Day 2: How our trip was almost ruined!!!

Good evening!!!

What a great day we had today.

The Best Western Biltmore Belize does an outstanding job with breakfast.  I've traveled quite a bit on these student tours and I often find myself comparing breakfasts from across the world.  I wasn't thinking that this one would stand out, but it did.  Breakfast opened for us at 6:30.  I was ready to go and headed down pretty early.  A couple of the boys were also awake and joined Mr. Bemis and I.  The buffet provided was quite the spread.  They offered your expected variety of fresh Caribbean fruits.  One could choose to add yogurt to their fruit if they chose.  For hot options, the Biltmore had a wide sampling.  There were scrambled eggs with melted cheese, pulled chicken and/or pork, and Sausage, Peppers, and Onions.  Added to those options were a couple of different sauce type choices.  One was a little spicy and had sauteed onions and the other was similar to refried beans.  Of course, there was also a potato option.  I selected all of the above.  I felt I had too.  As a chaperon, it is my solemn duty to test the foods available to the students in order to provide an accurate assessment to their taste, quality, and uniqueness.  As I was finishing, I realized the Biltmore also provided an omelette station. I might be ordering one tomorrow.

Albert had told us what to expect today.  He said we'd be taking a short driving tour through Belize City and then we'd head about an hour northwest.  Here, he informed us, we would get off of our bus and board boats.  We would travel up the New River to see some Mayan Ruins at a place called Lamanai.  He said we wouldn't be getting wet and that we should prepare for some sun and bugs.  I started thinking about what we might see and what to expect...and it hit me, I am Indiana Jones and this Mayan Ruin is my temple of Doom.

My shadow...or Indy's shadow, you decide?

A couple of the kids getting ready for the adventure!

Pondering the days adventure.

The Warrior is an excellent driver.  He's a quiet guy, but he knows the roads of Belize.  Driving through the city, we came across some pretty tight roads, but he navigated those streets without concern.  Albert narrated our tour and answered our questions.  We learned a little about Belizean Independence and their school system.  We saw the old Governor's house and a little monument on the coast memorializing a man who donated his life's fortune to repairing the city after a hurricane had hit.  We then took off to the New River.  Along the highway, Warrior came to an abrupt stop.  He backed the bus up and Albert, with a pretty excited tone, informed us that there was a Jabiru off on the fields next to the road.  The Jabiru is a stork.  It is the largest bird in North America.  At first, we couldn't see the bird, but it flew into a clearing and we could see it without obstruction.  The wingspan of the bird can grow to over 10ft.  We would have missed it if it wasn't for the Warrior's instinct.

North America's largest bird, the Jabiru.  

Albert explaining how rare the Jabiru is to see in the wild.

  When we arrived to the dock, we boarded our boats.  All of the boys and Mr. Bemis hopped onto the smaller of the two boats and the rest of us joined our guide, and Albert, on the larger boat.  We began our 45 minute cruise to the ruins and I thought I'd try out the GoPro a bit.  Here are some of the pics:

Our guide was also our captain.

Headed down the New River.

It's hard to make out, but I am soaked.  The left side of the boat got hit with waves throughout the trip.  It was hot out, so we didn't complain.

There were bats in this tree.  We scared them away.  They scared us.

We finally arrived at our destination and disembarked the boats. We carried some coolers over to a picnic area and began to have lunch.  It was home cooked chicken, beans, and rice.  We also had some really spicy salsa.  I enjoyed lunch very much, but I was too excited to see the Mayan Ruins to care about food.  We started off on our tour by walking up a small hill.  Our guide told us that this was actually the original temples.  When a new ruler took over, he would cover the old temples with fill and then build new ones.  Most of the ruins that we would be seeing were second or third generation ruins.

Selfie time!!!

As we walked through the paths and meandered around many different ruins, we kept on hearing a strange noise. It sounded like dinosaurs attacking something.  It turned out to be Howler Monkeys.  I took some photos, but the internet will not allow me to sync them to the blog...plus, they were from pretty far away.  Needless to say, they were intimidating.  We eventually reached the high temple.  This was a really cool.

The chaperons getting ready to climb the high tower.

The group before we climbed.

Mr. Bemis prepping himself for the climb

Trying to be goofy before getting serious about climbing.

Frequent readers of this blog can attest to my aversion to heights.  In Ireland, I kissed the Blarney Stone.  In Paris, I've been to the top of the Eiffel Tower.  In London, I've ridden the Eye.  I didn't really like any of those experiences, but I am not going to visit somewhere without doing what I am supposed to as a tourist.  That means climbing to the top of Mayan ruins.  The kids seemed unfazed...me, I was fazed.

View from the middle level.  Albert is waving to me.

View from the base.  Those are all Saugus kids at the top.

This video shows my epic climb to the top of the High Tower.  It should be noted that we were pretty much alone while visiting this site.  These ruins are from roughly 500 years before Christ.  Many are as old as the pyramids.  And we were there alone.  That's super cool.  Unlimited access to one of the coolest historic sights I've ever witnessed.  I've traveled the world and this was one of the most intimate historical experiences one could ask for.  While I might not really be Indiana Jones, I totally felt like him when I got to the top of the ruin.

We eventually had to return to the boats.  It had been a long day and dinner was awaiting us back at the the hotel.  That didn't mean our adventure was over.  We still had to get back to Warrior and the buses...that proved a little harder than it should.  The kids were tuckered out and the day had certainly been an exhausting one.  It was not surprising that many of them fell asleep.  They probably didn't even realize that we almost ran out of gas...even while they, individually, had.  At one point, I had to stand to one side of the boat to ensure every last drop of fuel made it to the motor.

The fuel held out and we made it back safely.  The kids are really getting the swing of things in Belize and they are making the most out of every situation.  Here are a couple of literal examples:

Here are some exhausted individuals:

Once back at the Biltmore, we prepared for dinner.  It was chicken with french fries.  The kids were pumped.  We also got some Cream of Carrot soup.  The kids were a little less pumped.  For dessert, we got chocolate cake/brownie.  The kids were pumped again.  The internet here is strange.  At times, it works great.  At other times, it struggles.  It is struggling today.  I had a whole storyline prepared in my head on the boat ride home, but technology is not letting me upload what I want where I want it.  That said, it is almost 11pm here.  The kids are in bed and we are planning on some more adventures tomorrow.  We will be caving, zip-lining, and eating!  I am hopeful our new hotel's internet will be a little stronger.  I also hope you are all enjoying this blog.  I am trying to keep up with the photos for you all too.

Good night!!!

Mr. Lavoie, spending another evening in a darkened hotel lobby. 

Day 1: I Belize it's going to be a great week!!!

We Made It!!!

The day began for most of us around 2 or 3 am.  We made sure we had all of our bags and we hopped in for a ride to Logan.  I was the first one there.  I enjoy airports, watching people come and go.  I also freak out about a couple of things and be late is one of them.  Today, I arrived around 3:30.  Shortly thereafter, students and teachers began to appear.  The automatic check-in worked for most of us and it looked like there would be no issues with traveling to Belize.  It looked it...but there was one major issue.

We have three Nicks on this trip.  That's not the issue, but the issue revolved around one of our Nicks.  In this case, Nik.  Apparently, his reservation had been terminated and he wasn't going to be able to travel.  It took a long time to get it resolved.  At one point, it looked like Nik and I were going to get a few more hours of Boston.  Eventually, a new ticket number was issued and Nik and I took off through security.  As we approached our gate, we heard thunderous applause from our fellow "Belizers."  I've experienced some travel hiccups in my day, but this was one of the closest calls I've been a part of.  Throughout the entire ordeal, Nik was pretty chill.  I was impressed with that and know that a lot of other kids would have been much more frantic.  It is not that I'd blame them, it would be really tough to go through, but being chill about things has huge advantages when one travels.

Nik slowly making his way to Gate A16.

 Our flight to Atlanta was pretty relaxing.  Most everyone slept.  I was able to catch up on some work.  I teach an online course at North Shore Community College and the two hour flight was more than enough time to correct last week's assignments.  When I bought the little Chromebook that I use for this blog, I received 12 Gogo Wireless Internet credits.  I still have eight left.  I love the idea that we can be a few thousand miles above ground traveling at incredibly fast speeds and still be able to connect with our loved ones back home.  The increase in internet technology is really one of the reasons why I started this blog.  To build connections among the students' experiences and their family and friends back home.  Checking my Facebook on today's flight, while taking quick breaks from correcting, reminded me of that as I was able to "chat" with a few parents.

We didn't hit much turbulence on our first flight and after just over two hours we had touched down in the ATL.  We had studied the terminal/concourse maps and knew exactly where to go.  We only had an hour to make our connection, so planning ahead was essential.  As it was, we made it to the gate without much issue and we began to board almost instantly.  I ran off real quick to fill my water bottle with a cool little machine near the gate.  On board, we heard an announcement stating that the flight was not booked and that there might be some empty seats around.  Quite a few of us has some extra space as our three hour flight took off.

This blog usually consists of a couple consistent elements.  One is my complaining about how tired I am (more on that later) and another is me trying to explain what I've eaten.  I've received a few comments from readers about my vivid descriptions of airplane food.  Unfortunately, we did not have meals provided on either flight.  Therefore, I will just let you know that I had a lot of junk food on the second flight.  A snickers bar, some trail mix, a granola bar, and multiple bags of free airplane pretzels.  I wasn't alone on that front and by the time we landed in Belize most of us were craving some real sustenance.

You can barely make out Belize in this photo from the air.

Our descent into Belize City was a bit bumpier than most of us were expecting.  We flew through some cloud coverage and had a couple of big drops.  I told Dan what to expect and told him it would be more fun than a roller coaster.  I think most of the kids agreed because I heard quite a bit of laughter.  Once we landed, we stepped out of the plane and walked down the staircase to the tarmac.  It is always cool to be outside when you leave a plane...makes me feel like Richard Nixon (I have no idea why Nixon, I wasn't even alive during his presidency).  We entered the security area and made it through customs.  All of us got our bags and we went to meet our Tour Director, Albert.

Cool palm tree awaiting us in Belize.

Albert introducing himself to us.

Albert seems like a great guy.  He welcomed us a with a great big smile while he helped our bus driver load our gear.  Once on the bus, he did a formal introduction and gave us a quick rundown of the day.  He also introduced us to our bus driver...a man simply called "Warrior."  Driving through Belize to a local restaurant was many of the kids first time seeing some real poverty.  While the roads look like they are under construction, it is clear that not much progress has been made recently.  There are also quite a few abandoned and rundown homes.  There were also some stray animals and impoverished looking people milling about.  I'm not telling you this to make you depressed, but instead, to bring up the reality of where we are.  The kids who noticed seemed to understand that they are very fortunate to who they are and to live where they live.  Seeing these kinds of places helps our kids grasp the concept of wealth.  I heard many of them stating that they would love to be able to help these people, or their animals.  Even still, I heard some of them saying that they wouldn't mind living here.  We know that we will see some breathtaking scenery this week, but this understated drive through Belize City might have its own impact on our kids.

Behind the fallen trees stands a small abandoned house.

Our restaurant happened to be across the street from our hotel.  It was called Cafe Sahara.  It had mostly Mediterranean foods, like kebabs and shwarma...they also had french fries.  Albert originally wanted to take us to a place that has more traditional fare, but it is only open when cruise ships are landing.  I found it funny that I was having some Greek/Turkish food while in Belize even though I'll be in Greece and Turkey next April.  The place wasn't that big, but they handled our large group fairly well.  I ordered the mixed kebab dinner.  It had chicken, steak, and ground beef kebabs.  The chicken was my favorite.  It almost tasted like BBQ. The steak, for me, came next.  Not much seasoning, but well cooked and juicy enough.  The ground beef tasted a little like meatloaf.  I ate it first so I could enjoy the other two kebabs more.  I also had some fresh hummus and fries.  Overall, I was satisfied with my meal.  The kids ordered a few gyros and a lot of fries, but many of them tried foods that they would never have tried back home.  It is the adventurous spirit of the kids that keeps me want to travel with them.  They rock.

Patiently waiting our lunch at Cafe Sahara.

After lunch, we checked into the Best Western Biltmore.  It is a nice hotel.  They have a great pool set up and everyone of us took advantage.  To me, that was one of the coolest parts of day one.  We have a lot of great kids on this trip and they might not all be the closest of friends back in Saugus...here, in Belize, however, everyone was hanging out with each other.  I only dipped my feet in the pool, but everyone else was fully committed to swimming.

A small group of us changed and headed down the street to visit a local grocery store.  We needed a couple more toiletries and some good snack foods.  The walk was short, but we got a good sense of how bad Belizean drivers are. The market was well stocked,  The sign read groceries, department store, appliances, and pharmacy.  We walked around for a little bit and collected our items.  I bought a strange looking can of drink.  It turned out to be a version of Iced Tea.  

Brodies Market

Hard to explain.  Possibly a shout out to our fellow travelers in China.

We then had dinner.  The main course for dinner was fish.  I can't remember what kind.  I think I heard some say snapper?  I wouldn't know because I don't like fish.  Always the adventurer, however, I ate every last bite.  It wasn't that bad.  Mostly everyone seemed to like it.  We also got rice and potatoes. As a huge fan of double starch, I was ecstatic to put some Belize hot sauce on both.  It really spiced up the night.  Albert joined us for dinner and gave us some insight on Belize.  Dinner was also a good chance for me to get to know a couple of travelers that I had never taught.  Fran and Emerly are juniors and I didn't teach their class as Freshman.  Chatting with them and getting to know them a bit more was great...even though Fran thought I was 50 years old. We followed the main course with Key Lime Pie.  It wasn't the best I've ever had, but I'd put it in the top three.  (I've only had Key Lime Pie three times)

Our dinner table.

After dinner, we had our first "on tour" trip meeting.  Albert highlighted our upcoming adventures and explained some things about what to wear and where we'd be.  He played a little ice breaker too.  Partly to help him get to know our names, but also to help some of the kids realize that they have more in common with each other than they might have thought.  The ice breaker allowed us to share some things that we might have an opportunity to complete while in Belize.  After our meeting broke up, we noticed we had a little friend hanging out with us.

Krissy pointing out a lizard of unusual size.

Most of us headed towards bed after our meeting, but some of the kids went out for a night swim.  It was nice hearing the laughter and splashing rising up to the second floor. It is refreshing to see kids being kids.  As chaperons on these tours, we try to embody the right frame of mind and to exude a positive attitude when things look bleak.  We can control the emotions of the kids with us...if we are having a good time, then they are more than likely having a good time.  If we are trying new foods, then they will probably try new foods.  The same effect can take place in reverse.  I didn't really get any sleep on the flights today.  That said, I was a little tired when we came to the hotel.  The kids, and other chaperons, seemed a little more refreshed than I...and I caught some of their excitement.  Tomorrow, we are visiting some Mayan ruins.  It might not be the thing the kids are most looking forward too, but I will do my best to make the history come alive for them.  Something tells me, however, that they'll be fine and won't need some 50 year old guy to make them smile.

Well, it is nearly 10:30 hear in Belize.  According to my fitbit, it is 12:30 back home.  That means we've been up for 21 hours or so.  Not too bad.  We have a 6am wake up tomorrow and another full day ahead of us.  I am struggling a bit with the wifi and it took me four different attempts to find a way to post pictures.  Tomorrow, I'm breaking out the GoPro.  I'm hopeful I will have better results.  For the newcomers, I hope you've enjoyed tonight's post.  To the veteran readers, I also hope you enjoyed following along with us.  As we begin the rest of this tour, I am fairly confident we will be doing some unbelievable things.  It's good to have you along for the ride.

Mr. Lavoie, currently thankful that someone in history invented air conditioning.

Pre-Trip Blog Post: Can You Belize It!!! It's only a day away.

It's about 6pm.

In about 12 hours, a group of Saugus High School students and teachers will embark on an adventure of a lifetime to the coastal nation of Belize.  For eight days, we will explore the rich culture, unique history, and beautiful landscape of this small Central American country.

About a year ago, I had never really given Belize much thought.  I'm sure I had seen it on a map, or perhaps in "Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?"  The nation, as a whole, is slightly smaller than our own commonwealth of Massachusetts and it received its independence in 1981...although, like Canada, it is still considered part of the British Commonwealth of Nations.  I think, the only real trivia I knew of Belize was that its official language was English.  It was at that time that I spoke to Ms. Usseglio and found out she was planning this trip.  I was immediately excited.

All of the educational tours, that I had been on, were trips to Europe.  I love Europe...but this was something new.  The itinerary for this trip is amazing.  We are doing some unbelievable things, but one of them in particular really piqued my interest.  Ever since I was in 5th grade, I have been infatuated with sharks.  I read "Jaws" that summer and couldn't stop learning about them.  Once I saw that we would be able to swim with Nurse sharks on this trip, I knew I had to sign on.

It's been a long year.  The time in my classroom has flown by, but the routine of daily life in Saugus has crept on.  We've had an historic winter and, I personally, have had some rough times.  That aside, I am looking forward to this trip in a way that my European adventures cannot compare too.  This trip happens outside of the normal school schedule.  I will not have to return to Saugus High and correct papers.  I will be able to relax a little bit.

Tomorrow morning, we will board a plane and begin our journey.  Our first stop is Atlanta, but we still land in Belize in the morning.  It should be a long and exhausting day, but it is totally going to be worth it.  When we touch down, we will be one of three groups of Saugus High School students out in the world.  Saugus High School will be represented in three very different countries in three very different parts of the world.  When we first started student travel, I never dreamed we'd see a day like this.  Students are volunteering their time in Malawi, Africa and others are in Asia exploring all that China has to offer.  This school year, we've had nearly 100 kids in a total of 10 different nations.  The critics of our school system, and of our town, can say what they want, but it is clear that we are doing something right.

For those new to this blog, I welcome you.  I hope that you find it enjoyable.  There are a couple of things you should note.  Blog updates usually occur at the end of our days.  That means you will usually wake up to updates.  I am usually the last one awake at our hotels.  I wait until Internet traffic has died down and then I post.  The posts will almost always include pictures.  I take a bunch and post some select ones.  I try to post the others on Facebook.  All of this, however, is dependent on the internet connections.  Another thing of note, is that my philosophic self emerges when I write.  I look for connections.  While I provide a recap of the things we see, I tell the story from how I see it.  There are usually allusions to my past and my thoughts of the future.  I can get deep sometimes.  A while back I started to change the way I look at the world and it has made a huge difference for me.  This comes out in the blog.  As we travel, I encourage you to post comments or to shoot me an email.  My school email address is rlavoie@saugus.k12.ma.us.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy this upcoming week.  I know we will.

Mr. Lavoie, currently wrapping up his packing and preparing to get an early night's sleep...like all of the kids should be doing.

P.s. You can read along with the other school trips by checking out the following blogs:

Malawi, Africa: https://emvinmalawi2015.wordpress.com/

China Trip: http://mleeengtchr.weebly.com/

Day 3: The Old and the New. Our final day.

It's about 11:30pm and we've just returned from the Baltimore Orioles game against the Boston Red Sox.  The final score wasn't what we were looking for, but the Sox made a game out of it.  I've always appreciated Camden Yards and the City of Baltimore.  It's been in the news an awful lot recently, but the city has earned its nickname "Charm City" in my book.  One of the reasons I like Baltimore is their Inner Harbor.  It is strikingly similar to Faneuil Hall, and Boston, in many ways.  One is old, authentic, and truly historic.  The other is much newer and much more planned out.  I imagine that Baltimore City Planners probably looked at Boston while developing their modern city.

In many ways, this trip has reminded me of the comparisons that exist between Old and New.  Its Thursday night.  Tomorrow, the Belmonte Middle School's Class of 2015 will depart home and in a few short days, they will literally move on.  This trip is a bonding moment between them.  Some will attend the Voke, some Austin Prep, and others might find themselves sitting in front of me at Saugus High School in September.  A week ago, I was attending the high school's After Prom Party.  It was an all night affair within the walls of their high school.  It was their final bonding moment before Graduation.  They have also moved on.

By the time most of you are reading this, we will be on our way home, but you should know that this group of Belmonte students have impressed me.  I had expectations and they've totally surpassed them.  I am excited to think that some of them will find their way into Saugus High School next year.  Today, was another great day.  It was way hotter than I am comfortable with, but the kids didn't really let the heat get them down.  The day began at our hotel and with a breakfast without issue.  I was really surprised to see how much bacon an typical 8th grade boy is comfortable eating...many plates were piled high.  I was a little jealous, but settled for a more modest portion for myself.  We boarded our bus after eating and took off for the city.  The group split into two.  Our destinations were the same, but we reversed the order.  Some of us went to Souvenir City and others went to see the Martin Luther King, Jr. and Franklin Delano Roosevelt memorials.  Carole explained the significance of each portion of the memorials and quizzed the kids throughout the walk.  They passed her examination.  Our journey then took us to Souvenir City and the kids shuffled through buying memorabelia for themselves, family, and friends.  I'd share some of their purchases with you, but I don't want to ruin any surprises.

Through a mountain of turmoil...

...comes a stone of hope.

The MLK, Jr. Memorial.

The beginning of the FDR memorial.

Roosevelt's memorial is a mix of flowing water and still water.  It is really a comfortable and welcoming place.

 The two groups then converged again and made our way to the Capital Building.  There, we met the photographers.  This was a well oiled machine.  They lined the kids up by height.  They placed us Chaperons on the top step.  They then moved the kids into position. It was sweltering, but they told us to take off our hats and sunglasses.  The process took about 2 minutes, but it felt much longer under the hot Washington sun.  Finally, they explained that our pictures were done.  We were free.  Shortly after our picture was taken, I found myself on Facebook.  Whether inspired by this trip, or nostalgic about her past, my aunt had posted a picture of her class trip to Washington DC in 1967.  It was a different time as showcased by the styles, but it also made me think about how our modern experiences are molded by those of the past.

My Aunt's class, in 1967, on their Washngton Trip

Almost all of our kids lined up ready to take their class photo in 2015.

 Our next stop was the Air and Space musuem.  Many of the kids were excited to eat lunch.  Our option was McDonalds, but it was no ordinary McDonalds.  It was huge.  There were hundreds of people in over 25 lines.  The process took only a couple of minutes and we were eating.  The kids all had different exhibits and museums that were their favorite.  I didn't take a ton of pictures because I knew it was a long day and I was conserving battery power for the game.  At Air and Space, I saw new technologies mixed with old.  The change and continuity theme resonating even more.  The trend continued at the Museum of American History.  I walked through one exhibit that showed the growth and change of Ipswich, Mass from colonization through today.  It was so far from home, but it was right in front of me.  The changes, over time, that impact us is a common theme that we discuss in history class and this trip showcased so many examples of it.  I walked down the side of the National Mall today.  I tried to take it all in.  The beauty of it.

The city of Washington, itself, embodies this theme that I kept thinking of today.  There are new museums and there are old ones.  The traditionalists scoff at the technology-based kid friendly exhibits while hundrends of people slowly pass by the more typical displays without much acknowledgment.  In the Native American Museum, the theme is represented in a single exhibit that shows the relationship between Natives and non-Natives.  It is everywhere.  I looked to the city and started remembering how it was built and why it looks the way it does.  Our Founding Fathers were all students of history.  As they constructed a new idea on government, they looked to the past to build it.  They wanted to create a Republic based on Democratic ideals.  They studied the ancient Romans.  They studied the Ancient Greeks.  They didn't take directly from these peoples of antiquity, they modified those old ideas and built something new.  I carry around a pocket constitution whenever I travel.  I usually put a few dollars inside it (another National Treasure reference).  I don't do it because I am a total history geek...ok, that's part of the reason, I do it as a symbol of how much I value the ideas of those men.  They put their differences aside and created something new out of something old.  We could debate their problems, issues, and hypocrisies, for hours...but that's not the point.

Next April, Saugus High School is traveling to Rome and Athens.  I am, without a doubt, going to be referencing this most recent visit to DC on that trip's blog.  Who knows, perhaps some of the kids on this trip will be with me again as we walk through the Imperial Forum in Rome or walk through the Acropolis of Athens.  I've taken Freshman on nearly every foreign trip I've gone on and with the attitudes and respectfulness I've seen this week, I'd have no issues extending the invite to these kids. (Parents can email me for details if they'd like rlavoie@saugus.k12.ma.us)  This idea that we can learn from the past...that we learn while traveling.  It is something that is as true today as it was when Mark Twain first wrote it.

Recreation of the Original Star Spangled Banner in front of the American History museum

Air and Space: A space rocket.

150 years ago, roughly, the capital dome was being constructed.

Our visits to the museums concluded around 4:30pm and we boarded our buses to head towards Baltimore.  There was a bit of traffic, but overall, we made good time.  We were seated in Section 370-372.  The park was pretty empty.  I won't go through a gameday recap, but I will tell you that the good guys made it interesting at the end, but it just wasnt't their day.  At one point, I was walking on the concourse and I came across two of our students, not on my bus.  We chatted briefly and I asked them if they thought they'd be attending SHS.  They said they were.  The two boys began asking me a ton of questions about what high school was like.  I could tell, without them admitting it, that they were a little nervous about the idea.  I answered their questions and we went to enjoy the rest of the game, but the conversation stuck with me.  One of the boys is the son of someone I went to school with and the other was the younger brother of a student I had two years ago.  They seemed like really nice kids and if that conversation helps put them at ease a bit before they show up in the WD-wing, then I suppose having me on this tour makes some sense.  It truly has been a pleasure and although I'm always happy to return home from a great trip, I think I could handle a few more days with these kids.  To conclude tonight, I am simply going to post some pictures I took from the game.

Right before the game.

Beautiful Camden Yards

Mr. Engler had the entire section cheering his name...it was probably heard on NESN

I was able to sit with my brother and nephew.  My Facebook friends are unaware that I have an app on my phone that superimposes pictures on top of other images...making it look like I got on the Jumbo-tron...I did not.

Writing this blog is something that I really enjoy doing.  I love to read the comments and truly take to heart the feedback I'm provided.  I apologize for any spelling and/or grammar errors you might have noticed, but my excuse is that I am usually working on minimal sleep when these are composed.  With that said, I am wrapping this one up.  I've truly enjoyed the past few days and building relationships with these kids.

To the parents of future Saugus High School students, I wanted to share a brief note with you...

This town always seems to be struggling with money issues and that can have an advserse effect on the public profile of our schools.  As many of you have seen over the years, your kids are surrounded by dedicated and passionate teachers.  They work extra hard given the constraints put upon them by financial concerns that are out of their hands.  We do it because your kids deserve it.  We believe in them...We know they will find success in all of their endeavors and we strive to help them achieve their dreams.  This week has allowed me to witness, first hand, the ability and dedication of our middle school staff.  Their efforts this week personify what I am talking about.  When your kids get to SHS, please continue to be involved.  Get to know their teachers.  I think you'll find that they are also great educators who care deeply for the well being of their students.  And even if your kids are never enrolled in one of my classes, please feel free to come say hi.  We can change our town and protect the interest of our kids if we work together.  The old ideas surrounding public education in Saugus must be replaced with new ones.  I hope you'll be part of this process...I know I will.

Thanks for reading...and you really like following the exploits of traveling Saugus kids, please check back in just over 2 weeks as we will be having the adventure of a lifetime in the country of Belize!!!