On a personal note

I want to tell families and friends out there reading what a pleasure it is to travel with such a wonderful group of students. Each new experience brings us closer to feeling like an extended family. We laugh, think, wonder, support one another, listen, and play together. The trip has a distinct purpose and while we will never be able to recreate these moments I know the memories we are making will influence who we are and how we think when we get back to Brooklyn. Mr. Shapiro is Don Jaime in Costa Rica. Don Jaime never stops asking questions, and he has an insatiable thirst for human connections. He spoke with our home stay family about the future of the neighborhood, crop production and family life. He even befriended the Chilamate dog, Donkey, who follows us to the worksite, the river and anywhere else we find ourselves during the day. Javier has steady way about him and each day he helps to profoundly transform the group. The ANCHOR reflection we do at the end of each day settles the dynamics and takes us to a place we could only encounter with full focus and calmed energy. A=appreciation/anecdotes. N=news. C=concerns. H=hopes. O=obscurities/findings. R=a reading from the world leadership school book of quotes, comics, speeches and poems. Try ANCHOR today with the people in your lives. I swear, it helps me sleep more soundly.
Buenas noches y pura vida.
Ms. K