Unfortunately the group didn't make their connection in Atlanta. They did such a good job of running through security but it was just too close. They have been automatically rebook to the flight below. They will attempt to go on standby for two other earlier flights but it's unlikely they will be able to get on them. We will update the blog if anything changes but parents should plan based on the flight below.

Erin Hawk

Hey guys It’s your girl MJ here back at it again with another blog. Today was our last day and I had so much fun. From Melak falling, my puppet shows, and Mrs. McAuliffe’s adventurous stories. Today we woke up in Tobacco Caye and ended our last night in the Belize education center. One thing I really enjoyed about this Trip was how I got to see a different prospective of the world outside of the U.S. I think I learned a lot from this trip. For sure, I’ll never forget the first time I actually went somewhere without my mother. Well that’s it for this blog.
 
PEACE – Myra I.B Johnson
 
Hey guys it’s your girl Lexi because I’m copying Myra, cause I can do that now.   Getting to the more serious stuff, so our last day in Belize has been so much fun.  This morning we woke up in Tobacco Cay to see the puppies and cat one last time before heading off.  We rode a speedboat back to the mainland where we met up with Juan(our driver basically) who took us where we are staying right now and I’m writing from here now.  We got to have lunch when we got here and then took showers.  Once we finished up and had dinner we headed to the Zoo.  I think something about the Zoo made us all a little too excited.  When we got there we saw an animal called a Gibnut(which by the way Ms. McAuliffe is obsessed with).  As well a Jaguar that kept doing tricks for more food, which was so adorable.   As well as a small owl and other cats.  Also probably one of my favorites was the Tapir because of its nose which extended and retracted and I kept laughing because whenever it walked it picked its legs up to its body and took a step which looked so funny.  (look up a Tapir walking).  Anyway, I don’t have much more else to say and I’m pretty tired now so, Goodnight!  ~ Alexis

Our bloggers tonight are Natalea and Suhasini... ENJOY!

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Hey y’all its Natalea back at it again with a blog.  So today was a good day.  When we woke up we went outside to try to see the sunset but sadly we didn’t make it. We met this kid named Robert and he was so cute and funny. Then we had breakfast and got dressed for snorkeling. We went snorkeling six times today!  The first time we went snorkeling the waves were huge. We saw a lot of fish but it was hard to swim cause it was rough. Then we went back on the boat and went to another part of the Caribbean. This part of the ocean was very calm. The last snorkel we did before we went to lunch was swimming with jellyfish. Don’t worry no one got stung. We had a very good lunch and then we decided to jump in the water and go extra snorkeling.  The last two snorkels we did were the best snorkels of the day. The second to the last snorkel we saw an eel and we got so close that it started coming out of the rock so we all started swimming really fast. We also  saw a humongous lobster which was very cool. The last interesting thing about this snorkel was when we saw a shark.  If you know me you would know that I was freaking out but it was ok because the shark was sleeping. The last snorkel we did we saw a stingray and another shark. Our guide went all the way down to the shark and woke it up and then it started swimming. This day was fun and ok I’m leaving bye y’all see  you Tuesday. <3
 
 
Hey guys it’s Suhasini and you are reading the blog where we talk about the place you wish you were at! Today we left the gorgeous island early and went snorkeling 6 times. We hopped on a boat and snorkeled in different places in the ocean close to the island and surrounding islands. We saw many colorful fish, an eel that almost killed us, a shark, stingrays, and lobsters. We ate lunch at a restraint meant for boats to dock and we swam in the surrounding water. We came back to the island and played around the island and played with the puppies. I am going to miss this island so much and I want to come back (hint hint mom). The weather is perfect, we can wander freely because it is so small, and there are puppies. I don’t want to leave but I am excited for tomorrow’s activities near the zoo. -Suhasini

We were sad to hear that Maryland lost but here is our next post to cheer you all up!
The bloggers this evening are Peyton and Colin!
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Hello everyone, it is Peyton.  Today was a very eventful today!  We woke up at 6:00 am and got ready to leave for Tabaco Caye.  We ate breakfast and then we were on our way. We had a 4 hour car ride to the boat dock because our bus broke down so we had to wait for 2 hours to get it fixed.  We sang lots of songs and waited for the bus to get fixed.  After we arrived to the boat dock, we all loaded our bags on the speedboat and we were off.  The boat ride was about 30 minutes and it was overcast so it was very windy.  When we arrived to the island, we were greeted by a German shepherd and 3 puppies the size of my arm.  They were so adorable!!!  Then, we headed to lunch, which was very good.  It was chicken lomain with fruit.  After lunch, we went to the research room and watched a PowerPoint presentation about the animals in the water and then got all of our snorkel gear on.  Then, we headed out to Reef’s End and there we were off to snorkel in the Caribbean Sea.  We had a learning session in the water and practiced and then we went far out.   We saw lots and lots of fish.  After that we played volleyball with some of the kids on the islands and then ate an Italian dinner.  After dinner, we went night snorkeling.   We split up into two groups.  I was in the first group with Kristin, Natalea, Lily, Myra, and Suhasini.  My partner was Kristin and we both linked arms and then jumped into the water.  We all had underwater flashlights to see every creature.  We saw 2 puffer fish, 2 eels the size of sharks,  1 octopus that wrapped its tentacles around my leg, a lot of hermit crabs,  lion fish, jellyfish, sea urchins, and a lot of other fish.  We also went very far off the island and turned all of our lights off so we were floating in the dark.  Then, we flapped our “fins” and saw the luminescent coral that lit up greenish-blue.  Then, we went back to our rooms and now we are hanging out by the beach and listening to the waves.  See you all on Tuesday!!!!!!!!!!!!
~Peyton
 

Hey everyone it’s Colin. We started off the day today with taking a van to the dock to get to the island in which we will be spending the next few nights, Tobacco Caye. It was supposed to be a two and a half hour drive, but it took four hours because the van broke down and we had to get someone to fix it. It didn’t seem like it was too long though; we talked for the majority of the time and slept for the rest. We eventually arrived at the dock and hopped on a speedboat and sailed to the island. I sat in one of the back spots, however I didn’t get soaked, so I was happy about that. We arrived at the island and I love it here so far. The island is beautiful and it has dogs and cats and even a volleyball net so that we could play in our free time. We ate lunch and went to a briefing for snorkeling. The beginning told us three simple rules on what to do while in the water, but the rest of the presentation listed every possible danger that we could encounter including many fishes that when they attacked, the pain ranged from a bee sting to a pit-bull bite, so you could imagine that we were all thrilled to get into the water after that. We got our gear and went into the water for a short lesson. We didn’t really see anything of interest on that trip, but we did later. After the lesson, we played volleyball with some of the local kids until dinner. After that we listened to another presentation on night snorkeling. There were too many of us to go at once, so we went in two groups. I went in the second group and saw a squid, a blowfish, a lionfish, and three eels with one of them being about the size of a shark. It was a bit scary, but we managed to get through it. I hope you all have a good night! 

​Our third update of the day is here and our bloggers are Melak and Lily! Today was our last day working on our community project and we began our transition to ecology with a trip to some local caves for canoeing! 

Hi, this is Lily writing. Today was the last day with the kids. Everyone was very sad to say goodbye even though we were only with them for three days. The kids that I connected with the best were Edgar, Sebastian, Stephan, and Selangie.  I connected with most of the boys at the school, but some of the girls were really close to me too. I had the class standard two, but in the U.S the grade would be 1st grade. We would always play tag and run after each other at recess. When I had to say goodbye today I couldn’t believe I made such good connections and friendships with each of them. Some of us cried, but others just kept on hugging the kids.
            We also went canoeing today in a cave. The cave was dark and scary, but we had flashlights. I was in a canoe with Mrs. Dry, Myra, and me. Myra was the one paddling in the back of the canoe. She wasn’t very good at it though. We almost flipped over a couple times. The cave was really pretty and interesting though. We had a really good time today canoeing and being with the kids for the last time.
-Lily
                                   
 
Give me a M-E-L-A-K, it’s Melak. Today was the last day of visiting the kids form the school. They gave us bracelets that said thank you in colorful words and designs. I did tear up a little. I had so much fun with them for the three days. They brought light to my eyes. I remember when we first came, and how they reacted. They were so excited to spend time with us. All the kids were so nice. After we left the school, we went to eat at Benny’s Kitchen. Next, right after, our guide for the cannoning in the caves rode with u to the site.  It was very beautiful.  When I got in the boast with Suhasini, it was a little shaky at first. I had brought my Go-pro with me and I looks some awesome pictures and videos. The canoeing as lit and peaceful at the same time. I would do that again.  The ride back home was an hour and a half . Well go to go (aka gtg)!
-Melak

Just in case we don't have wifi tonight here are some pictures from the early part of the day at the school. Our students were in classrooms and played with the Howard Smith students all morning before we headed off to lunch and then cave canoeing! 

Hello All!
A quick note before your regularly scheduled  posts :)

​-Our wifi at Chaa Creek went down yesterday so we are posting from the school. We will continue to post when wifi is available but wifi is spotty. Thanks for following! Yesterday's bloggers were Suhasini and Alexis! There are a few notes from Mrs. Dry and I as well! 

Day 3:

Salutations to those currently in  Maryland!
This is Alexis, last night when I was heading to the bathrooms with Natalea, Suhasini, Melak, and Lily, I decided it would be a good idea to walk first because I had a headlamp.  Until I saw on the path a giant spider (Nonvenomous) on the path.  Naturally, we all ran away.  That aside, this morning we had woken up to the sound of rain and honestly it made the rooms really cool which was refreshing since the majority of the time it is really hot.  After we got up in the morning and got out of bed we had breakfast (which once again was delicious).  After we headed back to the school and were told our project which was to tile a room that would be used for computers.  Suhasini and I had previously had a classroom together for the kids.  She had to work on the tiling first so I was alone, when I walked in all the kids started cheering and it made me really happy.  When Suhasini came back we slowly started receiving stickers.  It was really nice at first, and they would hand it to us and we would stick them on our shirts and pants.  Until some of the boys in the class started stamping these rough black sandpaper like stickers.  They would take the stickers off of us and put them back on randomly.  It was so nice, and when we left we gave the kids a group hug and left the school.   – Alexis
 
Hey guys it’s Suhasini! Today we visited the kids at school and worked a little bit on tiling the computer room. Alexis and I had an interesting group of kids because they were obsessed with stickers. It started when a girl gave me a sticker. All of the girls started to give us stickers and the boys tried to stick this weird black sandpaper on us. It turned into a war and I ost all of my stickers by the end because they would either get stolen or fall off. After we ate lunch at a really good restraint and the watermelon juice was amazing. After that we went on a scavenger hunt around th town. We were split into two groups and went around asking locals and finding buildings to completer the worksheet. We did a lot of walking and then we played basketball with some  teenagers. Now we are swimming at the pool! Tune in tomorrow to see our next blog post :;)
 
 

What Ms. McAuliffe & Mrs. Dry have learned so far:
 
Melak LOVES Belizian food!
Kristin is really good with names- she learned the names of each child in her class
Alexis is a master tiler- and placed the most tiles today
Natalea should work for homeland security- she was able to get all of the scavenger hunt information in a record setting time!
Tommy gives the BEST horseback rides at Howard Smith Nazarean school and the kiddos follow him around like little ducklings.
Myra is fearless in asking for directions- she was able to navigate her team through the streets of San Ignacio with ease!
Peyton  loves sports so much that she initiated a basketball game with local teens during some downtime.
Colin is an amazing leader and was the first ‘Leader of the Day’ on Wednesday!
Suhasini is a dedicated vlogger with her go pro- we can’t wait to see her updates on her youtube channel
Lily is resourceful and calm in every situation- even while at the windy  top of XUNANTUNICH

Our bloggers tonight are Kristin & Tommy! Please read below to hear about our day!

Today was our first full day is Belize. Colin and I woke up at 7 to get ready for the day. For breakfast we had fryjack and  bacon wrapped sausage. After we load the car and headed to the school we would be working at for the next couple days. When we arrived  the kids were very excited to meet us.  Colin and I  went to the Kindergarten Classroom and tried to teach the kids how to play heads up 7 up, but didn’t turn out as we expected.  We took the kids outside and showed them how to play freeze tag. The game quickly turned into all of the kids jumping on me and stealing my hat.  I played soccer and basketball with the older kids.  We helped the Forth Grade make a project about math. After we ate lunch and we went to Xunantunich, which are the local Mayan Ruins. They were very interesting, and we learned a lot about them. We got to climb to the top of their main temple, we could see Guatemala from the top. Now we are hanging out by the pool.
~Tommy

 
Hey guys its Kristin! Okay so today we started out with a really good breakfast, and then we went to the school. Melak and I got assigned the 1st graders. They were all very cute. Almost all of them spoke English, so it was easy for us to talk to the kids. They were very outgoing. Right when we met them, they were jumping on our backs,  holding our hands, and sitting in our laps. One girl that I was playing with was very good at English so when other kids would talk to me in Spanish, she would translate it for me. Her name is Karen. A lot of the other girls gave me pictures they drew,  and made cards for me.  One girl even gave her food to me.  After we ate lunch at the school, I met a girl with the same name as me. She was very sweet and now she calls me her twin. After we left the school we went to the Mayan Ruins, which were very pretty. Now we are at the pool. Okkkk byeeeee