A crab habitat

Kai (4 years old) loves animals and on a weekly basis brings whatever he caught into school to show the other students. Some days it is a small spider, other days a baby chick. Today, it was a baby crab that he caught over the weekend.

Kai and Bradley

In science, Bradley is learning about habitats. He has learned that a habitat includes all the elements an organizism needs to survive. So Bradley and Kai decided to build a habitat for the crab. They added water, plans, and even gave the crab some pieces of bread.

Can you find the crab?! This is the same species that was found running around our playground early last week!

Oceans Unlimited Mangrove Visit

Lesson about Mangroves!

We were honored to have some Dive Masters in Training from Oceans Unlimited come and teach us a little bit about Mangroves and why they are important. Mangroves are trees that grow in the intercoastline and can survive in the salt water. They have two types of roots- one that stabalizes them and another that reaches up above ground for air.

Studies say that 1/3 of the worlds mangroves have been destroyed...

Our students learned that mangroves are important because:

--They help sustain the land from errosion into the ocean

--They are a habitat for many birds, fish, and reptiles

(they grow where the tide comes in, and become a safe place for fish to lay eggs)

So our students spent some time making posters, encouraging people in this community to protect the mangroves in our area! Because Quepos is below sea level, we are located in what once was mangroves, and have mangroves all around us!

DMT Emma prepared a wonderful presentation on Mangroves!

Looking at pictures of different types of Mangroves found in Costa Rica

Ryan, Bradley and Valeria working on their poster.

"Please protect... "

Having fun making posters!

The whole group! Proud of their posters!

Look what the kids found on the playground...

"Teacher, Teacher, Venga! Vea!"

The preschoolers were outside doing their morning activities, when they were interrupted by...

This little guy! These crabs cover the costal peninsulas of the Pacific Coast. During mating season they migrate, and some have found their way into our pool! Although they don't last long... (above a picture of the kids watching it scurry across our parking lot)

They are beautiful, with bright purple and orange colors, and white claws. This one's body was about the size of my clenched fist. Did you ever hear your teacher say "Kids, don't chase the crab!"

Playground! Step one: getting it here!!

The truck arrived today!

The Lopez family has generously given us their playground set to use at the school!

Unloading the truck

The Slide!

Go, Diego, Go!

Christopher showing me how the slide and tower will be assembled :)

More pictures to come... hoping to get it together over the weekend!

Volunteers

Over the past six months, we have been BLESSED at El Puente by the many different people who been praying, donating funds and materials, and volunteering their time and skills across the board! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Our kids have loved having you and you have made a difference in our lives!




Caitlin came for a month and helped in the classroom! She taught English and did some awesome art projects... like these Quetzals!



Jodi is from Belgium and has been volunteering in the preschool and giving swimming lessons!

Jim donated and installed the track for the chalkboard! His wife Diane (below) is a reading aide and spent time reading one on one with our kids! They have a ministry that raises money and brings teams to Mexico to build homes in an impoverished community there. Check out their website at www.lacasamission.org

We are growing!

We will not hide them from their children;
we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD,
his power, and the wonders he has done.

Psalm 78:4

Class picture with the Vanden Bosches!

(we have three more students since this picture!)

This morning I am praising God for the two new preschool students that started class today!

We are up to 13!

We have already seen how our small school is making a difference in the lives of our students and in the community. Emily came up with the idea to raise funds for Haiti. Vielka wants to recycle and save the earth. Ryan wants to be a professional soccer player. Through an exceptional education, we hope to throw open the doors of opportunity for our students, allowing them to dream big dreams and helping them get there.

Furthermore, we love asking the question: What if the most well educated students in Quepos are the ones who are brought up being taught Biblical truths, treating others with Christ-like love, and seeing their opportunity to be a bridge, sharing Christ’s love to the world? It is our prayer that through the love, encouragement, and education offered at El Puente, God will bring up students who will be catalysts for change in the Quepos community.

When I came to Costa Rica three years ago, a small group of women met every week to pray for the community of Quepos. On our heart and in our prayers continually were our friends who lived and worked at the beach- a place where drugs are prevalent and people are transient. Last week, we enrolled two new preschoolers- both children who grew up on the beach because their parents are street vendors there. We are blessing God for the opportunity to invest in these kids, hoping that God will use them to bring change and sing His praises in that broken community!

We also know that the kids see a difference in the education that they are receiving at El Puente. At the beginning of the year, Alisson, a second grader, sat in her chair, beaming. “I love science at this school!” she said proudly, “because we do experiments, and at my old school we just filled out worksheets!” Our desire is to see kids learning to hypothesize, experiment, analyze, and think for themselves, and she noted the difference!

More importantly, however, we see the eternal significance of the work we are doing at El Puente. During a Bible class a few months ago, the class was learning about Jesus and his disciples. While reflecting on the story as a class, Alisson, stood up and said to her teacher and fellow classmates “I want to follow Jesus too!”

Keep praying that God will use us to accomplish HIS will in our lives, in the lives of our students, and in the community of Quepos!

School Pool Party

School BBQ and Pool Party

We invited students and thier families over for a bbq so that they could get to know members of our board, invite friend who were interested in the school, and meet one another! Thanks to everyone who helped
organize, set up, and serve our school!

A typical Costa Rican carne asada- with grilled sasusage, chicken, and fish, served with tortillas. mmmmm! Thanks Cabeto for cooking for us all!

Stacey, Kathy, and the Lopez family represented our board and spent time (in and out of the pool!) getting to know the parents of our students!

Aleasha- teacher off duty!- went in her clothes :)

Chirs and Cole went out and bought all the materials to make a soccer field- tico style! Above they are making the chalk lines by dropping dry chalk our of a small hole in the bottom of a bucket! So smart...

The finished field from above! Doesn't it look amazing!? the kids LOVE it!