Twelve-year-old Samantha Lee never imagined she had any talent for sewing. But just a few weeks into her new sewing class at Bishop Garriga Middle Preparatory School, she is already making plans to elevate her skills.“I found out I’m really pretty good at this,” Samantha said with a beaming smile. “I’m looking forward to making clothes for my family and maybe a scarf for myself someday.”
The sewing class is just one of several new options for students through their new Enrichment and Excellence Program. Other offerings include guitar, choir, journalism, drama, chess, robotics and engineering.
Norma Castañeda, principal at Bishop Garriga, said the teachers at the school decided to add this program to create a new niche for the school.
“Also, many students could not attend the after-school clubs since it interfered with their athletic practices, so we decided to include these enrichment opportunities during the school day,” she said.
The school day is extended by 30 minutes to accommodate the extra time needed for the program.
Castañeda said the overall goals are to provide classes that are fun and create a fun and positive atmosphere. All three grade levels will participate in the program, and the students can choose their own areas of interest. Students can also switch to a new class after the first quarter.
“Our teachers are excited to end the day with a class where students learn a new skill or talent while creating new friendships along the way,” Castañeda said. “We hope to eventually showcase these talents through choir or band concerts, robotic or chess competitions, presenting a play or making rosaries.”
In her 13th year at the school, sewing instructor Divina LaGrange recognizes sewing has become a lost art.
“Sewing can be a helpful and a useful skill to know,” she said. “It can also lead to a long-lasting hobby or even a career. We begin with the basics of hand sewing, and then we’ll hopefully move on to embroidery and eventually working with sewing machines.”
LaGrange added she is seeking donations of sewing machines for the students and has already received donations of material.
“Throughout the year, the students sew gifts for those in need. Right now, we are working on sewing teddy bears for children in the foster care system,” she said.
Jennifer Barrientes, a third-year teacher at Bishop Garriga, chose to host a book club for the Enrichment Program.
“I decided to offer a book club because of my love of books,” she said. “I’ve been an avid reader my entire life and wanted to share this love with my students here at Bishop Garriga.”
Barrientes plans on having different discussions over various books and genres.
“We’ll read books together, as well as independently,” she said. “I love incorporating crafts that are related to books, such as making bookmarks. I also want to introduce my students to journaling about the books they have read. Eventually, I hope to invite authors to talk to my students about their books and writing process.”
LaGrange added the Enrichment Program is just one of many reasons why the school will always have a special place in her heart.
“My favorite part of teaching here is that we have a good time while we teach. We try to bring joy to our students' lives, and we want them to know we are happy they are here. When students walk into our school, we want them to feel a presence of the Holy Spirit and feel we are all family,” she said.
For more information about Bishop Garriga Middle Preparatory School, visit their website at bgmps.org.