It's off to work we go!

After a fun Sports Day, we had Work Day at the school on Saturday.  Basically, it was a day of yard work to improve the safety and appearance of the school grounds.  Parents are invited to participate and the teachers are required to come help.  The idea is, "This is our school, let's show that we are proud of it!"

I was surprised when we arrived how many students came to help without their parents.  The main projects for the day were creating paths between the school buildings, chopping down weeds, and building a fence around the school property.  The paths were made using crushed rocks.  The men and boys had a truck full of these rocks and they dumped bucket and wheelbarrow loads along the path.  These then had to be raked level and packed down with a homemade tool that was a heavy block of wood with two wooden handles.

The weeds were chopped using a machete, which takes a lot more muscle power than it looks like! I was amazed at these 7-10 year old children who were chopping away with their machetes, leveling weeds with ease, while I struggled with mine.  I was also amazed that it's perfectly normal for children to use machetes here!  Can you imagine an elementary school work day in the States where they pass out machetes to the students?!?

Trying out the machete.  See the expert behind me? ;)

Cheryna shoveling rocks for the path

Lisa shoveling...

I had fun with the machete...when I wasn't panting and aching from using it!

D'Elise painted some tables and bookshelves 

for her classroom :)

Danger!  Melissa and D'Elise with the machetes!

 Taking a break with some sweet Mayan kiddos.  The littlest ones were there 

with their mothers, who were planting flowers next to some of the school buildings

These three kids showed me how to use my machete...and put me to shame!!

So. Cute.

Melissa and her directing teacher pounding 

the rocks that will make a path.

Resting after our hard work!

On the walk home, we took a different road than usual and passed these houses: