Crown Jewel Club

Volunteers Add Finishing Touches to the New Classroom

janebp — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 15:39:22 +0000

A week and a half before the fall session began, Cheryl Abel, Bianca Avelino and Elizabeth Gilbert added the finishing touches to the classroom. The larger classroom enables CJC to designate stations for particular projects such as Mining for Gems, a travel board, and a new homework board. There is also an oversized coat closet for the girls to store their jackets and backpacks. The three volunteers spent most of the morning unloading six weeks worth of supplies into the many cabinets in the new classroom. Classroom Coordinator and volunteers alike are thrilled that delivering six weeks of supplies eliminates the need to stop by the storage room every week. They also worked on the jewel books–journals in which the girls write their answer to the question of the week. The volunteers attached stickers to the pages of the journals with questions such as “What do you love?” “What do you like the most about yourself?” These questions encourage the girls to explore and express their thoughts and feelings. As a therapeutic way of dealing with feelings and setting goals, CJC also encourages them to keep a journal once the session is over.

The three volunteers also expressed how glad they are that all of their supplies are conveniently kept at the school. It keeps things organized. There will be one more work day to put the very last touches to the room before class begins. This should be a very successful session!

Beauty 360 Event was a Splendid Success

janebp — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 16:51:06 +0000

Last month we celebrated 5 wonderful years of the Crown Jewel Club with the people who make it possible, the volunteers. Please check out our video blog below for a recap of the events!

A New Year, a New Classroom

janebp — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:45:24 +0000

After several years in a portable classroom at Trinity Street Elementary School, Crown Jewel Club has found a home in a permanent classroom more centrally located on the school campus.

Moving to our new room at Trinity Street School

As with any move, it took time, patience, and a lot of hard work. At first glance, the collection of classroom items seemed like an intimidating task to tackle. However, with teamwork, volunteers transformed the clutter into a classroom in only a few hours. They reorganized and moved furniture, once kept in a tiny classroom, to more areas in the larger space. Volunteers created new stations for each activity that takes place during each class. Extra storage was a plus, providing students with a place to keep their coats and backpacks. Crown Jewel Club volunteers also reorganized the cabinets, making it easier to find items.

The hat boxes were arranged to provide a wonderful accent to the room

Once the organization was complete, our Executive Director arranged hat boxes on top of cabinets to brighten the room and make the girls feel special in the space.

A beautiful centerpiece for the hatboxes

Then, it was time for inventory. Volunteers gathered at the warehouse to transport items to the school. Once there, they carefully counted and recorded each item. It was good preparation for the upcoming sessions. Of course the preparation does not end here. We still need help with decorating and setting up the classroom. Please contact Elizabeth Gilbert at Elizabeth.gilbert@crownjewelclub.org if you are interested in helping.
Peace and Love!

All photos courtesy of Elizabeth Gilbert

Crown Jewel Club Offers Many Volunteer Opportunities

janebp — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 22:18:54 +0000

If you’re looking for a cause to donate your time to, then look no further. The Crown Jewel Club offers many volunteer opportunities. One of the best ways to find out what the CJC is all about is to be a classroom volunteer. Whether you are assisting with the set-up of the room, preparation of snacks, the lesson plan, or cleaning up, you will get special time to interact with the girls. Even after your first classroom visit, you will realize how rewarding volunteering your time can be and how much the girls appreciate you!

Another highly rewarding position is that of the teacher. Obviously even more interaction than a classroom volunteer, you can single-handedly enrich these girls’ lives as you educate them on manners, self esteem, letter writing and above all, love and respect for themselves. Just seeing the students’ eyes light up as they learn new skills. All of the lessons come together at the Afternoon Crown Tea on the last class day. This is when the girls become full members of the Crown Jewel Club. The feeling of accomplishment is indescribable.

If you would like a more behind the scenes role, the Outside of Class volunteer may be right for you. Preparing the materials for each class, and session is no easy feat. The Outside of Class volunteers work closely with the teacher & classroom coordinator by helping correct papers, gathering magazines as well as cutting out pictures for the Mining for Gems project that the girls work on each week.

The Crown Jewel Club also offers many other behind the scenes opportunities. Whether you can spare a full day or just a few hours, your help is much appreciated. Please contact Kathleen Terry for more information.

http://crownjewelclub.org/Volunteer.htm

Crown Jewel Club Reunion 2010

janebp — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 20:54:23 +0000

The Crown Jewel Club Reunion was held Weds., June 2^nd under the direction of event planner, Paige Simmons. The auditorium of Trinity Street Elementary School was transformed into a beautiful party setting for annual event. Over 130 girls from the past five years were in attendance to celebrate this wonderful event.

The Crown Jewel Club alumni express their gratitude in writing. Photo courtesy of Elisabeth Gilbert.

After each girl signed in, they were invited to sign the Crown Jewel Club banner that would be hung in the classroom for the new students to see, or they could also have a makeover courtesy of Beauty 360, something that each girl was looking forward to.

The girls received makeovers from Beauty 360. Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Gilbert

Needless to say, the line for makeovers by Beauty 360 was rather long but moved quickly. From eye shadow, to lip gloss, and even nail polish, each girl truly felt like a princess as they grinned from ear to ear when they looked in the mirror to witness their transformation. The girls were delighted as they saw their friends also being made even more beautiful. The volunteer efforts of Beauty 360 continued the tradition of building self-esteem through the Crown Jewel Club.

The girls form a conga line while listening to live music by Auburn Court. Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Gilbert.

For the first time in Crown Jewel Club’s history, the girls were treated to a live band. The all female rock band, Auburn Court (www.AuburnCourt.com) played for a solid hour during the party. The girls showed their enthusiasm by dancing along and even forming a conga line during the band’s set. The band was clearly a hit with the alumni and volunteers. They were a great addition to the annual Reunion event and we look forward to their participation in the future. They clearly showed the girls that the dream of having your own rock band can come true.

In the midst of all the excitement, the girls dined on a buffet featuring fresh fruit & vegetables, tortillas, yellow rice, and chicken. The meal was enjoyed by all and completed with a slice of chocolate or vanilla cake for dessert.

Soroptimist International of Manhattan Beach members Cheryl Abel and Mickey Marraffino were on hand to announce the 8th grade essay contest winner. The essay question was: How has the Crown Jewel Club impacted your life. The winner, Annalee Ochoa, wrote an essay about traveling to go to college and becoming a doctor. She received a brand new computer donated by Soroptimist International of Manhattan Beach for her winning entry.

Up next was the announcement of the winner of the 5th grade quiz. This quiz reviewed the lessons that the girls had learned in their classes. The girl with the highest score was Miriam Ezqueda. She received a $50 cash prize.

When the day started to wind down, school counselor Sally Lieberman gathered the alumni and had them encircle the volunteers. She explained to the girls that people do care about them & will help them out of the goodness of their hearts & that’s what the volunteers had done. The girl presented the volunteers with roses and of course, hugs. Founder Jane Phillips was of course given very big hugs by her alumni.

The girls say their goodbyes to founder Jane Philips. Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Gilbert.

As the girls said their goodbyes, they were each given a new mp3 player as well as some stationary. A fun time was clearly had by all, as the girls didn’t want to leave and wanted to spend more time with their friends and Crown Jewel Club volunteers.

We look forward to all of the new faces that await us in the 2010-2011 school year!

Crown Jewel Club End of Year Party

janebp — Wed, 05 May 2010 19:00:27 +0000

The Crown Jewel Club 2010 Aquamarines graduated last Tuesday but the fun doesn’t stop there. All Crown Jewel Club alumni are invited to the End of Year party on June 2nd. The girls will get to bond even further while they enjoy the music of a live band as they enjoy lunch. Beauty 360 will be on hand to give the girls facials! The Aquamarines were elated to hear this news at their graduation and it’s safe to say the rest of the alumni will be thrilled!

Soroptimist of Manhattan Beach has donated a computer that will go to a lucky 8th grade girl who wins the essay contest describing what the Crown Jewel Club has meant to them.

The fun starts in less than two months time. We are looking forward to see all of our alumni!

Mind Your Manners

janebp — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 15:27:42 +0000

The last two classes at the Crown Jewel Club’s Aquamarine session have focused on table manners. The first class focused on basic table manners such as putting a napkin on your lap, no chewing gum at the table, don’t talk with your mouth full. The second class focused on table settings. The girls were given templates that showed the proper table setup. With their teacher, Jane Euler’s help, they placed the china that was given to them on the appropriate spots on the template. They also practiced the proper way to hold the utensils and even did some proper “air eating”. Once they were through with their lesson, they demonstrated their manners to the volunteers who cleared their plates by asking “May I take this plate?” by responding with a polite “Yes you may, thank you.”

These two lessons have shown that the girls are in fact ready for the Afternoon Crown Tea which takes place next Tuesday.

Mining for Gems

janebp — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 01:27:01 +0000

One of the hallmarks of the Crown Jewel Club classes is Mining for Gems. In this exercise, the girls are encouraged to make collages of things they love. The helper bees distribute boxes filled with many pictures from animals to food, flowers, cars, candy furniture, locations, and jewelry. The girls also get the chance to interact with each other, getting to know each other & of course learning how to share and compromise when deciding what pictures to use. You can see the girls light up as they share their passions and dreams on paper. There is never enough time in this exercise as the girls can’t stop finding pictures of things that they absolutely love. It’s wonderful to see that the girls are so excited at such a young age. By supervising the girls, you get to see what their hopes and dreams are. You can tell which girls love animals, which love to cook, who likes fashion and so on. The volunteers share stories with the girls over their interests, encouraging them to dream big. Because after all anything is possible if you put your mind to it.

Just the Snacks Ma’am

janebp — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 19:02:49 +0000

At the Crown Jewel Club, we do a lot of activities that enrich young girls’ lives such as basic manners, etiquette, letter writing, and table manners. However, one of the favorite parts of the class is snack time! Each week, the girls are given a different snack where the girls not only appease their appetites but also put the table manners that they’ve learned into use. Four “helper bees” are selected each week. These girls are given tiaras and assist the volunteers with snack time by distributing hand sanitizer to their fellow classmates, and then handing out the snacks and waters. The girls are always eager to help each week as they begin to show leadership skills. The girls are taught not to eat until everyone is seated along with other basic table manners which they gladly oblige with. Once everyone has their food, their teacher, Jane Euler wishes them “Bon appetit” and they can dig into their snacks. The girls get to use their creativity whether it be making lady bugs out of peanut butter, apples, and raisins, a building out of graham crackers and chocolate icing, or small sandwiches out of bread, peanut butter and bananas, the girls always have a good time! The girls also learn how to eat finger foods such as apples & caramel, or celery & ranch the proper way.

While they’re eating, a slide show of exotic locations that Jane Phillips has created is displayed. Jane and the volunteers help to narrate the slide show which encourages the girls to dream big and know one day they can travel to such locations if they put their mind to it.

Once snack time is over, the helper bees aid with the cleanup and all the girls clear their desks and are given hugs goodbye until the next class.

There’s never a dull moment at a Crown Jewel Club class!

Handshakes, Letters, and Chocolate, Oh My!

janebp — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 00:11:25 +0000

Yesterday’s Crown Jewel Club class was one of the most essential class to the girls. The girls started off writing what they love in their jewel books with some suggestions by their teacher and staff. They didn’t need many suggestions as they started to write their thoughts very quickly and also offered to share some of their words which garnered smiles and laughs from everyone in attendance.

Up next was the review of handshakes. The girls had come a long way since the first class by demonstrating firm handshakes, eye contact, and of course, smiles.

Then was the topic of the day, writing a thank you letter which has been forgotten in today’s digital age. Jane Euler stressed how important thank letter writing can be. It can do anything as simple as providing a feeling of happiness to a recipient, and as they got older it could also be one of the deciding factors in granting them a job offer.

Jane went over each component of the letter from the greeting, the body, and the closing. She also showed the class how to address the envelope as well. The girls grasped this concept quickly and began to write very heartfelt letters that their sponsors will be happy to receive. Teaching these girls something so essential is rewarding not only for the sponsors but for everyone involved in the processs.

The girls concluded their day with Betty Grahams; a snack of graham crackers and chocolate icing created by Jane Phillips’ grandmother. It is no surprised that everyone loved this snack.

With a smile and hug each girl was sent off but not without well wishes from the staff as they wished them a wonderful spring break!