President’s Report: A Look Ahead at the 2026-2027 School Year
Tutor Support: We understand that people who have been out of the academic world for years might hesitate to tutor elementary students in math or other technical subjects. Don’t worry, we have you covered. Tutor Coordinator Grace Aguinaldo, also a certificated teacher, will match you to the tutoring site and schedule that fits your availability and she will ensure that you have the support you need to enter tutoring. Second, tutoring math is not our students’ only need. Many need to work on reading or being able to express their thoughts in writing. The encouragement and support you offer tremendously impacts their self-confidence. Next, we offer tutors multiple types of support. A site supervisor is always present to guide you in working with your student. Our Program Director, Cristina Antoniolli, and Assistant Director Barbara Mackenzie, have years of teaching experience to back you up. Apart from frequent visits at the sites to answer questions and problem-solve, Cristina and Barb will conduct hands-on First Friday tutor training sessions starting on October 2.
Program Enrichment: CLASP offers healthy nutrition and engaging programs for our students on vacation days when school is not in session. These sessions are opportunities for kids to have fun participating in a structured activity and also a way for them to explore science and nature, learn about careers, and augment our tutoring program. Our all-volunteer Program Enrichment Committee organizes these events throughout the school year. During the current school year, we will repeat our well-loved regular activities such as pumpkin painting, the family holiday concert, the Lunar New Year celebration, and the Read Across America book giveaway. Some form of enrichment is being developed for parent conference week in September so that the children can attend CLASP at their early 1:00 PM dismissal. This ensures students are present for tutoring at their regular time and parents don't have to arrange an early pick up at the schools. Details are being worked out for another ceramic design event on Veterans Day November 11 for our younger students. In the spring we will offer a sports workshop for President's Day and we hope to offer a family night focused on astronomy.
Fundraising and Community Relations: Our hard-working board of volunteer directors needs to raise over $200,000 a year to operate our programs. Apart from obtaining grants, individual donations, contributions from service clubs and other non-profits, our annual gala, “Celebrate CLASP” generates a significant part of those funds. Please save the date: Sunday November 8, 2026 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
CLASP is always happy to partner with other organizations working together to build a network of caring that supports families and youth in Claremont. This September we were pleased to share our story at a Claremont Chamber of Commerce breakfast and at a Claremont University Club meeting.
We were delighted that local realtor JoJo Treadwell featured CLASP in the August edition of the Claremont Post newsletter she edits. Click here to see this informative article.
Realtor and Claremont Post Editor JoJo Treadwell and CLASP Board President Jack Mills at the September Business Over Breakfast meeting of the Claremont Chamber of Commerce.