EL SEGUNDO HERALD July 2, 2020 Page 5
Sidewalk Artists from front page
that pass by her art.”
Valerie said that her aim when creating
her chalk art is to “put smiles on people’s
faces.” Her favorite chalk motto: “You +
Me = Unstoppable.” Like most El Segundo
students, Valerie finished the school year distance
learning, which she said was “harder”
than the classroom experience, and is looking
forward to the planned re-opening of ESUSD
classrooms on Aug. 26. Imagine that a student
is already looking forward to returning to the
classroom environment!
When she is not sharpening her sidewalk
chalk skills, she plays softball, pounds the
keys on the piano, and enjoys ballet and
tap-dancing.
Initially, the girls had grandiose plans to
decorate large swaths of El Segundo, but
soon realized their brand of craftmanship was
very time-consuming, so they have focused
their chalking talents on the pavement near
their homes, at the intersection of Center
and Pine Streets.
Sienna said she enjoyed seeing people
coming to view their art every day. They
were a little bummed when a rain shower
and some pesky sprinklers, wreaked havoc on
their earlier chalk efforts, but the girls quickly
went back to work adorning the pavement.
Sienna, who is looking forward to, hopefully,
the upcoming soccer season, enjoys playing
the piano and reading. She said, “Have fun,
do your best, forget the rest!” is her favorite
motto to festoon the sidewalk with.
Margie Lynch was Valerie’s third-grade
teacher at Center Street this school year. “Can
I just tell you she is an absolute joy!!!” she
emailed. “I refer to her as a ‘walking ray of
sunshine!’ She is always polite, kind-hearted,
looking out for her fellow students. She just
mailed me two of the Zentangle art she
creates. One was an octopus, and the other
was pretty sunflowers. My decorating theme
in my classroom is “A garden of love and
growing,” and I have sunflower fabric as
my bulletin board paper. So, the beautiful
Zentangle art she sent me just made my day.
That is Valerie, always cheering people up
and brightening their day.”
Naomi Breedlove, Sienna’s third-grade
teacher this past school year, added that
“Sienna has the sweetest and ‘smiliest’
disposition 100% of the time. I have been
the proud receiver of numerous Sienna
originals over the course of this year, even
during this time of distance learning,
when she dropped-off a handmade card in
front of our room for me. She uses her
creativity and talent for art to make people
smile! It does not surprise me that these two
girls are doing something so fun, creative,
and beautiful! I am so proud of her using
her talents to spread happiness and positivity
to the community! She has a big heart!”
The girls have been keeping busy, Jeff said,
building a treehouse in which they post their
artistic renderings. Over the summer, Valerie,
the budding entrepreneur, will be working on
sharpening her culinary talents and wants to
start an online restaurant, among her other
planned ventures. She hopes to travel to
Tennessee to visit her grandparents.
Sienna plans to continue her chalking
exploits and is hoping to take a surf class
with her mother. And watch “a little bit of
TV,” she giggled.
As the summer begins in full-force, Valerie
laments that ‘I don’t like seeing my friends
on camera. Once we get back to school, everyone
is going to want to hug (each other),
but we are not allowed to, which is so sad.”
Hopefully, Valerie and Sienna will get to
celebrate birthdays and the like in-person
with their friends in the not-too-distant future.
Until then, they will continue to champion
the notion, “Have fun, do your best, and
forget the rest!” Not a bad thought for these
challenging times, right? •
Entertainment
Sienna is working hard to put a smile on everyone’s face.
Valerie is spreading wishes of happiness and positivity.
A Preschool Director Reviews the Early Childhood
Education Documentary, No Small Matter
WEBINAR PPP FORGIVENESS INFORMATION
The El Segundo Herald
wants to sincerely thank
all the advertisers that are sticking
with us, during this difficult time.
XOXO
XOXO
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XOXO
By Sandra Rojas, Director of Sand Tots
Parent Participation Nursery School
Investing in our children to better our future
is not a new idea, but unfortunately, it is also
not our current reality as is highlighted in
the powerful documentary, No Small Matter.
As a preschool director for over 20 years, I
found the film’s portrayal of Early Childhood
Education today to be a heart-wrenching,
yet unfortunately accurate view of the daily
challenge that parents face in the attempt to
provide quality care for their children. Today,
parents often struggle to pay childcare costs
equal to their rents and mortgages, even for
sub-standard care. This is in conjunction
with the undervalued field of early childhood
educators, who are often referred to as
glorified babysitters. Despite their financial
challenges, many preschool teachers will find
second sources of income in order to continue
doing what they are passionate about.
At a time when cultural disparity and
inequities have become front and center
topics in this country, the subject matter
in this film – co-directed by Danny Alpert,
Greg Jacobs, and Jon Siskel – is not only
incredibly timely, but another reminder that
we cannot continue to ignore these issues
facing our children. Increasing the focus on
Early Childhood through parent education
opportunities, as well as access to high-quality
childcare in our most underserved communities,
is an investment that will not only better
our children’s lives but will positively impact
all of our futures. No Small Matter is more
than a documentary; it is a movement that
demands change, and I am hoping that this
is the year we begin to see that happening.
Visit www.nosmallmatter.com for streaming
options and more information. •
Film Review
Photo courtesy Siskel/Jacobs Productions.
The South Bay Small Business Development Center (South Bay
SBDC), hosted by El Camino College, is having a seminar on PPP
Forgiveness workshop being presented on July 8th at 10:00 a.m.
To sign up go to: https://lasbdcnet.ecenterdirect.com/events/21799