3 things to do on a rainy day

1. Find a good book.
2. Sit down in a comfy chair.
3. Get lost in the adventure that awaits.

Latinos find success in BEHS service class December 19, 2012

This is the article that I wrote and was published in the Box Elder 
News Journal in Brigham City, UT

Latinos In Action

By Sharee Wanner
Staff writer

For Mauricio Valdez, his family’s move to Brigham City was terribly frightening for the small boy. It was more than just a new place; Mauricio couldn’t read, write or speak the language, either. Somewhere along the way, however, someone had a lasting impact on Mauricio, and he is now paying the favor forward by participating in Box Elder High School’s Latinos In Action class.
“I’m not sure who made a difference. I didn’t read a lot until I was in ninth grade,” said Mauricio, who indicated that he never really read anything. “But now I can read 600 pages in like a week.”
Mauricio is one of 21 students in the Latinos In Action Class who go to Lake View Elementary four times a week to help first graders improve their reading and literacy skills by reading short stories and working on fluency, phonetics and sight words exercises.
“It’s a critical time and very important to learn to read,” Mauricio said. “It’s very rewarding. It makes me feel good when I get to help.”
Mauricio and his classmates work one-on-one with the elementary students they mentor and are fully engaged with them for the 30-minute class. The students even form bonds as they get to know each other’s likes and favorite things to do.
High school student Ruben Davila said the biggest thing he’s learned from the program—“keeping the kids on track and on task”—is leadership.
Daniela Macias said, “I love the kids. I can translate to other people who are unable to speak English.”
The Latinos In Action program was started in Provo, but has expanded to several schools in Utah, Texas and Washington State. This is the second year Box Elder High School has sponsored the class. In order to be a member of the class, a student must be of Latino descent and maintain a good G.P.A. In addition to the reading program, the Latinos In Action class has other requirements for service and education, including sponsoring cultural activities at the high school.
According to Box Elder High School Latinos In Action advisor, Robbie Gunter, the program embraces “the good of both cultures and...trying to change the future of kids’ families by helping them graduate from high school and have the opportunity to go to college.” Likewise, the effects the youth in the Latinos In Action program have on their elementary-aged protégées will last for many years to come.
What’s more, high school students learn skills while participating in the Latinos In Action class will contribute to their future successes.

Mark Johnson, principal at Lake View Elementary, adds, “I am a real believer in service and I think that giving them the opportunity to help a child and having an impact on the future of a first grader can only help them. I think they develop more compassion and a greater sense of responsibility.”

Robbie Gunter agrees the lasting impact will be one of serving their community and trying to better themselves and their future families through education.
“All BEHS seniors in the class graduated last year, three of them are in college, and the rest are working to save money to go.”
As a whole, 100 percent of the students in the program have graduated from high school and 85 percent of them have gone on to further their education in college.

Family Dinner—Make it a Priority

Family Dinner—Make it a Priority

I'm so excited to have this article published on Familius.com! Please click on the above link to check it out!

Published!!!

I have been writing and submitting material for articles. And having a wonderful time doing it! I was hired as a staff writer for a local newspaper and my article "Latinos In Action" was published in December. I was also notified by JoLyn Brown that my story "A Visiting Teaching Angel" was chosen to be published in the book A Circle of Sisters in the spring of 2013. I will have another article in the local newspaper's education section published in the next week or two.
"What the mind can conceive and believe it can achieve!" I've always wanted to get published and now by thinking about it all the time, believing in myself and doing something about it by writing and submitting articles on a regular basis it is happening!

Book Review for Tres Leches Cupcakes by Josi Kilpack

I loved the suspense in Tres Leches Cupcakes! I was on the edge of my seat and I couldn't put it down the last few chapters. Josi has developed a pattern of increasing her skill with words with every book she publishes. Sadie has a knack for getting herself into trouble. She is undercover for the BLM and ends up right in the middle of murder, mystery and getting herself kidnapped. Up to now she's had Caro--Pete's cousin in Santa Fe, as her assistant. To protect Caro and to prevent any further wedges between her and Caro's husband Rex, she leaves for Albuquerque. This however, just complicates things. Caro tries to figure it out on her own and ends up getting herself kidnapped as well. Can Sadie find Caro before something awful happens to her? Narrowly escaping with her life, Sadie asks Rex for help. They put themselves in harms way to save Caro from certain death. This is the best of the series so far! I can't wait for what Josi has in store for Sadie next.

Book Review of Athena—Book 4 of the Newport Ladies Book Club Series

Book Review of Athena—Book 4 of the Newport Ladies Book Club Series

Athena is a successful woman and is quite content to be single. She owns her own business and keeps herself busy with work—lots of work. Her casual relationship with Karl is suddenly at an end when she hesitates at his desire to take it to the next level. He accuses her of being a workaholic. Trying to prove otherwise; she joins a book club, and in the process, meets Grey—the owner of a used book store. Her mother also thinks she needs to make a change in her life. She tries to help by setting Athena up with single Greek men. Athena realizes that she needs to do things differently.

The changes that come, however, are not what Athena expected—tragedy hits her family and she is needed to help care for her ailing father. Through it all she receives support and love from her new-found friends at the book club. Opening her heart to others, helps her to see how much she really does need Grey.

Athena is very well written and my favorite so far!

Texting Through Time

Here is a brief description of the book:
Micah and Alicia are excited to meet John Taylor as a child in England. But when their phone won’t let them return to their own time, they’ll follow the prophet around the world, learning some important lessons along the way. Humorous, entertaining, and informative, this book is a wonderful introduction to church history that’s bound to be a family favorite!

There will be a Book Blast on November 13th. Anyone who goes on Amazon.com and buys a book and then leaves me a comment on my websites or blog will automatically be entered into a drawing to receive a $25.00 gift certificate to Amazon.com.
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http://www.christymonson.com/

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