• Bronze Award Project at Wildomar Elementary

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

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Courage is fire, and bullying is smoke.
– Benjamin Disraeli 

Wildomar Rap is neither smoke nor fire... if anything, it's closer to steam coming off a demitasse of espresso.

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• Lights On Afterschool/THINK Together 2018

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 ☺)

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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. 

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I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.

– Socrates

Wildomar Rap cannot 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.

• Chinese New Year in Wildomar

It was Chinese New Year at Sycamore Academy and David A. Brown Middle School.

At Sycamore (Also known as SASCA for Sycamore Academy of Science and Cultural Arts), where they have been hosting about 60 foreign exchange students (and 8 teachers) from Beijing for the week prior. They stayed with host families.

The assembled crowd listens as the program begins.

The hour long presentation included many performances, beginning with an example of how a typical Chinese school week would start. 

Their routine includes a choreographed dance.

There were recitals of poems, one student played guitar and and sang, while another played a Chinese flute.

This instrument had a sound that was like a traditional flute, but with a little added flair.

This student gave a jump rope performance. 

These girls were reciting an ancient poem, while wearing traditional robes.

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THINK Together, a popular after school program at some of the local schools, had their own Chinese New Year celebration

The kids from Wildomar Elementary paraded to David A. Brown Middle School to join a larger assembly at that campus.

 Members of WE's THINK Together as they parade towards the middle school. 
Photo courtesy of Selena Andrews

Once there, they had a performance of their own, and then watched as several teams of middle schoolers paraded around "the pit" in full dragon regalia.

Wildomar Elementary students perform with ribbons.

A triumphant expression beams from this delightful performer as she holds her up dragon mask.

Sunny Watkins pauses a moment to smile at the camera.
Photo courtesy of Selena Andrews

This team had a dragon tamer and marched to the beat of drums.

The various "Dragons" demonstrated the students creativity. 

Some dragons had more legs than others. ☺

The Red Dragon was one of the more popular.

Confetti was shot out of a ersatz fire cracker at the end of the performances. 

I called this one, Double Dragon (since there were two of them). There were also two flutists.
In the end, the dragons ended up devouring the dragon-tamers.

The finale had the audience cheer for their favorite dragon team. It took three votes because it was almost too close to call between the Red Dragon and the Double Dragons. The Double Dragons were the ones with the loudest applause before it was all over.

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恭喜发财 (gōng xǐ fā cái) “Wish you wealth and prosperity.”


Wildomar Rap reminds you that if you've already failed in your 2018 New Year's resolutions, it's not too late for a Mulligan with a few 4715 -year of the dog- New Year's resolutions.

• THINK Together Honors Veterans

The kids of THINK Together did a great job honoring veterans this year with their Freedom Celebration.

The kids hold up the letters spelling VETERAN.

Wildomar Elementary teamed up with Withrow Elementary and sang several patriotic songs, did a jump rope demonstration and then sang the themes from each of the branches of service (not an easy task). ☺

The final pose of one of their singalong performances.

Afterward, they presented VFW Post Commander Steve Regalado and Mike Sheehan with a rather impressive American flag made from tongue depressors. 

Left to right is Post Commander Steve Regalado, Withrow THINK Together coordinator,
Mike Sheehan and Wildomar Elementary THINK Together coordinator April Watkins.

Last year they made blankets for disabled veterans.

Link to blog about last year's presentation

THINK Together is an after school program. To read more about it, click one of the following links.

THINK Together Website

2014 Blog discussing THINK Together

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Earlier in the day, over in Murrieta's Town Square Park, the 5th graders from William Collier Elementary visited the Field of Honor in Murrieta. 

The other local elementary school 5th graders also visited the site, and took the tour, earlier in the week.

The students listen to the presentation by a Murrieta Rotary Club member as he tells them about the Local Heroes station. These flags represent military deaths since September 11th, 2001. 

They went through six stations as they learned about the flag, patriotism and the veterans that have maintained the liberty of our great nation.

The stations include: California Medal of Honor recipients; Chalk Art Sidewalk; Historic United States Flags; 50 State Flags; Local Heroes; and Veterans Memorial Obelisk/Walls.

A glimpse of the main field of flags under the backdrop of a picturesque sky.

There will be a Veterans Day potluck at the Wildomar VFW starting at 1pm. If you've wondered about the VFW but haven't been there, today (11-11-17) would be a good day to pay a visit.

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Our obligations to our country never cease but with our lives.
– John Adams

Wildomar Rap never tires of thanking veterans of the US Armed forces for their service to our country.