Winter / Spring Programs
The Central Blair Recreation and Park Commission is offering a variety of programs and activities in the upcoming months for all ages. Pre-registration and pre-payment is required for all classes at the office, 2101 5th Avenue, Altoona, 16602. For more information on classes, please call 949-2231. The programs
are as follows:
Strong Women: The CBRC and the Penn State Extension office are once again offering a Strong Women program for a cost of $45. This 8 week program is held at the East Juniata Community Center at 1608 N. 5th Avenue, Altoona on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9 a.m. – 10 a.m. or evenings from 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., beginning March 9th and will run through May 4th.. Registration Deadline is Tuesday, March 2nd.
Sr. Line Dancing is being held on Thursdays, March 4 – April 8 from 11 a.m. – noon at the Booker T. Washington Community Center for ages 55 and over. Participants will focus primarily on the basic skills of dance. Various types of music will be included in the program, such as oldies, Irish, easy listening, country, gospel, hip hop and many more. Exercise your body, your brain and your heart, and have some fun. Cost is $25. Deadline is Tuesday, March 2, 2010.
Basic Jewelry Making is a course designed to teach you to string wooden, glass and ceramic beads and attach findings. You will design bracelets earrings and a necklace during this six week session and the instructor will provide all supplies! This course will be Monday evenings from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. beginning on March 29th thru May 3rd at the Juniata Elementary School. Deadline is March 25th and the program cost is $50.
Line Dancing for ages 13 and up is being held from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Booker T. Washington Community Center beginning April 7th through May 12th. Participants will learn various dances to all music types, including waltz, easy listening, oldies, Irish, Latin, country, cha cha, hip hop, Charleston, stroll, gospel, rock-n-roll, hula, hustle and more. Exercise your brain and your heart and enjoy the fun. Instructor is Julie Paige. Cost is $35. Deadline is Monday, April 5th.
Vegetable & Flower Gardening is being held at the Ebner Elementary School on March 15th, 22nd and 29th from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. During week one, the instructors will review basic principles of gardening and will highlight topics such as site preparation, garden planning, varietal selection, nutrient management and insect and disease control. Week two will spotlight flower gardening, delving into annual, perennial and shade gardening. During the final week, the focus will be on vegetable gardening and topics like soil testing and transplant production.
All participants will receive reference packet containing some Penn State Cooperative Extension’s most up-to-date publications. Sign-up today because seating is limited! Cost is $25. Deadline is March 11, 2010.
Computer Essentials 1B (The information provided is for a 2nd Session being offered due the filling of the first session advertised...) -- Are you looking to make the digital jump? Do you look frequently at your home computer and not know where to begin? If so, this course is right for you. You will learn the basics to operating a computer and its hardware. We will study the very basics of operating a personal computer while beginning with the vocabulary needed to recognize computer parts and functions. We will also complement our study with the organization and structure of a Microsoft Windows operation system. Later classes will discuss operating and navigating the internet, communicating via the World Wide Web via e-mail, and using basic software such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and Power Point. The program will take place on Thursdays, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. beginning March 18th at the Altoona Area Junior High. The class is being led by Jonathan Klingeman, English/Communications Teacher at the Jr. High. The cost is $40 and space is limited, so register by Thursday, March 11th.
Computer Essentials 2 -- Tweets. IM. Blog. Confused? If so, this class is for you! In this course, we will build upon basic computer skills and learn more intermediate skills to operating computers. We will also focus heavily on computer mediated communication through the web using e-mail, instant messaging, social networks, tweets, blogs, etc. Finally, we will also review the Microsoft Office Suite and find every day uses in our daily lives for the software. Whether to brush up on your computer skills or to learn about the more advanced features of the internet, this course will answer your digital questions! Classes are being held Tuesdays, beginning March 9th thru April 13th from 6:45 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. at the Altoona Area Jr. High. The cost is just $40 so sign up before the March 5th deadline to assure your spot! (You must have basic computer skills to enroll.)
Instructional Sports Clinic for Children, Ages 4 – 6, is an instructional clinic for beginners, to teach them the fundamentals of baseball, basketball and soccer. The clinic is held on Saturdays, beginning April 17 and running until May 8 from 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. at the 6th Ward Community Center. The clinic will also teach sportsmanship, basic skills, team work and proper warm up and cool down activities. Cost is $25. Deadline is Thursday, April 15th.
Half-Pint Skillastics introduces pre-schoolers (ages 3-5) to a variety of movement skills as well as encouraging creativity and imagination in a non-competitive but active environment. This class also promotes color, number and shape recognition helping to solidify these skills prior to entering grade school. It all happens on the move, featuring 36 fun drills set to music. The cost is $25 and classes will take place on Saturdays, beginning April 17 through May 8th. Registration Deadline is April 15th.
Children’s Self Defense is for grades 3-6 and will be held on Saturdays, May 1 through May 22, at the Progressive Martial Arts System from 11:00 am to 12:00 Noon. This 4-week introductory program will teach the fundamentals necessary to develop self confidence and to stop being bullied or being a victim on the playground. Learn to stand up to aggression and walk away a winner. The class introduces the child to a variety of martial arts skills while emphasizing the importance of physical fitness. The class is instructed by Rocco Alianello. Cost is $40 and registration deadline is Friday, April 30.
Swim Lessons for children will be held on Tuesday and Thursday nights from
6 p.m. – 7 p.m. (Group A) or from 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. (Group B) at the AAHS swimming pool. Two sessions are being offered. 1st session is March 2 to March 25 and 2nd session is April 1 to April 27. Maximum is 18 participants per group. Cost is $50 per session. Sign up today! Sessions fill up fast! All sessions are now full!
Baton: Lessons for girls in Grades 1 thru 6 will begin on Monday, April 26th and will last for 5 weeks. Participants will be taught the fundamentals of twirling and marching. They will received a certificate and a T-Shirt. The program will conclude with the girls getting to march in the Memorial Day Parade on May 31st. The cost for registrations received no later than 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 22nd is $38.00. Registrations received after this date will be $45.00
Volleyball teams for 5th and 6th grade girls are now forming at a discounted cost of $41 for registrations received before Aprils 1st and $48 after that date. (We cannot guarantee your choice of team for registrations received after April 1st.)The student is required to play for the school they attend. The must play rule will be in effect. Practices and games are played at the BTW Community Center, 1010 19th St, Altoona.
ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING: The organizational meeting is Monday evening, April 5th, 2010. Coaches and players are required to attend. At this meeting, practice times, rules and regulations and rosters will be distributed. Rosters are limited to twelve players. Games are scheduled Monday, through Thursday evenings at 5:00, 5:45, 6:30, 7:15 and 8:00 pm. (Special scheduling requests will only be taken for school functions.)
MEETING TIMES: The meeting times for each school on Monday, April 5th at the BTW Community Center is:
5:00 Logan, Juniata, Juniata Gap, and Bellwood
6:00 Baker, Ebner, Wright, and Great Commission
7:00 Pleasant Valley, Irving, W&J, Penn Lincoln, and Hollidaysburg
Cheerleading: The nationally ranked BGHS Varsity Cheerleaders will be conducting a six-week, instructional class for girls in Grades K-6. Cheerleading advisors are Dana Berkheimer, Robin McClure, Lisa Gormley, Tricia Burke, Tara Naylor and Lindsay Harker. Please wear shorts and sneakers. Lessons will be held at the 6th Ward Community Center, 2101 5th Ave, on the following nights:
Tuesday nights for six consecutive weeks, beginning Tuesday, April 6, 2010, for the following schools: Ebner, Irving, Juniata, Juniata Gap, ACCS, St. Rose, Wright and ACCMS
Grades K-1: 5:30 - 6:45 p.m. Grades 2-6: 7:00 - 8:15 p.m.
Thursday nights for six consecutive weeks, beginning Thursday, April 8, 2010, for the following schools: Baker, Great Commission, Logan, Penn Lincoln, Pl. Valley, St. John’s and W & J
Grades K-1: 5:30 - 6:45 p.m. Grades 2-6: 7:00 - 8:15 p.m.
Registrations must be received no later than Monday, April 5, 2010 at 4:00 p.m. to receive the discounted rate of $38.00, which includes a T-Shirt and a certificate of participation. Registrations received after this date will be charged $45.00.
T-Ball and Instructional Baseball: We would like to announce the development of a new T-Ball and Instructional Baseball Clinic in cooperation with the Altoona Curve. The Recreation Commission staff is working with the Altoona Curve front office to develop a one-of-a-kind experience for our young baseball enthusiasts in Blair County. This Clinic will include special instruction from current Altoona Curve players, as well as, assistance from the Curve Juniors program. The basic fundamentals of baseball including hitting, fielding, and base running will be the primary focus of the instruction. Our Clinic will also include a ticket to an Altoona Curve Home game on August 4, 2010 as part of your registration fee. The Commission is excited about our opportunity to partner with the Altoona Curve in an effort to compliment our already exciting T-Ball and Instructional Baseball Programs. The program begins Monday, June 14, 2010. T-Ball is being held from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and Instructional Baseball will be from 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Monday through Thursday for five consecutive weeks. You can choose either field location of Fairview or Mansion Park.
The discounted cost for registration is $46 for registrations received by Monday, June 7, 2010 at 4.p.m. Registrations received after this date will be charged $53 and participant is not guaranteed field of choice.
Robertson’s Fitness Camp is a well-rounded camp that runs for six weeks under the direction of John Robertson, local coach/trainer and member of the Blair County Sports Hall of Fame. The camp runs Monday through Friday, April 26 – June 4 from 3:30 p.m.– 4:30 pm at the 6th Ward Center, 2101 5th Avenue. The cost is $1 per day. The class is appropriate for the beginner or experienced. Pre-registration is NOT necessary.