Gregorio Torres Quintero Elementary 3rd and 4th Grades
This school is location is in the bottom valley of the Sierra Chincua Sanctuary at its southwest side.  Some months ago, an important clandestine logging took place and this community was in the middle of it. It might have been that loggers even could have contracted with the very cheap hand-work of the parents of families of these nearby communities.  Helping these children realize the importance of preservation of their forests is imperative.

On arriving to the school, the high mountains and landscape in direction of the Sanctuary, "El Rosario," can be seen in a wonderful way.  Our weather, is beginning to warm up gradually.  The blue sky and the intense bright, and somewhat burning sun during the day (which we notice as too intense and burning compared to what our traditional weather has been over the decades), announce that the cold days and possibilities of snow in our region may be finishing, however we cannot discard it.  Forecasts announced some more cold weeks during the month.

The long, wide river into which the three main rivers coming out of town and running along towards neighboring towns, carry rather little water, which may seem alarming, since the raining season was very intense in our region.  Spring and summer might be very dry.

Gregorio Torres Quintero is till considered a "rural" (farm) school.  This is an old classification that is not officially used nowadays because it brings no special benefit or consideration. 

Students were eager to volunteer to go over the monarch life-cycle and learn about their migration routes.

Once Estela handed out the Ambassador Monarchs in the classroom students shouted "Hurrah"'! They feel fascinated to know their letters will reach as far as the map showing where their Ambassador Monarchs come from!.

Monarchs Across Georgia had a book donated for them. Children were excited to share.

During break time the children play lots of different games.  Children here rarely have a computer, tablet, or cell phone at home or in school. As is the tradition here, all of the teaching is still done on the board and the text books led by the teacher.  Estela would like to see the educational system slowly progress towards including internet and computers in the schools.

When we were outside on the patio of the school two girls showed Estela the way they can see the mountains where the Sanctuary "El Rosario" is every day.

At the "school store" children can get snacks or candies at break-time.- Only very few schools have strived to make a radical change in what children should have during their lunch-break time. A few schools have prohibited "junk food", in others they have voluntarily eliminated it by installing their own dining rooms run by mothers of the students with funds for everything provided by the state.  However, not all schools have taken to offering this more healthy alternative.

In the end, the children waved farewell to Journey North wishing us to come back next year. 

Butterflies Received
This school received Ambassador Butterflies from the following U.S. and Canadian Schools:

Hatch School, Oak Park, IL
Silver Lake Intermediate School, Oconomowoc, WI
Silver Lake Intermediate School, Oconomowoc, WI
Silver Lake Intermediate School, Oconomowoc, WI
Perry Elementary, Shoemakersville, PA
Central Elementary, Edgewater, MD
Emerson Junior and Senior High School, Emerson, NJ
Chesterfield Day School, Chesterfield, MO
Dover Elementary, Westlake, OH
Dover Elementary, Westlake, OH
Cedar Park Elementary, Apple Valley, MN
Holly Lane Elementary, Westlake, OH
Cedar Park Elementary, Apple Valley, MN
Accotink Academy, Springfield, VA
Somers Elementary, Somers, CT
Accotink Academy, Springfield, VA
Southside Elementary, Versailles, KY
Field Elementary, Louisville, KY
Hinesburg Community School, Hinesburg, VT
South Elementary, Madison, OH
Hillside Elementary, Livingston, NJ
Watchung School, Montclair, NJ
Watchung School, Montclair, NJ
Forest Lake Elementary, Wantage, NY