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Almaden Community Center Fall 2018 Catalog – UPDATED 2022

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Almaden Community Center Fall 2018[CLICK HERE FOR ACCESS TO MORE RECENT ALMADEN COMMUNITY CENTER ACTIVITY GUIDE.]

The Almaden Community Center Fall 2018 Catalog is here, with a host of exciting new activities and programs lined up, including…

Art Start by CLAP (ages 3 – 5) – This activity focuses on developing fine motor skills through drawing, textures, collages and other art techniques. All material provided.

Cartoon Animation by Young Rembrandts (ages 7 – 14) – Develop a sense of humor by learning how to draw and illustrate goofy expressions and hilarious situations in cartoons.

Junior Chemical Engineering: Crazy Connections by Engineering for Kids (ages 5 – 7) – Experiment with bubbles, playdough and other material to learn more about solids, liquids and gases.

Chemical Engineering: Mix it Up by Engineering for Kids (ages 8 – 12) – Create your own rocket fuel or find out the secrets behind color pigmentation. Participants will use various ingredients to create mixtures, solutions and learn about chemical reactions.

Little Wilderness Medicine by Little Medical School (ages 5 – 12) – Learn valuable outdoor skills including how to deal with weather exposure, snake bites and other outdoor emergencies in this cool program about Wilderness Medicine.

Minecraft, Animated! By Techsplosion (ages 5 – 11) – Make fabulous stop-motion animated movies and create life-like sets using cameras and Minecraft characters.

Junior Wedo Lego Robotics: Robots in Motion by Engineering for Kids (ages 5 – 7) – Learn to use and program with Lego Wedo Robotics 2.0. After completion, kids can move on to Robo Battles.

Ninjago Workshop Using Lego by Play-well Teknology (ages 5 – 8) – Help defeat the evil Lord Garmadon by building cool Lego Ninjago machines and tools!

 

5D Playday at Santa Clara Valley Horsemen’s Association

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5D playdayThe Santa Clara Valley Horsemen’s Association 5D Playday summer event series continues on Sunday, June 25, 2018, and then again on August 26, 2018.

The events of the 5D Playday series include Barrels, Speed Barrels, Single Stake, Pole Bending, Birangle and more. If you have a horse and want to join the events, the fees are $30 for members (cash only) and $35 for day-members, for all events. Participants of all levels of experience are welcome.

Sign-ups are at 8:00 am; events begin at 9:00 am. Parking and admission are free. Breakfast and lunch are available for purchase at the snack shack.

If you would rather just soak in the fun, take your kids, family and friends and head to the Santa Clara Valley Horsemen’s Association this weekend for an exciting day right here in Almaden Valley.

The Association was formed in 1939 to promote a better understanding of horses and an enthusiasm for riding. It is located at 20350 McKean Road, San Jose, CA, 95120.

For more information, visit: http://horsemens.org

Almaden Community Center Summer Camps 2018 – UPDATED 2022

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[CLICK HERE FOR ACCESS TO MORE RECENT ALMADEN COMMUNITY CENTER ACTIVITY GUIDE.]

Registration is now open for Almaden Community Center summer camps!

The Spring 2018 activity guide details a huge variety of summer camps offered from June through August, designed to keep teens and kids of all ages creatively engaged this summer.

The camps are broadly categorized into the following groups: Music and Dance, Art and Craft, Sports, Science, Engineering and Robotics. Many of them have full-day and half-day options. Here’s a sample of what’s in the guide…

Art and Craft

  • Art Start – Painting, drawing and collage
  • If You Give a Mouse a Cookie – Art and reading camp for tiny tots
  • Origami
  • And more!

Music and Dance for Tiny Tots

  • Anna and Elsa Dance Camp – A fantasy adventure with song and dance party and Frozen themed games
  • Cheerleading Dance Camp – Learn the latest in hip hop and cheer leading moves
  • Princess Dance Camp Royal Ball – Tiny tots attend balls with fairy princesses
  • And more!

Lego Camps

  • Jedi Engineering, Jedi Master and Jedi Cadets
  • Minecraft Build Adventure Games using Lego
  • Lego Robotics using Wedo and EV3
  • And more!

Camps by Mad Science

  • Spy Academy
  • Eureka Young Inventor’s Camp
  • NASA Journey into Outer Space
  • And more!

Camps by Engineering for Kids

  • Electronic Game Design
  • Minecraft Virtual Education
  • 3D Printing – Superheroes to the rescue
  • And more!

Sports camps by Skyhawks

  • Basketball, golf, tennis, volleyball, soccer, and more!

 

Almaden Sporting League Registrations Winter 2018

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Almaden Sporting League RegistrationsHello Almaden friends and neighbors,

Winter break is underway and I trust many of you are enjoying it with your families at home or at wonderful holiday destinations.

For families with young kids who are excited to start or get back to sporting leagues, here’s a little reminder of Almaden sporting league registrations that are open now or scheduled to start in January.

The Almaden Valley Girls Softball League – Registration for the 2018 Spring / Summer season is open now. For more information, go to http://avgsl.org/index.html.

The Almaden Valley Recreational Soccer registration opens Jan 8, 2018. Check out their page on http://www.almadensoccer.org/news_article/show/866156?referrer_id=2633.

Registrations are also open for the Almaden Little League Baseball team. Visit their page at http://tshq.bluesombrero.com/Default.aspx?tabid=1844237.

As we prepare to wind up this year and ring in the new, I take this opportunity to wish you and your family a fun-filled and joyous holiday season, and a very happy new year!

Watch this space for more blogs on Almaden news and events in 2018.

Almaden Community Center Winter 2018 Catalog – UPDATED 2022

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Almaden Community Center Winter 2018

[CLICK HERE FOR ACCESS TO MORE RECENT ALMADEN COMMUNITY CENTER ACTIVITY GUIDE.]

The Almaden Community Center Winter 2018 catalog has arrived! The activity guide details a host of exciting activities from January 2018 to March 2018.

Highlights include a number of new classes, special events like the North Pole Party, and camps like the President’s Week Camp and Futsal Camp. Here’s a preview of what’s inside…

New Classes:

* Apprentice Aerospace Engineering – Up, Up and Away
* Junior Aerospace – Taking to the Skies
* Behind the Brush!
* Beginning Fencing

Special Events:

  • North Pole Party – Join Santa in this fun-filled party at the North Pole with lots of food, music, art activities and even a special gift. The event takes place on Dec. 14, 2017, 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm at the Almaden Community Center.

Camps:

  • President’s Week Camp – This camp is conducted by the Almaden Community Center staff and includes a variety of arts and crafts, games, activities and even a day field trip. Camp goes from Feb. 20-23, 2018, 8:00 am to 6:00 pm at the Almaden Community Center.
  • Futsal Camp – Futsal is a fast-paced 5×5 soccer game played indoors on a basketball court. This week-long camp is a great way to initiate your child into Futsal or soccer. Camp goes from Feb. 20-23, 2018, 9:00 am to 12:00 noon at the Almaden Community Center.

 

Mt. Umunhum Opens to the Public

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Mt. UmunhumThe long wait is finally over! The summit of Mt. Umunhum is now open to the public. With its landmark cube tower visible to the Almaden Valley and all over the South Bay, the reopening of this summit after 37 years has been a much anticipated even.

At an altitude of 3,486 feet, Mt. Umunhum is located in the Santa Cruz Mountains within the Sierra Azul Open Preserve. In recent years, it attracted a lot of attention from conservationists and nature enthusiasts, especially for its military contribution as an early warning radar station during the cold war years.

The summit offers stunning views of the peninsula extending to Monterey Bay, and at times even the Sierra Nevada range. The area surrounding the peak has new trails leading up to the summit, notably the 4-mile Mt. Umunhum trail, starting from the Bald Mountain parking lot.

The facilities at the top include a parking lot for about 54 cars, a restroom, a summit shelter, a viewpoint, a trailhead shelter and picnic tables.

Mt. Umunhum is definitely a must visit. Almaden residents now have an accessible peak comparable to Mt. Diablo and Mt. Hamilton. For more information, visit: https://www.openspace.org/mount-umunhum

Almaden Community Center Fall 2017 Catalog – UPDATED 2022

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Almaden Community Center Fall 2017[CLICK HERE FOR ACCESS TO MORE RECENT ALMADEN COMMUNITY CENTER ACTIVITY GUIDE.]

The Almaden Community Center Fall 2017 Catalog lists a lot of new and exciting activities lined up this fall. The activity guide covers classes, camps and activities from September 2017 to December 2017.

The highlights include a host of new classes, special events like the Harvest Festival and Halloween Party, and camps like the Fall Break Day Camp. Here’s a summary of what you will find…

New Classes:

  • Elementary Funtoons!
  • Pastel Drawing – Even More Magnificent Masters
  • Apprentice Mechanical Engineering: Master Machines
  • Electronic Game Design – Platform Games
  • Girl powered engineering using Lego
  • Junior Mechanical Engineering – Widgets and Gadgets
  • Junior Software Engineering using Scratch – Space P
  • Little Sports Medicine
  • Little Veterinarian School
  • Beginner Fencing

Special Events:

  • 10th Annual Harvest Festival and Holiday Boutique – 10/21/2017, 11:00 am to 4:00 pm
  • Halloween Party – 10/26/2017, 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm
  • Breakfast with Santa – 12/9/2017, 9:30 am to 12:00 pm
  • North Pole Party – 12/14/2017, 4:00 p, to 5:30 pm

Camps:

  • Fall Break Day Camp – 10/2/2017 – 10/6/2017, 8:00 am to 6:00 pm

Bats Over Calero at Calero County Park – UPDATED 2022

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Bat InnIf you enjoy observing creatures in their natural habitats, Bats Over Calero at Calero County Park may be just the thing for you. On this tour, the Calero County Park rangers will be taking you on a guided van ride to Bat Inn, deep in the heart of the park.

The Calero County Park is a regional park with a variety of recreation areas and activities. The park primarily includes the Calero County reservoir, which offers a boat launch ramp and host of water activities during the summer, and the “back country” which includes a variety of plant and wildlife habitats.

At the Bat Inn, during the twilight hours, you can view thousands of bats as they emerge from the cave after sleeping through the day. Before the tour, there will be a presentation on the life and habitats of bats. Bring a flashlight, a folding chair or a mat and bug repellent. Dress in long pants and sturdy shoes. Please note that flash photography is not allowed on this tour. The tour cost is $15 per person. Making prior reservations for this tour is recommended. Call 408-535-4070.

When: July 13th, 2017 – 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Where: Calero County Park – 23205 McKean Rd San Jose, CA 95120

For more information visit: https://www.sccgov.org/sites/parks/parkfinder/Pages/Calero.aspx

Santa Clara County Horsemen’s Association

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Calling all horse lovers and equestrians!

Santa Clara County Horsemen's AssociationThe Santa Clara County Horsemen’s Association is holding a series of playday events and shows though this summer. The scheduled dates are June 11, July 9, and August 13.

The events are in the 5D format and include barrels, speed-barrels, single-stake, pole bending, birangle and big-t.

To participate, you can sign up at the venue at 8:00 am. The events begin at 9:00 am. So, if you are a rider, a horse lover, or would just like to see some fine equestrian displays, come to one of these Santa Clara County Horsemen’s Association playdays!

Details at a glance:

Dates: June 11, July 9, August 11

Venue: 20350 McKean Rd., San Jose, 95120

Fees: Members – $30, for all events; non-members – $35, for all events. Fees are to be paid in cash.

For more information, contact Karen Tarasco at 408-705-7024 or visit www.horsemens.org.

Summer Fun at Almaden Valley Pools and Cabana Clubs

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With summer around the corner, there’s nothing more inviting than a dip in the pool. Here’s a roundup of all the Almaden Valley pools and cabana clubs where you and your family can cool off from the sizzling heat.

Almaden Valley Pools and Cabana Clubs, Almaden Cabana ClubAlmaden Cabana Club

The Almaden Cabana Club is located on Bret Harte Drive and serves the residents of the Almaden Park and Shadow Brook II areas of Almaden Valley. It operates from May to September and is the perfect place to relax with your family and socialize with your neighbors.

The club is home to the Dolphins swim team. The Almaden Cabana Club also offers summer swim lessons for kids of both member and non-member families. For more information, visit http://www.almadencabana.com.

Shadow Brook Swim ClubAlmaden Valley Pools and Cabana Clubs, Shadow Brook Swim Club

The Shadow Brook Swim Club is a neighborhood cabana club for residents of the Shadow Brook neighborhood of Almaden Valley. Located at the corner of Almaden Expressway and Shadow Brook Drive, this club is home to the Shadow Brook Sharks swim team.

The pool is open annually between May and September. The club also offers summer swim lessons to kids. For more information, visit www.shadowbrook.org.

Almaden Valley Pools and Cabana Clubs, ASRCAlmaden Swim and Racquet Club (ASRC)

The Almaden Swim and Racquet Club is a popular sports and recreation club in Almaden Valley. Serving about 300 members, it is located on Northridge Drive in the prestigious Country Club neighborhood of Almaden. The facility offers a swimming pool, a kids wading pool, and a hot tub, in addition to six USTA championship tennis courts. ASRC membership is open to all, though there is a wait list. The club offers swimming lessons in the summer. For more information go to www.almadensrc.org.

The ASRC is also home to the Quicksilver swim team and Masters (QSS), which offers year-round competitive swim training for kids and adults. QSS also has a summer swim team. For more information, go to https://www.teamunify.com/Home.jsp?team=pcqs.

Montevideo Cabana and ClubAlmaden Valley Pools and Cabana Clubs, Montevideo

Residents of the Montevideo neighborhood in Almaden Valley can swim at the Montevideo Cabana Club. This club is home to the Piranhas swim team and offers summer swim lessons. The club also includes other fun facilities like a volleyball court. For more information, visit http://www.gopiranhas.com.

So, get ready for a summer packed with pool parties and grilling get-togethers, and go make a splash!

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