If you would like to be included in BECA's next installment of class notes, please email Bridget Kelly.

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Jon Giftos (1st Grade): Jon married Katherine Leo on July 24th, 2009, at the Church of the Ascension in NYC. He is in his second year of medical school at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in East Harlem, where in addition to school, he is involved in primary care development, health care reform advocacy, and community based medicine.

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Sallie Graves (1st Grade): Sallie is recently engaged to James Schwartz, who also lives in Boston and works for a solar technology start-up.

Nick Zosel-Johnson (3rd Grade): After his 2-year stint with Teach For America, Nick recently moved to Tacoma, WA, where he will be teaching 4th grade at the Charles Wright Academy. Read an article introducing Nick (and mentioning his BECA credentials) to the new school community here.

Jon Power (Administrator): Jon is currently enrolled in the SPARK Teacher Education Institute, an intensive year long certification program with a strong emphasis on social justice and equity. By June 2010, he plans to have his K-6 certification in the State of Vermont. Lisa Power, BECA Kinder and Prepa teacher from June 2006 to March 2007, is taking prerequisite courses for a Speech Language Pathology Master's Degree which she hopes to earn in three years time. Their son, Kaden (the first BECA baby) will be turning two years old on September 3rd. All three of the Power's have decided they can endure one more Vermont winter, and where they will head after that is anyone's guess.

Sarah Shubitowski (2nd grade): Sarah recently completed her 2-year term with Americorps working for National Student Partnerships ended on July 24th. She received the Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellowship through the Congressional Hunger Center and will begin a 6-month field internship in Nashville, Tennessee on September 9th. In February she will move to Washington, DC to complete the 6-month policy placement section of the fellowship. There, she will be exploring anti-hunger and anti-poverty efforts on both local and national levels.

Anna Hickman (1st grade): After a year of teaching in Sweden, Anna is returning to Appletree Early Learning Public Charter School in Washington, DC where she will teach Special Education. She is concurrently studying towards an advanced teaching degree focusing on Special Education.

Emily Morgan (5th grade): Emily continues to globetrot, having recently alighted in Italy where she is continuing her Nutrition studies. At last report, she was "in the remote hills of Turkey" where she had no phone or internet access.

Hilary Hammell (Middle School math and science): Hilary will be enrolling at the University of Washington Law School in Seattle, where she was awarded the William H. Gates Public Service Law Scholarship. Read more about it here.

Hazel Ryerson (3rd Grade): Hazel is working as the campaign manager for Cambridge City Councillor Henrietta Davis. She spends her time stacking dollars, taking names and eating locally raised hot dogs. Her opinion about life in Massachusetts after two years in Honduras? "I have two bicycles now, one for daytime and one for nighttime, so I would say I'm pretty self-sufficient, even if I am living at home with my mom and pop."

Kurt Sarsfield (Middle School English): After spending part of the Summer in Mongolia, Kurt is starting his second year teaching fifth grade math at Kings Collegiate Charter School in Brooklyn, New York. He is pumped to visit SJBS sometime this school year.

Anderson Heston (6th Grade): Anderson is beginning NYU Law School this Fall and is excited to be close to BECA Headquarters.

Paxton Kirsh (2nd Grade): Paxton was accepted into the New York Teaching Fellow Program this Summer and is currently seeking placement in the New York City area.

Suresh Samuel (Resource Teacher): Suresh will begin his first year at University of Washington Business School in St. Louis this Fall.

Tyler Barreto (Middle School Math & Science): Tyler has enrolled at Escuela de Medicina San Juan Bautista in Puerto Rico to obtain her MD.

Alison Pitt (4th Grade): Alison has just begun an MPA and MA program in Latin American Studies at Indiana University.

On June 28, Honduran president Manuel Zelaya was forcibly removed from the country in what many observers considered a coup. Tensions in the country had been riding high after President Zelaya maneuvered to create a new consitution which would allow him to run for a second presidential term. Upon his ouster, presidential power was peacefully transferred to Roberto Michelitti, who was previously the President of the National Congress.

BECA Director Laurence Birdsey and Administrator Mike Buttram were both in Cofradia when the political upheaval took place. With the new teaching team set to arrive in Cofradia two weeks later, Laurence and Mike monitored the political situation closely to determine if it made sense to keep the Summer Institute in place as scheduled or delay it. Birdsey says, "Mike and I decided to maintain a wait-and-see attitude those first few days because no one was sure at that point if the political events had the potential to turn ugly." Mike and Laurence requested that all the BECA Summer Camp volunteers not leave Cofradia and that they abide by the nightly curfew which was enstated to keep calm in the country. "There wasn't any worrying among our Summer volunteers because everything on the ground in Cofradia was running the same as always," Buttram adds. "International news reports seemed to indicate that Honduras was slipping into violent protests much like Iran had witnessed weeks earlier, so parents were understandably concerned, but from our interactions in town and conversations with community members, we could all see that there was little cause for concern." Nonetheless, Mike and Laurence discussed an evacuation plan in case of emergency and had all volunteers register with the US embassy in Honduras.

Since then, the removal of Zelaya has resulted in plenty of political handwringing and some peaceful protests in San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa. The BECA Summer Institute began as scheduled and the SJBS school year will begin on time as well. Birdsey remarks, "Unfortunately, Honduran public schools [which normally run through Summer months] have not been in session for the majority of the Summer as the teacher's union strikes in sympathy with Zelaya. We're proud to say that that will not be the case with SJBS." New elections are slated for November, which will hopefully bring an end to the presidential uncertainty in Honduras. Meanwhile, BECA and SJBS will continue to provide quality, affordable bilingual education to the citizens of Cofradia.

In our last newsletter we highlighted BECA's recent initiatives to better benchmark student performance. After conducting research during a trip to Honduras this Spring, BECA Board Member Nick Zosel-Johnson continues to work on DIBELS implementation at SJBS. "We will be training the new teachers in DIBELS later this Fall," says Zosel-Johnson.

At the same time, BECA will be administering the Iowa Test of Basic Skills to two of its grades this Fall, which is another part of its larger data collection plan. Director Laurence Birdsey notes that "grantmakers are increasingly looking for tangible data that shows a program's effectiveness. While we all anecdotally and qualitatively perceive BECA's benefit immediately, we need numbers to make it even more clearcut." The new testing will also be used to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses in BECA's teacher training. Results from both tests will be used to provide constructive feedback to BECA teachers and also help us modify the Summer Institute to meet the needs of our teachers.

Over the past three years, BECA has arranged social tourism trips for college students seeking an opportunity to learn and contribute to our innovative NGO in Honduras. During their August meeting, the BECA Board affirmed the importance of social tourism trips in helping the organization live up to our mission of providing cultural exchange. As such, BECA plans to host three social tourism trips during the 2009-2010 school year.

BECA Board Member Nick Zosel-Johnson helped arrange and lead the first trip of college students to Cofradia back in 2007. As a member of Claremont McKenna College's SOURCE team, he obtained University funding and backing to lead a trip of 15 fellow students to Cofradia, where Nick had volunteered the Summer previous. Response from the school community was enthusiastic and trip participants fundraised over $5,000 for BECA's program budget (CMC article here) . In 2008, a new batch of Claremont students arrived in Cofradia for a similar trip, and in 2009 a group of students from UVA visited SJBS (featured in our last newsletter) .

BECA is currently reaching out to different high schools, colleges, and other groups that have expressed interest in leading a trip to visit BECA. If you or someone you know might be interested in leading a trip, please contact Laurence Birdsey for more information.

For the 2009-2010 school year, BECA and SJBS have agreed to increase the percentage of scholarship students to 35% of the student body. Normally, the percentage hovers between 25% and 30%, but with daunting economic prospects for the coming year, the need for more financial assistance was clear.

When she began BECA's scholarship process this Spring, Administrator Jessica Gorelick received 77 applications for 56 spots. "It's the first year we've received more applications than we've had capacity for." Jessica and others note that the economic downturn has forced many nearby factories to close down. The Formosa Industrial Park has shuttered several of its factories, and the Tobacco factory in town will be closing in the coming months.

Jessica worked with BECA Director Laurence Birdsey and the SJBS Association of Parents to find a way to meet the increased funding need. Laurence says, "We are proud to say that when the community needs us most, we are able to rise to the challenge. With the assistance of our in-country partner - the SJBS Association of parents - we have done everything in our power to find more scholarship spots for the community."

Even though SJBS charges an average tuition of only $30 each month, many families struggle and sacrifice to meet that payment. BECA's half- and full-scholarships serve to lessen that financial burden. Still, families that receive scholarships are required to give back to the school through labor and expertise via the BECA-administered becado program.

BECA's Honduran Partner, the Asociacion de Padres Proeduacion de Cofradia ("Asociacion") recently was invited to join the ASIDE network of Honduras. ASIDE was founded in 1993 as a Honduran NGO based out of El Progreso with the mission to be a "leading, self-sufficient institution that provides social and environmental services on a national level with special attention to the rural and urban sectors. "

ASIDE came to the attention of BECA and the Asociacion through the efforts of SJBS padrino Don Max Fajardo. Don Max arranged a meeting to introduce BECA Administrator Mike Buttram and SJBS Director Amarilys Quintero to ASIDE Director Dr. Freddy Garmendia. BECA Director Laurence Birdsey worked with Mike to create introductory materials to explain the BECA/SJBS collaboration to Dr. Garmendia, who was duly impressed and offered BECA to join ASIDE's inter-institutional network. (Read BECA's Spanish PowerPoint here.)

The benefits of participating with ASIDE are multi-faceted. First, SJBS will have access to the materials that are donated to ASIDE through the US non-profit Food for the Poor. Already, Mike Buttram and Asociacion member Patrocinio Pena have picked up readers and soccer balls from a recent shipment. Additionally, ASIDE will be providing a diagnostic of SJBS's organization structure. At BECA's urging, the Asociacion has long-sought professional guidance from outsiders in learning Board best practices and strategies for dealing with the challenges of a growing organization. Finally, members in the ASIDE network will be able to access "diplomados" or online courses in entrepreneurship for a small monthly cost. Mike and the Asociacion are excited about the potential opportunities that could come to light as a result of the new partnership with ASIDE.

When The Hartwells lead singer and guitarist Ethan Rossiter suggested a reunion show for his band, which suffered an emotional break-up in 2007, the rest of the group enthusiastically signalled they were game. At the urging of keyboardist Laurence Birdsey, the group decided to donate all proceeds to BECA.

The show took place June 13th at Fontana's, a swanky club in New York City's fabled Lower East Side known for its dank basement performance hall. The show lasted approximately an hour and featured old Hartwells hits like "Carnival," "The Trouble," and "The Wolf Is Knocking." BECA supporter Ed Strong was a Hartwells convert by the end of the night, praising the band's elegant "ska riffs." Hartwells superfan Kempton Presley said, "I was unable to make the show, but I heard that the Oxygen segue into For What It's Worth was transcendant, if not downright intoxicating." Bassist Charlie Corts commented, "The show was definitely hot; we had a lot of heads packed in there, and I was feeling great after our pre-show meal at Schiller's, which has incredible atmo[sphere]."

The Hartwells show brought in a little under $500 for BECA. If you're interested in hearing more Hartwells music, their most recent hit album "Carnival" is available for download on iTunes. The band is also planning another reunion show this Fall at the Middle East in Boston.

On the evening of May 23, Kervin Zamora was one of two sophomores given the Francis L. Spalding award, an honor bestowed on the IV Form St. Andrew's student who has achieved a commendable academic record by distinctive effort. BECA Board Members Bridget Kelly and Laurence Birdsey were on hand to celebrate Kervin's accomplishments.

Kervin, a member of SJBS's first graduating class, had a stellar sophomore year at St. Andrew's, a private boarding school in Middletown, DE. In addition to besting his personal goal for grades this year, Kervin played on the Varsity Soccer team, served as sophomore class president during the Spring semester, and raised over $2,000 for BECA through dances and other fundraisers.

Hilary Hammell, a BECA Board Member and St. Andrew's graduate who helped shepherd along Kervin's application to St. Andrew's remains proud of her former student's accomplishments, "While I recognized Kervin's immense capacity and impeturbable drive at San Jeronimo, he has really taken it to a new level over the past year." We wish Kervin the best as he begins his junior year at St. Andrew's this Fall.

In our last newsletter we mentioned that BECA was undertaking a plan to develop a new curriculum from scratch which would meet the unique needs of both our students and teachers. Since then, BECA has made significant progress towards that goal. In addition to outlining the project's phases and predicted completion dates, BECA hired Katie Buttram, curriculum developer who will lead the project over the next two years.

"BECA and I are committed to creating a curriculum that is culturally, socially, and academically relevant to the unique needs of our students," says Buttram, who is wife of current BECA Administrator Mike Buttram. Katie comes to BECA after several teaching stints in Honduras, Mexico, and most recently, the Grand Canyon School located in the National Park of the same name. Katie brings with her plenty of curriculum development experience as well as time spent leading the Middle Years Programme International Baccalaureate at the Grand Canyon School. "It's a long-term challenge with many dimensions, but I relish this type of work," Katie adds.

Katie is currently undertaking Phase 1 of the Curriculum Development plan, which calls on her to interview all stakeholders in the process before the writing of the curriculum begins. Katie has begun setting up interviews, conversations, and focus groups with all members of the BECA and SJBS families: students, parents, administrators, teaching alumni, and professionals. BECA's Board has established a sub-committee to help guide Katie through the process. Board members Anna Hickman, Jaime Koppel, and Sallie Graves have all contributed thus far.

If you are interested in learning more, please access our Curriculum Development Plan here.

BECA held its third annual Summer Camp for SJBS students this Summer. Six college students and recent graduates arrived in Cofradia in mid-June to lay the groundwork for the camp, which began on July 6. The free camp, dubbed "Around the World in 20 Days," attracted over 60 SJBS students each day from grades 1 through 6. Each week, the camp focused on a different continent and each group within the camp represented a specific country. "Teaching the kids about the cultures, cuisines, and languages of a wide variety of countries each week was an eye-opening experience for both them and me," remarks volunteer Tomy Perez. "We had a lot of fun together."

The Summer Camp counselors spent the first few weeks acclimating themselves to the community. Volunteer Catherine Hintz says, "Getting to know the community first was a big driver of our success. They were so welcoming that we felt comfortable putting ourselves out there from day 1." Thanks to their relationships in the community, the counselors got a helping hand from SJBS alumni who had free time during the Summer. Both Maxito Fajardo and Glenin Jehovany Paz assisted the counselors almost every day of the camp along with Efrain, Clint, Oscar, and Kenia.

BECA thanks Tomy Perez, Amanda Buttery, Maddie Allsup, Bianca Neri, Sophia Diamantis, and Catherine Hintz for their hard work and dedication this Summer! Everyone agrees that this group set a new standard for what the SJBS Summer Camp should look like.

In July, BECA was accepted into the Google Grants program. Google Grants is a unique in-kind donation program awarding free AdWords advertising to select charitable organizations. They support organizations who share their philosophy of community service to help the world in areas such as science and technology, education, global public health, the environment, youth advocacy, and the arts. Google Grants will provide BECA with hundreds of dollars of free advertising as well as free donation processing via Google Checkout until 2010.

BECA recently began to upgrade its presence on Facebook. In addition to the BECA group that consists mainly of alumni, BECA has added a "Fan" page and a "Causes" page. On BECA's Fan page, you can check out recent photos and reach out to other BECA supporters. On BECA's Causes page, any Facebook member may make secure donations to BECA and recruit other friends to do the same. Click here to join our Fan page. Click here to view BECA's page on Causes.

In his application to become a 2009-2010 BECA teacher, Brian Schmitt wrote, "I want to stretch myself in the classroom and think creatively." That desire, shared by his 7 new colleagues, was swiftly met with an impressive Summer Institute that began in mid-July. Under the leadership of Julie Schillreff and Sarah Amman, BECA's new teaching cohort developed the tools and skills necessary for the upcoming school year, which began on August 24.

For the second year in a row, BECA conducted a 5-week intensive teacher training program for its new volunteer teachers in Honduras. This year's program was refined based on comments from last year's instructors and students. Julie Schillreff worked with Jasmine Roberts, Laurence Birdsey, and Jaime Koppel to ensure that the Institute catered to the specific needs of BECA's teachers.

One suggestion from last year's teachers was to include the Honduran teachers in some of the workshops. As a result, several workshops were conducted in Spanish so that all SJBS teachers could participate. Katie Buttram remarked that "the Honduran teachers were engaged in the classes, and they were happy to have been invited."

The Summer Institute ended with the newly-designed "Ambassador's Academy," in which all teachers had to develop lesson plans and teach SJBS students in a simulated classroom environment. BECA Board Members Anna Hickman and Jasmine Roberts flew to Cofradia in late July to lend their teaching advice and expertise during this portion of the Institute. Student attendance for these simulated classes was much more consistent from day to day, which allowed for a cumulative learning process to unfold.

The 2009 Summer Institute would not have been possible without the professional support of the Alison Bixby Stone School (ABSS) and the financial support of Off the Beaten Path (OBP), a leader in distinctive travel experiences.

BECA's 2009-2010 Administrator, Mike Buttram, came to the organization after working several years for Off the Beaten Path as Program Manager for their National Geographic tours in the Grand Canyon. Upon hearing that Mike was leaving his post, Mike's boss, OBP co-founder Cory Lawrence looked for ways he could support Mike's future endeavors. Upon examining the BECA model, Cory was impressed with what he saw so he and Mike agreed to find an area where OBP could make a big impact. They settled on the Summer Institute, which they viewed as an essential step forward in BECA's strategic growth and increased professionalism.

BECA began its Summer Institute in 2008 to provide our new teachers with a framework for approaching their bilingual classroom. BECA hired two Alison Bixby Stone teachers, Julie Schillreff and Naomi Carman, to design and deliver trainings that would prepare our teachers for the duties and challenges they would face once the school year started. The resulting 5-week intensive program included trainings on different methods of language acquisition, classroom management, curriculum mapping/planning, and cultural sensitivities. Beyond their daily classes, our teachers were afforded the opportunity to live in homestays and become acclimated to life in Cofradia. BECA also took the lead on arranging complimentary Spanish classes for teachers who wanted to improve their conversational abilities. Survey responses from the Summer Institute proved resoundingly positive, and BECA Board Member Jasmine Roberts helped refine the program for Summer 2009.

Both ABSS and OBP look to stay involved with BECA and San Jeronimo Bilingual School. Every Fall, ABSS hosts BECA's teachers at its campus in Zamorano where BECA teachers conduct classroom observations and use ABSS teachers as informational resources. ABSS is also assisting BECA with the implementation of a student testing program in order that BECA can better measure its teachers' performance and provide constructive feedback. For his part, OBP co-founder Cory Lawrence says that he looks forward to developing a long-lasting relationship with BECA. OBP is currently developing its own social tourism trip program ("This Hand Can"), which will incorporate sustainable tourism trips to developing communities like Cofradia.

BECA thanks Cory Lawrence, Barbara Torrey, Julie Schillreff, Sarah Amman, Mike Buttram, and all others who made the 2009 Summer Institute an all-around success. Please click here to view photos from the 2009 Summer Institute and read bios of our new teaching team here! If you are interested in supporting our work, please visit our Classroom Sponsors 2009 campaign to learn more and donate.

Glenin Jehovany Paz has been awarded a Bilingual Bachillerato Program (BBP) scholarship that will enable him to attend SERAN, a highly regarded bilingual school in San Pedro Sula. Glenin is expected to complete the bilingual bachillerato degree in 2011, and plans to pursue a career in engineering.

The BBP was founded by BECA teachers in 2007 to help ensure that high-achieving graduates of San Jeronimo Bilingual School can pursue their career goals by continuing their education at bilingual high schools. In awarding Glenin the scholarship, this year's BBP Selection Committee noted that his application revealed his strong academic potential, ambition, maturity, and desire to give back to his family and community. BECA and 08-09 Science teacher Tyler Barreto have committed to raising $4,700 for Glenin this year (to make a restricted gift towards Glenin's scholarship, please click here. and help "chip in.")

"Glenin is an excellent candidate and someone who deserves the support of a scholarship in order to reach his goals," said Committee Member Pamela Ayuso. The other Selection Committee members this year were Caroline DeLeon and Marianne Hickman.

Glenin expressed in his application essays his strong desire to continue his education to meet his career goals and to support his family.

"You really have to know English if you want to get a good job," he wrote in one of his application essays. "I know that if I keep studying English it will help me because [of] all those contracts and projects" with English-speaking professionals.

In support of his BBP application, Glenin's 9th grade teachers were unanimous in their belief that Glenin is confident and capable, and will have success in whatever he pursues.

"He has extremely high potential and thirst for knowledge," said Drew Powell, Glenin's English and Global Studies teacher.

"A bilingual bachillerato program would be just the challenge Glenin needs," said math and science teacher Tyler Barreto.

As a condition of the scholarship, Glenin will have to maintain an academic average of 80 or above and complete service at SJBS. These requirements are in keeping with BECA's collaborative model, which emphasizes community investment and engagement. Glenin's family will also have to continue to demonstrate financial need. The first BBP scholarship recipient, Efrain Bautista, met these requirements for two years of study at Instituto Morazzanni, and this spring Efrain earned his Bilingual Bachillerato.

"We wish Glenin the best of luck as he pursues his studies this year, and looks forward to proving support to promising SJBS graduates in the future," said Board Member Bridget Kelly.

To learn more about the BBP and find out how you can support Glenin in his studies, please visit the BBP website.

Every BECA alum will tell you that if they were able to teach their kids all over again with the knowledge they accrued during their first year, they would be twice as effective on the second go around. Three teachers will have that chance this school year as Rebecca Bush, Jenna Foster, and Tim Douglas all agreed to remain with BECA to teach for a second year in Cofradia.

The BECA Board had consciously pushed for more returning teachers when they convened this past Spring to discuss BECA's program development. When examining the BECA model, Board Members recognized that transitions from year to year can be difficult due to an entirely new team arriving. In the past, returning teachers have helped mitigate those issues thanks to their experience and enthusiasm. Therefore, the Board agreed to offer a formal incentives package this year for teachers who wanted to return. The package included a modest monthly stipend, reimbursement for some travel expenses, and the title of Senior Teacher, which brings with it new responsibilities.

As Senior Teachers, Rebecca, Tim, and Jenna will all be able to provide guidance and expertise to the rest of the team, who have only been in Cofradia a short time. Each returning teacher will also be working on additional projects. Jenna will be acting curriculum coach for several teachers. She will collect new teachers' weekly lesson plans and provide feedback for them. Tim is investigating the viability of water purification techniques that he learned about this Summer during a trip to Haiti. And Rebecca will be overseeing new changes made to the Kinder and Preparatoria classrooms as BECA still seeks the right balance for those classes.

Over time, BECA aims to recruit teachers who agree to a 2-year commitment in advance in order that there always be experienced BECA teachers to aid new BECA teachers. In the meantime, we look forward to monitoring the ways in which our returning teachers continue to engage the community. BECA thanks Tim, Rebecca, and Jen each for their dedication to SJBS.