The spirit of giving comes alive at Simi High
By Kevin Gate Special to the Simi Valley Acorn

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers FOR A GOOD CAUSE—Simi Valley High students, from left, Jon Lee, Lauren Levy, Ryan Asanuma, Courtney Kimmerer and Meena Sohi pose with Principal Steve Pietrolungo, dressed as Santa, for pictures at a cost of $2 each. The money raised by the event goes to a charity that purchases goats for families in Africa.

The holiday spirit has infused several different charitable programs run by both students and faculty at Simi Valley High School.

Thousands of toys, cans and dollars have been rolling in since November to several holiday-themed fundraisers, such as the PTSA’s “Gift Giving Tree,” a Christmas tree standing in the school’s library and decorated with ornaments filled out with gift requests from underprivileged children.

Both students and staff may take an ornament and return it to the school attached to the requested gift.

“I like to help little children in the holiday times,” said Cyd Mutal, a 12th grade English teacher.

Mutal is a large supporter of the annual month-long event and one of the many teachers at SVHS who even offered extra credit to students who returned gifts to the tree.

“When you give to others you feel better about yourself, it makes you feel good. You think you’re just doing it to make someone else feel good, but after you’ve done it leaves a warm part in you,” she said.

Another very successful charity program was November’s canned food drive, run by the school’s Key Club, a studentrun elective class devoted to leadership development within its students.

“We collected and delivered over 10,000 cans last month for Thanksgiving,” said Audrey Abarca, Key Club’s advisor.

The Key Club also conducted December’s “Toys For Tots” program, an organized charity run by the United States Marines.

“We have hundreds of toys donated,” Abarca said.

Since Dec. 4, the Key Club’s classroom has become crowded with piles of board games, stuffed animals, and other toys all donated by students.

“It’s been a very successful holiday season,” Abarca added. Even Simi High’s principal, Steve Pietrolungo, has been sparked by the holiday spirit, making several appearances as Santa Claus during lunchtime to help raise donations.

“I’ve been doing it for the last two or three years. Kids get their picture taken with Santa and at the same time make a donation to Renaissance,” Pietrolungo said.

The Renaissance program, which is similar to Key Club, is another elective class that promotes leadership and is active in fundraising.

Proceeds from that group efforts are going to Heifer International, a nonprofit organization that purchases livestock, ranging from a cows and goats to geese and pigs, and distributes them to impoverished villages all over the world.

Debbie Dillon, a ninth-grade English teacher and main coordinator of the school’s Renaissance program, explained how the charity works.

“(The proceeds) help Third World countries improve their livestock population and hopefully that helps the human population,” Dillon said. “We’re doing pictures with Santa and the proceeds from that go to either purchasing a goat or a cow for that town.”

Pietrolungo and the rest of Simi High’s faculty also took part in a charitable gift exchange.

“You pull names out of a hat, and buy that person a gift you would buy them if they were 12 years old, and then all these gifts actually get sent out to Care and Share,” Pietrolungo said.

The charities finished collecting on Dec. 20, the last day of class before the start of winter break for all district schools.

Classes reconvene Jan. 8.