Historical Santo Domingo Day Trip

Last week I was noticing that the weather was definitely cooler, especially in the evenings. In the evenings, our apartment was actually comfortable, and there were several nights that I actually had to turn my fan down before I went to bed-- because it was so cool. Saturday, however, the heat has returned!! In looking at the 10 day forecast, it's going to be in the upper 90's all this week. I noticed the heat a lot yesterday in our apartment, and it wasn't actually cool until the morning. (I'm seriously thinking of an AC unit for my room--just have to save some more...) Today it's been extremely humid and a bit hazy. Fall has always been my favorite time of year, and I do really miss the "hoodie" weather, as well as the leaves changing and the pumpkins. It feels very surreal for it to be feeling like 105 (yesterday) the first of October! But I guess that's what happens when you move to the Caribbean! LOL

Starting last week, and for another two weeks, we will have MAP Testing (a fall standardized test for all students), so that will allow me to have a few more breaks in my schedule sometimes. The counselor's and media teacher are the ones that coordinate that, so I don't have to do any testing for my student's. I've had a few teacher's ask me about students with auditory/language processing or visual perception difficulties, so I've been researching some strategies. We do not have access to an occupational therapist (who deals with fine motor) or a speech therapist, so it's Google! We also don't have a school psychologist here, who would give a test called the WISC, that assesses difficulties like that. (There is a school psychologist in Santo Domingo, over 2 hours away...)  In the process  of researching, I found a strategy for student's with reading difficulties, and have been trying it out...
https://youtu.be/V9Mru-0rbk8

Saturday, our neighbor Darlene took my roommates and I to the capital-- Santo Domingo. We left at 7:30, and got home a little after 5. It was so much fun, but a long day!! (It was also very hot.) We went to Christopher Columbus' light house-- a memorial for the 500th anniversary in 1992-- the pope even came to dedicate it. Next was Tres Ojos-- where 3 bodies of water meet (well, actually four, but they had already named it when they found the 4th one!). The caves were extremely humid, and you would sweat profusely from being down there! After that we went to Christopher Columbus' son's house- --with the original furnishings-- it's so awesome to think that I'm seeing historical items that are over 500 years old!! Lastly, we walked down the colonial area-- the architecture was so pretty-- and there is also a whole bunch of tourist shops. You also pass by the oldest Catholic Church in DR, a moseleum  (not sure of spelling?) where distinguished DR's are buried, and statues of famous DR's in history.