BajaBlanca - 7-29-2018 at 02:03 PM
I decided to get a head start on the 2019 scholarship group by offering summer English classes...the teens are refreshed and relaxed, no other hw to
do and I am getting to know them really well.
Any current college students who happened to be in town and were NOT working at a job, also were required to join in.
I started out holding the classes under the palapa at the back of the bnb, here are 5 of the 10 new candidates. This means they are heading into
their senior year holding a "A" GPA. This does not guarantee that they will be as good in college but it is a good indicator of a striver. They
have classes three times a week and I cover gas for those 3 that drive over from Punta Abreojos.
On Tues. and Thurs. I have my advanced students and we do class at the little front garden at our house. One of my favorite spots in the world since
all my special plants seem to be there!
One day I had the brilliant idea of setting up the front porch that faces the ocean to be my new classroom! It has been great since I don't have to
leave the house:
Here I am handing 200 pesos gas money to Punta Abreojos gang:
Well, since I am already thinking of Christmas and how it is about this time of the year that I start getting organized, I have asked the teens to
help decorate the bags I bought to use as gift wrap for smaller items. I am really pleased with how these came out!
This has been a wonderful summer and I am really enjoying the interaction with the seniors and the older college students.
I am really going to need an inordinate amount of notebooks, pens, pencils this xmas so if anyone is heading south and can drop them off in TJ (now
have a student there) or at the restaurant right at the exit to Punta Abreojos or in La Paz, PLEASE DO so.
[Edited on 8-3-2018 by BajaBlanca]
BajaBlanca - 7-29-2018 at 02:05 PM
Here are three ladies with donated notebooks - one returns to college, one starts college and the third does off to beauty school. Guess I will be
extra bee you tee full in a couple years when she graduates LOL
jbcoug - 7-29-2018 at 03:00 PM
Amazing work Blanca, thank you! Sorry I didn’t make a trip this year. I should be back in Feb. and will definitley bring goodies! In the meantime,
is there a good e-mail for paypal?
BajaBlanca - 7-29-2018 at 09:08 PM
portella.blanca@gmail.com is the paypal email but there is an online bank to bank system called ZELLE that is easy to use as well, and the same email
works for it.
muchissimas gracias 
[Edited on 7-30-2018 by BajaBlanca]
David K - 7-29-2018 at 09:33 PM
If I were a teenager again, I sure would like to go to your school!!!
BajaBlanca - 7-30-2018 at 07:26 AM
We laugh a lot! I have such a fun system for teaching language - it is a mixture of all the methods I myself have learned all my languages by.
Of course, I speak English because I was born in the States. I speak Portuguese because it was my first language and I lived in Brazil for 18 years
all together. I studied French for 3 years in high school. I studied Latin with a friend in high school. I studied Norwegian and Russian in
college. Before we went on vacation in Italy, a couple years ago, I studied Italian online and it really helped when we were there. I can understand
but not speak Polish since Les and I spend months at a time in Poland with his family who speak not one word of English. Spanish is now on the list
since we have lived here for 12 years now.
We are going to Thailand in January so I am dabbling in Thai but without someone to test my tones (it is a tone language), I gave up. No way do I
want to learn it wrong!
The secret to speaking a new language quickly is to just do it. It doesn't matter if it is right or not. Eventually, the brain manages to correct
the grammar by itself if you are fearless in practicing. What an amazing thing the brain is!
BajaBlanca - 8-2-2018 at 08:43 PM
Amigos, this was an incredible day. Remember I mentioned that I need an inordinate amount of notebooks ? I have added another straight A student,
so we are now up to 11 students who will head off to college next August 2019.
Come xmastime, I ideally will give all the students enough notebooks to cover their year.
God heard my plea and already sent the first Santa's he!per!
A good friend who is a doctor in TJ showed up by surprise today:
Doc Cirilo and his wife stayed for lunch and we had lots of laughs.
I am very happy and grateful.
