Getting Ready!

Hi Everyone! I finally made my decision to teach first grade at a private, bilingual school in Honduras. I leave August 6th and will be teaching for the entire school year which goes until June. This is a blog that I will be updating while teaching to let family and friends back in the States know what I am doing! Also, it will be nice to have for myself to look back on when I am done teaching.

Anyways, this post can't be TOO interesting since I haven't left yet but I will give you a little bit of information about what I will be doing and where I will be living.

First - Where is Honduras?

Honduras is in Central America and borders Guatemala, Nicarguarga, Belize and El Salvador.

I will be living in Juticalpa, Olancho, Honduras. It's a small town that is the capital of the state of Olancho. There is more information about the area and the school on the school's website.

From Day Star School's website:

Juticalpa is located in the department of Olancho approximately 100 miles east of the capital city of Tegucigalpa. This city has a population of about 80,000, whose inhabitants are primarily mestizos. Even though the population is over 80,000, the actual size of the city is relatively small and has a small town atmosphere. It is very easy to walk to and from school, the market, and the supermarket.

The climate is warm all year round with a rainy season and a dry season. Temperatures average in the 80's. The primary economic activities are farming, ranching, and small businesses. Although there are many public and private schools located in Juticalpa, Day-Star School is one of the few bilingual institutions.

Olancho is the largest department of Honduras and is an area for outdoor activities. There are many hiking areas as well as several national parks. People are friendly and helpful. Businesses include a variety of restaurants, several supermarkets, bookstores, banks, and a movie theater. Though mostly in Spanish, cable television is available.

This is the school's website that has a lot more info and some pictures:

http://www.daystar-edu.org/teachers/index.html

Well I think that's all for now. I'm very excited to spend my last month here in the states, between Naperville, Galesburg, and Chicago, just hanging out with friends and packing!