On Saturday, June 9th Casa Chirilagua celebrated the achievement of our students as well as expressed our appreciation for our volunteers at our annual Year-End Celebration. Parents prepared Central American food for the celebration to express their thanks to the many hours volunteers contributed over the year.

Some highlights of the celebration included:

• 17 students were recognized for missing only 3 days or less of Kids Club this year. They will receive the opportunity to attend a NATS game on Saturday, July 7th with an adult of choice.
• Five of our 5th grade students shared their memories of Kids Club.
• LIT (Leaders in Training) volunteered 451 hours this year and will receive the opportunity to take a 6 day trip to Illinois in August
• Recognized two high school graduates involved with Casa Chirilagua.
• Thanked mentors, volunteers, Bible study leaders, parent committee officers and parents.
• Named the 2011-2012 Volunteer of the Year – Martha Larson and the 2011-2012 Partner Organization of the Year – Restoration Anglican Church.

LIT (Leaders In Training) 2011 – 2012

This year was our 2^nd year for the LIT program and with the help of some funding from the Edelman Foundation, we stepped it up a bit. We had five students apply to the program and five were accepted. Four of the five made it to the end of the school year. We lost one along the way, as he moved to Arlington, but he still made a significant contribution.

These students did a phenomenal job this year and we want to recognize their contributions. Odir and Jason volunteered at Kids Club for 28 hours a piece, Josue for 90 hours, Angy for 120 hours, and Emilio Saravia contributed 185 hours of volunteer time to Kids Club this year helping with the 1^st-3^rd grade students.All together, these students contributed 451 hours of their time! In recognition of their volunteer efforts, these students are being offered the opportunity to take a 6-day road trip to Illinois in August.

4th and 5th Grade Speeches

1^st Grade – Kimberly Ortiz

Thank you for coming to this ceremony recognizing our mentors and volunteers. I would like to share about our first time reading with Ms. D and Emily and other volunteers. At the very beginning, in first grade, before there was a Kids Club, I would meet with Ms D, Ryan and Ms. Emily at their apartment after school, we called it Reading Club.

Reading with Ms. Emily was really fun because she would help me with every word I would get stuck on. I really appreciate everything that she has helped me with. Just like I read with Ms. Emily, I would sometimes read with Ms. D. It was fun reading with her because she would try to explain things in a funny way. I am very happy because my grades have really improved since then. Thank you to all the volunteers and mentors, we really appreciate you.

2^nd Grade – Angy Alvarado

Hi, my name is Angy. First thing that I want to say is thank you for coming. Second grade was different for us. We moved from the apartment to the little community room behind the 24 Express. We didn’t feel comfortable with the change at the beginning, but I think that the kids liked playing in the park and we started to get more fun volunteers like Mr. Tracy, Max, Ms. Katy and Ms. Dorey. Something that I love to remember is that because we had such a small group, when we laughed, everybody laughed. I am thankful for the volunteers who came when we were just a small group. They helped make Kids Club possible.

3^rd Grade – Christopher Leon

Hi. My name is Christopher Leon. When I was in Kids Club in the 3rd grade, I had fun with my friends. My favorite field trip was ice skating. It was the first time I ever skated. I fell a lot and got a bruise on my knee but it was still fun.  At Kids Club that year, we read the Bible. I don’t remember much because it was a long time ago. One other favorite memory was the talent show. Bryan made everyone laugh when he played the recorder with his nose. I like Kids Club and it has made me more interested in the Bible. Thank you to Ms. Emily and the volunteers for teaching me about the Bible.

4^th Grade – Bryan Reyes

Hi, my name is Brian, and I am going to talk about last year at Kids Club. When we were in 4th grade we moved to a new location called Beverly Hills Church. We would get there from the bus and then we would play at the park. Ms. Emily or Ms. D would bring us inside the church. We would have snack there, then do our homework. Many people would come and help us with homework. We would learn a little bit about the Bible after. When it was 5:30 it would be time to go home. We would pack up and then get picked up. That year we started our evening Bible Study on Mondays at Ms. Sarah’s house. We would have a little snack and learn a lot about the Bible. Thank you to our volunteers for helping make Kids Club a fun place to be.

 

5^th Grade – Jason Reyes

Hi, I am Jason, a fifth grade student from Kids Club. I was excited when Ms. Raquelita told me that I could finally sign up for Kids Club for the first time. One of my favorite field trips was the Chinquapin Swimming Pool by TC Williams. It was my favorite field trip because it was like a Kids Club reunion, all of the grades went together.

When it was time to go at the end of each day, we got to play outside and wait for our parents. I liked the extra time to play with my friends. Also, I love when we have pizza at meetings. I have learned at Kids Club that God made this beautiful world that we have, and that He loves everybody. Thank you to everyone who makes Kids Club possible!