A Welcoming Place–Woodburn Family Learning Center

Woodburn Family Learning Center is a wonderful, welcoming school for families who work hard to send their kids to a good school because they care about a good education for their children. The learning center offers an affordable solution for babies to preschoolers.

Can you imagine moving around a lot? Can you imagine living in a new country where you don’t speak the language? The Woodburn Family Learning Center helps families and kids in these situations. It is full of teachers that love and support them.

The parents that send the children to Woodburn Family Learning Center value education for their children. They want to honor their family heritage, and first languages. The teachers teach in Spanish and English.

Most of the parents who send their kids to Woodburn Family Learning Center are Hispanic. The families are mostly first generation and recent immigrants from Mexico and other countries in Central America. The majority of the families work in agriculture, and some are migrants who move around as farm crops change.

The Woodburn Family Learning Center is a happy and welcoming place for kids and parents. They provide quality preschool education, and have materials and toys for kids to learn through play. The teachers are very kind and caring.

When we go visit Woodburn, they have many gifts to share with us. The kids there help us learn Spanish. We are able to practice our Spanish with them. They open their hearts and share new perspectives on other people’s lives. They help us learn about other families and cultures.

You can help Woodburn Family Learning Center to be a warm, welcoming place for the children who learn there by bringing toys, stuffed animals, arts and crafts, kids’ toothbrushes, and new clothing in your Giving Chapel bag. You can also make a learning memory game. The directions for the game are in the Lower School lobby at the Giving Chapel Service Fair.

-by Ms. Akehurst’s 5th Grade Class

Hands and Hearts–Reynolds School District

There are many places in our community that are surrounding people with love and care when they need it.

One of these places is Reynolds School District.

Reynolds School District is a group of schools just East of Portland. There are 15 schools in the district, and they have over 10,000 students.

If we think about our school, what does our school give to us? Some answers could include education, a chance to explore our talents like art and music, healthy foods at lunch, exercise at recess and PE, and lots of friends.

But coats?

We don’t usually think it is the job of a school to give kids coats or other warm clothes, but this is one of the things that Reynolds School District does give to its students. They believe that all students deserve to be able to come to school to concentrate on doing their best learning and become their best selves.

They believe that all students deserve to have nice sneakers to run and play, warm clothes to keep them warm in winter, art supplies to explore their own passions, sports equipment to play and exercise. When families are not able to provide these, Reynolds School District is able to step in and help out.

During this Thanksgiving week, I am thankful that Reynolds School District is
surrounding its students with love, and I am thankful that we are able to help out
in their work by giving warm coats, sneakers, sports equipment and art supplies at Giving Chapel.