CDCA Volunteer Blog

Time to say Good-Bye! ¡Adios!

2009-12-12T14:15:00.000-08:00

So, I'm leaving Arequipa on Monday (2 days!) and heading back home to New York City. It was my last day of teaching at Paz y Esperanza on December 4th and the Director forgot to tell the teachers and students. So, I only said good-bye to about half the kids as the other half were not even there. I also passed out some school supplies and gifts to the kids and gave them their folders back. I wish I had some pictures of the last project I undertook, but I was pretty sad my last day. I helped the kids put their hand prints with acrylic paint around the framed photos of the mural process over the mural itself (Ashley- check it out in the "library" next time you go to Horacio). It turned out pretty good, but I was crying most of my last day while doing this as I couldn't believe so many kids weren't there and that the Director forgot it was my last day. I had reminded him a handful of times, but he still forgot. The "real" Director (Director Froilan) was not able to come out to bid me farewell, but he sent me a beautiful e-mail thanking me for all the work I had done.

I'll probably miss Arequipa since I've been here for so long, but I am so ready to go home........

Good-bye readers (all 5-8 of you). Maybe on this last post you might actually have the ganas to comment:)

Dance Competition

2009-11-22T13:57:00.001-08:00

The kids competed in a District-wide dance competition a few weeks ago among other public elementary schools in Socabaya. It was fun to watch them dance and see other schools and their dances as well. The winning school performed a more modern dance than the other schools. The boys and girls all wore the same costume (a colorful skirt and brightly colored shirt with ruffle necks and sleeves). They danced to modern-type music in a freestyle-type fashion. It was very entertaining.

Everyone said that our school was memorable for all the props we used. The kids danced to very traditional music about harvesting corn and raising alpaca. I believe this competition will become a tradition in the Socabaya School District.

Campeonatos!

2009-10-24T14:24:00.000-07:00

The kids have been practicing for these games that lead to some sort of Championship at the end of the school year. The events are volleyball, soccer, and chess. The volleyball and soccer teams at Paz y Esperanza have not had much success; the only game won between both teams was a volleyball game against a really small public school in Socabaya (about 60 students). The game was also only won by 2 points in the third match...

Anyway, the chess team has not had any real "games" since they are "training" for a tournament in a few weeks. The boys are waaay more involved in the "training" than the girls and often opt out of recess to practice and have mini tournaments of their own. This is refreshing. And I am particularly interested in the games since they use the CDCA game board and chess pieces. The kids are trying to teach me how to improve my strategy. Some of them are actually quite good. Two of them have beaten me as well. As you can see above, their concentration is intense. They aren't very competitive, which is good, but they are mostly highly motivated and intentional.

Paz y Esperanza Playground Update

2009-10-24T14:04:00.000-07:00

So, the kids loooove the playground. There exists a border-line obesession with it amongst all the students at the school. Kids from the community (usually friends of the students) also come to play in the playground on Saturdays when I go to the school to do games and crafts with the kids. Two Saturdays ago the kids couldn't play on the playground equipment, because Kris painted the equipment (as shown above). It looks really cool, no? Everyone went crazy over it. All the teachers told me, "Tu novio es bien Peruano....", since he painted the playground equipment in the colors and style of the Peruvian flag. No, he's American, but we both love Peru in some special way:)

Visit to Quequeña

2009-10-24T12:29:00.000-07:00

Hi:) So, I visited the school at Quequeña (the only primary school there is out there) and was pleasantly surprised. I had been told that Quequeña was mostly farmland and that the town itself was very small (population size around 1,000). Therefore, I was not expecting much from the school itself.

The school was surprisingly spacious and the grounds somewhat modern compared to other public schools I have been to. It had a soccer and volleyball court and lots of green area as well as plants and trees. The student body is small (55 students- 1st through 6th grades), but the students seem very attentive and respectful. The teachers seemed engaging and knowledgeable about the community and the public school system.

I would have to say that Quequeña is also a contender for a future partnership with CDCA. It will be difficult to choose a school for CDCA to work with in the future. I really enjoyed my visits at all 3 schools and would love it if they could all receive help. Maybe, CDCA could somehow work with all three of the schools ;-)

School Visits continue..................... and so does the school year

2009-10-04T14:38:00.000-07:00

First Grade classroom 1

First Grade classroom 2

View of sinks near bathrooms

View of girls' bathroom stalls at Santa Maria

Hi! So, I visited an elementary school in Paucarpata a few weeks ago (pictures above) with Director Froilan. The visit went well and the travel time was not as bad as I expected. I had heard that Paucarpata might be about an hour from my apartment, but it was about 45 minutes. Paucarpata is a one of Arequipa's poorer districts like Alto Cayma (Cayma highlands) and Ampliacion Socabaya (past the city of Socabaya). Santa Maria, the area I visited, was much like La Mansion and Horacio Zeballos such that the population is mostly comprised of immigrants from other parts of Peru and the socioeconomic status is very poor. The area seems to lack in basic public services such as a sewage system and water like Horacio and La Mansion, although the school seemed the be better equiped infrastructurally like La Mansion yet unlike Horacio.

I plan to visit a school in Quequeña this week (granted the Director doesn't have another UGEL meeting), so I shall report on that soon.

As far as the school year goes, the kids at Paz y Esperanza are mostly doing well. The 6th graders are moving from "Who? Possessive Pronouns and Family" into "Where? and Location" after having taken and revised an exam. The same 3 students did well on the last exam, but many students are understanding and pronouncing English words and phrases better and better every week. 5th grade and 4th grade are taking the "Who? Possessive Pronouns and Family" exam this week. 1st and 2nd grade are up to letter Q this week and making lots of progress on the alphabet as well as school vocabulary. 3rd grade is still very difficult to deal with and engage. When I do keep their attention they recite and sing the alphabet perfectly and sing all the vocabulary songs correctly as well as remember phrases and numbers up to 30. When I don't have their attention, things get stressful and I resort to art (usually painting), which they enjoy.

Art lessons are coming along quite nicely with 6th and 4th grades as well 5th grade, sometimes. They are learning shading techniques and will move into self-portraits after recreations soon. There are a few students who I believe are definitely artistically inclined and could become very good at drawing as well as painting.

I have to start planning the kids' end-of-the-year English and Art presentation/show since December is quickly approaching. I can't believe that I'm leaving Arequipa in two and a half months....

Please comment your thoughts:)

Pictures from my visit to the school in La Mansion, Arequipa

2009-09-01T12:42:00.001-07:00

Children in formation for Dia de Arequipa celebrations in the courtyard at La Mansion

Hygiene Center in a classroom at La Mansion

Inicial classroom at La Mansion

6th grade classroom at La Mansion

Student doing classwork at La Mansion

View of a classroom at La Mansion

Another view of a classroom at La Mansion

Some kids during class at La Mansion

Classroom at La Mansion

More Changes

2009-08-31T17:05:00.000-07:00

American friends of mine, Alan and John Michael, along with my boyfriend, Kris, were able to install all the playground equipment just in time for classes on August 10th

So, school resumed a few weeks ago and I was able to visit the school in La Mansion where Director Froilan is currently working. Classes at Paz y Esperanza started off very well the first full week I returned to teach, but things are kinda slowing down. I do think that its because the children, namely the 4th through 6th graders, are not being challenged enough by the work I'm giving them. By the way, my 6th graders can read simple English phrases with almost perfect pronunciation.....kind of amazing.....

So, I'm trying to find all new teaching material/review worksheets online and in the volunteer teaching materials to reinforce what the older kids have learned about family and possessive pronouns. I'm also trying to get the curriculum done by some time in September, adjusting lessons that I've already done and adding specific information on which worksheet correspond with which lessons. Big task, but I really wanna have it done already.

The school in La Mansion is quite charming for a public school in Peru. The grounds are spacious and the children are surprisingly well-behaved and polite (most of them, anyway). I enjoyed my visit, and I hope to visit some schools in Paucarpata this week. However, I don't know how taken I will be with those schools....I overheard the 3rd grade teacher at Paz y Esperanza describe her experience teaching there as "horrible". She said that the children were violent.........I guess I should prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

I'm getting along well with the new Director. He's asked me about the history of CDCA and the relationship between the NGOs. He is very interested in CDCA's efforts and has shown his support for the organization in APAFA (similar to PTA- in a more "developing nation" kind of way) meetings. I shall update on what transpires from his involvement in the situation at Paz y Esperanza.

APAFA meeting held in the kitchen once used as a classroom

APAFA wokring on a wall (to protect the garden area, I think?)

AND more vacation time......

2009-08-04T13:11:00.000-07:00

Hi:) So I went to Colca Canyon this past weekend with some friends (hence the photo above). It was fun, but really cold at night and in the early morning. Definitely gorgeous scenery on the way there and at the canyon (lots of condors flying really close-by).

After this trip I was excited to get back to school to see all the kids and review all the material from before break. I missed them so much....BUT when I got to school yesterday, there was no one around. I saw one of my students, Benjamin, on his bike and asked why they weren't in school. He told me that classes resume on the 10th not the 3rd. In spanish these dates are very similar ("el tres" "el diez"). Guess I heard wrong.

So, its another week of vacation. I've already planned all of the lessons for the rest of the year for 1st and 2nd grades. I think I'll have time to do every single grade for the rest of the year.......actually, that's really ambitious, so let's say at least 3rd and 4th grade this week.

The good news is that I spoke with the "real" Director today and made an appointment to visit him at his new school next week. CDCA is looking into other schools to build relationships with as the situation at Paz y Esperanza has proven to be an extremely difficult working environment. The Director is a great professional contact for CDCA and has welcomed us to evaluate the potential of working at the school he is currently serving in or perhaps other schools in the area. I'm especially excited to see what other schools are like. I haven't been exposed to another public school environment in Arequipa. Something tells me that this search will be promising.......

Vacation Time.......

2009-07-24T11:08:00.000-07:00

Hi! So, I've been off from school for two weeks now. Last week, classes were canceled because 3 cases of AH1N1 were found in 3 schools in Socabaya (the district where Paz y Esperanza is). The following article explains (in Spanish, of course) the decision of the local Board of Education and the Municipality government to cancel classes last week to flow into the two-week vacation time this week and next week:
http://www.larepublica.pe/regionales/10/07/2009/suspenden-clases-en-colegios-de-arequipa-por-gripe-ah1n1

So, I have another week off....kinda mixed feelings about that. As I wrote in a previous post, the kids have not had a structured school schedule since all the drama surrounding the Director (he will always be "the" Director to me) and finding a new Director. Therefore, when classes resume on August 3rd, I will have to review as best I can what the children learned before the break and move quickly into new topics. Hopefully, the class schedule will be somewhat respected and the children will be motivated.

So, during this vacation I was able to take a day trip with the Girls Group. We went horseback riding yesterday and everyone had a great time. The girls had never ridden a horse before or probably ever been upclose with one, so they were afraid and nervous in the beginning. None of them even wanted to get on. I had to mount and dismount all of their horses to show them that it wasn't difficult at all. Our guides were really nice and helped the girls learn how to stop, turn, go faster, and slower...I especially had a great time, because I hadn't ridden in years, since I was a teenager. I definitely wanna go again:)

School Videos

2009-07-09T05:10:00.000-07:00

Playa Videos

2009-07-09T01:45:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary Paz y Esperanza! Changes that came with it...

2009-06-27T15:12:00.000-07:00

Hi:) So there have been many changes at the school in the past two months. Aside from the mural and the painting of the walls in the library, the school has been appointed a new Director and also celebrated its 7th Anniversary last Sunday.

The kids have been learning a lot, and I'm really happy with their behavior (most of the time). The 6th graders had a test on Question Words (5 W's and How) as well as pronouns and classroom vocabulary words. Many of them did well, and very few failed. The real triumph is that they completed the exam very quietly and I didn't have to make it open book. 5th grade is still a struggle, but many of them excel at art and look forward to doing it. I'm doing basic painting with them, how to mix colors, how to use a paintbrush, how to create dimension (most of which the local artist who did the mural told me is very effective with children about their age). 6th grade continues to struggle with drawing - with the exception of two or three who aren't terrible- but I've decided to move on to recreations of famous drawings by Peruvian artists for this coming week. 4th grade is amazing, as usual. They soak up everything I teach and enjoy every minute of both English and Art. 3rd grade is getting much better in terms of behavioral issues, but I have also decided to take an extreme positive reinforcement approach. I saturate their lessons with songs and games as well as rewards for participation and obedience. 2nd grade is moving along quite nicely in all areas- good behavior, motivation, retention skills- and they are becoming one of my favorite classes. 1st grade is also doing well, but their attention span definitely presents obstacles.

The real issues I am having revolve around all the recent transitions that the school has undergone and still undergoing. In particular, the absence of a Director for the past two weeks and the new relationship between the NGOs at the school has directly affected my teaching schedule and my efforts of implementing a functioning library and reading program. The teachers have been rearranging the school day schedule in such a way that the very block that I teach, last block of the day, starts later and ends earlier. To counter the poor effects this obviously would have on the children and their class time, I have stuck to the original schedule and called them in even earlier (so around 11:45 instead of 11:50) so that we can start right away. It is very difficult to get all of them to come into class before the rest of the children go to their classes, so I just begin English warm up exercises with the door open until all or most of them come to class. The library program has come to a halt, because the teachers thought it best to wait for some decisions to be made by the other NGO, Kindness Connection, and to speak with the new Director. The new Director is said to arrive this Tuesday, so I hope some progress can be made concerning the plans to move forward with the library and reading program.

Each grade presented a dance at the Anniversary celebration. I was so impressed with all the traditional dress outfits and how well the kids performed. They constantly inspire me with how talented they are...Hope you enjoyed the update!

Baile 3

2009-06-25T01:06:00.000-07:00

Baile 2

2009-06-25T00:53:00.000-07:00

Library Now

2009-06-11T07:08:00.000-07:00

Click on the photo for a larger image:)

2009-06-01T19:52:00.001-07:00

Horacio library mural time lapse from Kris on Vimeo.

Progress........

2009-05-06T16:37:00.000-07:00

Hi! So things are slowing moving along with the library. We are having a meeting tomorrow (the professors and Director and myself with the Directors of Kindness-Connection Peru). CDCA has funded all the materials for the mural, and Ashley is bringing down all the rest of the money requested from CDCA in the library proposal. I wanted to open the library by the 11th, but that's looking more and more like the 18th (or June) everyday. The good news is that things are secure on CDCA's side and the professors and Director totally support me, so I'm ready for this meeting tomorrow.

Last week on Friday, Jose and I drew the mural- I helped by adding insects and animals:) And on Monday evening Jose began painting. The girls from Girls' Group were able to help outlining the mural. The process of the mural has been really fun. My friend Kris is taking some great pictures of the mural process...they promise to be amazing.

Classes were cancelled on Monday and Tuesday to hold talks about the Swine Flu ("Gripe Porcino")........

http://www.diarionoticias.com.pe/locales.htm

The article basically says that the Board of Education in Arequipa ordered these days off, but the professors think that the time off was unnecessary and that the talks were poorly planned.

Anyway.......classes went well today and I really think the kids are behaving better:) Let's hope they remain obedient and motivated (written with all the intention to inspire this behavior and motivation as well). I'll check back probably on Friday after this meeting and when the mural is done................

First Exams..... the hard times begin........

2009-04-28T13:03:00.000-07:00

Fourth grade (one of my favorite classes). Maria (foreground)...so adorable.
Marco (first seat) has lots of artistic potential and quickly picks up on patterns in English
Nataly and Edwin Martin painting their own design by thier color scale they made

Hi! So last week was really busy......and interesting. I gave my first exam to sixth grade and fourth grade on vowels and their sounds in Spanish, (with the help of my host father) finally translated the library proposal, finally confirmed things for the mural, and I used some new disciplinary techniques (unfortunately...but they worked).

About the English exam........
I am becoming more and more aware of how dependent these kids are. Even though I explained what was going to be on the exam the week before and also explained in detail the questions on the exam right before I handed the exam out, they all still raised their hands in panic "Miss Damara, Miss Damara...que tengo que hacer? no entiendo!" After about ten minutes of this and noticing that very few were answering anything correctly, I made the test open book. After this a handful managed to either get a perfect score or just pass; however, a handful still failed:( The next day I spoke with the teachers of the class asking about each student who failed, and both teachers told me to give them another chance. So, I spoke separately with each student who completely missed the point of the exam (students who I graded with a question mark) and the little review session went really well. I had sixth grade today and we went over everything, and I think it went really well. Some of them are also getting pretty good at drawing...something else to be happy about.

Translating the proposal......
So, I finally had the opportunity to present to library plan in its entirety in a meeting yesterday with the teachers and Director, and they were really receptive to everything. They particularly like that I'm asking for money for special educational texts that they want and beginning a reading-incentive contest program. They added some suggestions for more things and I don't know if what they want will be approved, but we shall see. By tomorrow I should e-mail the proposal to all the heads of the NGO's. The ideal situation would be that everyone approves everything, or most of things that are important, and everyone sends money by Monday of next week. However, being that there are three different organizations, there is a definite posibility that the proposal will be met with some dissent and call for even more revisions. Please, please say a prayer that we can at least open the library by May 11th. I really can't wait any longer to finally get these kids reading and engaged in the library programs.

About the mural........
So this local artist/art instructor, who also taught Art during summer school, agreed to do a mural in the library with me. But he's been really unreliable about confirming meeting times and such. Finally this weekend he said that he was available this Thursday afternoon to buy the supplies for the mural and that we could sketch on the wall by Friday. I'm so relieved that this is finally happening, because the kids are really looking forward to having something pretty on the wall and excited about helping to paint and such.

About the disciplining.........
Last week, as I was stressing about the library and mural and all, first through third grade (and fifth grade...but that's always) decided to be really disrespectful and out of control. Needless to say, I had to "lay down the law". I had to get the teachers to talk to them at the beginning of class and every time they acted up I employed some new technique thinking completely on my feet. They all are learning how to raise their hands quietly and line up quietly and not fight or yell. Fighting and or yelling as well as disobedience was rewarded with time out (first and second grade) or no art (third and fifth grade). Fifth grade was particularly funny as the boys were really acting up. So I told the boys that they we were gonna play a game after English, and they had to behave better. They were a little better, but still not paying attention as they should have. Then I told the boys to put their heads down for the game. When they all had their heads down, I proceeded to pass out the drawing supplies to the girls. A couple of boys lifted their heads and asked why they were'nt getting anything for art. I told them they were gonna play a special game. I took the girls outside to do some one-point perspective drawing. Then I went back inside and the boys all had their heads up. I told them that we were gonna have a little dance party and I would play some reggeaton (which they love and totally flatters me for obvious cultural reasons), but I played what I usually play for art...classical music. And they had to keep their heads down for the rest of the class. I sent a couple kids home after they got up from their seat, but I think they were under control for the most part after that;-) This week things are going a bit slowly teaching-wise in first and second grade, but their behavior is improving so much. I can't complain...patience is a virtue...one that I have to continually work at acheiving.

First Month of School

2009-04-10T09:04:00.000-07:00

The above picture was taken on a walk through the city with my German buddy Karsten. I haven't taken any recent pictures of the kids at school...but I will. The volcano in the background is El Misti.

Anyway, school is going really well. The kids are behaving well for the most part. The older kids (4th through 6th grades) are learning all the vowels and their many sounds with corresponding vocabulary and have already painted a primary and secondary color scale. The younger ones (1st through 3rd grades) have learned primary and secondary colors in various exercises and third grade has painted a little as well begun to learn the vowels and their sounds.

The real story is behind the scenes working on a comprehensive library proposal and translating it so that CDCA and both Kindness Connection(s) can approve it and send money to get the library going. The proposal for just the library is divided into nine sections such as "Hours of Service", "Library Resources", "Mural Project", "Improving Library Ambiance", "Leadership Program", etc. Each section focuses on the Objective, Implementation, Person Implementing, Evaluation, and Budget. The last two weeks I've written it and made all the appropriate supplementary documents such as the library inventory and check-out procedure list, library flyer/announcement of services, and library membership permission slip for the children's parents. I've started translating it in the past few days and hopefully will be done by early next week. After everything is approved, money can be sent to buy new furniture and books for the library. Its a lot of work but very exciting. All the teachers at the school can't wait to see the translated proposal and see the work begin to make the library a functioning body.

Alan and Joshua are still helping out at the school. They are looking into how the grounds can be leveled for a playground and volleyball court. Alan is writing the part of the proposal for the playground and sports areas. Things are moving along.

Semana Santa has been amazing in Arequipa so far. Last Friday night I went walking around the city with Karsten and we ended up in the Plaza in front of the church where they had all 13 stations of the cross set up for the Procession done every Friday during Lent. It was so exciting to watch all the people come out and see all the beautiful decorations. Karsten is a theology Masters student in Germany, so he took lots of pictures while I participated in the ceremonies:)

Last night Josh and I went to the church at the Mirador de Yanahuara and asked around about Good Friday ceremonies. We found out that tonight there is going to be a Stations of the Cross Procession starting at that very church at 7pm to 12 other churches (one for each station). We plan on participating in the Procession...it should be very interesting. I think Karsten is joining us as well.

I promise to take some pictures of the kids for next time...

Beach Trip!

2009-03-08T19:53:00.001-07:00

Hey again! So the trip went really really well.... Delfor, with Kindness Connection who contracted the bus and prepared all the food with his wife Carmen, along with Joshua and Alan met me at the school at 7:15 with all the kids. The kids were on time for the most part, so we were set and ready to go by 8:20ish. We dropped by to pick up Carmen and Anita (Emily Broxterman's friend who came to Arequipa for the month of February for a hospital internship) and we on the road by close to 9.

The ride on the way to the beach was just as eventful as time at the beach itself. The guys were trying to get the seat belts for the kids (which were hidden deep into the seats) for the first half hour while we handed out bananas and bread as well as foam visers (big hit!) that I had found in the volunteer supplies. I remembered that the road to the beach is really curvy so I told the kids to let me know if they were feeling sick at all. A few minutes later, the girls in the back started yelling that little Maria (going to fourth grade and really smart, btw) was really dizzy. So I took her to sit with me...To make a long, grueling story short...she ended up throwing up about 5 times. She threw up on her clothes, so I had to dress her in my cover-up dress. She threw up so much I thought she was gonna faint at times from dehydration. Luckily, she was fine and was able to enjoy the beach. No one else on the way there got sick, so we had plenty of plastic bags left over...for that time being...

The kids were really well behaved at the beach. Alan and Joshua stayed in the water and the kids stayed in between them and were not allowed to go deeper than the guys were. For the most part, all the kids followed these rules with the exception of some of my girls from girls' group (they don't really listen to people other than me...gotta work on that). Kindness Connection provided all the food as well, and the kids were all satisfied:) They had lots of fun building sand forts and such as well as just playing in the water for hours.

On the ride back from the beach, Maria got sick again. Only this time she threw up about 8 times:( Then another couple kids got sick and threw up...AND Maria's older sister, Patricia, threw up just as we were reaching Horacio (gross, I know). The bus smelled like vomit, sand, and sweat by the end of the night....BUT the trip was still a success. All the kids were accounted for and everyone got home safe and happy (for the most part).

This Wednesday we are having a meeting at the school to finally work out the schedule for my classes. My start date for the school year has been pushed back due to the lack of attendance amongst the children. So, this Wednesday I'm going to present ideas about the library such as how to make it a functioning body (lending system and hours and potential for community involvement) and talk about ideas for a volleyball court and potential for a sports program of sorts. I will also get to formally introduce myself to and formally meet all the teachers:) In the meantime, I have lots of lesson plans to finish and lists and outlines to make.........

P.S. In case you didn't know, you can click on the pictures for a larger, clearer image.

Pics from the beach...

2009-03-07T09:53:00.000-08:00

Summer School is Over!?! :-(

2009-02-25T12:52:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! Time is really flying here....We concluded summer school classes last week, and classes for the regular school year resume (at least for me) on March 9th. The beach trip is this Friday and I still have girls' group and cleaning going on, so I'm still pretty busy. Tomorrow I have a meeting with the Director and all the teachers to figure out my schedule for the school year and then more cleaning to do in the library.

So, about the last few weeks of summer school...........

These two American guys, Alan and Joshua, who are somehow connected to Emily Broxterman, the president of Kindness-Connection, came to help out at the school. They are great guys;-) They were a great help in all the classes and seem really invested in assisting in any way they can in the community of Horacio Zeballos. They both have experience in teaching and development work, so their points of view and talents definitely enhanced the summer school program. Other than being faithful and animated classroom assistants, they have undertaken the task of making a video/documentary of the development work being done at the school and in the community. Hopefully, clips from that video can be put up on both Kindness-Connection and CDCA's websites for a more in depth look at the situation in Horacio. I was so grateful to have their help and to get to know them. I'm sure they participation in the school year will prove to be fruitful.

The little Performance Day ("Clausura") on Friday was very successful. All the kids presented something different from their classes and the art teacher had an exhibition of all their art work. All the teachers displayed the kids' work in sections....I put out about two folders per grade with all their crafts and worksheets and such. Alan thinks that the first graders stole the show with their animal masks and "I see____" performance. I was really proud of all of the kids. The second, third, and fourth graders did the "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes song" along with a song that Puerto Rican schools teach young ones in English and Spanish. I think the words to that Puerto Rican song are on the blackboard in one of the pictures below. The fifth and sixth graders recited/read the conversations that they had written in English. A few were very shy, but they tried their best. There were also some dances choreographed by the art and math teacher and a really sweet song directed by the verbal communication teacher. Once the kids were done, some dancers performed a few tradional Peruvian songs. Everyone ended up dancing with them and had a great time. Overall, it was a great success:)

Up next is the beach trip........Alan, Joshua, and I will be pretty strict with the kids as the waves at the beaches in Mollendo are really dangerous. I'll let you know how it goes (fingers crossed). Also, I hope that the girls from the girls' group can collectively decide on a community service project in the next couple weeks. I introduced the idea to them yesterday, and they were really receptive of the idea. I really think that these girls have the potential to make a significant impact in their community. As I have said before, I have high hopes for these girls:) I will also update on that next time.

My relationships with all the kids have deepened and my relationship with the Director has definitely strengthened. We worked very well together during the summer classes. As his intentions in his role at the school and the communtiy are so noble, we get along very well. I hope that my relationship, ergo the relationship with CDCA, and the school teachers will be equally amiable and that mutual respect will also flourish from good communication.

Its a little strange not being at the school everyday and getting the snack and kissing scrapes (sana, sana.....), but I'm looking forward to the school year........

I'll be in touch! Keep checking every couple weeks.

Pics of Girls´ Group

2009-02-24T09:58:00.000-08:00

Girls´Group Pizza Party

Princesa y yo

Fifth and sixth grade girls helping on V-day

Pictures of Kids (videos could not load.....Peruvian connection...)

2009-02-24T08:52:00.000-08:00

V-day bags

Erik opening his Valentine´s Day present (the little baggie has a few gifts from Emily Broxterman, president of Kindness Connection)

Erik y Brisa (cousins)

Brisa y Lisbeht (Lisbeht loves to read...she was supposed to be working)

Marco (just 3 years old...he ran out of the class....a lot)

Melani y Nicol (sisters)...two of my best students:)

I have had trouble uploading video to the blog. I will keep trying.......in the meantime, please look over these pics:)

Summer School Activities

2009-02-06T17:20:00.000-08:00

Hello againJ I haven’t been able to write for a few weeks for many different reasons: 1. I’ve been super busy with all the adjustments for summer school, 2. summer school in general is draining, 3. there are about 50 kids enrolled in summer school!, 4. there was a transportation strike during the second week of classes……..Crazy, right? Well, as you can deduce, I’ve been really busy. Let’s begin with the first week of summer school….

Things started off really well. We had about 25 kids the first day, and schedules (1 ½ hour block, snack time and break, then another 1 ½ hour block) seemed convenient for everyone. We gradually augmented our numbers about 3 kids everyday the first week. So, we ended the first week with about 35 kids. In my class, every child has his or her own folder where he or she keeps all their worksheets. The really young kids (inicial and first grade) have been learning animals and colors as well as greetings. The second graders have learned colors, greetings, letters, and numbers up to ten so far. The third and fourth graders have learned a variety of greetings, numbers, colors, pronouns, questions such as “How are you?” and “How old are you?” and the appropriate responses. The fifth and sixth graders (all 20 of them…that’s a lot for summer school…and my classroom) have learned letters, numbers, colors, pronouns, question words and their meanings, all the basic greetings as well as “How are you?” and “How old are you?” and the appropriate responses. Attendance has varied amongst several students; therefore, though I had to buy 10 more folders aside from the 50 I initially bought before summer school, only about 45 of those folders get regular use.

In reference to the transportation strike, I have attached a news article from the most legitimate local newspaper El Comercio. The article was written on January 20th, the day the strike officially began.

Unos 4.000 transportistas bloquean las calles de Arequipa
9:55 El gremio del sector cumple desde hoy un paro indefinido por medida que restringe circulación de vehículos de más de 25 años de antigüedad
El gremio de transportistas de Arequipa acata desde hoy un paro indefinido que busca obligar al alcalde de la ciudad, Simón Balbuena, a derogar la Ordenanza 574, que restringe la circulación de unidades utilizadas para el transporte público con más de 25 años de antigüedad.
Unos 4.000 transportistas han salido a las calles a protestar y no permiten el libre tránsito de vehículos particulares y público porque han bloqueado diversos puntos de la ciudad, como los municipios de Hunter, Paucarpata, Bustamante y Rivero, Alto Selva Alegre, Cerro Colorado, entre otros, informó el corresponsal de El Comercio en Arequipa, Carlos Zanabria.
EL NUEVO REGLAMENTOEl municipio de Arequipa emitió un nuevo reglamento que establece que las unidades de transporte no deberán tener más de 4 años de antigüedad y que deberán ser accionadas a gas. El concejo no dará marcha atrás en su plan de reorganizar el transporte provincial, aseguró el alcalde Simón Balbuena.
Los transportistas aseguran que el reglamento es excesivo y que ellos no están en condiciones de comprar unidades nuevas, ni siquiera si la Caja Municipal de Arequipa les ofrece financiar la adquisición de los vehículos.
Basically, the owners of the buses, which I have been told are separate entities from the ministry of transportation, decided to rebel against the municipality of Arequipa and continue to run their old buses. The municipality issued a regulation which stated that the bus owners and drivers had to replace the old buses with newer models that were safer and more environmentally friendly, with less harmful gas emissions. The transportation workers thought that such a demand was outrageous, so they protested and halted transportation services until the municipality finally lessened their demands and allowed the transportation workers to resume use of the buses under the conditions of preparing to purchase newer buses in the meantime. I will let you know if this new plan comes to fruition. So far, the buses are running better and safer, not as rapidly that is.
So, I was pretty unhappy about the strike because I missed two class days that weekL However, with all that, things are running rather smoothly at the school. The teachers all get along and work together and the kids are really enjoying themselves and learning a lot. Every Friday is a half day of class and half day of free time/play time. During the second half of the day, the kids get a short dance lesson from the art teacher. He’s been teaching them traditional dance moves of traditional indigenous music (a.k.a “música de la selva”).
Two of the videos below depict the kids dancing on two different Friday’s to this music. The movement that the teacher is doing with his feet is called “zapatiar” (a.k.a. “tap”) and the movement he is showing them with his shirt and shoulders is called “menear” (a.k.a. “shake”). Two other videos are in my classroom with some of my better third and fourth grade students. They are asking, “How many? What color?” To hear them well, please raise your volume and listen carefully. They make some mistakes and I try to help them along, but they are definitely making progress. Also, keep in mind that they are a bit camera shy…..Enjoy!

Christmas in Cusco.....read entry below

2009-01-07T14:49:00.000-08:00

Summer School Preparations

2009-01-07T12:40:00.000-08:00

Hello again! I hope your holidays were great:) I went to Cusco for Christmas (as shown above). This week has been pretty full. I've been getting my classroom ready (shown in the entry below- which will also be used as the library). I've had various meetings with the Director, our Peruvian NGO counterpart Kindness Connection Peru, and the teachers for summer school in preparation for summer school. I'm really excited to see all the kids again and finally get the chance to lead my own class. Plus, summer school is gonna be lots of fun. Since its summertime, there will be games everyday along with review:)

Below is the flyer/announcement of summer school that I made. The graphics and picture didn't show up...sorry. For those who can't read Spanish, it basically says that summer school is being offered for free at Paz y Esperanza in cooperation with the NGO's CDCA (the non-profit I work for) and Kindness Connection Peru (our counterpart organization). The Director is has been distributing them and lots of people have been stopping by the school to sign their children up. So exciting!

Institución Educativa 40701
“Paz y Esperanza”

En Cooperación con las ONG’s
CDCA y Kindness Connection Perú
Vacaciones Útiles Gratuita
Cursos:
- Inglés
- Dibujo y Pintura
- Razonamiento Lógico Matemática
- Razonamiento Verbal
*Refrigerio Escolar Gratuito (Fruta y Pan)

Inicio: Lunes el 12 de Enero
Horario: 9 AM hasta 12:30 PM Lunes a Viernes
Nota: Matriculas Abiertas del Primer Grado al
Sexto Grado Nivel Primario

Asentamiento Urbano Municipal Sector “F”
Av. Jesús Alberto Paez S/N

As the flyer states, we are starting summer school this coming Monday , January 12th. I will be sure to write another entry to the blog after the first week of classes. Thanks for reading. Feel free to send good wishes in a comment. 'Til next week.........

My humble classroom

2009-01-07T10:31:00.000-08:00

My First Month- In Video

2008-12-17T14:49:00.000-08:00

My First Month- December 17, 2008

2008-12-17T09:10:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! I´m so excited to be able to share my experiences as a CDCA volunteer on this blog page:) This will my primary medium of communication with all those interested in what work is being done here through CDCA.

Let me begin my introducing myself....My name is Damara Gonzalez (the short version). I am originally from Queens, New York. I graduated from Muhlenberg College last May with majors in Psychology and International Studies. I was accepted to be a CDCA volunteer last September. My roles include teaching English and Art in a primary school, I.E.P Paz y Esperanza, and developing/organizing and assisting in community projects in the developing area. I have been in Arequipa for about a month. So far, I love Arequipa. I live with a great host family, and I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the area that I live and work in. I live in el Distrito de Jose Luis Bustamante y Rivero which is a pretty well-developed city. I work in el Distrito de Socabaya in a rather poor developing community named Horacio Zeballos.

The following is an update on the most important recent occurances......The co-founder of CDCA and the director of the volunteer program, Ashley Sheffel, was just in Arequipa for a week to organize all the necessary projects for the year to come. Even though I had never met her face to face, we were in contact a lot since my acceptance. We got along great and I´m so proud to be working for and with her. While she was here we arranged lots of meetings with the Director of the school and our partnering Peruvian NGO, Kindness-Connection Peru. We also spent a lot of time organizing all of the volunteer supplies and entering all the materials into an inventory. When I first got here and went to the school, I was a bit overwhelmed with all the work to be done; however, Ashley definitely helped me organize all my goals and plans and motivated me to tackle issues and relationships with confidence. I am happy to say that now I feel well-equiped to run summer school and the new school year as well as forge and maintain vital relationships with the community and its counterparts.

The following is an update on projects......While Ashley was here, we finished conducting the surveys on health and education levels in the community of Horacio. The statistics will propel our efforts to obtain more grants and conduct more research to begin and maintain social projects in the community. Ashley and the school have a special relationship with the YMCA. Since Ashley is interested in healthcare, she tried to get a hold of some medical records of the kids at the school to get a measure of incidence and prevalence of illness/disease. I also have a special relationship with the YMCA....my host father is the program director. So, I will get those records from him so that we can continue evaluating the state of the community and the needs of its people. The obvious project ahead is getting ready for summer school which will, for me, entail teaching basic English and doing fun Art projects as well as playing games and getting to know the children and the community better. I wrote out some plans for the Director of the school, so I have a starting point. Currently, the school has about 75 students attending regularly. The Director and the government want to double the number of children enrolled in the school for the coming school year in March, so summer school is a really important time to prepare for the surge;) I love the kids so far and I have gotten help from friends, family, and former professors in terms of direction towards websites that show how to teach and how to teach English as a Second Language (ESL) as well as much need support and encourgement. I have some concrete ideas so far. We also have a ton of teaching and art resources in the supplies, so I´m well on my way. I just have to keep working out specific plans. I can´t wait to work with the YMCA and to get to know the kids and all the faculty and staff better. I also am excited to continue working with our Girls Group (girls from the community, 12-15 years old). The former volunteer and I took a trip with them to the park a couple weeks ago, and I learned that the possibilities in creating a program with them are endless. They are lively and caring girls with so much social and personal potential.

Overall, I am honored and humbled daily to be in the position I am in. The children can be difficult as far learning and disciplinary issues, but I am confident that preparation and constant contact with everyone at the school, Kindness-Connection Peru, Ashley, and the YMCA will prove to be useful and successful.

Please check out the videos and pictures that I have posted of the city, the school, and the 24th anniversary celebration of Horacio Zeballos two weekends ago. Also, the video with the kids dancing is from a fun dance lesson on merrengue and salsa I did last week with the 6th graders:)

Welcome!

2008-12-14T17:39:00.000-08:00

Welcome to CDCA's Blog. CDCA is a non-profit organization working to empower children and their families through health and education services. Check often for the latest updates from our volunteers on the ground in Peru!