Health Fair Promotes Van Nuys School’s Philosophical Aim

VAN NUYS —  Eyes closed tight, Bryan Arita bravely took a shot in his arm. No tears, not even a grimace for the 7-year-old who walked three blocks with his parents to get immunized at a health fair Saturday sponsored by the Children’s Community School.

The family, who immigrated from El Salvador 12 years ago, was grateful for the free care.

“I think maybe we’ll try to come back,” said Bryan’s father, Cesar Arita.

His family is welcome any time.

While most private schools are fortresses from urban life, the directors of this campus believe they have the antidote for indifference. The school’s goal, they say, is to inoculate students against prejudice and selfishness.

“People are so fearful of anything that is different,” said school director and co-founder Neal Wrightson. “Most schools are not taking a leadership role and the result has been a terrible class division in our schools that also has racial overtones to it.”

Wrightson said parents of CCS students are not just buying an education--at $9,600 a year--they are buying a philosophy. Why else would affluent families send their children to school with poor kids?

“That’s what you are paying for,” he said. “For the privilege of going to school with people who are different from you.”

The free fair was part of the school’s ongoing effort to make friends with neighbors in the surrounding, mostly working-class community.

At CCS, 40 of the 100 students receive financial aid, with 20 families, many from the neighborhood, receiving a full scholarship.

School neighbor Maria Ramirez walked onto the campus grounds five years ago to see if her daughter might attend. Ramirez’s children, Samantha, 10, and Russell, 8, are now both enrolled.

Ramirez, who would not be able to afford private school without help, said that since enrolling at CCS, her children “are so fearless. They have open minds. They are full of questions.”

Watching her children practice yoga on a lawn, Ramirez added, “I see my nephews in public school and I know it is different.”

She said diversity at the school works both ways. “Before I got involved here, all of the people I knew were Latino,” said Ramirez, who was born and raised in Mexico.

“Mom, Mom, come try this,” called her son from the yoga class. Ramirez laughed and shook her head no.

Just off the school’s courtyard, where children dangled like ornaments from the playground’s monkey bars, fair-goers could taste different flavors of toothpaste, learn about dental hygiene and be screened for HIV, breast cancer or diabetes.

The school enlisted the American Red Cross, Department of Health, the MTA and Kaiser Permanente Healthcare, among others. Food and drink were donated by Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, Western Bagel and Whole Foods, with a $2 lunch served by El Pollo Loco.

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski told the crowd, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

In the immunization room, Hilary Casanova said that advice relates to more than the health fair. Casanova, a nurse/midwife whose 10-year-old daughter is a student at the school, volunteered her Saturday to help. She said it is part of belonging to the school family.

“I really feel that there is so much more to educating your child than reading, writing and arithmetic,” said Casanova. “You also have to teach them about the world and all the people that are in it. That takes all of their childhood years.”