Class inspires community service

A Saturday fundraiser at Monache High School, staffed by costumed high-schoolers, provided an inexpensive Halloween activity for Porterville children and their families.

The carnival, intended to raise money for the Future Homemakers of America - Home Economics Related Occupations (FHA-HERO) club, was planned entirely by FHA-HERO members.

Led by Monache teacher Diane Boyce, students put into practice a host of skills learned from classes taught by Boyce, who is the home economics department chair.

Lucia Renteria, a Monache junior who enrolled in Boyce’s child development course to fill an elective requirement, has since developed an interest in a career in the field of child development.

She said although she told Boyce she was not planning to stay in her child development class, she has since decided to remain in the course for its entirety.

“We’re taking all the stuff we’ve learned in class and putting it to the test here at the carnival,” she said.
Renteria said FHA-HERO and Boyce’s class go “hand-in-hand.”

Renteria ran a basketball-themed booth with a game directed at toddlers from one to three years of age.

“This is mostly for community service, since there isn’t much profit from a Halloween carnival. It’s mostly to interact with the children,” she said.

Boyce said the carnival is primarily a way to provide the high school students a chance to interact with children from the community, though any profit will go toward sending FHA-HERO members to competitions.

“Every opportunity I have to get my kids out there working with kids, I’ll take it,” she said.

She said she has seen many of the skills taught in her class in evidence as students organized the carnival.

Boyce said the basics — “just being able to know what children can do and what their abilities are” — are important skills her students used during the planning stages.

FHA-HERO vice president Caitlan Dennis said the event required “teamwork” to organize and focused on “giving back to the community.”

Dennis, who plans to be a preschool teacher, said she hoped in turn that the community would support the FHA-HERO so members could attend competitions.

Dennis, wearing black mouse ears, was one of many who dressed up for the event.

“I told them they could dress up, as long as it wasn’t scary. It had to be kid-friendly,” Boyce said.

Boyce said the students worked to attract a wider range of attendees this year, instead of tailoring the event solely toward younger children.

A popular booth, “Pie in the Face,” allowed carnival-goers to throw plates of whipped cream at the two FHA-HERO members manning the booth.

“The older kids love that,” Dennis said.

Two bounce houses, one donated by the Extreme Jump company, were a favorite among all ages.

Porterville resident Liliana Corona brought her two younger brothers to the carnival.

“It’s just fun for the kids,” she said.

Ezequiel Corona, 11, said the bounce house was his favorite.

Prizes were given to attendees who won games at the booths, but candy was passed out to each participant.

Boyce said another aspect of the event was as an outreach effort between the high school and the community.

“We want a positive working relation with the community kids and Monache. We want them to think of it as a friendly place to be,” she said.

-- Contact Sarah de Crescenzo at 784-5000, Ext. 1045, or sdecrescenzo@portervillerecorder.com.