Loaves & Fishes
Each year our Kindergartners buddy up with our Upper Elementary students and together they take a field trip to the Loaves & Fishes distribution center at the National Guard Armory, in Atascadero, where they help to sort food that is distributed to the families in need. Before the field trip, the students and teachers talk briefly about where the food comes from, who will eat the food, and why they might need it. This is just one way that we can help people in our community!
The children start out with their own special job: counting out 10 tea bags and putting them in a baggy.
They work at that for about an hour...
and then begin sorting from the BIG pile of food items which involves sorting cans of vegetables, fruit, boxes of cereal, jars of peanut butter, etc.
They work until they are “done” - tired, exhausted, bored or finished - whichever comes first!
Early Elementary Students Present $2449.00 to Atascadero Library
Today, the students visited the library for a special annual lesson with Miss Joan, the Youth Services librarian, to learn about picture book writing and drawing techniques. Joan knows better than anyone what it takes to make a picture book popular with young readers and her guidance is invaluable as the children begin to write their own picture books this month. Joan also invited Grenda Ernst, the Friends of the Atascadero Library, President, to meet with the students and accept the Read-A-Thon donation.
The students were also given a tour of the new library. The building for the new library has already been purchased and is located at 6555 Capistrano Avenue. Friends of the Atascadero Library have raised two-thirds of the $1 million needed to fund the cost of construction on the interior of the building. If you would like to donate or learn more about the new library, visit Friends of the Atascadero Library.
Jogging for ECHO - Today at 1:30!
Our jog-a-thon fundraiser is today from 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. This year, kindergarten and elementary students will run to raise money for the El Camino Homeless Organization. In November 2010, the weather certainly did not dampen their spirits, as they ran in the soaking rain and slippery mud. Last year, jog-a-thon students ran a total of 3,375 laps! Since each lap is approximately 800 feet, more than 500 miles were pounded out that day, and the school donated more than $6,000 to a charity similar to ECHO.
ECHO was recently informed, they will have to move out of their current location by May 2012. A donation to ECHO, of $5, provides three meals and a warm bed for a man, woman or child for one night.
The Atascadero News gave us a Shout Out in Wednesday’s paper. See page A-7.
Buddies
We have had a few new and exciting things happening around here; in honor of International Peace Day on September 21, Korey came up with the idea of “buddies” and assigned all the elementary children a younger child or two, to be special friends.
First, we had a little peace ceremony on the playground. We lit a candle and all the children (sans toddler) sang “Light a Candle for Peace”. After singing, Korey read out all the names for each pair/trio of buddies and the children found each other and spent a little time getting to know one another. At the risk of sounding corny, it really was kind of magical.
If you have not had a chance to see the buddy photos, drawings and acrostic poems on the bulletin board, please take a moment to check them out. We think they’re pretty special. ~Dana
Those Summer Days?
