Jay's Class in the Newspaper

Yuma schools raise over $6,000 for cancer research
BY WILLIAM ROLLER - SUN STAFF WRITER
2010-03-09 16:16:42

The competitive spirit, when applied toward a cause, can bring an outpouring of generosity.

Pasta for Pennies, a campaign to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, provides collection jars in classrooms around the country to raise funds for research. Since its inception in 1994, Pasta for Pennies, which has formed a partnership with Olive Garden Restaurants, has raised $47 million nationwide, according to society statistics.

Recently, two Yuma schools, Desert View Academy and O.C. Johnson School, wrapped up their drives with more than $6,200 raised for the society. The top fundraising classes earned a pasta lunch from Olive Garden.

Desert View Academy has an outstanding record of raising money for good causes, said Rick Ogston, executive director.

Last year, Desert View was the top fundraiser in the county and third best in the state. This year they set a goal of $5,000, but managed to reach $5,925. This is the seventh year Desert View participated, Ogston said.

"We're trying to teach the students about how cancer can affect nearly everybody at some point in their lives. While we try to teach them how important raising money is, teaching the importance of raising awareness is just as important."

Fifteen Desert View classes raised more than $250. But it was the third-grade class of Marilyn Gutierrez who raised the most - $560. For their efforts, the students will be treated to a pasta lunch at the end of March, Ogston noted.

Desert View has been touched by the trauma of cancer, witnessing the loss of several parents and this past Christmas, a staff member succumbed, Ogston said.

"It was a tragic loss. Elda Neketin was with us for over eight years. She loved reading and teaching literacy to our second-grade students. Cathy Prell, a para-professional, also passed away from cancer."

He said this was an excellent opportunity for students to learn the value of giving, even pennies, because every small amount helps. Ogston also praised Cindy Carter, character education teacher, for organizing the campaign which proved to be so successful.

Soliciting support for leukemia research turned out to be a very positive experience for students at O.C. Johnson School, said Jennifer Arellano, health clerk.

“They got really excited about the campaign. They were clearing out their piggy banks and sweeping their homes for change.”

O.C. Johnson collected more than $300 for their efforts. Arellano said that was very impressive given the current economy, when everyone is having a rough time financially.

She said the school had a student last year who previously had leukemia but it has been in remission for several years.

“It touches us more profoundly because we knew someone who was struggling with the disease.”

Typically, the top fundraising class of each school wins lunch but since three classes at O.C. Johnson were close in their final tally they will all get to dine. The classes of Yadira Hom, third-grade teacher; Sherry Elzey, fourth-grade teacher; and Anita Monk, special education teacher, will all share a lunch at the end of April.

One of the motivating factors about the program is children get to see how a little effort from a lot of people can really add up, said Katrina Noble, general manager of the Olive Garden on 16th Street.

Noble said they will deliver a spaghetti and marinara dinner with salad and garlic bread sticks to O.C. Johnson and serve students in class.

"At first, children are kind of shy but then they go, this is all for us? I doubt they get to eat in class very often, so it's kind of a treat for them."

Silver Spur Rodeo Parade

Yesterday I was on a float in the Silver Spur Rodeo Parade. We (the cub scouts) decorated the float with a canoe surrounded by chicken wire with tissues hand stuffed in. We spray painted the tissues blue to make it look like water. The Webelos sat in the canoe and everyone else sat in the back of the pickup truck that was pulling the float. All the cub scouts had fishing poles or nets with paper fish tied at the end. Sylvestre put a shoe on the end of his hook. My friend, Jaden Stuart, lost his fish but Lucas got it. The second time he lost it, we couldn't find it. When we were there, Sister Thorson gave us peanuts to eat. She said that we could throw the shells at each other. We won a 2nd place trophy for our design.

Yesterday, my friend Nathan came over. We played Wii Play and we played with my mom's green exercise ball. We passed it back and forth.

I just finished another Harry Potter book, "The Prisoner of Azkaban". I really liked it. There were 434 pages! Tomorrow, we are going to the movie theatre to watch Percy Jackson and the Olympian's; Lightning Thief. That is one of my favorite books. I think the movie is going to be cool!

Today in primary, we learned about Enoch. He had slow speech and everybody hated him. One day, Heavenly Father or Jesus Christ (I can't remember which one) talked to him and said He would help him. He helped him tell the people that they needed to repent. My class was interrupted because we were taking pictures for our Activity Day craft that we're making this Saturday.

Last week we had a Bike Rodeo in our church parking lot. We started out by learning how to jump curbs. Then we were going on bikes through an obstacle course. In the obstacle course, we had to weave in and out through trees. Then we had a race. After that we could play on any of the things we did.

Our New Van

We got a new van. It's got 12 seats and it is white. My mom said Britton, Josh, and Darren get the first bench. Nikki gets the second bench and I get the last bench! Each seat has it's own light which is great for reading in the van. It has air conditioning on each bench too so I can keep cool or warm. I think the van will be good for camping because it's big and if we're traveling for a long time, there's a lot of space for laying down. My mom says that we are going to Mesa on Friday for Darren's surgery. I think it will be fun staying in the van for 3 hours.

On my last soccer game, we tied 3-3. I am proud that I was able to kick the ball down the field lots of times when they were trying to reach my goalie. I like soccer. I want to play next year too. My dad said that maybe next year I can play basketball too because he said I was getting pretty good at dribbling and shooting.

I spent the night at my friend Nathan Boysun's house on Friday night. We played legos and I made a really cool creation. It was like a tank and about a foot long. I really like Nathan. Some of his favorite stuff are legos, video games, and Star Wars. Usually when I want something like if I'm thirsty or hungry, he'll get it for me. He is a very nice friend.

Today in my primary class, we learned about how some things change and some things don't change. We compared the things that don't change to the gospel. Brother Slack and Brother Webb are my teachers. In Singing Time we reviewed a song that we learned a couple years ago and played a game like football along with learning the song. The points were tied 6-6. In Sharing Time, Sister Crocker read sentences out of the scriptures and we had to find the picture that matched.

At school, we started doing science. We are learning about water and what it is used for. Water is used for factories or industries, watering crops, feeding animals, and getting electricity. I really like science. Science and reading are my favorite.

On my Harry Potter book, I have finished 731 pages. There are 734 pages total. I have only 3 left. I think I'll go read when I'm done. So far, it took me a week and a half to read the book.

Sir Blockus

I have been reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. There are 734 pages in the book. I have 300 pages left. My record is reading 300 pages in one day. I am at the part where they have done the first task where they fight the dragons and the Yule ball. I think the book is better than the movies.

I want to tell you about why I am called Sir Blockus. My mom gave me the nickname because she says I am realy good at blocking soccer balls. I always play defense. We won our last game 5-0.

Yesterday I played a new game on the Wii called Lego Indano Jones II. It is really fun. There was a part on the first level that my cousin and I couldn't figure out. After he left, I figured out how to finish the level.

Then at Cub Scouts we were building things to go on our float. We are going to have a bike rodeo.

Today I was doing P.E. and I was doing the running lap. A fourth-grader accidentally kicked me above the knee. My leg still hurt. I have soccer practice soon.

Goodbye

Introduction

My name is Jay.  I am a jedi knight from the planet Earth.  Unfortunately my jedi powers do not work on my mother.  She made me eat fish yesterday. 

I am the oldest and wisest of 5 kids.  I have one sister, 3 brothers, and a dog.  My favorite color is green so I got a green light saber.  My jedi friends are Reed, Trevor (my cousin), Sam, Noah, Carson, Preston, Mohammed, Nathan, Andrew, and Nate. 

I am a cub scout.  The boys in my cub scout troop are Jaiden, Jaden, Nathan, Nathan, Henson, Silvestre, Isaac, Salem, Andrew, Pedro, and Miguel.  We had our Pinewood Derby last week.  My car was green, black, and gold.  It got 4th place.  It was jumping off the rails because all the weight was in the back. 

I am in soccer.  I have won 2 games so far.  The last game was a tie 0-0.  I play defense.  That means I help the goalie.

I am in the third grade.  Recess and Lunch are my favorite parts of school.  At recess, I'll either play 'Pain Tag' or 'Spider Tag'.  'Pain Tag' is like tag but when you're tagged you have to fall down and play dead for 5 seconds and then start chasing after others.  To play 'Spider Tag', when you're 'it' you need to crawl around the monkey bars and try to tag someone.  If you go on the web (the chains) then you're stuck there until someone that's not 'it' tags you.  If you fall then you're automatically 'it'.

My favorite school subjects are reading and science.  My favorite books are the Hardy Boys and Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

That is all.  The End.  May the force be with you.  (My teacher always tells us that right before we take a test).