SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The 2020-21 school year was one for the books – COVID-19 prompted remote learning and a reality that wasn’t as temporary as originally thought. Kathy Haven, an educator and parent of a seventh grader at the time, knew not all kids could navigate and succeed with online learning, especially those in the midst of middle school, which is challenging enough, without a pandemic.
She cleaned out her garage and moved in tables with shields between the student seats, her desk, and an easel, and it became the year-long classroom for eight boys. Hence the name, Garage School. Teaching and learning at six feet apart in a small garage was something new for all of them.
“I loved doing it, the silver lining of COVID,” said Haven. While she taught most subjects, Sarah Pierce and Marlene Guerrero, both Spanish-speaking, came in to help with two-way immersion coursework. Four of the boys came from Spanish-speaking homes, four from English-speaking homes. They had physical education classes as well as field trips.
“We got them up and moving and not sitting at a computer,” added Haven. Her master’s thesis turned out to be spot on for 2020 – How to Teach Without a Book. “More hands-on – it was a perfect fit,” she said.
The boys also had perfect attendance for the whole year. They were all committed to their success for all 180 days of school.
Now those boys have graduated from South Tahoe High School and are on to the next journey in their young lives – seven are headed to college, and the eighth isn’t quite sure yet.
Two of those “garage school” kids were co-valedictorians this year, twins Emiliano and Sebastian Guerrero. Emiliano is headed to the private Ivy League school, Columbia University, where he will be studying finance, and Sebastian was accepted into the business program at the University of Southern California (USC).
The other graduates from that unique class:
- Marcus Haven – attending San Diego State University
- Trevor Mattila – attending San Diego State University
- Ralston Pierce – attending the University of Utah
- Simon Stafford – attending the University of Washington
- Richie Grajeda – attending Lake Tahoe Community College to play soccer
- Jonathan Mendoza Nvarette – undecided at this time
Haven said that, involved parents were key to the success of garage school, and they have now passed on that love and value of education to their children.
The newly graduated young men had a party in May with their parents. In seventh grade, Haven had them all write letters to their senior-year selves, and they were all given those letters to read at the party. She said all of the letters were totally on track with their future plans today.
all grown up and moving on