by Chelsea Nelson
Communications Director
There are so many good things going on in the neighborhood of South Salt Lake and we wanted to share them with you! February and March have proven to be very positive months! Here are a few updates on some of our Community Learning and Welcome Centers.
PAL Pete Suazo Boxing and Welcome Center
Mr. Hugo Hernandez was honored with an award at the police banquet as PAL student of the year for his improvements in academics, his first boxing win and his overall attitude. In attendance were his father, sister, along with various city dignitaries.
The center is finally up to full staff with the addition of three new boxing coaches.
The center has begun its ACT Prep classes for 9-12 grade students. This occurs every Thursday from 5-7pm with different subjects covered each week which culminates in the option to sign up for and take the test on April 14th (Saturday).
This year Granite Park Junior High experienced a successful parent teacher conference. There were several students and their parents who stopped by the Grizzly Academy booth. There were also over 150 surveys filled out to help United Way with some baseline data.
The Grizzly indoor soccer league has begun and started out with a great success. Several students are signed up and competing every Tuesday and Thursday. Soccer is one of the biggest sports offered in the program.
Woodrow Wilson Community Learning Center
The tax van, provided by The Beehive, came to Woodrow Wilson and served three people this year, compared to the zero who took advantage of this opportunity last year. Computers were set up in the faculty room and the volunteer tax professional helped guide the online tax filing. The Mobile Health Clinic was extra busy this month with 60 people served. The spots for appointments filled up fast and there were still many walk-ins who came hoping to get a spot.
All staff positions at the Woodrow Wilson CLC are now filled. This has allowed the CLC to take all the students off the waiting list for the Afterschool Program; there are now 116 students enrolled! One of the students who had been on the waiting list would check-in every day to see if there was a spot for him yet.
The Hser Ner Moo Center has a select number of teenagers who play soccer regularly with the HNM team. They work on developing their skills and knowledge on the game under the direction of Coach Mike Osheku, one of the Center’s Prevention Specialist staff. Recently, a few of the teens decided to try out for the local high school soccer team. Undoubtedly, two of them made the team; one of them is on the Junior Varsity, and the other made the Varsity team. Congratulations to the two teens! The Center and staff wish them good luck on the upcoming soccer season!
The after school program is filling up with students and volunteers and has come alive with activity and academic endeavors.
One student is now bringing homework to the after school program. Marcel still needs a little extra help because he is still far behind his peers in 7th grade. He struggles with reading, and does not yet know colors. This information can help the Villa Franche staff find better and more intensive ways of working with him, the goal is to find someone to work with him 4 days a week.
Another boy’s academic and English skills continues to improve every day, and he enjoys helping others with homework or reading. He doesn’t always bring homework, but the Villa Franche staff are honored that he prefers to be at the Center and not running around on the streets or watching television.
One young girl is a beautifully spirited individual and intuitively knows when people need help.
she is always there to help with clean-up projects, to help carry boxes, or to motivate the others to help. However, she continues to struggle with her alphabet, both with recall and writing. One of the biggest fears is that she will become frustrated and stop trying to learn; The Villa Franche program staff will continue to work with her and not forget to include other activities that she enjoys.
We are so happy to hear about all the great success happening in South Salt Lake–and this is just a snap shot! Please be sure to click on the names of the Centers to find out more about where they are located and what services they provide.
