Gratitude for The Opportunity to Serve Others in a Time of Crisis
Two SMAS students, Vanessa Santos and Xin Ying Li, and two staff members, Stephanie Kriebel and Marina Kravtsova, were recognized by San Mateo City Council as CERT volunteers active in the community during the COVID-19 pandemic this past summer.
SMAS Staff Member Marina Kravtsova writes:
I personally want to thank Stephanie Kriebel who provided an opportunity to receive the CERT training for SMAS students and staff in Summer 2019. Opportunities like that make the difference in immigrants' lives (speaking from the experience).
With pride and gratitude,
Marina
SMAS Student Vanessa Santos writes:
I appreciate this opportunity to be useful to the community.
I am really happy to be part of the San Mateo Adult School.
I am grateful to Marina for sending me the slide.
Thank you Stephanie for your caring and hard work for the school community.
Vanessa Santos
Former SMAS and current CSM Student Xin Ying Li writes:
My name is Ying, a former student at SMAS and a current student at the College of San Mateo.
Having seen too many heart-broken stories in China, I decided to participate in the SM senior center lunch delivery program when COVID 19 began to attack our community last spring. For me, it was not only an action to protect the most vulnerable among us but also a practice to cope with my own sadness, fear, anxiety, and anger. I heard the call from my heart that I had to do things to fight against the invisible virus.
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I’d like to give thanks here to those who helped me throughout my participation in the program.
First thanks to teacher Stephanie, I gained an opportunity to attend basic Community Emergency Response Team training at SMAS in 2019 summer, so I was qualified to volunteer the lunch delivery program after receiving three other short online trainings.
Thanks to Sandra and Carolyn who both gave the volunteers detailed instructions, I’ve learned how to respect others and protect myself while carrying out the non-contact senior lunch delivery processes.
Thanks to dear Marina, when I saw her beautiful eyes and heard her crisp voice at the SM senior center parking lot, I was so excited and knew that I was not alone in the battle against the virus.
Thanks to my Chinese classmate Lucy in Room 41, who immediately donated medical masks to the SM senior center when I told her that there were two staff wearing cloth masks.
Thanks to the old gentleman who said that “I’m waiting for the sunshine” when he opened the door in front of me and thanks to the lady who would greet me with smiling eyes outside her house every time. I was so touched at those moments.
Last thanks to my husband and my son, who always understood and supported me when I was volunteering as a CERT member.
My inner fear and anxiety has been reduced since I volunteered for senior lunch delivery. It’s clear that we are not isolated as we practice social distance. As SM community members, we can work together to get through the present hard time.
Water comes from the Sierra Nevada mountains to San Mateo and San Francisco
San Mateo, San Francisco, and the cities in between get their water from high up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, from Hetch Hetchy - up by Yosemite. The snow melts into rivers and comes down in pipes to Crystal Springs Reservoir. For several years, we do not have enough snow. So we do not have enough water.
San Mateo is considering building a desalination plant. It would take the salt out of water from underground. You can read about this idea here.
Everyone Must Save Water
Governor Brown announces water cuts.
Recently, Governor Brown said everyone must cut their water use. This is called "mandatory water cuts." Mandatory means from a command. You must do it.
It is the first time in the history of California that the governor said the whole state must cut water.
Cal Water in San Mateo
The Water Company for San Mateo is California Water Service. The office is very close to the San Mateo Adult School, on Delaware Avenue. Cal Water is the short name for California Water Service.
Cal Water buys its water from the SFPUC - the San Francisco Water Utility. "Utility" means company for electricity or water or gas.
New Rules and Prices for Water
The prices and rules for Cal Water follow the prices and rules for SFPUC. There are many new rules, guidelines and prices. You can find information about them here.
Some of the new rules are: * you cannot wash your driveway or sidewalk with water. * you must follow a schedule for watering your yard based on your address - even or odd.
The new prices are based on the water you used two years ago. Utility company use the word, "rate" for price.
You must use 16% less than you used two years ago.
The rate is a tier system. Tier means level.
There are 3 tiers. The bottom tier is the lowest price. The middle tier is the middle price. The top tier is the highest price.
It is like if you drink cups of tea. The first cup is one dollar. The second cup is two dollars. The third cup is three dollars. The idea is to motivate people to use less water.
If you have been careful with water for a long time or you live in a careful area, things are more difficult. Some people and some cities wasted a lot of water. If they cut back, they still have a lot of water. If you or your city was careful, now it is more difficult.
Some cities will give you money
to help you remove your grass lawn
and put in drought resistant plants.
The government and the water companies understand many people might not follow the plan. So they created rebates and incentive programs. These are special programs to motivate people to use less water. You can learn more about rebates and incentive programs here.
Two high-efficiency showerheads (use 2 gallons per minute [gpm])
One hose nozzle
Two bathroom faucet aerators (use 1.0 gpm)
Toilet leak tablets
One kitchen faucet aerator (uses 1.5 gpm)
San Mateo Adult School
Waterless urinals: Clean conservation.
We are working to save water at our school. The teachers will not use bottled water in the teachers room. Bottle water comes the aquifer. The aquifers are losing water. It is a serious and big problem. The teachers will drink the water from the faucet.
Ambrosio is putting in a drip irrigation system in the School Garden to save water.
New waterless urinals will be put in the men's bathrooms. These new urinals are from San Mateo High School. The students raised the money to buy them. They will save 500,000 gallons of water a year.
Tommy is very careful about water for cleaning.
Student and Community Leadership
Olivia Enriquez
is teaching people
how to save water.
Recently, the San Mateo Daily Journal told about Olivia Enriquez, young 14 year old girl from San Mateo who is telling people how to save water. She arranged for a special meeting at the Public Library so people could learn more. You can read her story here.
How about at our school?
What can we do to teach people about water, drought, and conservation?
If you have an idea, stop by Room 28 and tell Teacher Cynthia. You can also call and leave a message for her at 650 - 558 - 2128.
Maybe in the Fall, we can have a meeting about water. Together we can learn and do more.
At this time, we have a serious emergency.
We do not have enough water. This is called a drought.
Drought rhymes with about. The vowel sound is like "wow."
We need water for all the people who live here. People need water for drinking, cooking, and cleaning.
We need to grow food on farms and water animals on ranches. Agribusiness is a very part of the California economy. The fruit, vegetables, and meat from California goes to many places in the United States.
Terra Bella, California (Central Valley)
Photo Credit: LA Times
We need water for fishing. Many in rivers in California are controlled by dams. The fish in these rivers need water to survive.
We need water for industry. Factories and fracking (pulling oil out of the ground) need water.
Bottling water and selling it in other places in an industry in California, too.
Information to help you understand the drought in California:
1. Water in California:
California is like many places in the world with dry land and weather. It moves water to grow food and make cities. It moves water from the mountains or pulls it out of the ground.
California's water system serves over 30 million people. It irrigates over 5,680,000 acres of farmland. Irrigate means bring water in a pipe.
There are many, many, many arguments about water in California. It is not like the air. It does not belong to everyone. Some people have rights to water.
Water rights means the legal right to use water. When non-native people moved here, they claimed land and the water on the land. They claimed the right to use or sell the water on the land.
There are many people in California but not enough water for them unless you move the water from the mountains or pull it out of the ground.
People argue about who should get the water and what to use it for and how to pay for it. Farmers and ranchers and fishermen, factory owners and oil drillers, people in cities and suburbs - they all want water. How about animals and plants? They need water, too.
2. Aqueducts. Look at this map. See the lines? Those are aqueducts - canals that move water from one place to another place.
There are many aqueducts in California. They move water from the Sierra mountains or the Sacramento Delta or the Colorado River to other places in California.
3. Irrigation. The number one source for water in California is snow in the mountains. The snow melts and becomes a river. The water in the river is kept in a dam and then carried in an aqueduct to cities and farms.
A very big part of the farmland in California is dry. You can raise animals or grow many kinds of food only with water from far away. Some crops like cotton, almonds, rice, and alfalfa (for hay for animals) need a lot of water.
4 Hetch Hetchy. That's we get our water from. Hetch Hetchy is a big valley next to Yosemite. Many people say it was more beautiful than Yosemite. Now the valley is filled with water. This is the water we drink. It is the water from the Tuolumne River. The water travels from this valley all the way to us.
Drinking water in San Francisco and San Mateo is from Hetch Hetchy.
Hetchy Hetchy Valley
5. Crystal Springs. That's where our water waits for us to drink. The water flows from Hetch Hetchy to Crystal Springs.
Crystal Springs is not far from San Mateo Adult School. It is near Highway 92. You can walk or ride your bicycle or hike around it.
Crystal Springs runs along the San Andreas Fault. A fault is where two earth plates push against each other, creating earthquakes.
California has many faults. The San Andreas is the biggest.
All the aqueducts and water storage systems in California must be extra strong because of earthquakes.
7. Water Conservation. Conserve means save. Conservation means savings. Because of the drought, we have new water conservation rules. Governor Brown mandated the first water cuts in the history of California. Mandate means order or command.
This drought is a very serious emergency. We must take strong actions.
Each water district must reduce their water usage by some measurement. It is different for different areas.
This video explains more:
7. Water and fire.
There is another problem in California: fire. In a drought, there is more fuel - more dry trees and grass - for fires... and less water to put the water out. This is a big problem. You can read more about fire in California and the big Yosemite Fire in 2013 by clicking here.
8. Climate Change
All over the world, Climate Change is changing everything. The polar ice caps are melting. The water is rising in the seas and oceans. There are bigger hurricanes and storms.
And there are bigger droughts.
Everything is happening in bigger and longer ways.
Scientists are working very hard to understand what is happening. They are doing their best to predict what will happen. Predict means see things before they happen.
We must try to understand what is happening. We must try to predict what can happen next.
And we must create solutions for these problems.
9. Underground Water.
The drought is complicated. Not enough snow and rain is only part of the problem.
Climate Change makes the temperature hotter. With more heat, there is more evaporation. The water lifts up out of the rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. It moves up into the air and moves away to come down somewhere else - maybe far away.
Everywhere on the earth, there is more water underground than in the rivers and lakes. This underground water is called groundwater or the aquifer.
Groundwater is an important part of California water supply. During a normal year, 30% of the state’s water supply comes from this underground water. In extreme drought, groundwater can be 60% or more of our water supply.
For many reasons, we have less water in our aquifer. Our aquifers are depleted. Depleted means less, less, less, finally empty.
One reason is we are pumping water out of the ground. If you drink bottled water, you are usually drinking water from an aquifer. Farmers and ranchers in the Central Valley also pump water out of the ground.
NASA: “The ongoing California drought is evident in these maps of dry season (Sept–Nov) total water storage anomalies (in millimeter equivalent water height; anomalies with respect to 2005–2010). California’s Sacramento and San Joaquin river basins have lost roughly 15 km3 of total water per year since 2011 — more water than all 38 million Californians use for domestic and municipal supplies annually — over half of which is due to groundwater pumping in the Central Valley.”
Many reasons - Climate Change, water pumping, more people living and growing food and raising animals in dry places - combine to bring one result: Less water.
We have another problem with the aquifers: Some of the water in the aquifers is contaminated. Contaminated means it is dirty or poisonous or bad in some way. A new study from the United States Geological Service shows that 20% of the underground water has been contaminated.
Depletion and pollution of the aquifer, the underground water, is the most serious problem of all.
If we get more snow next winter, the lakes will fill with water again. But it takes a long, long, long time to refill an aquifer.
Poling Tang is a student in the Writing Intensive class taught by Mary Peros. The Writing Intensive class helps ESL students develop writing skills for college, career, and civic life.
Poling wrote the following essay as extra homework during Spring Break, "to express my gratitude to the adult school education system which plays an important role in my journey of life."
Thank you, Poling, for writing this remarkable essay and for sharing it with the larger community. And thank you, Teacher Mary, for helping your students to achieve so much as writers.
High Quality Education within the Adult School
System
John
Adams, the Second U.S. President said: “There are two educations. One should teach us how to make a living and
the other how to live.”(1) Furthermore,
John Jay, the First U.S. Chief Justice of the Supreme Court said that “I
consider knowledge to be the soul of a republic...Education is the way to do
this, and nothing should be left undone to afford all ranks of people of the
means of obtaining a proper degree of it at a cheap and easy rate.”(1)
The high quality education within the state adult school system follows the
principles set by our forefathers by “directing resources to serving those
traditionally underserved; especially those disadvantaged economically or
academically.” (SMAS commitment)(2)
The following are two SMAS students who achieve success plus my
personal experience, showing how the adult school education programs transform
students from harsh conditions to better lives, a brighter future and being productive
citizens.
As
compared with academic college education, the high quality education within the
adult school system does not have to cost a lot. However, the school must be accessible to the
public with available transportation, be aware of what the community needs and having
an enjoyable and friendly platform for learning. As the students are from all walks-of-life
and from different cultural, they need flexible education programs, familiar
neighborhoods and available public transportation. Leticia Navarro(3), a successful
student from SMAS, said that the adult school provides a “comfortable
atmosphere where the students can be free to use the language they have to
communicate.” Besides learning from
classes, she also explored a new culture by a school field trip. As a result, the trip taught her “so
independent” that later on she took public transportation by herself. She started from a “small step” in a
comfortable zone-ESL classroom which progressively directed her to a “big step”
of helping other children to acquire English at Fiesta Gardens School. She concluded that Adult School is where “she
gained a foundation in a new language and new culture and at the same time
learned about how education could happen in a new way.”
Another
advantage of adult school is the low cost or no cost funded programs available
to the public in training English, job skills, and adult basic education. Mr. Larry Teshara(4), the Director
of SMAS commented about the “Governor’s funding proposal” should not overlook
the adult school students who “are the parents, guardians, family and neighbors
of those same school children…setting a great example in their own homes by
attending school.” Alvaro Pirir(3) another
successful student, tells us how the low cost adult school programs help him to
pursue his nursing career. He “worked
two jobs until he was 18, and then entered the adult school ESL program.” Since then, he worked through Adult Learning
Center for high school basic skills. Finally he “had attended a GED and had the
confidence to enter the College of San Mateo.”
He continues to work and study with the goals of becoming a registered
nurse, and then a physician “if he can save enough money” by that time. He is living proof that affordable adult
school programs play a significant role for those who strive for a better
future and becoming responsible citizens.
The
third advantage is the various and flexible education programs which meet what
a resident needs within his or her community.
For instances, I have gone through different stages of my learning path
through adult school programs for over 20 years. When I was a new immigrant, I needed job
skills (especially computer acknowledge) and assistance in job searching. At the same time, I wanted to adjust myself
in a new culture within a friendly environment.
After my job was secured, I required classes for self-improvement, for preparing
citizenship and for hobby or interests.
In between layoffs, I attended classes for updating my work skills, for
polishing my resume, interview…etc. Just
three years ago, I gained knowledge from Home Aide Care program for my sick
family member at home. Nevertheless, currently
I am an adult school student again and a volunteer in serving our community. The flexible and various adult education
programs positively “teach us(me) how to make a living and the other how to
live.”(1) I am always thankful for these “two
educations”, offering support and knowledge to meet my needs in different stage
of my adult life.
In
summary, two hundred years ago, our forefathers already valued the importance
of education for “all ranks of people,” and “at a cheap and easy rate.” From the above three successful stories, without
a doubt the high quality education within the adult school system fulfills the opportunities
for “all ranks of people” to excel and grow with affordable tuition fees,
location accessibility, flexible class schedules and a pleasant learning environment. As a reminder with reference to SMAS’s
commitment, no one should be left behind due to economic or academic
disadvantages. The education programs
are here for us to explore, enrich our lives and others no matter what stages
of our life journeys are! Thank you for
making our nation and our education so great!
On Saturday, February 28th, San Mateo Adult School Student Leaders presented a workshop on the "The Power of Student Leadership." Morning Student Council President Daniel, former Student Council President Marco, Advocate Marina, and Board Member Melika inspired everyone in the room with their presentations. Student Council Board Member Elda captured the event on video and provided support on many levels.
Marco spoke about the power of student advocacy for Adult Schools and Adult Education.
Marco speaking about advocacy.
He talked about attending and speaking at the Oversight Hearing on Adult Education in Sacramento in January of 2014 with other student leaders. He talked about attending the Harvard Symposium on Adult Education thru Skype. The Harvard students asked him, "Why should we spend money on adults when kids need money for their education?" Marco explained that our school has answered this in many ways. "If the parents do well," he said, "the kids do even better."
He closed his presentation on advocacy with this wisdom:
We would not expect you to believe in the importance of what we're doing if we had not believed it ourselves . "In darkness, no one lights a candle and hides it under a table, but instead it's placed on top, to shed light to all."
As a minority we have to "swim against the tide"; however we must continue to speak up if we want to be heard. Because, the truth even when it comes from a minority of a few will remain the truth.
ESL Teacher Patricia Brown Photo credit: Liv Ames for Edsource
Susan Frey, a reporter for Edsource, and Liv Aames, a photographer, came to our school to interview people and take photos for the article.
ESL Morning Student Council President
Daniel Pec
The reporter talked to ESL Teacher Patricia Brown and students in her class. One of the students she talked to was Daniel Pec. He is the Morning ESL Student Council President.
The article reports:
Daniel Pec is a 28-year-old immigrant from Guatemala who attends San Mateo Adult School. He said even though both San Mateo College and the adult school offer ESL classes, the focus of the two programs is different. Pec is trained in computer science and expects to eventually go to college, but for now he needs to learn English and support his family.
“The community college is very expensive, and it is more book English,” Pec said, adding that he likes the adult school because he has a chance to practice the language, which has helped him in his job at a restaurant.
San Mateo Adult School
Assistant Director Tim Doyle Photo credit: Liv Ames for Edsource
“In some consortia, there is more overlap and more tension between community colleges and adult schools,” said Tim Doyle, assistant director of the San Mateo Adult School. “Here there is much more coordination. The local community college doesn’t do much of what we do.”
This means that San Mateo Adult School does different things than the College of San Mateo and Skyline College and Kenyatta College.
The reporter talked with many students to understand what they are learning and doing at our school.
Hessam Ghajar, left, and Takeshi Naoi
practice English with classmates in a San Mateo Adult School class. Photo credit: Liv Ames for Edsource.
Marco Estrella, right, and Yu Liu practice English
in an ESL class at San Mateo Adult School. Photo credit: Liv Ames for Edsource.
She also talked with other people from other schools and organizations. She talked with Debra Jones. Debra Jones is part of the AB86 Cabinet. This is the group in charge of the new Regional Consortia system.
The article reports:
Debra Jones, dean of career education practices at the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, calls what is outlined in the budget “a gift to adult students.”
“I never dreamed I would see dedicated funding for disenfranchised adults,” Jones said. “We’re celebrating. Overall, this is pretty special.”
That means Ms. Jones was surprised and happy by the Governor's Budget Proposal. Disenfranchised means without privilege or rights, especially the right to vote. The word disenfranchised has a feeling of without power.
We are happy, too. But maybe we are not surprised. Because we know that Adult Students have power. They are smart. They are strong. They can and do express their ideas, experience, and wisdom. They can and do take action. They can and do write letters, visit legislators, and talk to the press.
The budget process is not over. Governor Brown's proposal was the first step. Now the Legislature and the public will discuss things. The Legislature will make their own budget proposals. Everyone will talk and argue and discuss and make changes and finally they will come to an agreement and the Governor will sign it. The start of the new budget year is July 1, 2015. July 1 is a kind of New Year's Day for the state. The budget must be complete and ready to go by this day.
Former Morning ESL Student Council President
Hitomi explains the need for Dedicated Funding
for Adult Schools.
We are happy we are part of this discussion. We need ideas and experience and wisdom from students, teachers, administrators, and the community to make a good future and good budget for Adult Education and the people of California.
When we make a budget for California, we are spending the people's money. To make wise decisions, we need to know what the people need and want; we need to know how much money we have; and we need to think about the best way to spend so we get good results.
It is a Federal Holiday. Schools and banks and government offices are closed.
Why do we remember and honor and celebrate Dr. King?
Dr. King pushed for civil rights for everyone. He wanted everyone to have the same chances. He wanted everyone to have equal dignity. Dignity means respect and importance. He knew everyone was equal. He also knew that this equality must be recognized. Sometimes we pretend not to see something. Dr. King knew it was important to see the value in every person, including ourselves.
He challenged people - everyone, including his friends, his enemies, and presidents - to think more deeply about how we see ourselves and the choices we make for ourselves, each other, and our future. Are we treating others fairly? Do we see the dignity in every person?
Dr. King said the most important question in everyone's life is "What are you doing for others?"
In honor of this, Martin Luther King Day is a Day of Service. You can find out how to get involved in the MLK Day of Service by clicking here.
He made huge effort to help others. He wrote books. He planned and led events and marches. He gave speeches.
Two of his speeches are very, very famous.
In the first, the "I have a dream" speech, Dr. King talks about the dream of equality for all people.
In the second, the "Mountaintop" speech, Dr. King says he knows we, the people of the world, will achieve our dream. He has been to the "mountaintop." He has seen what people can do. He knows what is possible. He says maybe he will not make it there. But he knows we can and someday will.
Dr. King was African-American and he worked hard for equal rights, including the right to vote, for African-Americans. But he did not push for only African-Americans. He pushed for everyone.
In the last part of his life, he talked more and more about poor people. He started a Poor People's Campaign. Not everyone supported him in this work. They thought he was asking for too much change too fast for too many people.
He was assassinated (killed) the day after his Mountaintop speech. His dream of peace and equality and security for everyone scared some people. They were so scared of his ideas and his skill at expressing them and making dreams real that they killed him.
But they could not kill his ideas. They could not kill the work he did and the good he accomplished. And they could not kill all the people who share his ideas and continue to work for peace and equality and security for everyone.
Dr. King knew this. He knew he didn't own the work. The work to make a better future belongs to everyone.
Dr. King was a great teacher about positive change.
He explained that everyone has worth. Everyone has dignity. That is the beginning. With this in mind, he asked people to have a vision of a good future.
He explained that it is possible to make our visions real. But we must understand we are part of a our community. We do not work alone. Everyone's contribution matters. Each of us is responsible for our share of the work. Each of us gets good result when we make effort. Together, the results are good and huge.
On Monday morning, you can join the San Mateo Martin Luther King Day Celebration at 8:30 am at the Downtown San Mateo Caltrain Station. You can get information about the event here.
Whatever you do this Monday, take a moment to consider these questions:
Do you see your value? Do you respect yourself? Do the see the value in others? Do you respect them?
What is your vision of something better for your life? For your community? For the world?
