Off to a Great Start at Bellevue!

AmeriCorps Service Scholars make their formal introduction to all of the students in the After School Program.

The CalSERVES After School Program is up and running. Classroom leaders have been doing a fantastic job taking attendance, running physical activity centers, leading literacy and math lessons and supporting their students with their daily homework. After School students have also been working hard on maintaining good attendance, practicing and following our school wide Tribes agreements and school rules, and making sure they’re ready to learn everyday!

As a way to acknowledge the hard work that both Classroom Leaders and After School students have been displaying for the past several weeks, the Bellevue CalSERVES After School program has been having fun during their bi-weekly assemblies! During assemblies, students have the opportunity to participate in various re-lay races against other grades to earn extra physical activity time!

The students from third and fourth grade work together to be the first class to get their hula-hoop through every student and win the “Student Relay”. Their Classroom Leader, Ms. Goeppert, helps her students by cheering them on and helping them out when they get stuck!

And AmeriCorops Service Scholar, Mr. Valdovinos, helps third grade by being the first one to start off the race!

In addition, all Classroom Leaders and AmeriCorps Service Scholars compete against each other in unique and fun relay races to earn their class and grade level weekly physical activity incentives as well! The entire After School Program performs a cheer and towards the end, students (three girls and three boys from grades k-6) get recognized for demonstrating “Outstanding Behavior” during After School. Students who are recognized receive a “Star Student” chair cover that they place in their chair and they are also the first to receive snack everyday throughout an entire week. They also decide what physical activity their class will play and receive a special treat.

These are four of Bellevue’s “Outstanding After School Students” displaying their certificate of recognition.

There is no doubt that the students, Classroom Leaders, AmeriCorps Service Scholars, and Site-Supervisor at Bellevue, have a great time creating After School spirit and enjoy displaying their Bulldog pride.

Go Bulldogs!

by Yesenia Salas-Chavira, CalSERVES Site Supervisor at Bellevue

Meadow VIew Summer Gardening

We’ve finally reached the end of the year but the Meadow View garden will still be in action all summer, thanks to the help of several dedicated families who have agreed to continue volunteering over the summer.

Since the beginning of the year, Meadow View has hosted monthly garden workdays where families were invited to come out and help in the garden while we entertained their children with fun gardening projects. Things have gone so well that we decided to see if any parents would be on board to help over the summer and to our surprise, many said “Yes!” Currently, we have about twelve families that are helping in various capacities.

For example, one parent has been instrumental in getting our irrigation system up and running. He’s installed drip systems in our new beds and programmed a brand new irrigation timer that was purchased using grant money. Another parent brings out his weed eater and clears out the masses of weeds Meadow View seems to attract every few months. Some parents have adopted one or more of our six beds, which are all organized according to themes, and they are responsible for planting the seeds and maintaining the space. Any produce is up for grabs for all the families.

We never thought the garden would grow into such a successful project and know that it would not have been possible without the help of several dedicated mentors and families. Although we’re still in the beginning phases and there is still a ton to do, we have a good, solid start to a productive summer.

Holly Cumbie, AmeriCorps VIP Fellow

Join the CalSERVES Team!

Today is the last day of service for our full-time AmeriCorps members at CalSERVES. They have all done a tremendous job in serving our community. Thank you all for your incredible devotion and commitment to helping children!

As we look to next year, we have many opportunities for participation and service. Please consider joining our team for 12-13 - it's going to be another stellar year! Below are positions we have available:

AmeriCorps Service

At CalSERVES’s project sites across California, AmeriCorps members serve either full or part-time for 10-12 months, providing more than 1,700 or 900 hours of service. 

AmeriCorps members work with community organizations to develop their volunteer programs. They are committed to building program capacity by putting in place the building blocks for a sustainable, high quality volunteer program. Leadership opportunities are available for applicants with previous service experience.

Service Scholars
Service Scholars is a service learning and internship program that connects skilled, passionate and dedicated college students with youth in after school programs to provide learning opportunities for all. Selected candidates serve as role models and bring focused, inspiring instruction to youth in one of four areas of specialty: Art, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), PE/Nutrition, or Literacy.

Over the course of two semesters, scholars will lead small groups of students through a series of lesson in their area of focus.  For example, a Literacy Scholar might guide a 6th grade group in the creation of a school newspaper, while a STEM Scholar works with 5th graders in Lego Robotics, and the PE/Nutrition Scholar helps 2nd graders create a cookbook.  Specialists will also support homework, snack/recess time and lead a weekly club in their specialty area.

After School Classroom Leader
After School Classroom Leaders will guide an after school classroom of 20 students through the CalSERVES after school program. Components of the after school day include homework help, snack/recess, literacy instruction, PE/nutrition, and math. Classroom Leaders will prepare hands on and engaging lessons that meet the needs of all students, including those with disabilities. The program will prioritize applicants with previous experience and success in the program. 

If you are interested in any of these positions, visit our website JOIN OUR TEAM page to learn more. You can also contact us for more information at recruitment@calserves.org.

Nominations Open for the 2012 Governor’s Volunteering and Service Awards

The CalSERVES team would like to you participate in nominations for the 2012 Governor's Volunteering and Service Awards!

SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. has opened nominations for the 2012 Governor’s Volunteering and Service Awards. This annual CaliforniaVolunteers event inspires Californians as they learn of amazing feats of service taking place statewide.

“Everyday, Californians make the state stronger through countless hours of volunteerism. This spirit of service is especially important during these tough budget and economic times,” said the Secretary of Service and Volunteering Karen Baker. “The Governor’s Volunteering and Service Awards celebrates the trailblazing work of California’s top volunteers, and we encourage Californians to nominate the best and brightest now.”

Nomination categories include:

• California’s Volunteer of the Year -Honors an outstanding Californian whose volunteer service is exemplary and inspirational.
• California’s Nonprofit of the Year - Honors an outstanding California nonprofit that has shown an extraordinary ability to leverage volunteers in service to their organization.
• California’s AmeriCorps Member of the Year - Honors an outstanding California AmeriCorps member who has made a substantial impact to their community.

The deadline to submit a nomination for a Governor’s Volunteering and Service Award is Friday, June 29, 2012. To make your nomination, please visit www.CaliforniaVolunteers.org/gvsa.

The Governor’s Volunteering and Service Awards will be presented at an awards ceremony in Los Angeles on Tuesday, July 31, 2012.

Bellevue Principal honors CalSERVES AmeriCorps Program

I can't imagine my school without the CalSERVESAmeriCorps staff here--it would be too quiet, too boring, almost lifeless! The mentors are all over the school, all day long--we call them all mentors because they are role models for all the students in the myriad of positions they fill: as tutors, as afterschool teachers, as volunteer coordinators, garden project leaders, p.e. champions, marquee sign creators, cheerleaders, promoters of reading, etc.

The mentors are ready to take on any task and do it with zest. We have murals on our school walls thanks to the mentors, murals about eating healthy, and about the resiliency skills taught to all students. Mentors went to the sixth grade outdoor ed program, and we needed them for supervision and kp!

We have the garden looking its best ever because of AmeriCorps. And 40 of our students have made great gains in the tutoring program, reading four times a week with their special tutor to raise their scores to grade level.

That's what I see as a result of the positive energy CalSERVES AmeriCorps brings to Bellevue.

Beth Wilson
Bellevue Elementary Principal

Our Garden is Growing!

Since starting the garden project at Meadow View Elementary School last fall, the CalSERVES crew has accomplished a number of projects and are excited with the progress.

We have completed six new 4 ft X 4 ft X 8 ft planter boxes. To fill the beds, we used existing soil with a donation from Sonoma County Compost. We have begun repairing the irrigation system in the garden. New pipe has been laid underground and all beds have a brand-new drip system with a timer. The next step will be to find and repair a leak in one of the pipes.

We have begun work on our habitat garden, a designated space for native trees, plants, and butterfly friendly flowers. We have planted several species of plants that will attract different insects and animals. This project will be continued over summer.

Finally, we have created a new three-part compost system that can be utilized over summer and during the school year. Summer projects include restoring the outdoor classroom and creating new flower beds from existing cinder blocks. In addition, we have recruited eleven families at our school to help build a bench and support the planting and maintenance of our garden over summer.

Who We Are

Our CalSERVES team have created a fabulous video to share with the world what CalSERVES is all about. A Big Thank You to Patrick McGrath, our amazing videographer/editor/director. And a special thanks to all the CalSERVES AmeriCorps members that lent their voice to this project.

You will find this video and many others on the CalSERVES You Tube Channel!