Alvarado School Garden Gets Help

Alvarado School Garden Gets Help

A BIG thankyou to Harvey Judges, owner of the Tomato Ranch (which provides the Co-op with those great tomatoes) for his donation of $100 to the Alvarado School Garden. This will enable the school to purchase some much-needed equipment. Thanks, Harvey!

Thanks also to the many individuals who have called to volunteer their time; either for special projects or as regular garden assistants. Your help will make a huge difference.

Bandelier Music Program Needs Your Cents! Margaret White, of the Parents for Music Committee recently sent us this update:

“Dear La Montanita Members, Friends and Staff,

“Your generosity with your change at the registers has brought music to many children! Thanks to all who helped fund the inaugural year of the parent-sponsored music program at Bandelier Elementary School last year!

Your contributions in the “Music Cents” cans at the Nob Hill store made a great difference… each Bandelier student had a general music class every week during the school year.

This year APS will not provide an itinerant music teacher for our school, so our only opportunity to provide music to all of our students will be through this parent-sponsored program.

Your donations at the registers can help us do it again. Though parents are the primary contributors, community participation in funding this program is critical.

Because a large percentage of Bandelier students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, we recognize that not all families can contribute, so your donations have been a real boost and we thank you.”

Look for Bandelier “Music Cents” cans at the registers at Nob Hill.

Co-op member/volunteer Sis Shapiro was honored at an assembly at Cochiti Elementary School this spring for her work as a reading tutor.

The certificate presented to her from her student gave this tribute:

“Ms. Shapiro volunteers at Cochiti two days a week to work with me. She helps me read and we talk about interesting things. We play word games. She brings me library books that she knows I will like.

She is very friendly and she makes me feel very special. She deserves the Character Counts Award for Caring.”

She does, indeed. Sis, a retired preschool teacher and longtime resident of Corrales, has a background in early childhood development, and a love of reading and spreading the joy that reading brings. Sis also serves as a docent at the zoo (for 18 years) which, as she says, “has made me very interested in nature, wildlife and endangered species — anything I can use to help engage the children.”

“You need to tune into the child and make her/him want to come to the sessions. Find out what he/she likes and use that as a base. The main thing is to make them feel special.”

Though Sis has a strong background in working with kids, she stresses that this isn’t necessary in order to help kids learn.

As she told her student, “Whatever we do, if you read to me or I read to you, or we do silent reading, or write, or play word games or talk together — all these things will help with your reading.”

Volunteering at Cochiti has been a great thing for Sis too. “The teachers and the staff are so grateful and supportive — there’s no pressure — just working with the kids one-on-one is great. It is the most rewarding thing I can think of.”

Sis was a member of the old Osha Co-op in the North Valley years ago and was sorry to see it go. “For years my complaint was that there was no good place to shop nearby. Then the Valley Co-op opened and I was tickled. I’m so glad they are there. I live on a tight budget, so the 18% discount for volunteering helps, too.”

Sandy Gray, the school partner coordinator for Cochiti Elementary wishes she could clone Sis. “We need a dozen of you here,” she says. Thanks, Sis.

You can be part of the wonderful Co-op member/volunteer program that provides tutors to Cochiti and other elementary schools. Member/volunteers receive an 18% discount for every three hours volunteered.