One of the many benefits of our Sunnyvale Challenge Team is the networking that occurs at the monthly meeting. At the conclusion of last month's meeting, I was contacted by Gina Roberti, a Community Engagement Manager for Reading Partners, a non-profit organization providing services throughout the nation. She explained the mission of the group was to provide individualized instruction to help children become life long readers and said there was a serious need for volunteer tutors in Sunnyvale. Ms. Roberti advised that participation by law enforcement officers in other areas of the region and throughout the country has proven to be very beneficial for the children and the participating agencies. We agreed to talk further and met last week to get more details about the program. Here are some key takeaways from the follow-up meeting:

Even though we live and work in one of the world's most affluent area, there are a considerable number of students who are reading below grade level.
Children who cannot read proficiently by fourth grade are four times less likely to graduate from high school on time, hindering their chances to succeed in college, career, and life.
By becoming a reading partner and volunteering for as little as one hour a week, you can help a child learn to read and make a measurable and meaningful difference in a students life.
Pairing a student with a public safety officer will help strengthen community relationships.
The Program is very flexible and will work around busy schedules to accommodate volunteer opportunities.

I found the meetings to be very timely as the month of March is dedicated to National Reading Awareness Month. In fact, on Monday, March 2, members of the Department of Public Safety participated in the National Read Across America/Dr. Seuss' Birthday event. The benefits of these efforts are clear and we have committed to participating in the reading partners program. Please consider joining us in this effort to help children in our community. Further information about these efforts can be found at the following locations:

http://www.readaloud.org/

http://readingpartners.org/

Chief Grgurina

TEL (408) 730-7140
TDD (408) 730-7501

or email to: pubsfty@sunnyvale.ca.gov

March is National Reading Month

Each year at the beginning of March, school children kick off National Reading Month by celebrating the birthday of the beloved Dr. Seuss. Teachers will design contests, family literacy events, and even pajama & pillow days to provide cozy mornings of uninterrupted reading. With help from Read Across America, their goal is motivating kids to read every day of the year.

Research findings outlined in a recent report of the National Early Literacy Panel highlight the fact that literacy skills begin to develop at birth. The panel identified a number of early skills that are related to and may even help predict a child's later success with reading and writing.

Skills closely related to later success with reading and writing

Alphabet knowledge - the ability to name letters and the sounds they make
Phonological awareness - the ability to hear and manipulate the sounds of spoken language (such as hear the beginning sound of a word)
Rapid letter or number naming - the ability to quickly name letters or numbers
Rapid object or color naming-the ability to quickly name random series of colors or objects
Phonological memory-the ability to remember spoken information for a short period of time
Writing letters or one's own name-the ability to write single letters in isolation, or write their own name

So, even young children who are not yet reading can join in the celebration of National Reading Month. While each child's developmental journey has its own pace, the next section describes how you can help foster these important skills with activities that suit your child's current abilities and interests. And chances are, you and your child already engage in some of these activities!

Activities to foster important early skills:

Knowing letters and sounds
Playing with the sounds of language
Remembering what you hear
Quickly naming letters, numbers, objects, and colors
Writing letters, writing your name

With the assurance that even the youngest children are on the road to reading, here's to embracing March as National Get-Ready-to-Read Month and building on these important foundational skills well beyond March 31.

Celebrate National Reading Month by LeapFrog

2015 Crime Prevention Lieutenant

Lieutenant Ava Phillips has been with the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety since 2002. During her time as an officer she has served in Police, Fire and Traffic Enforcement and completed a temporary assignment in Fire Prevention. Lieutenant Phillips is currently assigned as the supervisor for the Crime Prevention Unit.

DPS Welcomes Probation Officer Robert Reyes

Mr. Reyes is a Deputy Probation Officer with the Santa Clara County Probation Department and has been employed there for approximately 17 years. He started working for the department as a community worker for Juvenile Treatment Court and was hired shortly after as a Juvenile Hall Counselor. Within the last five years in the Juvenile Division, he has been assigned to the Central Unit, which is a general supervision caseload with moderate to high risk probationers. In his most recent assignment, he worked in the Family Preservation Unit.

Mr. Reyes is assigned to the Sunnyvale Deptartment of Public Safety to work with first time juvenile offenders who have received misdemeanor citations. He also teaches Choices, a diversion course for minors and their parents.

Sunnyvale PAL and DPS Tour Santa Clara University

On February 18, Sunnyvale Police Activities League and Sunnyvale DPS took a group of Sunnyvale students ages 7-14 years old on a tour of Santa Clara University. The group traveled by train to the campus - for some, it was their first train ride. Once on campus, they were greeted by Assistant Director of Admissions Lorenzo Gamboa.

Mr. Gamboa showed the group around campus explaining available courses of study, application process, tuition costs, scholarships and campus life. The group learned about the library's state of the art Automatic Retrieval System (ARS) that manages a million books. Students can order library books online, then the ARS delivers them to the front counter and sends the student an email when his/her books are ready for pick up.

Later, the group was joined by three Santa Clara University boxers who spoke with the students about their experiences in college and boxing. They also spoke about their career aspirations. The boxers showed the students the gym where the women's basketball team was practicing, the soccer field and the fitness gym. Then it was lunchtime in the school cafeteria which offered everything from tacos to pasta, salads to burgers and Chinese food. The student were impressed!

After lunch, each student received a Santa Clara University t-shirt to remember their trip. Mr. Gamboa generously offered to provide ongoing guidance to any of the students who were interested in attending the university.

From left to right: Waiting for the train. On the train to SCU. Walking on campus! Imagine - at the campus library. Admissions Office

Sunnyvale PAL and SCU - Dodge Ackermann Memorial Bouts

Sunnyvale Police Activities League and Santa Clara University teamed up to host the 2015 Dodge Ackerman Memorial Bouts at the Sunnyvale Boxing Club/Gateway Neighborhood Center on Saturday, February 21. The annual event is held in memory of Santa Clara University boxer, Dodge Ackerman, who passed away from cancer in 2003.The event drew collegiate fighters from all around California and as far away as Washington State and Nevada State Universities along with a full house of spectators.

Opening ceremonies included a parade of boxers led by the Sunnyvale Explorer Post 417 Color Guard and Stewart Tartans Pipes and Drums followed by a live performance of the National Anthem. The Sunnyvale Elks Lodge hosted the snack bar to benefit Sunnyvale PAL and music and sound was provided by Jeff Turner Music. Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety's Chief Frank Grgurina welcomed everyone and the bell rang for the first of 15 bouts to begin. Be The Match� was also on hand to collect potential bone marrow donor information. Be the Match is a global leader in bone marrow transplantation. They conduct research to improve transplant outcomes provide support and resources for patients, and partner with a global network.

For more information about Sunnyvale PAL programs and events please visit www.sunnyvalepal.com and for more information about our program partners:

Santa Clara University www.scu.edu

Jeff Turner www.jeffturnermusic.net

Sunnyvale Elks Lodge www.elks.org

Stewart Tartan Pipes and Drums www.stewarttartan.com

Be the Match www.bethematch.org

Junior Giants 2015

Sunnyvale PAL and Junior Giants Baseball are teaming up for the third season to bring youth baseball to Sunnyvale. Last year, over 200 boys and girls 5-13 years old participated on teams where they learned how to play baseball, and gained valuable life skills through character development activities.

The Jr Giants program was created by the Giants Community Fund in 1994 and has over 90 leagues throughout California, Oregon and Nevada. The program is non-competitive and free for the participants. The Giants Community Fund provides all of the uniforms, equipment and training, as well as tickets to select Giants games so that players can experience a Major League baseball game. In addition to the fundamentals of baseball, the Junior Giants Program focuses on the Four Bases of Character Development: Confidence, Integrity, Leadership and Teamwork.

What makes Junior Giants Baseball unique?

It's free!
It's for girls and boys
Higher value is placed on character rather than wins and losses
Professional training by the Giants is provided to the coaches
Pitching machines and T's are used, and coaches can pitch to players if desired
Programs on education, health, & violence prevention are included - players have to read, track healthy habits, & practice a peace pledge throughout the season

Registration

Online registration is from April 22 to May 20. There is a link at SunnyvalePAL.com under Programs - Jr Giants. In person registration is on April 25 at the Fit & Fun Earth Day Fair at Columbia Neighborhood Center, 785 Morse Ave., Sunnyvale.

Coaches and Assistant Coaches Are Needed

No prior coaching experience is necessary. Many of the youth have never played before, so being organized and patient are more important than extensive baseball knowledge. If you like to mentor and teach youth, that's a great start and you can learn the rest. The Giants and local staff provide great support, including a one day Coaches Clinic at AT&T Park or San Jose Municipal Stadium, and a presence at practices and games. All equipment, training, and materials needed for a successful season are provided. The commitment for coaches is one weekly practice in the late afternoon/early evening, and one game on Saturday for the eight week program. All potential coaches must complete a background check (fingerprinting) prior to starting their volunteer duties. There is no charge for this.

For more information, see the Sunnyvale PAL website, or email JrGiants@sunnyvalepal.com.

Tip a Cop at PF Chang's

On March 4, Sunnyvale Public Safety Officers turned in their ticket books for serving trays at PF Chang's during the year's first Sunnyvale Tip a Cop for Special Olympics. The event was very successful with more than $3200 in tips raised to help support local Special Olympics athletes.In addition to meeting the officers, guests were able to meet Special Olympics athletes and learn about their medals and sports. PF Chang's hosted Tip a Cop events at five other locations the same evening - Fremont, San Jose, Palo Alto, Pleasanton and Monterey.

The Sunnyvale's next Tip a Cop will be on Tuesday, April 14 at Country Gourmet from 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. 2015 Torch Run T-shirts and Pigskin Madness Sweepstakes Entries will be available at this event.

DPS events

Tip a Cop Breakfast/Lunch at Country Gourmet

Neighborhood Crime Prevention Workshop

Sunnyvale Fit and Fun Earth Day Fair

ASSET OF THE MONTH --- Creative Activities

Young people spend three or more hours per week in lessons or practice in music,
theater or other arts.

THE IMPORTANCE OF CREATIVE ACTIVITIES

For many young people, creative activities can fulfill what Peter Benson describes as a "spark" - the hidden flames that tap their true passions, motivate and inspire them to achieve and create, and keep
them on a positive path. Youth who have sparks and are surrounded by people who recognize and
support their sparks, have higher grades in school, are more social competent, are more likely to
volunteer to help other people, have a greater sense of purpose, and are less likely to experience
depression.

Creative activities are one of the most common categories where youth find their sparks. Even if
creative activities are not a young person's life passion, they still provide benefits like fostering
creative problem solving, critical thinking and discipline, and provide opportunities to connect with
instructors who are role models and caring adults.

The following are discussion topics that can help young people recognize the value of creative
activities and identify new kinds of creative activities that they might be interested in:

Think back on the art you've created. Is there a particular piece that you're most proud of? Why?
Who is your favorite musician? What do you like about their music?
If you could be a professional artist, what would you be-painter, dancer, singer, actor, sculptor, craftsperson, or writer? Why?
If you could take lessons in anything that would you learn?
How do the creative activities that you do teach you more about yourself?

ACTIVITIES

The following suggestions offer ways to integrate creative arts into everyday activities, and to use

creative activities as an opportunity for asset building.

FOR FAMILIES

Help your children identify their creative sparks! Expose them to a variety of creative activities, and find follow-up lessons when they find something they're interested in.
Help your child understand that their mentors in creative activities are caring adults in their lives.
Advocate for your school to provide balance for students by serving as a voice for arts programs.

FOR ALL ADULTS

Demonstrate the importance of creative activities to young people. Make an effort to find out about the creative activities of the youth in your circle, and share the creative activities in which you participate. Don't just share what you've created-explain why you enjoy your activity and how you feel while you're engaging in it.
If the young people in your life participate in creative activities, support them! Attend their art shows, performances, recitals, and concerts.

FOR ADULTS WHO WORK DIRECTLY WITH YOUTH

Does your organization allow young people to sit on boards and committees that affect its mission and programs? Including youth input at the highest levels not only creates valuable opportunities for young people but also helps your organization ensure that it's in touch with the needs and desires of the youth you serve.
Be sure to create opportunities for all youth to feel like valuable resources. For example, a county sheriff's office found that youth with low grades wanted to volunteer in the community as much as better students, but the community rarely asked those underachieving students to contribute. All young people deserve the opportunity to feel that their opinions and contributions are valued.

AT SCHOOL OR IN YOUTH PROGRAMS

Make an effort to ensure that the creative activities you provide take into account young people's different interests and skills. For example, some young people who do not enjoy drawing or coloring may prefer opportunities in photography or digital arts.
Help kids get exposed to a variety of creative processes through a "Give It a Try!" For an art "Give It a Try," obtain a variety of art supplies and sample projects. Encourage kids to try a kids who don't feel confident or inspired enough to come with a new idea, but be sure to allow kids who have another idea about what they want to make.

This article was provided courtesy of Project Cornerstone. For more information, visit www.projectcornerstone.org.

Nixle

What is Nixle?

Nixle is a free community messaging system which utilizes a secure network to ensure creditability and reliability of information. DPS will use the NIXLE system to notify residents about important events happening within, or affecting the city. Residents receive updates via text, web, and email to stay informed of important notifications.

How can I sign-up for Nixle notifications?

Go to www.nixle.com
Click on "Sign Up Free!"
Enter information on this screen (There is no need to enter home phone since the cell will be used for text alerts)
Your account is started. Go to "Settings" and sign up for "Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety." Just be sure to click "Save" when completed. (You can sign up for other agencies by using either their name or a zip code to receive alerts.)

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