Aspen Tigers roar with kindness for seniors with teacher Rachel Bartram. Courtesy/LARSO
LARSO News:
Rachel Bartram and her third class at Aspen Elementary gave a gift for the winter holidays that continues to give through Valentine’s Day.
The Tiger team members, created neck warmers for seniors, to warm their hearts, spirits and sore muscles. The neck warmers were put in gift bags for seniors over the holiday, with a few reserved for a holiday, that can be tough for many.
“They are such a great class to teach and have made this year so wonderful,” Bartram said. “This group of kids is so helpful and nice and are always looking out for each other. When I presented the idea, they were so excited!”
The seniors were excited, too. LARSO staff tries to lift the spirits of many seniors over holidays with help from the community. “CommUNITY” is a motto for the senior centers in 2022, and they hope to highlight the many good deeds done often throughout the pandemic. It has been a saving grace for the centers that the right items arrive just at the right time and sometimes just in the nick of time.
Children learn by example and this talented teacher spoke of her own acts of giving to the class. She shared stories about some charities she likes to participate in such as; Gingerbread Enchantment for Meals on Wheels and Festival of Trees for Carrie Tingley Hospital.
“I love to encourage the act of giving around the holidays in time and effort as much as gifts,” Bartram said. “The kids were so interested that I decided to create an opportunity for the kids to participate in as well”
Aspen Elementary is home to a makerspace with a variety of tools and supplies for creating items including sewing machines. Bartram wanted to use these tools for a while and thought this would be a great project. Makerspaces have skyrocketed nationally, providing a space to make and learn at the same time. Most educators know that creating and giving back engages students and helps to create life-long learners.
“They were so excited to do this and loved seeing the finished products,” Bartram said. “They loved using the sewing machines, too. I think they all walked away wanting a machine for themselves so they could make even more. We used the leftover scraps to make hand warmers to give to each other in a secret Santa exchange.
Bartram demonstrates that teachers go even more than the extra mile in a pandemic to show others they care. She moved to Los Alamos with her family five years ago from Albuquerque. There she taught middle school science. She is enjoying her time with the elementary students, infusing lessons with fun ideas. When she’s not teaching, she enjoys making and selling jewelry.