Na’atik English Program Update April 2023 with Maestro Patrick

Despite the Semana Santa break, April has been a busy month for our English department. With the final few months of the school year ahead, all of the students and teachers are focused on making the most of their time both in and out of class. Here are just a few of the great things that have been happening at Na’atik.

We have launched our new bi-weekly board game nights, which have become a big hit! Students have come to our library in droves to learn and play chess, Battleship, Scrabble, play games on the computers, or simply to hang out with their friends in a fun environment.  Games are a great way for students to learn and to use their English skills in different ways. We’ve also been fortunate to have international Spanish language students and some of our older English language learners assist in explaining game rules and help to keep things organized.

Recently, many of our Primaria students (ages eight to twelve) participated in an English language scavenger hunt setup by yours truly. It was amazing to see students helping each other to solve the problems in a competitive yet collaborative activity. It’s always fun to get students out of the classroom, being active, and taking advantage of the whole Na’atik facility.

We also celebrated Children’s Day at the end of the month, with activities in class and in the school library.

At the beginning of the year, Georgia, our newest teacher, joined us here in Carrillo, and she has already become a great addition to the team. Her experience working abroad in countries like Ecuador and Vietnam are invaluable, and as she hails from England, she provides students with an opportunity to hear a different English accent and style from my own staunchly American dialect. Read more about Georgia in this month’s Faces of Na’atik Blog.

Thanks to the support of our generous donors, we have begun working on upgrading the classroom facilities in the school and have been able to purchase a school vehicle for the first time. This will allow us to provide learning experiences for our students outside the classroom and in the community.  In May, a trip to the Meloponaria (a local Maya melipona apiary) is also on the schedule for students to observe and learn about the ‘stingless bees’ of the region hosted by a current English student: Manuel. A select group of students will be offered an invitation by each English teacher based on writing and creative competitions also determined by their instructors. The importance of this trip cannot be overstated, especially in the lead up to World Bee Day. Ensuring that students understand and appreciate the necessity of protecting the vibrant and diverse wildlife of the region is a priority at Na’atik. We hope to foster students that will take an active role in protecting the local flora and fauna. Check out next month’s newsletter for photos from this special outing. This and all of our plans are a part of our ever-present goal to continue improving the quality and depth of language and cultural education at Na’atik.

We are also currently in the process of recruiting next year’s team, with vacancies for new teachers and a library activity coordinator. I will be staying on to lead the English team next school year and am looking forward to working with the new team to make 2023 Na’atik’s best year yet.