It’s hard to say what goes through a young child’s head during the course of a school day. With good teachers and a nurturing learning environment, there’s a better-than-average chance they’ll retain a good portion of what they were taught, despite the infinite combination of possible distractions.
At Alta Loma Elementary School, two longtime volunteers not only provide classroom support, but also have become role models for philanthropy, volunteerism, exercise and the environment.
Bonnie and Kendall Scott “go above and beyond anything anyone would expect them to do,” said Sue Chrismer, principal at Alta Loma Elementary.
“When you tell the story of the Alta Loma schools, the Scotts are a huge component of that. They have dedicated their entire lives to helping others. He had a life of medical practice. She had a life of helping kids. And even after they retired, they are continuing with that service.”
The Scotts are both volunteers at Alta Loma Elementary, helping as needed in classrooms. Bonnie also steps in a substitute teacher three or four times a month.
Bonnie Scott also teaches the school’s Meet the Master PTA fine arts program during the first half of the school year with assistance from Kendall. She also finds time to volunteer at Hermosa Elementary School, where their granddaughter is a student.
“It’s a symbiotic relationship, because we get so much out of it also,” Scott said. “It makes me happy and fulfilled knowing that I can help someone else.”
Kendall Scott, a retired physician, not only volunteers in ALE classrooms several days every week, he recently donated $1,000 toward scholarships for students to attend the school’s sixth grade science camp, using money that he earned staying in shape and cleaning up the city.
“One of my exercise routines is to ride my bike,” he said. “That evolved into picking up a can or two on the street, to then collecting more and cashing them in. I’ve been able to collect more than $1,000 in recyclables.”
Bonnie Scott’s history with Alta Loma Elementary dates to 1996, when she was on a church youth group beach outing. She was previously a teacher in Upland in the 1970s before taking time off to be a stay-at-home mom. She says she made the mistake of mentioning to her close teacher friend, Jamie Chang, that she was thinking about getting back into working at a school.
