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Citrus Heights Messenger

New Mariposa School Community Room Dedicated

Oct 27, 2022 12:00AM ● By Story and photos by Thomas J. Sullivan

Ruth Fox, treasurer with Area 6 of Sunrise Ranch Neighborhood Association, shows off the new food pantry and clothes rack at the new SJUSD family resource center located on Mariposa Avenue School, 7940 Mariposa Avenue in Citrus Heights, Calif.

New Mariposa School Community Room Dedicated [3 Images] Click Any Image To Expand

CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - A new family resource center has opened at Mariposa Elementary School at 7940 Mariposa Avenue in Citrus Heights offering a broad range of community-based, family-focused support and help for local parents and families.

Mariposa School principal Kristin Finney publicly recognized the collaborative effort to open the center located in classroom seven across from the school’s main office which was almost two years in the making.

Finney thanked representatives of multiple community groups in attendance including Ruth Fox, president of the Area 6 Neighborhood Association and a member of Heights Church in Citrus Heights, her spouse, former city councilmember Al Fox, on behalf of the Citrus Heights Rotary Club, members of the Mariposa Parent Faculty Organization (PFO) and the San Juan Unified School District’s Family and Community Engagement Department (FACE) who came together to help refurbish the classroom for its new purpose.

Citrus Heights Mayor Porsche Middleton said her son attended Mariposa before advancing to Sylvan Middle School. “It takes a team to create this, and I’m very blessed that it has.”

Mike McKibbin, a member of the San Juan Unified School District Board also offered remarks in praise of the new center and the purpose which it will now serve.

The new Mariposa Avenue Elementary School Family Resource Center is one of two in the San Juan Unified School District (SJUSD), specifically serving students and families in the greater Citrus Heights area. A second resource center, in Greer Elementary School, serves the western portion of the San Juan School District, McKibbin said.

Finney said the center will be open Monday through Friday from 7:45 am to 9 am and 1:10 pm to 2:30 pm. Visitors to the School Community Resource Center should check in first to the school office upon arrival, she said.

Mariposa Elementary School serves a rich diversity of students of whom, 83 percent are in a low socio-economic bracket, Finney said. Over 12 different languages are spoken by students attending Mariposa Elementary School.

“The new center will help our students and families feel welcome and an important part of their community,” she said.

Bulletin boards with useful information about local resources and programs, an adults-only computer section with internet access, and spaces for families to meet one-on-one with teachers and school staff are also provided in the new space.

The center will also provide a space for parents and families to prepare for parent-teacher conferences and to support student academic progress and school attendance.

A children’s play area is available. Daycare will be provided when needed to ensure a productive appointment at the center.

“We’ve also set up a food closet and have children’s clothing here for parents and families who may need them,” Finney said.

Members of the Heights Church helped collect and donate over 200 bags of groceries to fully stock the food closet.

Finney, who became principal at Mariposa two years ago, also cited the success of another community-oriented program, Soles for Young Souls established at Mariposa Elementary School, as she reached out to parents, teachers and local community groups to help realize the goal of opening a community resource center at Mariposa.

Soles for Young Souls, Inc., a non-profit tax-exempt charity, was established on the school campus in 2018. The charity was established through efforts made by former Mariposa school principal Leslee Cottrell and is fostered by Linda Fisher, charity president, Jackie Rittenhouse, vice-president/secretary and Ruth Fox, treasurer.

Ongoing donations of shoes and socks to meet the needs of the school’s students, as well as gently used children’s clothing in good condition, are welcome. For information about making donations, contact the school office at 916-971-5212.