Volunteer reading at youth center helps engage students
Published in the Feb. 19 – March 4, 2014 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Robert Airoldi
Robert Airoldi
With assistance from local high school Interact Clubs, South County’s Gamma Alpha Chapter has started a once-a-week Volunteer Reading Program for local young residents for many years at the Boccardo Family Center in San Martin, but has recently added the El Toro Youth Center, 17620 Crest Ave. From 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. every Tuesday, volunteers read aloud one-on-one with a child, sharing stories. Anyone interested in participating an hour or two a month in this worthwhile program can call Cindy Miller at (408) 776-7116 or e-mail her at [email protected].
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For the third year, Rotary Club of Morgan Hill distributed an estimated 800 dictionaries to all third-grade students in Morgan Hill. Students get to keep the dictionaries which come with a bookplate where the student can enter his or her name.
During the first week of February, Rotarians delivered the books and showed the children how to use them. For some of these students, this is the first new book they’ve ever owned. A great program!
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Congrats to five members of the Silicon Valley Flex Academy’s MathCounts team.
Photo courtesy Oakwood School
MathCounts winners, from left, Brandon Hoppa, Nia Lyn, Caleb Frahm, Eliesse Kwok and Sarah Kashani.
The five, Brandon Hoppa, Nia Lynn, Caleb Frahm, Eliesse Kwok and Sarah Kashani, took home the first-place prize and will compete at the state competition at Stanford University March 22. The competition brings teams from the entire Monterey Bay Area together for a written test that determines which teams and individual students qualify to move on.
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The city is now hiring for multiple part-time positions in the recreation department for summer jobs. They are seeking responsible, energetic individuals to serve in various capacities at the Aquatics Center and at the Skate/BMX Park. Apply online at www.mhrecreation.com. The first review of applications will take place Feb. 21. Successful applicants will be scheduled for an interview during a job fair scheduled for March 1.
If you haven’t already checked it out, the city has a new Facebook page.
“Although the city has several other Facebook pages associated with our recreation facilities and various departments, the city has not had a Facebook page representing the city as a whole,” said Communication and Engagement Manager Maureen Tobin. “This will serve as a great resource to our community members who are actively engaged on Facebook, which is a powerful communication tool that should not be overlooked in any organization’s communication plan.”
Mayor Steve Tate was the first to “Like” the page and encourages the rest of the community to “Like” it and share it with friends.
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Students, applications for the 2014 Morgan Hill Mushroom Mardi Gras Scholarships are now available online at www.mhmmg.com or at Live Oak and Sobrato high schools counseling offices.
All seniors who attend public or private schools and live within the geographical boundaries of the Morgan Hill Unified School District are eligible to apply. The deadline for all applications to be returned to the Mushroom Mardi Gras office at 224 Tennant Station (adjacent to JoAnne’s Fabrics) or the counseling offices is March 17.
For more information on the scholarship program, contact the Mushroom Mardi Gras office at (408) 778-1786.
