LAS HERMANAS

DE TRONCONES

Providing Opportunities for Women and Children

Through Education

Sep. 21, 2024

¡Bienvenidas y Gracias!

Welcome to new member, Beth Schiff. We look forward to meeting you!

Are you interested in joining Las Hermanas? We would love to have you! Dues are 2,000 pesos, or $125 USD. Click here to join.

It's almost time to renew your membership. Click here to do so. Your dues keep our work going!

Thanks to our Donors

Thank you to Vivian Heyward of Albuquerque, NM for including us in her grant distributions to support education. Vivian is using her retirement account RMDs for these grants, while receiving an income tax donation for her generosity. What a great idea!

Thanks to Barb Kalbach of Earlham, Iowa for her generous donation.

Jewelry Donors

The Estate of Wendy Brooks
Sharon Case
Sara Moses, Santa Barbara, CA
TK Thornton, Minburn, Iowa
Barb Kalbach, Earlham, Iowa
Dane Smith
Brad Duncan

p.s. Dane and Brad, new Troncones residents, also donated a vacuum cleaner to use in our classroom and library. Thanks, guys!

We love that many of our donors come from small towns, and some of whom have never visited our villages. We appreciate your support!

Donate Now!

A Letter from a Teacher

Monday August 26, 2024

Today we started the 2024-25 school year, full of hope and goals to fulfill, especially in my case, as this year I am teaching first grade in the Troncones elementary school.

The class is made up of 25 students total, 9 girls and 16 boys. I know most of them already because they attend the Las Hermanas Learning Center. I am infinitely thankful to the Las Hermanas de Troncones Foundation for providing a space for students to learn. Thanks to this, there are many first grade students who can already read on their own. I’d like to also thank their parents, who are committed to education, and consistently support their children in their learning and development.

The function of the Learning Center is to help students fall in love with learning (which helps us teachers as well!). Thank you very much for the support you provide to the students and the community.

Sincerely,

Professor Benjamin Lorenzano Maldonado

Primaria Vicente Guerrero

Troncones, Guerrero

México

Our Work With Students

Our learning programs support over 250 students per week. We offer 20 hours per week of after-school learning in reading and math, two hours of writing and computer literacy, six hours of English language learning, and 12 hours of general academic support in our library. All classes are taught by certified teachers.

Our transportation program helps 62 students. We take 13 students from Majahua to middle school in Lagunillas, for which we pay the full cost. We transport 49 students to high schools, located in La Union, Pantla, and Zihuatenejo. We pay half of this cost, while the parents pay the other half.

Our university scholarship program, now in its second year, provides aid to ten students.

None of this would happen without your continued financial support. We are so grateful to everyone who has donated. Some of you have never even visited our villages, yet you still help. We thank each one of you for your generosity.

Our School Maintenance Program

The villages of Troncones and Majahua have five public schools between them: two kindergartens (preschool), two primary schools (levels 1 through 6) and one secondary school (levels 7 through 9).

Mexico provides no funds to maintain and clean the schools, so school upkeep falls to the parents. The schools are aging and suffering the effects of our coastal climate. Buildings are in various stages of deterioration; roofs leak during the rains, metal is rusting, cement is cracking and electrical and plumbing systems fail regularly.

Las Hermanas has helped to fund many building renovation and repair projects in these schools, in partnership with the parents, and has provided them with essential equipment such as air conditioners, projectors, sound equipment, computers, and desks.

In addition to building upkeep and renovation, we provide ongoing maintenance to protect the schools and our investments in them. We are fortunate to have a dedicated individual in Pedro Palacios who serves as Las Hermanas liaison with the Padres de Familia, who are similar to our PTA. The Padres de Familia may notify Pedro when a school has a problem. In addition, he personally monitors the condition of the schools and renovation projects. Pedro often can be seen repairing water lines, cleaning air-conditioners, replacing burned-out water pumps, or repairing old electrical wires and connections. The list of ongoing maintenance is frequently long, but we are grateful to have a skilled and dedicated humanitarian to aid Las Hermanas in the efforts to support education in our community. Your donations make Pedro's work possible.

Thank you, Pedro!

Student of the Month

Allison Medina Oregon is from the community of La Majahua. She is very enthusiastic and is always prompt for her English classes on Saturdays at the Las Hermanas Learning Center. She is barely 15 years old, but she is very dedicated and wiser than her years. She is a student who likes to set challenges, and above all, to meet them.

She attended primary school in Majahua, and for secondary school she traveled very early every day to Lagunillas. Currently, she is in her first month of high school in Zihuatanejo.

With discipline, perseverance, and determination, she has managed to remain in the group of students who are at an intermediate level in the English language at her school, after putting into practice what she learned after several years of English classes with Las Hermanas. Without a doubt, she is a great example for other students in the community.

In addition to studying English, she also enjoys reading and learning more about her native language, Spanish, such as how to write with correct spelling, compose a little poetry, and more. She also knows that it is important to learn how to use a computer, which is why she also attends the new Computer Literacy classes each week. She is unstoppable!

For all of these reasons, Allison deserves to be the student of the month.

Writing and Computer Skills Class

We decided to ask students applying for high school transportation support to write a biography, introducing themselves and describing why they want to attend high school. The results were enlightening. Students displayed a wide range of abilities in completing this task, and we realized that some students needed help in learning to compose a story, while also using a computer/keyboard and software programs such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to do so.

As a result of this exercise, our learning team has created a class to address these gaps, and this class meets twice a week for two hours, taught by certified teacher Ulisis. It is important for us to remain aware of the needs of our students, and adapt our curriculum to fit those needs. We are thankful to donors who make it possible for us to add new classes as required.

Sunset Club Parties Return

Hola Amigas and many Amigos!

I hope you all have had a wonderful summer. It’s an exciting time as we transition to the social season in beautiful Troncones/Majahua. Once again, Las Hermanas will be offering the "Sunset Club” social events. These parties are held once a month or more. We gather with friends, indulge in food and libation, and enjoy experiencing a variety of living and party styles. These are FUNdraisers supporting Las Hermanas. Last year's parties were “SOLD OUT.” Thank you to last year’s hosts:

-Peri Wolfman and Charlie Gold

-Judy and Dan Polidori

-Punta Majahua Owners: Nancy and Howard Carr; Wendy and Mark Renner; Sofia Hernandez; Colleen and Mike Boaz; Mo Maglio and Gordon Burns.

We are looking for interested hosts for the upcoming season. All previous hosts have said it was a blast. Hosting a party is your donation to Las Hermanas, for which we are very appreciative. What a great way to share some fun! All proceeds from the parties will go to Las Hermanas. All parties offer food and drink and can vary from super-simple to elaborate--your choice. It is about having fun and meeting new friends. Last year we had a variety of parties, featuring a mariachi band, a dinner and wine party, and a tour of multiple condos with a fun raffle. And here's an idea--Host a Pop-Up Sunset Club Party! Minimal planning involved.

As coordinator, I will help you plan and host as much as you want or need. I will coordinate all the advertising and payment collection, and party check-in. Are you interested? I have a variety of fun ideas for these parties. Send me an email or call me and I will share The Scoop on hosting a Sunset Club event. Can’t wait to hear from you. We are all looking forward to another great season ahead in Troncones.

Saludos,

Denise “Victoria”Hodges (Click here to email me)

Sunset Club Coordinator

Save The Dates

Plans are already in the works for next season, and we want you to be the first to know. Mark your calendars for these events.

Kermes: Saturday, November 30, 2024
Annual Members Luncheon: Wednesday, December 4, 2024, hosted by Ann Hatfield Merritt and Chris Kellogg, Casa Colorida
Linda Purl Concert: Wednesday, January 15, 2025, hosted by Teri and Ken Lebow, Casa Vida
2025 Gala and Auction: Sunday, March 2, 2025, hosted by Nancy Winarick and Richie Seigler, Casa Congrejo y Toro