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Tacogirl Belize blog Est. in 2007

You came to the right blog for Belize Resources and Information.

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Summer Update from Holy Cross

by tacogirl 24/08/2011
written by tacogirl 24/08/2011
San Pedro Belize beach pictures

Summer Update from Holy Cross (inc Tropical Storm Harvey)

Hello once again to all our faithful supporters. We really hope you have all had a great summer, and our thoughts are with all of you from Texas who are suffering worse heat than we are.

First up, I’d like to reassure you all that Tropical Storm Harvey missed the school entirely, and other than a little rain and wind did not cause any disturbance at all. So thank you all for your prayers of protection.

Summer is always a busy time for the school, and this summer was no exception.  Thank you so much to all the teams and visitors who came down to help the kids and the school. Here are a few highlights…

· Vacation Bible School ran for 4 weeks, and the kids had a wonderful time learning of God’s love and faithfulness, doing craft, singing songs, listening to stories and kicking balls. VBS makes such a difference for our kids, many of whom have nowhere else to be. It also lets us continue our feeding program through the summer, which is really important.  Thank you so much to the teams from St Paul’s School for Girls, MD; St Simon’s Church  in Ontario; Emmanuel Church in  Virginia Beach; and St John’s & St Paul’s Church in Lynchberg, VA.

· Summer School ran for 3 weeks under the calm guidance of Ginger Rogers and with help from Connie Crisp and others. They all did a great job, and the kids who attended made significant improvement in their reading. Summer school can literally change people’s lives by teaching them to read – if this is something you’re interested in being part of next year, please let me know. Skilled helping hands are always needed.

· An enthusiastic team from St Matthews in California came down once again to do a week of swim school. This is a highlight for many of the kids, who love splashing in the pool and learning new skills. The skilled swimmers were really challenged this time, and amazed themselves by how far they could swim, and had a blast doing lifesaving exercises.

·  Construction is still continuing. This summer Principal Grace received a much needed extension to her office, giving her the space she needs for family conferences and other meetings.  Foundations were also improved in various classrooms, and the water garden relocated to better location.  All classrooms received a fresh coat of paint ready for the new year. Thank you so much to teams from St Matthews, CA; St Thomas, MA; as well as our VBS teams and other visitors for pitching in to make this all happen. (You too, Ben).

·  A stunning mural was created by a team from Eastern Shore Chapel, VA.  You can see the mural as soon as you enter the school, and it really adds a splash of vibrant color and fun. Despite it raining for a few days, they managed to get the whole thing done in just one week. Amazing!

·  The sewing center is thriving. Just under 10 ladies from the local community are sewing girls uniforms as fast as they can, ready for sale in the coming weeks. They are doing great job, and are very innovative. When they saw someone had donated simple hair ties to the school, they began using scrap uniform fabric to turn them into matching scrunchies.  In a few weeks, after school has started, they home to start making bags to sell to tourists.

There is one more exciting piece of news I just have to share – as of 5 September, Holy Cross will officially be opening a PRESCHOOL for 30 three and four year olds. At the request of the Diocese, one of our existing classrooms is being converted to a preschool, giving affordable preschool education to the local kids. This is a tremendous advantage to the local community, as although preschools are available on the island, they are often unaffordable for local families. These children either go without any kind of preschool education, or a sent to live with relatives on the mainland where preschool education is more affordable. Neither of these is good for the children. The children will get a tremendous advange for attending our preschool – not only will they learn to speak English, (giving them a huge advantage when they get to the first year of primary school), they have access to our dentists and feeding program, dramatically improving their health. We are so excited that this could happen (and are now frantically trying to find chairs, desks and all the other things necessary to start a preschool – if you have anything you can donate, please contact me!).

Thank you once again to everyone for your prayers, donations, visits and financial support. We could not do what we do without your continuing help.  Every little bit helps, and any donations are gratefully received through the Holy Cross Education Foundation, 7550 Corporate Way, Eden Prairie, MN 55344, Attention: Brian Ostenso, Chairman or online at www.hcefoundation.org.

God Bless

Lydia Brown
Volunteer Coordinator
Holy Cross School

karen brodie
A Little Hammock Fun by Karen Brodie Photography
dale wallace junior san pedro belize
Dale's mechanic shop in San Juan
belize food
Creole shrimp
dragonfly pottery made by belize artist ruby hand
Dragonfly pottery Artisan Ruby hand

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tacogirl

Laure Norton grew up dyslexic and was very challenged by the school. She never dreamed she would move to Belize and become a writer. A year after her move to Ambergris Caye, Laurie became an entrepreneur and professional writer starting tacogirl blog in 2007. Since then she has helped many people plan their vacations or move. She also has been published in Great Destinations Belize Guidebook, Moon Guide to Living in Belize, Insight Guides, Island Magazine several times and USA Today. Currently Laurie resides in downtown San Pedro and enjoys being a "city girl" on a tropical island.

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Corey Holm
Corey Holm
04:38 25 Feb 20
I take the seniors from our academy to Belize every year for their senior trip. One of the first people I contact when... I start planning the trip is Laurie with TacoGirl Belize. She knows the island of San Pedro better than anyone else out there. Trust me, I have looked. If you are looking for the best restaurants, hang outs and shops then Laurie help plan your vacation.read more
Carol Taylor
Carol Taylor
15:53 24 Feb 20
Love Taco Girl Blog @LaurieNorton! I've been reading this blog since I started visiting Ambergris Caye in Belize almost... 10 years ago. It is filled with helpful up-to-date information and recommendations that I wouldn't necessarily find on my own. Laurie Norton's knowledge and extensive network on the island provides her with the ability to share perks/discounts/coupons with her readers, which come in handy year after year. Things on the island change daily - new businesses pop up constantly and LaurieNortonstays on top of these developments. Whenever I plan my return trip to the island, I always check her blog first - and I recommend you do the same. Trip Advisor ain't got nuttin' on Taco Girl!read more
Heidi
Heidi
20:01 20 Feb 20
Laurie's blog is my official “go to” source for tourist and local information on San Pedro. Of course, it’s... always nice to see her guides on “what to do” in San Pedro, but I also appreciate her “insider” advice and human interest stories on what it’s like living as a local on the island. There is so much information it's amazing! Thank you Laurie!!!read more
Nick Goodman
Nick Goodman
21:23 30 Nov 19
I am considering a move to Belize and I have serendipitously found tacogirl.....what a treasure! She is full of great... advice, helpful hints.....knows everybody on Ambergris Caye and has a thousand useful recommendations and suggestions. Whether you are planning a vacation or relocating, you should make use of the many services she has to offer…..read more
KellyDivePhotography
KellyDivePhotography
20:58 30 Nov 19
I’m so pleased to see tacogirl's blog on Google. Laurie's blog is my official “go to” source for tourist and... local information on San Pedro. Of course, it’s always nice to see her guides on “what to do” in San Pedro, but I also appreciate her “insider” advice and human interest stories on what it’s like living as a local on the island. I especially enjoy her guest articles, providing a different perspective of all things San Pedro. Her tipping quide is a classic, and don’t forget her Tropic Air flight code and on-island discounts. You’re not up-to-date with what’s going on in San Pedro if you’re not regularly reading tacogirl's blog.read more
Sandra Godfrey
Sandra Godfrey
15:58 23 Nov 19
I have known Laurie (Taco Girl) for several years. She has been a wealth of good information for me in all of my... pursuits in Belize. I highly recommend her for any services you may require.read more
William Jones
William Jones
13:39 06 May 19
Do yourself a favor. Read this BEFORE any trip to San Pedro - Ambergris Caye or Belize in general. Not saying “do... what everyone else says”, but Laurie has frank and honest info which will make your stay in country a little more fun, a little more informative, and often at a great cost savings. Best thing: it’s unbiased, honest, and factual. Personal note: thank you for your personal tailored help in answering mine (and my wife’s) questions.read more
Kimberly Robinson
Kimberly Robinson
18:28 03 May 19
Taco Girl (Laurie) is amazing. She has so much knowledge about Belize and has great connections with many of the... businesses in Belize. Because of her connections she is able to offer many perks and discounts that you wouldn't have been able to find otherwise. She is super responsive and I always go to her for all my travel needs. From golf cart rentals, to spas, to places to eat. She's got the inside scoop on all!read more
Michael Rieck
Michael Rieck
20:22 21 Apr 19
Since 2003, my wife and I have been to Ambergris at least once a year to experience the fantastic diving. About twelve... years ago we me Tacogirl on a blog giving us discounts on golf carts, local airfares, and restaurants. Over the years we have grown a friendship and I look forward to her weekly blogs about he changes on my favorite home away from home. The island changes every year, and she always shows you what to see, do, and eat.read more
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THE ORIGINAL BELIZE BLOG

ABOUT ME

I took the plunge and moved to San Pedro Town on the Island of Ambergris Caye, off the coast of Belize, Central America. Originally from Canada, I made the life-changing move to escape winter for good (in 2006) after one three week vacation.

If you have any questions or want Belize discounts, Contact me.

SPARKING MY DESIRE

3 childhood memories that shaped my desire to move to Belize from a young age.Sailing in the Virgin Islands, seeing a rainbow out the window of an island hopper as we flew from Virgin Islands to Puerto Rico, Christmas in Hawaii and many trips to Florida.

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