Sewing the seeds of philanthropy

Photos by JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers SEEING STARS- Las Posas Elementary School third-grade students Hannah Judge, left, and Jennifer Gonzalez, both 8, learn how to stitch a pillow from teacher Carla Hernandez in Camarillo last week. The pillows are part of a humanitarian project that will go to war veterans in a San Fernando Valley nursing home.

Third-grade students at Las Posas Elementary are learning responsible stewardship for the environment and other people.

Teachers Carla Hernandez and Debbie Maki launched a recycling and humanitarian project last month to help the children understand that they can have an impact on others and the environment.

"The kids see they can do something to brighten someone else's day," Maki said. "We're really excited about it."

For the rest of the school year, the students will bring in recycling items from home. When enough is collected, parent volunteers take the aluminum cans and plastic bottles to a recycling center. Last month the students raised $34 from recycling.

STARS AND STRIPES- Trevor Kelly, 8, gets sewing instructions from Las Posas Elementary third-grade teacher Debbie Maki. Maki and fellow teacher Carla Hernandez wanted a community service project for their students that taught the value of helping others.

The money is being used to buy materials for the children to make special items for war veterans living in a San Fernando nursing home. The children have already made bookmarks, and last week they hand-stitched stars onto squares that would later be sewn into pillows.

Julie El-Khoury, one of the parent volunteers helping with the projects, said she was impressed with how the children all pulled together as a team. "I think it's such a great learning experience for the kids," she said.

El-Khoury's 8-year-old daughter, Rima, added that it's important to pay tribute to veterans, "because without them our country would be . . . like some other countries that aren't free."

- Michelle Knight