April: In mid-April we had 12 visitors from the North Carolina Outward Bound School who donated their time and talent for a "paint-a-thon". Using paint given to the school from the U.S. National Guard the group was able to paint the inside of the teacher's house as well as the classroom. The children have more light available now during the cloudy days and the teacher finds her house much more hospitable. The group camped right by the school and cooked their own food. An enlightenment for these young people, ages 20 - 25.

May: Our soccer field has yet to happen. Some of the local men are trying to get the crew who is upgrading the road to commit to grading the flat area in front of the classroom. It is flat and ready for grading, but the soccer field is still a dream as the bulldozers have moved on. We await the arrival of 7 seniors and 2 chaperones from the Convent of the Visitation in St. Paul, Minnesota who will be joining our community for a week the last part of May. The students will paint, clear concrete from the soil and get the ground ready for planting a grassy area and ornamental plants. If the rains are sufficient we will also plant several fruit trees and some rain forest trees.

June: Our school only needs paint on the teacher's house. What a great contribution from the students from Convent of the Visitation. Very dedicated young people not only used all the remaining white paint to continue the wall sealing but added a mural to the outside of the education building and the lunchroom. The Carbonera School now has a tropical forest motif - complete with an elephant! - and an undersea mural as well. We thank the women also the donation of a tape recorder and one solar battery charger.

July: An important meeting has been called by a few of the families concerned about lack of attendance on the part of the government appointed teacher. This is the first time the community has called for a gathering...truly a monumental occasion to present a united front.

Aug. - Oct.: After several meetings of the school families letters have been written to the local supervisor and to San José and the Ministry of Education concerning the lack commitment on the part of our teacher. During this rainy season it has been difficult for the children to walk to school and find no teacher. Following a very successful first year where the children and families learned about responsibility - being on time for classes with uniforms, shoes and socks - this year all that has been lost. The July meeting, drawing up a plan for the teacher to report any future scheduled meetings and absences, created a possibility for the community to understand the relationship of the community / teacher / director of schools. With this new guideline the community realizes they have a voice in what happens in their school. And with this tool they called for the letters to be written requesting a new teacher next year.
Some marvelous gifts of money were received the end of October from guests of Lapa Rios. Now there will be enough money to build furniture for the lunchroom and activities building. The teacher's house will profit from more furniture, also. We also can buy the paint to finish all the buildings. Just in time to give everything a second coat!

Nov.: The first graduate of the Carbonera School! We're very proud of Margeau who passed the sixth grade exams. She spent a great deal of time studying on her own and with family members. Congratulations. It will amaze me if any of the children in the lower grades pass due to such irregular class attendance and continual learning.

Dec.: Our teacher made it clear she was coming back next year and blamed much of the downfall on the school this year to lack of parental support. She had no answer when challenged about lack of attendance on her part, no parent / board meetings, nor reporting her absences to to the board. My observation to her lack of reporting was that no one ever asked her for her proof, even back in Aug. and Sept., when she continued missing classes. The people knew the system but didn't use it!

23 Feb., '95: A telling day. Our last year's teacher is returning. It appears, after many meetings within the community, separate conversations with the parents, and at a school meeting today which only a few parents attended..."it is better to keep a teacher who expects nothing of the students and passes the students to the next grade than to have a responsible teacher who keeps regular hours, has community meetings and does not pass the children unless their exams reflect the national standard." Only a few of the parents would sign a petition requesting a different teacher...the board will have to act upon this as the responsible members who were elected to serve in the best interest of the children, the school and the community.

6 March: The president of the board, the Weavers and daughters, John and I have been told by the community we no longer can participate in the school. The community has been convinced by the teacher and the supervisor that it is against the law for non-nationals to be members of the school board. Since most of the families feel that the present teacher is doing a good job they would like the Asociación to turn over all the money that has been donated to the school to the families and they will use it as they see fit.
9 March: Fortunately for the Carbonera children the laws of Costa Rica do not say people without children in a school and non-nationals are denied access to helping schools. John has apologized to our neighbors about our position in the school board - non-nationals cannot hold a position! We were asked by the community to serve, none of us knowing it was against the law. By good design the Asociación de Educación has been organized correctly and the any funds collected may only be used for the ongoing building of the school....time will tell how this problem sorts itself. Sadly, this posture reflects the area's lack of education...

Late April: Personnel from the Education Office for the Southern Zone came to the school to hold an informational meeting with our community. Their purpose in coming was for them to better understand what direction the school was heading. The Carbonera community watched the faces of these administrators when told about the Asociaci—n and the gifting that had taken place. We want to think the local people finally "heard", it appeared most of them understand, that having an "angel" helping a school is the model for all rural schools. Maybe some progress can be made...patience. One of the administrators told the community that if they didn't want a guardian angel helping them he would gladly welcome the help for his local school. Time will sort this out...

2 May: Seven community people (including John and me) were elected to the Asociación de Educación de Carbonera, a foundation which will continue fund raising and dispersal of the money given to the school. All members of the group have had some education and recognize the need for continued building - both in regard to construction and in ongoing learning. This group sees the need to solve breakdowns and move forward.
Upon leaving for the US for our son's college graduation, I was given 19 little construction paper books handcrafted by our students to send to a class of first and second graders at a California school. In March this La Jolla school had sent books and supplies. With little effort the Carbonera children were able to reciprocate - their art supplies plus creativity produced a wonderful effort of "exchange". Some of the children are already pen pals with former guests of Lapa Rios; the Lapa Rios architect's daughter, a school in Oklahoma. What world outreach for a tiny school in the jungle!

29 May: The new well is giving good water (thanks to funds from the Asociación ) and the neighbors have learned how to hand pump water into the 500 gallon tank. (Most of us have gravity water systems.) This new well should work for years to come. Oftentimes the mentality is to build something for the moment; a reflection of funds available. The first water system came by "gravity" and dried up when rains caused a change in the river bed; the locally dug well had poor water; this new well was fraught with building problems - for starters the workers could not build unless the teacher was on the site! And often times the materials were locked and the teacher didn't know where the keys were. Now the junta is not happy because the roof has not been built nor the surrounding pad. The wood for the roof had been used for another project!

15 June: A GREAT DAY! Melanie Temin has arrived to be the assisting teacher. Melanie will work with the children, supplementing their education with English (a now-required subject but we lack the teacher) plus help with horizontal learning - reading, listening, singing, writing, etc. She is a recent graduate of Colorado College, fluent in Spanish, and we are thrilled she was curious to seek out this opportunity. Unfortunately, she is living in the storage room (the second classroom) and has cement sacks and tile blocks for roommates. She has had other experiences living in Spanish cultures and her humor and volunteering attitude keep her going ahead.

17 July: After a long, 19 day holiday, the children are back in school but without the government teacher. The country is having a strike. How fortunate for us Melanie is here. The students are continuing with their learning, making masks for an art project, reciting poems, taking reading books home, writing to their favorite book character (until this year we had very few reading books) and simply learning. Melanie needs a space to live where she can be more comfortable. Don't know yet how to resolve this - Lapa Rios keeps coming up as a solution for school problems instead of the community looking inward for the answers.

10 August: The teacher's strike is over!! Hopefully our teacher will return soon. One of our 6th grade girls is not coming to school because the children call her a "giant". We do not want her to miss out on achieving her graduation. This diploma is very important, especially here in the Osa where almost no one passes. We must find funding to build another space for a visiting teacher.
Next year we have an offer from a Peace Corps Volunteer (she finishes her assignment this September in Northern Costa Rica) to stay and teach at the school all next school year. Paula's only requirement is a private place to stay. Since Lapa Rios is committed to land preservation building in the reserve does not support our posture.

19 Sept.: Melanie disciplined a student who was "bad mouthing" and causing daily class interruptions (a 13 year old boy in grade 3). She sent him from the classroom to stand outside the door. He left school and got "mother". The tide is turning for a visiting English speaking teacher who disciplines! The school board requested that Melanie only teach English and she was asked to leave the school building "apartment" as it was not appropriate place for a teacher to live. Sadly, no neighbor has offered an idea for building nor a place for her to live.
An additional problem has arisen in the the replacement government teacher (the former teacher's boyfriend). He does not schedule English classes! When can Melanie teach? Getting help from the district supervisor if difficult at best because he is not in the area and senses once again there is a rift in this community and doesn't want to get involved in solving problems.
On the good side: the Carbonera School qualified for a pilot English education program complete with personal workbooks for each student because there is an English teacher on staff. Some of the neighboring adults are coming to evening English classes and appreciate the opportunity.

01 Oct.: After a bitter community meeting the Asociación de Educación has decided to take the remaining balance of funds in the account and invest in a CD. At this point in time the association and the neighbors can't seem to come to an agreement on how to work together. It is better to let time do some healing to the separation that has occurred. Because of the discord in the community and seeming resentment of the local teacher to Melanie's presence, she chose to leave the school. A very sad closing on what was such a successful experience on her part and that of the children. To have her say goodbye to the children (who are obviously bewildered and sad) was less difficult than having to withstand the lack of support and understanding for this unique educational opportunity. Melanie has learned a great deal about building a school in an area that has never had education; so has the association. Sometimes some of the community doesn't want what other community members want. The more vocal members will have their way, not the wishes of the majority. This is real life, not necessarily a democracy.

12 Oct.: Lacking a qualified teacher the English as a Second Language Program has removed their teaching materials. Lacking pressure from Melanie our classroom teacher again only holds classes on Tuesday through Thursday. The roof for the well has never been finished.
We remember in 1992 when so many of the community doubted a school could happen and kept wanting to quit. Education is for the future. We are building the future, with patience. We'll wait and see what comes from stepping back.