Symbolic Monarchs in Mexico

 

11 de Julio Kindergarten, Grades 3-6
11 de Julio Kindergarten is located in “Palo Amarillo” community in the Estado de México.

Pre-escolar level (Kindergarten) children start school at 3-4 years old for two years. Then they go onto Elementary level for 6 years.  Here, they learn quite well to start writing and reading words and sometimes short sentences.

These young students start school at 9 and leave at 12 (noon time). No breakfast service is available in this level at school for children in this age. Moms  pack lunch for them.

Families in this community own the main sheltering forest areas to “Sierra Chincua” Sanctuary, beside the “Senguio” Ejido, (which schools we will visit right next).  These communities, are located at the hightest elevation of all the communities around the Sanctuaries, around 3,200-3,500 mountains, therefore, the only ways of making a living are agriculture with growing corn, potatos, yellow-beans and wheat grain crops, besides cattle and back-yard animals raising. 

Children listen to some very short and general facts on Monarchs life in Canada and USA, the countries they come from, and the reason they come to our forests every year.  They observe and listen to the way a Monarch is born.  Children find it simply amazing to discover the idea that Monarchs come from so far away looking for a warm winter home, and really love to hear about how a little egg develops into a Monarch. This lesson is enough for them, who for the first time in their lives hear about the topic.

Moms love to hear the whole presentation, appreciate very much Journey North visits their children and go home really happy to see their children are learning about monarch life cycle and migration and how it affects their lives. The teachers at school and the community in general do not get detailed education like the messages Journey North brings to them.

Donations: “La Sociedad Novohispana” book.

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

Robert School Public School 165New York, NY
Shaw Hardin Park SchoolBoone, NC
Blackshear ElementaryAustin, TX
Harborside Middle SchoolMilford, CT
Dunkirk Senior High SchoolDunkirk, NY
Saint Anne's SchoolGarden City, NY
Saint Anne's SchoolGarden City, NY
James Simons ElementaryCharleston, SC
Mountain View ElementaryPurcellville, VA
Immaculate Conception SchoolFort Smith, AR
Riverwood ElementaryCordova, TX
Fern Leaf Community Charter SchoolFletcher, NC
The School of Columbia UniversityNew York, NY
Brooklyn ElementaryBrooklyn, WI
Port Elgin Saugeen Central SchoolPort Elgin, ON
Evans City Middle SchoolEvans City, PA
Goochland ElementaryGoochland, VA
Ross ElementaryMemphis, TN