Fundraising

Fundraising is a task that requires commitment, perseverance and determination!  We are just getting the ball rolling, even though our trip to Belize is just around the corner.  We have some big plans and hopefully the rewards are plentiful for the sake of Holy Cross Anglican School.  All of the funds that we are able to raise over the next two and half months will go directly to the school which is located in San Mateo on Ambergris Caye.

So far our fundraising plans include a beer and burger in Nanaimo on March 10.  I am teaching a yoga class by donation in Duncan, also on March 10.  We are going to do a bottle drive, and we have some other things in the works, which still need to be sorted out.

If you have any interest in finding out more about the school they are on the web at www.holycrossbelize.org.  Also, if you are reading this and would like to donate to the school they have a wishlist on their website.  It is amazing the items that they are in need of.  We have so many of them in abundance and we take it for granted.  It really got me thinking about the way that we live and how we can be so careless with stuff that others create wishlists for.  We let things expire before we use them or finish them.  We let food go to waste because we overbought in the first place.  We misplace pens and pencils like they're going out of style.  We write two things on a piece of paper and then throw it out.  We let the water run for 15 seconds just to get it to our desired temperature.  I am guilty of it too.  But, ever since I started travelling my eyes and my heart see things differently.  I have a different awareness about me and my 'wants' have definitely changed.

Here is a copy of the wishlist:  It's pretty long.  Please, if you have anything to donate from their list send me an email at clortie@gmail.com.  Our group will be bringing extra bags to Belize with the donations.  There are 10 of us so there will be lots of hands and feet to get everything there.  Let's do it.  Let's make a difference.  Let's help.  Let's share.

Urgent needs:

Graduation Prizes: Prizes for kids of all ages for academic excellence.  Craft kits toys, dolls, fun books, make up, play jewellery, nice back packs, school supplies, non-violent hand held video games, cheap music players....

Graduation Gifts: Especially for 14 and 15 year old boys and girls.

- Clear packing tape up to 50 rolls (we use laminating teaching supplies)
- Valentine's Day Supplies - candy, prizes for games (eg. small toys, craft kits, costume jewellery)
- Jumbo permanent markers (all colors, esp black, red, green & blue.  Please no dry erase and NO NARROW SHARPIES.
- Batteries - Especially D, but also AAA, AA and C.
- Loose leaf pre-lined paper to go into 3 ring binders (refill paper, folder paper).
- Shoes for 3 - 15 year olds (closed toe, no cartoons please.  Any color ok.  Gently used ok.)
- Angle grinder prefer Dewalt with a 4 inch disk.

Supplies for Teachers:

- Class book sets, with DVD of the book.
- Teacher geometry sets (ie. large size compass, protractor, set squares)
- Dustless chalk (or donate at office and we can buy here)
- Posters - math, english, science, values, hygiene, religion - any poster, all ages, gently used is fine! (Anyone know a retiring teacher??)
- Manipulatives - all subjects for hands on learning.  Please include instructions and ideas for using if it's not obvious.
- Flip charts
- Coloring books
- Folders - two pocket folders (plain and decorated), 1 inch wide 3 ring folders (legal and letter size)
- Composition books
- Protractors, compasses and 12 inch rulers for students
- Large sheets of card for making posters
- Dry erase and chalkboard erasers
- Play dough
- Elmers school glue (no glue sticks, please)
- Art & craft supplies (water paint, finger paint, brushes, glue gun sticks, popsicle sticks, paper bags, ribbons feather, cotton balls, paper plates, balloons, foam balls, coffee filters, beads, crepe paper, foam pads, glitter)
- Small toys & prizes - small and large (for good behavior, dental visits, academic excellence and graduation)

Medicine:

- Pain reliever for 3 years to adult
- Pepto bismol chewable (children & adult)
- Chewable children's multivitamins
- Chewable vitamin C for adults

Sports:

- We need all supplies for the following sports (SHOES, uniforms, balls...) Any extras are given to other schools on the mainland.
- A few ball pumps with extra needles (they break before the rest of the pump).  Ideally bring pumps that have a flexible hose between the pump and the needle to reduce breakage.
- Volleyballs
- Track & Field shoes size 5 - 9
- General class games - jump ropes, t-balls to throw and kick around

Construction Needs:

- Grinder - 4 inch with spare disks
- Welding machine
- Skillsaw blades - 7 1/4 inch
- Sawzall blades - metal and wood, any size
- Drill bits

General Needs:

- Hand sanitizer

- Envelopes - large manilla (10 x 13 inch)

- Post-it notes (square & large rectangle)

- Pens - red and blue

- Photo paper - letter size

- Laminating pouches - letter size, heat activated

- Card stock - white and cream, letter size

- White out

- Binder clips

- Backpacks

- Gift bags - small, medium and large (just go to the dollar store)

- Bulletin board supplies (seasonal decoration, borders, disposable tablecloths for backgrounds, pictures for seasonal themes (lent, valentines, Christmas...)

- Staples for staple gun: 6.3mm 1/4 inch ET21-1/4

- Staple guns that fit the above staples

- Desktop staplers and staples

- Marching band instruments: so our school can have music and pride in our parades.  Drums especially needed.

Seasonal Celebrations:

Valentines Day: decorations, candy, posters, books, crafts

Easter: candy, plastic eggs, decorations, books, crafts

Library Books:

- We have enough fiction, encyclopedia and dictionaries but need the following: books on topics studied in class, eg. plants, insects, reptiles, weather.  All primary age levels required. (We have enough books on dinosaurs and rain forests - thank you!)

- Craft books, especially jewellery and simple craft projects that can be done in class

- Seasonal celebrations: books to teach young children about Easter, Christmas, Valentine's Day and Halloween.  Ideally should be short with plenty of pictures.  For Valentine's Day it is useful to have books suitable for older ages (for example how to make fancy cards).

All books should be in good condition and less than 20 years old. (Check they have an ISBN number).

** Please Note - We currently have plenty of the following: crayons, glue sticks, lead pencils, writing paper, stickers, narrow sharpies.

Un-BELIZE-able

After more than two years of not blogging and putting my wanderlust into hibernation I am so excited to have an adventure coming up in the spring.

Last year I decided to go back to school to get my education degree. I knew that it was going to take some patience and sacrifice (I realize this is not real sacrifice) but I have really fallen in love with traveling and was on a nice roll that had to come to a screeching halt when I became a student again. It's all good though. I trust that when you follow your path and let things unfold for you in your life, other things will fall into place as well.  And, fortunately for me, the education program at VIU offers the option of doing one of your teaching practicums in a school in Belize. Without hesitation I jumped on the opportunity!

So, after 3 months of waiting to hear whether I am one of the chosen ones I am so excited to say that I will be taking off for a new adventure. So stoked. Already dreaming. There are 10 of us that are going. The cool thing is that VIU sponsors the trip but they let us, the students, take care of a lot of details such as flights and booking our accommodations. I like the flexibility and the independence. Totally my style.

I don't know what life's going to bring once I am done with school but I definitely could see myself living abroad at some point in my life. And, I think this is a great way of getting some experience working in another country. The traveling that I have done has been so amazing but I have never worked abroad. This will give me a real sense of what that feels like.

As for the school in Belize that we will be working in - is not an international school. Rather, it is a local school in San Mateo on Ambergris Caye. The dynamic at the schools in Belize will be very different from Canada so it will be a new challenge to have to teach in their environment and cope with the differences and so on. It would be easy to glorify this experience and forget what is the true goal of this opportunity.  It is amazing that we will be able to immerse ourselves in another culture while gaining experience in our field of study. It  is going to be hard yet hopefully rewarding. If anything, it will be a huge learning experience.

Everything about this opportunity has my name written all over it. I'm really looking forward to working with locals - getting right in with the nitty gritty of the Belizean culture. That is one thing when I have travelled - I want to get right in there. Me with them, them with me - all one - no separation. Let's learn about each other. What makes them tick and vice versa. I learn about you, you learn about me and we can all gain more global perspective.

I will continue to blog as our group prepares to leave in April and then, while we are away. Keep checking back for updates.