The Lois Lenski Covey Foundation, Inc.

Lois Lenski, children's book author and 1946 Newberry medalist for Strawberry Girl, had a life-long concern that all children have access to good books.  In pursuit of this goal she established a foundation to provide grants to agencies serving disadvantaged populations.  

Grants for 2009 ranged from $500 to $3,000 and are specifically for book purchases.   

On December 1st 2009 I received the following letter:

Dear Ms. Utley:

The Board of Directors of the Lois Lenski Covey Foundation, Inc., is pleased to inform you that Conley-Caraballo High School has been selected as a recipient of the Foundation's 2009 Library Grant Program. On behalf of the Board, I enclose a 2009 grant check for $3.000, for purchasing children's books for your library.

Sincerely,
Board of Directors
The Lois Lenski Covey Foundation, Inc.
(signed by the Director)

Oscar Penaranda's visit

Oscar's visit was a huge success. Not only is Oscar entertaining and witty but he also conveyed to the students a very positive message about reading and writing.

Oscar shared many of his life experiences that “provide him with a deep respect for the first generations of Pinoys who paved the path before him.”

Oscar shared memories of his childhood growing up in the Philippines, to his abrupt move into adolescence when he moved from the Philippines to San Francisco, to his summers laboring as a farm worker during the UFW strikes, to his summers working in Alaskan canneries.

When asked by a student why he writes, Oscar replied, "I write to plunge you into reality, not take you away from reality."

Author Oscar Penaranda to visit CCHS

Oscar Penaranda, author of several books and recipient of the “Best Fiction of 2004 Citation” from the Global Filipino Literary Awards, as well as the 2005 Best Fiction award by the Philippine American Writers and Artists, is scheduled to visit CCHS on Thursday, April 9th.

Ms. Reyes has been preparing her 2nd period Life Skills class, as well as her 3rd and 4th period Ethnic Studies classes, for Mr. Penaranda’s visit by reading excerpts from his book “Seasons by the Bay.”

CCHS is looking forward to Oscar’s visit.

Eva Rutland visits CCHS

On Thursday, March 12 Eva Rutland, her daughter Ginger and her granddaughter, also named Eva, visited CCHS. Eva Rutland, now in her 90’s and legally blind, is the author of over 20 books. Teacher, Kellee Thomas and her students read Ms. Rutland’s only non-fiction book When We Were Colored which chronicles the life of her family through stories told from a mother and wife’s view point. Her stories in When We Were Colored focus on the real-life issues faced by African Americans in the 1950’s and 60’s. Ms. Rutland’s visit was both inspirational and enlightening.

February 10th, a big day of presenters at CCHS: Reynaldo Berrios of Cholo Style and Carl Wilkins.

On February 10th CCHS was presented with the rare opportunity of having two speakers visit the school, each representing two very different yet similar experiences.

Reynaldo Berrios, reformed gangbanger and author of Cholo Style, gave a presentation to a group of students on the counterproductive and self-defeating elements of gang violence. Reynaldo also had lunch with a group of students who participated in the Cholo Style reading circle. Reynaldo and the students engaged in a lively discussion about the many ways to avoid gang violence and focus on self-empowerment and leadership.

Carl Wilkins, the last American to leave Rwanda during the 1994 genocide also visited CCHS on February 10th. In a school-wide assembly, Mr. Wilkins described the horrors of being in Rwanda when an estimated 800,000 members of the country’s Tutsi minority and thousands of moderate members of the Hutu majority were systematically murdered by extremist Hutu militias from early April to mid July in 1994.

Eva Rutland, Winner of the 2000 Golden Pen Award for Lifetime Achievement, to visit CCHS

Eva Rutland, author of more than 20 novels and winner of the 2000 Golden Pen Award for Lifetime Achievement, presents the timely and relevant story, first published in 1964, of her life in the years “before integration, before affirmative action—when segregation was the norm, discrimination was legally tolerated, and blacks were second-class citizens”.

The students in Kellee Thomas' class are reading Eva Rutland's "When We Were Colored: A Mother's Story." CCHS is looking forward to her visit on March 12th.

Reynaldo Berrios, author of Cholo Style, to visit CCHS.

The Classic era of Cholo style and lowrider culture, as seen through the artwork, interviews and true stories created by homies and homegirls themselves, compiled from the seminal street 'zine Mi Vida Loca

Author Reynado Berrios is a reformed gangbanger who raises two sons and calls San Francisco home. Rey was nearly killed in vicious knife-fights, and produced Mi Vida Loca at great personal risk for over a decade, ultimately turning against counterproductive gang violence and advocating La Raza resistance to gavacho power.

Rey is scheduled to visit CCHS February 10th. Students will begin reading and discussing his book January 12th.