Shumla School Lauded

By Bill Sontag
bill.sontag@delrionewsherald.com
Staff Writer, Del Rio News-Herald

Reprinted with permission of the Del Rio News-Herald
Published January 22, 2006

The rewards for Dr. Carolyn Boyd and her co-workers at Shumla School come in the faces and written comments of their youthful charges, the school children of Val Verde and Maverick counties.

But occasionally, community parents, schools and businesses pat the Shumla staff on the back in tangible, sometimes indirect ways. Recent recognitions from The Bank & Trust and San Felipe Del Rio Consolidated Independent School District have buoyed the spirits of all involved with Shumla.

Spread along the sides of a limestone desert bowl above the Pecos River 15 miles north of Comstock, the Shumla School pavilion, kitchen, restrooms, wickiups and teepees will soon be joined by lodging accommodations for program participants and staff.

But keeping the programs thriving has been Boyd's primary focus, and last week The Bank & Trust donated $50,000 toward that goal of hosting 3,000 fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade school children each year in the school's Pecos River Kids programs.

In a typical program, children attend activities designed to hone survival skills, problem solving, self esteem building, community building, teamwork and leadership.

According to Boyd, "Students gain an awareness that as human beings we share the same basic needs, emotions, and ways of communicating that reveal the commonalities that link us all together."

Julio C. Ramos, San Felipe Del Rio Consolidated Independent School District assistant superintendent for instruction, congratulated Boyd in a Dec. 5, 2005 letter.

"The learning experiences have been especially significant because many of our children would never have these opportunities due to the remoteness of the part of the state in which we live," wrote Ramos, adding that, "… so many of our children live with the debilitating consequences of poverty that limit opportunities for these types of personal experiences."

The new thrust at Shumla School is a broadening partnership with the National Park Service and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The KEY Project, an acronym for "Knowledge Enriching Youth," kicked off with The Bank & Trust donation and others from the Brown Foundation and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, has specific learning opportunities for each grade.

Fourth-graders, Boyd explained, will attend the annual Val Verde County Archeology Fair at the Whitehead Museum in the fall. On the Shumla campus, Pecos River Kids conduct science experiments to learn about plant and animal structural adaptations to environments, weave cordage from native plants, use different energies to ignite fire with simple friction, and make rock art paint according to ancient formulas.

Fifth-graders board houseboats on Lake Amistad to focus on geology, wildlife and archeology. Houseboats are provided by Forever Resorts, the marina operators on Amistad National Recreation Area, and National Park rangers and volunteers provide the guidance and instruction.

Sixth-grade participants travel to Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site for a hike into the famous canyon to see ancient rock art paintings on limestone walls. The children also participate in a day-long curriculum of hands-on learning activities at the park.

Bill Cauthorn, The Bank & Trust chairman of the board, said of the bank's donation Thursday, "One of the reasons we're doing this is because of the contagious enthusiasm Carolyn's infected all of us with."

But, Cauthorn also said, "We're also doing it because we've got about 97 people working here that make this locally-owned bank a success, and who participate and are involved in our community," adding his hope that other financial institutions in the area will step up to the plate with similar support to ensure the success of the school's future impact on Del Rio schools.

Ramos, also a Shumla School advisory board member, reported that the impacts are noticeable. "I am happy to report that our partnership has already yielded fruit. District-wide science scores have improved by twelve percentage points, and we are seeing an increase in student excitement and interest in the natural sciences. I know that the participation of these children in the Shumla School activities is directly responsible."

While Boyd continues her fundraising campaign to reach a total Pecos River Kids budget of $127,000 (another $50,000 is needed beyond extant donations), the school has also launched an ambitious campaign to build a crescent-shaped layout of bungalow cottages for participants in overnight programs to be lodged.

Ground will be broken soon for a central "Bookhouse," with a large multipurpose room for lodging and supervising children with special needs, as well as staff and other functions.

It's already been nicknamed "Moms House," Boyd smiled, because contributions have come from several donors honoring their deceased mothers. This includes a sizeable donation from Walker Boyd, Carolyn's father, in memory of her mother, Jody, who passed away at home in West Virginia recently.

"Bookhouse" will be built for $75,000, but the remaining 14 bungalow cottages will cost $15,000 apiece, Boyd said.

Thursday, Boyd kept returning to the importance of attendance at the Pecos River Kids programs on the desert campus. The reputation of the experiences has spread, motivating schools, students and districts to find creative ways of paying for transportation to the outdoor classroom environment.

For example, Boyd reported that Seco Mines Elementary School students recently needed $4,000 to cover costs, and sold pizza to raise it, supplemented by a donation from an anonymous donor in Del Rio to make it happen.

"We've got to start providing outstanding educational opportunities for kids on the border," Boyd said, "but many foundations are concentrating on schools in Houston, San Antonio, and other big population centers.

"But to see what's happened here over the last two years has been so encouraging."