Farewell Ms. Wever
A Letter to the Departing Teachers
Dear Beloved Teachers,
Goodbyes are never easy, even at an ever-changing school like Maya. And now we must say bye to those who brought us to where we are now. Whether it’s been 1 year or 30, you will be greatly missed by all.
You, as teachers, see us more than our own parents do—watching and changing with us. Most of you have been with us since before we could tie our shoes and now you’re with us as we take rigorous AP exams in preparation for college, enter Google Science Fairs, and perform in national theaters. We owe all of our accomplishments to you.
All that there is to say is thank you. Thank you for keeping everything so organized and encouraging us to do the same. Thank you for making the most boring and dull tasks enjoyable. Thank you for your infectious passion and encouragement. Thank you for sacrificing so much of your time for us. The list could go on and on. There simply isn’t enough space to tell how grateful we are.
The memories made in the classrooms are some of the fondest ones we will cherish. Who could forget Ms. Ferguson’s honesty and friendship? She didn’t have students, she had “little friends” who she loved truly and equally. Her carefree attitude was incredibly infectious. You could always count on Ms. Ferguson for an honest opinion and a laugh whenever you’re down. Who could forget the conversations we had with Mrs.Yerkes during gaps in class. The conversation topics ranged from wedding plans, to “freshness”, to stress, to past memories, etc. For just a few minutes she is not our teacher, but our friend. Who could forget Ms. Gardner’s perfectionism. She always knew what had to be done and would do anything to get there. Every student that walked into her class walked out with at least ten new things learned that day. Who could forget Ms. Wever’s humor. Social studies is not always the most interesting subject, but such was never the case with her. Ms. Wever’s purposeful mispronunciation of complicated names and her silly tone during test corrections, “B” high tone and “D” low tone, always made us giggle. Who could forget Ms. Lyttle’s devotion and patience—pausing in the middle of a song to make sure that no one was left behind. Her colorful “beat” cards and the numerous clapping and counting to get all the “and’s” correct. As she would say,“It’s all about the ands!”
Every teacher has a unique style, and it is clearly appreciated by all of us. You all truly know what it means to have “caught the spirit”, and you serve as an inspiration to all of us who haven’t quite figured it out yet. We hope you carry this “spirit” wherever you go and we know that whoever receives you is lucky.
Even though Maya is constantly changing, people are not easily forgotten. Your mark has been made here, and it will remain.
Sincerely,
Colegio Maya
Goodbyes are never easy, even at an ever-changing school like Maya. And now we must say bye to those who brought us to where we are now. Whether it’s been 1 year or 30, you will be greatly missed by all.
You, as teachers, see us more than our own parents do—watching and changing with us. Most of you have been with us since before we could tie our shoes and now you’re with us as we take rigorous AP exams in preparation for college, enter Google Science Fairs, and perform in national theaters. We owe all of our accomplishments to you.
All that there is to say is thank you. Thank you for keeping everything so organized and encouraging us to do the same. Thank you for making the most boring and dull tasks enjoyable. Thank you for your infectious passion and encouragement. Thank you for sacrificing so much of your time for us. The list could go on and on. There simply isn’t enough space to tell how grateful we are.
The memories made in the classrooms are some of the fondest ones we will cherish. Who could forget Ms. Ferguson’s honesty and friendship? She didn’t have students, she had “little friends” who she loved truly and equally. Her carefree attitude was incredibly infectious. You could always count on Ms. Ferguson for an honest opinion and a laugh whenever you’re down. Who could forget the conversations we had with Mrs.Yerkes during gaps in class. The conversation topics ranged from wedding plans, to “freshness”, to stress, to past memories, etc. For just a few minutes she is not our teacher, but our friend. Who could forget Ms. Gardner’s perfectionism. She always knew what had to be done and would do anything to get there. Every student that walked into her class walked out with at least ten new things learned that day. Who could forget Ms. Wever’s humor. Social studies is not always the most interesting subject, but such was never the case with her. Ms. Wever’s purposeful mispronunciation of complicated names and her silly tone during test corrections, “B” high tone and “D” low tone, always made us giggle. Who could forget Ms. Lyttle’s devotion and patience—pausing in the middle of a song to make sure that no one was left behind. Her colorful “beat” cards and the numerous clapping and counting to get all the “and’s” correct. As she would say,“It’s all about the ands!”
Every teacher has a unique style, and it is clearly appreciated by all of us. You all truly know what it means to have “caught the spirit”, and you serve as an inspiration to all of us who haven’t quite figured it out yet. We hope you carry this “spirit” wherever you go and we know that whoever receives you is lucky.
Even though Maya is constantly changing, people are not easily forgotten. Your mark has been made here, and it will remain.
Sincerely,
Colegio Maya
The "Snack Shack"
Daily quotes about fitness and healthy eating in the Daily Bulletin is what most students associate the “Wellness Committee” with. But that’s about to change. Starting tomorrow CM’s Wellness Committee is going to be bringing a new, affordable, and delicious alternative to the daily food service at the cafeteria. Located in the PAFA lobby, the Snack Shack’s mission is to provide students with food options that boost your brain performance and ultimately your academic performance; “food to fuel your mind,” is the Shack’s motto. For the past few months, the cafeteria has been generating quite a lot of negative student, teacher, and parent feedback regarding the quality of the food offered, the nutritional value of said foods, and the expensive prices. The Wellness Committee started to take note of these complaints and wanted to take action. Of course they could not simply do away with the cafeteria—so instead they decided to create a bit of competition. In hopes of giving students affordable, healthy, and delicious snack options as well as to encourage the cafeteria to start improving their services. They are planning to sell products such as vegetable and hummus combos, fruit cups, turkey wraps, smoothies, Martinelli's sparkling cider, and lunch combos that include a little bit of all the aforementioned things. (All at incredibly affordable prices—which range from 5Q-35Q—no more.) So without further do, check out the Snack Shack’s grand opening tomorrow during lunch, a decision that I guarantee you won’t regret.
Missing Microwaves
We’re guessing you all have noticed the absence of a necessity in the Secondary building. The microwaves are missing. “Where have they gone?” is the question that even we were asking.
The Secondary lobby microwaves were used on a regular basis, even more so than the ones in the cafeteria, serving as a more efficient and convenient way to heat up our food. Because many of us have activities at lunch including, NHS/STUCO meetings, Knowledge Bowl, homework, studying, and meetings with teachers, these microwaves helped us be where we needed to be on time.
Sources tell us that they were moved to the cafeteria because students were reported to have been leaving remnants of their lunch (ie. containers, ziplocs, plastic bags, etc.) around the building. But from what we have seen, what is left behind are cafeteria trays, plates, and silverware, which has no correlation with the Secondary microwaves whatsoever. We admit that once in a while items are left around the area, but we also don’t think that the removal of the microwaves will not stop the students from eating in the Secondary building. Regardless of where the microwaves are, students have to be in Secondary frequently during lunch time, and all the transfer of the microwaves does is prolong the time that it takes students to get where they need to go. Clearly, it’s not an effective use of time.
So let’s do our part. In order to potentially restore the presence of microwaves in Secondary, make sure to return all cafeteria items to their designated place after you use them and pick up after yourselves when you’re finished eating. Hopefully it will only be a matter of time before our beloved microwaves are returned to their rightful places.
The Secondary lobby microwaves were used on a regular basis, even more so than the ones in the cafeteria, serving as a more efficient and convenient way to heat up our food. Because many of us have activities at lunch including, NHS/STUCO meetings, Knowledge Bowl, homework, studying, and meetings with teachers, these microwaves helped us be where we needed to be on time.
Sources tell us that they were moved to the cafeteria because students were reported to have been leaving remnants of their lunch (ie. containers, ziplocs, plastic bags, etc.) around the building. But from what we have seen, what is left behind are cafeteria trays, plates, and silverware, which has no correlation with the Secondary microwaves whatsoever. We admit that once in a while items are left around the area, but we also don’t think that the removal of the microwaves will not stop the students from eating in the Secondary building. Regardless of where the microwaves are, students have to be in Secondary frequently during lunch time, and all the transfer of the microwaves does is prolong the time that it takes students to get where they need to go. Clearly, it’s not an effective use of time.
So let’s do our part. In order to potentially restore the presence of microwaves in Secondary, make sure to return all cafeteria items to their designated place after you use them and pick up after yourselves when you’re finished eating. Hopefully it will only be a matter of time before our beloved microwaves are returned to their rightful places.
The Projects
Life is about balance, giving and receiving. Too often in our day-to-day lives we forget about the importance of giving back. We are too caught up in our own selfishness to realize that there are thousands of others whose needs far surpass our own.
At Colegio Maya, students are required to complete several hours of community service in order to graduate. This small act instills values of generosity and humility into students, which in the end are carried far beyond high school.
Each high school grade is fortunate enough to be able to choose which project they donate their time and resources to throughout the course of the school year as well as their span of high school education.
Here are the current projects:
Freshmen-Habitat for Humanity
Being new in high school, the Freshmen have started their community service endeavors by taking on projects with the organization, Habitat for Humanity. Habitat for Humanity is similar to “Techo para mi pais,” another well known humanitarian organization; however, Habitat for Humanity stresses interaction with the families who are being helped as well as the building of houses.
The Freshmen have commented that they work very efficiently together and because of this have been able accomplish a lot. They have assisted with the building of houses for families and have also provided these families with food and other necessities.
They hope to continue working with Habitat throughout their high school careers.
Sophomores-Flexible Helpers
The sophomores, while not having a set project, have dabbled in a variety of helpful undertakings. This year they have worked with both Habitat for Humanity and the Mama Carmen orphanage.
With Habitat for Humanity they helped with the construction of two houses in the more rural areas of Guatemala City. They did everything from making cement, to transporting it, to laying foundation, to flooring. And although the work was strenuous and challenging, they persevered and managed to successfully contribute to the construction of two stable houses.
At our school, they hosted the children from the Mama Carmen orphanage. They played games, decorated cookies, and watched Elf. Earlier this year, the sophomores held a school wide drive collecting supplies—mainly geared towards infants and small children.
Juniors-Elizabeth Recinos Public School in Fraijanes
For the past two school years, the juniors have dedicated their attention towards this establishment. Working with both the students as well as the physical establishment, the class has been able to be of great assistance.
During their sophomore year, they started two tasks. First, to provide sustainable resources such as paintings of maps and playground games for the student’s regular use, and secondly, their main focus, to create a media center with ample materials to improve the quality and accessibility of their education and resources. They held a school wide media drive at Colegio Maya, collecting books, furniture, board games, and anything else that could be of use in the school.
This year the students’ goals have shifted to interacting with the children as well as the continuation of brightening up their campus with inspirational murals. They hope to continue working with the Elizabeth Recinos school into their senior year.
Seniors-Escuelita los Bordos in Fraijanes
For the past four years, the Seniors have remained with their project in Escuelita los Bordos. This establishment is made up of 50 to 60 children, from grades 1 to 6, under one classroom. Knowing this, the Seniors decided to construct a classroom made from environmentally friendly “eco-bricks” (bottles stuffed tightly with trash or sand). Five thousand bottles in total are needed, and they currently have two thousand. In order to increase productivity, even the students attending this small school have helped stuffing numerous bottles.
Apart from constructing a classroom from scratch, they also interact with the children, whom they adore. They have visited Colegio Maya to enjoy the facilities that this school offers, as well as the zoo which they enjoyed.
This project being the most ambitious of all, it is probably not going to be finished by the end of the school year. Concerned about this, the class of 2014 urges others to take over the project as they depart.
"...we should be remembered for the things we do. The things we do are the most important things of all. They are more important than what we say or what we look like. The things we do outlast our mortality. The things we do are like monuments that people build to honor heroes after they've died. They're like the pyramids that the Egyptians built to honor the memories people have of you. That's why your deeds are like your monuments. Built with memories instead of with stone." -R.J. Palacio
At Colegio Maya, students are required to complete several hours of community service in order to graduate. This small act instills values of generosity and humility into students, which in the end are carried far beyond high school.
Each high school grade is fortunate enough to be able to choose which project they donate their time and resources to throughout the course of the school year as well as their span of high school education.
Here are the current projects:
Freshmen-Habitat for Humanity
Being new in high school, the Freshmen have started their community service endeavors by taking on projects with the organization, Habitat for Humanity. Habitat for Humanity is similar to “Techo para mi pais,” another well known humanitarian organization; however, Habitat for Humanity stresses interaction with the families who are being helped as well as the building of houses.
The Freshmen have commented that they work very efficiently together and because of this have been able accomplish a lot. They have assisted with the building of houses for families and have also provided these families with food and other necessities.
They hope to continue working with Habitat throughout their high school careers.
Sophomores-Flexible Helpers
The sophomores, while not having a set project, have dabbled in a variety of helpful undertakings. This year they have worked with both Habitat for Humanity and the Mama Carmen orphanage.
With Habitat for Humanity they helped with the construction of two houses in the more rural areas of Guatemala City. They did everything from making cement, to transporting it, to laying foundation, to flooring. And although the work was strenuous and challenging, they persevered and managed to successfully contribute to the construction of two stable houses.
At our school, they hosted the children from the Mama Carmen orphanage. They played games, decorated cookies, and watched Elf. Earlier this year, the sophomores held a school wide drive collecting supplies—mainly geared towards infants and small children.
Juniors-Elizabeth Recinos Public School in Fraijanes
For the past two school years, the juniors have dedicated their attention towards this establishment. Working with both the students as well as the physical establishment, the class has been able to be of great assistance.
During their sophomore year, they started two tasks. First, to provide sustainable resources such as paintings of maps and playground games for the student’s regular use, and secondly, their main focus, to create a media center with ample materials to improve the quality and accessibility of their education and resources. They held a school wide media drive at Colegio Maya, collecting books, furniture, board games, and anything else that could be of use in the school.
This year the students’ goals have shifted to interacting with the children as well as the continuation of brightening up their campus with inspirational murals. They hope to continue working with the Elizabeth Recinos school into their senior year.
Seniors-Escuelita los Bordos in Fraijanes
For the past four years, the Seniors have remained with their project in Escuelita los Bordos. This establishment is made up of 50 to 60 children, from grades 1 to 6, under one classroom. Knowing this, the Seniors decided to construct a classroom made from environmentally friendly “eco-bricks” (bottles stuffed tightly with trash or sand). Five thousand bottles in total are needed, and they currently have two thousand. In order to increase productivity, even the students attending this small school have helped stuffing numerous bottles.
Apart from constructing a classroom from scratch, they also interact with the children, whom they adore. They have visited Colegio Maya to enjoy the facilities that this school offers, as well as the zoo which they enjoyed.
This project being the most ambitious of all, it is probably not going to be finished by the end of the school year. Concerned about this, the class of 2014 urges others to take over the project as they depart.
"...we should be remembered for the things we do. The things we do are the most important things of all. They are more important than what we say or what we look like. The things we do outlast our mortality. The things we do are like monuments that people build to honor heroes after they've died. They're like the pyramids that the Egyptians built to honor the memories people have of you. That's why your deeds are like your monuments. Built with memories instead of with stone." -R.J. Palacio
Staff Profiles
In honor of the National School Newspaper Week, here’s a little bit about the brains behind the Maya Gazette.
Why You Should Pick Up a Book Right Now
“Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.” - Maya Angelou
February at Colegio Maya is known as “I Love to Read Month.” For one month out of the year students are encouraged to read more books and develop a new appreciation for reading in general. Through the book fair, reading buddies, author visits, and reading logs the school hopes to instill the importance and a love for reading in the students.
Now that we’re older, reading is not placed as a priority in our lives. Elementary students are given more opportunities to read for pleasure and “I Love to Read Month” is geared more towards them than us, Middle and High Schoolers. But, with that said, we don’t think that you should have to have an incentive in order to read. When you’re young, it’s okay to get a prize or two for the minutes spent with your nose in a book, but in the end, you shouldn’t need an incentive to read.
You should read because it will open your mind to new ideas. You should read because it helps you discover things you never knew about yourself. You should read because it gives your mind a place to run free and dream. You should read because we swear that it will be life changing.
While we think that this tradition is a wonderful way to motivate us to start reading more often we believe that reading should not be limited to this month of February, but rather be celebrated all year long. Regardless of what you’re going to do with your life, how old you are, or what your favorite genre is, reading will always be an important part of who you are.The importance of reading is not stressed nearly enough as we get older. Our days are clouded with homework, after school activities, and distracting social media, and the simplicity of reading a good book is forgotten.
Because of the reading done in schools, students sometimes get negative impressions about the act of reading in general. But it shouldn’t be so. There are so many amazing books out there, and there’s bound to be one that you like, if you only take the time to find them. Don’t shy away just because you had a subpar English teacher who made you read boring and meaningless books. And don’t ever forget the power of a good book.
“Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination, and the journey. They are home.” - Anna Quindlen, How Reading Changed My Life
*We leave you with even more wonderful quotes to motivate you to start reading!
February at Colegio Maya is known as “I Love to Read Month.” For one month out of the year students are encouraged to read more books and develop a new appreciation for reading in general. Through the book fair, reading buddies, author visits, and reading logs the school hopes to instill the importance and a love for reading in the students.
Now that we’re older, reading is not placed as a priority in our lives. Elementary students are given more opportunities to read for pleasure and “I Love to Read Month” is geared more towards them than us, Middle and High Schoolers. But, with that said, we don’t think that you should have to have an incentive in order to read. When you’re young, it’s okay to get a prize or two for the minutes spent with your nose in a book, but in the end, you shouldn’t need an incentive to read.
You should read because it will open your mind to new ideas. You should read because it helps you discover things you never knew about yourself. You should read because it gives your mind a place to run free and dream. You should read because we swear that it will be life changing.
While we think that this tradition is a wonderful way to motivate us to start reading more often we believe that reading should not be limited to this month of February, but rather be celebrated all year long. Regardless of what you’re going to do with your life, how old you are, or what your favorite genre is, reading will always be an important part of who you are.The importance of reading is not stressed nearly enough as we get older. Our days are clouded with homework, after school activities, and distracting social media, and the simplicity of reading a good book is forgotten.
Because of the reading done in schools, students sometimes get negative impressions about the act of reading in general. But it shouldn’t be so. There are so many amazing books out there, and there’s bound to be one that you like, if you only take the time to find them. Don’t shy away just because you had a subpar English teacher who made you read boring and meaningless books. And don’t ever forget the power of a good book.
“Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination, and the journey. They are home.” - Anna Quindlen, How Reading Changed My Life
*We leave you with even more wonderful quotes to motivate you to start reading!
PAFA Pandemonium
What’s that sound in the theatre? We’re sure you guys have all heard it. To some it sounds like an elephant marching through the Sahara, to others it sounds like the soundtrack from Saw.
Earlier this month, our staff sat in the PAFA, eyes closed, trying to put an image to this raucous. After much contemplation we concluded that it most resembled the scene of a crime. To be more exact, multiple crimes. The murderers are decked out in rubber boots and their movements solely include skipping and an occasional hopping spree. The murder weapons consist of large saws and axes. After the murder, the bodies are dragged off into nothingness. In order to disprove this horrifying theory, our team set out on an investigative journey to find the source of this mysterious mayhem.
Onto the PAFA roof we ventured, bringing nothing but our courage and our determination. The journey was rough and the sun was hot, but that did not stop our quest. Our quest for answers, our quest for you.
After numerous climbing of ladders, squeezing through tight spaces, and having to encounter several rather small statured men we made it to our destination and found what we were looking for. As you know, the PAFA has experienced leakage for quite some time. Last school year, an architect visited and informed us that in order to control this water problem and improve sound quality, the only option was to redesign the roof of the PAFA. There were two options: remove the roof entirely over the summer (during the rainy season) and force us to empty the contents of the building as a whole OR build a new roof over the existing one.
Option two was most convenient and it is what the theatre is currently undergoing. How long will it take? No one knows, not even the small statured men on the roof, who work day after day in dire conditions. When we asked them when they expected to finish, all they could tell us was that they had a long way to go, but that they would persevere.
This structural change, however, has come at rather inconvenient time with the PAFA being in high demand. But, hopes for the future are high. Drama director, Ms. Lisa LoPresti, recently released a statement saying that, “as annoying as it may be, the end product will most definitely compensate for our months of irritation.”
From atop the PAFA roof, this is the Maya Gazette staff, signing off.
Earlier this month, our staff sat in the PAFA, eyes closed, trying to put an image to this raucous. After much contemplation we concluded that it most resembled the scene of a crime. To be more exact, multiple crimes. The murderers are decked out in rubber boots and their movements solely include skipping and an occasional hopping spree. The murder weapons consist of large saws and axes. After the murder, the bodies are dragged off into nothingness. In order to disprove this horrifying theory, our team set out on an investigative journey to find the source of this mysterious mayhem.
Onto the PAFA roof we ventured, bringing nothing but our courage and our determination. The journey was rough and the sun was hot, but that did not stop our quest. Our quest for answers, our quest for you.
After numerous climbing of ladders, squeezing through tight spaces, and having to encounter several rather small statured men we made it to our destination and found what we were looking for. As you know, the PAFA has experienced leakage for quite some time. Last school year, an architect visited and informed us that in order to control this water problem and improve sound quality, the only option was to redesign the roof of the PAFA. There were two options: remove the roof entirely over the summer (during the rainy season) and force us to empty the contents of the building as a whole OR build a new roof over the existing one.
Option two was most convenient and it is what the theatre is currently undergoing. How long will it take? No one knows, not even the small statured men on the roof, who work day after day in dire conditions. When we asked them when they expected to finish, all they could tell us was that they had a long way to go, but that they would persevere.
This structural change, however, has come at rather inconvenient time with the PAFA being in high demand. But, hopes for the future are high. Drama director, Ms. Lisa LoPresti, recently released a statement saying that, “as annoying as it may be, the end product will most definitely compensate for our months of irritation.”
From atop the PAFA roof, this is the Maya Gazette staff, signing off.