Trace Graduates Secundaria!

Well, that is a wrap!  Trace has completed "Secundaria".  Secundaria, the Mexico system, are grades 7-9.  I was figuring this out the other day.  Trace spent one year in the public system, 5 years with Escuela del Mundo and now has completed 5 years with Costa Verde.  As much as he complains about school he has always been an A student in most subjects and has always contributed positively in class.

Like his sister before him he will be working with the online highs school program called Laurel Springs for 10th grade beginning at the end of the summer.  Trace is very independent socially but also likes to run with friends at school so we are not sure how the online program will play out for him.  We shall see.

It seems like yesterday we were in the same beautiful location for Trace's graduation from "Primaria"  when he completed 6th grade just 3 years ago.  Since then so much of the world has had to go to school online or in some cases not even gone to school thanks to COVID.  We couldn't have imagined that would have happened to these kids in the last few years.  They have endured a lot and it is clear they have come out successfully on the other side of that mess.

Several of Trace's classmates have followed the same path the last 10 years and graduated the same evening so it was bitter sweet to see these families for perhaps the last time in a school setting.  From there the graduates will scatter.  Some will be online like Trace, some will attend private schools closer to Puerto Vallarta and some will attend "Prepa" the public high school right here in Sayulita.  Some may decide on a different path altogether.  Such are the way of things when these kids complete 9th grade.  

Both of the kids attending online programs next school year will allow for a lot more schedule flexibility. Opportunities to do some of the things we have been waiting to do like really travel will begin to open up as well.  As much as Ashley and I loved our HS experience we know that the kids attending online school will help the develop some skills that will carry over into whatever they decide to do after their high school years.  Pretty excited to see what the future holds for this family in the next year.

2020 Algalita International Youth Summit on Plastic Pollution

Alex was off again to Dana Point, California this weekend and it was not with a paddle board.  It was for the 2020 Algalita International Youth Summit on Plastic Pollution.  She is part of a group from her school, Costa Verde International School, that is attending the 3 day Summit.  She was part of the group last year as well and thought so much of it she decided she wanted to be part of it again

Below is a Day One video recap from the Summit.  It is only about one minute long, super energetic and shows the kids attending from all over the world during some of the day's activities.  At about the 46 second mark Alex can be seen speaking on a microphone on stage.  She was soo excited about that!  You can enlarge the video as well.

The group of 6 students raised the funds for the trip through bake goods sales, movie night, online donations and concert ticket auctions.  (Thank you Bee-Bah for your donation)  Two teachers also accompanied the group to California as well.  An amazing opportunity for these kids to get out of our small town and meet kids from all over the globe.  We cannot wait to hear the stories when they get back home to Mexico.

Trace Graduates Primaria!

A big day for our T-man! Trace and his 6th grade classmates graduated from the Primaria to the Secundaria last night in a ceremony here in Sayulita. Basically it is the Mexican equivalent of moving from Elementary Schools to Junior High School.

Trace in his floppy graduation gown.

The event was at one of the most scenic spots in town.  With 5 kids having left for the season or not able to attend a small group of only 16 kids received certificates as the friends and families in attendance cheered for each graduate.  The class is small but they are a group who really seem to have a good time together and hopefully that will continue into next year in grade 7.

Following the 6th graders were the 9th graders who were graduating from the Secundaria so their families and friends were in attendance as well.  One of the things that we noticed standing and looking at the crowd of parents and students was how many of them we knew from the three different schools we have attended during our time here.  There were parents and kids who we knew from the public Kindergarten, Escuela del Mundo as well as CVIS.  Some of these kids we have known since our first or second year here.  We have really met so many different people and have made so many relationships along the way.

Trace also had to sadly say goodbye to a few classmates as well and his teachers, Ms. Laura and Mr. Richard, who he really, really liked. 'Tis the season for change as the end of the school year usually corresponds with folks moving on from their time in Sayulita.  Fortunately, it sounds like this group will stay mostly intact next year as they step up to take on more demanding challenges at school in the Secundaria.

Trace receives his diploma.  Watch on full screen.

A great end of the year video by their teacher, Ms. Laura.  Watch on full screen.

School Year 2018-2019 Begins!

It was a blur.  Just like that the summer is over.  School has begun and the kids are back at it.  Alex is now in 8th grade, Trace is in 6th and they will attend Costa Verde International School again.  We can't believe we started this adventure when they were in 1st grade and preschool age.  Big kids now. Looking forward to another good year!

Freshmen

As I have said before we are just one family who decided to move to Mexico from where we were before.  There are lots of people like us here though to many we seem unique or adventurous.  We decided to "just do it" and after that we learned and adapted the best we could in our new country.

We have been here 6 years so we have been here longer than some and not as long as many.  What is unique about this particular year is that the kids are at a new school, Costa Verde International School (CVIS).  We are a new family to the school yet we know most of the kids and families enrolled there and we have had 6 years of living in Sayulita experience.  Much more Mexico living experience than many of the first year families at school.

Through this blog, some fortunate chance meetings and introductions along the way we have met many "first year" families who arrived this year and also have their children in CVIS.  I kiddingly refer to them at "Freshman".  We are kind of like the 25 year old who has decided to go back to school for a second major in something totally different than the first time around.  We already know our way around campus, know many of the upper classmen and faculty and where things are.  We have a big head start on the Freshman and getting settled the first year can be overwhelming at times with new faces and new surroundings.

That said, it has been great to meet these new people and see their enthusiasm as many of them start their own adventure.  It's great to listen and learn from their experiences compared to our own and how they handled certain things and who they have met along the way.  We really like the people who we have met but everyone has their own timeline as far as how long they will be in Sayulita.  I've seen some come only for one school year and they are still here years later and have no intention of ever leaving Mexico.  I've also seen some folks arrive intending on staying permanently only to see them burn out, pack up and move on.  Sayulita is not for everybody and The Vortex is at work constantly.  Kind of a downer knowing that there is a chance many of the new people we enjoy hanging with now might be down the road by the beginning of the next school year when the new "Freshman" arrive.  Such is the way of things in Sayulita.

First Day of School At CVIS - August 2017

Today the kids went off to their new school, Costa Verde International School.  It is a private school here in Sayulita.  They will attend class for a half day in English and half the day in Spanish.  It will be a much more demanding curriculum for the kids and totally different socially with a lot more kids to interact with at all grade levels.  They both spent 5 years at Escuela del Mundo and the campus, staff and kids were all very comfortable for them. It will be all new this year but they do know many of the kids, some of the staff and will be able to find their way around the small campus with ease by the end of the week.  Saw lots of friendly parent faces this morning too welcoming us to our new school.  A new world for them and us.

Sorry my phone's camera is so bad.

First Day Of School 2015 - Escuela Del Mundo

Back to school day at our school in the jungle, Escuela Del Mundo. Hard to believe this is the 5th back to school day here in Sayulita.

Immersion For Kids- Does It Work?

I sit here with our kids and a friend of theirs from school who slept over last night.  Their friend, Roberto, is Mexican and only speaks Spanish.  I drink my coffee listening to them have an in depth conversation in Spanish about "who knows what"(probably Mine Craft).  The level of Spanish they are speaking is too fast for me to understand very well so I continue to sip, sit, listen and shake my head in amazement of what our kids have accomplished in the time we have been here as far as their language skills go.

With our blog out there for others to read, I occasionally receive questions from parents who may not speak Spanish, are considering a move like ours and how their kids might fare learning a new language.  I cannot say how well or how fast someone else's kids will learn a new language and adapt to everything along the way but I can at least tell the story about what our kids' experience has been so far during our "Adventure".

First off, Ashley and I are not Spanish speakers.  Ashley took some college courses and I took German for 7 years but never actually used it.  Many expat families we know or have known here have at least one member with strong Spanish language skills.  This is not the case in our family.  In Kindergarten back in Park City, Alex was enrolled in a half hour after school Spanish program twice a week.  There she learned to say "Apple", "Dog", "Blue" and "Hello".  Not really a big head start.  We had a few DVDs at home as well but they really didn't hold the kids' attention very long and didn't cover much more than perhaps what Alex' Kindergarten level class did.

When we arrived in the fall of 2011, Alex was 6 and Trace 4.  We didn't know if we would be here all that long and couldn't justify the cost of tuition at one of the area private schools so the kids were enrolled at one of the local public Kindergarten/pre-schools.  The teachers and students there spoke virtually no English so all lessons they received were in Spanish.  Any early interactions our kids had there had to be done without the benefit of even being able to say "Hello, my name is.....".  Alex and Trace may have been the only north of the border kids to ever go to school there.  When you are new to any school, look different and don't know the language kids tend to be less than welcoming.  They took their "licks" on the playground for sure but to their credit they kept going every day.  Fortunately, after the first semester, the kids really started to be able to understand simple directions and phrases from their teachers and communication from some of the friends they were beginning to make.  I think they also realized that people really do speak in other ways.  At the beginning of the year it wasn't really something they actually believed or understood.  "People speak differently?"  A concept that took our kids some time to digest I think.  Once they understood that and continued to receive their daily lessons and communications in Spanish then things started to progress though slowly.  They began being able to speak in short phrases with their teachers and understand basic instructions.  For a kid, being able to understand the friends they were making on the playground was a big step as well.  Spanish was not some trick but a way that they would learn and make friends.  A beginning.

Alex was the first to catch on by the end of that year and was eager to show off her language skills any chance she got.  In just about any situation where Spanish was involved, she was there to try to translate.  It became a challenge for her and she loved it.  Trace, on the other hand, at only 5 years old at this time, was less than convinced that Spanish was a good thing.  After all, Alex was always there and could help right?

We decided to stay beyond our first year and decided to check out Escuela Del Mundo in San Pancho.  EDM is a Mexican Montessori school where only Spanish is spoken though the administration staff is bilingual.  Spanish for the kids in the classroom and administrators who Ashley and I can communicate with?  Sounds like a "win win" situation to us.  The twist on it was that Trace would be in a separate classroom than his sister for the first time and would have to figure things out for himself.  Alex had some bilingual friends in her classroom and was able to receive some help from them during the first semester but Trace was not so lucky and had to learn all on his own.  The first semester was a tough one for him as we saw some growing pains concerning his new situation start to surface.  The kids wouldn't play with him very much and he spent a lot of time during recess on his own.  From his teacher's point of view he was a still a model student in the classroom and fortunately he went to school each day without hesitation.  All Spanish, all day and it began to make a difference for him.

The second semester is where we really saw a change in Trace and suddenly he became the eager translator as Alex was.  They even squabbled about who was going to help Ashley or myself understand what was being said in the store or by someone speaking to us on the street.  When language started to click for Trace, then the socialization started to pick up as well.  A much happier kid and it showed during the rest of the year.  The kids at EDM are not kids who turn Spanish on during school and go back to English when classroom time is over.  They live, learn and play in Spanish since most of them are native Spanish speakers.  I feel this made such a difference in both our kid's progress in picking up the language.   Alex did great things in the classroom as well and her teacher let us know that she was even giving reports to the class in Spanish   What?  Our Alex?  The year ended strong for both kids, especially Trace, and we were eager to see what language progress the next year would bring.

This year at Escuela Del Mundo saw both kids in the same Montessori classroom and daily Spanish exposure has really ramped up.  They have even helped other kids with developing Spanish skills in class.  Paying it forward.  This has become the time where socialization has become a big part of the kids world not just in school.  It is one thing to go to school and speak a language for all or part of the day but when school is done and the kids have to continue using the language with friends on the outside then things really start to solidify.  After school activities, play dates, sleepovers, birthday parties etc were the norm now.  The kids were getting 6 hours of Spanish in the classroom each day.  At the end of the day they went on to play dates with their school friends who, for the most part, only spoke Spanish or on to after school classes taught only in Spanish.  The kids Spanish exposure would go on for days not just a couple hours in the classroom.  Here is an example.

Thursday School in Spanish:  6 hours
Thursday after school class in Spanish: 1 hour
Friday School in Spanish: 6 hours
Friday afternoon to Saturday afternoon sleep over in Spanish:  24 hours
Sunday birthday party in Spanish: 3 hours
Monday School in Spanish: 6 hours

You get the idea with this example but this kind of thing goes on all week.  Not just a few hours in class.  Hours and hours of this degree of exposure among native speakers.  Our kids have had success picking up a new language simply because of the hours spent listening to it and using it.  They have had very little, if any, hand holding along the way.  Their classroom, their friends, most of their socialization is virtually all in Spanish these day.  No one sat them down and taught them "how" to speak the language.  They have been coached a little along the way and we have been told that Alex is somewhat picky about getting things right, but they did not grow up with it or have it at home in any meaningful way.  Could we have predicted that the kids would have survived this "swim or sink" education?  No.  If we had known the route the kids would take to get where they are now, would we have agreed to it?  Probably not.  Like many parents, we would have most likely underestimated our kids ability to adapt and persevere.  They have not only "persevered" but are now thriving in my opinion as I listen to them everyday.  They certainly have my admiration for what they have done and accomplished to this point.

I remember an encounter during our "Month In Sayulita" in March of 2011 before we committed to this "Adventure"  One day we ran into a pack of what looked to be "north of the border" kids at one of the ice cream shops and unexpectedly they all spoke to the woman behind the counter in Spanish.  They received their ice cream and ran off to the Plaza like it was nothing.  It was "nothing" for them to operate this way.   I still remember this as I stood there totally impressed as to how well these kids were communicating and hoped our kids would be able to roll like this someday.  Well, now they do.

Has there been a downside?  I cannot say that these are true "downsides" just yet but we have seen some side effects of our kids "Immersion".  Trace's brain has been processing two languages since he was 4 years old and had very little reading experience before leaving the States.  Though his speaking skills are strong in both languages, his desire to learn to read has not developed in either language.  His teachers have said it is normal so we continue to expose him at home but not with a lot of pressure.  He is catching on but when you see letters in a word that have multiple pronunciations depending on what language is being used I am not surprised he does not enjoy the idea of reading right now.  Alex, on the other hand reads and writes well in both languages and actually speaks better in Spanish.  Her brain processes slower in English but flows better in her new language.  Native speakers have remarked on it.  She even admits that she doesn't know how to say things in English though she could explain to you exactly what she wants to say easily in Spanish.  Interesting, unforeseen side effects for sure but not things that we don't believe won't work themselves out in time.

 Can we honestly say that "Immersion" has worked for our kids?  We believe so.  Can we pat ourselves on the back as far as the route we took to get our kids to this point?  Probably not but it wasn't a planned course to begin with.  We were recently told that a language teacher we knew said that "Immersion doesn't work".  We were surprised by this.  Have you spoken with our kids lately?  Well, it may not work for everyone but for our children it has given them a skill to not only live here more enjoyably and effectively but has exposed them to a whole world here that they would not have had access to had they not learned to speak Spanish.  They interact just as easily with English speaking people as well as native Spanish speakers.  Even locals who have known us since we moved here have positively remarked on the kids' ability to communicate now.   "Are they fluent?" one might ask.   Per the definition, I can say yes, they are "fluent" since they can "capably use Spanish easily and accurately" but are they 100%?  No.  But in another year or two, at this rate, I think they will take with them this skill that will positively effect their lives forever.  What a tool to have at such a young age!

First Day of School 2013 - Escuela del Mundo

The kids started their second year this morning at Escuela del Mundo, aka the "Hippie Jungle School".  A few butterflies for sure but they charged right into their classroom just like they always do.  This year Alex and Trace will share a classroom as Trace has moved up into "Taller 1" that accommodates first through third graders.  Taller 1 also has a new teacher and assistant this year which is certainly creating a buzz amongst the parents.  Last year, the classroom situation in Taller 1 was less than adequate and the school has made some positive changes in our children's class as well as advances throughout the school.  The school has downsized a bit, made some staffing changes, sent teaching staff off for additional Montessori training in the offseason, purchase new equipment and recruited a real Montessori trained professional and an assistant.  The overall objective in preparation for this year, as I understand it, was to get smaller and increase quality so that the school can slowly grow again and keep to the Montessori vision the school intended when it began.

2013

2012

2011

Will all these changes be good for our kids and the school?  This is yet to be seen and only time will tell but we are excited about the possibilities for the school year.  Meeting new families has already begun and we look forward to seeing old friends coming back this fall.

One question does remain at the end of the day for me.  "If today was such a big day for the niños, then why am I the one who's totally exhausted"?

Handyman Ozzy

The school Alex and Trace attend isn't exactly Jeremy Ranch Elementary School back in Park City equipped with Mac computers, library, cafeteria, classroom aids and electricity. (Yes, electricity) As Ashley has said previously the school is run by two dedicated women but who have little time, money or skill to really fix anything and it is up to donations and parental efforts to help the school out. I've been pitching in at the school after classes are over hanging donated ceiling fans, fixing bathroom doors, painting, cleaning etc. I have the tools and knowledge to help and I enjoy it.

The "Maestra" in charge who is a tough but caring woman when it comes to the kids certainly seems to appreciate the help and I think she gives me a little break concerning my lack of Spanish skills because of it...a good thing since she scares me a little. The truth is that the school needs tons of help but in some ways as long as these 4 to 6 year old kids have a safe, caring place to learn for few hours a day isn't that what's important? Anyway, we appreciate the school allowing our kids to attend and I will continue bringing my tools in as needed the second half of the year.

Jardin de ninos Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz

Maestra called a meeting at 8:30 am Friday morning for all of the parents. We were not sure of what to expect, but Ozzy and I showed up with kids in tow. As did, our friends Pete, Gretchen, Maggie and Jack. We were glad that Pete was there because he speaks and usually understands Spanish. Maestra was speaking Spanish very fast so we had no idea what she was talking about but we both got the impression that she was angry. Even Trace sensed that she was not very happy and he was scared that she was going to take him out of Alex's class. I asked Pete a few times what she was saying and he really couldn't catch it. I had to leave to get to my Spanish class and left it up to the others to figure out what was going on. After the meeting Pete had Maestra explain what she was saying....
Maestra was telling the parents that they need to spend more time with their children, get them away from the tv and be parents. If they don't do this their children will be unbalanced when they grow up. And she cannot succeed at her job if the parents do not do their job at home. I don't understand a lot of Spanish but I do understand emotions and she was pissed. What I got out of it was that she is passionate about her job and she cared about the future of those children. She had each parent write on a piece of paper, to give to her, their commitment of what they would do at home to help their child succeed at school. She also told us that the kids NEED to wear the correct uniform pieces each day, at least the top, so she can quickly locate the kids, and that you can no longer bring your kids late and expect her to disrupt class and open the door. If they are late they aren't getting in. I didn't see this kind of meeting going over too well in the US, but I appreciate a teacher that has this kind of passion for teaching and the future of the children. Kudos Maestra and thank you!

I have to say that we are always on time, the kids wear either the right uniform piece or at least the right color of top and we try to communicate as best as possible and be as involved as possible. The language barrier makes it very difficult and I can't tell you how many times we have gotten it wrong but we get an A+ for effort. And a huge thank you to Gretchen and Pete for helping us along in the understanding department. And one of the local Mexican moms who told us about the meeting. She was very nice. It was the first time one talked to us which made me feel good and like they were beginning to warm up to us a litte. Also there is a lady who sells uniform pieces outside of the school and I told her that I need a grande one for Alex so she made me one. I didn't even ask her to, she just brought it. I didn't have enough pesos and she said no problem just pay me when you have the pesos. She trusted me! This whole conversation went down in sign lanugage and Spanish.

So on Friday we also received the school and individual pictures that were taken. I love them!! Don't ask about the "what appears to be Christmas" individual picture. Maybe it is something Catholic. Anyway, I think is is awesome that they were included in this and that they have a photo of their class in Mexico. It will be a memory that will be with them forever.

2nd day of school in Mexico

I get to the school today to pick up the kids and hear a bunch of little children singing as loud as they can. It was so cute! Pure joy!! Then I am waiting for the forbidden door to be unlocked and see two chickens or roosters or something running around the courtyard. They let the chickens in but not the parents? Are the chickens the newest students? Then the door opens and Maestra (teacher) is going on and on about something. Gretchen and I are looking at each other saying, what the hell? Omar, her language tutor is there, thank goodness, so we ask what she is saying. He explains that two nurses came to the school to give the kids something to drink that would "kill the animals in their bodies". They clean the dishes with bleach but sometimes that isn't enough. We look at each other again and say, "what the hell?" roll our eyes and start laughing. All part of the experience.

First day of school "in Mexico"

After hemming and hawing, thinking and thanking we finally decided on a school for Alex and Trace. And with many thanks to our new friends Gretchen, Pete, Maggie and Jack from Steamboat and Nancy, who works at the local private school here. They were all very helpful in our translating, comforting and guiding us in this decision.

We have been thinking about what to do about school since we have thought about moving here. CVIS is the local private school which is amazing but out of our price range. There is a Montessori school in San Poncho, the next town over which is also amazing, expensive and they speak only Spanish. Also, the drive there twice a day is a bit much on the nerves. There is also the local Primary school, aka public elementary and of course they speak only Spanish. I visited CVIS and the local Primary school in March, and we drove to the Montessori the other day but it was closed due to Jova. I came down here thinking that I would most likely put Alex in the Primary and she would just have to wing it. Then thought that it would be quite difficult. She would one, become frustrated because she wouldn't be able to complete her homework and I didn't want her to hold the other kids back due to the language barrier and her needing extra help.

Enter Gretchen and Pete. Thanks to Dillon running up to Gretchen to make a new friend on the beach, we met. Nancy was also trying to get us to meet as well. We started talking and Gretchen told me about the local kindergarten that I had no idea about that her daughter Maggie, also six, Alex's age, would be attending. After visiting, meeting and talking with the teacher, with help from Nancy, we decided that this would be a great place for Alex and Trace. They would meet local kids and families, interact, learn the language, all in a safe and non pressured environment. No one at the school speaks english, not even the teachers. Let the emersion begin!

First though we have to buy uniforms. Luckily Gretchen had been down this road and told us exactly where to go to purchase them. The store is a very nice lady's space right beside her house behind a very large tree with no sign. We spanglished our way through this purchase and the kids had a few pieces to begin school. EVERY school, as far as I have seen, has uniforms. It is actually very nice. Alex and Trace were so excited about their uniforms and going back to school that they literally asked every hour how much longer until we get to go to school and had to try on and wear their uniforms all day Sunday.

A success story...we get there at 9 am but wait a while for the teacher.(We believe she commutes in from Puerto Vallarta on the bus each day, and only think this because we saw her at The Home Depot in PV on Saturday.) Alex and Trace couldn't enter the gate because we weren't sure if they would let them come today due to paperwork and I use that term very very lightly. The teacher shows up, lets them in, meanwhile I am trying to talk to a local mom about buying more uniform pieces, I look up, the doors are closed, locked and my kids are in school, no bye no nothing.

At the local schools here the parents either walk or drive their children to school. Each school is in total lock down during the day while the kids are there. When the parents arrive, the kids go in the gates and the parents hang out, outside of the gates, and socialize until that gate is locked. When you go back to pick up your children, at least at the kindergarten, the children are not allowded out of that gate until the teacher sees that childs parent to pick up their child. This system that is in place here might add years to my life. There were two times in Alex's very short one month of school that I didn't know where she was and each had something to do with the school bus. In the first instance with help from the bus driver we found out where she was quickly. The second instance, her very last day of school, I didn't know where she was for at least 20 minutes which felt like 20 hours. Any parent understands that fear and it SUCKS!! So, needless to say, I am actually happy that my kids are locked up, happy, safe, and well looked after.

They came out all smiles, had a wonderful day and cannot wait to go back tomorrow.
YEAH!!! Ashley