My experience in Treasure Beach was absolutely amazing and unforgettable, and I can't believe that I was given the opportunity to work with the kids again! They are all unbelievably intelligent kids who are willing and eager to learn. They all have such a vibrance for life, and I think that they truly do represent the community that they live in. Everyone in Treasure Beach was so welcoming and kind, and they truly made our stay feel like paradise on Earth. I want to thank everyone for their hospitality and kindness.

At recess,

The kids I worked one on one with. They are awesome!

Cheerleading with the girls at lunch!

My experience in Jamaica was unbelievable. I did not know what to expect when I got on the plane to fly to Montego Bay. I know from now on, I will look at life with a slightly different perspective, and I will forever have an emotional connection to Jamaica. The children at Sandy Banks Primary are inspiring, lovable, loving, caring, and beyond generous. They have the respect, love, and potential to succeed beyond primary school. As a third grade assistant at Sandy Banks, I worked hands on with the children and delved into their hard work, devotion, laughter, and fun. While I taught children how to divide, multiply, write, and read, the children taught me how to appreciate life and what is in front of me. My thanks and love go out to all the children and adults that made my experience at Treasure Beach possible and worthwhile.

I can not imagine going any where else in the world and finding the same kind of hospitality, love, and beauty that I found in Treasure Beach. I am incredibly lucky to have been able to experience it. The location was absolutely breathtaking and I would do anything to catch the sunset in Jamaica tonight, but what I loved even more were the people. Our host mother treated us as if all 19 of us were her own. Even in the preschool, the children welcomed us by calling us "uncle" and "auntie." I never wanted to leave! Thank you to everyone at Treasure Beach and I cannot wait for the day I go back! I miss the kids too much to stay away for long!

My boys!

Although my time in Treasure Beach lasted only a week, I will never forget the incredible experience I had or the inspiring people I met. The students at Sandy Banks Primary School were genuinely sweet, vibrant, and full of life. I truly admired their determination and work ethic and know that many of those children will go on to do great things and make their community proud. Thank you so much to all of the students, teachers, and residents of Treasure Beach who welcomed us with open arms. You made our experience unforgettable, and I hope to return again someday soon.

With the girls at lunch!
Ice cream!
Courtney and her new best friend!

Wonderful.

A few weeks ago I had the incredible opportunity to get away from college life and immerse myself in the Treasure Beach community. That week I was able to teach the kids at Sandy Bank Primary (or attempted to, equivalent fractions are quite the tricky subject), learn some sweet phrases, pick up an accent, and open up my perspective on the world. I can only hope I made as great an impact on the community and kids as they did on me. And I miss my two students, Tia and Mcrea, dearly and hope, someday, they'll like those hats more than a folder.

Treasure Beach is truly a unique, beautiful place that holds a very special place in my heart and I can't wait to return there and spend more time than a week. Hope everyone is enjoying the weather (we're convinced we brought it back with us to Charlottesville).

Can someone get a message to Allie Iaccarino that her pictures didn't come through and ask her to post again, or send them to webmaster@treasurebeach.net and we'll post for her?

Thanks!

-TBNet

My visit to Treasure Beach was incredibly amazing and rewarding. Working with the kids at Sandy Banks, eating with them, playing with them at breaks...the little things just showed how amazing these kids really are. They taught us just as much, if not more than we taught them, and the gratitude they showed us was absolutely wonderful. I'm so glad that I chose to go on this trip and only hope that the kids at Sandy Banks got as much out of it as we did. They are all so wonderful and I hope they never forget us, because I know we will never forget them.

Reading all these posts from the UV students make me so proud of Treasure Beach; we do have treasure to offer the world. It's all about the people. Unique, free, and loving.

Btw, I believe the name is Sandy Bank, not Sandy Banks.

I had no idea what to expect going into this trip and definitely did not realize the impact that Treasure Beach and the children at Sandy Bank would have on me. I was amazed at how kindhearted and sweet the children were at Sandy Bank. Whether it was sharing their ice cream with me or teaching me how to play the drums (I wasn't very good), they went out of their way to become my friend and make sure I felt at home in Jamaica. Ever since I've been back, I have talked about my spring break in Treasure Beach constantly to all my family and friends. This experience is one that I will never forget.

Going over math problems.

Hanging out during recess.

The kids teaching me to play the drums.

This was my second trip to Treasure Beach and everything was yet again incredible. I loved seeing how much the students had grown and learned since the previous year. I know they are all destined for great things. I hope at some point that my travels return me to Treasure Beach and especially Sandy Bank.

Spelling with the students,

Math lesson with the fifth grade class,

My trip to Treasure Beach was truly unforgettable. Treasure Beach is such a beautiful and welcoming community. Our host mom treated us like her own children and met us with such hospitality that I felt comfortable from the minute we arrived. Teaching at Sandy Banks was incredibly rewarding and the children were so inspiring with their enthusiasm and loving personalities. I worked with first graders to teach them numbers and letters. I can only hope that I taught them as much as they taught me and my perspective on life will never be the same. I hope one day I can travel back to Treasure Beach and see my students again. Thank you to all the wonderful people that made this trip so meaningful!


Me and my students!


The girls and me during recess.

I can't believe that that tears are welling up in these eyes feeling the "one love", freely expressed visions of togetherness so evident in in these beautiful-boonoonoonoos-magna messages and pictures that will surely last a life-time. Whatever our ages, never mistake top for bottom...bottom for top. We are all teaching and learning and hopefully sharing with one another so as to rise in consciousness and dignity!

One Love...One Heart/People Get Ready (Bob Marley):
Music Video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYBGz4zKYv8

One love, one heart
Let's get together and feel all right
Hear the children crying (One love)
Hear the children crying (One heart)
Sayin', "Give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel all right."
Sayin', "Let's get together and feel all right."
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa

Let them all pass all their dirty remarks (One love)
There is one question I'd really love to ask (One heart)
Is there a place for the hopeless sinner
Who has hurt all mankind just to save his own?
Believe me

One love, one heart
Let's get together and feel all right
As it was in the beginning (One love)
So shall it be in the end (One heart)
Alright, "Give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel all right."
"Let's get together and feel all right."
One more thing

Let's get together to fight this Holy Armageddon (One love)
So when the Man comes there will be no, no doom (One song)
Have pity on those whose chances grow thinner
There ain't no hiding place from the Father of Creation

Sayin', "One love, one heart
Let's get together and feel all right."
I'm pleading to mankind (One love)
Oh, Lord (One heart) Whoa.

"Give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel all right."
Let's get together and feel all right.
(Repeat)

I am very grateful for the wonderful opportunity I was given to travel to Jamaica a few weeks ago with a couple of students from UVA. The kids at Sandy Bank Primary were amazing, and it was great to see how excited and they eager they were to learn, as well as how gratifying it was for them to understand the concepts we taught them. They taught me much more than I taught them, however, and they truly helped create an unforgettable experience. Thank you to the community of Treasure Beach, especially our host mom, for your hospitality and welcoming dispositions!

With one of my students and another first grader!

Playing with the kids at recess!

Helping a student with his work

It was awesome and such a great experience to be able to go back to Treasure Beach for I second time. Was really rewarding to see how much the kids had grown and learned since I had been gone, and they still remembered my name! As I expected, it most definitely did not disappoint.

I had the most incredible experience while in Treasure Beach this Spring Break. No other time in my life can I say that I spent an entire week with 18 UVa students teaching children lessons that will last them a life time.
These kids really captured my heart! Each and every one of them has a truly kind soul and I looked forward to seeing them each and every day in hope of teaching them something new!
My favorite memory of the trip was when I taught the 3rd grade class their 9's table. To hear the majority of the class yelling the correct answer as they used their fingers to calculate out the answer was unforgettable

I was really nervous going into this trip- I had never done a service trip before and I had no idea what to expect. I was really worried about interacting with the kids anda making a good impression. I had nothing to be worried about; the Treasure Beach community was so welcoming and warm. I absolutely fell in love with the children I got to work with and was so upset when I had to leave. I've never had the opportunity to make such a big impact in someone's life- I just wish I had more time with them. Hopefully I can return in the future and see the wonderful people I met in Treasure Beach again. Thank you so much for such a rewarding, life-changing experience!

Story Time!

Recess.

I loved all of the Pre-K kids!

Traveling to Treasure Beach and working at Sandy Banks Primary School was one of the greatest experiences of my life. The 6th graders I had the chance to work with really welcomed us with open arms and made our time in Treasure Beach even better. These kids were some of the sweetest, smartest, most determined people I have ever met. I loved seeing how eager they were to learn and really enjoyed having time to talk to them and play with them as well. I am so grateful to have been able to meet them. I know that they have bright futures ahead and I hope to some day see them again.

It appears to have been a most meaningful week for the university students and for the children from Sandy Bank Primary and Sandy Bank Basic. Thank you to University of Virginia and thank you to Mrs. Kennedy for arranging this trip.

I had a great time at Treasure Beach! Working with second graders was very rewarding, and taught me a lot about myself and about the wonderful culture of Jamaica. One of my favorite moments was when one of my students, Odean, successfully went through an entire phonics puzzle on his own. I also really enjoyed reading books to the kids after recess.

With two of the second grade students.
Reading to two boys.

Seeing all these pictures and reading all the words makes me feel joyful. A big thank you to everyone involved.