![Hosting the SCLA Casptone Mentor Dinner outside allowed for more attendees on September 27, 2021 at Silver Creek. This event would’ve usually been held inside. According to Lauren Kohn, a SCLA 12 teacher, “If we have a higher number of people, as long as we can host the event outside, then that seems to be keeping every[one] safe”.](https://schsnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/sxMAIGbSYGodZkqmrvTi5YWcJ1ssWA08ApkeMLpp-900x675.jpeg)
With funding for the library being scarce and some of the furniture being almost 24 years old, it’s time for fresh furniture. Teacher librarian Kristin Holtz and media clerk Tina Fredo are asking students and families to donate milk caps to help fund the project of updating furniture.
The locally produced Longmont Dairy accepts and recycles the plastic milk caps that most likely will just be thrown away. Holtz has previously felt bad for not doing something better with the caps, so she looked into it and found that she could put them to better use, which helps the school and the environment.
“The choice was really based on the fact that I couldn’t stand that those [milk caps] would be going to the landfill,” Holtz said. “But it’s definitely trying to accomplish two things. It’s a recycling effort, but it also makes us a little bit of money. So it’s a win, win.”
When Holtz returns the donated milk caps to the Longmont Dairy, she’ll receive a bit of money in return. For every cap returned, the library earns a little more funding.
Holtz and Fredo hope to use the money from the milk caps to purchase new and more flexible furniture for the library.
“The whole idea is that a lot of libraries are trying to be more flexible, which is why we got a number of different chairs,” Kristin Holtz said.
This would include geometric tables for the classroom side, comfortable chairs for independent learning, and spaces for students to work in teams.
Students need a place where they can feel comfortable enough to study within the school. Furniture plays a huge part in how well students can work. If students are unable to get comfortable in chairs, how will they be able to focus on their work?
Spaces4Learning is an educational platform that specializes mainly in aiding teachers with the resources to create more suitable learning environments for their students. In reference to ergonomic seating’s impact on learning, they strongly believe that the environment plays a difference in the learning experience of students.
With the current tables, there are only so many possible configurations to sit groups of people. Whether it’s an English class using the library, an afterschool tutoring session, or a parent volunteer group, you can only fit four to a table. Being able to have more flexible options for situations like these is the main concern for Holtz and Fredo.
“With the square tables, we can only make rectangles. With the geometric tables, we can make all different types of groupings that would be more flexible and accommodating,” Holtz said.
The goal for the previous furniture refresh was to be more flexible to enhance a safe and comfortable space for students to learn or hang out in.
The library at Silver Creek is a popular place for students and teachers all day long. Senior Hunter Robertson spends his free block and time after school in the library.
“I think it’s important to have nice furniture because the library is a place where a lot of people come to just chill out, read, and be on their phones,” Robertson said. “So having a chair that you can actually lean back in is nice. Because during school you’re hunched over a desk, so having a chair that you’re able to be comfortable in is very important.”
Most students would agree with Hunter’s statement that students need a place that provides comfort. However, furniture isn’t free, and some students aren’t even aware of funding opportunities. Sophomore Max Green wasn’t aware that funding was taking place and believes that the funding for the library should be changed.
“I think it’d be more fair if the school or district was able to give more funding to the library, instead of having to get their own,” Green said.
Funding is extremely difficult, especially for the library, where the money needed is a higher amount than feasible. For the new tables and chairs that Holtz and Fredo feel would benefit the library, it would be around $36,000.
The library is a social and educational space that is open and used by the entire Silver Creek community, so if you have Longmont Dairy milk caps, don’t hesitate and go donate. One cap can make a huge difference by helping support the library. Donate your caps!
