Due to the current pandemic, we have been unable to return to our beautiful campus in Oaxaca, Mexico. Though we miss it, we have adapted to a new distance-learning plan. The Paz & Play students picked up library books and English activity packets at the beginning of the quarantine. Our educators also began to utilize an educational resource for families and students called Seesaw that allows us to post games, art projects, recipes, scavenger hunts, videos, and other engaging activities for our students to do at home. Through Seesaw they can write comments, ask questions, and post photos of the activities they are doing at home. Additionally, our Paz & Play students have joined the daily Zoom meetings with the Montessori children from our Taller class where they play games in English, have the opportunity to socialize, and share presentations of projects or work they have done at home.
Also, Paz & Play has recently expanded to offer a second program. When our students reach the age of 13 and begin secondary and high school, their needs change and we are offering a program that hopes to meet those needs. The Paz for Adolescents program strives to support their growth academically, emotionally, and socially. Currently, three teenagers have joined the program and participated in a conversational circle with Kathleen Kanaley, a volunteer from San Francisco, California. We are excited to provide this new opportunity!
We are so grateful that our Paz community can stay connected virtually during this difficult and uncertain time. We want to continue to develop other methods to engage the Paz & Play students during the quarantine, as we do not yet know when we will be able to return to the campus.
Thank you so much for supporting our program and the work we do for peace in Oaxaca, especially during such challenging times.
Stay healthy,
Chloe and Danae, Program Leaders
Our Paz & Play program continues to bring English immersion, peace education, and environmental education to our community in Oaxaca, Mexico.
Since November, our students have made great strides in their English learning through active games like charades, baking projects, art workshops, and weekly hikes near our beautiful campus.
We have worked with our students on what peace means to them, meditation exercises, and emotional intelligence activities. Our students have been developing important skills in conflict resolution, restorative justice, as well as a strong foundation of English vocabulary.
In the upcoming months we plan to further develop our curriculum of non-violent communication and participate in more workshops on this topic. We also hope to expand our program, reach more children, and meet the needs of the community.
Thank you for supporting Paz & Play!
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Thank you for helping raise $8,828 toward our $15,000 goal for the 2019-2020 school year. Your donations are allowing 10 children on scholarship to participate in Paz & Play this fall! For $60 a month, a Paz & Play student has quality after-school programing 5 days per week. We excited to increase our enrollment when more scholarship funds are available. We still have $6172 to raise this year.
Chloe and Gemma lead Paz & Play along with Nadia, an intern, and Helen, a volunteer. This year is both Chloe and Gemma's second year at Paz. Chloe is also the Taller (elementary Montessori) assistant and Gemma supports Casa (preschool) and is the intern and volunteer coordinator. This is Nadia's second time being involved in Paz. Last year, she, along with another volunteer, Ethan, made a beautiful mural with all of the Paz & Play and older Montessori students. A photo of the mural that depicts the Paz Guadalupe Victoria campus is attached.
More frequently than you might expect, public schools don't have class (sometimes due to teacher strikes, sometimes due to last minute schedule changes). When this happens, Paz & Play students are invited to join the Montessori Taller (elementary school). The Paz & Play students enjoy working with the hands-on Montessori materials and spending more time with their Montessori friends. Here are some photos of Paz & Play doing Montessori on a day that they didn't have school.
Preparations have started for Day of the Dead. This is a truly special time of the year here in Oaxaca. It is a time to decorate an altar, enjoy delicious food and increible music, and remember loved ones.
Though Thanksgiving is not celebrated in Oaxaca, #GivingTuesday give Paz a huge reason to give thanks. Please consider donating to Paz & Play's GlobalGiving campaign on December 3rd to celebrate #GivingTuesday!
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Paz & Play addresses the childcare strains from the short public school day in Oaxaca. The day ends between 12 and 1 pm, this along with the shortage of high-quality, affordable, and educational childcare options puts pressure on working families. Paz & Play students also often attend Paz Montessori when their public school teachers are on strike or have planning days.
Paz ended the 2018-2019 school year with 8 Paz & Play participants at our campus at Guadalupe Victoria, and 3 at San Lorenzo Cacaotepec. On both campuses, students received English language instruction, environmental education, and peace education through Nonviolent Communication, conflict resolution, and restorative justice. At Guadalupe Victoria, students participated in field trips and entered a partnership with the Oaxacan Lending Library and Poco a Poco. The program at San Lorenzo Cacaotepec is two months old and we are excited about entering the new school year offering afterschool care to more families!
The generous gifts that you have given the financial aid and scholarships necessary for current participants to continue with us for the 2019-2020 school year. Paz will continue to work to offer Paz & Play to even more students at our two locations and provide more enrichment activities. From all of us here at Paz, thank you for your ongoing support!
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