Janet Upjohn

Mary Melton

When one of our first grade students started tracking the sun's path and asking questions wondering why the sun’s position changes, Cheerful Helpers' Teacher Richard Vieville decided to turn the student’s curiosity into a months-long learning project.

With the sun as a starting point, Richard introduced the students to the solar system. Focusing on the earth's rotation around the sun and how this causes the seasons, the children made paper mache balloons and paper cups to show the orbit and how the tilt of the earth changes with the seasons. Our kids also came away with a better understanding of why the sun's position is variable.

Throughout the process the students asked great questions encouraging each other to make the project even bigger by adding asteroids and including additional planets, as well as rocket ships. 

Thanks Richard, for taking a student's idea and making it into a rich learning experience for all of our children!

Three years ago this month, the Cheerful Helpers Alumni Support Group convened its first meeting—and it’s still going strong. Held on the first Saturday of the month at 9 a.m. PT, this drop-in (and virtual) parent support group, facilitated by the alumni association, has offered my husband Ed and I the same safe and nurturing haven that we experienced in parent group back when our son, Isaac, was a student at CH more than 10 years ago.

This may sound familiar to other parents out there, but when Isaac graduated from Cheerful Helpers, it was bittersweet for us: We were thrilled that he was about to embark on a new chapter of growth and discovery, but we were crushed to leave the teachers, and the parent group, behind. It was a place where we could talk freely (and sometimes freely cry) with other parents who just got it, no matter what we had to say or what we were going through.

I’m heartened to report that the Alumni Support Group serves the same purpose for us, and one we had sorely missed: a place where we can trade notes with parents on what’s working (and not working) for our kids; swap recommendations on services, summer camps, and what to say when the going gets tough; and just see a bunch of smiling faces on a Saturday morning of people who have our back. Janet and Jackie are there to facilitate conversation ably and warmly, and we’ve gotten to know several parents who are, like us, repeat visitors.

I’d encourage anyone looking for some guidance—or a place to kvell over a new milestone!—to drop-in on the group. Our children’s journey doesn’t end when they leave Cheerful Helpers—it begins. And it’s wonderful to know that there are still supports in place to help us better navigate this, and his, world.

On February 17, the Cheerful Helpers community came together to celebrate the first Open House in the Stockel Building. The event provided a rare opportunity to see our new space, learn about Cheerful Helpers’ programs, and hear from staff and alumni parents. Click the  video for a slideshow highlight of the event!