Basketball and Swim Teams Registrations Open

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Basketball and swimWith the new school year in full swing and kids back into routine, it’s now time for sports registrations. Currently, registrations are underway for basketball and swim teams in Almaden.

Basketball

The Almaden NJB Youth Basketball League 2019-2020 registrations are now open. The Almaden NJB offers an exciting opportunity for both girls and boys to play in division, all-star and all-net, with teams advancing to the national tournament. Here are some dates to remember:

  • Registration: currently open
  • Mandatory player evaluations (grades 3-8): Sept 21-22
  • First games (division and all-net): November 24

Since the NJB is completely a volunteer-led program, there are several volunteer positions open that you may also consider, if interested. For more information, visit: http://www.almadennjb.org

Year-round Swim Teams

The two year-round swim teams in and around Almaden are the Almaden Riptides, which practices at the Shadowbrook Swim club, and the Quicksilver Swim team (QSS), which practices at both Gunderson High and the Almaden Swim and Racquet Club (ASRC). Both are currently accepting registrations. Further, while both are year-long competitive swim teams, they also offer recreational swim options. For more information, visit: https://www.almadenriptides.com and https://www.teamunify.com/Home.jsp?_tabid_=0&team=pcqs

Almaden Community Center Summer 2019

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Almaden Community Center Summer 2019Almaden Community Center Summer 2019

Spring is well under way, and with just a few short weeks left of the school year, are you wondering how to keep your kids engaged during the summer? Well, here are the highlights of the popular summer camps and activities at the Almaden Community Center. You can view the full catalog here: Almaden Community Center Summer Catalog 2019

Dance

From fairy-tale themed dances for the tiny tots to the more energetic hip-hop and cheerleading style moves for the older kids, the dance camps will have them moving and grooving in no time. Look up:

  • Camp Dance
  • Anna and Elsa Dance Camp
  • Cheerleading/Hip-Hop Dance Camp
Sports by Skyhawks

The sports camps by Skyhawks are intensive camps for both beginner and intermediate levels, where participants have fun and also pick up essential skills to excel. Some of the sports taught by Skyhawks are:

  • Basketball
  • Beginner Golf
  • Flag Football
  • Tennis
  • Volleyball
  • Track and Field
STEM with Mad Science

For kids with a curious bent of mind, the STEM camps conducted by Mad Science are sure to keep them thinking and tinkering all summer long. Check out:

  • Eureka! Young Inventors Camp
  • Fizz-Ical Phenomena and Che-Mystery
  • Jet Cadets
LEGO and Minecraft

For the little gaming and engineering enthusiasts, the LEGO and Minecraft camps are sure to enthrall. Consider:

  • Harry Potter Magical and Master Engineering
  • Bash’ em Bots
  • Brixology
  • Jedi Engineering
  • Minecraft Build Adventure and Survival Game
  • Minecraft Edu Theme Park Mania
Art and Craft Camps

For the budding young artists and the crafty kids, there are:

  • 3D Printing
  • Art Start
  • Art with Masters
  • Origami

The camps run on a weekly basis from June through August. Be sure to register as soon as possible on or after May 4th at 10:00 AM for Summer 2019! For more information, call the Almaden Community Center at 408.268.1133 or visit: www.sjregistration.com

 

On the Wildflower Trail in Almaden

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Wildflower trail AlmadenSpring is well and truly upon us, and with it comes the enchantment and wonder of the wildflowers. After a particularly wet winter, the hills around Almaden Valley and the nature parks surrounding it are now bejewelled in a riot of colors in the form of spring wildflowers. Besides the poppies, daisies and clovers carpeting the meadows, one can also find the jewelflower, the California gilia, the California buttercup, brodiaea, baby blue eyes, woodland star and the shooting star, among other varieties dotting the hills.

For the avid nature lover and photographer in you, the following trails in the county parks surrounding Almaden Valley are bound to delight in their abundance of wildflowers.

Almaden Quicksilver County Park:
  • Senador Trail to Guadalupe
  • Trail to Mine Hill
  • Castillero Trail
Calero County Park:
  • Serpentine Loop Trail
Coyote Lake – Harvey Bear Ranch County Park:
  • Coyote Ridge Trail
  • Calaveras Trail
Santa Teresa County Park:
  • Rocky Ridge Trail
  • Stiles Trail
Grant County Park:
  • San Felipe Trail at Corral Trail
  • Halls Valley Trail
  • Brush Trail at Dutch Flat Trail

Whether you are a dedicated outdoors person or prefer to explore nature at leisure, now is the time to hit the trails. Walk or hike on these easily accessible trails and experience the many splendours of spring wildflowers in Almaden.

For more information, visit: https://www.sccgov.org/sites/parks/Whats-Happening/Documents/sccp-wldlfr17-web.pdf

Almaden Community Center Winter 2019 Activities and Classes

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Almaden Community Center Winter 2019

The Almaden Community Center Winter 2019 activities and classes are open for registration. Here are some of the exciting new offerings for the season.

Art with the Masters – Participants will learn about some of the great masters in art and study their paintings.

Painting Party with Ms. Marla – Learn to paint from scratch. All painting material including canvas, paints and brushes will be provided.

Apprentice Electrical Engineering: Electrified – Participants use Snap Circuits and other engineering design process tools to design, create and test various electronic circuits. Objects designed include a flashlight and a magnetic levitation vehicle!

Electronic Game Design: Racing Games – Participants create their own racing games complete with cars, race tracks and the full racing environment. Fun stuff for the young speedsters.

Junior Civil Engineering: Fun Foundation – In this fun class, children understand the engineering concepts behind big infrastructure projects like skyscrapers and bridges.

Junior Wedo Lego Robotics 2.0: Robots in Motion – Children learn to build robots using Lego Wedo.

Little Sports Medicine – In Little Sports Medicine, your child can learn about common sports related injuries and how real doctors do their diagnoses.  

Minecraft YouTubers: Let’s Play – This is an exciting one for the diehard young Minecrafters. Participants create and upload Minecraft videos for YouTube, and in the process also learn about Internet safety.

New Year, New You – As we move towards 2019, find your inspiration through this motivational course. Goals, dreams, ideas and joy. Explore your inner zen.

For more information on these courses and to enroll, call 408-793-5565 or view the full catalog here.

Almaden Community Center Fall 2018 Catalog

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Almaden Community Center Fall 2018The 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!

To register for these and other Almaden Community Center activities, call (408) 268-1133 or visit: www.sanjoseca.gov/prns

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

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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!

For more information including schedule and fees, visit: https://issuu.com/sjparksandrec/docs/almaden_community_center_4ef9f0ee2c0588

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

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Almaden Community Center Winter 2018

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.

To view the complete Almaden Community Center Winter 2018 catalog, click here: https://issuu.com/sjparksandrec/docs/almaden_20community_20center

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