Page 16 - Reedley Exponent 3-15-18 E-edition

Positive reinforcement was part of "Start with Hello Week" held last month at Jefferson Elementary School.
ABOVE: From left, Jennifer Montejano, Sierra Smith and Rigoberto Medrano hold up posters with messages of support and affirmation. The trio are staff members for Community Youth Ministries,
which runs the afterschool program at Jefferson.
Photo Contributed
BELOW: This poster for "Start with Hello Week" was signed by all of Jefferson Elementary's students. The poster can be seen in the school's cafeteria-multipurpose room.
Photo Contributed
The Academic Decathlon team from St. La Salle Catholic School earned top awards at the Fresno Diocese Catholic Junior High School Academic Decathlon competition on March 3 in Bakersfield. The event was held at Garces Memorial High School.
St. La Salle – which won first place in the team Super Quiz – overall placed third at the event. Only 60 points separated St. La Salle from the second-place school, St. Francis Parish School of Bakersfield. (The total points possible is 24,000.) In all, 130 students from 13 schools competed in the event.
In individual categories, Charlotte Burks won first in Fine Arts; Jorge Ramirez took second in History; Gonzalo Avalos placed second in Religion; and Nathalie Medrano earned third in Science.
ABOVE: Pictured from left to right are Sister Bernardita Nudalo, who is the Academic Decathlon coach and second grade teacher; Chelsea Flood, eighth grade; Zoey Cardosa, eighth grade; Charlotte Burks, seventh grade; Joseph Wisocki, seventh grade; Joshua Fernandez, eighth grade; Nathalie Medrano, eighth grade; Jorge Ramirez, eighth grade; Gonzalo Avalos, eighth grade; Sofia Hoffman, seventh grade; Kelly Fernandez, seventh grade; and Sister Lucy Cassarino, principal of St. La Salle.
Jeremy 'Elvis' Pearce in Reedley March 23
HELLO WEEK
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minders of the value of hu- man relationships.
“And that starts with ‘hello’ ...”
The week at Jefferson was held Feb. 5-9. It began on a Monday, with the staff greeting all the students at the door. Staff members also created a poster with a moti- vational speech.
On Tuesday, literacy classes practiced a play. Lo- pez said they had to act out what it is to be left out and how people can change that situation.
On Wednesday, all stu- dents pledged they would continue with “hello” after the week was over. They put their handprints on a poster, and all 175 students in the afterschool program and 14 teachers pledged to do this.
The poster was hung in the cafeteria-multipurpose room, and other motivational posters were placed around the building.
In addition, all 413 Jef- ferson Elementary students made a pledge to “Hello Week” and signed their first names to another poster that also is in the cafeteria-multi- purpose room.
On Thursday, students performed the play for each other.
On Friday, friendship music was played during snack time. Lopez said: “The atmosphere was really invit- ing, and the kids were being so friendly and more aware of each other’s feelings.”
Principal Agustin Villar- real later said that Jefferson Elementary has previously had activities to teach chil- dren about the significance of making connections with other youngsters. This recent
program was even more fo- cused.
“It’s very, very impor- tant,” Villarreal said. “It’s fundamentally important be- cause it’s an opportunity for our children and students to show kindness every day.”
He said Jefferson stu- dents do that already, but this program encourages them to meet students they haven’t talked to before: “It’s an op- portunity to grow and make new friendships.”
In the days after the event, Lopez said they plan to make the week an annual event.
She also said they empha- sized that the activities from “Hello Week” should happen every day, all the time.
Lopez said youngsters have taken the message to heart. They’ve told her that when they’ve seen another child who’s alone, “I want to be their friend.”
Staff Report
Reedley native Jeremy Pearce – one of the busiest Elvis Presley tribute artists in the entertainment business – will perform at the historic Reedley Opera House on Fri- day, March 23.
The name for this show
is the “Jeremy ‘Elvis’ Pearce 1968 Comeback Special.”
Elvis fans know that the NBC TV special is considered a milestone in Presley’s leg- endary career. He had been making movies and not tour- ing. The special was a big hit.
Pearce was born and raised in Reedley and is a 1993
graduate of Reedley High School.
The evening at the Opera House includes a 6:30 p.m. dinner, followed by the show.
For details about tickets or other information, go online to reedleyrivercitytheatre.org or call (559) 638-6500. The Opera House is at 1720 10th St.
ROTARY
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School’s River Rats band. Vince Balakian is oversee- ing the barbecue for the buf- fet dinner.
A St. Patrick’s Day touch will come from Sweet Des- tination: an Irish coffee bar as well as truffles from Staf- ford's Chocolates in Porter- ville.
And, Todd Croissant will
be back as the auctioneer. “He does a great job,” Hue- bert said.
Other auction items will include several pieces of vin- tage furniture; a western bar- becue; a set of tires; several pieces of lawn equipment; and three gift certificates for detailing (for a boat, a motor- cycle and passenger vehicle or light truck).
Rabobank is the Platinum Sponsor for the auction and dinner. Gold Sponsors are
Lee’s Service, Reedley Lum- ber, Callie’s Auto Repair, Marge and Lloyd Dry, Men- nonite Aid Plan Mennonite Insurance Services, Imman- uel Schools, Kimo’s Tropical Car Wash, The Bear Club, Yanez Construction, and The Reedley Exponent.
Tickets are $30 per per- son and available at Ra- bobank, 1003 I St.; Lee’s Service, 1445 I St.; Reedley Lumber, 1547 G St.; and The Reedley Exponent, 1130 G St.
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The Reedley Exponent B8 Thursday, March 15, 2018
St. La Salle team
Felicia Cousart Matlosz / The Exponent
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