~Sorry to all~

Sorry to everyone for not posting anything on the Costa Rica trip. We had Internet troubles and we were very busy. I will be posting some blogs on what we did on the trip and how it went. It may take a few days but they will be up and ready soon. Sorry again for the delay on my blog.

~Today is the Day~ YAY!!!!

I can't sleep right now and I felt like blogging! I will be driving to my school in a few hours to meet up with my peers and staff members so that we can drive to the airport together. I am getting so anxious but excited.I don't want to leave my family behind but I really want to be in Costa Rica now! Also I would like to give a shout out to my mother, Tammy and step father, Charlie. I will miss you both so much and can't wait until I see you again! I love you. Just for the information, I will be blogging once a day while in Costa Rica telling everyone about our adventures that day and what an experience it was or I will be blogging about what we are planning to do for the day. I will definitely keep everyone updated!

~Thank you to all~

I just wanted to thank everyone who attended our Celebration Dinner! It was great. I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did. Thank you to everyone who has helped us achieve this goal. You have really helped make seven teenagers' dreams come true. We all thank you so much for everyone's participation with everything. At our dinner we each spoke and thanked a few specific people. But we weren't the only ones that spoke. Bryan Mascio, Nancy Roy, and Bob Lister also spoke. If you go onto Bryan Mascio's blog, it will explain everything about the dinner. I would also like to say that I am proud of everyone in the Costa Rica Class for their participation and growth. We have all come a long way since the beginning of this class. The people that I am proud of and that are in the class are Brittney F, Mariah, Hailey, Kristine, Winston, and Joshua. Let's all have a good trip!

We Get to Meet Kay and Wolf!!!

So I just found out that we are meeting Kay and Wolf when we go to Costa Rica. I am so excited that we get to meet the Author of Walking With Wolf and the main character of the book Wolf. Not to mention, Wolf was one of the creators of the Moteverde Cheese Factory which is part of my research project. He will be able to help make my research project more factual because he was there when the Moteverde Cheese Factory was created, so he will know the history behind it. I am still amazed that I get to meet Wolf and Kay.

~Costa Rican Dinner~

I just wanted to inform all of you that the Costa Rica class will be hosting a Costa Rican dinner at our school, Robert J. Lister Academy. This school is located in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. We will be hosting this dinner on Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 6:30 pm. If you plan on attending this dinner, leave a comment saying that you will be attending and how many others you will be bringing if any. By the way we have seven days until we leave for Costa Rica. Thank you for everyones help. We couldn't do it without all of you. P.S. If you would like to support me, our efforts, and/or our class, please visit our Facebook page or send a check made payable to the Robert J. Lister Academy/ Costa Rica trip attention Bryan Mascio - 35 Sherburne Rd. Portsmouth, N.H. 03801 or you can visit our PayPal account and donate there

~Even more Information on my Topic~

I have changed my research project, yet again. Now I am researching the differences between Stonyfield Yogurt in New Hampshire to the Moteverde Cheese Factory in Costa Rica. I will be learning about how they make their products and the history behind these two factories. I will be visiting both the Monteverde Cheese Factory and Stonyfield Yogurt to recieve the information as well as looking these two places up online. This is all I know abouut my research project but I will keep you updated. P.S. If you would like to support me, our efforts, and/or our class, please visit our Facebook page or send a check made payable to the Robert J. Lister Academy/ Costa Rica trip attention Bryan Mascio - 35 Sherburne Rd. Portsmouth, N.H. 03801 or you can visit our PayPal account and donate there

More Information on my Topic

I know some more about what I am doing for my research project. I will be comparing the grocery stores, restaurants, and homes, as well as a local food producer in Costa Rica versus New Hampshire. I am doing the cheese factory for Costa Rica and Stonyfield Yogurt for New Hampshire.

In the book Walking with Wolf it talked about the Guidon family helping to start a cheese factory. When we go to Costa Rica in April, we will be going to the cheese factory so I can do some research on it. I might compare the cheese factory to Stonyfield Yogurt but I’m not sure yet.

Last year we went to Stonyfield Yogurt as a school field trip. It was so fun and interesting. I loved it. We might go there again to refresh my memory and so I can learn even more about Stonyfield Yogurt. Ever since that field trip I asked my family to switch our yogurt to Stonyfield Yogurt and they did.

That is all I know so far about my research project. I am so excited that I will be able to use Stonyfield Yogurt as part of it. I am also excited to go to the cheese factory that we have been reading so much about. I can’t wait to find out what I am doing for my final research project.

P.S. If you would like to support me, our efforts, and/or our class, please visit our Facebook page or send a check made payable to the Robert J. Lister Academy/ Costa Rica trip attention Bryan Mascio - 35 Sherburne Rd. Portsmouth, N.H. 03801 or you can visit our PayPal account and donate there

A Look back on the fall fundraising experiences

This is a video where I talk about what we did over this fall to fundraise. All I got to say is that it was a lot of hard work to fundraise the money we have gotten so far.

My Research Project

This is a video of me explaining my research project. This research project is part of the cirriculum.

My Walking with Wolf Review

This is a video of me giving a review of the the book Walking with Wolf. We read this book in our class for part of the curriculum.

My Plans for the Research Project

My topic for the research project is the difference between how people eat here, in New Hampshire versus there, in Costa Rica. As part of this I will look at the grocery stores, homes, and restaurants. I honestly don't know how to turn it into a final project afterwards but I will keep you posted on any new information I recieve or create.

P.S. If you would like to support me, our efforts, and/or our class, please visit our Facebook page or send a check made payable to the Robert J. Lister Academy/ Costa Rica trip attention Bryan Mascio - 35 Sherburne Rd. Portsmouth, N.H. 03801 or you can visit our PayPal account and donate there

Earning Money

In the book walking with wolf, we learned about the ways that they built industry and an economy in Monteverde. A thing that they had built that relates to its industry and economy is the dairy farm. There were three reasons why they decided to create a dairy farm. They were because they needed a way to make money on their new land, it was a good use of farmland, and also because Wolf grew up on a dairy farm.

My way of earning money is by having a job at McDonald’s and making handmade earrings to sell. I have been working at McDonald’s for a year now and I have never been written up or never called out for anything, not even once. I have been making earrings since July of 2010 and will be continuing to create them for this fundraising until we arrive in Costa Rica. I will then be selling them throughout a different blog. I will keep you updated so you know when and where to check out my new creations.

If you would like to buy any of these wonderful earrings that I have created then you can contact me through commenting on the blog or sending an email to me at bnewell.student@gmail.com.

P.S. If you would like to support me, our efforts, and/or our class, please visit our Facebook page or send a check made payable to the Robert J. Lister Academy/ Costa Rica trip attention Bryan Mascio - 35 Sherburne Rd. Portsmouth, N.H. 03801 or you can visit our PayPal account and donate there.

Some plans for our trip!!!

Recently, our class has started talking about our plans for our Costa Rica trip. We have just bought our plane tickets so we now know that we are definitely going to Costa Rica. This is making me feel very excited and anxious though because I want to go to Costa Rica but I've never left my family for this long.

Another thing we have talked about is what we will be doing while we arrive to Costa Rica. Some things we want to do is go horseback riding, zip-lining, and kayaking. Some things we plan on doing is going to the beaches in Costa Rica and staying in Monteverde with my teacher's friend, Rena.

P.S. If you would like to support me, our efforts, and/ or our class, please visit our FaceBook or send a check made payable to the Robert J. Lister Academy/ Costa Rica trip attention Bryan Mascio-35 Sherburne Rd. Portsmouth, N.H. 03801 or you can visit our PayPal account and donate there.

Papa Gino's Night

Our class is hosting a fundraising night at Papa Gino's. This will be taking place on January 20, 2011 at 2800 Lafayette Rd., Portsmouth, N.H. 03841. We are doing this because we are trying to raise the last bit of money that we need and any money we earn will be very helpful to us.

UPDATE!

I would just like to start this entry off by saying thank you to everyone who has supported us so far on this journey we are trying to accomplish. We couldn't have done it without the support and donations we have received from all of you.

I would just like to apologize for not blogging recently. We have been so busy raking houses that we haven't had much time to do anything else. We have been spending in school and out of school time with raking and it has even taking up weekends for some especially for our teacher Bryan. So I bet you are wondering how many houses we have raked and how much money we have made on raking these houses. We have raked twenty-five houses and made roughly $3,800.

P.S. If you would like to support me, our efforts, and/ or our class, please visit our Facebook page or send a check made payable to the Robert J. Lister Academy/ Costa Rica trip attention Bryan Mascio - 35 Sherburne Rd. Portsmouth, N.H. 03801 or you can visit our PayPal account and donate there.

We're Live!

Our Facebook account is up and running and our PayPal account is accepting online donations. Look for our article in the Portsmouth Herald/ Seacoast Online over the weekend. We are hiring out for leaf raking October 23rd - November 7th. Please consider supporting us and check us out at http://sites.google.com/site/listeracademycostaricaclass. Have a great weekend.

Costa Rica Transportation Which is a Form of my Entertainment

What are your needs versus your wants? Well, if I had the choice to compare Costa Rica and the United States I could tell you that their wants and needs for transportation are completely different. In Costa Rica, they have all different forms of transportation that they need like ATV's, Motorcycles, etc. that we as United States citizens use for entertainment purposes.

In the book Walking with Wolf, it was stated that "Since the 1990s, motorcycles, ATVs and four-wheel-drive vehicles have taken over the roadways, but walking always was and still remains an important form of transportation." In the United States this statement would be the complete oppostite.

For example, in the state of Maine they're doing a project right now called rails-to-trails. It started in 1987 in down-east Maine, when the Maine Department of Transportation wanted to preserve this railroad track for further use. Now the community is deciding that they want to destroy it in order to make it accessible to ATV'ers, Motorcyclists, bicyclers, hikers, snowmobilers, walkers and cross-country skiers. This community wanted to have this project completed by September 2010 and on September 21, 2010 it was completed and ready for opening.

Personally, I use ATVs and motorcycles for entertainment purposes. I have never needed them to get me anywhere or do anything for me. I know people in the United States that need them for transportation purposes and for hunting. Compared to Costa Rica, the United States has a very low ratio of people that need ATV’s and motorcycles as necessities.

When I arrive in Costa Rica I won't be able to wait to see their forms of transportation. I will be so excited because I love being around and on ATVs and Motorcycles. It will be such a great experience to live the life of a Costa Rican, or Tico, for ten days.

P.S. If you would like to support me, our efforts, and/or our class, please send a check made payable to the Robert J. Lister Academy/ Costa Rica trip attention Bryan Mascio - 35 Sherburne Rd. Portsmouth, N.H. 03801

The Art of the Chainsaw

What interests me outside of school is music and entertainment. In the book Walking with Wolf , Wolf states that "That was one I always liked: I enjoyed the art of working with a chainsaw. What with all its dangers and even with close calls I had, why, nonetheless, it's something that I got great satisfaction from. I loved to hear the trees come down." It is interesting to see how the Costa Ricans or "ticos" used to enjoy doing this as entertainment and how they still use it as entertainment.

At the Deerfield fair that happened this weekend in Deerfield, NH, they had chainsaw carvings which is a form of chainsaw art. It is an interesting thing to see how chainsaw art is still used as entertainment today and how chainsaw art is an entertaining thing to people throughout the world.

I am looking forward to begin reading chapter 6 from the book Walking with Wolf. I can't wait to find out what other events or things they do for entertainment in Costa Rica. It is interesting to see how they can take the smallest things and turn them into something fun and exciting, or what is known as being entertainment. I guess we will have to wait and see what goes on in the upcoming chapters to find out what other things they do for entertainment.

P.S. If you would like to support me, our efforts, or our class, please send a check made payable to the Robert J. Lister Academy/ Costa Rica trip attention Bryan Mascio - 35 Sherburne Rd. Portsmouth, N.H. 03801

Square Dancing

http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20100929-NEWS-9290375 Thank you to Jennifer Feals from the Portsmouth Herald for putting us on the front page of the newspaper and getting the community excited about what we are doing.

What is a sense of community? A sense of community is an emotional attachment you get when you feel important in a group. What do you gain from having a sense of community? If you are someone like me that has never felt like she was part of a community then you gain a lot from it. What have I gained from having a sense of community? Well, I have gained three things from having a sense of community. I have gained the feeling of acceptance and how to accept others for who they are, I have gained happiness, and I have gained the act of how to be respectful.

I recently had the opportunity to interview the principal of Robert J. Lister Academy, Nancy Roy, and asked her What do you think makes this school a community? "I think that strong emphasis on relationship requires an environment that allows students to practice the skills necessary to be a healthy member of a community or relationship". I agree with Nancy because I feel like I am part of this community.

Square dancing is a community event because the same people attend it. In chapter four of the book Walking with Wolf, Wolf and his wife, Lucky, were involved in a community gathering and that's when they shared square dancing with everyone. Soon after, they started a square dancing class at the school they founded, the Monteverde Friends School. Even though square dancing was brought about many years ago, it is still being taught and used in today's world.

Lady Gaga - "Don't ask, Don't tell"

What interests me outside of school is music and entertainment. I just heard about the Lady Gaga rally that was held on Monday, September 20, 2010 in Portland, Maine.This rally was based on the military statement that says "don't ask don't tell". This statement means that if you are gay they won't ask you, and if you are then you should not tell them or you will be kicked out of the military. She was fighting for their rights as United States citizens. I was reminded of this issue again in an NPR spot this morning on the radio.

The connection between the Lady Gaga rally and the NPR spot that I heard on the radio was that he actually got kicked out for telling his commanding officer that he was gay, and Lady Gaga was trying to stand up for the rights of homosexuals when they enter the military.

Lady Gaga and Wolf have a lot in common. In the book Walking with Wolf , Wolf believed in peace but no military, and Lady Gaga believes in peace throughout the people. W0lf went to jail for his beliefs in peace and then he moved away to a place where there was no military. This week, Lady Gaga held a rally kind of like a peaceful riot. She believes in equal rights no matter if you are homosexual or not, and I believe that everyone is equal and should not be discriminated against for what they believe in or how they live their lives.