Laurel Neighborhood Newsby John Frando | |||
American Indian Public Charter School 6th-grader Bryan Zheng and 8th-grader Kevin Covarrubias will represent Oakland at the Alameda County Spelling Bee on March 27. Photo by John Frando
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Spelling Bee Winners
American Indian Public Charter School sixth-grader Bryan Zheng and eighth-grader Kevin Covarrubias were middle school division winners at the February 4 school district spelling bee. Principal Ms. Sophath Mey said that each school was allowed to send two spellers to the district bee. "Their accomplishments were even more amazing because the district office didn't send us the correct official word lists. They didn't have a chance to study the actual words called at the bee, and they still won."
Bryan tied for first place after six rounds when judges ran out of words on their lists and decided to call a tie. He said the most memorable word he spelled was "tachycardia." Bryan has placed in the past three district spelling bees, winning first place in the elementary division as a fourth grader at Laurel Elementary. Kevin placed fifth and said the word that bested him that night "oleiferous."'
Bryan, Kevin, and 10 other top spellers will represent Oakland in elementary and middle school divisions at the Alameda County Spelling Bee on March 27.
Neighborhood Youth For Haiti
The images of devastation and suffering after the Haiti earthquake prompted youth into action. Laurel Elementary School parent Nancy Chan described the fundraiser in her daughter's class. "Ms. Jennifer White's class is keeping a loose change bucket, so far collecting about $107. At the end of the school year, they'll decide where to send their donation."
The Bret Harte Has a Heart for Haiti fundraiser has raised almost $800. Students who donate receive a heart inscribed with their name. The hearts are attached to the school lobby walls. The hearts began as a small cluster in the corner of the lobby. They grew to cover the entire room.
Elizabeth Chiment, teacher of students in the deaf and hard of hearing program, described the fundraiser. "The idea came from a faculty meeting just after the earthquake. Some staff had connections to Haiti, and one selected the nonprofit Oxfam. Through the fundraiser, students are learning to cope with the suffering of the Haitian people, feeling empowered to help even though they are far away. We also had a fundraiser after Hurricane Katrina."'
She recalled: "Students initiated bake sales to raise money. Ms. Morris' class, which has been raising money all year for a class trip to Washington DC, donated proceeds from an entire nachos sale to the hearts campaign, about $111. Students in my class cut out the hearts. It's like a heart factory."
The fundraiser continues until the end of the year. The community is welcome to view the hearts and make donations.'
Citywide Exercise
From 9 a.m. to noon on April 24, the Oakland Fire Department and Office of Emergency Services will conduct a disaster scenario, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake on the Hayward fault, centered in North Oakland. Organized neighborhood groups like MASH (a neighborhood watch and CORE group composed of houses on Madrone, Albert, Steele, and Huntington) will practice responding to simulated emergency incidents.
'MASH participated last year. Members recently held the second of four meetings to prepare for the citywide exercise. They conducted a tabletop exercise, discussing what to do upon first arriving at their neighborhood incident command center. They checked emergency tools and supplies and analyzed debriefing notes from last years exercise.
'If you or your group would like to participate in the citywide exercise, contact the CORE Coordinator at 238-6351 or email core\@oaklandnet.com. Individuals without a group will be matched to a host group.