Volume 1, Issue 5
Preserving Our Heritage. Creating Our Future.

Holiday Greetings! Thank you for your continued partnership. We wish the parents and students of Ocean Academy a very safe, healthy and happy Holiday Season and the very best for the New Year!

2020 will be a year we never forget. One of challenges we never expected, loss of cherished loved ones, and continued uncertainty of jobs, income, health, and safety. One thing is for certain. The OA family remained in tact to support one another, dedicate ourselves to the value of education, and stand firm in hope and preparation for a brighter future. Teachers and administrators worked tirelessly to develop new, engaging methods to teach meaningful skills and content to students at a distance. Counselors and staff dedicated themselves to stay in close contact with students and families in need of extra support and guidance. Volunteers and the entire OA family raised money to continue funding education and sponsorships so that everyone could stay in school. And most importantly, Ocean Academy students have been resilient.

You have been truly living the theme you were always taught: Never give up. You have adapted to new ways of life; new ways of learning; new ways of supporting your families, neighbors, and classmates; and you have grown up in ways that none of the adults had to experience at your age. We have a lot of accomplishments to celebrate as this year closes and wisdom that we have gained that will give us strength for the rest of our lives.

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Greetings O.A. Students!

As we enter the holiday season, OA counselors have some words of advice to help you through your first Covid-19 Christmas!

For the three weeks of the upcoming Christmas holidays you will no longer be seeing your friends and peers on our Tuesday Morning School-wide Circle, you will not be in daily Homeroom Sessions, and you will not see and hear your teachers’ voices in classes each day.

If you feel the need for extra support, PLEASE contact a trusted counselor, teacher or adult.

For more information on how to deal with your stress, see this advice from the OA counselors. (You will need to be logged into your OA account to access this document.)
More from your counselors.

Or check out this video.
Ten Quotes to Keep You Going During the Pandemic

Ms. Florence Goldson is a certified yoga/mindfulness instructor, with a Master’s Degree in Development Policy from the Korea Development Institute in South Korea. In her fifth year at OA, she is the co-homeroom teacher for 4th form, the Computer Science teacher for first and second forms, and the yoga/mindfulness guide for all forms. Ms. Goldson mentors the Girls Rising Club, the Student Government and the Yoga Club. Originally from Belize City, she thrives in nature especially near water. When she's not teaching, Ms. Goldson enjoys fashion, listening to soca music on blast and going on adventures in person or through fantasy/sci-fi novels. Her goal is to collaborate with students to create a safe space filled with kindness, respect, fun and learning.

1. If you could be any fictional character, who would you choose and why ?

It’s between Okoye, the general of the Dora Milaje, and the head of the Wakandan army and Jocasta Nu ,a Jedi Master and the chief librarian of the Jedi Archives. I chose Okoye because she was a fierce warrior led by her integrity and her heart. I chose Jocasta because she used her mind to fight the Galactic Empire and she protected the books, how could I not want to be her.

2. What would you most like to tell yourself at age 14?

I would play India Arie’s I am light for myself, and I would say you are so very much stronger, braver and smarter than you think. You don’t have to go through this alone, talk to someone.

3. What book would you recommend to a student and why?

To know me is to know that I am all about that sci-fi and fantasy life, so of course it’s a book from that genre - Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi. I recommend it because it was pure joy to have a young black girl be unapologetically fierce and wonderfully magical. I recommend this for any young black girl who wants to read a book with characters that look like her be the main character. And if you’re not a young black girl but still looking for representation in the genre that you love, they’re there and I can help you find them. It’s unfortunate that we have to go looking for them, but together we can find them and dive into them.

4. What is your favorite quote?

“I am my ancestors' wildest dreams”, I am not sure of the origin of this quote but every time I hear it, I remember that every mundane task I complete, every laugh I enjoy, every tear I shed , and every time I stand up for myself it is in communion with my ancestors. I honour them as best as I can.

Cross Curricular Courses provide a special opportunity for students to:

1. "connect" learning from all of courses into one place,
2. share the progress being made in independent enrichment courses,
3. explore how all of this learning connects to personal passions and interest areas,
4. investigate questions and ideas that matter to each student personally, and
5. publicly exhibit best work in individual published Google sites.

Traditional Foods at Christmas Time

Here in Belize, traditional Christmas foods are enjoyed including traditional turkey and all of holiday trimmings.
Local traditional foods are also included in the Christmas Eve or Christmas Day feasts. These dishes include rice and beans, potato salad, white relleno (a soup with pork-stuffed chicken and raisins), pebre (roasted pork and gravy), ham with pickled onions and jalapeños and tamales and black fruitcake.

Rumpopo, the well-known Belizean version of eggnog, is also a favorite at Christmas.
https://www.islandexpeditions.com/belize-vacations-blog/top-5-things-experience-belize-over-christmas

Boxing Day
This holiday's roots can be traced to Britain, where Boxing Day is also known as St. Stephen's Day. Reduced to the simplest essence, its origins are found in a long-ago practice of giving cash or durable goods to those of the lower classes. Gifts among equals were exchanged on or before Christmas Day, but gifts to those less fortunate were bestowed the day after.
https://ambergriscaye.com/pages/town/boxingday.html

The OA Library will be facilitating the Book Club this year. All students are welcome to participate.
Use this link to sign up for the OA Readers Book Club.

https://bookclubz.com/clubs/22803/join/83b7ac/
1. Create your free account

2. Click on "Books we want to read" and then "recommend a book"

3. Watch your email for more information.

Help us to stock the OA Library with books that YOU would like to read.

1. Go to www.Amazon.com and search for "young adult books".

You can add words to include searches for your interests, ex. fantasy, mystery, suspense, romance, sports

2. Click on a book and read the description.

3. Continue until you find a book you would like to read.

4. When you have found a book, enter the information about the book you chose in this form.

(You must be logged into your OA account to access this form.)

Book Choice Form

Are you in need of a financial sponsor for this school year to help with your school fees?
Please message Ms. Penny for an application.

You can help increase AmazonSmile donations to Friends of Ocean Academy by shopping at

Smile.Amazon.com/ch/46-3776428
(Share this link with your friends & family.)

AmazonSmile is a way for customers to support their favorite charitable organization every time they shop with Amazon.

Shoppers who start at smile.amazon.com will find the same Amazon they know and love, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the price of eligible purchases to the charity of your choice.

AmazonSmile has donated over $200 million to charities worldwide!

Joni Miller, Dane Dingerson, Heidi Curry

Email: admin@oaseatide.com
Website: OceanAcademy.education/
Location: 1 Ocean Academy Drive, Caye Caulker, Belize
Phone: +501-226-0321
Facebook: Facebook.com/CayeCaulkerHighSchool
Twitter: @OceanAcademyHS