Welcome to the Living Tree Academy Blog

With this blog we will keep you updated on our daily events of building a school in the Country of Belize. You will also be able to jump in and help with this adventure of a life time.

And anyone that is so inspired might find some of this information helpful in your efforts to build a quality school in any community or country around the world.

Stay in touch and lets change the lives of young people, one at a time.


Sunday, April 3, 2011

Belize Permanent Resident

Belize Permanent Resident

Applications for Belize Permanent Residence are made to the Belize Immigration Department in the City Of Belmopan after you have resided continuously in Belize for one year. You may not leave Belize for a period of 14 consecutive days during this time or your application may be rejected.
You need to fill out the required Permanent Residency Application form, take an HIV test, submit a recent police certificate of no criminal convictions, and provide two recommendations from individuals who have known you for at least one year. These individuals are usually ministers of religion, registered medical practitioners, attorneys at law, Head of a Government Department or Justice of the Peace.
There are several expediters - usually attorneys-at-law, retired immigration officers, Justices Of The Peace and other functionaries who can assist and guide you through this process.
Once your permanent residency has been approved you can seek employment or work for yourself just like any Belizean - there is no need for a work permit. You can move freely within Belize, and travel in and out of Belize without any restrictions. Best of all, the clock starts running and after 5 years you can apply for full citizenship.
It is economical to apply for permanent residency. Application fees for Permanent Residency vary by nationality, ranging from U.S. $250 to $5,000. For U.S. nationals, the fee is US$1,000 per person.
For information and application form, contact: Immigration and Nationality Department Ministry of National Security and Immigration, Belmopan City, Belize, Central America; Tel.: 501-222-4620; fax: 501-222-4056.

Time for approval of a permanent residency application varies. Some find that the process goes fairly quickly, taking only a few months. Others say it takes up to a year, or longer, for approval


Read more: http://www.belize.com/articles/residency-and-retirement-in-belize.html#ixzz1ISfFzmAk

Thursday, March 31, 2011

THE POSTAGE STAMP

THE POSTAGE STAMP
I had a little postage stamp,
No bigger than your thumb,
But still it stuck right on the job
Until its work was done
They licked it and they pounded it
‘Til it would make you sick!
But the more it took a lickin’
The tighter it would stick.
Let’s be like the postage stamp
In living the Christian life;
And just keep on a-stickin’
Through the conflict and the strife.
For the stamp stuck to the letter
‘Til it saw it safely through;
There’s no one could do better;
Let’s keep stickin’ and be true.
---Author Unknown

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Insect Repellent

Orvis is a brand that makes apparel with insect repellent in it. Insect Shield has no unpleasant smell or feel. The active ingredient, permethrin, is a man-made version of a natural insect repellent found in certain chrysanthemums. It is bonded to the fibers using Insect Shield's patent-pending process.

http://www.orvis.com/intro.asp?subject=3741

Of course I had to see what else the internet said about this ingredient (permethrin):
The insecticide permethrin (in the synthetic pyrethroid family) is widely used on cotton, wheat, corn, alfalfa, and other crops. In addition, over 100 million applications are made annually in and around U.S. homes.
Permethrin, like all synthetic pyrethroids, is a neurotoxin. Symptoms include tremors, incoordination, elevated body temperature, increased aggressive behavior, and disruption of learning. Laboratory tests suggest that permethrin is more acutely toxic to children than to adults.
http://www.safe2use.com/poisons-pesticides/pesticides/permethrin/cox-report/cox.htm
So it looks like DEET is for the skin and Permethrin is for clothing/material:
DEET Repellents / Skin
The most effective repellents contain DEET, which is an ingredient used to repel pests like mosquitoes and ticks. DEET has been tested against a variety of biting insects and has been shown to be very effective
Permethrin® Insecticide / Clothing
Permethrin is applied to clothing and material. It bonds to the fibers. When a mosquito, tick, or other insect comes into contact with the Permethrin it absorbs a lethal dose. Unlike DEET, which may harm some fabrics and materials, Permethrin is compatible for use even on fragile fabrics, such as silk.
Permethrin spray is applied to clothing before it is worn. Product is effective for two weeks after being applied. Liquid contains 0.5% Permethrin. This product should not be applied to the skin.
 http://www.traveldoc.com/products/repellents.aspx

Foto Of The Day

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

The Few

“The Few”
The easy roads are crowded,And the level roads are jammed;The pleasant little riversWith the drifting folks are crammed.But off yonder where it’s rocky,Where you get a better view,You will find the ranks are thinningAnd the travelers are few.


 Where the going’s smooth and pleasantYou will always find the throng,For the man, more’s the pity, Seem to like to drift along.But the steeps that call for courage,And the task that’s hard to do,In the end result in glory
For the never-wavering few
-Edgar A Guest

Albert Einstein during the war years said, "Times such as ours breed defeat and despair.  But there remain, nevertheless, some few among us who believe, who meet and overcome even the greatest challenges of this time.  If we want to avoid defeat, we must know the truth and be courageous enough to act upon it, and we need not despair."

Saturday, March 26, 2011

POEM OF THE DAY: Do Something...

POEM OF THE DAY:
Do Something...
Do something today to bring gladness
To someone whose pleasures are few
Do something to drive off sadness--
Or cause someone’s dream to come true.
Find time for a neighborly greeting
And time to delight an old friend;
Remember,-- the years are fleeting
And life’s latest day will soon end.
Do something to-day that to-morrow
Will prove to be really worthwhile;
Help someone to conquer sorrow
And greet the new dawn with a smile.
For only through kindness and giving
Of service and friendship and cheer,
We learn the pure joy of giving
And find Heaven’s happiness here.
It is not the load that breaks you down, it is the way you carry it!

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

San Pedro High - One of 29 Countrywide

Belize has 29 high schools countrywide. Currently San Pedro High is the only high school on the island of Ambergris Caye.  

San Pedro High is open to local San Pedranos as well as Belizean students from all over the country whose parents come to San Pedro to work mostly on tourism or construction.

Founded in 1971, San Pedro High began the provision for educational opportunities to the local community. Before San Pedro High was established, only 2 students from the island attended high school on the mainland.  San Pedro High was started with 30 students of which 9 students graduated in the first graduating class. Current enrollment is about 200 with an average graduating class of 30.

The school year begins late August and runs for 36 weeks. Students attend 40 minute classes with 8 periods each day, 5 times a week. Extra curricular activities are available such as band, music, choir, yearbook, newspaper, drama, and environmental club.

San Pedro High mostly focuses on training students to work in business. Students who wish to specialize in other areas, move on to a tertiary level of education (known in Belize as sixth form or junior college). During the evening hours, San Pedro High offers adults computer and beginning Spanish classes.

As a private Anglican based school that is partly government funded, San Pedro High has continued to operate for many years within the community of San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.