Exploring San Juan Sacatepequez

San Juan Sacatepequez Market

Since 1550, every August 15th, the religious festival of the Virgin of the Assumption is celebrated in Guatemala City. In 1776, the capital of Guatemala was moved from Antigua to the valley where it is currently located, it adopted the name of the "Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción", in honor of the Virgin Mary, Patroness of the city. The celebration of the Virgin Mary takes place in different places around the city and mixes the religious fervor with fun and the Guatemalan gastronomy.  So, what better time than to have the day off!  Let's drive an hour north to San Juan Sacatepequez!  Wonderful drive up, up, steep at times, but we made it....

We had a wonderful time exploring and negotiating with vendors at the market.  We spoke broken Spanish and the women would try on their English, giggling and smiling all the while.

My balcony views with dramatic volcanic landscape

Approaching San Juan 

San Juan Sacatepequez Chapel

Vista Hermosa Blvd sunset

You can find anything at the market!

Market in San Juan

Tower of fresh seafood, cucumber, avocado resting on a balsamic glaze.

Exploring Guatemala with Katy

More textiles

My new tables and textiles

My new tapestry.  Lot's of white space to cover!

 My apartment is shaping up with handmade tables and textiles from the markets.  I spend most of my time on the balcony, facing west.  I like the simplicity.  I come and go.  My maid comes weekly to clean.  I have a long list of new places to explore.  Spanish classes start soon.  Salsa and yoga classes too! 

Livingroom, diningroom, kitchen and balcony

May I bring them home with me?

The green beans are amazing!

Mixco ruins

Crack open this fruit resembling a sea urchin and behold a litchi nut lies within!

We're climbing!

Waiting for the chicken bus?

Heading into week #4

It's been a whirlwind, to say the least.  New digs, new country, new job, new language, new students and staff, new friends. 

We had our first assembly for Early childhood (preK-1st) on Friday and our parents meet on campus for Back to School Night tomorrow. 

EC Back to School Assembly "Kinder 3, Anaconda we will be"!

Our students are being immersed in the First Six weeks of school Responsive Classroom philosophies and protocols.  Our assembly outlined our school's Character Counts mission and classrooms chose their mascots for the year.  We're the Anaconda. 








It's a very busy time of year setting up the class climate and ambiance for the remainder of the year.  Build a strong foundation now and we will survive anything life tosses our way.  We're also launching Reader's and Writer's workshops (Lucy Caulkins) and Math pre assessments and Zoophonics.  We are dual immersion, so this is all being done in Spanish and English.  I'm impressed by the level of cooperation and collaboration on our EC team.

Learning about our character values

Beautiful campus

I'm stretching and growing as I try on a new approach to literacy, language and math. 

Our hallway 

 Our Kinder 3 classroom

Art class outdoors

I found a yoga studio in my neighborhood

Flowers from the outdoor market.  Rutger gave me the vase :-)

Day #17 of my grand adventure

My balcony garden and Sunday breakfast

I've spent three weekends yet 17 days in Guatemala.  It seems unbelievable, as so much has happened since I arrived.  I've been to many meetings, training for my new position at CAG. I've spent three Saturdays traveling to nearby places like Antigua, local markets and the outskirts of the city.  I have a western view from my balcony and can see three volcanoes that spurt and sputter with dramatic sunsets.  I've spent three days with my new students in kinder, preceded by our introduction to families during Open House, last Wednesday.  We are in full swing!  I've planted my balcony garden and met my maid.  I have made new friends and enjoyed wonderful Guatemalan cuisine and hospitality.  I even found time to have my first Guatemalan gel manicure!

I am approaching the new school year with focus thru a new "dual immersion" lens.  I have an appreciation for how our french interns must feel when they first arrive in Edina.  I'm so used to being bilingual and feeling comfortable with both French and English speakers.  Here, I am fortunate to work with two bilingual co-teachers.  I split the day with our Spanish speaker and we both have a bilingual teacher who spends her entire day with us.  I am completely lost when everyone around me speaks Spanish, trying my best to get "the gist"of it.  Every time I think I'm making some progress, I respond in French, my desperate attempt to be understood by my Uber driver.  Everywhere I go, Guatemalans are courteous, helpful and eager to oblige.  I observe my co teachers, picking up Spanish along with our students.  Fortunately, I'm not teaching high school! I will be taking language lessons, yoga and cardio/circuit training after school before too long.

I am learning a new system, a well oiled machine (Reader's and Writer's workshop-Lucy Caulkins, Fountas and Pinnell) including Responsive Classroom and Growth Mindset philosophies.  We are a lab school incorporating Steam into our curriculum.  Using Growth Mindset, we start out with guided discovery and "math talks".  For now, creating relationship, building community and laying the foundation for learning are our main priorities.  I continue to grow and stretch in my new role.  My experience in French Immersion shall serve me well, although it feels very different in a new culture with the dominant language not being English or French.

The Kinder Team

Visiting the outskirts of GC near Pacaya Volcano

If I had to give you just two things that really seem amazing (besides the gorgeous climate, landscape, culture and accommodations at home and at school), I'd have to choose the fresh chicken/eggs and avocados.  Their freshness, flavor and texture are like nothing I've ever tasted!  The Guatemalan guacamole is simple and delightful; avocados, oregano, fresh onion and lime juice.

See the volcano?

PADI Guatemala

Typical Guatemalan dishes. They use every part of the pig!

Outskirts of GC

Saturday neighborhood market

Dinner with my friends Karen and Ricardo