Casey Community School Graduation 2013

Enjoying their final moments as students.

Last minute program check.

Mr. Tom ready to play in the opening procession.

Class Awards

Class Awards

Two of our Kindergarten graduates.

Sharing the gift of song.

Graduate Addresses

 

Almost that time!

The graduated class of 2013

'The Candle Song' a Casey Community School tradition.

The first candle is lit by the valedictorian.  The flame is then passed to the Standard 5 students.

 Congratulations Class of 2013!

End of the School Year (mostly) in Photos

School Trip
First stop:

The Belize Zoo is a simple but beautiful zoo.  Set on a small acreage outside of Belize City, the zoo was opened in the early 90s to take in abandoned animals that were used in the filming of a movie. 

 Only animals native to Belize can be found in the zoo.  All of the animals were rescued (many of them 'nuisance' animals that would have been killed), or animals born in captivity.  

 

The purpose of the Belize Zoo is to provide educational opportunities for Belizeans to learn about the wide array of animals found in this small country.  Most Belizeans don't get the opportunity to interact with wild animals on a daily basis, like those of us lucky enough to be living in Gallon Jug.

 Even when you do see wild animals every day, it's still pretty awesome to see a jaguar close up!

Can you spot the jaguar in this picture?

Fifty-three of us visited the zoo.  The cost $53 Belize ($26.50 USD).  In Belize, and even in Gallon Jug there are many misconceptions, misunderstandings, and 'Old wives tales' about the animal inhabitants.  There were many signs like the one below trying to dispel these harmful myths.

Second stop:

 Old Belize is a museum/ educational center that shares history of Belize from the time of the Maya to the present day through interactive displays.

Oh, and I can't forget to mention that Old Belize has a water park too!

Jaguar Researchers Visit Casey Community School

We have a group from Virginia Tech in Gallon Jug doing research on the jaguar population in the area.  Around 100 trail cameras have popped up around Gallon Jug as part of the research. 

 On the second to last day of school we were lucky enough to have the researchers stop by to show us some of the pictures they have captured, as well as give the students a chance to learn how the trail cameras work.

 And of course, the students got to get their pictures taken while doing their best jaguar impressions.

Last Day of School

Cleaning, games, and watermelon.

 

Things with Wings

One sign of the approach of summer in Gallon Jug has been an increase in rain, which has been a nice break from the heat and humidity that have come back to the jungle after a welcome winter absence.  Accompanying the rain has been a huge increase in insect activity.

Insects are a constant here - from giant grasshoppers to tiny honeybees, that somehow manage to get caught in even my hair - there are no insect free days.  That being said, one day last week we had an early evening plague of winged ant-like things that reached near biblical proportion.   For about an hour the whole of the stable and loft was surrounded with a 10 foot buffer made up of of these winged wonders.  Then a burst of rainfall came that caused them to dissolve, evaporate, or otherwise retreat to where ever they'd come from, not to return again thus far.

In recent weeks beautiful butterflies have returned to the jungle in mass, but have been difficult to photograph.  What was easy to get pictures of was the varied assortment of moths that were outside my room this morning when I got up.

 

 

Garden Update: 

The mahogany trees that the Casey Community School students planted on Earth Day have started to sprout.  Currently about half of our grow bags have small seedlings.

And the Critter of the Week goes to this giant toad.

To give perspective, my sandal is size 13.