During our teacher planning week our Palapa School Committee created a document to better acquaint the new teachers with the school and The Palapa Society as a whole.

We thought there were some nice parts of this presentation that we would like to share with you.

Mission: The mission of the Palapa School is to provide high quality, comprehensive education with emphasis on the academic and life skills thus preparing students for the challenges of a rapidly changing world.

Vision: It is the vision of The Palapa School to be a sustainable, accessible community institution in which educational programs empower choice-filled lives and create positive, transformational change for the youth of Todos Santos.

We believe in the potential of our students and the idea that an excellent education will allow our students to make their best life choices and establish habits as a life-long learner.

1. We believe in educating the whole student, understanding that students learn best when their physical needs are met, their emotional needs are heard, and their minds are stimulated and challenged.

2. We believe in personal responsibility. We desire as teachers to model the self-management skills we hope to foster in our students. We do not make excuses. Instead, we see each challenge as an opportunity to make improvements to our teaching in the service of our students. We believe in commitment to doing our personal best.

3. We believe in ethics and fairness. We believe in defending students’ rights of equal access to support, opportunities, materials, and interventions. We see this as forming the stable basis for a community of respect.

4. We believe in real work for real results to effect meaningful change in the life every student.

During the week of January 25 - 29, 2021 our seventh grade students prepared presentations to share with their fellow classmates and present during classes.

Perla and her classmates prepared a presentation about the basics of the indigenous language of Náhuatl. It's so amazing to share such creative and talented work by our students with you.

To view this creative presentation, please click here to view.

Victor enrolled The Palapa School at the last minute because he had previously planned to enter another school. There were changes that ended up giving him two other options, The Palapa School or public school. He decided on the one that best suited him overall and specifically in the educational sense.

He is in his first year of high school. What he likes most about high school are those moments when he participates with other classmates, friends, and teachers. Currently, he finds mathematics most interesting. Distance learning “at first was very confusing because everything that was used in school had changed. It is no longer face-to-face and less interaction with other students and teachers. Over time you get used to it, but it still feels weird for many people."

Victor plans to go to university but not sure what he wants to study. He has not yet thought extensively about his future, but he would like to work on something he likes, be it video games, reading, drawing, or something related.

Professor Armando Vasquez, is our Science, Chemistry and Biology Teacher, he comes from a background as food chemical engineer from the National Technological Institute of Mexico. He was a scientific researcher for the CONACYT program. In 2016, passion for teaching began, he decided to start on the path toward science in education. Professor Armando is a multi-instrumentalist and musical composer. He is proud of Latin American music and widely believes that art is an important part of every young student's education. He is currently completing a Master of Science in Education at the Escuela Normal Superior del Estado de Baja California Sur. 

Armando arrived in Todos Santos in June 2018 and is very excited to be part of the Palapa School. “The Palapa School is where minds and the desire to transform education come together. From that, incredible things happen, and I clearly see this happening at the Palapa School. The difference between the Palapa School and other schools is that enrollment acceptance is not solely based upon perfect grades. Instead, students must be willing to take on the challenges of the future and want to solve problems they observe in their community. We want students who reject inequality, raise their voices in the face of injustice, and put their principles forward. The Palapa School strives to go beyond a traditional education system. It is the very need for a better society. When a student breaks paradigm and manages to acquire new knowledge through their own means and cognitive possibilities, it makes me feel that I am in the right place.”

Regarding distance education, “The biggest challenge has been to maintain interest and assertive communication with each student. It is imperative we create and establish autonomous mechanisms where the student can manage their educational time. Distance education arrived as a necessity and did not ask permission. This caused stress and anxiety in students nationwide. It became a clash between a traditional education system and a new, distance model."

“It is clear both students and teachers were affected. However, nearly a year after establishing this type of educational mechanism, we are beginning to see positive results. Thanks to the innovation and creativity of many teachers, we are redesigning education, have become a part of history, and will leave an educational legacy, ‘We can!’ I believe there are lessons we can rescue from this: We must value education in a social setting as we knew it, value the spaces and technological tools The Palapa School offers each students, value the hard work of the students and teachers in the classrooms, and above all, to value the very need for education.”

Books can be returned and/or donations received every Monday 10-1pm drop off only, no library entry will be allowed.

Collen Suche

Nicholas Rice

Roberta Albert

Kristin Rust

Lee Purser

Liane Collins

Jimena Garcia

Guillermo Bejarano