He’s known only as
”
Grandpa.
”
He looks after the students as if they were his own
children.
This summer, Teodoro Dominguez retired at the age of 85 from
being one of two foster grandparents at San Andreas Continuation
High School. After 17 years, Dominguez will be missed by staff and
students.
He’s known only as “Grandpa.”
He looks after the students as if they were his own children.
This summer, Teodoro Dominguez retired at the age of 85 from being one of two foster grandparents at San Andreas Continuation High School. After 17 years, Dominguez will be missed by staff and students.
“He was a real friend to me. I was sad to hear he was retiring. He changed the atmosphere of this school,” said Gabriel Garcia, a senior at San Andreas who has known Dominguez for five years.
Foster grandparents receive a stipend for spending four hours a day with high-risk students. Their goal is to keep students on the right track and concentrating on academics.
Dominguez was forced to retire from the program because of his health and that of his wife, Maria, 80, who is wheelchair-bound. Maria Dominguez also participated in the program until her health limited her activities.
Foster grandparents like Dominguez can reach students because their age inspires respect, according to Tom Reefe, director of the Tri-County Foster Grandparent Program. This respect allows the grandparent to get through to students in a way parents and teachers can’t.
“I think they have a lot of respect for me,” Dominguez said. “Even the big guys (those over six feet tall) have enough respect for me to stop doing certain things like (vandalizing) or dropping garbage on the floor.”
Dominguez also helps keep students in school. Garcia said Dominguez served as a mentor to him as well as many students.
“There’s a body of people who work here that keep things together. I think Grandpa was one of those people,” he said. “He was always encouraging me, saying school was the best for me, that it is a way to get somewhere. He always showed me love no matter what.”
The best way to show concern and connect with students is by listening and offering solutions in a non-judgmental way, Garcia said. Some students can tell foster grandparents things they wouldn’t tell parents or teachers, he said.
Participating in the program is also beneficial to the grandparents. One of the main goals of the program is to help supplement the income of senior citizens, Reefe said. People have to be 60 years old to be a foster grandparent, and they are paid $2.65 an hour of non-taxable income, Reefe said.
“A foster grandparent is a special friend who works at the school, but who is not of the school,” Reefe said. “They’re not there to be a teacher’s aid. They’re there to be a private tutor and a pal.”
Dominguez said he learned the English language better by interacting with the students. Before, he could not read or write English. Also, spending time with kids makes him feel younger, Maria said.
“It was a learning experience. The kids were teaching him as he was helping them,” she said.
Dominguez watched over seven classrooms from 8 a.m. to noon five days a week. He would talk with students, supervise breaks, watch for fights and tackle chores that needed to get done.
Dominguez was a good foster grandparent because he has so much energy. Even though he’s been retired since 65, he wakes up around 5 or 6 a.m., to the chagrin of his wife, and stays up until 11 p.m. He lifts weights and takes care of the house and yard.
“He’s a walking bundle of energy. He always has a smile on his face,” said Mike Sanchez, principal of San Andreas. “He’s missed big time. The students keep asking about him.”
The foster grandparent program needs energetic people like Dominguez. During the 2002-03 school year, more than 58 foster grandparents improved the academic ability and self-esteem of children in 24 different schools in San Benito, Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, Reefe said. Currently, there are 20 foster grandparents working in Hollister.
According to a June survey of teachers involved in the program, the presence of foster grandparents in the classroom enhanced overall classroom management by an average of 81 percent and active mentoring by a foster grandparent improved the self-esteem of children by 84 percent, Reefe said.
Maria describes her husband as someone who goes crazy without having something to do – the main reason he started as a foster grandparent at San Andreas. About the only time he does sit still is when boxing or wrestling is on TV, Maria said.
Without working at San Andreas, Dominguez will be left to his house, yard and family. He has 12 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.
“I didn’t expect to be there that long (17 years). The years went by quick,” he said.
Details: (800) 945-0099, ext. 16.
