improvement and comfort with the language after a week of studying with native speakers is obvious, and they are excited to continue to speak with people as the semester goes on. The semester-long projects the girls have chosen are well underway and students are collecting information from a variety of different sources as we move from place to place.

 

P.E. and Nutrition:
Midterms behind them, the athletic, health-conscious chicas of TTS 13 are stepping up their leadership skills and preparing to create and team-teach their second round of morning workout sessions. Inspired to improve their soccer skills after a team of eleven year old local Guatemalan girls gave them a run for their money, the girls have been practicing with their new soccer ball and keeping their eyes open for playing fields. Tomorrow we begin the three-day backpacking trip from Panajachel to Xela. While backpacking, the girls will have their first Wilderness Medicine class in Nutrition and will learn practical survival skills in a hands-on, relevant outdoor setting.

Travel Journalism:
This hard-core team of journalists works well under pressure. In less than an hour, each student managed to electronically submit her polished travel piece to two or more online publications and/or editors. A few of our talented writers have already received responses and acceptance letters. Check out the following response sent today to our senior journalist McKenna Bjorkelo from Teen Ink:
Congratulations! We're delighted to tell you that your article, Conquering The Caves, received high scores by many of our readers and now appears on the front page of the Travel & Culture section of Teen Ink Raw! Every night, we choose the most popular articles on our website and display them on the front page of each section.
Your work is now visible to the hundreds of thousands of people who visit our website regularly, and will stay on the front page of Travel & Culture for the entire day. If you'd like to share this news with your friends and family, simply forward them this email or send them the following link: http://www.teenink.com/raw/Travel/
Stay tuned for our completed blog link and for more articles to appear in the tangible pages of your local community and high school newspapers. With this first major project behind them, the journalists of TTS 13 will continue on with their diligent research and writing in order to produce a few more masterpieces to share with the world.

Mathematical Applications:
With freshly printed, professional looking resumes and a newfound confidence regarding how to go about acquiring the perfect job, the inspired students of TTS 13 Math Apps class are ready to go out into the world and make things happen. Currently mesmerized by Barbara Ehrenreich´s book Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, the girls are learning even more about the issues we explored in our last unit through this woman’s real ¨Game of Life¨ experiment and her gripping account of the life-changing experience. We will be finishing up our unit on Savings and Investments before moving into Economics next week.

 

Global Studies:
Most recently in Global Studies students have been discussing articles about stereotypes of Latin American women and comparing the different lives of women in Central America. It is amazing to see how much the girls’ perspectives are widened as they meet women from so many different backgrounds. Students are each reading one additional book for class, Tree Girl, One Day of Life, or Enrique´s Journey. Books are assigned to groups of four and groups are responsible for presenting and facilitating a discussion about their particular book for the rest of the class. So far group presentations have been thorough and thought provoking; it is great to see the girls taking responsibility for their own learning and facilitating discussions.

It is hard to believe that we are at the midpoint of our trip; as we say here at the Traveling School, ¨The days are long but the weeks fly by!¨  Everyday the teachers are amazed by what strong, confident travelers the girls have become, such a difference from the girls we met in Antigua, swinging their cameras around and walking blindly in front of cars. These girls are observant, aware, and appreciative of their surroundings; they are respectful and kind to the people they meet. It is a pleasure to travel in their company and we cannot wait for the adventures to come in the next six weeks. We head off on our three-day backpacking trip to Xela tomorrow morning, spend a week on the coast of Guatemala, and then head to El Salvador! The adventure continues...

We must be off for now, but will be checking in soon with another update.

Hasta la proxima vez,

Cara, Emily, Rhea, Thea, and all the TTS13 chicas!

 

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April 19, 2009
Greetings from El Salvador!

After a mellow border crossing from Guatemala and a week in the cool mountain town of Juayua, El Salvador (pronounced why-you-uh) we have found ourselves in our own little beach haven outside La Libertad. Overlooking the ocean, surf waves crash on to the beach.  Our hostel has a deck filled with hammocks, an open air restaurant, and two swimming pools. We feel like we are on vacation (well except for all the classes).  It has been an exciting few weeks, filled with backpacking, beach time, volunteering with kids, Semana Santa (Easter week) activities, and surfing.  Let us fill you in on what we have been up to.

Hike from Lago de Atitlan to Xela

After bidding good-bye to the parents, we hunkered down in Panajachel for a full day of classes and preparations for our hike. Early the next morning our guides met us with a big bus, and we drove to the trailhead, about thirty minutes away. We unloaded, shouldered our packs full of everything we would need for the next three days, and headed down a dusty road into the mountains of Guatemala. After three days of winding through mountain towns, gazing at volcanoes in the distance (when it wasn’t too cloudy) we arrived at our well deserved reward: a natural hot springs. I will let Anita and Anna tell you a bit more...

David, Wilbur, and Ricardo were our three guides, leading us down the correct path, cooking us delicious food, and telling jokes. The first two days, were varied with a lot of cross-country hiking (ups and downs). Clarissa, Cara and I had enough breath and energy to tell bad story after bad story as we trudged along the path. When we reached our peak on the first day, dirty and tired, we realized we still had a four-hour descent down! This particular trail was one our last guide, Charlie, had told us horror stories about. We began walking and soon everyone was sliding on her butt down the steep trail! I can’t count how many times I fell but, fortunately we all made it down unharmed and into the waiting arms of Cheese and Rhea. -Anita (Anna H.)

Our hike ended with a straining day of constant down hill, everyone slipping and sliding as we hiked down through the cloud forest. Hearing voices and music, motivation filled our bodies and we knew we were almost there. The Fuentes Georginas Hot Springs were calling each and every one of our names. Literally. Queso (Cheese) and Rhea were at the hot springs calling our names! Unfortunately they had not been able to come on the hike because of being sick. We were welcomed by hugs and crazy looks, which we expected knowing that we were covered head to toe in dirt. Exhausted we relieved ourselves by dropping our packs, grabbing our swimsuits, and dashing to the changing rooms. Once changed, we placed our order for lunch and plunged in the hot springs. Later we lined up and hugged each of our three guides, excessively thanking them for the amazing hike and swim, and packed into vans for our ride to Xela.  -Anna W.

Chiquistepeque, Guatmala- Beach time and volunteering

Though everyone had a great time on the hike, we all welcomed the hot showers, Internet and laundry service at our hostel in Xela! We spent a couple days in the city and then loaded into our own private chicken bus to head to the coast. We had heard about a small organization that works with local children in the fishing village of Chiquistepeque; it was the perfect opportunity to get some beach time, interact with the local people, and help out. Let the girls tell you more about their week...

 

Working on the project...

We helped out with a project started by a couple in Chisquitepeque, a town that sits on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. There is an obvious class difference in Chisquitepeque and that is why Anna and Elfego created the project. Anna is a kind hearted French woman and Elfego is a friendly local Guatemalan. Every Monday through Friday Anna and Elfego play with the little kids of this fishing town. For an hour and a half each day the kids do arts and crafts, read, and play ¨rompe cabezas¨(puzzles). The activities are held just outside Elfego and Anna´s house, where a thatched roof palapa was built into a library filled with two chalk boards a table and lots of books. When they are lucky enough, tourists come and want to volunteer for the project, like we did! English classes are held for the older kids after the activities for the younger kids. When our group taught the kids, we played English games, such as Hokey Pokey and Red Light Green Light. We taught them animals, body parts, and directions in English. Here kids are brought together from around the town into and environment of equality. Here no judgments are passed and no child feels lower because of class differences. This project brings education and hope among the kids.  -Robin

 

 

What it was like....

The group, myself, minus a few who had gone to Xela to the doctor, spent a beautiful and relaxing week by the ocean, where the sun was always shining. The atmosphere of the week was positive, calm, and ¨chill¨.  The group formed an even tighter bond due to our pretty little beach house’s isolation and also because everyone was in a good space. We had classes each day under a cabana, balanced by afternoons swimming and teaching the local kids English and mornings of yoga and running on the beach. Late nights were spent swinging in hammocks and watching the pink sun and its shadow set over the ocean. We were all very lucky to have that week to listen to the waves, feel the sand under our toes, and live in tranquility together.  -Biz

 

 

The delicious food...

While we were staying and working in Chisquitepeque, we split up the group for meals, half of us went to the home of Annabeli, a Guatemalan woman, while the other half went to the home of Anna and Elfego, the couple who began the project. Eating with them, we ate the most delicious blend of French cuisine and Guatemalan staples. For breakfast we’d have melt-in-your mouth fresh baked, kneaded, floury loves of bread with ¨Tia Anna´s homemade pina and banana marmalade. For lunch a light rice dish with kale and broccoli, but with jayote, a sort of watery green potato squash.  And for dinner, we’d have a salad with tomatoes and avocado slices, a soup with navi (a plum-like fruit) and sprigs of herbs. And of course, when in the tropics we eat pineapple, mango, and watermelon after each meal!

-Mallory

 

 

And interacting with the locals....

 

After and intense game of beach soccer, we all did not want the fun to end. The boys invited us to a bonfire that night. As the moon hung above us we could see the flames rise in the distance and I think al the girls had butterflies in their stomachs as we approached. They had set up a large fire and had dragged large pieces of driftwood to form a semicircle. I feel like they had the night planned out because immediately the oldest, Daniel, announced all the guys would line up and introduce themselves. After swapping names and quick kisses on the cheek the real fun began. To get to know each other we spun a bottle and whoever it landed on told us something interesting about themselves. The boys were even gentlemen enough to offer to buy us soda and cookies. These guys are just starting to earn money and they spent it on us! What a gesture! Being strong TTS girls we took matters into our own hands and taught them Sally Walker, a game that involves dancing and imitating. At first the guys were a little stiff but eventually they let loose.  This event is one of the most memorable ones I have had so far. Smiles and laughs were shared and bonds were made. Looking back on it, the bonfire was a moment when two different cultures really came together. -Cheese

Juayua, El Salvador- Semana Santa

After a one-night stay in Monterrico we bid adios to Guatemala and crossed the border into El Salvador. Making our way through the sweaty city of Sonsonate, we headed to the tranquil, mountain town of Juayua, finding ourselves surrounded by lush coffee plantations, rolling mountains, and volcanoes. We hiked to a beautiful waterfall, got to know a man who had fought as a guerilla fighter in the Civil War in El Salvador, and experienced Semana Santa (Easter week). We created our own alfombra, or rug, a tradition of laying woodchips, flowers etc. on the ground to make a sort of mosaic painting, and attended a massive candle lit procession. It was week we won’t forget. Here is what some of the girls had to say...

 

About meeting with Fernando for history class...

Our group was lucky to hear Fernando´s story. It was one of those TTS surprises that was not originally planned into the schedule, but instead added at the very last minute. On the top floor of the our hotel in Juayua, we all spread out amongst the tables to listen to Fernando speak about the civil war that took place in El Salvador during the 1980s. In our history class we had been learning about the facts of what happened, but it was not until Fernando that we were told of someone’s personal experience. He told us about his family and how his father was killed in the war. He explained to us the atrocities that were committed by the government and the thousands of people who were brutally murdered. Fernando fought on the side of the guerillas and by the time the war was over had acquired five gun shot wounds all at different times! Throughout his talk Fernando kept repeating the same message: that he wants to tell his story. Now, almost 20 years after the war has ended he is still sharing and still speaking out. It was a privilege to pay witness to his life and be given at least a little taste to take back home and continue sharing with the rest of the world. -Clarissa

 About the alfombras...

Many of the people of Juayua woke up bright and early on Friday morning, their task ahead of them, constructing elaborate alfombras in celebration of Semana Santa. The alfombras were made up of everything from colored salt and wood chips to beans, corn, flowers, candles, even trees, and wooden crosses. They used stencils and planks of wood for precision, taking care to be exact. Watching them work methodically was mesmerizing. After watching them work for hours during the day, getting to see the final product was amazing. My favorite one was the depiction of the 10 commandments. Each scene was drawn with the commandment written on top and all were lit up. It stretched on taking up a whole block! Wanting to join in the tradition, TTS made an alfombra too. It was a palm tree with a sun behind it, outlined in wood chips. On the bottom were the letters TTS. We weren’t sure how it was going to turn out, but in the end it was beautiful and even the locals were saying, ¨Que bonito.¨

-Merritt

 

 

And the candle ceremony...

We all encircled a weak looking bunch of branches with heart-shaped pieces of paper with sins written on them ready to be burnt to the ground. Everyone was holding a pure white candle waiting for the fire to heat up the already sticky and sweaty crowd. As soon as the fire was lit from a near by tree, the branches caught fire and the whole crowd almost instantly had lighted candles in their hands. Then came the procession and we were all united with songs and clapping, mesmerized by the scene of proud Catholics holding their glistening candles up high. - Evelina

A priest clad in white held the grand candle and this light spread through the hundreds of people holding their own white or yellow candle. When the flame reached me I dipped my candle into the light and it was illuminated. I had become a part of the sea of lights that surrounded me. Hundreds of flames moved up and down the streets, the people moving as one. This was the procession of ¨candelas¨ during the week of Semana Santa.

-Greta

 

La Libertad, El Salvador- Surf Camp

Once again we piled our ¨monton de equipaje¨(mountain of luggage) into a mini-bus, putting on Olivia´s new CD of classic Latin American tunes and feeling the climate go from cool to hot and humid as we traveled south to the beach. Energy and excitement emanated from the girls as we headed towards a much awaited part of the semester: surfing! Surf lessons filled our mornings on Tuesday and Thursday as our two instructors ¨Papa” and ¨Negro¨ demonstrated the proper way to lay on the board, paddle, and stand up. Our instructors were totally impressed with the stamina of the girls, some who persevered for over three hours in the thrashing waves and hot sun. By the end nearly everyone had stood up at least once and we all had an appreciation for the dedication it takes to master this sport. We have been lucky to get to know our host Don Roberto a.k.a. Surfer Bob, a quirky ex-pat who has shared crazy story after crazy story of his experiences living and surfing in El Salvador. Hanging out with his son, Jimmy Rotherham, the first sponsored professional surfer from El Salvador has also made us feel like we are part of the surfer scene.

 

And here is a bit more straight from the girls...

The Surf Camp is a chill resort right outside of La Libertad. As you walk in, friendly parrots and the salty air of the ocean greet you. We are intertwined with the surfer locals and their ¨gnarly¨ lingo. It is exciting learning abut their experiences and hearing their crazy stories. ¨Surfer Bob¨ is the owner of this resort, having moved from Miami more than 40 years ago. On our first day of lessons, Surfer Bob taught us about the waves and how this season is the best for surfing. After surfing here, it really makes me want to learn more and get better! -Olivia

 

¨I am so excited for surfing!”  I heard that phrase probably 20 times before we arrived at our surf destination.  When the time finally came to surf all of us were psyched about getting in the water and on to the surfboards. With all the six boards ready, the sixteen of us headed to learn how to stand up, practicing on the beach first. Then came time to hit the water, all of us falling off the board on the first try and getting pounded and tossed around by the waves. As the day progressed the girls started to get better and many were standing up and the ones who hadn’t had looks of strong determination on their faces. We cheered people on as they rode the fierce waves and complemented each other on our first day of surfing! -McKenna

 

 

 

And now for the classes....

Literature of Central America and Mexico
In Literature we finished reading and discussing Like Water for Chocolate. Students had fun picking out the moments of Magical Realism, analyzing why the author had chosen to include them and what they added to the story. In small groups, the girls led discussions and activities about sections of the book, impressing me with their creativity.  Like Water for Chocolate is based around traditional Mexican recipes and in one class we created our own recipe: a recipe for TTS13. The girls have started reading The Tortilla Curtain, a book that parallels the lives of a Mexican Immigrant and an upper-middle class family living in Santa Monica, California. Already some girls are saying that it is their favorite book so far. Students continue to improve their writing skills with daily journals and they are currently working on a Narrative essay about an important even in their lives. We have been peer conferencing and working on introductions and the second draft will be due soon.

 

Beginning Spanish
Students continued to add vocabulary words and phrases to their language journals. To learn vocabulary and phrases connected to eating, in pairs students opened their own restaurant for a day.  Each pair created a menu in Spanish with appetizers, entrees, desserts and drinks. The girls prepared one of the dishes on their menu for the rest of the class. One group cooked up a delicious batch of French fries and chicken nuggets and another made a yummy dessert of chocolate brownies and ice cream. The class ate at each group’s restaurant and the restaurant owners and clients spoke only in Spanish.

Intermediate Spanish
Students in Intermediate Spanish have been practicing the skills they learned in our weeklong intensive Spanish School. Each student chose a concept that they wanted to learn more about and practice, creating a lesson to teach the rest of the class.  Concepts included, the future tense, conditional tense, the differences between preterit and imperfect and uses of por and para. Students not only taught the grammar concepts but created practice lessons and speaking topics for the group. The girls have also continued working on their semester long projects, interviewing people we meet along our journey.

Advanced Spanish
In Advanced Spanish girls have been reviewing concepts they learned at the Spanish School and teaching classes to each other, creating practice activities and speaking prompts for the group. Girls chose concepts such as the imperative, reflexive verbs, and future and conditional tenses. We have been moving on to some of the more advanced concepts of future and conditional perfect and will soon be studying the subjunctive. Students are still working on their semester long projects and they are challenging themselves to speak Spanish outside of class as much as possible.

Algebra II
In Algebra II we have been exploring exponential and logarithmic functions. The girls learned about exponential growth and decay and discussed real world examples. We then looked at inverse relations and functions as we moved into logarithmic functions. The students practiced converting expressions between exponential and logarithmic form and learned the properties of logarithms. They then pulled it all together to solve exponential and logarithmic equations and inequalities. With this foundation, we introduced the natural base, e, and the natural logarithm. Students practiced solving equations with natural logarithms and explored their application in Carbon 14 dating. The reviewed what they had learned in chapter 6 about transformations of functions and applied it to exponential and logarithmic functions. After a chapter test, we moved into rational expressions and functions, beginning with variation functions and understanding direct and inverse relationships between variables in function. Students practiced simplifying rational expressions and performing operations with rational expressions. They then looked at rational functions, applying their knowledge of transformations and identifying characteristics of rational functions. They learned how to determine vertical and horizontal asymptotes and find the zeros of a function. We just finished solving rational equations and inequalities and identifying solutions and extraneous solutions. Students are preparing for a mid-chapter quiz before moving on to radical expressions and functions.

 

Mathematical Applications
While still keeping up with our personal weekly budget records, we have moved on from the study of finance and basic economics into the larger issues of Globalization, Free Trade, development, and international debt. The students debated issues pertaining to globalization, examined working conditions and levels of pay in factories world wide, and learned about the evolution of the World Bank since its conception in 1944. Students are studying how complex and interrelated these various topics are. Recently, while studying NAFTA each student took on the perspective of two different people and presented their respective viewpoints to the class in a simulated NAFTA conference. The attendees included Bill Clinton, a Maquiladora worker, a U.S. frozen vegetable company executive, a poor farmer in Chiapas, a U.S. jeans plant worker, a prosperous farmer in Mexico, the U.S.-Mexican Environmental Justice Coalition, and the USA-NAFTA Coalition. The students are critically examining all of these issues and are learning a lot, not only from the readings and activities but from one another’s perspectives. Together, the class is preparing a presentation on the World Bank to share with the rest of the group prior to our April 22nd visit to one of their project sites.

 

Independent Studies
In Pre Calculus Robin has been exploring polynomial and rational functions. She has practiced identifying the roots of polynomial functions and quadratic functions.  She then worked on locating the real zeros of polynomial functions and from there moved on to solving rational equations and inequalities and radical equations and inequalities. She has finished the chapter with some real world applications, modeling data using polynomial functions.

In AP Calculus Mallory is working through her AP review book. She has reviewed the chapter on limits and continuity and is now practicing differentiation. The review book provides a series of practice problems and exercises that reinforce the concepts she will need for the AP test.

In Geometry Anita has worked though a variety of different topics, finishing the chapter of trigonometry with the law of sines and cosines and applying these to problems with vectors. She then reviewed perimeter, circumference, and area. Anita practiced writing formulas for these concepts, looking at them in a coordinate plane.  She is now working on spatial reasoning with solid geometry and representations of the three-dimensional figures.

In American History Clarissa continued to work diligently gathering research for her paper on the U.S. involvement in the war in El Salvador.  She has conducted several interviews with individuals who were impacted by El Salvador’s 12-year civil war and plans to interview several more in the next week. Soon she will finish the outline for her paper and start on her rough draft.

History
After reading excerpts from Rigoberta Menchu´s, I Rigoberta Menchu, we discussed the controversy surrounding her book. We studied Guatemala’s government structure, national anthem, and flag. Students researched and discussed various actions taken for Guatemala to come to terms with it’s past including the National Reparations program and the international genocide cases charging eight former Guatemalan senior officials with crimes against humanity, a case which Rigobeta Menchu and others brought to Spain’s federal court in 1999. We also analyzed national issues that President Colon faces during his presidency. As we traveled to El Salvador we began our study of the country with a look at the geography and timelines of the main historical events. We also looked at the impact of the Spanish conquest, colonialism, and the civil war on this small country. A former guerilla fighter spoke with us, sharing his involvement in the civil war and his views about present day El Salvador. We also studied the government structure of El Salvador and the significance of the leftist victory in the recent 2009 presidential election. We took an in depth look at the 1992 Peace Accords and the 1993 UN Commission Report, discussing the role of the military, FMLN, and the U.S. in human rights violations during the 12 year civil war.

Natural Science
We recently finished our agricultural unit, which focused on; soil formation and degradation, farming techniques and their environmental impacts, various conservation methods and effective land management, biotechnology in pest management, sustainable agriculture, crop diversity, and issues pertaining to genetically modified foods. Each student took on the role of a local farmer and developed creative land-management strategies by observing the commonly used farming techniques surrounding us. They passionately debated opposing viewpoints on crop diversity and genetically modified foods. Each student developed her own criteria for determining how farmers should be able to become USDA certified organic. We ended this unit by studying the specifics behind the Peace Corps and World Bank projects we will soon be visiting and working on. This week we began our oceans and marine conservation unit upon arrival to Punta Roca Surf Camp. The students are currently studying oceanography and the different marine ecosystems.

Travel Journalism
Our most recent posts depict the meaningful experiences we had while working with the children of Chiquistepeque, Guatemala with the Hamacas y pescado project.  While there, the diligent travel journalists of TTS conducted several interviews and practiced various landscape and portrait taking photographic techniques. Next, we wrote short pieces describing the alfombra making, processions, and other Semana Santa activities we participated in and observed while in Juayua. Stay tuned for these to appear on the blog next week when we get to Santa Ana. The travel journalists are continuously busy writing, re-writing, editing, workshopping, snapping professional-quality photographs, and engaging local people in interviews. Their inquisitive minds and ever-scribbling pens never rest!

Global Studies
Global Studies continues to be a class of great discussions and reflections on what is going on around us. After getting back from the Spanish School students reflected on their time with families in the villages and the different roles that women play in Latin American culture. We then moved on to issues of human rights. Students studied the Universal Declaration of Human Rights from the United Nations, creating a visual for an article that really stood out to them and sharing their thoughts about its importance. Continuing with issues of human rights we have been reading about and discussing issues of war crimes, child labor, and responsible consumerism. The group reading Tree Girl finished up with a great presentation and activity where students created their own end to the book and students reading One Day of Life have impressed us with their thoughtful discussion questions that have spurred lively conversation. Recently, students created another beautiful information pamphlet about El Salvador and shared information they found with the rest of the group.

P.E. and Nutrition
In P.E. the girls continue to implement their second round of partner taught workouts and have also begun to plan and structure their final solo workout teaching experience. In Chiquistepeque, we incorporated the beach into our daily workouts and participated in daily runs, swims and games. Currently, in La Libertad, the girls are taking six hours of surf lessons for P.E. and are sleeping like babies as a result! In Nutrition, the students took advantage of the Internet access available in Juayua to conduct research for their final presentation projects. The various chosen topics include eating disorders, sexual assault, drugs, alcohol, depression, anxiety, and mental health. We recently discussed body image, leadership and group dynamics. They examined different leadership styles and evaluated their own personal styles. Students discussed the stages of group development and gained an understanding of group dynamics. They were then able to evaluate where our group stands, how much we have grown, and how we can improve. Students also learned some basic wilderness first aid, including the primary patient assessment structure and secondary patient assessment protocols.

 

What next???

We are getting excited for our next adventure, heading out to various Peace Corps sites around the country to do volunteer work and experience what it is like to live in a small town in El Salvador. Breaking into four small groups of one teacher and three students, we will be staying with four separate volunteers, each having our own amazing experiences. We will be working all kinds of projects including teaching self-defense to teenage girls, painting a world map at a school, teaching English and art, and working with a shampoo cooperative. I can only imagine what it will be like to come back together to share our stories! Soon after we will be visiting a Save the Children project and a World Bank Project and then heading in to Honduras, the last country we will visit on our journey. It is hard to believe that we are getting near the end, but it makes us all the more appreciative of the time we have together!

And so concludes another trip report, I am happy to be able to say that the girls are happy, healthy, and enjoying their time on the beach!

Until next time,

Cara, Emily, Rhea, Thea, and the TTS Chicas!

 

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May 4, 2009

 

Hola from Copan, Honduras!

We are back in Mayan country and the girls have loved wandering the quaint cobblestone streets lined with colorful shops and colonial architecture. The last couple of weeks have been filled with amazing experiences, starting with our visits to Peace Corps sites around El Salvador; we visited a World Bank project, toured several Save the Children sites, wandered around the Mayan ruins of Copan, and rode horses around a beautiful coffee finca outside of the city. So here goes...

 

Peace Corps

Our last trip report ended just before the group left our ocean haven outside of La Libertad and separated into four groups and headed to Peace Corps sites around El Salvador. We piled in to two mini-buses, waved good-bye to the ocean and Surfer Bob, and headed to San Salvador for a briefing at the Peace Corps office. After chatting about appropriate cultural interactions and safety, we all hugged and said our good-byes for the next four days. It may not seem like a lot, but when you have been together for 24 hours a day for 10 weeks, four days can seem like a long time.

Let each group tell you a little bit about it . . .

 

Update from Cara’s Group:

Cara, Anita (Anna H.), McKenna, and Robin headed off to Yucuaiquin, a small town all the way on the Eastern side of El Salvador. We lived with Katie and Jeff, a couple from Michigan, who will be ending their Peace Corps stint at the end of August. “From the moment we arrived Jeff and Katie welcomed us with a home cooked lunch. We were able to observe the strong bonds they made with the community, which made it easy for us to make our own relationships,” said Anita.  The whole time we were there, kids streamed in an out the door and teenagers relaxed in the hammock and chatted at their kitchen table. We spent a lot of our time at the local school where Katie and Jeff do most of their work. We played tag games with the kids, helped teach English classes to the older students, helped with a reading program for younger students, and observed classes. One of our favorite activities was helping out with a kids carnival, complete with face painting, musical chairs, ring toss, and our favorite “gringa mojada”; every time the kids made a basket in the basketball hoop they got to pour a bucket of water over our heads.  McKenna commented, “I liked volunteering at the carnival best because I got to interact with all the kids and expand on my Spanish. The kids all crowded around me as I played the music for musical chairs and they screamed happily as they tried to sit in the chairs first.”  We also went on an overnight camping trip with the youth group Katie and Jeff have started for the teenagers in the community. Problems with gangs and youth getting into trouble are growing in El Salvador and activities like this give kids a positive community to share. We hiked to a nearby hill, set up our tents, and had a traditional campfire. Robin commented, “The camping trip was a great cultural exchange. I loved seeing how much they loved hot dogs and smores!”  We ate pupusas for dinner one night and spent the next two nights eating with local families. Cooking pizza with a family of girls in a wood fired oven and chatting about life in El Salvador was a true cultural experience. We were sad to leave the small community, feeling like we were just starting to get to know the local kids and families there. Still, in our short time we felt a connection with the people, saw the difference a few people can make in a community, and were inspired to do more of our own volunteer work (and maybe join the Peace Corps one day.)

 

Update from Emily’s Group:

“Awesome!  Amazing!  Unforgettable!  Powerful!”  These are the words we (Evelina, Charlotte, Anna W., and Emily) use to describe our time in El Pital, a Peace Corps site about one and a half hours from Santa Ana, El Salvador.  While in El Pital, we lived with a wonderful Salvadoran family headed by Dona Eugenia and Don Victor.  They and their children and grandchildren treated us like family and taught us how to perfect our tortilla making skills, wash clothes by hand, and enjoy mangoes right off the tree.  Our Peace Corps host Tim Stauffer lived with another host family in town and has been in El Pital for five months.  Tim has a positive and engaging relationship with the community and introduced us to many wonderful people.  We helped Tim teach evening English classes to teenagers and adults in the community, assisted with computer classes, and facilitated activities and a discussion about life goals and dreams with a group of teenage girls. We also went on a hike to a local waterfall with community youth, swam in a local swimming spot one hot afternoon, and had a rockin´dance party one evening.  El Pital is home to some of the best break-dancers in El Salvador!  The most visible project we worked on was a painting project.  Local youth created designs, which they painted, on large rocks and electrical poles located throughout the community.  The goal of the project was to give youth an opportunity to leave a positive mark on and take pride in their community.  Seeing the huge smiles and hearing prideful comments made by local youth who participated was a highlight of our visit.  The most impressive and meaningful part of our time in El Pital was the friendships we made with people in the community.  According to Charlotte, “We made the deepest connections and the deepest ties with the community.  With our new Salvadoran friends, we talked about things like personal lives, beliefs, and ideas that a random tourist would not have been able to talk about.” Anna W. likes that we “ . . .connected with people of every age and so many different people.  We connected with the kids during the rock painting, with middle school girls during the dream and life goal talk, and with the older kids and adults during English class.”  Evelina feels a sense of accomplishment because “ . . .we knocked down the language barrier, felt more comfortable speaking Spanish and made good friends with people in the community.”  Evelina was so moved by the experience she plans to look into joining the Peace Corps in the future.  We call our time in El Pital – “Smiling Three Days Straight”!    

 

 Update from Rhea’s Group:

Rhea, Mallory, Olivia, and Clarissa spent our time with Peace Corps volunteer Liliana Richter, a 25-year-old woman from Michigan, in the rural pueblo of San Juan Buena Vista, El Salvador. Though a community of 3,000 inhabitants, it is very spread out we got to know only a small group of neighbors during our time there. The neighborhood was quiet and the girls enjoyed being able to see the stars at night. We stayed with Liliana in her rustic one-room house and learned how to shower outside by pouring a bowl of water over our heads. It was interesting for the girls to experience living Liliana's lifestyle and they gained valuable insight to just how hard being a Peace Corps volunteer is. The girls fell in love with Liliana's positivity, easy-going charm, and humor. They all had a blast working with her and greatly admired her involvement in so many worthy projects. We ate our daily meals with Nina Toya, a sweet woman who lived alone and often spoke to the girls about her 25-year-old son living in Houston, Texas. Each day, we arose early and walked tranquil dirt roads, beneath towering mango and cashew trees, greeting everyone we passed along the way to their day's work. We helped Liliana run soccer and hip-hop practice, coordinated and planned a girl-power themed day of activities and a neighborhood sleepover, painted a to-scale world map mural at the local school, milked cows, and seriously discussed getting involved in an exciting project to build a bridge for the community so that local children are able to get to school during the rainy season. The daily projects we worked on were a huge success. The local girls who attended the self-defense class and evening activities stayed up until 2 a.m. dancing and having their hair wrapped in colorful thread at the TTS sponsored sleepover. They then woke up at 6AM to make more friendship bracelets and talked about how much fun they had. (Many of these girls had never spent a night away from home before). The TTS girls spent many hours painting in the hot sun and their world map mural turned out beautifully; the school greatly appreciated it. Liliana told me that the awesome creativity, energy, and maturity of our girls further inspired her to pursue a graduate degree in education upon returning to the states after her service. We had a wonderful time together, and she greatly inspired all of us.

Here is what the girls had to say about their experience as mini Peace Corps volunteers...
“It was extremely rewarding to know that a group of only five people could make such a huge difference in the community in such a short time.” -Olivia
“It was incredibly inspiring to watch young local girls break through the barriers of biased gender roles and proclaim their rights and dreams for the future.” -Mallory
“We worked tirelessly all day long, and though we were completely exhausted by the end; it was a gratifying feeling to finish the beautiful mural for the students, knowing they can enjoy it for years to come.”

-Clarissa

 

 

Update from Thea’s Group:

Thea, Biz, Greta, and Merritt (a.k.a. the Algebra II girls) joined our Peace Corps Volunteer, Emily in the villages of Las Pavas and Buenos Aires. We experienced true El Salvadoran hospitality and were enveloped by the generosity and kindness of the people we met in the community.  We were welcomed into their homes and offered food, drink, and friendship.  We cooked with the women and mothers of the community as they shared traditional Salvadoran recipes.  We played with the children during recess at the school and gave them new soccer balls.  We spent an afternoon and evening with the young women of the community, as they relished the time to be with friends, out of the house, and away from the daily housework of women.  We engaged the children in a crafts project and discussion about Earth Day and how to protect the Earth.  We ate, we cooked, we laughed, we learned new words, and we made new friends.

“The barriers came down and we were welcomed into the homes, lives, and hearts of the beautiful mothers and daughters of Las Pavas.”  -Biz

“It was the one place where I learned the most about myself and the actual life of people in rural Central America.”  -Merritt

“It was the one place where I feel like I made long lasting connections with the local people in a community.  It also gave me a better understanding of what the Peace Corps is.”  -Greta

When we first arrived, Emily shared a quote with us from a past Peace Corps Volunteer: “They do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.”  We had arrived with the idea that we were going to be participating in a “service project”, what we perceived as something tangible, something visible, a hands-on, get dirty sort of project.  What we learned is that there are many forms of service.  Emily is a youth development volunteer.  Her focus in on youth, but she is also interested in the development of all individuals in the community and the community as a whole.  And in order to begin to work with a community, you must get to know the people and build trust within the community.  We were fortunate enough to participate in that process, to get to know the incredible people in Las Pavas and Buenos Aires, and give them an opportunity to celebrate and share their culture and customs.

At the end of four days, all four groups came back together in the town of Chalchuapa near the city of Santa Ana, El Salvador. Of course it was exciting, as each of us had our own stories to tell and experiences to relate. Everyone had an incredible time, coming away with understanding of life in El Salvador that they could only have received from truly experiencing it.

 

World Bank and Save the Children

Through connections from a parent of a former student, we had the opportunity to visit a World Bank project site in Northwestern El Salvador. The girls have been learning about the World Bank in their Science and Math Applications classes and it was interesting for them to observe first hand where some of the funds go. This particular project was an effort to preserve natural areas in El Salvador, most of which are impacted by people already due to the high population of the country. We visited one of the protected areas (like a National Park), talked with several of the people working on the project, and then went on a short hike to view the area. Ending the hike at a lookout point over Lake Guija, which borders both Guatemala and El Salvador, we could see the mountains of Guatemala across the way.  Later we took a short boat ride around the lake and discussed the impacts of people on the lake ecosystems. Learning about the efforts to protect the natural areas in developing countries was fascinating, as was seeing how World Bank funds are used to help countries in need.

As we have traveled through Central America and Mexico, we have learned about many organizations that work to help children meet their basic needs and get a quality education; Save the Children is one of these organizations. Along with three representatives from the Save the Children branch in El Salvador, we were able to visit several sites and view first hand how the organization is helping children in the area. The first site we visited was a Health Care center where Save the Children recruits high school students to provide childcare while mothers are waiting for and seeing the doctor. There are also games and activities for the kids, all designed to develop cognitive and motor skills so that children are not only playing, but developing crucial skills as well. Later in the day we visited a first and third grade classroom at a rural school. Funded by Save the Children, these classrooms had interactive activity centers to increase academic learning. The funding also included teacher training on how to utilize these activity centers. The girls were impressed by how fun, warm and welcoming these classrooms were in comparison to the others they had seen so far in their travels. Last, we saw a town meeting including community members and Save the Children representatives. Though we weren’t able to attend the meeting, we heard it was about implementing a program to educate parents about how to best care for their children ages 1-6. Over all we were impressed by the multifaceted programs of Save the Children and also by their program's success in El Salvador.  It was great for the girls to see how organizations like this really make a difference in the lives of children.

After our site visits, we left Chalchuapa and spent one night in La Palma, a small mountain town decorated with colorful murals in the style of Llort, a famous El Salvadorian artist. The next morning we crossed borders once again, this time finding ourselves in our last destination; Honduras.

 

Copan, the Ruins and More

Due to the Peace Corps and site visits to the World Bank and Save the Children, we had about a week without classes, but once we got to Copan we were back in school mode. The past few days have been a good mix of activities and classes, also allowing plenty of time to explore the small town of Copan. Excited to see the Copan Ruins we have been hearing about since the first week of the trip, we headed along the shaded cobblestone path that winds out of town to the ruins. Another fabulous guide, Jorge, was waiting, ready to dazzle us with comparisons between the Mayans and present day humans, and blow us away with interesting facts about the ancient people who lived in Copan. Known for its incredible sculptures and stelas (freestanding stone carvings) the site was full of intricately carved stonework depicting prior kings, macaws, jaguars, and bats. The girls were especially fascinated by a big carved stone with a notch for putting a severed head after the person had been sacrificed! Shady with jungle trees, the stairs and pyramids, made of carved, square stones, surrounded us as red macaws squawked in the distance. We wandered around the central plaza, through the ball court, and up to the Jaguar plaza where carved, stone jaguars stared out at us from the walls. Emily and Queso braved the tunnels, where archeologists have dug underground to study the buildings and tombs underneath the ruins. Over all it was a great day and we were once again awed by the Mayan civilization that once occupied this area of the world.

After a day of classes we were ready for another adventure, this one took us through the lush hillsides of Honduras to a Finca (farm) outside of Copan. Carlos, our guide and the son of hacienda owners, entertained us with his humor and expertise of the operations of the farm. We started out with a three-hour horse back ride through the country side, stopping to observe the daily work of some of the 250 workers who live on the finca, and the huge pond where they farm tilapia. Some of the girls were a bit nervous about riding, but by the end we were all experienced cowgirls cantering back up the road to the main house. A delicious lunch of vegetables, coffee with milk, and an exquisite banana dessert sprinkled with cardamom (all from the farm of course) was waiting for us.  We relaxed by the coffee bean shaped pool and digested our lunch before joining Carlos to head to the coffee processing plant up the hill. He demonstrated where the coffee is measured after the workers bring it in from the fields, where the husks are taken off the beans, where the beans are fermented and dried, and finally where the coffee is roasted.  We all basked in the aroma of the toasting beans and watched as they filled bag after bag with rich brown coffee of the highest quality. The day did not end there; we stopped by a hot springs along the river on our way back to Copan, soaking our bodies in the hot water and relaxing among by palm trees and colorful jungle flowers. Another awesome TTS day!

And now for the classes....

History
During our Peace Corps site visits, students conducted interviews with locals in each community.  Students asked interviewees about the most significant events of Salvadoran history, the important and pressing issues facing El Salvador today, and if they have relatives living in the U.S.  Students shared their findings with the class and discussed similarities and differences in the information they gathered.  With our recent arrival to Honduras, we shifted our focus from Salvadoran to Honduran history.  In preparation for our visit to the magnificent Mayan ruins of Copan we visited Casa Kinich, the Maya Children's Museum.  It is a wonderful museum with interactive exhibits about ancient Maya life, foods, gods, ball games, calendar, mathematics, and languages.  We also learned about the use of modern science techniques to decipher and understand more about life of the Maya in Central America.  During our visit to the ruins of Copan, we saw exquisitely constructed sculptures unlike anything we had seen during our visits to the ruins of Tikal and Palenque.  Exploring the ruins of Copan was a dramatic end to our study of the Maya.  Thus far in our study of Honduran history we have focused on the pre-Colombian era, the arrival and impact of the Spanish conquest, and the creation of large banana companies and their influence on Honduran politics.

 

Literature of Mexico and Central America
In Literature the girls are finishing up their narrative essays and getting ready for their final assignment, a “This I Believe Essay”.  Students will reflect on what they have learned during the semester, creating a piece of writing that sums up something they have strongly come to believe. The assignment is based on an NPR radio show and students will submit their essays to the radio station for possible broadcast. We are now more than half way through the Tortilla Curtain, a book that has provoked many heartfelt discussions as we address the issues of immigration, racism, and the American dream. The class participated in a Socratic seminar activity that required the girls to create their own thoughtful discussion questions to pose to the group and I was impressed with their thoughtful responses.

 

Natural Science
We wrapped up our unit on sustainability with a unique, inspiring class on modern permaculture practices taught by an arborist and agricultural consultant from Santa Barbara who created the non-profit Surfers Without Borders, www.surferswithoutborders.org. Since returning from the Peace Corps, the science girls have continued to immerse themselves in our final unit on Marine Conservation. After learning all about different marine ecosystems and the impacts humans have had on them, each girl selected a topic to research in greater depth and become an expert on. The students are taking on the role of marine biologists and are researching a variety of pressing issues facing the oceans in order to write-up their feature article final project. Their main goal in this final project is to spread awareness and inspire others to take action towards saving the world's oceans.   

Travel Journalism
After posting a few more short blog articles depicting recent adventures, the hard-working travel journalists of TTS 13 turned their attention towards the creation of their final travel pieces to submit for publication. They have set themselves on a strict schedule of deadlines and are motivated to reach their publication goals in the short amount of time we have left traveling together as a group. Everyone met their first major deadline (which was last night at 10 p.m.) and the girls are ready to dig into the process of editing, workshopping, and helping one another perfect their stories. Stay tuned for the final round of articles.

 

Mathematical Applications
After an inspiring stay with the Peace Corps and an eye-opening visit to a World Bank- sponsored environmental protection project site, the hard working Math Apps girls closed their multi-faceted discussions on globalization, trade, and debt and moved on to thinking about how they can make a difference in the world. Each girl is learning the specifics of philanthropy and how non-profit organizations work. Currently, the girls are generating revenue goals, project plans, and outlining the detailed budgets they are going to be using for the non-profit organization they are creating. Their innovative ideas and solid set of organizational and financial skills are resulting in some very impressive projects.

 

Algebra 2
We have been cruising through our material in Algebra 2.  After solving rational equations and inequalities, we worked with radical expressions and expressions with rational exponents, and practiced simplifying these expressions.  We then applied our prior knowledge of transformations to radical functions and continued on to solving radical equations and inequalities.  After a chapter test we began exploring multiple representations of functions, including piecewise functions and step functions.  The girls practiced performing operations with functions and finding the inverses of functions.  They then worked on modeling real world data and identifying the families of functions.  From there we moved on to conic sections.  The girls explored circles, ellipses, hyperbolas, and parabolas.  We practiced using the midpoint and distance formulas to find the verteces, co-verteces, and center of various conic sections, and practiced writing the equation and graphing given these points.  We are now moving on to solving nonlinear systems.

 

Independent Studies
In Geometry, Anna has been exploring solid geometry and formulas in three dimensions.  She is now working on the surface area of prisms, cylinders, pyramids, and cones.

In Pre-Calculus, Robin has been reviewing polynomial, rational, and radical functions. She practiced identifying the roots and solving equations and inequalities in these families of functions.  She finished her chapter test and is now moving on to conic sections.

Mallory is still working through her Peterson's AP Calculus review book.  She has finished the main section on differentiation and is now working through applications of derivatives.

In U.S. History Clarissa continued to work hard and gathered additional information for her research paper. Her main focus was conducting several interviews with individuals who spoke about their perspective of the civil war in El Salvador.  She completed a thorough and extensive outline for her paper.  Once we got to Copan Ruinas and had access to Internet, she has been typing away on her rough draft.

 

Intermediate and Advanced Spanish
The girls in Intermediate and Advanced Spanish did a great job communicating with the people in their communities during the Peace Corps visits. It was exciting to see the girls speaking with the local people; they really demonstrated how far they have come with their confidence and conversation skills. Students are wrapping up their interviews for their semester long projects and will soon be putting together presentations on their topic to share with the rest of the class. They continue to log new words and phrases in their language journals and practice the grammar skills we have been learning in class.

 

Beginning Spanish
Students spent lots of time practicing their Spanish speaking skills and filling their language journals during time at their Peace Corps sites.  Once back together as a group, we had lots of fun exchanging slang we learned at our respective sites.  We had a good discussion about the amount of progress each student feels she have made in her ability to communicate in Spanish and about each student's learning style for improving their Spanish.  We also reviewed verb conjugations of regular -er and -ir verbs. 

 

P.E. and Nutrition
In Nutrition class, the girls are in the midst of presenting their final projects on various health issues and we are busy addressing the last of their health questions and concerns as we wrap things up. Everyone is looking forward to the ask-anything sex panel we are going to have on our very last day of class. With all of the teachers participating in the panel session, this is one class opportunity that they do not get to experience in their home high school health classes. In P.E., the girls are taking turns individually teaching the workout sessions they designed and planned as part of their final grade. The students are looking forward to heading on to the coast on Friday where beach runs and scuba diving await.  

 

Global Studies
The girls reading One Day of Life finished up with a powerful presentation that required students to reenact a scene from the book. After spending a few classes discussing child labor and responsible consumerism, we delved into immigration issues. The last book group is reading Enrique´s Journey, a chronicle of the journey a Honduran man makes to reach his mother in the United States. They have done a great job of summarizing the complicated plot line and facilitating thoughtful discussions with the group. The girls are amazed to find out how much they don’t know about immigration in their own country. Soon we will start reading about the Garifuna culture in preparation for our visit to a Garifuna village. We have also started discussing the final presentations the girls will give when they get back home. Students are brainstorming and writing outlines so they can be ready to present in their schools.

What next???

We are all getting excited to head to the Northern Coast of Honduras for soccer games on the beach, snorkeling and swimming in the ocean, and immersion in the Garifuna culture. We will spend a few days in on the Caribbean coast of Honduras, visiting islands off the coast and a Garifuna village. We will also be getting in our last week of classes; the girls have already received their final projects and are working hard to finish up the semester strong.  We hope to have all classes finished by the end of the week when we head to the Bay Islands of Honduras. Our days there will be filled with SCUBA certification classes, planning the Zenith service project, and of course, relaxing by the beach!

The lovely ladies of TTS13 are healthy and feeling good.  We feel fortunate to have such a positive, motivated, fun group of girls and will be enjoying every minute of the next two weeks we have together.

Until next time,

Cara, Emily, Rhea, Thea and the TTS13 Chicas

 

 

 

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