Bees cause RC School Students to be evacuated

Students at the San Pedro Roman Catholic School (SPRCS) were seen walking in file formation heading out of their school grounds. But there was no special activity planned. The reason was BEES! At least one student was stung, leading to the evacuation of well over 800 students from the school compound.Staff from the nearby offices were evacuated as well.
School officials informed the public health department that bees were seen in the school compound, and when the relevant authorities arrived, they discovered the bee hive inside the space separating the first floor (public library) and the second floor (housing the BTB and the Minister of Tourism's Office) of the building located opposite the school.


According to San Pedro RC School Principal Roxanne Kay, it took the teachers about 20 minutes to get all 800 students off the compound to the central park.
While the bees are exterminated, a section of the street leading to the area is closed to the public.

How much is Your Pet Worth? – The True Value of Adoption

Press Release – SAGA – June 1, 2011 – Many people don’t realize how much their pet is worth. Pets are tremendously valuable. Aside from their traditional roles as guards, farm workers, hunters and companions – research shows that having a pet makes us healthier. Pet owners have better general health and lower blood pressure than non pet owners. Kids with pets in their home take fewer sick days from school and have better non verbal communication. Older pet owners are less lonely and more likely to be active if they own pets. Of course, human beings only receive these benefits if they are responsible pet owners.

This year SAGA has seen an increase in the number of pets that have been purchased at great cost to the owner, given up for adoption. Why would people spend hundreds of dollars on a dog, only to give it away to SAGA?
Many people will share stories of the local pot licker, its loyalty and good temperament with children. If the ‘pot licker’ were considered a breed, maybe it would have more value. Certainly, the Belizean pot licker is a unique dog and Belizeans should be proud to own one. But some people want something specific - such as a certain coat color or size - and so they go to pet shops or breeders to buy a pet off the shelf, in much the same way they’d buy a box of corn flakes. The big difference is that a healthy, well cared for pet can live for 14 years or longer. Pet ownership is a big commitment and should be taken especially seriously by parents wishing to teach their children about behaving responsibly.
The pets that are being given up to SAGA did nothing wrong except grow up. The cute little puppy that was purchased six months ago has turned into a demanding, large and active dog that needs training, exercise and company. Unfortunately, the people who purchased the puppy didn’t think it through and now there is an unhappy ending. The children are sad and feel like failures, the adults have lost several hundred, maybe thousands of dollars raising the puppy and the dog is homeless, no longer loved or wanted.

If you are considering getting a pet, try your local humane society first. In San Pedro, it’s SAGA. Pet ownership is not a decision to take lightly or to make on the spur of the moment. The experts at SAGA will help you to find the perfect pet for your needs. Once you have adopted a dog or cat, you’ll soon discover how valuable a pet truly is.

Holy Cross female football team get some gear!

Kelly and David Thompson from Kennesaw, Georgia USA recently made a large donation of football uniforms to the Holy Cross School of San Pedro. These efforts were fueled by their three children; Maggie, Will and Kayla who, while visiting, had joined the local children here to play a few friendly games of soccer.

Kelly’s kids all play organized sports were excited to find something they truly had in common with the local kids here, but could not help to notice the differences too. Seeing the kids playing barefoot with no uniforms, they came up with the idea of asking the parents of Kayla’s teammates to donate their used uniforms, cleats and balls to the schools here.

The Holy Cross Anglican School Girls Soccer Team was thrilled to try out their new soccer shirts. “I feel so professional”, says Heidy in Std VI (grade 8). Heidy loves playing soccer – “It’s fun, and I’ve made new friends”.

Mr. Coba, the Sports Director at the Holy Cross School, is also very grateful for the donation. “The uniforms really help, making the girls look and feel professional and it’s so much easier for everyone to know who is on which team. Having proper shoes is important too – many of the girls play with bare feet and they often cut their feet during the games”.

Kelly and David, who own a home here in San Pedro, hope to make this the first of many donations to the schools of Belize. By approaching other teams in the YMCA, they hope to get enough donations to provide full uniforms and equipment to all the children who want to participate in the sport and help build a league here on Ambergris Caye.

Both David and Kelly firmly believe that through organized team sports, children can thrive in all areas of life. “It helps build confidence in one’s self and trust in others when you are a part of a team that has one common goal and you learn to support each other. It is also an important lesson to teach our children and remind ourselves that collectively we can make a difference in the world,” commented Kelly.

Special thanks to Joel and Sherry Sullivan for donating all of the uniforms shown.