Santa Cruz Island
Today, as Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship recipient, I visited the “San Francisco de Asis School” in Puerto Ayora on the island of Santa Cruz, along with my school's principal Paul Bower. We were accompanied by Lindblad Expedition Leader Carlos Romero, who acted as translator, Sandra Tapia, Head of the Education Department at the Charles Darwin Research Station, and the ship’s video chronicler, Matt Brundige who recorded the visit.
We arrived at recess time, and even before we entered the gates of the school, we could hear the children playing. Once inside, the students were as curious about us as we were about them. At the sight of cameras, they mobbed the group to say hello and to be photographed. All students were in school uniforms. The boys wore brown slacks and white shirts. The girls wore brown plaid jumpers with white blouses.
We were escorted to a 7th grade classroom where students ranged in age from 10 to 12 years. The students quickly took their seats then Paul and I were introduced. I explained that I was from Arizona and was there to tell them about my home. I began by telling the students about the three regions of Arizona, the desert, mountain, and plateau, while students looked at maps of the regions provided to them in Spanish.
After a brief discussion, I showed them the materials about Arizona that I had brought. These included an Arizona calendar, Arizona picture album, Arizona calendar, map of the American Southwest, world map, and three inflatable globes. Then, gifts for the students were distributed, which included rulers with Oakwood Raiders on them, Arizona pencils, and Arizona candy. Each of my students made a card in the shape of Arizona with the school address, greetings in Spanish, and an interesting fact about Arizona, and these were also given out to each student. The teacher was presented with an Oakwood shirt and Arizona Geographic Alliance backpack. The final gift for the class was a roadrunner stuffed animal which the students immediately recognized from the cartoon. The students then presented their gifts for my students. Each student had made a bookmark and card about a Galápagos animal. These gifts were individually presented and explained.
The students were attentive and very interested in the Grand Canyon, Native Americans, and elk. The session ended with a group picture. As we were leaving, the school principal thanked us for coming. Language was never a barrier as everyone was so excited about meeting. On a personal level, I found the students to be sweet, carefree, and genuinely interested in these Americans and what they had to say. I left feeling so good about my visit and anxious to tell my students about it. National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions have provided me with an experience that will live with me for a lifetime. I shall always remember my visit to a Galápagos school.
Today, as Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship recipient, I visited the “San Francisco de Asis School” in Puerto Ayora on the island of Santa Cruz, along with my school's principal Paul Bower. We were accompanied by Lindblad Expedition Leader Carlos Romero, who acted as translator, Sandra Tapia, Head of the Education Department at the Charles Darwin Research Station, and the ship’s video chronicler, Matt Brundige who recorded the visit.
We arrived at recess time, and even before we entered the gates of the school, we could hear the children playing. Once inside, the students were as curious about us as we were about them. At the sight of cameras, they mobbed the group to say hello and to be photographed. All students were in school uniforms. The boys wore brown slacks and white shirts. The girls wore brown plaid jumpers with white blouses.
We were escorted to a 7th grade classroom where students ranged in age from 10 to 12 years. The students quickly took their seats then Paul and I were introduced. I explained that I was from Arizona and was there to tell them about my home. I began by telling the students about the three regions of Arizona, the desert, mountain, and plateau, while students looked at maps of the regions provided to them in Spanish.
After a brief discussion, I showed them the materials about Arizona that I had brought. These included an Arizona calendar, Arizona picture album, Arizona calendar, map of the American Southwest, world map, and three inflatable globes. Then, gifts for the students were distributed, which included rulers with Oakwood Raiders on them, Arizona pencils, and Arizona candy. Each of my students made a card in the shape of Arizona with the school address, greetings in Spanish, and an interesting fact about Arizona, and these were also given out to each student. The teacher was presented with an Oakwood shirt and Arizona Geographic Alliance backpack. The final gift for the class was a roadrunner stuffed animal which the students immediately recognized from the cartoon. The students then presented their gifts for my students. Each student had made a bookmark and card about a Galápagos animal. These gifts were individually presented and explained.
The students were attentive and very interested in the Grand Canyon, Native Americans, and elk. The session ended with a group picture. As we were leaving, the school principal thanked us for coming. Language was never a barrier as everyone was so excited about meeting. On a personal level, I found the students to be sweet, carefree, and genuinely interested in these Americans and what they had to say. I left feeling so good about my visit and anxious to tell my students about it. National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions have provided me with an experience that will live with me for a lifetime. I shall always remember my visit to a Galápagos school.
