Triple Certification on June 21st, Here's the Deal!

Ok. Not to be a drama queen but Tuesday, June 21^st will be HANDS DOWN the most important day of my two year service. We will be certifying all 3 of the schools I work with as “Healthy Schools” or “Escuelas Saludables”

Student and teachers, Pak'awex

I have been in the Healthy Schools program since the start of my service…18 months ago…wow! However when I had a site change back in February, my role in the program changed BIG TIME. I used to work with 35 schools and a partner in Phase 2 HS. Phase 2 has 10x as many schools because we are trained to work more with the teachers and superintendents rather than the students. It is our job to train the teachers to teach the kids all of the healthy habits, lesson plans, and infrastructure that a ‘Healthy Schools” requires. We kicked the program into high gear when my training group arrived and most volunteers, including me, started work in phase 2. Beforehand the HS volunteers were generally worked in Phase 1, where we worked with just a handful of schools and directly with the students.

Former Volunteer Rose Conklin, cooking with the mother's of Chuipoj

When my site changed to Santa Maria Visitación, Sololá, I began Phase 1 work with 3 schools. Tzumajhuí, Pak’awex, and Chiupoj had been in the HS program for 4 years, and worked with two now ‘returned’ Peace Corps Volunteers. My task was pretty clear, get to know this schools, work with them in the HS program and decide if they were ready to be “Certified.” I arrived in SMVin February, started visiting the schools and got crackin’. Since the Volunteers before me had done such a PILAS job, these schools were really impressing me with their healthy habits, clean schools infrastructure…EVERYTHING!

In order to be a ‘healthy school,” you need to meet these 8 requirements.

La Hora De Limpieza, Pak'awex

1.The school is clean. Pretty basic but everything in the school, bathrooms, classrooms, patio- and most of all, the student are clean. As part of the daily schedule, each school has “la hora de limpeiza” which is basically clean, sweep, mop- all of this which is done voluntarily by the kids to get ready for the day.

Hand-washing station, Chiupoj

2.The school has running water 5/5. This means that for all five days of school each week, the school has water for five hours.

3. The third requirement is that each school has ATLEAST 8 working faucets for the kids to brush their teeth  and wash their hands

4. Each classroom in each school has a Rincon de Salud, or a ‘Healthy Corner.”  This is an area in the classroom dedicated to personal health and hygiene. Rincones de Salud includes an overall health theme and each student has a place just for them to keep their own things. Every student has their own towel, toothbrush, tooth paste, soap..etc.

Rincon, Tzumajhui

Rincon, Pak'awex

Rincon, Chiupoj

Within the Healthy Schools program, we like to have the kids practice a poem called ‘La Promesa de Vida” or “Promise of Life” which is around every Rincon and it motivates the kids. It basically says my life is precious and I need to take good care of myself in order to grow, believe, and achieve great things in life.

the dice (dado), Pak'awex

the students check out each other's nails, Pak'awex

5. Atleast 2 times a week, each classroom teaches health-themed lessons. This can mean anything from nutrititon, to self-esteem, to teeth brushing. Each school uses either a Dice or a Roulette with the options of hair, teeth, face, hands, clothes, and nails. Every morning the dice is flipped and the students take turns checking each others nails,hair etc. that day, and they're not afraid to call each other out! One girl told me once in Pak'awex that my nails were too long...fair enough. "Long, but clean" i said lol.

Kitchen, Pak'awex

the mothers prepare a healthy snack, Tzumajhui

6. It is really important that a Healthy School has a clean kitchen. This means NOT enclosed in smoke. The snacks are served by the Mothers everyday, they normally rotate on a schedule of who prepared 'refaccion" as we call it. the kitchen should be clean at all times and the snack should be healthy. We normally serve a hot drink called Atol which is like milk with rice or oatmeal to give it some sustenance, they mix it up and put some chocolate in there often.

Clean, Happy, Healthy students, Tzumajhui

7.  The requirement is that 85% of the student or more come to school every single day clean from head to toe. Honestly with these three schools, i think it is more or less 95%. I went into each school with  healthy schools profile, the requirements... i used the colors of traffic lights. if they received a green light, they met the requirement. Out of the three schools we got all green with the exception of two yellow lights for the kids clothing. I thought maybe it could have been a little cleaner..so i simply spoke with the mothers of the kids, letting them know that was their responsibility and wahlah! done. Everyone is so supportive of the program in every community we had no problems at all with their cooperation.

Teeth brushing in Chuipoj

8. Before eating snack each day the students VOLUNTARILY wash their hands, also right after a trip to the bathroom. After snack the kids are to run to their rincones de salud and grab their toothbrushes. Isn't it funny that we don't even do that in the states. 

Because the volunteers before me were so pilas, as well as the teachers and principals, these schools are healthy. I wrote letter of recommendation to both my boss and the Ministry of Education to approve these 3 schools for certification. On Tuesday, we will have all the students, teachers, parents, committees, 4 mayors, director of education of Sololá, my boss Dr. Sergio Mack, some pc authorites and other volunteers, and HOPEFULLY both national newspapers. But we'll see about the last one..haha

practicing their traditional dance, Tzumajhui

It is a day of celebration because these schools, teachers and student DESERVE THIS! Once a school is certified "healthy" it becomes an example to others all around the country. It is something they should really be proud of, big ups to the teachers especially. It isn't an easy job getting students k-6 motivated about their health and hygiene

Principal of Chiupoj,  Sen~o Magda

All 3 schools will have a special time during the ceremony, one school is singing and reciting poems the other two are performing traditional guatemalan dances. I have seen them practicing and it is just gonna be  A BEAUTIFUL DAY! We are serving lunch to 150 people. On Monday, I will go to the market with the women teachers and buy our ingredients. Since we will only be at one of the schools for the ceremony, i have been making posters about the other schools displaying their hard work for all to see! I have used some of the fundraiser money to fund this day, including a marimba band, lunch, decorations etc...so THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR MAKING THIS DAY MEMORABLE. 

Pak'awex from a distance, it is LITERALLY in the mountains!

Painting Tzumajhui for the big day!!!

Prayers that the day goes smoothly and it will be a day to remember for all the kids. I will be giving a little bit of a speech, sometimes i get a little nervous and it sounds like i don't know spanish...lets hope i can evade my nerves and do a great job! 

I am gonna out on my traditional outfit and have an awesome day...my boss wants to meet with me after the ceremony to decide what my next steps should be because technically my job will be done in this community. All i can say is there is anothing I won't do in order to stay here, i love my little town, im enjoying teaching english and i'm sure i can hop on some other projects around here =)

thank you everyone for your constant support, i already have  a new memory card loaded up for my camera haha, you can expect lots of pics!

Saludos, Grace

btw, this blog in no way reflects the american govt or peace corps...these are all my thoughts!