Off They Go! February 15, 2009

We have our pen pal letters sealed and ready to be shipped off to Fiji to our 68 Fifth and Sixth Grade counterparts at Wairiki Primary. My Fijian colleague, Cathy McGoon, will distribute the pen pal letters and arrange for the return of the responses. All of the shipping arrangements have been made courtesy of Viewpoint’s Shipping and Receiving Department (Thank you!). We will now anxiously await an email announcing their arrival to the island of Taveuni.

Special thanks to Tracy Edwina and her son, Roko, for coordinating this project with me.

Fiji in the Classroom September 24, 2008

My Fijian Bulletin Board

Fiji has been a prominent fixture in my Viewpoint classroom so far this year. Although the biggest impact may be in my new found desire to simplify, the Fijian culture has served as an inspiration in many other ways as well. I read my  WordPress blog and showed a slideshow of my trip to each of my three language arts classes to help motivate them to learn about and appreciate another culture as we embark on our year long study of a country of his/her choice. In the slideshow, my students were also able to see firsthand images of their Fijian counterparts creating their Flat Stanleys this summer. This was very exciting as they are currently preparing to host the Fijian Flat Stanleys in their homes before we return them to Wairiki Primary and their creators. My students are thrilled to be able to share their American experiences and way of life with other students thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean.

 

For additional information on how Fiji is being incorporated into our classrooms please visit www.viewpoint.org.

Acorn Articles August 22, 2008

 

Viewpoint's Caroline Hogg at Wairiki Primary

Here are the links to articles on our trip in local newspapers:

 

http://www.theacorn.com/news/2008/0821/Schools/036.html

http://www.moorparkacorn.com/news/2008/0822/Family/033.html

 

Gina Bryant and I were thrilled to present our experience (and the Taveuni Rotary Banner) to our sponsors, the Calabasas Rotary Club. We set up tables of our souvenirs and dressed in the traditional Fijian clothing of sulu, blouse, and fresh flowers as we shared our journey. It was an honor to attend the Rotary meeting and see their selfless process in action. 

Debbie McDonald and I gave our presentation to Viewpoint’s faculty as part of our Primary and Lower School Curriculum Meeting. We summarized our mission and trip over a slide show presentation and focused on how we would be bringing the Global Classrooms for Peace Fiji experience into our classrooms.

Thank you again to the Calabasas Rotary and Viewpoint School for making this trip possible.

Moce Maravu August 15, 2008

Our tear jerking goodbye at Maravu as the beloved staff sang and served the most delicious cake (for breakfast!). I imagined blowing out the candles the same as throwing a coin in the Trevi Fountain in Rome, something done to insure a swift return.

The Connections Continued… August 15, 2008

Deb, Paul, and I had a day in Nadi between flights, so we rented a room at the Tanoa International. After relaxing by the pool all day, trying to make myself look like I had actually been in Fiji for ten days, I decided to browse in the gift shop. In the habit of saying, “Bula,” to everyone I meet, I immediately began a conversation with the store clerk, Paula. I soon found that he was from Taveuni and that he had once attended Wairiki Primary and Holy Cross! He practically burst with pride as we reminisced about “the garden island” of Fiji. I ran back to my room to grab my camera excited to share the photos I had just taken of his childhood home. It didn’t take long before tears formed in Paula’s eyes, as he looked at the home he had not visited in four years, and in mine as I already began to miss the island I still clung to in my photos. When I noticed him looking intently at each and every one of the hundreds of images I had of my students, he told me he was hoping to recognize the nieces he has not seen since they were toddlers. The few minutes we spent together reinforced the deep appreciation we each felt for Taveuni, the island of Paula’s past and my… future??? One can hope!

In Appreciation August 15, 2008

I wanted to give special thanks to everyone involved in making this trip to Fiji possible:

to the Calabasas Rotary Club for sponsoring this life changing trip

to Viewpoint School for providing an abundance of supplies and materials

to Shipping and Receiving and Security for their help and support weighing, packing, and loading our supplies

to the Kitchin and Paul Families, Claudia Antoine, Hope Jones, Margaret Bowles, Gloria Wilcox, Christopher Hogg, and Stacy Ruppel for their encouragement, support, and heart felt letters of recommendation

to the Communications Department for keeping us in touch with the Viewpoint community

to the Taveuni Rotary Club for hosting dinners and providing our transportation to and from school each day

to Ronna of Coconut Grove for hosting a beautiful seaside luncheon with a glimpse of the Bejing Opening Ceremonies

to the amazing staff of Maravu, for making us a part of your family

to the Ministry of Education and European Union for their encouragement, feedback, and support

to all of my friends and family for all of their emails and comments to the blog

to Gina, Genna, and Deb, my partners on this amazing journey, and to Paul for putting up with us all

to Wairiki Primary’s faculty and student body for warmly welcoming me into your school community

and especially, to Lori Hall, the founder of Global Classrooms for Peace, for her vision and dedication

Our Entertainment August 9, 2008

Friday night a group of village students came to Maravu to perform traditional dances for us. The movements were so beautiful and graceful. The program ended with our students inviting us to dance with them. It felt like our week had come full circle as our students became our teachers.

One More Taveuni Rainbow August 9, 2008

Closing Ceremonies August 9, 2008

Wairiki Mission August 9, 2008

This is the view of Wairiki Primary from the ocean side road. The mission is beautiful and has French stained glass, large conch shells holding holy water, and fresh local flowers every day.