Understanding the critical importance for students to be well versed in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) in Silicon Valley in order to succeed, Assistance League Los Gatos-Saratoga launched a pilot program this year to bring STEAM projects into elementary classrooms.
         
A dozen volunteers meet with students at Rosemary School on Tuesday mornings to read a story focused on STEAM activities and then direct and guide students through completing a project on their own.  The first project was focused on Rosie Revere Engineer, and using the engineering design process, each of the over 300 students reached had the opportunity to construct their own paper helicopter and then test how it flew.
         
In the spring students will hear the story of Iggy Peck Architect, and then working in teams will decide how to create the highest possible “building” using index cards. By the end of the pilot year of the project over 1,000 students in kindergarten through grade 5 will have had the opportunity to participate in STEAM projects.
      
In addition to classroom work, Assistance League Los Gatos-Saratoga also provided funding for 12 teachers in CUSD to attend a STEAM learning conference designed to increase their knowledge of how to teach STEAM to their students.
        

Before school ended last year, the students at Monroe Middle School planted pumpkin, watermelon and zucchini seeds under the guidance of our Volunteers in the Garden.  What appeared when they returned this fall to the garden was a surprise - 22 pumpkins, awesome zucchini and a few watermelons.

The students carved the pumpkins and with the help of the volunteers, who roasted the pumpkin seeds, had a chance to sample a tasty new treat.  All indications are they  were a HIT!   The zucchini went into a mix for zucchini bread/cupcake tasting once baked by the volunteers.

The volunteers and students have started to till the soil in the garden plots and have already planted some daffodil bulbs for spring blooms.  Suggested plants for fall include radishes, kale, lettuce, carrots, spinach, onions, coriander and in winter green peas and fava beans. While spring seems months away, the volunteers have strawberries, cherry tomatoes and edible nasturtium on their list for the garden.

Four teams of 4 volunteers each are working with 120 students from 4 science classes turning the soil, pruning, teaching how to use the instructions on the seed packets for the best results, designing a butterfly garden and an English knot garden, tasting lemons and limes and pomegranates.   

When rainy days keep the students from working in the garden, the volunteers are putting together a variety of topics to keep them excited and enthusiastic about their gardening experience. 
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It looks like this adventure in gardening is on the path to producing a bountiful experience for the students of Monroe Middle School.  

 When you shop at  Barnes & Noble between November 27th and December 8th,  use the Bookfair ID #12228755 at checkout.

Prefer online shopping? Visit www.BN.COM/bookfairs from November 27th and December 13th and be sure to click the box indicating this is a bookfair order.

Assistance League Los Gatos-Saratoga will receive a percentage of your sale of all your shopping to help transform the lives of kids in our local community for the holidays and all year long. Literacy is the single most important key to student success today and you can help.  
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It seems like just a warm coat, one class of students listening to a reader, perhaps just one scholarship for Science Camp, or even one class learning to make and fly helicopters. Every time one of our Assistance League Los Gatos-Saratoga volunteers works in our local schools, it seems like such a small thing at the time.

But it is so much bigger!  In the last 15 years, Assistance League Los Gatos-Saratoga has spent just over $510,000 in four school districts transforming the lives of the students we serve and ultimately strengthening our local community.  In addition to the dollars spent, our volunteers donated over 100,000 hours of time to help students most in need.

Operation School Bell® is the umbrella program that serves students in Campbell Union, Moreland, Luther Burbank, and Los Gatos School Districts. In total, we’ve donated 5,500 coats and shoe cards.  We’ve also read quality literature to 12,500 students and provided them with books to take home and keep.  Recently we’ve tutored 140 children who are behind their classmates. And 9,000 dictionaries have been distributed to 3rd graders.

Science Camp is often the first time the students we serve have been away from home, experienced the outdoors and learned about nature.  We’ve provided partial scholarships for 1,300 students so they can attend with their peers.

Always growing and evolving, we are now in our first year exploring the Engineering Design Process with books and activities and will reach hundreds of students in their STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) labs.
           
To learn more about how Assistance League Los Gatos-Saratoga helps to transform the lives of local students who live below the poverty line and are behind their peers in class, go to www.allgs.org. We are making a difference every day in our community working with our local schools.

​Who are the Happy Cookers?  Approximately twenty-five members and friends of Assistance League of Los Gatos-Saratoga who shop, plan, prepare and serve lunches 4 days a week at the Saratoga Senior Adult Day Care Center.  These volunteers are happy because they love what they do.  They not only love cooking, but they have fun sharing several hours together on an assigned cooking day to bring nutritious meals to local seniors like barbecued chicken sandwiches, honey chili chicken with coconut rice or meatball sandwiches with fresh steamed vegetables and even a fresh-from-the-oven dessert on some days.

Approximately 4,200 lunches were served during the past year to seniors who participate in this program at the Saratoga Senior Adult Day Care Center.  Our volunteers make a point of putting together “comfort food” meals that are enjoyed so much that a common question has become “What’s for lunch?”  The dedication of the Happy Cookers to this program, and their wide variety of good food, enhances the health and well-being of these seniors both physically and emotionally.
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A special thanks to Chair Linda Krain and her committee of Happy Cookers who make it all happen. Happy cookers and happy seniors!

In late August, Assistance League of Los Gatos-Saratoga® held a luncheon for members and friends to benefit babies and toddlers of young mothers in the Nurse Family Partnership Program in Santa Clara County.

Each member or guest was asked to bring a gift for child aged 9 months to 2 years old.  Attendees brought over a 100 gifts in brightly-colored gift bags which contained a variety of items from handmade baby quilts, toys, umbrella strollers, books, diapers, wipes, towels and cute clothes which all together was valued at more than $3,300.

Guest speakers at the event were Rhoda Blankenship, Director of Maternal Child Health Services for Santa Clara County spoke on the value of this on-going partnership between Nurse Family Partnership, their clients and Assistance League of Los Gatos-Saratoga.  Public Health Nurse Sally Nguyen provided the attendees with a real-life story of one of her clients – a 14 year-old girl pregnant with her first child – who without the help our chapter provides, could become just another statistic instead of a young girl, learning to take care of her baby and going back to school.

Co-Chairs of the Family Programs for the event were Kitty Horowitz and Lynette Key.  Thanks to them and their committee for their conscientious efforts to make this luncheon a success as we continue our commitment to help transform the lives of young mothers and their babies in Santa Clara County.      

If Ada Laughlin were alive today, she would be hearing a long list of accomplishments and service to Assistance League® about this year’s recipient.  Ada Laughlin was a close friend to Anne Banning, the first president of Assistance League, and truly the most hardworking and behind-the-scenes supporter to the president for many years much like our awardee this year.     

This year’s recipient is a charter member who went to a meeting she thought was a meeting for another non-profit.  However, she enjoyed these women so much, she decided to join and became a member of Assistance League of Los Gatos-Saratoga. She has attended many National Conferences; been the chair of the membership committee; worked endless hours on special events; played with children in the exercise and nutrition program and purchased bus tokens for clients in the family programs.  She has also helped staff The Store; made baby bundles and cooked for and organized annual baby shower events.  She volunteered to be co-chair of the Clothes for Kids; been an active reader in the Literacy program and was co-chair of the Assisteens® Auxiliary for 2 years at the beginning of this program.  She was a nouvelle leader for 2 years and has been an active participant in almost every fund-raising activity since joining.  She currently chairs the Senior Lunch Program organizing the cookers and cooking meals weekly for seniors at a local adult day care center.    

Her character speaks volumes.  She has defended and validated the actions of youths in the community through her observing and listening to them.  She has the personality to be a friend to all and the friend we most want in our lives.  She is forever generous, caring and supportive in times of need, a good listener and fun to be around.   She truly mirrors the spirit and intent of the Ada Laughlin Award.

Who is this year’s Ada Laughlin Award winner?  The one who sets an example of commitment to and caring for those in our community…the one and only LINDA KRAIN.  Congratulations!

Assistance League of Los Gatos-Saratoga recently presented the Community Business Development Manager, Natalie Birthelmer, of Barnes & Noble, Stevens Creek, San Jose with the National Operation School Bell® Award. 

Natalie received this recognition for her positive influence over the last 3 years to our Literacy Program and is the first and only representative from Barnes & Noble to receive this prestigious award.

Since 2013, to meet the needs of over 1,000 underserved elementary school  students, more than 2,000 books were reviewed and ordered in children’s literature to align with Common Core curriculum.  Due to her business savvy, Assistance League has been able to save over $7,000. 
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Her enthusiasm for our Literacy Program prompted her to become a substitute reader; co-sponsor the Campbell Union School District “Young Authors Program”; write a flyer on “How to Read Aloud” for our new volunteers; and create and spearhead an in-store event which provided additional new books for local students.   
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With this continued community partnership, Assistance League can meet its need to provide quality literature in classrooms and help students realize the value and joy of reading. 

Assistance League of Los Gatos-Saratoga recently installed a new board for 2017-2018 at its annual May luncheon.

The new board members are President Kathy Kelley; VP of Membership Carol Premo and Janet Jacobson; VP of Resource Development Gladie Rabitz and Judy Levin; VP of Philanthropic Programs Karen Maxwell and Marilyn Cosden; Secretary Barbara Marshall; Treasurer Karen Azzi; Education Susan Scharlach; Strategic Planning Lynn Sprague and Parliamentarian Terri Spice. 
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The board is dedicated to continuing the chapter’s work of providing essential services to the underserved in local communities.  Congratulations to all! ​