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Helping make sure the program gets a great start two banks stepped forward to help the program. Standing left to right are Tracy Grove, Bank of the Sierra; Yoko Mansfield, English Teacher; Don Tello, Santa Paula Communiuty Bank and Manny San Jose, Bank of the Sierra. |
Community Pulls Together to Help Moms Learn
February 24, 2017
Santa Paula News
Many of you have heard of FLAIR at the library. But do you know wahat FLAIR stands for? Family Literacy, Aid in Reading. And a COLLABORATIVE effort has brought new midday FLAIR classes to life for Moms with preschoolers! We have 2 levels of English classes during K-12 school hours, and childcare for preschoolers as well, so that moms (and dads) who are stuck at home with the babies, can learn English. In addition, the parents are being introduced to resources at the library, and reading to their preschoolers as part of the program, practicing their English and their role as parent-teacher.
But this never would have happened without the wonderful PARTNERS who have pitched in! Santa Paula Adult School has provided a credentialed ESL teacher for the Beginning level. Two of our experienced Adult Literacy teachers are taking the upper levels. Santa Clara Valley Neighborhood for Learning (First 5) donated a certificated preschool teacher AND children’s furniture and toys!
Then we reached beyond education connections for funding. First a private party came up with a sweet gift. Then Don Tello, Market President, produced a generous donation from Santa Paula Community Bank. Finally, Tracy Grove, Asst. VP at the Santa Paula branch of Bank of the Sierra facilitated a Sierra Grant for $5, 000! The Sierra Grant Program focuses on programs that provide children, individuals and families with community services, especially those that reflect the diversity in our community. We were funded!
When Tracy and Don came to see what was happening, the students thanked them and applauded. Don told a great story about his own father coming to the Santa Clara Valley with the Bracero program, and eventually learning to speak English well. But how much easier it would have been, he said, if he’d had classes like these.
And of course there’s Blanchard Community Library itself to thank. Without Executive Director Ned Branch’s steady support, this would never have happened. And the library staff has been super, adjusting to all the new “traffic.”
Classes began January 9th and will go through late June, 2017. But we have a problem. The classes are FULL, and there’s a waitlist of 10 moms who would love to attend. Moms who want to help their own children with their homework. Moms who want to be able to communicate better and be more involved in their hometown. The library’s space is maxed out. Who’s going to host another Family Literacy program? Can you help?
