WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers PUPIL PASSION- Mountain View Elementary School teacher Lori Terpenny talks to students in her second grade class before they perform "A Rumpus in the Rainforest" earlier this month. To Simi Valley teacher Lori Terpenny, the boundaries of learning extend far beyond the four walls of her secondgrade classroom at Mountain View Elementary School.

Terpenny, who just completed her ninth year the school, dedicates several hours each week to handson lessons intended to expand her students' knowledge of the rich and diverse world around them.

In April, Terpenny took her class to the Bowls of Hope function sponsored by Many Mansions, a nonprofit organization that helps low-income families and seniors find affordable housing in the Ventura County area. The fundraiser is held once a year and aims to raise awareness about poverty and the homeless.

The children each made their own ceramic bowls and donated them to the event. They were then invited to the fundraiser and asked to take their bowls and line up as if they were in a soup kitchen.

"I wanted to involve the kids in the community and let them know how people can make a difference," Terpenny said. "I wanted the children to know what a hero is, to show that in donating to the event, they are modernday heroes."

Even with the harsh budget cuts the school district is facing- especially with respect to arts in the classroom- Terpenny has found ways to make sure her students don't miss out.

To bring alive a Chinese-themed book her students were reading in language arts class, Terpenny this month took her students on a field trip to Chinatown in downtown Los Angeles.

While there, the second-graders learned to use chopsticks, watched an acrobat show and immersed themselves in Chinese culture. To cut down on costs, students carpooled with their parents in private cars.

In another example of her passion for the arts, Terpenny transformed her entire classroom into a rainforest for "Rumpus in the Rainforest," a musical her students were performing.

"I wanted to help the children understand about the rainforest as well as get them involved in singing and acting," she said.

Mountain View Principal Ilene Stambolos and Terpenny are on the exact same page when it comes to involving young people in the arts despite budget cuts.

"The economy today has a big impact with what parents can do for their children," Stambolos said. "Mrs. Terpenny provides an opportunity for the children that parents just cannot afford.

"She spends an exorbitant amount of time with her children," the principal added.

Terpenny thanked the parents of her students for giving her the opportunity to teach outside of the box.

"None of this would be possible without the parents getting involved," she said. "That really makes such a difference in what I'm able to do with the kids."

Terpenny's solution to the daunting budget cuts is to go back to the basics. She would like to see music and the arts a part of the school curriculum.

"I think it's a vital part of the education program," Terpenny said. "The state even mandates it, but gives no time or money to schools to conduct music and arts programs.

"In our society, education is not the No. 1 priority."