Will Donovan
I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Belize from 1974 to 1976 and taught woodworking and technical drawing during that time at Belize Junior Secondary School No. 1 (Now called Edward P. Yorke High School). All the photos you see were taken by me at the time.
The photos with BJSS students in them were my students from either the woodworking or the technical drawing classes. The furniture, bowls, picture frames that you can see in the photos were made as projects by my students. It's been a long time since I left Belize (1976) and the names of those students are now forgotten. The school was still new at the time but lacked blackboards, furniture and teaching materials. With the help of the woodworking class we built chalk boards, made chairs, desks and furniture for use within the school. The picture with the teacher working at the chalk board is one of the boards we made.
Now when I look at those photos I remember how kind everyone was and how neatly attired the students were in their crisp white shirts and blouses - even in the woodworking class they were neat. I recall how the principal, Marie Hoare, would walk around and insist that shirts would be tucked in, the hair combed, and the clothes and shoes clean and she would remind me of the same requirements and expected the same appearance from me. I remember all the frogs that would come out at night and cross the road in front of the school. It was wild riding a bike down the road at night trying to avoid all the hopping frogs. The picture of the students cleaning brush was the area out back of school. We spent a lot of time trying to make use of the land but the mosquitoes would fight back with such a vengeance. I would open the doors to woodworking shop each morning and be instantly covered with hundreds of mosquitoes. We would burn those mosquito coils all day long to try to limit their attacks but we had little success. I can still hear the whine of the mosquitoes in my ears.
So enjoy the photos, the memories. They have brought back wonderful memories for me. I encourage anyone who recognizes someone in the photos to send me their name(s) so I can caption the photos on my site.
The photos with BJSS students in them were my students from either the woodworking or the technical drawing classes. The furniture, bowls, picture frames that you can see in the photos were made as projects by my students. It's been a long time since I left Belize (1976) and the names of those students are now forgotten. The school was still new at the time but lacked blackboards, furniture and teaching materials. With the help of the woodworking class we built chalk boards, made chairs, desks and furniture for use within the school. The picture with the teacher working at the chalk board is one of the boards we made.
Now when I look at those photos I remember how kind everyone was and how neatly attired the students were in their crisp white shirts and blouses - even in the woodworking class they were neat. I recall how the principal, Marie Hoare, would walk around and insist that shirts would be tucked in, the hair combed, and the clothes and shoes clean and she would remind me of the same requirements and expected the same appearance from me. I remember all the frogs that would come out at night and cross the road in front of the school. It was wild riding a bike down the road at night trying to avoid all the hopping frogs. The picture of the students cleaning brush was the area out back of school. We spent a lot of time trying to make use of the land but the mosquitoes would fight back with such a vengeance. I would open the doors to woodworking shop each morning and be instantly covered with hundreds of mosquitoes. We would burn those mosquito coils all day long to try to limit their attacks but we had little success. I can still hear the whine of the mosquitoes in my ears.
So enjoy the photos, the memories. They have brought back wonderful memories for me. I encourage anyone who recognizes someone in the photos to send me their name(s) so I can caption the photos on my site.
Will Donovan