More Class Updates from Caroline

Literature and Composition:

In addition to reading short stories by local authors, the girls have just completed the arduous task of writing "This I Believe" essays. This essay asks students to write about a personal belief and to explain and defend their belief with anecdotes and examples from their lives. The students took on the challenge whole heartedly and wrote about, to name a few, their belief in the beauty of language, in playing games as a way to connect with others, and in the appreciation of small natural wonders. The girls did an admirable job understanding and discussing Rosario Castellenos's short story "The Cooking Lesson", a dense but rich story about a young woman's dissatisfaction with her role as a wife. Through a feminist lens, the story takes on various themes including the difficulty women have in maintaining a personal identity while fulfilling society's expectations of "wife" and "mother". As we prepare to leave Guatemala and head into Nicaragua in the coming weeks, we will begin reading Tortilla Curtain, a beautifully written work of fiction exploring Mexican immigration in the United States, and begin writing a persuasive essay. 

History:

During their time at the Mountain School, the girls read and responded to Bridge of Courage, Jennifer Harbury's collection of testimonies from guerrillas fighting injustice in Guatemala's 36 year civil war. To prepare them for this reading, we explored the history leading up to the civil war including a close examination of the role of the United Fruit Company and the role of the US Government in Guatemala. Additionally, we read several excerpts from Rigaberta Menchu's memoir, I, Rigaberta Menchu. An activist for indigenous rights, Rigaberta grew up extremely poor in rural Guatemala and won the Nobel Prize for her book. Next week, our last in Guatemala, will involve discussing Bridge of Courage as well as ending our unit on Guatemalan history by looking closely at current events and politics. Anna gave the history class a thorough oral presentation introducing Jennifer Harbury. Mikaela will talk to the class this coming week about the controversy surrounding Menchu's book and her Nobel prize. As we enter Nicaragua, our studies will shift to the modern history and politics of that country, namely the Iran-Contra affair.

Travel Journalism:

The photojournalists of Travel Journalism continue to capture our journey through their camera lenses. They took a photographic series of our experience building alfombres during Semana Santa and are currently working on a portrait assignment at the Mountain School. For most pictures they take, the students are asked to practice specific photography techniques and to write photographer's statements explaining their work. The girls recently completed their second article, a 500-word opinion piece on a current issue in Guatemala. They will begin their third article in the coming week and will continue to hone their picture taking skills as they plan their final photography portfolios. 

PE & iLife:
Since our last update, the girls have hiked over 30 miles with significant elevation gain and loss through the Guatemalan countryside. They too have paddled into significant headwinds along the shores of Lake Atitlan in addition to their regular PE classes in town plazas doing circuit workouts and yoga. They are excited to test their skills in the ocean in the coming week, where they will have surfing lessons. In iLife workshops, students and parents participated in a Finding Your Passion workshop and will move on to discussions of the college application process including applications, acceptance and rejection, financial aid and more. Students will also begin to work with partners on developing their own leadership skills. In PE, they'll be creating lesson plans and then teaching Student-led workouts. They will also begin to participate in leadership activities as they become chieflets working alongside the teacher who is Chief for the day-- planning daily schedules and seeking out activities to share with their classmates.