Meeting Children in Cabo Schools

January 20, 2019

Colegio Mission: Joyful Return to Familiar Friendly Faces!

Such a delight to be a guest author at Colegio Mission once more. Last time I read my first TALL TALE. This time I read TALL TALE #2, A Tall Tale About a Dachshund and a Pelican. I read in English and Professor Winston read in Spanish.

Logo of Colegio Mission at the Entrance

Reading room at Colegio Mission in Cabo. — Reading Room. Class reading their English lessons aloud.

Professor Winston, Nix Barragán holding Ysabela, Thom Wert and Kizzie Jones — (L-R) Professor Winston, Nix Barragán holding mascot toy cat Ysabela, Thom Wert, and Kizzie Jones

Inspiring poster on Colegio Mission campus in Cabo. — Great poster on campus! There are many encouraging messages on the posters all over the campus and the children love them!

Ms. Guadalupe in library at Colegio Mission in Cabo. — Evaluations and Outreach Administrator Ms. Guadalupe–called Ms. Lupita–shows that Kizzie’s TALL TALES are shelved next to the Dr. Seuss Books!

Kizzie Jones and Professor Winston in Reading Room at Colegio Mission in Cabo. — Kizzie and Winston have fun reading TALL TALES in comfy rocking chairs in the Reading Room!

English and Professor Winston interprets in Spanish at Colegio Mission in Cabo. — Kizzie reading English & Prof. Winston reading Spanish

Encouraging posters on campus at Colegio Mission in Cabo. — Encouraging posters on campus.

Professor Winston and Kizzie Jones with book donation to Miss Sylvia Perez and Ms. Lupita at Colegio Mission in Cabo. — (L-R) Winston with Kizzie as she donated her TALL TALES to Colegio Mission. Principal Sylvia Pérez and Ms. Lupita received them gladly!

Student book about her life in Cabo. Based on the Eloise stories! — A student has already started writing and illustrating her own books about her life in Cabo. Based on the Eloise Stories!

Student Nina asked for Kizzie’s autograph!

Student Nina also asked for an autograph from Professor Winston!

Instituto Cultural Baldor: Striving for Excellence and Fostering Compassion for Nature

Instituto Cultural Baldor not only promotes excellence in their students’ studies, but is also committed to the care of nature and the environment. The nearly extinct antelope, the El Berrendo Peninsula, the icon symbol of conservation in Mexico, is the school’s mascot. A striking bronze statue of the graceful creatures welcomes all who visit.

Professor Winston and Kizzie Jones at Instituto Cultural Baldor with statue of El Berrendo Peninsula, mascot of Delmar International School in Cabo. — Professor Winston and Kizzie pose with her TALL TALES in front of the school’s bronze statue of the herd of El Berrendo Peninsula, the icon symbol of conservation in Mexico and the school’s mascot.

Kizzie Jones donates her books to Instituto Cultural Baldor. — Kizzie donating her Tall Tales books to Instituto Cultural Baldor.

(L-R) Instituto Cultural Baldor Director Juan Niebla Lizárraga, Nix, Kizzie, Educator Patrice Origel, Winston & Thom in school office.

Kizzie Jones Reading to students at Insituto Cultural Baldor. — Reading to students at Insituto Cultural Baldor.

Delmar International School: Enthusiastic Students Motivated by Core Values of Honesty, Integrity, Joy, and Excellence

Delmar International School courtyard includes cement pillars that feature the school’s core values of Honesty, Solidarity, Joy, and Excellence. A stone carving of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a reminder of how Mary, Mother of Jesus, appeared to Juan Diego in 1531 to be a comfort for the people of the Americas. A Torote Tree (Elephant Tree) grows in the center of yard. Local custom recognizes the Torote Tree as a symbol of protection. What a perfect combination of values, traditions, and nature to inspire and encourage the students of Delmar.

Torote tree in courtyard at Delmar International School in Cabo. — The *Torote* Tree is in the Frankincense Family. Its leaves have a distinct fragrance of camphor, pine needles, and orange rinds. Shamans used the sap for healing and the resin as incense. Water stored in the trunk of the tree made it look like an elephant’s leg, hence the English name. It can survive for a year without rain, however, is very susceptible to cold and only found in warmer regions.

You can read more about this tree here and here.

Entrance to Delmar International School.

A Reading Room mural of 20,000 Leagues under the Sea

A Reading Room mural of The Little Prince

Professor Winston introduces Kizzie. Toy cat Ysabela listens.

Delmar International School students asking questions after the reading.

Group photo with Kizzie Jones. Students wanted to know about illustrator Scott Ward. — Group photo with Kizzie. Students were very interested to hear more about illustrator Scott Ward. They gave him a loud and long round of applause!

Delmar students all want Kizzie’s autograph!

Colegio Delmar Activities Director Miss Sara Martínez Palma gladly accepted the gift of Kizzie’s TALL TALES! — Delmar International School Activities Director Miss Sara Martínez Palma gladly accepted the gift of Kizzie’s TALL TALES! The students hope to create origami dachshunds for an art activity with instructions from Kizzie’s website. Winston poses with mascot toy cat Ysabela.

Escuela Primaria Héroes de 1847: Young Heroes Who Will Never Be Forgotten

Escuela Primaria Héroes de 1847 is named for the six teen cadets who fought to defend Mexico in the Mexican-American War. Due to odd circumstances, the six were some of the few left to defend a stronghold. In spite of their youth, they gave their lives to stay the course and meet the advancing army. President Harry S. Truman visited the Los Niños Heroes monument in 1947, just months prior to the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Chapultepec. A moment of reverential silence was observed by the President as a sign of respect for the young cadets. When Truman was asked by reporters why he stopped to see the monument, his reply was “Brave men don’t belong to any one country. I respect bravery wherever I see it.”

Kizzie reading A Tall Tale About How Dachshunds Came to Be.

Such a joy to be with Teacher Patty Levya’s class!

(L-R) Nix with Kizzie as she gifted her TALL TALES to Teacher Patty Levya.

Colegio Alebrije: Imagination Inspires Education

It’s fun to note that the Alebrijes are imaginary creatures that have elements from different animals combined together. The meaning and the backstory for the Colegio Alebrije comes from the story about how the Alebrijes were created by Pedro Linares Lopez in the 1930s. You can see the story in a 3-minute video on YouTube here. To me this school’s name represents the encouragement to use imagination & creativity for the students. This inspires them to follow their dreams and reminds us all that imagination is a key element to education.

To me, the name Alebrije
represents this school’s encouragement of imagination & creativity for the students. This inspires the students to follow their dreams and reminds us all that the imagination is a key element to education.