Briefly In Education

Skateboard park opens Saturday

At 12:30 p.m. Saturday, the Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach plans to kick off its new Saturday Skate Program. The club has purchased two quarter pipes, a fun box and a grind box.

The Saturday Skate program consists of a “Basics of Skateboarding Skate Camp” and an “Open Free Skate Session.” Matt Sheridan and his professional skate crew will perform a skate demonstration.

Skate camps will take place every Saturday beginning Feb. 5 through June 25. Each session will run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will cost $50 for members. Participants must be a member of the Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach.

“Free Skate Sessions” will also run from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays.

Participants are required to bring their own skateboards, helmets and pads along with parent permission to skate. This Saturday’s demonstration and skate program are open to all kids ages 5 and older.

For information, call (949) 922-9922 or (949) 494-2535, ext. 106 or visit https://www.bgclagunabeach.org.

*

‘Bee a Luv’ book drive starts

A “Bee a Luv” book drive will take place through Feb. 14 to collect and redistribute gently used books to infant, toddler and preschool- aged children.

The Laguna Beach Unified School District School Readiness Program, Children and Families Commission of Orange County and the Early Literacy Program are sponsoring the program.

The mission of the book drive is to place more books in the hands of young children and their families, thereby encouraging reading from an early age, according to Julie Olsen, LBUSD school readiness facilitator.

“Reading to children at home is the most powerful thing parents can do to help them become good readers,” she said. “Research shows that children need at least 25 books in the home to greatly increase their chance of academic success.”

Olson said she hopes to collect 1,000 books, which will be cleaned and repaired for redistribution. Book donations can be dropped off at the Boys & Girls Club; El Morro and Top of the World elementary schools; Laguna Presbyterian Preschool; and the Laguna Beach Public Library.

*

SchoolPower receives record donation

SchoolPower recently received the largest individual gift in its 29-year history when a family anonymously donated $130,000, according to a news release.

The money will benefit the organization’s Fund-A-Need initiative, which this year is investing in SuccessMaker, a software program that allows students of all levels to work at their own pace.

The donation extended the use of the software and accompanying mini-laptops to all fourth- and fifth-grade students at Top of the World and El Morro elementary schools.

SchoolPower hopes, with funds raised at the upcoming Dinner Dance on Feb. 29, to extend the program to all third-grade classrooms.

For more information about the event or SuccessMaker, visit https://www.lbschoolpower.org.

*

Students honored in Patriot’s Day Parade

Kaden Matheson, a sixth-grader in Sarah Schaeffer’s Language Arts Class at Thurston Middle School, was awarded the honor of appearing in the 2011 Patriot’s Day Parade for her essay, “Welcome Home,” which can be read at https://www.lagunabeachparade.org and will appear in the March 5 parade program.

The winner of the Laguna Beach High Program Cover Art contest was junior Madeline Brian, a student in Kerry Pellow’s art class, according to parade spokeswoman Sandi Werthe.

Both students will receive a $100 U.S. Savings Bond donated by Union Bank and Citizens Business Bank, and will be honored at the Honorees Brunch on Feb. 6 at Tivoli Terrace.

For information about the brunch or reservations, call (949) 494-6016.

*

Tutors sought for after-school program

The Laguna Beach Branch of the American Association of University Women is seeking volunteers for an after-school tutoring program at El Morro Elementary School. The Learning Club (TLC) is for students in second through fifth grades who have been recommended by their teachers as needing additional help with homework and basic educational concepts to better succeed in school.

TLC began its 12th year this fall. Volunteers must commit to one to two hours of tutoring on Tuesday or Thursday afternoons and the program runs until Memorial Day.

For more information, contact Peggie Thomas at (949) 499-1817 or pegthomas@cox.net; Barbara Antonacci at (949) 248-5139 or anton21@cox.net; or visit https://www.aauw-lagunabeach.org.

—Compiled by Ashley Breeding