Pacific Grove Middle schoolers continue working for orphans in Rwanda

Members of the Children 2 Children Club of Pacific Grove Middle School remain hard at work raising funds for the Remera Mbogo orphanage in Rwanda. Last week, the students had the opportunity to participate in a video conference with their adopted "brothers and sisters" and get an update on the difference their making in the Rwandan orphans lives.

Moira Mahr, Children 2 Children club advisor, gave me an update about the students efforts. 

Students this year "took it upon themselves to raise money ... specifically for mattresses," she wrote in an email. "The orphans sleep on foam (pads) that barely exists because they are so old.  Also, kids sleep 3-4 to a bed, sharing one blanket.  When my students heard this from Lori Leyden, they decided this would be their focus for the year -- $40 per mattress, 100 mattresses hoping for $4000."


I visited the Pacific Grove Middle School last year (read the story here), and since then, they've held several bake sales that netted about $1,500; they've collected bottled and cans to be recycled, and they've also hosted a "penny drive" that got them $1,300.

In sum, they're raising a lot of money for the Rwandan youth. They're also getting to know them: the club sent T-shirt to Rwanda and the local students are learning to sing Happy Birthday in Kinyarwandan. 

"Because of the efforts of the C2C club, the government of Rwanda has now recognized the orphanage," Mahr said. " Because the kids supplied electricity, computers and Internet, they were put on the map!  Rev. Thoms (the orphanage's director) has applied to create a vocational school, and now a community center to teach vocational skills to local residents.

"Finally, my 8th grade AVID students have committed to raising money to send one student from the orphanage to college.  The cost will be $1500 which includes room and board, books, tuition, and even money for his family to survive without him.  The student, Matthieu, graduated from the orphanage first in his class, but is the poorest of the poor.  His mother was killed in the genocide, and his father became mentally incapacitated by the atrocities.  Matthieu is the youngest of five, but as the only son, so is expected to support the family.  He walked 2 hours, each way to the orphanage, tutored to supply his family with food, and then did homework.  Hearing this incredible story, my students have decided to raise the initial $1,500, and now we will be working with PGHS AVID classes to continue.  Whew!  I am totally excited and totally exhausted too!"

When I saw Pacific Grove students communicate with their Rwandan siblings I got the goosebumps. It was very touching. So I wanted to give you an update of what these students are doing, along with their teacher, to improve the lives of some special children on the other side of the world.

If you want to contribute to their efforts, contact Moira Mahr at mmahr@pgusd.org or 646-6568 x343

Of CSTs, dead frogs, and instant communication

So, a 13-year-old girl who I love more than life itself posed next to a dead frog she and her classmates had presumably just dissected in biology class. This wonderful child is smiling broadly, like she does in all the photos everyone takes of her (she's very popular) giving a thumbs up, right next to the eviscerated amphibian.

Maybe it's because I'm a vegetarian (have been for the last 20 years). Or maybe it's because I'm an adult, and adults don't know the fun they're missing. But something about that photo doesn't sit right with me.

I'm sure my wonderful 13-year-old didn't think any of this: she was having a great time in school with her friends (hey, I love it that she likes school, gets good grades, she's brilliant, what can I say). But I'm afraid that this seemingly innocent past time -- documenting every single moment of your life -- can get out of hand when left unchecked.

Yeah, maybe it's a leap, but think of U.S. soldiers posing with Afghan corpses. Is it a stretch to think that, when we don't teach our children what's OK and what's not, they'll be snapping completely inappropriate photos next? And uploading them on tumbler?

When do we intervene?

We're in completely uncharted territory here. When I was growing up, we only had one camera at home -- a very fancy one I was forbidden to touch. Not only that, but film was extremely expensive to buy and develop, so you could not waste it child's play.

These days, photos are like pollution, you can't escape them. But because we were not raised with them, we don't now how to deal with them. We don't know how to make sure our children have a good sense of what's appropriate and what's not when it comes to documenting their lives for public consumption.

Just this week, the California Department of Education discovered that at least 100 students from 34 school districts were taking pictures of the CSTs and posting them up on social media sites. A big testing nono. Not surprisingly, the CDE is an uproar. For the students, it's just an Instagram moment. For CDE, is a security breach. (My colleague John Fensterwald wrote a good story about it here).

The moral of the story? Follow your young ones on Faceme, Tweetme, Instagratificateme. Question their taste. If you're not sure, ask them, do you think this is appropriate? It's not just about scolding them, it's about having them develop a sense of what's right and what's wrong. We don't want to do the thinking for them. We just want them to learn to question that cool photo before it goes public to the world.

Could a Hartnell president be named Wednesday?

Hartnell trustees will discuss the presidential search at a special meeting Wednesday, May 2. I'm wondering if they'll be ready to announce the next president. 

Sources tell me trustees have visited at least two campuses in the process to vet their candidates -- Berkeley and West Hills -- and "the board plans to make an announcement of the selected candidate to assume the President/Superintendent position in early May," Hartnell Board President Erica Padilla-Chavez told me last week via an email message.

The three finalists are Willard Lewallen, president of West Hills College; Betty Inclan, president of Berkeley City College, and Christopher Villa, vice president of Student Services of Fresno City College.