Back to School 2020-21

BACK TO SCHOOL 2020-21 began with a small Graduation Party for our 18 graduates:

Graduate                                             Years in Program             University Program 

• Ana Cecilia Jimenez Tzab                    9                 Tourism Management & Development
• Angel Gabriel Tzab Pech                     4                  Public Accountant                             
• Cinthya Paola Caamal Avila                2                  Preschool Teacher                     
• Eliel Emmanual Reyes Piste              10                  Unable to take Bus Admin due to economics 
• Fabian de Jesus Uc Pech                      4                  Architecture                                       
• Francisco Javier Castro Piste               2                  Electrical Mechanic              
• Gabriela Margarita Garcia Caamal      5                  Dental Surgery            
• Hanitzia Odeth Caamal Caamal         10                  Petroleum Engineer 
• Jose Antonio Huchim Ec                     2                  Veterinario 
• Jose Rodolfo Reyes Chuc                    3                  Engineer of Renewable Energy
• Lilian Irene Pech Caamal                    4                   Food Service Industry
• Manuel Javier Tzab Vera                     3                  Undecided
• Maria del Socorro Tzab Caamal        10                  Unable to take Psychology due to economics
• Maria Leticia Uicab Ku                        9                 Business Management
• Mario Alfredo Reyes Piste                   6                  Architecture
• Melina Guadalupe Pech Cab              10                  Dental Orthodontist
• Miriam Yazmin Uicab Caamal            5                   School Teacher

Thanks to all of the sponsors who supported your students thru to high school graduation... some for 9 and 10 years!....

Filling out paperwork about their plans after graduation 

 The program pays for the graduates` diplomas out of their accounts and gives them the remaining balance.  If there is no/insufficient money left in their accounts to pay for the diploma, the program pays for it. 

8 of the 18 students will continue to be supported by their sponsors thru university, bringing our total group of university students to 17.

OFFICE CLOSED AND GRADES :  Ligia is working from home as are the local school staff.  Director Martin from the primary School and Secretary Alina from the middle school made sure that the program received the grades for all of our students.  We will be receiving the high school grades when we pay their registration fees the first week of September.   When Dorothy sends the annual letters and photos she will include the student`s final grade for the 2019-20 school year. 

BACKPACKS AND PENCIL CASES:  Ordered via WhatsApp and delivered to us at the Bodega in Progreso. We worked with Apoyo Chelem and Apoyo Progreso to submit one order. Tienda Esperanza in Merida was great to work with.  

                       

SCHOOL SUPPLIES : Jo-Anne Hugh has left the board but continues to volunteer as our school supply shopper.  We had 64 backpacks to fill from individualized class lists so you can imagine that means the shopping list has to be accurate. Ligia creates the spread sheet and Jo-Anne double checks every aspect. Needless to say we had everything we needed. 

Thanks Jo!  and to Roxane for shopping with her

    Linda Lofstrom-Piolunek sorts white and colored paper into allocations as indicated by the        school lists. .100 of this, 50 of that, for this student but not that student... etc. etc... 

Well done! and such a big help...

     Thanks Linda 

SHOES: The shoe list with 106 names was given to Nilvia at Zapateria El Almirante. She was ready with sufficient inventory to provide new shoes ( mostly runners) for the students.  

UNIFORMS: Doña Elizabeth and daughter Auri from Uniformes Erika offered to meet the students at our office to measure them. This meant they did not have to go to Progreso, standing in line on the sidewalk in the hot sun because of social distancing. 

Alina from the middle school takes orders for the school shirts so she was also present the same Saturday to record measurements.

Ligia called all the families giving them times to come so there would only be 12 students every half hour.  

When the uniforms were ready Dona Elizabeth and Alina delivered them to the office 

    UNIFORM DELIVERY 

Everyone spent the next hour sorting by alphabet and adding the shirts to the bags with the skirts and pants.... READY FOR THE STUDENTS TO PICK UP !!!

UNIFORM PICK UP DAY combined with a Social Media Survey:  We had the students come according to the same timing to ensure few students every half hour.  Thanks to Ligia, Roxane, and Megan for handing out the uniforms and making sure every student completed the survey.  We want to know the extent to which our students have social media tools including televisions because that is what they will need when school begins on-line on August 24th. Thanks to Apoyo Progreso for sharing their survey with us to use.

   SETTING UP THE SCHOOL SUPPLIES  : Thanks to Gord Kaytor, Jo-Anne Hugh, Dorothy      Kaytor and Ligia Valle 

BEFORE 

                                           AFTER 

All the supplies were placed on tables according to grades so we could ensure social distancing for our volunteers who packed the bags the next morning. 

   Thanks to Linda Lofstrom Piolunek, Megan Capshew, Sherri Sullivan, Jo-Anne Hugh, Dorothy Kaytor and Ligia Valle . We missed Donna Camp who was unable to help us this year needing to self-isolate...See you next year! 

ALL PACKED AND READY TO HAND OUT ON SATURDAY AUGUST 15TH 

BACKPACK DAY:  This year was certainly different from the past when everyone comes, visits, laughs, teases and are excited about school starting.  Students came at staggered times, picked up their backpack, had their photo taken and left. We missed the emotion and energy!  

Thanks to Gord Kaytor, Evan Olson, Photographer Dennis Malone, Roxane Schury, Jo-Anne Hugh, Megan Capshew,  Ligia Valle and Dorothy Kaytor..... 

  Students were invited to help themselves to free keyboards we had on hand, and various       tech equipment that was as generously donated by Tammy Jordan and and Bob Powell. The  charging adapters for USB`s were especially popular. 

Sonya Damon and Paula Fishman have been our photographers in the past but needed to self-isolate this year.   Sonya continues to be involved from home, choosing the best 106 photos and typing the students names under each.  This will make it so easy to send it along with the letters to our sponsors..

Thanks Sonya! and to Dennis for stepping in so easily!

Speaking of Letters:

 

Thanks to translators: Brigitte Sim, Donna Smart/Carla Gilmore, Eva Laroi-May, Fran Hancock, Jen Moore, Kathy Carroll,  Ligia Valle, Meg Capshew, and Sherri Sullivan.  These volunteers write the english version of the 106 student letters so Dorothy can send both the english and spanish letters with the student photos to the sponsors. 

REGISTRATION FEES AND BOOKS:

 High school students must pay registration fees ( 580 pesos at Cobay and 700 pesos at Cetmar) twice a year.  In addition, our 35 Cobay students must buy books ( generally around 650 pesos) twice a year. 

The program is making arrangements again this year to pay these expenses on behalf of the students.. The parents are especially grateful for this as many are still not working and and our paying directly gives them some relief. 

We have a very positive relationship with the Directors and Sub-Directors of both schools so this has been easier each year.  Dorothy, Megan and Ligia will be taking care of this. 

BEHIND THE SCENES: As you can imagine, there are many purchases that go hand in hand with Back to School activities.... Thanks to Jennifer Moore, our Treasurer who ensures all the money transactions for everything we need to buy are completed according to the rules that govern us as a charity.  We have complex rules to follow and Jen makes it work easily and in concert with our accountant. She has built a positive relationship with the vendors we buy from and provides a report each Friday to ensure as board members we are apprised of our financial situation in a timely manner.  Thanks Jen!

Also thanks to Jen and Val Dnauta for the individualized cards the students take to the shoe store,  the individualized school supply list for filling each student`s backpack with the correct items and for the name tags to identify each bag.  They also provided the uniform store with a binder of forms,  each with the student`s name and school they attend. 

MOST OF ALL: Thank you to our 95 sponsors without whom the Back to School Activities would not happen.. parents would be struggling to provide all that is needed by the education system here... and some students, especially this year, might have had to drop out!

Students often write in their letters that they want to make their sponsors proud along with their parents... Knowing you are in their lives provides many of them with the extra incentive to do well!.

On behalf of the students and their families  Muchisimas Gracias 

Directors: Dorothy, Jennifer and Roxane 

Next Blog: On Line Classes