RKC (ROSEMEAD KIWANIS CLUB) WEEKLY REPORTER – 02/10/2008

 

            Greetings to our K-Family (Kiwanis affiliated group of clubs) and other friends.  

 

          Below are:

 

·        NEWS: Recent developments and activities related to Rosemead groups – this week devoted to proposed deletion of education programs in the new Federal budget.   

 

·        EVENTS: Activities in and around Rosemead, with emphasis on Rosemead Club meetings and Rosemead Kiwanis Network activities. This week’s Thursday noon Kiwanis meeting features introductions by our newest members.

 

·        FAX OF LIFE: An inspirational email attachment, courtesy of Scott’s Valley Kiwanis. This one is titled “Excellent Advice” and was submitted by our own Frank DiNoto

 

·         SPECIAL REPORT: Rosemead Adult School Gets Even Start Literacy Grant

 

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NEWS

 

 RIF/Even-Start Cut from proposed 2008-09 budget  The RIF (Reading is Fundamental) and Even Start Family Literacy (see feature story below) programs are among fifty one Federally supported programs proposed for elimination in Budget submitted to Congress last week, according to a bulletin from Carl Rasco, national President of RIF. These are not earmark programs but part of the Department of Education funding  – in the case of RIF since 1976.  The $25 million RIF allocation and $99 million Even Start budget are both components the No Child Left Behind program authorized by Congress several years ago.  

RIF has requested support letters from members through its website and numerous Rosemead Kiwanians have already done so.

Using the site automatically forwards letters to all involved representatives and allows RIF to track support. It also allows insertion of customized paragraphs into the prepared text, as for example the following by RKC Bulletin editor Art Landing:

Neither I or any of my relatives benefit from this program. We are fortunately too old or too well fixed to participate. However, as an after school program supporter in conjunction with the Kiwanis Club of which I am a member I am an advocate.

 

Why?

 

1) I've seen the impact of this program on kid's lives.

 

2) Fulfilling the requirement for related activities during the school year fosters community-parent-school cooperation

 

3) It complements nicely other efforts to close the education gap, which is why it has a forty year record of support by prior administrations.

Rosemead Kiwanis has supported RIF throughout the Garvey and Rosemead school districts both organizationally and financially for several years. The RIF letter generator can be found at  http://capwiz.com/rif/issues/alert/?alertid=10932481

 

 

EVENTS:

          

Thursday, February 7, 2008 – The Chinese Zodiac (Regular Kiwanis Meeting)*

Ken Tai, teacher, professional artist, and return speaker, will illustrate his talk. February 7, 2008 to January 25, 2009 will be the Chinese “Year of the Rat.” Legends and mythology are a big part of Chinese culture, especially in relation to the Chinese Zodiac. The Chinese Zodiac is the topic of countless legends and is deeply embedded in Chinese mythology, It’s a special cross-cultural program. Plan to attend.

 

Saturday, February 9, 2008, 9:00 am -12:00 pm Cal Grant and Financial Aid Workshops (Special Activity)

Financial aid experts will be available to assist students filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form at multiple locations in the Rosemead area. The free workshops are being facilitated by Assemblyman and former KEY Club member Mike Eng and calgrants.org. With the FAFSA deadline approaching March 2 all graduating high school seniors are encouraged to attend. See the rosemeadkiwanis.org website for location and reservation detail.

 

Tuesday, February 12,  2008, 7:00 am – 10:00 pm Free Pancakes (Special Activity)

 

Rosemead’s IHOP (International House of Pancakes) celebrates National Pancake day by offering a free short stack of three buttermilk pancakes to all comers – asking only a contribution of any amount to the Children’s Miracle Network. The CMN is a nationwide network of 170 hospitals including Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles.

 

Thursday, February 14, 2008, 10:00-11:00 am Valentine’s Day Dance Program at California Mission Inn  (Special Activity)

PLEASE NOTE SPECIAL EARLY MORNING TIME Temple School Band and Choir, (George Woo, conductor) will provide a program of danceable music for the residents of California Mission Inn, Rosemead Kiwanians and community member as always are invited to attend. The exceptional talent of George Woo and the dedication to music of the Temple students always provides very enjoyable entertainment.  We thank California Mission Inn for extending this kind invitation.

 

                 Thursday, February 14, 2008, 11:30 – RKC Board Meeting

 

Thursday, February 14, 2008, Meet Our Members (Regular Kiwanis Meeting)*

Our Rosemead Kiwanis Club will be honoring our recent new members. They will take two to five minutes to tell the other club members about:

 

·        Themselves, their hobbies and special interests,

·        Their family, schooling, occupation and employment,

·        Their involvement in the Rosemead community, and

·        The reasons they have become a member of Kiwanis.

 

Similar programs will be held in the future for current members to share in a similar fashion.  

 

Thursday, February 21, 2008, SGV Mosquito Abatement District (Regular Kiwanis Meeting)*

Terry Middleton, District Information and Public Relations Officer, will review the District’s responsibilities, which includes mosquito abatement and vector control.  "Vector" means any animal capable of transmitting the causative agent of human disease or capable of producing human discomfort or injury, including, but not limited to, mosquitoes, flies, mites, ticks, other arthropods, and rodents and other vertebrates.
 
              Saturday, February 23, 2008 – Afghanistan Humanitarian Airlift (Special activity)
                  Per flyer attached, materials gathered in prior weeks by Rosemead Spiritual groups
and others will be transported in support of a project from the Huntington Beach Kiwanis Club. Our special thanks to Kiwanian Jorge Lopez of Wal-Mart for that company’s generous donation. 
 
Thursday, February 28, 2008, Our Forward Plan (Regular Kiwanis Meeting)*

Bob Bruesch and Frank Quintanilla will co-chair a discussion of our future direction and goals.  More details will be forthcoming.

 

                            * - unless otherwise indicated, Kiwanis meetings are at 12:10 in California Mission

                                 Inn chapel’s multipurpose room, 4807 Earle (north of Mission ˝ block on west

                                 side of street), Rosemead. Street parking is normally required.

 

 

WEEKLY FAX OF LIFE INSPIRATION – “Excellent Advice” - see fIle attached

 

     (Note: the rosemeadkiwanis.org website now has a two year accumulation

       of Fax of Life inspirational monographs available for review  – see the Fax

       of Life link at bottom of the “Newsletters” section of the website.)

 

SPECIAL REPORT – Rosemead Adult School Gets Even Start Literacy Grant

 

The El Monte/Rosemead Adult School has received a $172,500 William L. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Grant, according to Jack McConnell, California State Department of Education Superintendent.

 

The grants are named after a long term (1974-2001) Republican Congressman from Pennsylvania who served as Chairman of the House Education Committee and is currently heading the Goodling Institute for Research on Family Literacy, according to Wikipedia.  The institute is part of the Pennsylvania State University College of Education.

 

According to McConnell, the program is critical to closing “the achievement gap that exists between groups of students who are Afro-American or Latino and their peers who are white or Asian. We have a real ethical economic and social imperative to close this gap and help all children succeed in school. In turn this will lift young people out of poverty to become productive members of our communities.”

 

Echoing McConnell’s words, Assistant El Monte Superintendent Diane Bladen stated to the San Gabriel Valley Weekly “The El Monte-Rosemead Adult School Even Start Program seeks to break the cycle of poverty and low literacy by improving the academic achievement of parents and their young children. Literacy for the parents and their children, preschool childcare for the children, parent education classes and interactive literacy activities for parents and children during home visits and as part of parent education classes are all components of the program.”

 

The program targets parents enrolled in ESL (English as a second Language) classes, which is a pre-requisite for participation. Those enrolled must participate in a parenting class, engage in parent child activities, and consent to twice monthly home visits.

 

According to the Department of Education, Even Start parents are among the most needy family heads:

 

·              Eighty-four percent of Even Start's families are at or below Federal poverty levels.

·              Even Start families are significantly poorer than Head Start families. Nearly half of Even Start families have an annual household income under $6,000, contrasted with only 13 percent of Head Start families.

·              Eighty-four percent of Even Start adults have no high school diploma or GED; 44 percent of the parents have not gone beyond the ninth grade; and many have had little or no formal education.

 

The El Monte/Rosemead Even Start grant is one of approximately 1200 nationwide, all awarded by State administrators. The program complements other programs in Rosemead, several of which have been featured in the RKC Bulletin and supported by Rosemead Kiwanis. These include RIF (Reading is Fundamental), after school enrichment programs, student tutoring, Head Start and Career Partners.

 

 

 

 

                                          Know someone who should be receiving these free emails?

                                          Send their name and email address to kcrosemead@aol.com