5 weeks later &Primary's still kickin'

Another big hello from beautiful Belize! The Primary Team has had an exciting first week in Belize City exploring yet another district while adjusting to the different pace of the "city life". Although there have been several nerve racking instances of crossing the busy roads, we are loving what this city has to offer (especially the local bakery with delicious bread pudding and the street-side vendors with tacos and garnaches!)

All four Peer Educators spent the week teaching at St. Luke Methodist. The team worked with the school's three Standard 4, three Standard 5, and three Standard 6 classes over the course of the week. Each pair was responsible for teaching half of the students in each standard. Starting with a review on puberty, each of the pairs then built off the school's emphasis on STIs and made the information more applicable to the students' personal life. Jenna and Hilary provided in-depth knowledge and resources about STIs and their related symptoms. As well, the pair encouraged the students to reflect on their own personal life goals and how each decision in their life can either help or hinder them in achieving those goals. Ali and Jeff, on the other hand, framed their discussions on sexual responsibility with a unique emphasis on understanding the potential physical and mental consequences of choosing to (or to not) have sex. Ali and Jeff also had the chance to discuss with the students information about sexuality in relation to healthy relationships and STIs.

As the week went on, Hilary and Jenna jokingly pretended to be professional basketball players from Canada when they noticed that a few boys in their standard 6 class were basketball fanatics. The boys were skeptical to say the least, so they decided to challenge the qho team to a basketball game at lunch. When the primary crew arrived at the court later that day, they were met by about 50 students who were warming up with some dunking and keen dribbling moves. This was the last time that Hilary and Jenna opened their mouths about playing basketball in class.

Although there was no teaching happening this Saturday, the Peer Educators had one of their most eventful days yet with regards to community outreach. The team (rather spontaneously) took part in a charity half marathon for Cancer Research in Belize City. The event began at 5am in Ladyville following a quick crowd stretch to some Caribbean tunes. Hilary, Jeff, and Jenna ran together and helped motivate each other mile to mile; however, near the end of the run the team noticed that they had lost the other runners around them. After a couple minutes of confusion, the team realized that they had missed the finish line! With a small detour and a few extra blocks of running, the primary group was welcomed at the finish line with nachos and Johnny cakes from the event coordinators (a little different, but super yummy!).

It is hard to believe that we have been in the schools for five weeks already and that we are entering our final week of teaching! Jenna and Hilary are placed at Central Christian Assembly for their final week, while Jeff and Ali will be spending their time at United Presbyterian Primary. We are definitely taking the time to enjoy every special moment that we have left with the kids, the teachers, and the vibrant culture.

Love,

Jenna, Hilary, Jeff, and Ali