Gowan’s Generosity

The Gowan family once again invited every kindergartener and first grade
student to come on down and pick (for a tiny fee) their very own Halloween
pumpkin right out of the field where they were grown. Teacher Linnea
Totten invited me to come along so I tromped through the sticky brown loam
with many chaperone parents. We walked behind the long tractor powered
wagon filled with chattering kids.  When we got to the pumpkin patch there
were all sizes and shapes of kids and pumpkins but somehow everyone
managed to pair up with the pumpkin of their dreams.  Friendly Gowan’s
workers clipped the pumpkins off their dried up vines with big pruning
shears. On the walk back to the bus backpacks were filled with pumpkin
weight that slowed some kids way down but everyone made it. We also got to
tour the apple packing plant where many workers were washing, waxing and
boxing apples. When we went into the refrigerated room it smelled like
strong apple perfume- the most intensely appley smell imaginable. Terry
Gowan lead the tour and was very clear in her instruction to keep all
hands in pockets or behind backs. When we emerged from the plant we
marched right over to nearby apple trees where each of us was instructed
in apple picking “twist and pull down”. Everybody got an apple and as
Linnea said, “It is always the best apple of the year” and it was juicy,
crisp, fragrant and perfectly ripe. A lovely fall day, the heady scent of
countless ripe apples, surrounded by people who know you and care about
you- does it get any better than this? Thank you Gowan family and
especially thank you Terry.

Keevan Labowitz from Kenya

I found a note in the faculty room at AVHS and think it deserves a broader
audience.
These are excerpts not the entire text. “What’s up music lovers!? So I am
currently living in Kenya trying to help out a new organization that I
started.

I mainly work in Manyatta, the largest slum in Kisumu. It is home
to over one hundred thousand people. The poverty is maddening. I have
organized a small group and our organization is going to be called
Manyatta Youth Resource Center...Pretty solid but there are plenty of
challenges that await our future, mainly money…One thing I did to get some
kids together was I gave a hip-hop class, which eventually expanded into a
reggae session as well…I talked to them about how hip-hop can become the
voice for the voiceless and that it doesn’t have to focus on violence…I
work mainly with aspiring musicians. I am trying to fund raise to buy a
sound system that my musicians can use to perform.  Owning this system
will be a huge income generator, because they can make up to $50 a day
putting on events for people…I am trying to get two speakers, an
amplifier, 3 microphones, and a power generator. My target is $1400. I
guarantee you that this system will change their lives.” For more
information e-mail Keevan at paforkenya@gmail.com. You can also send a
donation to P.O. Box 191 Yorkville, CA 95494.

Welcome to the world Eduardo

Happy Birthday to Eduardo Vega-Damian born Oct. 21st . His birth weight
was 7 lb. 8 oz. and he was 20 1/5” tall. Congratulations to his mother
Patty Damian Vega teaching assistant at AVES and to his father Francisco
Vega.

Parents and Teachers of Anderson Valley Ramp Up

The mission of the PTAV is to represent and support our members and bring
closer the relationship between home and school and that parent and
teachers may cooperate intelligently in the education of children and
youth. The PTAV has three areas that they want to fundraise for. A
creative program called the Room Parent Fund- $750 @ teacher @ school year
encourages parents to participate in the classroom and with the PTAV. For
every activity that a parent participates in, they will earn $50.00 credit
towards their child’s classroom. These funds may be used to purchase
classroom supplies, educational needs, and field trips. The Enrichment
Fund $5,000- will focus on specific academic and physical needs that fall
outside of the Site Council Budget.

These funds may be used for additional
classroom materials, courses, school improvement, and field trips that
will enrich the environment of our school’s community. The Staff Fund
$2500- will be available throughout the course of the year to staff
members who are not teachers. This money will be for course materials,
classroom activities, or any other education benefit provided to the
children. The next PTAV meeting will be Monday Nov. 16 at 3:15 in Room 17.
Everyone interested in supporting the PTAV is invited. Call PTAV President
Bronwen Hanes 489-9272 if you have questions.

Music Please

Music education is a huge benefit for children. Music helps in math,
reading, self-expression, self-confidence and expanding musical abilities.
With the budget cuts the schools are facing music and art are the first to
go. The Music Dept. at AVES is in great need of teaching materials for the
third grade and some of the other grades as well. They have requested
$2,300 and the PTAV has provided some funds but more money is needed to
make their goal. If you are a music lover who would like to make a
donation please make your check payable to the Anderson Valley PTAV, P.O.
Box 950 BV, CA 95415.

Where Are They Now?

Wendy Emal gave me a map she had hung in the high school library in 1999
with arrows pointing to the places different students were headed. If
anyone out there knows where these students are now please contact me at
tryder@mcn.org or call 895-2146. At the time W.T. Johnson was headed to
Lassen Community College, Sarah Olson to Chico State, Adolfo Espinoza,
Justin Allen, Eduardo Carrillo, and Jeremiah Hatcher to Santa Rosa JC,
Cameron McFadden to CSU Monterey Bay, Michael to UC Davis, Victoria Gowan
to CSU Northridge, Jim Pugh to Caltech, Ryan Aday to Woodbury College, Ada
Fernandez to CSU Dominguez Hills, Nick Birch, Kristy Charles, Heidi Mize &
Josh Mize to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo,  Manual Mendoza and Henry Logan  to
Mendocino College,  Fernando Espinoza and Liz Jimenez to Sonoma State.
Caleb Andersen, Frankie Avila, Alberto Barragan, Ben Coakley, Sandra
Guerrero, Juan Malfavon, Nick Martinez, Courtney Rodriquez, Lily Sparks,
Victor Rossi and Victor Ruiz were headed to the world of work. Yadira
Mendoza was headed to Guadalajara Mexico and we know that she was just
appointed to the School Board.