NEWBURY PARK : Students Learning the Gift of Giving

Four-year-old Joshua Albrectson stood at the board, ready to trade in his hard-earned quarter for a handful of seeds.

“I want seeds for life,” Joshua said to his preschool teacher, Rhoda Vestuto. “To help people eat.”

Vestuto smiled and handed several seeds to Joshua, who quickly put them into a small sack pinned to the board.

Vestuto teaches nine communication-handicapped students at Maple Elementary School in Newbury Park who have been collecting money since Thanksgiving to donate to Seeds for Life, a program created by the United Nations Children’s Fund. UNICEF, a branch of the United Nations, aims to help end world hunger.

“The kids are so proud about doing this,” Vestuto said. “They really understand what giving is all about.”

Each child does chores at school and home to earn a dollar, which is then used to buy seeds, Vestuto said. The students place the seeds into creations hanging on the classroom wall that represent the evolution from seed to plant to food, she said.

“The children learn where food comes from and also get an idea of what sharing and giving is all about,” said Vestuto, who was recently named Teacher of the Year by her school district. “They could use the money to buy toys, but they decide to use it to help feed the hungry instead. They are learning about making sacrifices.”

Doris Larsen, Vestuto’s instructional assistant, said they use Seeds for Life to counter some of the commercialism that the children come in contact with during the holidays.

Vestuto said she asked parents to send 25 cents at a time rather than the whole dollar so the idea of giving is reinforced.

“We don’t want the children to be just money carriers,” she said. The response from the parents to Seeds for Life has been encouraging, she said.

“They are thrilled and very pleased with the project,” she said. “They say it’s teaching their kids about responsibility and building their self-esteem.”

Vestuto said she and Larsen will match the amount raised by the children and then mail a check to UNICEF.

“We need to teach the children at an early age about giving, especially nowadays when everything is just about getting,” Larsen said.

“It sets up a good foundation, a sense of pride that they have helped someone somewhere.”