San Pedro has many celebrations and parades with one of the most colorful being the annual lighted boat parade. This has been running for 6 years now and Holy Cross, through the enthusiasm of Vernon Wilson, has a history of doing well.
This year was no exception. Mr Freddy put all his creative talent into place, putting together a magnificent creation. The snowman even seemed to wave as the boat bobbed in the still waters.
The hard work paid off, and the school took the special award for the Religious category, winning the school $800BZ - well done!
Here's Mr Freddy as Santa and Mr Carlos Coba, our Std 6 teacher claiming the well earned award from the beautiful Mrs San Pedro.
Well done everyone!
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| Filling the playground |
This team was a little different from our usual teams - they were one of our youngest groups, made up of a great group of 11 and 12 year olds accompanied by their parents and grandparents. Age didn't stop anyone as young and old alike pitched in to do whatever needed to be done.
The big job this week was continuing to expand the playground. Thanks to All Saints Forth Worth and the Universtiy of Sioux Falls we have a fantastic swing set, but to be fully used, the area must be filled with sand. Local sand diggers dug the sand from the lagoon (cold work this time of year), then our wonderful team spread it where it needed to go - how exciting to see the playground expanding! (We are still looking for donations for sand - do get in touch!)
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| Helping in Classes |
We had thought it might be a disruption, but istead the visitors were a great role model to the local kids on how to behave and how to turn out some great work. This was especially evident when the classes were preparing posters for World Aids Day.
Ann Vest, who headed up the team from St John's is a regular visitor to the school. Over the years she has brought out various grandchildren and their friends to spend time with them and also give them a great opportunity to briefly experience life in a different part of the world. What a great idea!
From everyone at Holy Cross, thank you so much for your generosity in time, spirit and donations to the children of Holy Cross. You have been a blessing to us all.
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| The team in their favorite place - the tree in the front of the Hotel Del Rio. |
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| Assisting in Ms Williams Std III class |
One of the frustrating realities of building a school in a lagoon is that any and every building project first starts with finding dry land. In San Mateo, this requires hiring a crew to dig sand from other parts of the lagoon at the cost of $12.50 - $25 a boat load (approx 3.5 cu yards). Frustrating and expensive are just two of the words we would use to describe this activity. And with 8.5 acres of land that ranges from 3 inches to 2 feet under water, unending is another.
Although sand is always a desperate need, in the last months it has come to the fore as the School needs to build a fenced in playground to keep our requirements of having a preschool. And just this last month, the PTA, at the request of the Principal, have stepped up to meet this challenge. Every Friday for the last month, the PTA have done fundraisers - selling cheese dip (an absolute hit with the kids) as well as organising a BBQ where 300 parents, teachers and members of the public purchased their BBQ chicken, superbly cooked by the talented Mrs Rosalia, or chef.
The hard work paid off as the PTA were able to raise just over $500 US after expenses. What a superb effort! And they plan to continuue.
We are very excited to see the parents and community getting involved with the school.
Overall, we estimate we need US $2,500 to fill the playground and build it up to a level where it drains adequately after rain. Thanks to the PTA and individual donations and donations from churches we are getting close - just $1,000 to go!
If you can help by donating and amount, large or small, please contact the school on volunteerbelize@gmail.com. You can donate online at the Holy Cross Foundation or send a check to the Foundation at 7550 Coorporate Way, Eden Prairie, MN 55344, attn Brian Ostenso, Chairman.
Every little really helps!
Dear Friends and Supporters, Please join me in a short walk down memory lane...
And just how did this giant leap forward come about? Through your efforts, that's how!! You have prayed, come on mission teams and built this school; sent school supplies, tons of books and shoes; donated money, supported the Feeding Program and underwritten scholarships; sent computers, reams of copy paper and cartridges; paid for toilets, land fill and electricity; brought down tools, dental equipment, toothbrushes and toothpaste. You have created Holy Cross Anglican School and turned a swampy garbage dump into a safe and loving place where children learn, grow, dream and blossom.
I am so proud of what God and all of us working together have accomplished - smile. I pray that you will continue to generously support and bless this tiny corner of God's kingdom. In spite of everything we've done, there is always more to do.....our students arrive daily to school hungry, in need of shoes,school supplies and dental care; computers require constant upkeep, electricity and supplies; more land fill is urgently needed so we can start construction on the playground and much needed pre-school; books wear out, toilets need repair and tools break. And right now, the school must build a water garden - approximate cost of $20,000US - to complete the composting toilet facility!!! I pray that you will continue the good work that Christ has begun in and through you here at Holy Cross. Please take a moment today and send a donation to:
Holy Cross Anglican School
San Pedro Town
Ambergris Caye, Belize
or make a credit card payment at www.hcefoundation.org
or mail to:
Holy Cross Education Foundation
7550 Corporate Way
Eden Prairie, MN 55436-2045
PS: Tropical Storm Karl passed by on Wednesday and all we got was tons of rain. Thanks be to God!!! School was surrounded by about a foot and a half of water (see attached photos). Could have been much worse but our hurricane season has just begun (September and October). Say prayers.
Love and hugs from the staff and students of Holy Cross Anglican School - smile.
Support Holy Cross Anglican School in San Pedro www.holycrossbelize.org
Dear Friends, Holy Cross Anglican School is four years old today!!! These past four years have certainly flown by in a whirlwind of activity bringing us to this milestone we are proudly celebrating. And, what a celebration we had on Friday - please see attached photos. The students made birthday cards, we gathered together to sing 'Happy Birthday', shared wonderful cupcakes and then everyone received a very special present. Thanks to the incredible folks at Southcrest Baptist Church in Lubbock, Texas each student (and teacher) received an age appropriate copy of the Bible for their very own - wow! Thank you Southcrest!!
School officially started on Wednesday, September 1st and everything went smoothly as students and teachers got down to the important work of learning. The school was peaceful and the students orderly - nothing short of a miracle! I'm sure this was due in large part to the fact so many teachers returned along with Mrs. Grace Williams, Principal and Mrs. Olivia Tasher, Vice-Principal. The staff just keeps getting better and better thanks to the guidance of our General Manager, Mrs. Marlene Leslie. Not only were the staff and students 'looking good', but thanks to the many volunteers who labored long and hard this summer, Holy Cross was also looking 'mighty fine' - smile.
Speaking of 'mighty fine'.....our new state-of -the-art composting toilet facility is AWESOME!!! Thanks be to God, we were able to get half of the facility up and running for the first day of school. We are currently awaiting the additional toilets which are sitting in Customs right now. Hopefully they will be delivered soon (say lots of prayers!). So far everything is working perfectly. Many thanks to the Episcopal Church Women for providing a $42,000US grant to get this project underway. We only recently found out that we'll need to build a water garden for the facility . I'm not exactly sure what that is (ask Vernon) but I do know it will cost an additional $20,000US. If you would like to contribute to the health and welfare of our children and the environment, we really need your donations!
As we celebrate a new school year, the birthday of Holy Cross, fabulous bathrooms AND Belize Independence Day - on September 21st the nation will be 29 years old - we also celebrate our friends and supporters all over the world. You have each contributed in some way to turn a desperate need for a primary school into an amazing reality. Thank you for caring and for sharing your time, talents and treasure. Please continue your support for the Feeding Program, scholarships, dental clinic, school supplies and materials. All children deserve the chance to dream big dreams. With your support and love, dreams will continue to be born and come true at Holy Cross Anglican School. Blessings, Francis
Tax deductible donations can be made through The Holy Cross Education Foundation www.hcefoundation.org
or by mail to: Holy Cross Education Foundation
7550 Corporate Way
Eden Prairie, MN 55436-2045
Contributions may also be sent directly to the School:
Holy Cross Anglican SchoolSan Pedro TownAmbergris CayeBelize
Support Holy Cross Anglican School in San Pedro http://www.holycrossbelize.org/
New composting toilet mechanics
Washing hads in the new batroom building
Holy Cross kids
Holy Cross Kids
Holy Cross Kids
Holy Cross Kids
Kids in the lunchroom
Holy Cross Kids
Hol Cross Kids
Hello friends and family,
I am writing to you to ask you to support Holy Cross Anglican School (HCAS) in the Global Giving Green Open challenge. To give you a little background, HCAS is a school in San Mateo, Ambergis Caye, off the coast of Belize. In Belize, even public education is not free. HCAS, which is funded through donation, provides pre-kindergarten through eighth grade education to 500 students. These 500 kids are the most disadvantaged on the island and would not have the opportunity of education without HCAS. Not only do these kids receive schooling at HCAS, but they also receive two meals per day; sometimes the only food they eat.
HCAS was selected as one of 20 organizations to participate in the Global Giving Green Open challenge. San Mateo is currently powered by diesel generators, making it extremely difficult and costly to consistently operate the volunteer built dental clinic and computer lab. Through GlobalGiving.org, we have the opportunity to install a combination of wind generators and solar panels. This will provide reliable, effective energy and help bolster Holy Cross Anglican School. HCAS is the only school on the Island with a computer lab this robust and large and opens its doors to adult education programming to serve the greater community. Both the dental clinic and computer lab are huge resources to San Mateo.
Through the Green Open challenge, HCAS has a HUGE opportunity to become a PERMANENT link on the GlobalGiving.org website. All we need is 50 different donors and a total of $4,000 in donations. For only $10 dollars, you can provide enough electricity for one computer for one month. For $75, you can provide enough electricity to support the dental clinic for one month. We only have until July 30th to complete the challenge, so please act quickly if this is something you feel you can support.
HCAS is a school that I fully support and believe will impact and improve the lives of thousands of children and the greater economy of Belize. By providing renewable energy to HCAS, we can help sustain this incredible place. I sincerely thank you for your thoughts and any (tax-deductible) contributions you can make to HCAS.
Lauren
