Your reporter attended the Valley Home Joint School District Graduation on Tuesday evening May 21, 2013. The ceremony held in the school multi-purpose room was quite pleasant and the attractive decoration plants were provided by the Knudsen Nursery. The traditional processional music, Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance brought the fifteen graduates to chairs at the front. Ciara Mitchell, Juana Glover and Juan Cabrera lead the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag followed by a welcome from School Superintendent Mrs. Desrosiers-Lewis.
The Sam Hartsfield Memorial Award was presented to Ana Zepeda, followed by Taylor Poot receiving the Valley Home Teachers’ Association Award. Mr. Reid presented the Presidential Excellence Gold awards to Halley Smith, Taylor Poot, Stephanie Lee, Samantha Lara and Ana Zepeda. The Silver Presidential Awards went to Mayra Gomez and Brett Eskew, followed Citizenship Awards to Juana Glover, Juan Cabrera, Ciara Mitchell and Brett Eskew.
The 2013 Valley Home Joint School District Graduates were: Dillon Arnebeck, Alejandro Barocio, Juan Penelozo Cabrera, Brett Eskew, Juana Glover, Mayra Gomez, Damien Howard, Samantha Lara, Stephanie Lee, Ciara Mitchell, Taylor Poot, Halley Smith, Diego Velez, Ana Zepeda and Maria Zepeda. Best wishes are sent to the graduates in their future life ahead of them.
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Special Awards - Box Top contest, Second Grade Reading Awards - First Grade Reading Awards - were presented at the Honor Roll Ceremony for K-3 students on May 22nd.
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A combined group of 11 Cub Scouts from Pack 43, accompanied by eight adults and five Girl Scouts from Troop 3248 accompanied by three adults and two girl scouts from Troop 3811 accompanied by an adult and eight members of the Oakdale Garden Club and seven members of the Oakdale Historical Society did a wonderful job of placing 618 American Flags at the graves of Veterans buried at the Oakdale Citizens’ Cemetery on Saturday morning before Memorial Day. This is the largest number of helpers that the Oakdale Historical Society has had to help with this important memorial event.
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Navy retired Chief Petty Officer Glenn Burghardt gave a brief talk on the Civil War Veterans buried at the Oakdale Citizens’ Cemetery and how a veteran is an important resident of the city and without these persons the world would not be complete. This was part of the Memorial Day Ceremony provided by Romain Schell VFW Post 2922. Petty Officer Burghardt’s grandson, Merced High School student, Mitchell Cobb was asked again by the VFW Post to read the Memorial Hymn “Cover Them Over With Flowers” as part of the program.
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Birthday wishes go out to Glenn Burghardt who celebrated his birthday last Friday and to Eva Matos who celebrated hers yesterday. Birthday wishes also go out to Estelle Barnhill who will celebrate her birthday on Friday, May 30th.
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Anniversary wishes go out to Larry and Mary Fraguero who celebrated their wedding anniversary last Friday and to Jim and Emily Bush who celebrated their wedding anniversary yesterday.
