Carbonera School Journal

04 Feb.: In spite of good planning one can't always rely on contractors. Seems money was more important than quality of work. After differing opinions on what constitutes time and effort we started looking for new painters. Fortunately the school classrooms are ready for children on Monday and Felipe, our forest guide who also happens to be a great painter, will finish out the contract on the painting contract-between trips to Corcovado. Thanks Felipe.

18 Feb.: Thirty nine children!! have registered for school this year and Nestor has begun teaching the first and third grade classes. We've got a makeshift classroom among the old boards and other stored materials however it doesn't inspire much learning concentration. Barb Nelson, a Minnesota friend and music colleague, came to present Mozart to the children. She sang the 'Alphabet' song and we could hear children on their way home from school trying to imitate Barb's lyric soprano voice. Once again, the Hokie Pokie is the all time favorite singing game.

04 Mar.: Finally!! Don Rogelio has started building the new bodega, or storeroom/computer lab. We've decided not to try and match the I-beams brought from "los militares" back in 1993. We'll build with wood, trying to copy the design as closely as possible. He is a good man and hopes to finish by the end of the month, opening the second classroom for education only. School attendance is not 100% this year and some parents are talking about teachers not being present at the beginning of the school day. Same problem, new people. After several similar experiences I trust the junto de educaci÷n will organize and talk with the teacher(s) about this repeated problem. Solutions take more than rumors and conversations behind backs.

09 April.: Many visiting families to Lapa Rios have been donating wonderful Spanish books for the children. The books are so colorful and add such an expanding world for the children. If only I could organize 2 hours each week to finish the dream of a story hour and a lending library. In spite of a ever-growing English speaking community no one has stepped forward to assist in making this a weekly event. Sigh. Don Rogelio finished the bodega this morning and has been paid. We are waiting for the 2 metal doors to be delivered and installed. This expensive building project was achieved through the generous donations of Lapa Rios guests. Thank you, all, for making this long term dream a reality. Hopefully better organization can be achieved with all this new space.

12 August 99: It appears our enthusiastic Geovany has gone the way of former teachers; he is never present and his students leave by 8 AM, disappointed. Some active fathers and I had a meaningful conversation. They organized a meeting with the local supervisor. Gustavo Segura, the manager-in-training for Lapa Rios, helped write the letter to the district offices and encouraged the families to insist on their rights to education. Only one father and 1 teacher came to the meeting. When asking a neighbor later why he and all the others had not comfronted the teacher(s) about attendance the answer was simple, "I didn't want to tell bad things to them." The school will continue to provide lessons for many of all ages. Numerous advantages will continue to be taken, particularly from government service providers, until this community begins to assert its wishes and needs.

8-13 October: A French video director and crew appeared for 5 days to do a documentary high- lighting community building of a rural school. They filmed, interviewed, talked with locals and left with a greater understanding of the continuing saga of the Carbonera School. The rainy afternoon we walked up the mountain paths to visit HaydeÚ's family will never be forgotten. An eye opener.

11Nov.: A few primary children are in school. It's corn/bean planting time. All hands are needed.

16 Dec.: There was a graduation party today for the 3 sixth graders. They passed...ALL the children passed!! This rural teachers' system demonstrating "success" (supposed) is difficult for me to accept. A small possibility may exist SOME of the parents question this. Estefer Chavaria will go to high school in San Jose (living with sophomore Diana and family) but I'm seriously concerned about her preparedness for her first year; trust she has the stamina for arduous catch up. One boy will begin working with his father and the other may go to high school near Panam½.

03 Feb.,'00: The Association painted the bodega and roof of the classroom building and all looks ready for classes. We still do not know who and how many teachers will be at the school this year. Those children I encounter along the road appear eager for school to begin next week.

22 Feb.: Today I finally met our new teacher, a young man who looks eager to live with and work in our local community. He's had 3 previous years of teaching in a rural school and as a our benefit comes from a rural family across the Golfo Dulce. He better understands the building process. Again this year it has been difficult getting the families to organize the junta and parents as well as welcoming another school year. It appears 2 of the mountain families will not send to children to classes as the father had seen a puma on the road to their farm and felt walking to school was impossible for these 7 children. Que lastima! Mixing rain forest with ranching creates dilemnas for the wild animals; a calf is easier to hunt, hence cats are more visable. We shall keep open the possibilities with these children.

01 March: Today we had a commitment from our first World Teach teacher, Amy Gordon. She will begin English classes with both the morning and afternoon classes. ALL the parents came to a hastily called meeting to invite and resolve where Amy would live if she chose to teach at the Carbonera School. (The Chavarria family will offer her lodging and meals this year--a great opportunity for that household to learn another culture, too.) This past year more English speaking visitors were in the area creating a greater need for communication. The families' bonding toward a common goal was powerful. Hopefully their desire of learning English can begin; not only for the children but even the adults.

April: Again this year the same problem (and mis-understanding on the teacher's part) is creating riffs. Children do not eat a nutritious lunch as there is no person to cook. The local school must provide, by law, a lunch for all children. The parents must find a cook (most schools encourage parents to share the duty) and pay this person for this service. No one has been hired nor volunteered to solve this situation and many children who have walked many kilometers are leaving school hungry. The teacher is becoming frustrated that his job teaching also includes the additional chores of cleaning the school and cooking. This situation is a crisis.

15 May: Sadly only 19 children are coming to school. Our community has not shrunk; participation of parents is not being fueled this year with leadership from those few individuals who normally carry a great deal of the responsibility, hence less interest in sending children to school. Perhaps their "wait 'n see" approach will gain some results from those previously on the sideline. Our teacher is good within the structure of family and junta support. He is an organized teacher and has brought structure to his classes. His attendance is practically flawless. The children always look pleased to be in school, learning.

26 June: One of the U.S. neighbors was recently telling me how delighted she is to witness progress with the little girls of her caretaker. She feels the children are learning some English and having a better year at school this year. With this woman as an example more of our "once in a while" neighbors will take more interest in children of their caretakers. Almost 75 percent of the children at the school have parents working for non-nationals who have vacation homes.

While visiting with guests I met our neighbor woman who had started cooking for the children. She helps with cleaning, too. The on-going battle of the uncut grass on the playing field continues; although the soccer field gets cleaned many more times per year than does the area near buildings.

12 August 99: It appears our enthusiastic Geovany has gone the way of former teachers; he is never present and his students leave by 8 AM, disappointed. Some active fathers and I had a meaningful conversation. They organized a meeting with the local supervisor. Gustavo Segura, the manager-in-training for Lapa Rios, helped write the letter to the district offices and encouraged the families to insist on their rights to education. Only one father and 1 teacher came to the meeting. When asking a neighbor later why he and all the others had not comfronted the teacher(s) about attendance the answer was simple, "I didn't want to tell bad things to them." The school will continue to provide lessons for many of all ages. Numerous advantages will continue to be taken, particularly from government service providers, until this community begins to assert its wishes and needs.

8-13 October: A French video director and crew appeared for 5 days to do a documentary high- lighting community building of a rural school. They filmed, interviewed, talked with locals and left with a greater understanding of the continuing saga of the Carbonera School. The rainy afternoon we walked up the mountain paths to visit HaydeÚ's family will never be forgotten. An eye opener.

11Nov.: A few primary children are in school. It's corn/bean planting time. All hands are needed.

16 Dec.: There was a graduation party today for the 3 sixth graders. They passed...ALL the children passed!! This rural teachers' system demonstrating "success" (supposed) is difficult for me to accept. A small possibility may exist SOME of the parents question this. Estefer Chavaria will go to high school in San Jose (living with sophomore Diana and family) but I'm seriously concerned about her preparedness for her first year; trust she has the stamina for arduous catch up. One boy will begin working with his father and the other may go to high school near Panam½.

03 Feb.,'00: The Association painted the bodega and roof of the classroom building and all looks ready for classes. We still do not know who and how many teachers will be at the school this year. Those children I encounter along the road appear eager for school to begin next week.

22 Feb.: Today I finally met our new teacher, a young man who looks eager to live with and work in our local community. He's had 3 previous years of teaching in a rural school and as a our benefit comes from a rural family across the Golfo Dulce. He better understands the building process. Again this year it has been difficult getting the families to organize the junta and parents as well as welcoming another school year. It appears 2 of the mountain families will not send to children to classes as the father had seen a puma on the road to their farm and felt walking to school was impossible for these 7 children. Que lastima! Mixing rain forest with ranching creates dilemnas for the wild animals; a calf is easier to hunt, hence cats are more visable. We shall keep open the possibilities with these children.

01 March: Today we had a commitment from our first World Teach teacher, Amy Gordon. She will begin English classes with both the morning and afternoon classes. ALL the parents came to a hastily called meeting to invite and resolve where Amy would live if she chose to teach at the Carbonera School. (The Chavarria family will offer her lodging and meals this year--a great opportunity for that household to learn another culture, too.) This past year more English speaking visitors were in the area creating a greater need for communication. The families' bonding toward a common goal was powerful. Hopefully their desire of learning English can begin; not only for the children but even the adults.

April: Again this year the same problem (and mis-understanding on the teacher's part) is creating riffs. Children do not eat a nutritious lunch as there is no person to cook. The local school must provide, by law, a lunch for all children. The parents must find a cook (most schools encourage parents to share the duty) and pay this person for this service. No one has been hired nor volunteered to solve this situation and many children who have walked many kilometers are leaving school hungry. The teacher is becoming frustrated that his job teaching also includes the additional chores of cleaning the school and cooking. This situation is a crisis.

15 May: Sadly only 19 children are coming to school. Our community has not shrunk; participation of parents is not being fueled this year with leadership from those few individuals who normally carry a great deal of the responsibility, hence less interest in sending children to school. Perhaps their "wait 'n see" approach will gain some results from those previously on the sideline.

Our teacher is good within the structure of family and junta support. He is an organized teacher and has brought structure to his classes. His attendance is practically flawless. The children always look pleased to be in school, learning.

26 June 00: One of the U.S. neighbors was recently telling me how delighted she is to witness progress with the little girls of her caretaker. She feels the children are learning some English and having a better year at school this year. With this woman as an example more of our "once in a while" neighbors will take more interest in children of their caretakers. Almost 75 percent of the children at the school have parents working for non-nationals who have vacation homes.