Let me begin by saying that one of the best parts about writing Wildomar Rap is being in a position to meet interesting people. Sometimes they're older and very accomplished, other times they're young and basically just starting out in life.
Mikayla alongside the finished mural
Today meet ten year old Mikayla. She's a 5th grader at Wildomar Elementary and recently completed a Girl Scout Bronze Award project on the campus. The idea stemmed from the theme of a school assembly: Be Your Own Superhero.
During the early stages of the project, drawing the image onto the wall.
It was originally going to be one mural, but then blossomed into more than half a dozen murals throughout the school. Being the current secretary of the Wildomar Rotary Club, I had the chance to chat with Mikayla before she started the project. She was looking for donations and I was the one that heard her presentation.
This meeting was at The Bean in early October when Mikayla discussed the project she had in mind, looking for donations. She was well prepared for the meeting, as she was the day she showed me the finished project.
She's been in the Girl Scouts for a year and a half, in the junior level. (Hint: junior level wears a green vest).
Mikayla poses with the supplies.
Mikayla gave me a tour of the work she oversaw and then answered some questions for this blog. Her inspiration for this project was her own experience with being bullied. As she explained it, she's been bullied and seen others suffer bullying at the hands of others. She wants to bring awareness to her school and the community.
More than thirty people helped Mikayla with this project.
I asked her which part of the project she enjoyed most, her response was, "My favorite part about this project [has been] meeting all the people that have helped me. Without them, none of this would have been possible."
Time for a group shot... say "Cheeeeeese"! ☺
She told me that the most difficult part of the project was "learning how to communicate [...] with people in person and in email" but now feels confident in such situations.
This No Bullying mural can be seen from the blacktop.
In addition to learning how to communicate better during this project, she also listed, "how to manage a project from start to finish, how to express myself [...] through art and painting, the importance of how you treat people, and friendship."
Posing under one of the finished murals.
She received donations from Wildomar Rotary ($100), Lowe's donated much of the supplies, Diversified Landscape and Consultetech also chipped in.
If only people would pay attention to such advice...
I asked her if she had any additional thoughts to add to the blog and she said, "Yes, I want to thank everybody who helped me through this project. My mom and dad, Ms. Connelly my Assistant Principal, Mr. Hoffmann my Principal, Wildomar Student Council, Britney Drysler and the Interacters from Temescal Canyon High School, April Watkins, (I might say your last name wrong) Joseph Morabito and the Wildomar Rotary, Miss Grace, Lisa Cabrera in Lakeland Community Center. For the materials Lowe's, Diversified Landscape and Consultetech."
It's not all that difficult to be nice to people...
Mikayla has been part of THINK Together at Wildomar Elementary for a couple of years now. As it happens, back in Spring of 2017 she was one of the key participants in a promotional video for the Justine Lee Pesicka Memorial 5K at Marna O'Brien Park.
Mikayla is part of a new Girl Scout troop lead by her mom Sonni LeGault, Troop 1929. The girls are in grades 4th through 8th, and go to schools in both Wildomar and Lake Elsinore. They meet once or twice a month on Sundays.
Words to live by.
If you have a daughter that age, and are interested in her possibly joining Troop 1929, be sure to send Sonni an email: slegault1118@yahoo.com
• • •
Courage is fire, and bullying is smoke. – Benjamin Disraeli Wildomar Rapis neither smoke nor fire... if anything, it's closer to steam coming off a demitasse of espresso.
This blog was produced for viewing on a desktop or a laptop. Though it's been optimized for smartphones, the formatting can look odd on a smartphone or if you get this delivered through email (such as missing video links). Link to proper format.
Lights On Afterschool is national day to raise awareness for the importance of afterschool programs like THINK Together.
Miss April reads to the kids.
David A Brown middle school was the site where three THINK Together programs met for a couple of hours of fun and learning.
Students decorate the mural.
The program began at 4pm and lasted until 6pm. It started off with Miss April reading a book to the 250 kids, and at designated times some students would come up and decorate a mural.
The finished work of art.
After the story was finished, William Collier Elementary was pitted against Wildomar Elementary in a Socratic Conversation (which members of a group think carefully, slowly, and deliberately).
Link to further definition of Socratic Conversation/Dialog.
The topic of debate was: Are mermaids real or fiction?
Wildomar Elementary had the con side of the argument and made solid arguments why mermaids aren't real.
Wildomar Elementary takes to "no" on mermaids stance.
Collier Elementary had the task of proving that mermaids were true, and they also presented solid arguments.
William Collier Elementary takes to "oh yes they are real" side.
Each side had opening remarks, then rebuttals.
Wildomar Elementary.
Collier Elementary.
Wildomar Elementary.
Collier Elementary.
One of the middle school students had the honor of telling the crowd the verdict: Mermaids do exist.
After all the testimony was presented, it was found that mermaids are indeed REAL! (Take that science guy☺)
• • •
The second topic, which was argued both for and against by DABMS students was: Is animal testing necessary or not?
Con side.
Pro side.
Con side.
Pro side.
Con side.
Both sides spoke eloquently, but in the end, the judges found that animal testing is necessary. (considering their first decision, I'm not sure that I'd get overly concerned about this one... either which way. ☺) THINK Together is a terrific program that some of Wildomar's schools have access too. There was a petition being passed around to the adults present that alerted policy makers as to how important such programs are.
• • •
I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think. – Socrates Wildomar Rapcannot teach anybody anything, and only rarely manages to make them think.
This blog was produced for viewing on a desktop or a laptop. Though it's been optimized for smartphones, the formatting can look odd on a smartphone or if you get this delivered through email (such as missing video links). Link to proper format.
What happens when a seven year old girl with hearing difficulties needs new hearing aids, that are way outside the family budget, and insurance doesn't cover them?
If she's from Wildomar, the community steps in to help.
Seven year old Isabella speaking with Bridgette Moore in front of the group.
Young Isabella is in the after school program called THINK Together at Wildomar Elementary School. April Watkins is the coordinator of the program and also the head of the EarlyAct Club at the school. It's the elementary version of Rotary. When the student leaders of EarlyAct heard about the needs of Isabella, they went into action. Planning a fundraiser, which was a dinner at the school. That event raised, about $860... but was still well short of the $2600 necessary to get the new hearing aids. That was anticipated, and another fundraiser was already in the works. A dinner at the VFW. The meal was bacon wrapped pork, and the meat was donated by Barons, it was cooked to perfection by the Caring Hearts team lead by Ina Schieffer, Cari Gardner and Tim Underdown.
Jamie also uses hearing aids.
Isabella's mom, Jamie, spoke for a few moments, and began with a heartfelt thanks for all those that took an interest in her daughter's situation, and helped. She then shared the good news that the doctor bumped Isabella's new hearing aids to the next level, about a $1000 difference. So, instead of hearing aids that cost roughly $2600, she now has the model that usually runs around $3700. The best part was the story of when Isabella first heard the world through her new hearing aids. After putting them on, her face lit up, and looked at her mother —with wide eyes— and said,"Mom, I can hear you... really, really good!" Martin Haeberle, the incoming president of the Wildomar Rotary Club, also a wearer of hearing aids, thanked the attendees for coming and sponsoring the event. Then looked at Isabella and said,
"You inspired our club. This is not going to be the last time we do this (help a young person with hearing aids). We have decided, as a club, [that] we don't want youth to be without hearing aids in our schools. It helps us learn, it helps with everything. We are now committed to making sure that nobody goes without [hearing aids] in our Lake Elsinore School District."
There is another fundraiser associated with this cause. The location will be at David A Brown middle school, and it'll be a "movie night" on Thursday April 27th, starting at 3:00pm. Cost is $3 to get in, and then there will also be refreshments available too. All are invited to attend. As people were finishing their desserts of ice cream, strawberries and drizzled chocolate, there was one last part of the program. Elsinore High School grad, class of 2005, Amy Martinez was the motivational speaker for the evening. She has a story all her own. It came on suddenly one routine morning in early 2015, and before she knew it she was in the hospital, and about six months after that she became a quadruple amputee. Her extremities lost to sepsis. Her story is much more than that brief sentence, so if you have a chance to hear her speak, be sure to do it.
What a terrific community we live in. It's right there... right outside your door. Don't be shy, come on out and experience a bit of it yourself. In fact, next Saturday morning come on out to Marna O'Brien park to get a feel of it. There will be a 5K run-walk bringing attention to water safety. There will be plenty of things to do, even for non runners. Take a look at the video promotion that THINK Together helped make, and you'll be sure to put this on your calendar. ☺
• • •
There is always some good in a situation, if you focus on that, then you're sure to have a happier life. Just see the joy in things. – Amy Martinez
Wildomar Rap has always believed it's key to rejoice in your portion.
THINK Together is an after school program that is offered at Wildomar Elementary and William Collier Elementary, among others in neighboring communities.
Today's event was a basketball tournament with the various elementary schools competing against each other. It started with a pep rally where teams from the local THINK Together programs participated.
A look at the pep squad from Wildomar Elementary.
Part of the pregame festivities included Congressional Candidate Tim Sheridan saying a few words, Wildomar Mayor Bridgette Moore speaking about after school programs, and handing out half a dozen certificates to those that make the program work.
Earlier the teams had competed on the blacktop to see who would face each other in the final game in front of a packed house in the gym. It was fun to watch the William Collier Comets play against Withrow Wildcats. It took a couple of minutes for the players to hit their groove, but that didn't deter them from jacking the ball up every opportunity they had. It was a shooting frenzy for a time. ☺
Number 5 for Withrow was one of the better players of the tournament. Still, the Collier Comet defender blocked his pass attempt.
☺
It also took me a few minutes to figure out that the Yellow team was the one from Wildomar, and the one I ended up cheering to a 17-14 victory.
A look at the 2016 THINK Together champions from William Collier Elementary.
After the game, the school's media department interviewed Wildomar's mayor.
Candidate Tim Sheridan, THINK Together Site Coordinator Riverside County Region April Watkins and her daughter Sunny, Mayor Bridgette Moore, Little Miss County of Riverside Isabella Heredia, and Miss Wildomar Jesse Taylor pose for a picture.
Another look at the Collier Comets.
From the invitation
On Oct. 20, 2616, the afterschool programs from the Lake Elsinore School District will be participating in the annual Lights On Afterschool, a nationwide celebration of afterschool programs. We will be one of more than 8,000 sites across the nation sending the message that afterschool is key to children’s success, and that we must keep the lights on and doors open after school. Parents, media, employers, neighbors, school officials and others have been invited to help us rally support for safe, stimulating afterschool programs.
The elementary THINK Together programs in the LEUSD have been learning about the Olympics and what it takes to be a great athlete. They have learned to be healthy, go to college, and they have formed basketball teams. The sites from Wildomar, William Collier, Railraod Canyon, Lakeland Village, Withrow, Machado, and Lake Elsinore Elementary will be coming together for a basketball tournament and celebration.
On a personal note Just two days ago April Watkins lost her twenty-one year old son. I knew this event was on the schedule, but had thought she might skip it (who could blame her if she did?) When I saw her this afternoon, the first time since the tragic news, she looked as together as she always does. I gave her a hug and she told me that this was going to be a four hour no cry zone. (That almost got me to cry). I admired her strength and determination. When she addressed the audience, she started to speak about the program and the good it does for the kids. She began to relate her experience in the program, telling the audience, "I have four kids..." but that's where her breath was taken away. She tried to complete her sentence, and after a moment, she managed to with a bit of difficulty. If there are pictures of the crowd at that point, I'm the one with the sunglasses on indoors.
“The only way to prove that you’re a good sport is to lose.” – Ernie Banks, 1931-2015 Wildomar Raphas had ample opportunity to be proven a good sport in many forms of competition over the years.
There is a kind hearted woman I've known for about three years, that has done a lot for the community. Her name is April Watkins and you've read her name in this blog several times before.
April Watkins with the microphone, Kenneth, and Dana DeJong during a Lights On Afterschool event in 2015.
She is very involved with Think Together, an after school program, at Wildomar Elementary. She also helped spearhead last year's Great Day of Service II, where many volunteers came together to help upgrade the Wildomar Elementary campus. Below is a video montage of the day and the campus' transformation. There are a few images of April beginning at the three minute mark. Yesterday she got the news that no parent would ever want to receive. Her son was dead, and more distressing than that alone, it was at his own hands. The Watkins family is of modest means and a GoFundMe page has been started on their behalf by Wildomar Mayor Bridgette Moore to cover burial costs. If you're one that is usually skeptical about donating to causes because you don't know where the money is going, or it's for something that isn't local, please visit the GoFundMe page and consider donating a few dollars.
My name is Bridgette Moore and I'm starting this campaign for the Watkins Family. I met April Watkins 12 years ago when her two sons, Lavious and Tyler, were in the Cub Scouts with my son. On October 18, 2016, April's oldest son, Lavious Brendan Watkins took his own life. Lavious has a one-year old little girl. This campaign will be used for the funeral expenses and to help the Watkins family through this difficult time. Any amount of donation is appreciated. This is such an unexpected loss. The family is devastated. Prayers are needed and appreciated too. Lavious is survived by his father Lavious (Woogie) Watkins, his mother April Hueftle Watkins and his three younger siblings, Tyler, Christianna and Sunny and his daughter Scarlett Watkins. Thank you all for your support! I am not receiving any of the donations. All donations will be given directly to the Watkins Family. Help spread the word!
In the midst of life, we're in the midst of death. In the midst of joy we, we are in the midst of sorrow. In the midst of victory, we're in the midst of defeat. — E.G. Marshall (CBSRMT), 1914-1998 Wildomar Rapis heartbroken for the Watkins family, and has no clever sayings at such a dreadful time.
Lights on After School is the name of the assembly that highlighted THINK Together's activities. THINK Together is the name of the after school program at Wildomar Elementary. The theme was Superheroes.
April Watkins speaks to the crowd as the assembly begins.
There was a jump rope demonstration, a basket ball demonstration —to the familiar tune of the Harlem Globetrotters theme, along with a some cheer leading.
There were some awards for various "Superheroes." The principal, Mr. Hoffman, one of the dads (Mr. Alvarez) that helps out nearly every day, and the staff that makes the program work.
April Watkins, Kenneth, Dana DeJong.
5th grader Kenneth awarded Dana DeJong, of the Rotary Club, for their helping the kids in the EarlyAct Club. Which included buying clean drinking water for Haiti, a polio walk, clean ups at the school, an owl box and other community service. The real unsung superhero is April Watkins. As the zeal she puts into her role is evident by how much the kids respect her. What a lucky group of kids to have such a dedicated person leading Wildomar Elementary's THINK Together program.
Mayor Ben Benoit, Akiam, and Mayor Pro-Tem Bridgette Moore.
☼
THINK Together animation project/Super Thinker
There were a few technical difficulties at first, where the projector didn't want to cooperate... but without such things, how would a person ever get gray hair? However, after a few moments they got the video up and running, and it was so fun to watch the kids as they viewed their handiwork for the first time. How this project came about.
Back at one of the events at Marna O'Brien park, towards the end of Summer, I overheard April Watkins discussing that her after school group was going to start drawing superheroes for a comic strip. Being an animator, and always one to get in over my head, I messaged her a couple of days later asking if she thought her students would like to turn their drawings into an animation. She didn't hesitate and said YES! ☺ I was thinking it might be a new take on a classic story, like Little Red Riding Hood for example. Or, maybe a series of jokes. Instead they came up with a story about THINK Together, the name of the after school program at Wildomar Elementary. The catch was they'd like to get this done in time for an assembly that was just a little over a month away. A tall order when there isn't even a story written out, or characters drawn. But, I was confident that if they did their job on time, I could do my job on time. I made two trips to the class. First, to give them a brief overview of animation and what I wanted from them. They were going to do most of the work. Come up with the story, write the dialog, rehearse their lines, draw the characters and the backgrounds and even do a rudimentary storyboard (which would tell the animator, how the visuals are controlled). The second visit to the group was two weeks later to record the voices.
A look at the recording session. I brought my digital recorder and mic stand and we were ready for action.
That was fun. You could see how much they enjoyed the process as they were saying their lines into the microphone I brought. Some were a little timid at first, because it was a new thing for them. Standing with their peers watching them, as they repeated their lines into a strange device. What made it even more alien to them was that they had to say their lines out of order. They had practiced them as a group, like it was a play, but I can't use that in animation. I had to do the old multi-track trick and record them all separately, and later assemble them on a timeline. Some characters had several lines and they had to record them all at once, while trying to maintain the proper inflection they had during the group recital. They did a great job with the audio. When it came to the artwork, they drew several characters and backgrounds, but they really didn't translate into things that would make a proper animated cartoon. I did use many of the drawings in other places. A tiger on a character's shirt, and the others on the wall in the principal's office. So I took their ideas and reworked them into something more suitable for a cartoon. To save a bit of time I recycled some of my existing characters, and borrowed a background or two from the net. The final project took awhile to produce. I'll let you do the math. It's a three minute cartoon, and generally it takes more than 10 hours to produce a minute of animated video.
It was a great experience working with the Wildomar Elementary 5th graders of THINK Together. I hope they had as much fun as I did. ☺
Joseph Morabito being honored with a certificate of appreciation and a superhero mask.
What a pleasant surprise to be awarded a superhero mask and certificate for helping the 5th graders bring a story of theirs to cartoon life.
• • •
"People who get into animation tend to be kids. We don't have to grow up. But also, animators are great observers, and there's this childlike wonder and interest in the world, the observation of little things that happen in life."― John Lasseter
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