Giving college-bound children a T-shirt quilt is a popular way to use faded and castoff T-shirts from camps, clubs and athletic teams. Fabric squares are cut and quilted together to provide warm and cozy reminders of childhood activities.
Theresa Bradley, a special education teacher at Foothill Ranch Middle School, turned the T-shirt quilt idea into a project providing lasting reminders for long-time teachers of a school now renamed. She noticed a pile of T-shirts in the staff lounge that were printed with the school’s former name, Foothill Farms Junior High School.
Bradley used the castoff T-shirts, as well as other clothing donated by staff and former students, to make one quilt and three pillows that were presented to four teachers who had worked for many years at the school. Pillow recipients included Sean Miller, Denise Retter and Teresita Vergara. A lap-sized quilt was given to Robert Bowers who has been at the
site the longest.
“These gifts are beautifully made with the idea of celebrating teachers in the present while honoring their history and school culture of the past,”
said Principal Roxanne Mitchell.
Foothill Ranch Middle School opened in August 2011 after a grade reconfiguration from seventh and eighth grades to fifth through eighth. At that time, a new mascot, school colors and name were chosen.
Bradley recently discovered that another teacher, Poa Moua, has also been at the site a very long time. She is once again collecting more clothing and intends to create a memory gift for him over the winter break.
For more information contact Kathy Young in the TRUSD Communications Office at (916) 566-1628.
