St. Mary Magdalen School of Camarillo was honored recently for its accomplishments in the First In Math® Online Program designed to sharpen basic skills.

The school's first and third grade online teams ranked second among all first and third grade California teams in the Program, while the school ranked third overall in the state. In early June, students were honored by Barbara Asteak, vice president of Pennsylvania-based Suntex International (creator of First in Math) for their achievements.

The First in Math Program is based on the popular 24® game series, a teaching tool which, for almost two decades, has helped children improve their computation, problem solving, number sense, critical thinking, and pattern sensing skills. Students in the First in Math program earn electronic award stickers by solving problems of increasing difficulty beginning with one-step addition and culminating with complex algebra. The stickers earned by each student are combined for a "Team Total."

Students in participating schools throughout the U.S. so far have earned over 94 million stickers, spending tens of thousands of hours doing math. Most of the time St. Mary Magdalen students participate in the program is outside of school hours.

Guitar program at St. Jude's aids Ugandan children
Having conducted an increasingly popular guitar program for its youth, St. Jude Church in Westlake Village recently used its young guitarists to support children half a world away.

The St. Jude Catholic Community Guitarists held a concert June 10 to raise money for the children in Uganda. The outreach was inspired by Father Matthias Walumba, who served his transitional diaconate at St. Jude's while in priesthood formation at St. John's Seminary in Camarillo --- and, while there, shared with youth his love of classical guitar.

After he was ordained to the priesthood and returned to Uganda, the students decided that this year, they would use their annual Spring Concert to raise money for a charity.

"We contacted Father Matthias in Uganda," said Donna Zitzelberger who began the guitar program at St. Jude in 2003 with nine children from the parish school and community, "and found out that his parish has many orphans in need of schooling. He has dreams to put together a working farm that would generate funds to keep the children going to school. He was thrilled to know that we wanted to help him get this project started."

The concert included music from classical to flamenco and various rock and popular songs. Every year it's a thrill to watch and listen as the children, teens and adults grow on the guitar," said Zitzelberger, has been a guitarist for St. Jude for the last 15 years and has 30 years' experience in a variety of styles. "They are seeing how their music can make a difference in the world."

The St. Jude guitar program begins with basic guitar skills, which provide the foundation for all styles of playing. Students then learn more complex guitar techniques, as well as learning to read music notation, and are introduced to liturgical music ministry. When they are ready, students participate in the liturgy.

Serra Club event set July 22 in Fillmore
The Serra Club of San Buenaventura will hold its first fundraising event --- a barbecue with silent auction and entertainment --- on July 22 in Fillmore.

With chapters throughout the United States, the Serra Club is dedicated to the promotion and affirmation of vocations to the priesthood and consecrated religious life. For information, call Carmen Gonzalez, (805) 304-0132.