Lets Be Ready

“Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world” (Nelson Mandela)

Hello everyone, it's a pleasure to greet you again. I hope everyone is doing well with their loved ones.

It is incredible that each year that passes, time runs much faster, for example: it seems that we started classes yesterday and we are less than two months away from finishing them... However, we are very happy and satisfied with what we have been doing .

During the week of July 17-21, we had our mid-year workshop in Santo Domingo Xenacoj. The topics were of great interest and importance to all. We invited Auri Tun, sister of Sara, our director; for a presentation on “First Aid”, since she is a nurse. This was one of the topics that our teachers liked the most, because it helped us see the importance of being careful in class, having our first-aid kit and how to act when an accident occurs with one of our children.

Also, thinking about the well-being and health of our teachers, a psychologist was invited to give us a talk about "stress". We learned that although stress is a part of our lives, we must take control and not let it dominate us. We learned that it is important to be organized, control our activities and accept that we have limitations and that we cannot do everything at the same time. In addition, the importance of exercising constantly to release the stress that accumulates in our body was highlighted.

We had another guest at the workshop, he was Emanuel Tun; also Sara's brother, who is studying at the university for a degree in Physical Education. His presentation included a theoretical part, in which he shared ideas for using recyclable material in Physical Education class. And in the practical part, just like we do with our children; We had a very complete class of exercises and dynamics to work speed, coordination, balance and agility. Without a doubt, we release a lot of stress with this activity.

Most of the comments from our teachers were positive and of all the activities carried out during the week; many agreed that these three presentations described above were the ones they liked the most. There is no doubt that it was a workshop of much learning and benefit.

A month of a lot of activity is coming up and many of our teachers have already started working on activities that have to do with the history of our country and everything related to our independence. But, in our next report I will share more details of the activities that were carried out with the children.

We are infinitely grateful to all of you for the trust and support you always give us. Thanks to your donations, we continue to provide quality education outside of the traditional, to improve their learning and their future. So, thank you very much for your contribution and unconditional support, God Bless you.

See you soon.

Hello to all our dear readers!

It is a pleasure to greet you again, so that we can tell you more about the work that we continue to do with our children here in Guatemala. We are very happy for the months that we have been working and the achievements obtained up to now.

During our training in January, we talked about implementing "The Traveling Books" a method to stimulate reading at home. Therefore, after having started classes; in the second month, we started having meetings with the parents. The objective is to give them ideas to share books with their children, without having to read the text; this helps parents who cannot read, as they are not required to do so. Each teacher is doing different activities with this method, for example; some are making a dictionary at home, others are reviewing topics that the children have not yet understood, and others are creating stories based on what they read in books. Undoubtedly, we have seen that it has been a good stimulus to become interested in reading and strengthen the affective bonds with their parents.

We also resume workshops with parents to reinforce topics at home and at the same time involve them more in their children's education. We continue working with recyclable material in the activities we carry out on the star books. In fact, for Earth Day; Many of our teachers carried out different activities to raise awareness using recyclable material. Others planted plants, took a walk to remind community residents of the importance of caring for the planet, and others made different crafts.

Most of our newly admitted children have already learned to write their names, draw lines, draw shapes, identify vowels and classify animals with the star books. Children who are in their second year are more advanced; some can already read syllables, short and long words, and short sentences. They love reading, creating stories from what they see in books, and adding and subtracting. Each of our teachers strives to give each child the necessary attention, without a doubt, his work does not go unnoticed. For example, Betzabé; she is one of our star teachers, as she is very dynamic and creative when working with her children. It impresses me that even though her community is very remote and rural, she adapts her classes to their needs; using the material that she has on hand.

Next month, we will have our second workshop of the year. We are preparing new themes for children and teachers. So we will share more information in our next report…

I want to thank everyone for their support and contribution to our program. We know that the economic situation in many countries is becoming difficult; however, there are very generous and kind-hearted people like you who share what they have with others. Thank you for helping us change the future of our children, the community where they live and the country. May God bless your generosity!

"Education helps the person to learn to be what he is capable of being" (Hesiod).

Hello everyone!
We hope that both you and your family are well. Receive a warm greeting from everyone in the program and from our children.

First I want to start by apologizing for not writing sooner. But now that education in our country has returned to normal; we are more busy in the care of our children.

This year we once again have 23 communities in which our program is supporting; and we have 22 teachers. Most of our communities managed to start classes in mid-January and others in the first week of February. Thanks to the support provided in these communities, this year we have enough children in each center.

We had our first workshop of the year with the teachers, from January 17-20. The central theme was: “ideas to start the school year”. We all bring different ideas, including some new ones; what we can do in the adaptation phase and how much to work on the different issues that are worked on at the beginning of the year. Also, we learned different ways of telling a tale or story, using objects, making a book with recyclable material, among others...

This year, we decided to implement an evaluation that is done before school starts and after the end of the school year. It is called “Bracken School Readiness Assessment”, it is a subtest that contains a series of vocabulary questions about colors, letters, numbers, concepts and geometric figures. The objective is to know how much and what they know before entering school. And in the case of children who continue with us again, knowing in which group to place them based on what they already know. Personally, it helped me a lot to know how to start this year with the new children and where to continue with last year's.

Now that we are working daily, we made several reminders that it is important to work in the ROUTINE (activity with which we started classes), such as: the calendar, the alphabet, the weather, writing the date, numbers, days of the week , months of the year, etc.

Also, we already started with the nutrition program, with the nutritious drink "CHIPUDITOS". Children and parents are very happy to receive it, since they have already verified for themselves that it does work.

Unfortunately, due to all the changes in circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, many people were affected in different fields; among them the economic situation of many changed resoundingly. For this reason, we want to ask for your support so that they continue to provide help to those who need it most. Also, sadly some of our sponsors also found it difficult to stay with us; and because of that, 6 of our teachers do not have a fixed support to continue working in their communities. Now, we are looking for ways to solve this situation. So, if it is in your possibilities to support us, we will thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Our children and their communities will be very happy to know that they will continue to receive a free and quality education.

Thank you very much to those who already do it, they really help us to change the future of children and our country.

I look forward to writing to you soon and telling you the latest on our program. Please, take care of yourselves and a hug from Guatemala to everyone…

Hello everyone,
I wish the well-being of each one. Receive a cordial greeting and a warm hug from Guatemala...

We are very happy to have finished another year successfully. Now that everything has almost completely returned to normal, the results have been positive and satisfactory.

During these last months, each teacher celebrated independence with different activities; so that the children could learn about who they are, the culture to which they belong and civility. They made posters, crafts and dances. In some communities, teachers and parents were allowed to hold a small parade, as was done in previous years. We also noticed that the ideas seen in the last workshop helped them a lot to end the year...

Some of our schools even continued to work until November and early December; due to some delays. But, most finished at the end of October and beginning of November. There is no question that our teachers worked very hard to follow the directions they were given to work effectively with the children in class. It is obvious the progress and development that was achieved in each one of them. For example, the majority of 6-year-olds who spend the next year in the first grade of primary school; They already know how to read, write, add, subtract, use logical thinking for math problems, among other things.

Our 4 and 5 year olds have developed useful skills for the following year; whether they continue in the program or at another institution. “Personally, I am impressed with the intelligence and skills that we were able to develop further with them. This year I have learned a lot from each of my children, the skill with which they do things and the time each one uses to develop their abilities; It is something that has surprised me a lot. I believe that learning is reciprocal between children and teachers.

Of course, the help of the "Parents of Family" has been essential for the development and success of our little ones. The dedication and responsibility shown, make us see the interest they have for their children. For example, they went to great lengths to help our teachers by participating in and preparing for the end of the school year. In most of the schools, everyone's participation in supporting this activity was admirable. They were very happy about their children's achievements.

Obviously, all of this would not have been possible without the help of our beloved donors. The truth is that we have no words to thank everything they do for our children and us. Thanks to your donations, we have finished another year successfully. It has been worth the sacrifice and dedication put in by all of us who make up Lest's Be Ready. Many thanks! "May God Bless your generosity and solidarity." We hope to count on your help again for the next cycle, since it is a key piece of change in the education of our children.

Once again, from all of our teachers and founder Fred Zambroski: THANK YOU!

Greetings and blessings from Guatemala…

Hello everyone!
It is a pleasure to greet you, we are very excited to continue providing support and guidance to our children despite the circumstances and the progress we have made with them.

To continue training our new teachers and remember some important issues to finish the school year, a 2-day workshop was organized with the teachers of the program. As an important part of our daily plan, we carry out the “ROUTINE”. This is a designated space during the class to review daily topics such as: the phrase of the day, the weather, attendance, numbers, the alphabet and depending on the topic of the class, a dynamic is carried out to recapitulate. Although each teacher is different, he performs these activities in his own way; but always following the same sequence of everything included in the ROUTINE.

Also, we focus on the “math concepts” that our children should know; at the end of the school year. This part was in charge of Evelyn, Lucky, Lilian, Gloria and Roselia. Very creative and dynamic teachers who have been working with us for several years. We learned simple and fun ideas made with recyclable material to teach topics such as: Origami, Unit of Measurement, Mayan Numbers, Decimal Numbers, Addition, Subtraction, Symmetry, Fraction, Coins and How the clock works.

In conclusion, we had a very dynamic and participatory workshop by all the teachers. I think it was very helpful for the newcomers, because they are learning to get out of the traditional, which they have been taught in other institutions. And we have evaluated it, by reading the activities that you have described lately in your monthly reports. The truth is, it is impressive how they manage to make their children get ahead, they are warriors.

Unfortunately, some of our schools have been left without support, due to the global situation that COVID-19 has left behind; but we trust that it will be resolved soon, thanks to the contributions that very kindly reach us. Therefore, I want to ask your noble heart to continue supporting us with your donations. I assure you that with your help you can change the future of our children. Thank you very much if you are already doing it, may God bless you and multiply your work...

Soon, I will be informing you of what we have been doing and the activities that were carried out for the country's Independence Day.

See you soon! A big hug from Guatemala...