Diego (top photo) says he's devastated to go back to school. Isabela (above) is excited and scared. The two are twins. Photos were not yet available for the other two writers.

Four Kids Write About Going Back to School This Fall;

WHETHER THEY START Sept. 2 or Sept. 3, ARE HEADED FOR MIDDLE
SCHOOL OR ELEMENTARY, THESE KIDS HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY:

Thoughts Attending Middle School for the First time
By Isabela Van Antwerp, 11
I'm going into my first year of middle school. I'm thrilled but still frightened I won't like it because:
1) you have to wake up early
2) I have five more classes than elementary
3) I can't do dance because if I do I would have to give up one of my honors classes, so now I'm in drama.

But the good side to this is I know a lot of people. The people from my old school and a lot of people from my soccer team are going to Dana. Someone I know had a party and invited a few she knew that are going there.
In my new school, every hour we have to walk from class to class. I recently went to summer school and they gave us a tour. So now I know where to go. I'm still scared to death but anxious at the same time.
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Going back to school
By Diego Van Antwerp, 11,

School will be coming soon.
I am devastated. Now, I have to see, and not to mention, smell chalk and it's dust. Chalk screeches loudly against the board. Also, when I have to do a math problem, I have to touch that awful dusty chalk. Yuck! Chalk really bugs me. But on the bright side, you can say "hi" to all of your good friends. But on the not so bright side, some of the teachers always use the: "TEACHER SCREAM," not angry, but more of an impatient yell. It creeps me out. And some times the food there is yucky, but you have to eat there or else you will be so hungry you feel like almost puking.
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SCHOOL: Oh No!
By Angel Chavez, 11

School oh no! Please don’t let me go.

I wish I didn’t have to go to school. The reason I don’t like school is because of the learning. My head will burst from all the work. I feel a headache coming on already. The only reason I want to go to school is because I can’t wait to meet new friends. If you don’t have friends at your new school, you will feel left out. It will be so sad not to talk to anyone and walk all alone on such a big campus. I hope this year will be a good year because I am full of friends!
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I Am Ready to Go Back to School

By Sarena Chavez, 8,

I am really glad to go back to school because I will be able to learn new things. I enjoy reading and doing math problems. My goal in school is to get good grades so I can graduate like my big sister and receive lots of awards. I want to be President of our school and be leader. I am only 8 but I will do my best. I can’t wait to start school again. Here I come 3rd grade.

ONE SON, ONE MOM, ONE BIG LESSON PERHAPS FOR ALL ADULTS
By Diana L. Chapman

I missed my son’s friend, who quit coming over several months ago. I missed seeing his crooked smile and his zany ways.

At first I thought the kid was out of town, but then his disappearance rolled on and on -- all through the summer, past the heart of those lazy July days and still kept swimming through the month of August. Soon, we’ll be entering the sharp winds of September and school will start without a sign from the friend.

Finally, I began lamenting to Ryan about how sad it was and what happened and when did all of this go down and what was “the why of it all?”

“I don’t know,” Ryan grunted, looking bored with the discussion. “I probably did something that bothered him. I don’t know what it was.”

“But doesn’t it bother you?” I queried. “Don’t you want to know what happened?”

“Sure it bugged me for a couple of days,” Ryan revealed of the friend who he constantly hung out with a cadre of other boys. “But I’m over it.”

My surprise must have been etched on my face, because when I lose a friend like this, it rolls over in my mind again and again and I worry until the wee hours of the night.

The worries march across my brain: What did I do to cause this fragmentation? It’s like a puzzle and next to impossible to pick up the proper pieces and drop them into place to determine where and when the problem began, where it ends and where was the middle.

Adults tend to sever relationships, because the truth is this -- it’s easier. It’s easier than having a heart-to-heart discussion where the pain began – because usually these types of splits start with a shard of pain that was thrust into a heart, and left untreated, continue to swell and fester.

It’s a pattern I’ve seen in many adults – men and women – and that includes me.

My 14-year-old could tell I was bothered by abrupt break off. He looked at me, seriousness brushed across his face and gave me this poignant piece of advice: “You know, Mom, just because he dropped the friendship, doesn’t mean he’s a bad person. You understand that, right?”

I was taken off guard and needed a few seconds to step back and ponder those words. It was not only TRUE; it made me realize that Ryan was acting like more of an adult than most adults.

It was a revelation for me to realize that not all lost friends are truly lost. They are probably there at a time for a good reason – and when they moved on – they moved on because that door has closed. Of course, another will open as they always seem to do.

As we lug ourselves out to send our children back to school, still drunk from the warmth of honey-sweet summer days, I made myself a bet.

Sometime, Ryan and his friend will meet and become friends all over again, all hurts forgotten.

Because one other thing kids can be much better at than adults is offering up the buds of forgiveness.

FAMILY LITERACY: ONE SURE FIRE WAY TO GET KIDS AND PARENTS TO READ TOGETHER AND LEARN AT THE SAME TIME!!!!

By Diana L. Chapman

The four-year-old, Adan Hernandez, at first, was delighted to see me. His face beamed as I talked and took their photos. But as the minutes ticked by, he became increasingly fidgety and tugged at his mom’s arm to steer her away while we were talking.

“It’s my time,” Adan kept saying. “It’s my time.”

“I’m sorry,” the mother pressed. “This is our time.”

Mayre (pronounced Marie) Hernandez grabbed her little guy’s hand and scrambled out the preschool’s door to play hula hoops – but not before she had read her son several children’s stories while he was tucked tightly in the warm curve of her lap.

“This is our time,” repeated slowly through my head again and again.

The Family Literacy program – the one I was just witnessing and the same program that San Pedro resident Annette Ciketic had prodded me repeatedly to write about for years – brims with success stories and does something that many of us already know – young kids, from babies on up, need someone to read to them early on -- preferably their parents -- who are their first teachers.

This can be a hard calling for parents with several children, more than one job to survive or a single mom or dad raising children on their own – many of whom do not know how to read well themselves or have achieved a high school degree. Family literacy – taught at 15th Street Elementary School in San Pedro and Meyler Adult and Family Learning Center in the Harbor Gateway – focuses on a family learning: together.

Learning English, raising your kids, improving math skills and conquering first an 8th grade diploma and later a GED (general education diploma) sounds like a monster of mountains to overcome – especially for those coming from another culture. And it's been difficult to promote the program.

My true confession: The words Family Literacy made me fall asleep until
15th Street Elementary School coordinator Connie McCosker opened the doors widely and allowed me to peer inside. What I witnessed made me immediately regret that I had not reported on this program sooner

It was nearly as impressive as a blue butterfly spreading its wings before your eyes – because that’s exactly what’s happening to these families.

Once the doors of the program were open – in one room, I spotted parents studying English while their young kids, from infants to toddlers, played in a nearby area where another adult watched over them.

In another room, parents were studying math as a small two-year-old wandered behind her mom.

And in my favorite room, the preschool, a myriad of mothers – and even one father! – had their children climbing on their laps as their parents read to them either in Spanish or English.

“The problem is always what to do with the children,” explained Connie who said the expense of child care was one of the biggest obstacles to immigrant parents learning English and trying to achieve a higher education. “So we teach the parents and the kids. When the parents enroll their kids, they’ll know the school and they’ll have more confidence.”

Where else can you find a brochure that says: Adult Education: “Babies Welcome in Class!” Parents can study English, math and earn an eighth grade diploma and all the while learn to work with their children in the preschool.

Parents who enroll their children must participate in the preschool program where a chunk of time is devoted to the learning to read and play with their child.

The students must commit 20 hours a week to enroll, Connie explained.

One fascinating appeal to parents is so many rarely had a chance to enjoy their childhood and often were already working at a young age that they are actually having a shot at reliving their childhood with their own kid. At the same time, they are learning parenting techniques.

“One young mother didn’t even know how to do a puzzle,” said Maria Young, who runs the preschool program. “She had never done a puzzle in her life. She learned with her child.

“We teach the parents here to make encouraging and positive remarks about their children’s work.”

Besides teaching the preschool kids art, music, colors and numbers, Maria also trains parents how to control to their child’s temper tantrums and the best nutrition for kids.

For mother Maria Espinoza, who attends with her son Jason, 4, the program was a godsend.

When she arrived at 15th Street Elementary, she spoke no English. Since then, she had all of her boys attend the program (the other two are now five and seven and attend 15th Street Elementary) and later was hired by the school to help supervise on the yard. Meanwhile, she pursues studies to obtain her high school equivalency

“The goal was for me to learn English,” the mother explained, but so impressed was the Maria with the program that she ushered each of her children through. “My sons learned English here. They learned to share here. They know and understand the rules. At home, I wouldn’t even show them how to cut with scissors. I always thought it was too dangerous. At home we didn’t play a lot.”

That changed, she said, “and I am so grateful for the program.”

Her sentiments were echoed by Adan’s mother who said her biggest regret was she didn’t know the program existed and didn’t have the chance to do it with her other three sons, 6, 8 and 10-years-old. However, it turned out to work perfectly for Adan who now gets his own time with his mother – where at home he’s always competing with attention with the other boys.

Once Mayre decided to pursue a higher education after not going to school for 12 years – and is working to get her GED – she immediately hit her first obstacle. How would she take care of Adan when child care was so expensive and go to school? Then, she saw a sign on the school fence about Family Literacy and jumped in, starting this year.

“I just love this program,” Mayre gushed with appreciation.. “I’m right next door to where my son is. We’ve gone on field trips. We play together. And I’m getting to where I need to be.”

Now I regret not listening to Anette who coordinates the program at Meyler. The brainchild of educator, Camilla Townsend, who now is the executive director of the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce, Family Literacy has the chance to expand across the South Bay since it began six years ago.
“These past two years Connie and I have been working very closely to act as a "united front" under the umbrella of Harbor Community Adult School,” Annette explained.. “My goal is that we expand to other areas and serve as models and mentors to other developing family literacy programs in the whole South Bay.”
My hope is that we don’t wait too long to promote and explore this program and that our Neighborhood Councils will help sponsor it financially. It can only do one thing for all of us: propel healthier, educated families to become a part of our community – where we will witness children spread their wings as beautiful as a blue butterfly.
The program resumes Sept. 2. Starting that date, Connie of 15th Street can be reached at : 310-995-3125 and Annette can be reached at (310) 320-2419 in regards to the Meyler site. Further information can also be provided at Harbor Community Adult School: main campus 310-547-4425.

AUTISTIC CHILDREN ARE MISDIAGNOSED EVERYDAY OR TOO LATE TO CHANGE THEIR WORLD; HOW CAN YOU HELP?

Dear Readers:

Please take the time out of your busy schedule to ponder this video. My sister’s adopted son, now 18, was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, and a myriad of other things, but it’s always bothered me greatly that the possibility of autism was virtually ignored. Years after he suffered – we all have suffered -- my sister discovered in the reports that one of his social workers believed him to be autistic.

When my sister adopted him at age 3, we did not have this information. His chance now of ever being able to live normally in society has slipped away – as he has slipped away from all of us. If a child is autistic, there is a chance to help them, but it must be caught early.

Please see this video and see what you can do to help for the future of all autistic children, many of whom are misdiagnosed everyday.

Visit: http://www.whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com/videos/view/id/408214

TARGET HIRING/ INTERVIEWING AT HARBOR COLLEGE FRIDAY
& SATURDAY

Please pass along to your networks/those looking for local work.

Target is doing a mass hire at Los Angeles Harbor College today, August 7th and tomorrow, August 8th from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM. They will also be here on Saturday, August 9th from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. They will be filling all hourly positions for the new San Pedro store.
These positions include cashier, sales, backroom, and overnight.
I would imagine that interested parties should bring a resume and valid ID, but this is an educated guess. (Strongly recommended!)
Happy summer!! -- Submitted by Rori Roje

San Pedro Woman Wants to Help Build Self-Esteem in Croatian Children Using a Book Called "I Am;" Sue Murat is on a Mission and She Needs Your Help to Provide 25,000 Tomes To Kids


Croatia & Bosnia-Hercegovina Book Gifting Mission

Prijevod na hrvaski možete procitati ako kliknete ovdje

TO WATCH THE VIDEO:
2008 Croatia Book Gifting Mission
The I AM Foundation and book gifting ambassador, Sue Murat, will be traveling to Croatia and Bosnia to gift the children "The I AM! Affirmation Book: Discovering The Value of Who You Are" written in both English and Croatian.
Join us in our efforts to support literacy and self-esteem in the children of Croatia & Bosnia-Hercegovina

Sue Murat leads the Croatia & Bosnia-Hercegovina Book Gifting Mission in 2008. We will be visiting countries such as Bosnia-Hercegovina, and Croatia. Our goal is to gift 25,000 I AM! Affirmation Books to children over a series of missions. The book that has been given away to children all over the world is coming to Croatia and Bosnia-Hercegovina! Some of the intended destinations are Vukovar, Split and Mostar.

Click here to view a sample page of the English/Croatian Edition of The I AM! Affirmation Book.

The time is right for our children to discover their value and learn a new and positive way of looking at their world. How wonderful for our young leaders of the future to know that they are brilliant, strong, brave, honest and proud! Please join us in meeting, and possibly exceeding, our goal. We invite your support in helping us make an impact in this area of the world. Click here to make a contribution. All donations are tax-deductible. Any person or organization that makes a $5000 or more donation will be acknowledged in the English-Croatian Edition of The I AM! Affirmation Book: Discovering The Value of Who You Are.

Our Croatian & Bosnia-Hercegovina Book Gifting Mission Wish List:

Printing
Ground Transportation including a van or truck to transport the books and our team of 4-6 people
Hotels or places to stay
Volunteers on location
For more information on this mission or to help with items on the wish list, email Sue Murat.

CHECK OUT THIS REMARKABLE LOCAL SECOND GRADER: ARTIST, DANCER, WRITER -- AND HULA HOOPER THAT DOESN'T QUIT -- AVIANA! SHE'S ALL OF SEVEN-YEARS- OLD; Just how much talent can get packed into one pipsqueak?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yb6VMYjSrc
Send your videos/photos or artwork by your kids to hartchap@cox.net

San Pedro’s Marine Magnet Likely to Become the New Angel’s Gate High School – a Move That Ensures a School No Larger Than 800 Seats and Reduces Traffic Through Busing; LAUSD School Board Expected to Approve Measure Tuesday & School Officials Add a Major Bit of Enticement – the Possibility of Reopening Gaffey Street Pool
By Diana L. Chapman

In a move that might dull sharp and sometimes brutal protests against building a larger campus at Angel’s Gate, Los Angeles school officials have opted to propose an expansion of San Pedro High School’s Marine Magnet at the seaside site instead.
The proposal reduces the site from the initial 1,200 class seats to no more than 800 seats and the expansion in the early stages would not exceed 500 seats.
According to school officials, San Pedro residents would have first rights to use the school.
Such a move will likely decrease some of the hostile and often ugly protest tactics that have ranged from calling the bid “a land grab,” despite the district owning the property for decades, to shoring up a plethora of reasons not to have a school there – including it causing more noise at the tranquil site and the potential damage to fox habitats.
Should the school board approve the reduction from 1,200 seats to 800 at its meeting Tuesday, any changes to school size later would require additional amendments and another run through a chain of procedures.
School officials lined up several enticements for the new proposal – promising a drop in potential traffic woes and the consideration of reopening of a public pool.
The most promising proposal that may send residents gushing toward accepting the marine magnet expansion was the announcement that Los Angeles School Board Member Richard Vladovic and his staff have hammered out a proposed, but tentative agreement to partner with the city to reopen the beloved Gaffey Street Pool -- although funding has not yet been secured.
For years, residents have desired the pool –now considered a historic landmark—to reopen despite the millions it’s expected to cost. City officials have stated in the past that the geology of the hillside has been questionable and the pool has slowly slipped slightly down the hillside and into disrepair.
"Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is on board," regarding the partnership, said
said David Kooper, Vladovic’s chief of staff, whose proposal is likely to hook scores of residents. Many have grown increasingly nostalgic over the pool embedded in a hillside at Angel's Gate, surrounded by trees and swirling ocean mists that despite the closure-- clings to many local's memories.
Besides seeking funding for such a project, the school officials need to study the site to see if its even feasible and another partner to actually run the pool, Kooper said.
If the magnet approval passes, then school and city officials would likely build a competitive sized pool at the site that could be used by the public -- and finally give the San Pedro High School swim team its first chance to compete at home.
San Pedro High currently has no pool forcing its swim team often to workout at other locations and to compete in other jurisdictions.
Should the Gaffey Street Pool not work out, school officials would search for another pool site, Kooper said.
Another issue expected to entice residents stems from transportation. A magnet allows for students outside a two mile radius of a school to be shuttled to and from the site via school buses. That would eliminate a large percentage of traffic, once predicted to drench the area with honking cars and traffic jams.
Under the marine magnet expansion, the campus would then become a satellite or “annex” to San Pedro High School and that school’s principal, Bob DiPietro, would oversee both sites, said Linda Del Cueto, the superintendent who heads District Eight, the region that includes San Pedro.l
Many questions remain about the exact substance of classes the school will offer, but clearly the primary goal of school officials remains building four labs and 30 classrooms at the site to help reduce overcrowding at San Pedro High School.
The high school has about 3,400 students on a campus designed for about 2,000. Marine magnet students, which currently comprises about 379 students, still would use the main campus to take the necessary classes for college and to be included in any sports teams. The use of the magnet program also ensures that students outside the two mile radius can be shuttled via buses to the site.
Such a school would not be built until 2012. As for the additional seats, the district might consider at a later date placing a smaller learning community there, such as a maratime studies school. But nothing has been determined yet.
While much remains to hash out, it’s possible the offer will quell some of the intense opposition the district has faced in the past. The plan more than likely will scuttle attempts to pull those residents sitting on the fence into the opposition. Many, who see the school as a viable possibility, have said they are afraid to speak out due to the intense criticism the district has received over its initial proposal to build a stand-alone 9-12th grade campus not connected to the high school.
Even frequent critics of building at the site saw potential with what came out of Tuesday’s meeting, pulled together by Del Cueto.
June Burlingame Smith, president of the Coastal Neighborhood Council, which voted to oppose the building of a larger campus at the site, believed the offer was a “win-win” with the pool. She did warn, however, that school officials should cap the school at 500 seats and be realistic about parking. Offering only 2.5 spaces per classroom just isn’t enough, she argued.
However, the coastal president did seem eager to look at compromises, because in her history of living here it was always known that the district wanted to build a high school at the site.
Doug Epperhart, also on the council, and Aaron Bruhnke, a San Pedro High school teacher and UTLA representative, both raised the concern that such a school could become an “elitist” campus.
“That’s what it will be,” said Epperhart, who also wants to reach some type of compromise with the district, but could not make the meeting.
Surrounding neighbors of the middle to upper class enclave will do everything necessary to make sure their children attend that school, he said, and that likely will lock out students from the economically-disadvantaged areas of the community.
Bruhnke also seemed concerned with the same issue and recommended that students allowed to enjoy the marine magnet sign a contract so if they are not taking the opportunity seriously that other students be allowed to step into the slot.

FOR BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB COLLEGE BOUND GRADS
FOR ONCE IN THEIR LIVES THE SKY IS THE LIMIT (See Story below)


Left: Adell Hodge, 17, El Camino College,

Right: Morgan Cooper, 18, UC Santa Cruz

Dominic Braggs, Sacramento State University (left) Ruby Noriega, UC Santa Cruz (above)
ONCE THOUGHT IMPOSSIBLE and DESPITE THE ODDS, 140 KIDS ARE ON THEIR WAY TO a HIGHER EDUCATION

From Left to Right: Chris Ahamira, 17, El Camino College, Richard "Oja" Coleman, 17, Texas City College, Dante Kelly, 17, El Camino College, Don Martinez, 17, El Camino College, Jasmine Rettig, 17, Long Beach City College, C' Grace Scipio, 18, (front) Cerritos College and Dominc Braggs (back)

College Bound Gives Youths First Shot at Success as a pathway out of Crime and Poverty One SAT, One college application at a Time

Anabel Jiminez, 18, UC San Diego(above)




Danielle Thompson, 18, Long Beach Community (right) Isaiah Alexander, below, Sacramento State University

KIDS WHO ONCE SEEMED TO HAVE NO FUTURE, 140 MEMBERS OF BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB COLLEGE BOUND PROGRAM DANCED ACROSS THE GRADUATION STAGE AND ARE ON THEIR WAY TO COLLEGE AND THEIR NUMBERS ARE GROWING;

Kids who never thought they would move onward and upward likely will break the cycle of living in poverty and crime

“…Nobody I know was killed in Central LAToday Was a Good Day” -- Ice Cube

“Somewhere over the Rainbow Bluebirds Fly”

“Remember these numbers: 4 8 27 43 140,” – Mike Lansing, executive director of the Los Angeles Harbor Area Boys and Girls Club. “Break the cycle.”

By Diana L. Chapman

Living lonely in foster care, Dominic Braggs was adopted by a second grade friend who taught him basketball; the two were inseparable. While happily playing their game, just one week shy of their eighth grade graduation, gang members rolled up, pulled out a gun and shot his best friend in the head. That was the first of Dominic’s innocent friends to be murdered.

His future: San Jose State University.

Most of the time, Anabel Jiminez was the only true parent in her household. She cleaned the house, fed, clothed and cared for her brother sister and lived in a constant cyclone of her parent’s battles, so severe that police and social workers descended frequently on their home. Anabel and her siblings were repeatedly put in foster care, then sent home again, removed and sent back -- again and again and again.

Her future: UC San Diego. She plans to be a judge.

Living in poverty, Danielle Thompson pulsed with so much anger inside that she clearly enjoyed making other people uncomfortable. She poured some of her anger in reams and reams of poetry, so much so that she could compile several books. She had no idea where she was going with her life; she knew one thing; College was not part of it.

Her future now: Long Beach City Community College.

Thursday evening, Dominic, Anabel and Danielle – and 137 other members of the College Bound Boys and Girl’s Club program beat the odds – happily dancing their way across their stage to graduate to make one of their greatest leaps in life – they will all attend college this fall.

Kids who coped with living side by side with gang members, watched their friends get murdered, saw drug deals go down, witnessed police breaking down doors and doing drug busts – kids who have stories sometimes so awful, it’s a whole lot easier not to hear them.

They were given the chance to dream big and realize they didn’t have to live this way. After all, they could go to college, Mike Lansing, the executive director, told them. At one time, a bit more than five years ago, this was deemed next-to-impossible. But this week – with months of extensive training in the College Bound program – these kids made it over the wall of impossibilities and leaped into the world of miracles and faith.

Mike lit a lot of lights that will ripple and beam out across the country, Los Angeles Unified School Superintendent David L. Brewer the III told the crowd.

“When you look at these numbers,” the superintendent said, “you realize something is going on here…What young people want is adults that care about them. It’s very interesting because when you show them you care about them and you inspire them, young people will succeed. This is a universal truth.”

Mike, he said, had shown the kids he cared and gave them the light they needed to shine. The growing numbers of graduates from the program reflect that. When College Bound began five years ago, the first year four members went off to college. The second year, the number doubled to eight. The third year, the number more than tripled to 27. Last year, 43 members departed for a higher education. This year, 140 students are on their way. In my opinion – short of becoming the president of the United States – Mike will never be able to surpass what he’s done for these kids in his lifetime.

Despite their often chilling stories, these youth have done much more than beat the odds.I know, because I had the honor and the privilege to volunteer as a writing coach to help with their personal essays – required for many college applications.

When I started, it seemed like a purse had been opened upside down and the contents of misery had spilled out and were strewn all over the place. Sometimes, it seemed the writing opened the valve and the water was gushing everywhere – and was never going to stop.

I had some fears that the Boys and Girls Club officials would back off when they heard these painful stories. When you have hundreds of kids pouring into your club everyday, day after day, learning about their personal lives isn’t easy. What I really wondered was would they really want to hear them?

Writing gave the staff the key, but it was like opening a Pandora’s Box. I called Mike time after time. Did they know about this kid? Did they know about that kid? I was especially concerned about one kid named Emmanuel, who was a beautiful writer, but told me in front of 16 kids that he was "worthless." The writing gave us glimpses into their souls. Instead, the staff embraced the stories and ran around trying to fill the gaps and save kids who almost lost their shot at education – because a parent was standing in the way.

In the case of Gruiicel Evelynn Santiago, her mother tossed out several letters of acceptance and when Evelynn settled on Sonoma State University, her mom tossed the letter that told her when to arrive. When the college bound director, Yesenia Aguila, inquired with the college and discovered that Evelynn had to arrive the next day, the staff piled in the car and drove her there.

When Emmanuel Catlan discovered he was not worthless and that the other kids and staff cared about him," he turned his grades over night from a 1.8 to a 4.1. At last, it seemed Emmanuel, who had moved all his life, had found his home at the Boys and Girl Club and was on his way to college. Staff members stepped up to get him on target.

But just one month short of his junior year ending at San Pedro High, Emmanuel’s step dad announced that whole family would move yet again, to Florida. Fearing that “we would lose him,” Mike offered to open a room at his home so Emmanuel could finish his junior year off – and continue pursuing his college aspirations. The step dad refused the offer – knowing the marriage would probably break up when they arrived there.

The last email I received from Emmanuel was that his dad had moved away, his grades had plummeted and he was working hard to help his mother raise his two younger brothers. College was forever on hold, he said. But more recent news sounded much more promising. Emmanuel has been accepted to four colleges in California, including Cal State Long Beach, Cal State LA, Sonoma and San Jose state universities. Getting him here and how to fund his education is what the staff currently is working on.

At the end of the starry evening, screens flashed up of all the happy graduates – the last being Emmanuel. This made me believe that Mike and his staff will somehow figure out a way to get this kid’s light to shine so he too can join the ripple effect of rays that will soon be lighting across the nation.

Dear Readers:
When I met Bill Schopp, it seemed he was yet another unwritten, unsung hero in our community. In this case, he wants to help kids -- rich, poor or otherwise -- to learn to sail and has garnered scholarships for this very purpose. As our kids live and breath around the port of Los Angeles, it seems fitting that we should help our children take advantage of tremendous opportunities such as the one Bill provides. Here's his story -- Diana


THINK SAILING IS ONLY FOR THE RICH AND FAMOUS? CABRILLO BEACH YACHT CLUB DOESN’T THINK SO AND HAS MADE IT A GOAL TO PROVIDE FULL OR PARTIAL SCHOLARSHIPS TO GIVE ALL KIDS A SHOT AT TRYING THEIR HANDS AT SAILING THE FAIR WINDS USING A NON-PROFIT

By Bill Schopp, president of Cabrillo Beach Youth Sailing Club Foundation

When I was growing up, I was looking for “my sport.” I assumed that everyone has a natural ability towards a particular sport. By the time I was 14, I had sadly crossed most sports off my list as it was clear they weren’t for me. Then, I discovered racing sailboats.

There was a bunch of kids crewing on 40-foot sailboats racing against each other on weekends and sailing around on smaller boats when the big boats were not racing. There were a couple dads who would give us coaching tips at Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club. Most of the kids were family members but since my dad fished -- and didn’t sail -- he was not a member.

Yacht club members there encouraged me to join as a junior member and made me feel like part of the family. Now as an adult, I still race sailboats and will the rest of my life. I had found “my sport,” and realized other kids needed this chance as well.

One day a few years ago, a few of us got together and decided to try to make sailing an opportunity available to more kids throughout the Harbor area – especially kids who weren’t going to make it in the usual suspects of sports – football, basketball and baseball. So we started the Cabrillo Beach Youth Sailing Club as a 501c3 non-profit foundation to support youth sailing. We then teamed up with the Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club.

CBYC already had a summer sailing program so it gave us the perfect opportunity to make sailing available to any kid. CBYC and its membership were completely supportive of the idea. While I was welcomed as a kid at the yacht club, officials there today are still happy to welcome kids who want to sail – kids from all walks of life. The club has allowed us to have many types of fundraisers and the membership is very supportive financially.

In these past few years, the program has grown into a year-round effort encompassing high school sailing in the spring and fall with San Pedro, Palos Verdes, Mary Star, home school kids, and the Port of Los Angeles High School, a charter school. There is also a middle school program for kids in the spring and fall for area kids. During the summer, there are four two-week sailing camps for kids ages 8 to 18.

The foundation’s role is to ensure there is available boats and full or partial scholarships for families with financial needs. It truly has allowed other kids the same opportunities to see if this could be “their sport,” – just as I had discovered when hanging about the docks as a child.

Sailboat racing requires both mental and physical agility. Not only do you have to outwit your opponents, you have to control your boat well enough to be in a position to pass them. There are many sizes and types of boats to match kid’s ages, size and abilities. Competitively, there are races at all levels. Racing is conducted locally, nationally, internationally, and in the Olympics. Some of ours kids have represented the United States in races held in Europe.

If you’re looking for a sport for your kids or want something for them to get involved in this summer, I highly recommend sailing. Youths of all ages can come in with their parents and request full or partial scholarships, depending on their circumstances.

You just never know what might capture a kid’s imagination and spark their passions; it could be just looking up at a billowing sail filled with a gusty wind that will make them soar.
To learn more about the club’s scholarships, drop by the Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club at 211 west 22nd street, San Pedro or call (310) 519-1694.

San Pedro High students, Amy Andrews and Chelsea Bonitz (above) andJasmine Rodriguez, Anthony Hernandez, and Arabella Salceda prepping for gourmet lunch in a professional kitchen at the Los Angeles Yacht Club

ONE BIG EXPERIENCE, ONE BIG CHEF and SIX SAN PEDRO HIGH CULINARY STUDENTS MAKE COOKING ONE ARTFUL TASTE IN A SINGLE DAY AT THE LOS ANGELES YACHT CLUB

By San Pedro High School Culinary Teacher Sandy Wood

Six of my culinary students and I had a great day cooking at the Los Angeles Yacht Club – thanks to Chef Joel Orner (right photo).

Chef Orner and two of his young chefs were kind to open up the kitchen doors to six of my top students, all of whom after high school want to attend culinary school: Amy Andrews, Chelsea Bonitz, Jasmine Rodriguez, Arabella Salceda, Jennifer Sweet, and Anthony Hernandez. All of my students were thrilled to have the experience of working in a professional kitchen;

After a short introduction, the students got right into the business of the day -- making lunch for themselves and their teacher! While future pastry chefs Amy and Chelsea worked on whipping up the dessert for the da, the others got right to work making Carrot Ginger Soup, Potatoes au Gratin, Steamed Asparagus, and Beef Tenderloin.

Chef Orner gave the students cooking tips as well as some honest truth about working in the Food Service industry. He told the students that being a chef is a lot of long hours, weekend and holiday work, and many dirty pots and pans to clean. However, he loves his job and wouldn't want to do anything else.
He advised the students to do whatever they have the
passion for and they will be happy and successful. The students got
to ask questions of all three chefs and get an idea about culinary
school and work in the industry.

After the wonderful lunch, each student got to "torch" their own
dessert - a tremendous Chocolate Chip Creme Brulee. Then it was time
to clean the kitchen and do the dishes before going back to SPHS.

Chef Orner and his staff were generous and gracious. Every student
agreed that this was a fantastic experience.

What I liked best: my students got to cook for me!

WRAP UP ABOUT TOWN: On Father’s Day, Help a Father Help His Son With a Wine Tasting Fundraiser at Off the Vine; Join the Fun LAPD Foot Patrol to Earn Money for Kid’s Programs; and Land Your Child on Stage With a Summer Acting Club

The Family; Give a Gift to This Father on Father's Day by Bringing Dad to Off the Vine for a Fundraiser Wine Tasting (Christian Stehlik, above)

A father, who has virtually raised two children on his own and one who faces dire medical circumstances for his son, needs your help this Father’s Day.
Having his 15-year-old son coping with neuroblastoma, a cancer that started in his adrenal gland and spread thorughout his body, Pete Stehlik has found himself layered with bills and having to take off work to tend to his son, Christian.
Christian was diagnosed with the ailment about a year ago and has gone through several bouts of chemotherapy, radiation and other intensive treatments which included extensive stays at the hospital.
Due to the financial overload, friends of the family will host a fundraiser from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday on Father’s Day. The tasting is open to any donor. To taste five wines and help this struggling family, a $20 donation is requested. All proceeds will go directly to the family.
Some snacks will be provided. Please attend to help this father in this life-threatening struggle.
Off the Vine is located at 600 S. Pacific Avenue, Suite 103. Off the Vine has offered the location as a venue for the fundraiser. Owners Michael Koth and Alison Shaw can be reached at 310-831-1551 or visit their website: http://www.offthevine.com/.

The Stage; Have Your Child Join Drama Camp and Perform in Disney’s High School Musical

The Relevant Stage Theatre Company partnered with the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs launches an intensive summer workshop for children to learn acting, singing and dancing for youths from 6th through 12th grades – a program that will run all day long for about four weeks.

TRS Youthorizons begins June 30, and will be held from 9 a. m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday and conclude on July 27. The students will then showcase what they learned with roles in Disney's High School Musical for two performances at the Warner Grand Theatre.Classes will be held at both the theatre and the Croatian Cultural Center. Costs are $350 for over 140 hours of instruction; ten scholarships will be provided based on financial needs.

To enroll, visit http://www.therelevantstage.com/ or call (310)929-8129. To register in person, William's Book Store, 443 W. 6th Street, will provide an application and take deposits. Registration deadline is June 24.
2008/6/10 Diana Chapman <hartchap@cox.net>:

The Police; A Fun 5K Foot Race to Build LAPD Harbor Area Youth Programs

Get the kids up and ready for a fun Harbor 5K Foot Pursuit at Point Fermin Park on June 22.
Walk or run or do a combination of both and have the children face a challenge doing a 500 yard run. Then dash to the all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast that will be held at the event for $10.

All funds will go toward Harbor Area LAPD youth programs or other related activities. Same day registration begins at Point Fermin Park at 7 a.m. with pre-stretching from 7:30 to 7:45 a.m. The kid’s 500 yard dash begins at 7:45 a.m. By 8 a.m., the fun walk/run will begin.

Same day-registration costs $20 for the kid’s and $30 for 5k.

For further information or pre-registraction, contact (310) 522-2042.

What Are We Raising for Our Future? A Breed of Inhumane Kids? Three San Pedro Stories Show It's Time for All to Step-Up or Possibly Face the Trouble on Our Own Home Front

By Diana L. Chapman

My friend was telling me this story: His wife was cycling home from her restaurant job a couple of weeks ago in Long Beach, carrying a load of tips when suddenly she scraped her feet against the pedals, fell off course, took a plunge and injured her ankle.

Lying on the ground, her belongings scattered anywhere and everywhere, she saw a young man run toward her; she gratefully looked up at him, relieved he was coming to her aid. Instead, he turned into a vulture.

He stooped over, grabbed up her belongings and fled – all $150 of hard-earned tip money gone, vanished, in less than a few seconds.

Thankfully, others arrived to help, but that one disconcerting moment – one surely she’ll never forget – makes me wonder – so is that a peek into the future? If we don’t get a grip on the piles of kids whose parents are not passing on love, honor, courage, honesty and for God sakes – ethics – then who is going to teach them?

Those numbers are stacking up high all around our community prompting that bleak, murder-romping, gas-guzzling-movie, Road Warrior, to actually look like it may become a true reflection of our future reality. Even recently, when we got our own warning signs from the ominous tire-slasher or slashers, knifing out more than 100 tires in one evening across pockets of San Pedro neighborhoods, it makes you stop and think. Who did this – an angry bunch of kids or young men and women? And if so, who are they mad at? The parent who doesn’t pay attention? The fact that they have no parents? The hostilities they face at school?

Working with kids – when you learn their true stories – often you wonder how they are together at all. Perhaps you want to blame this on immigration or poverty. But what I feel it really stems from – is the family structure no longer meeting children’s needs – and the community at large refusing to step up to the plate when so many children’s homes are shattered – or if they have any home at all.

At one point in my life and for a brief period, we lived in one of the wealthiest towns in the U.S. Actors Paul Newman, Betty Davis and Robert Redford lived there. And this is where I met some of the angriest kids – most vindictive youth – you could ever imagine. They were often so enraged – like hornets – that they would spend wild toad ride afternoons tearing up hundreds of mailboxes and playing chicken.

This often stemmed from the parents, who were never home because they had much better things to do then be with their children, or in the case of my one friend, the oldest of seven, parents who never could show a single drop of emotion – so much so that they would leaving him screaming in his crib night after night.

He hated them; and yet, they were absolutely oblivious to this fact.

When I hear stories like that, I figure how far are we from dangling on the precipice -- about to drop off in a great abyss of wrath. The perpetrators aren’t always who you expect; the crimes entirely senseless and despite the fact these are small crimes, they are like a knifing to the psyche to those who suffer them.

Besides the wild-tire slashings, here are three more San Pedro stories:

--My friends live in typically safe haven of South Shores. They came home the other night – apparently in the middle of a burglary. The suspect fled. My friend discovered all her jewelry was missing – none of which she cared much about – except one irreplaceable item – a necklace her now deceased mother had given her.
According to the couple, the suspect, who eased out readily when they arrived, appeared to know the layout of their house. Because all the dwellings are tract homes, they believe it could have been anyone who works or lives in the neighborhood.

--Our handyman, who for years has gathered up clothes, books and whatever he can for orphans in Mexico and makes many runs down there each year, came home with his family after church three Sunday’s ago -- only to discover his entire house had been stripped of all their belongings.
That included hundreds of dollars worth of notebooks, pens, and pencils he’d collected for the orphans. What makes me sad for this family is how hard they work to send two of their children to college – with a third soon to be on his way -- and the inordinate amount of time the father takes to help others -- such as hiring a nearly deaf employee he learned to communicate with through high-pitched whistles. For the whole family, the event has been unsettling. They are now rebuilding to replace their losses – from scratch.

--About a month ago, a woman complained about a rash of tagging at a Central Neighborhood Council meeting; but the suspects weren’t who you’d expect. They were white men, in their early 20s who tagged -- while their children sat in their SUV BMW’s, watching, the woman said. That came as a surprise to some of us. Even when the kids are educated, we are still discover them destroying public property. For example, a 24-year-old convention planner from Las Vegas plastered his moniker, Buket, all over Los Angeles and on the Hollywood Freeway. This educated man caused $150,000 worth of damages; He was recently arrested.

What can anyone of us – do about all of this? My recommendation: become a mentor, volunteer at a school, become a coach, help out at a non-profit organization, put together a reading program for kids at your neighborhood school, help tutor math, teach students about your profession, do whatever you can to leave a good imprint on a kid – even if that’s doing a pick-up basketball game with the boys and gals next door.

Anything you do for the betterment of a child – no matter how small such as listening to what they have to say – can spread a long ways toward building blocks to help our community. So that maybe, the kid you helped – instead of stealing money from an injured woman – will help her up instead.

La-Terian Tasby, before he was killed, with Cara Askew, College Bound coordinator, for the Boys and Girls Club. La-Terian was in College Bound and a leader at the Cabrillo club site.

WHAT LA-TERIAN TASBY’S MOTHER WANTS TO SAY PUBLICLY FOR THE FIRST TIME ABOUT HER SON’S KILLING; AND HER THREE WISHES IN REGARDS TO HIS DEATH; SHE FEELS HONORED TO ATTEND THE PEACE VIGIL AT SAN PEDRO HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE 182 MURDER VICTIMS AND WILL BRING HER FAMILY

The Vigil will be 6 p.m. Thursday at San Pedro High School’s Pirates Stadium,
1001 W. 15th Street

By Diana L. Chapman

It’s been almost eight months since her son, a San Pedro High School athlete, was shot and killed by gang members at a party in October. She’s heard two different versions about his death – one is that he went down fighting to protect his friends. The other was that he stood by watching an argument ensue and was shot.
Knowing La-Terian Tasby’s personality, his mother, Rosemary Snead-- who has five other kids but finds that even they can’t patch the bleak hole punched out in her heart-- banks on the first being the closest to the truth.
And that’s exactly why she feels so frustrated with his friends who are too fearful to talk; Stories keep rolling in such as it was a 15-year-old boy who shot her 17-year-old son. Constantly, she finds herself dwelling on the idea that “that boy gets to eat, sleep, laugh, use the bathroom and still get mad at his mom and dad.
“My son can’t do that anymore.”
La-Terian’s death couldn’t have been anymore tragic. Having moved with his mom from Inglewood to San Pedro in 2006 – for a time living with his aunt and uncle and the rest of his family under one roof – Rose recalled the transition she witnessed in her own son.
In the beginning at San Pedro High, his grades were Fs and Ds – atrocious – and he was always “clowning around” in this 6’5” body with size 17 feet. But once the coaches told him he could have a winning shot with sports – both in football and basketball – she watched her son finally settle down.
The coaches prodded him to bring up his grades, so La-Terian embarked on an intense campaign of schooling, including summer school and attending Harbor College classes to make up for his past failures.
“He was so happy,” she explained, “and he was just determined to meet the qualifications.”
La-Terian also became a leader at the Boys and Girls Club where many youth were awestruck not only by his height, but by the fact that cared about them. He constantly listened to the younger kid’s problems.
But that October night crucified all the work La-Terian had done when allegedly gang members crashed an athlete’s party, made racial slurs and started a brawl. Several students said La-Terian moved in to protect them and went down fighting like a soldier right before he was shot in the chest. At least two other youths were stabbed, but did not have life threatening injuries.
The story that La-Terian started to fight for his friends didn’t surprise his mother, one bit, because unfortunately, even though he was as gentle as “a big pussycat,” he didn’t have much fear. He also believed in doing the right thing, his mother recalled. Once when there was a fight at school, he was subpoenaed and asked to testify. He didn’t think twice about testifying, because he wanted the truth to come out, she said.
Even though the charges were dropped in that case, Rose believes to this day that had the situations been reversed – and La-Terian watched someone else get shot – she believes he would take the stand.
“My son put his life on the line for his friends, but if they were true friends, they would come forward,” she said.
She understands the fears the students, who were at the party, face. If they testify, there’s a possibility they could get killed or even put their family members in jeopardy. To survive, it’s likely they would have to enter the eye-witness protection program, uproot their entire family and change their identification.
While she herself is somewhat torn – and doesn’t want anyone to die if they did testify – she still wonders aloud then what has been accomplished. “The fear empowers the gang members to go on killing” more and more – especially if they never face the face of justice. That makes San Pedro just that much more dangerous, she said.
She forgives the killer or killer(s), she explained, because she refuses to walk around with hate. “The gang bangers don’t scare me,” Rose explained. “The only thing I’m scared of is my heavenly father. So I am always trying to forgive and not hate.”
Rose’s three wishes:
--That no one take revenge in her son’s name because “he would not want that. He was not a gang-banger. That’s what gangs do. Get revenge. He wouldn’t want that. He would want justice.” And, she added, that she would never wish that type of pain on any mother or family.
--That someone step forward and take the stand so whoever killed her son would face justice and serve a lifetime sentence. “I don’t want revenge,” she said. “I want justice.”
--That if someone is caught, that that person will pray to God and ask for forgiveness for what was done to La-Terian.
Besides his mother and other relatives, La-Terian is survived by five siblings, Jennifer, 21,Cecil, 20, and twin brother, Darien, 18, all Tasbys; Jaevion Owens, 15, and Johnny Yates, 11.

YOSEMITE: THE BIGGEST OUTDOOR
CLASSROOM EVER; ALL CALIFORNIA STUDENTS DESERVE TO GO: PARENTS -- IT'S YOUR TURN TO HIKE UP

YOSEMITE: THE GREATEST OUTDOOR EDUCATION CENTER; ALL CALIFORNIA STUDENTS SHOULD HAVE A SHOT AT THIS MARVELOUS, MAGICAL WORLD TO LEARN

By Diana L. Chapman

A TRIP TO YOSEMITE: ONE OF CALIFORNIA’S GREATEST EDUCATIONAL TOOLS; MIDDLE SCHOOLERS INTERESTED IN GOING SHOULD START FUNDRAISING AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR FOR A SHOT AT SPOTTING SHEER WALLS, BOB CATS, COYOTES, SNOW AND SOME OF THE GREATEST GLACIER CARVINGS THAT EXIST ON EARTH

By Diana L. Chapman

A pit welled up in many of the kid’s stomachs as they started to haul themselves through a tiny V-shaped rocky entrance into pitch-black Spider Cave.

The blackness alone was enough to scare off most adults – let alone middle school students – who were learning once again during an educational trip to Yosemite the true nature of team work. They had to depend on each other to get out.

A teacher on the journey, a bit petrified herself, felt her heart stop once she entered the cave until she heard Felipe, a giant 8th grader, whisper kindly that she was fine. He was right there next to her – and he would guide her through the darkness. The students were in a chain, holding each other’s hands, responsible to guide the soul behind them – to find their way out.

Arching through Spider Cave –not called that because the creatures dwell there, but because a human almost has to take the shape of a spider to get through – was just one of the many lessons students received on their journey through Yosemite – done via the Yosemite Institute where lessons from geology to biology will be thrown at students from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. each dayan .

It’s hard to drink in that much information, but when education is disguised as adventure, which it truly was, the spark easily stays ignited.

The best part: students from Dana Middle School learned to give up their computers, their I-Pods, their cells (which didn’t work here) and learned to enjoy – some for the first time in their lives – the wilderness. They hiked through towering sequoia groves, studied the swath of stars in the night time skies, scaled the sides of sheer cliffs – and learned how the glaciers carved those cliffs with slow, but ever-changing movement.

It was a giant outdoor classroom that was endless in lessons.

Once in Spider Cave, the Yosemite Institute teacher lit a candle. The student’s faces glinted with shadows that bounced off their faces and asked them to share their feelings about being in this cave – where few of the millions of visitors would ever have a chance to crawl through.

One frightened boy gratefully turned to his friend and thanked him profusely for guiding him through the cave, one of dozens of adventures they would have in this week-long trip in one of California’s most magnificent natural landscapes.

While walking through ancient redwood groves, one student marveled at the amount of knowledge the institute’s teacher had. The teacher, he was awestruck by, could pick up leaves and tell you which type of tree they belonged to.

“How do they know all that?” the student asked one morning while walking through grooves. He might not have been a perfect student, but he was learning a lot about biology – and best of all, the jagged Yosemite geography was igniting his imagination. This experience is the type hat can change a child’s life around in a heartbeat.

That week in Yosemite, students dabbled in astronomy, had lessons in cross-country skiing, hiked alongside waterfalls and visited a myriad of areas in the region laced with hundreds of lakes and ponds. They watched as wildlife trooped casually by in their own neighborhood, from shadowy coyotes scouting for food to a quick visit from a bobcat.

“Yesterday, when I was hiking, my group and I saw a coyote stalking two squirrels,” wrote one 8th grade student. “It’s really cold here. I love the snow when it’s fresh and powdery.”

A science teacher explained just why this experience is so important to so many students.

“For students with limited experiences coming into middle school, the Yosemite experience broadens their world,” said Alyssa Widmark, a science teacher who has chaperoned the adventure for three years. “It gives them a reference point from which to imagine, to dream. They could not have imagined careers or leisure time in this environment, because they did not understand its existence.
"For more worldly students, it gives them opportunities to mature, help others, be self reliant and have others rely on them. It connects them with nature in ways that will effect who they become as an adult.”
Since Yosemite, one of the greatest gifts California has to offer perhaps to the entire world, the state’s students should all have a chance to attend this marvel.
To do so, however, school districts can’t possibly do this alone. Parents need to step up, agree to chaperone and in some cases – consider taking over the responsibility of the adventure.
For if there is a dream world to be had – and one that can be learned from – Yosemite is the place.
For more information, visit http://www.yni.org/ or call (209) 379-9511.

“

Above photos by Ash Rhominou, science teacher at Dana Middle School

l

ANOTHER COMMUNITY WRAPUP AND IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT UNDERDOGFORKIDS BLOG COMMENTS, Peace Vigils, Cancer Relays & a Musical

Above: Gardena High students Ron Chandler and Kierra Petty to play leading roles in the school's first musical in 15 years.

Dear Readers:

Many of you have reported that it’s difficult to make comments on the blog. In order to comment, it appears you need a Google account, which is free of charge. However, if you’d rather have me post the comments, please send them directly to hartchap@cox.net and I will try to post comments above the stories when possible or a block of comments may be posted at one time. Thank you for reading the Underdogforkids.blogspot.com
We need many more Underdogs out there.

Don’t Miss These Important Upcoming Events: The Cancer Relay, the Peace Vigil, and Gardena High’s First Musical Done in 15 YEARS – done with the Help of the San Pedro Ballet Co.


PEACE VIGIL FOR ALL THOSE WHO HAVE DIED TO VIOLENCE IN SAN PEDRO:

A peace vigil honoring the 181 victims that have been killed violently in San Pedro over the past two decades will be held this Thursday night (May 15) at San Pedro High Pirate’s Stadium where doves will be released, the Pirate dancers will perform, a local jazz singer will belt out Amazing Grace – and cell phones will be lit at the end of the ceremony.

The vigil will run from 6 to 8 p.m.

Being held by the San Pedro School Safety Collaborative –and sponsored by the high school – the vigil is one of the first all-out efforts to pull the entire community together against violence and to send a sign to our youth that the residents here do care about all those who have died – especially the children.

Among the 181 victims, about 24 were children under the age of 18. The vigil was sparked by the violent gang shooting last October of Laterian Tasby, a 17-year-old high school football and basketball player who went to San Pedro High. But as officials viewed the lists of homicides – and local Los Angeles Police Officer Joe Buscaino recognized many he went to school with – the collaborative agreed that all the victims should be honored.

Please attend this event -- as one of the first steps to promoting peace in our community.

Gardena High School Presents “Grease”
San Pedro Ballet Co. Partners with Gardena High School to put on a Musical; the school's first Musical in 15 years

When Gardena High School’s new assistant principal, Jacquie Augustus, wanted to reinvent performing arts at her school, she decided that “Grease” would be the perfect show to launch such a program. As it has been fifteen years since the high school has put on a musical, there were many challenges to overcome.

A team was assembled that included vocal coaches, choreographers, a musical director, costumer, technical director, crew, and director. Once the team was in place, notices went out about the auditions. As this project was a new concept for Gardena High, it wasn’t a given that students would show up and sing an audition song to be judged. The creative team was pleasantly surprised to get enough interest to form a talented cast.

Funding from the LAUSD Arts Grant and the 21st Century Beyond the Bell has made the production possible. A partnership was formed with Harbor College for set design, and upgrades have been made to the theater. The school is attempting to provide their students with a quality theater program similar to those of other top high school theater programs in Los Angeles enjoy. San Pedro City Ballet has partnered with the Gardena High School to add to their team of professionals.
What: Grease
Where: Gardena High School; 1301 West 182nd St.
When: May 23 @ 7:00, May 24 @ 7:00, May 25 @ 2:30
Tickets: $10 at the door

THE CANCER RELAY EVENT ONCE AGAIN COMES TO SAN PEDRO HIGH; Help Raise Funds to Eradicate Cancer
The Cancer Relay will be held Saturday, May 17, at San Pedro High School. More information can be found at this website: www.events.cancer.org/rflsanpedroca
A Survivor's Reception will be held at 9 a.m. with Opening Ceremonies at 10 a.m. Survivors will walk laps at 10:30 a.m. and the teams will keep walking starting at 11 a.m. continuously through the night until the following morning. Saturday evening, the luminaries will be lit to honor the hundreds of San Pedro residents who have died from the disease. On Sunday, a Closing Ceremony will be held at 9 a.m. Please support the teams attempts to raise funds to fight cancer.

WHY I DISLIKE READING COUNTS!!!! FOR SOME STUDENTS, IT DUMBS DOWN THE MIND & FAILS TO SPARK A KID’S CREATIVE THINKING; WHILE IT’S EXCELLENT FOR OTHERS, IT CAN BE A FAILURE-TRAP FOR LOW READERS; AND A BOREDOM-TRAP FOR HIGH ACHIEVING STUDENTS

By Diana L. Chapman

A student takes the Reading Counts test and fails.
The same student takes the test again and fails.
The student takes the test again, for the third and last time. Another fail. By now, this kid –despite having read the book – will receive no points for having done so and comes to dislike reading.

A student reads the book, Jane Eyre.
Another reads the book, Wuthering Heights.
Another reads the monster-sized novel, It.

All these tomes are hundreds of pages long, but some high achieving students who’ve read them refuse to take the Reading Counts test. It’s just too mundane for their senses.

The highly popularized Reading Counts system, which has been adopted at schools around the country, has worked for thousands of students, but for some kids, the disconnect between the testing, the reading and the classroom, makes me cringe. The tests are short, something like eight questions, and tend to address the smallest of details.

Some teachers like this because it helps them determine whether the student has actually read the book, or just watched the movie. This program, however, leaves me discouraged by its lack of creativity and depth –which to me is what English is all about.

What discourages me the most? The failure to address students who are never going to pass the quiz because they lack memory skills about specifics, such as what type of jam was sitting on the shelf the day so-and so began making preserves. They’ve read the book, but are punished for failing to get these types of questions that are neither analytical nor challenging, but memory-based.

Or this issue: my friend’s two daughters, whose heads are constantly buried in books, find the whole Reading Counts thing tedious, troubling and ridiculous; their father spends a good amount of time yelling at them to take the tests because, in this case, it counts for 20 percent of their English grade.

Many teachers swear by this program and absolutely love it. They see their students reading levels go up. That’s excellent. I don’t doubt for a moment that it works for scores of students. But I have two fears using this system. One makes me wonder if there’s a lot less dissecting of books going on in English class, fewer and fewer book reports – and very likely -- less essay writing – the very thing that loans itself to spark the imagination and creative soul.

While some teachers and students find book reports boring and cumbersome, the funny thing is this: it makes kids write and think – and in English class -- that’s exactly what they need to do.

Having 15 low-level reading students to work with as a volunteer, I was puzzled that when we completed the book, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, more than ¼ could still not pass the test.

The sad tale was this: the kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves walking through the woods of England, drinking pots of tea and hanging out with a lion when we were reading. They challenged all the oddities they spotted, comparing their home life to England – such as, why do the English drink so much tea.

Another, they wanted to understand why the characters in the book, Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter, had to flee London during World War II and go live in the countryside with their uncle. These – low-end readers --if we want to call them that -- constantly asked questions which led us to debates – all sorts of debates, including one about Hitler.

Once we completed the book, we celebrated with an English tea so the kids could taste a bit of England with pots of jam, lemon curd and buttered scones. Then, they took the test.

The ¾ of the kids who passed were delighted. The rest hung their heads in shame. Finally, I went to look at the questions myself: one of which was where was the Sheepdog standing next to Aslan, the lion? What sheepdog? I must have read that book a dozen times and don’t remember a sheepdog. We went through the book and couldn’t find a sheepdog. In fact, no one in my family (who has read the book several times as well) could recall that character either.

To this day, I still can’t find the sheepdog!

From my end – a struggling student myself and a poor test taker -- my only saving grace was English. I loved those heated classroom debates of what an author was trying to say.
English made my dull school years come to life as we picked books apart, delved into characters, and discovered the depth of the plot. Often while science and math killed my grades, here was something I absolutely could cling to – reading and writing.

Had tests like this been a chunk of my grade, it’s likely; however, I too would have failed. In fact, it surprises me that my girlfriend, who for some curious reason I will never understand, enjoyed taking the Reading Counts tests and often didn’t pass them either!

The question: should students take tests like these? The answer is: “Yes,” for the students it does help. But for those students who will only see it as a repeated failure in their lives, why sacrifice what might stir their souls and march them in the right direction – book reports, essays and debates.

The job is to instill a love of reading. If we can do it using Reading Counts, then so be it. But as all educators know by now, no one size fits all. For those the program fails, we must seek – and it’s an absolute must – another path to take them to the road of reading.

That is, after all, one of the biggest steps a kid will ever take toward carving out a successful future.

Join San Pedro City Ballet for their Annual Spring Fundraiser
“Saturday Night Fever;" Keep Our Very Own City Ballet Alive and Leaping!!

Saturday, May 3rd, 2008
6:00 pm
The Reef Restaurant
880 Harbor Scenic Dr.
Long Beach (near the Queen Mary)

One hour hosted bar, silent and live auction, dinner, disco dancing

Advance purchase: $70 per person or $650 per table of 10
At the door: $80 per person

Adults only, please
RSVP by April 28th

Proceeds to benefit the 15th Anniversary production of “The Nutcracker”.

ON A DAY GOING FROM BAD TO WORSE, DISCOVERING YOU ARE THE LUCKIEST GAL ON EARTH;

It was a bad day.
How bad? Testy is the best way to describe my disposition at the time.
And it wasn’t only me. Everyone I bumped into seemed irritable.
I watched people get into arguments. I was in a couple of them myself.
First, a little background:
Stepping out of my normal box, I see a San Pedro community pulsating with anger about over development, a proposed new high school, traffic quagmires and parking shortages. In general, I see a community frustrated about the way San Pedro is reshaping itself.
New families priced out of the South Bay housing market see this community as the last bastion where you can live near the water in a “reasonably” priced home – under a million bucks. They are the fresh faces in a town that prides itself on generations of tight, large families that emigrated from places such as Croatia and Italy. Newcomers bring new pieces to the puzzle. Sometimes they fit, and sometimes they don’t.
Downtown is being redefined as an upscale condo haven, but everybody’s holding their breath wondering if the new units will sell in a sliding economy. Downtown businesses are shuttering their doors or surviving by a thread. And looming budget cuts from every direction make people wonder whether they will have jobs tomorrow. On the street, I keep hearing people ask: “Tell me again, why can’t we break away from L.A.?”
It seems everyone is wondering what tomorrow will bring.
This brings me to my point. That was exactly the type of day I was having Tuesday. Small things were piling up, like the ATM failing to give me a receipt. When I went inside to get one, the clerk told me irritably she couldn’t help. The ATM is operated separately and there was nothing she could do.
Talk about a gigantic lie! That was the beginning, and it went downhill from there.
Then two things happened that made me wake up and smell the flowers. It took some time. The first was at a meeting when Ana Dragin, an aide to Councilwoman Janice Hahn, confirmed she was leaving to have her first baby.
At the end of the meeting, LAPD Senior Lead Officer Joe Buscaino and his wife Jay surprised Ana – and all of us – by presenting her with a cake and flowers. This might not seem like a big deal, but I could tell it made Ana’s day. It was so thoughtful because these people don’t work together routinely. This group meets once a month or so to discuss safety issues.
Still, I returned to my grumpy mode within minutes of leaving the meeting.
Late in the afternoon, I was peering out at the ocean as I walked along Paseo del Mar. Point Fermin Park was oddly quiet for 5 o’clock. It was nearly empty, in fact.
That’s when I saw it: a thick wave in the middle of the ocean going in the opposite direction of the current.
It seemed odd. I couldn’t remember a rock out there before. That’s when it began to rise up from the water. I suddenly realized it was a gray whale headed back to Alaska. Then it lurched out of the water in a giant leap!
It was like magic to see something like this. I looked around to find someone to share it with and didn’t see a soul. There it went again! The whale performed another spectacular breech into the air. I witnessed this three times and still I couldn’t find another soul.
Perhaps the gift would have to be savored alone.
But toward the end of the walkway, three young men were peering out at the ocean with big smiles on their faces. That made me suspect they had lucked out, too.
“Did you see the whale?” I asked excitedly. Happily, one of the men said not only had they seen the leviathan, they watched it leap from the water six times. Although he’d lived in San Pedro for years, he’d never seen anything like that before.
That put my grumpiness to rest, at least for the rest of the day. Within a few minutes the park had filled and the whale had moved on. That glimpse reminded me why we live in San Pedro: It’s because you can see the universe work its magic on a daily basis.
At that moment, I felt I was the luckiest gal on Earth.