October 7, 2004

SCHOOL SCENEin Almaden Valley

It takes a village
PTA, Boy Scouts, Our City Forrest and others help bring 18 new trees to Williams Elementary School campus

By Christine Derksen
Special to the Times

Last year’s Williams Elementary PTA worked hard to secure a grant to receive 18 large trees to add to the campus to improve the environment as well as adding to the aesthetics of the campus. Barb Asplund, a Williams parent and last year’s PTA president, wrote the grant for the trees. But it took a group effort to access those trees and to plant them in the ground where they thrive today.

Pictured planting a tree at Williams Elementary School are Nolan Atterbury, Shaheen Saalabi, Darren Hsu, Matthew Wright, John Atterbury, and Malia Beaulieu (Tree Amigo).

Our City Forest provided the trees and a planting date was set for Oct. 2, 2004. The holes for the trees were dug using an auger, however, there was still much TLC and labor required to correctly welcome the trees to their new home. That is where our community volunteers came in handy! Tree Amigo volunteers shared their tree planting knowledge and skills. And, the Boy Scout Pack 272, always ready to help with a good deed, eagerly assisted with the labor and led the way. All Williams Elementary families were invited to join with the planting, but the 272 Pack clearly had the most presence the day of the planting.

This campus beautification effort is a great example of the Williams community working together to better our environment.

Project Cornerstone
Williams is proud of its third year of involvement with Project Cornerstone and also constantly promotes the Lifeskills program to support the campus culture. The school is a clean, safe, happy place where the collegial efforts of community parents, staff, and students nurture successful future leaders who experience self-worth, demonstrate achievement, and make positive contributions to society.

The staff and parents of Williams have developed a philosophy for the school to assist parents and visitors in understanding the school program.

We believe in:
- An emotionally and physically safe environment where children are the most important people. This is accomplished through a program which meets the individual needs of the whole child (physical, social, emotional, cognitive) and which stresses the equal importance of each element. Parents play an important role in the classroom by providing each child with more individual attention when needed, helping with special projects, preparing materials as needed, and offering their own particular talents in cooperation with the teacher.

- Patriotism and community feeling are fostered each morning by the gathering of the entire school on the blacktop for the flag salute and singing a patriotic song.

- Development of student initiative, direction and individual responsibility.

- The sharing of experiences, ideas, and skills, by increasing opportunities for cross-age interactions and relationships.

- Providing children with a consistent educational experience.

- The concept that when a child feels accepted and respected, he/she develops and extends his/her innate desire to learn. All children can most fruitfully interact in a manner and atmosphere based on mutuality: mutual trust, respect, and acceptance.

New pre-kindergarten program opens at Holy Spirit School

The staff at Holy Spirit School held their opening day on Sept. 23 for the first incoming class of the new pre-kindergarten (Pre-K) program. The newly remodeled facility is housed in the Holy Spirit parish hall, and will be licensed for 40 children ages 4-5. Debbie D’Amico is the new director/head teacher, and is joined by teaching assistants Karen Patel and Janet Cordia.

Director Debbie D’Amico conducts story time with puppets for enthralled Holy Spirit Pre-K children on the first day of school.

“In a Catholic Pre-K, religious development is of primary importance to us,” Mrs. Beck commented. “It will be approached simply and in the total context of the child’s life. We believe values are cultivated in a child not only through direct teaching, but also through example experienced in everyday situations.”

“We will provide growth in the child’s five developmental areas: religion-spiritual, emotional, academic, social and physical. The environment is age-and developmentally appropriate. It will be a loving environment. Also, parents are delighted that the youngsters will be wearing Holy Spirit School uniforms at school. They tell us their child cannot wait to come to school,” D’Amico added.

More and more research shows the positive effects of such programs. And studies show that the child’s kindergarten readiness can make a great difference in his or her lifelong academic achievement.

Fr. Brendan McGuire, pastor of Holy Spirit Parish, said, “We created the program in response to parents who approached us to start this program. I can tell you that there are some happy parents who have been waiting patiently for the program to officially open. Parents have also been contributing to our Pre-K wish list to help us with equipment, supplies, and start-up cost as well as in-kind contributions to enhance the program. It will be a great school beginning for the children who will be enrolled in our Catholic Pre-K program.”

Two daily sessions are offered: 8:15-11:15 a.m. and 12:15-3:15 p.m. There are currently limited openings for the popular Pre-K program. Applications for next year will be available later in the year. For more information about the curriculum, applications, or other information, call 268-0794.