Alameda Students Donate Books, Encouragement To Wildfire Victims

ALAMEDA, CA — This Christmas season, Alameda children are not just drawing up their own wish lists for Santa, they're also gathering donations for the children of Paradise in Northern California who lost everything in a wildfire last month. Dozens of books have been donated, along with artwork made by kids.

"These are the messages and gestures of hope, love, connection, and support that we so need in
these troubling times," says Superintendent Sean McPhetridge. "I am so honored to be a part of a
school community that reaches out to those in need in these kinds of ways."

Mary Otieku’s class at Bay Farm School sent new books to 40 third graders of Ponderosa Elementary School in Paradise. Students also wrote notes to the Ponderosa third graders and added a few small gifts, such as modeling clay and colored pencils. Bay Farm School librarian Roxanne Clement collected used books to help Ponderosa start a new library.

Here are more efforts by local kids:

• Letters and drawings from 5th graders in Sara Greenberg’s class at Wood Middle School, Joyce Craig’s class at Haight Elementary School, and Kate Flanagan’s class at Edison Elementary School.
• Poems from 4th graders in Kristin Furuichi-Fong’s class at Ruby Bridges Elementary School.
• Letters from 7th graders in Sharmaine Moody’s class at Lincoln Middle School.
• Notes of encouragement from Alameda High Students taught by Lisa Piazza.

Photo by Bea Karnes, Patch

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