Give Girls Inc. GIRLStart program a huge kudos. I went to Taylor's parent teacher conference and came out in tears. Taylor's report card was outstanding. I want to especially point out the Student Criterion reading assessments scores from last semester she advanced in all areas with a proficient in vowel clusters. Again thank you Ms. Kim, Ms. Mara, Ms. Tess as well as the Girls Inc. staff.

- Precious McKesson

From Wikipedia:  A Rube Goldberg machine, device, or apparatus is a deliberately over-engineered or overdone machine that performs a very simple task in a very complex fashion, usually including a chain reaction. The expression is named after American cartoonist and inventor Rube Goldberg (1883-1970).

The girls designed elaborate, comical machines using pulleys, levers, dropping marbles, planes, inclines, fulcrums - you name it and they used it!

Step 1:  The girls looked at the pictures.
Step 2:  They read the words on the page.
Step 3:  They wrote their questions on post it notes to put on the "Question Tree" on the board.
Step 4:  They discussed their questions and suggested answers in a discussion format which encouraged
            the girls to make inferences based upon what they saw and read.
Step 5:  They read the book a second time.

The book, The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg, also led to some good discussion about fact vs. fiction, reality vs. fantasy.

Thanks to Sensations Hair Salon, DIVAS R US (Lavern Crump), and Compassion in Action (Teela A. Mickles) 8 teenage girls, including Girls Inc. members, received a day of pampering, refreshments, and free gifts to help them feel special and prepared to go back to school.  The collaboration was an effort to reach out and remind youth that they are "valued, special, and important to the community."  The girls received hair styles (stylists:  Neya Richards and Netta McDavid), a pair of free shoes from Divas R US, a t-shirt, pizza and soda.

The girls are special and so are the members of our community who recognize that!  Thank you for the Back-to-School celebration.

Here Girls Inc. member Marquisha shares the results of her hair styling:

My experience at Spaghetti Works was very good.  The hostess & waitress were nothing but kind and the food nothing but excellent.  The salad was a great opener for the Grilled Chicken Alfredo, which was definitely above par.  After dessert – I had an amazing chocolate chip cookie filled with hot fudge served with a side of ice cream – I felt I had to be rolled out the door.  The environment was fun and happy but had a good vintage feel to it.  Thank you Spaghetti Works for the lovely experience.  I give you 5 stars and a very happy customer. – Skylar

Going to this restaurant there was no surprise that the food there was delicious.  They gave us great service considering our large group.  It is definitely a family restaurant.  The restaurant was respectably clean.  We were greeted by a cheerful hostess.  We ordered our drinks and food in a quick minute.  The waitress was understanding when there was something missing.  Overall, I can honestly say it was convenient and had excellent service.  I will definitely be going back.  5 Stars – Kelsey

I’ve never been to Spaghetti works before so I did not know what to expect but it was outstanding.  They have a variety of different food but I ordered some lasagna and Sprite.  I was so hungry I devoured my food in five minutes.  The waitress was quick on her toes.  I had tasty brownies & ice cream for dessert.  My experience was wonderful and I would love to come back. – Kionna

As we walked in, I thought it has a nice view.  The waiter was magnificent.  They seated us quickly and that’s great.  We sat and looked at the menu.  All of the food sounded good but my taste buds were set on the ravioli.  I thought it was going to be confusing for the waitress but I guess she had it all under control and she brought our food with no problems.  When she gave me my food, it looked mighty delicious and when it was in my mouth it was even better than what it looked like.  I ate all of it with no problems and then it was time for dessert.  I had the brownie and fudge sundae.  It was marvelous!  I’ve been there before but I have to say that this was the best because everything was fast and my experience this time was great.  I think that I would come back. – Laquisha

One other time in my life I had been to a Spaghetti Works but that was back in the 8^th grade so I didn’t really remember my experience.  When first arriving there we were welcomed by a waitress.  Walking through the restaurant on our way to our tables, the restaurant looked very clean.  After we sat down the waitress came over and asked for our drink orders.  She looked very excited to be at work.  The drinks came very quickly and as soon as we received them she asked for our order.  The food came quickly and was very fresh.  She gave us time to eat and also checked to see if we needed refills on our drinks.  Overall, I would give my experience a 5 star. – Sam

I had not been to Spaghetti works before but it was great.  The hostess greeted me with a nice smile on her face.  My order and drink came on time.  The waitress was wonderful.  I would say the service was decent and the food was awesome.  I would definitely go back. – Jazzmine

This was my first time going to Spaghetti Works.  The hostess was great and had a positive attitude.  I liked that my order was taken right away and it didn’t take long for our food to arrive.  The restaurant was very clean and the food was mouth watering.  I hope to go back soon!  - Zahara

I liked going to Spaghetti Works for the first time.  The food was excellent and I like how the hostess greeted us.  I ordered Chicken Alfredo with Chocolate Craving as dessert.  The Chicken Alfredo was amazing and the Chocolate Craving was delicious.  Our waitress was very polite.  I’d definitely refer a friend to Spaghetti Works or go again myself.  Rate: 5 ½  Stars     - anonymous

It's the season for graduations - kindergarten to college.  Girls Inc. celebrates more than our fair share of graduations and we love all of the graduation hoopla.

Today, let's make some noise for Beverly who graduated from Central High School.  Here she is with her family and some of her (proud!!!) Girls Inc. family - Ms. Nancy, Ms. Crystal, Yadira, and Ms. Janae.  Next steps for Beverly?  She's going to UNL on a Buffett Scholarship.  Girls Inc. will be right there with her for financial support, encouragement, and advice until her next big graduation. 

On Saturday, March 19th the Junior League of Omaha treated Girls Inc. members to a Kids in the Kitchen nutrition fair - complete with healthy snacks (yogurt parfaits!!), hands on activities, and a gift of a pedometer for each girl.  In addition to learning about healthy eating, the girls learned about careers in food such as nutritionists, dieticians, chefs, food scientists, and more.  Some of the girls even learened a new skill - peeling fresh carrots for the first time!

The Junior League of Omaha prepared this slide show of the day's events:  http://bit.ly/htnzXz.  And to see our Facebook album for more photos, click here: http://on.fb.me/gJ6sii.

What time was it when the girls in the book club finished Charlie & The Chocolate Factory?   Time to write a letter to the author, watch the movie, and dive into some chocolate fondue.

One of the girls reads her letter to the author: http://bit.ly/grbSaH  
The recipe for the fondue revealed: http://bit.ly/e1Dv1o  
What's better dipped in chocolate - marshmallows or bananas?: http://bit.ly/dIJmAa

This little artist couldn't quite reach the ceiling of the "cathedral"...

The Girls Inc. staff hosted a parent sharing day on Saturday, March 12 for the girls attending the Emma Lozier Center in South Omaha.  With an international theme, parents and girls were treated to a meal with foods from around the world: fried chicken for the USA, Ethiopian food and bread, and pupusas from El Salvador.  Girls Inc. staff shared information about the program and the girls' activities with Spanish and African dialect translations.  Girls and families had an opportunity to create a craft project together. The turnout of parents was fabulous! 

At the sharing, the GIRLStart parents and girls took over the second floor of the center to participate in a read aloud of Everybody Bakes Bread.  The girls were able to sample breads mentioned in the book and to participate in accompanying craft projects.  From Barbados, the girls tried coconut bread.  And then they created a seashell craft project (although for many of the girls it was more of a glitter-sequin-glue project with a seashell thrown in for good measure...).  The girls had challah from Italy, cornbread from the USA, and Italian bread from Italy (thank you Orsi bakery!).