INTERACT - TRAVEL

The principal, staff and students of Santa Elena Primary School would like to thank INTERACT -TRAVEL and their  groups that visited us this past spring. We are grateful for the school exchange that has been taken place for the past three years between our students and teachers and groups traveling with INTERACT.
Please find below photos showing some of the many school supplies that were donated by the groups along with monetary donations that will assist us with the maintenance of the school. A big thank you to Baysinger from Whitewater Wisconsin, Brown from Lacrosse, Wisconsin and Pace from Colfax in Iowa.


                                                    

SEPS Coaches

We are so grateful to have had Dr. Jennifer Morrow spend some time with us this past Wednesday. The time was refreshing and rejuvenating for our coaches at SEPS. We are able to discuss and chart the way forward to ensure that at our school learning continues to be joyful and challenging. Thank You Dr. Morrow.

SEPS 2014 !

September is a festive time of year in Belize. It is a time of year that celebrates our history, our culture, our people; our nation. This small and independent country has much to commemorate and be proud of. It is a time when Belizeans, of all ages; young, middle-aged and senior citizens all take pride in celebrating Belize! People all over the country gather at public venues to enjoy entertaining and educational performances in honor of two very important national holidays, which fall in the month of September. These are the Battle of St. George's Caye Day (September 10th) and Independence Day (September 21st).

The spirit of the September’s celebration and the love for one’s country brimmed all over the grounds at Santa Elena Primary School. Parents, Teachers and Students joined hands together to highlight the theme – “Industrious Hands, Intelligent Minds, Together for Belize.”

September is a festive time of year in Belize. It is a time of year that celebrates our history, our culture, our people; our nation. This small and independent country has much to commemorate and be proud of. It is a time when Belizeans, of all ages; young, middle-aged and senior citizens all take pride in celebrating Belize! People all over the country gather at public venues to enjoy entertaining and educational performances in honor of two very important national holidays, which fall in the month of September. These are the Battle of St. George's Caye Day (September 10th) and Independence Day (September 21st).

The spirit of the September’s celebration and the love for one’s country brimmed all over the grounds at Santa Elena Primary School. Parents, Teachers and Students joined hands together to highlight the theme – “Industrious Hands, Intelligent Minds, Together for Belize.”

Reading Comprehension by Michelle Amend

Michelle Amend

As the school year winds down, most educators are drained and their energy level has dipped, almost coming to a halt; so anyone having a professional development session for teachers this time of the year must be superb. Well, we had one such person that shared with us today by the name of Michelle Amend. Michelle works at the CESA 6 Literacy Center where she supports teachers, schools, and districts - within the CESA 6 region and beyond - in the continual advancement of quality literacy practices.

The 40 teachers at Santa Primary School were in for a real treat today as they were, without exception, absolutely delighted by Michelle’s ability to relate the reading strategies to Belize’s curriculum. We were given plenty of opportunities to try out the skill/method immediately. This practical aspect helped me clarify my doubts and also get valuable input from other participants. The examples provided were meaningful and appropriate for our environment. Michelle showed us a truly differentiated approach to teaching reading comprehension.  Teachers were given practical ideas on how to make reading comprehension more meaningful for ALL learners. The workshop addresses why content literacy must be an essential part of literacy initiatives, including the connection to the focus of the Common Core literacy standards.

Michelle, thank you so much again for the inspiring and rewarding workshop. In the words of one teacher: “In the morning I was not excited about having to spend my half day at a workshop when I have report cards to complete but that mood didn’t last long! Normally the time drags in a workshop, but with Michelle, the time passed so quickly.”

The principals and staff of Santa Elena Primary School extend their heartfelt thank you to Michelle for her invaluable contribution made to our school. Michelle, you have demonstrated the true meaning of Maya Angelou’s quote.

“When you learn, teach. When you get, give.” - Maya Angelou

Happy, Engaged Teachers

THANK YOU S.E.P.S.

Hi! My name is Amanda, I visited your school on 4/9/14. And I would like to say thank you for allowing my classmates and I see what an amazing school you have! It was a great experience and it had a positive impact on me. Such sweet, bright and smart kids! I never wanted to leave. My favorite memory coming to Belize was definitely the school and it will stick with me forever.