Clark-Peterek Belize

Toledo Teacher In-Service

As soon as we got back from the AVC it was straight to work for the February Toledo Teacher In-Service in Punta Gorda.  All Toledo primary school teachers were invited to attend this professional development opportunity.  Teachers with 0-5 years of teaching experience attended sessions on the TFABB Reading and Writing Tools and Approaches that were introduced in the August Workshop.  The purpose of the sessions was to provide on-going support to new teachers with the use of read alouds, traditional read alouds, shared reading, 6+1 Traits, writer’s notebook, word walls, and mini-lessons. Teachers with 6+ years experience attended sessions lead by the Ministry of Education on assessment in the classroom.  Principals attended sessions on leadership.  Several TFABB North American Partners came to Belize to assist Coaches and lead sessions.  The day was a success, and all of the teachers came away with new information. 

 

 

 

AVC

We had a great time at the annual All Volunteer Conference in Belmopan.  During the day, volunteers attended sessions at the George Price Center.  Some of the topics included development in Belize, safety and security, and education lead by Peace Corps Staff, fellow Volunteers, Development Organizations in Belize, and Host Country Nationals.  We also had some time to share information about current projects, as well as training on the Volunteer Reporting Tool.  Evening activities included American flag football, an arm wrestling competition, Peace Corps Belize Newlywed Gameshow, watching President Obama's Address to Congress, and yoga.  It was good opportunity to come to together to learn and share.  We enjoyed seeing everyone, and we had a great time!  

TFABB Language Arts Workshop

This past week marked the 11th year Teachers for a Better Belize, or TFABB, has been providing professional development for Toledo Teachers.  For the last three years, North Americans have partnered with Belizean Coaches and the Ministry of Education to train teachers in effective Language Arts Instruction.  John and I have been pretty busy the last few weeks preparing for the workshop. Everyone worked hard, and Toledo teachers walked away with a clearer picture of how to use Reading and Writing tools and approaches in their classrooms. Thanks to TFABB, the North American Partners, and the Belizean Coaches for being flexible and doing such a good job! The workshop was great!

IST

The week before last we headed north to Belmopan for our annual Peace Corps In-Service Training, or IST.  The training included various topics from sharing resources, reviewing project plans and goals, monitoring and evaluation, and using reporting tools.  It was a great opportunity to meet new Peace Corps Belize Staff and reconnect with our fellow Volunteers.  We had a nice time and enjoyed the trip.

Mailing Address & Info

While living in Kiribati, email and phone calls will not be available on a regular basis, so it’s time get out those pens, papers, envelopes, and stamps. Do you remember how to write letters? Below is our mailing address during training. We will be on Tarawa for training until May. Once we have a site placement, we will have a local address on our island, but we will be able to receive mail at this address throughout out time in Kiribati. Letters and packages should be sent and marked "AIRMAIL VIA FIJI" and can take 3-4 weeks to arrive in Kiribati. It is important to number and date your letters, as sometimes they may get lost. We have some suggestions for packages that we will post later. Start writing now! Mail will make delivery days really great!

Mica & John Peterek PCT
PO Box 260
Bikenibeu,Tarawa
Republic of Kiribati, Central Pacific