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Welcome to Girls Club! Scroll down to look at everything or you can select from the list! February/March Newsletter Tips for Girls: How to Get Girl Power Boxtops Back from Iraq Newsletter February / March 2008 Oak Grove Middle School Volume 2, Issue 3 Concord, California February was an exciting month !!! To start with, Girls Club participated in a Teacher Appreciation Valentine project. Girls decorated vases and jars, and then added flowers. Teachers & admin staff were given these beautiful bouquets as a special Valentine’s gift. Also, in February, Ms. Nau’s class made an exciting and educational trip to St. Francis of Assisi School to visit Ms. Burke’s 2^nd grade class. Here, girls including Josie Fitzwinge, Danielle Tortolani, and Luz Flores acted as teachers by presenting a fun & well-planned lesson on comparing fractions. While Josie, Danielle, & Luz taught the class, the other 6^th graders worked with, and guided, their 2nd grade “buddy” to make sure they understood the lesson. After such an intense learning experience, both classes joined together in making a special Valentine mouse craft. Students got along well and enjoyed this time to get to know their buddies a little better. For a snack, students enjoyed eating the mouse’s licorice tail. Ms. Burke, former Oak Grove Teacher, was very impressed with the respectful, kind, and friendly nature of our OGMS students. Currently, 6^th graders are acting as Pen Pals with Ms. Burke’s 2^nd graders. We look forward to visiting again and continuing community outreach activities that include Ms. Burke’s class!!! T-Shirts are in the Making !!! Our Girls Club T-Shirts are almost ready to be printed !!! Danielle Tortolani’s father (who also designed our new OGMS sweatshirts) is making final suggestions & adjustments. Special thanks to Nancy Maake’s sister, Jennifer, for designing such a beautiful and hip Girls Club logo !!! To help lower the cost of our shirts, Girls Club will be participating in several fundraisers…more information to follow. Remember, Girls Club T-Shirts can be worn on to school on meeting days !!! Tips For Girls: How To Get Girl Power! Becoming a teenager means being on your own a lot more, and possibly facing new, important decisions that can affect the rest of your life. Before you do anything that could harm your body, mind, or future—like smoking, drinking, or using drugs—be sure you understand how much you have to gain by making good, healthy decisions. Here are some ways having Girl Power! can help you grow up strong and healthy: Get Into the Game. Get involved in activities—like sports, theatre, photography, or a youth group—that open up your world to new people and ideas. Increase Your Knowledge. Know where to get facts and information and who you can turn to for advice with a question or problem. Having knowledge gives you the power to make good decisions. Reach Out for Help When You Need It. Everyone needs help now and then. Don't be ashamed or afraid to turn to a parent, teacher, counselor, or an older student when you need help with school work or a personal problem. Let Your Talents Shine. You are a unique individual with your own special talents and skills—some of which you may not even have discovered yet. You don't have to be the best at everything—just enjoy what you do! Play and Have Fun. Play sports, try acting or dancing or drawing—no one can be serious all the time! Find ways to relax and have fun that are safe, healthy, and won't get anyone into trouble. Offer to Help Others. Reach out to people who may be less fortunate than you. Volunteer at a soup kitchen, tutor a younger student, or be a good listener to a friend who has a problem. Helping others can help you feel good about yourself. Write Your Feelings Out. Writing is a great way to let out anger or frustration, and can make a bad situation look better. Keeping a journal of your thoughts and experiences is very personal. It's like talking to someone you know will keep your secrets—yourself! Exercise Your Mind and Body. Being physically active helps your body look and feel its best, but your mind needs exercise and challenges in order to grow, too. If you have responsibilities at home or with a job that keep you from pursuing your interests and activities, ask a teacher's advice on how you could get involved during school hours. Refuse to Use Alcohol, Drugs, and Tobacco. As you probably know, turning to alcohol, drugs, and tobacco won't help you through difficult or uncomfortable times—it will just make things worse. Remember that drugs aren't cool and that most people do not use them. Boxtops $500 by the end of this school year. Ask your friends and family to save their Box Tops too !!! Don't forget to recruit grandmas & grandpas, aunts & uncles, co-workers and remember your neighbors!!! If your neighbors do not have school age children, ask them to sponsor Oak Grove !!! Pass along the note below to help spread the word about saving Box Tops !!! Dear ____________________ Please help my school, Oak Grove Middle School, earn “free” money. All you need to do is to clip and save any Box Tops you find on food products that you buy. My school earns 10 cents per Box Top – that adds up fast !!! Our goal for this school year is to earn $500. Please help us in reaching this goal. Thank you for supporting my school !!!! Back From Iraq Name: Chad Galeana Age: 21 years old Branch of Military: ARMY National Guard Year Enlisted: 2005 Still Enlisted: Yes; 3 ½ more years Years of Service: 2 ½ years Family Members: Older brother, sister, mom, dad, and cousin Daniel Mendoza To read about Chad’s visit to Iraq click here.

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