SUBMITTED
Yosemite Joint Union High School District alternative staff members
and Soroptimist officers are shown with some of the Baby Think It
Over dolls recently donated to YJUHSD. Left to right are: Carolyn
Campbell, Ahwahnee High School; Dannie Forbes, Soroptimist president
elect; Mary Beth Harrison, Evergreen High School; Roberta Tackett,
alternative education principal; Karen White, Soroptimist treasurer;
Brenna Neely, AHS and Sandy Brinley, Soroptimist president.
Twelve
life-like baby dolls have been donated to the Yosemite Joint Union
High School District for use in parenting classes. Soroptimist International
of the Sierras has been loaning the babies to the district but recently
gave them the dolls.
In addition to the Baby Think it Over dolls, the local organization
gave the district $494 in cash for “child support” to purchase supplies,
equipment and pay for maintenance.
The babies will be used by all of the alternative high schools in
the YJUHSD and by other organizations in the community upon request;
call Mary Beth Harrison at 683-8801 ext. 244 for information about
borrowing the dolls.
Male and female students participate in the parenting program, taking
the babies for 48 hours. The dolls are programmed to cry at random
and the “parents” have to decide what they need. “After 48 hours,
students are convinced they are not ready to have a baby,” notes
Alternative Education Principal Roberta Tackett. “They are exhausted
and they can't wait to turn them in.” Sandy Brinley, president of
the local Soroptimist Club, said helping women and children is part
of their mission and this is “a perfect project” for them.
The dolls cost about $200 each.
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