Meridiana and Sterling Lakes Lifestyle April 2020

April 2020 Volume 2, Issue 1

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• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Exercise At Meridiana Max Fit Boot Camp Classes - Oasis Village & Fitness Center Monday thru Friday: 5am/9am and 5:30pm/7pm Contact trainer / resident, Terron Glasper: maxfit413@yahoo.com STRONG by Zumba® - Conservatory Every Monday: 6pm Saturdays: 8am Coach Pamela - perfectfitmohag@gmail.com Camp Gladiator Work Out - Oasis Village Lawn Tuesdays & Thursdays: 5:30pm RAIN OR SHINE* Yoga with Lisa - Conservatory Fridays: 8am - 9am • Saturdays: 9am - 10am This is for all levels and ages! Please bring a yoga mat!

Lisa - lhelwig527@gmail.com

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Events At Meridiana - April FARMERS MARKET 4th Saturday of Every Month: 10am - 2pm - Oasis Village Shop local food, wellness, and product vendors.

To become a vendor email: michelle@meridianatexas.com ANNUAL PAWS IN THE PARK - April 11

Saturday: 11am - 2pm Enjoy high flying dog tricks from Houston Disc Dogs, local pet vendors, pictures with the Easter Bunny, an Easter egg hunt, face painting, bounce houses, & pet adoptions from the Brazoria County SPCA.

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Rodeo Palms eighth grader goes to GeoBee semifinals

By Rachel Moore, Special to LIFESTYLE Which city is older Pyonyang or Seoul?

Which valley lies between the Allegheny Mountains and the Blue Ridge Mountains?

Don’t know? Well Nikhil Varma does.

Varma is an eighth grader at Rodeo Palms Jr. High and he is headed to the semifinals of the 2020 National Geographic GeoBee. The semifinals are the state level competition in the annual quest to be crowned king or queen of the GeoBee. To get into the semifinals, Varma was competing against 2.4 million students across the country via an online geography quiz.

The test was for students in the fourth through eighth grade and asked questions like “which state is west of Lake Huron, Vermont or Minnesota?”

Once the test was completed, the National Geographic Society took the top 100 scores from public, private and home school students in each state, as well as from Department of Defense Dependents Schools, and invited those students to the semifinals.

The Texas semifinals were going to be held in Bedford, Texas on Friday, March 27.

However, the National Geographic Society has decided to cancel the in-person contest out

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of concern for the Coronavirus.

Instead of an in-person competition Varma, and the 8,661 other students from around the world, will be competing online.

Whether the competition is in-person or online, the semifinals are the second step in competing in the finals of the 32nd Annual National Geographic GeoBee in Washington D.C. However, the process isn’t exactly new to Varma. He won Rodeo Palms Jr. High’s GeoBee last year.

When he won the Rodeo Palms GeoBee in January, Varma was named a school champion and received a medal and a certificate.

At the state level, Varma and all the other contestants from Texas are competing for cash prizes and a slot in the finals in Washington, D.C. State champions will receive a medal, $1,000 in cash, and other prizes.

The second- and third-place students at State GeoBees will also receive cash awards of $300 and $100, respectively.

Each state champion will advance to the National Championship and compete for cash awards and college scholarships.

In 2019, the national champion received a $25,000 college scholarship, $1,000 in cash, a life-

time membership in the National Geographic Society, and a trip to the Galápagos Islands;.

Second place received a $10,000 college scholarship and $1,000 in cash.

Third place received a $5,000 college scholarship and $1,000 in

cash.

Seven runners-up will receive $1,000 in cash each.

The finals will be held May 1821 in Washington D.C. There is no word on whether or not the finals will be in person or online.

A great place to get together with family and friends . . . and food

Enjoying a beautiful day at the playground

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AISD board approves names for new schools

By ALEX WUKMAN awukman@alvinsun.net The Alvin ISD board of trustees approved names for two new schools, a performing arts center and a natatorium. The board voted in favor of the names at a meeting on Feb. 11.

When Alvin ISD’s fourth high school opens in 2022, the new school in Iowa Colony will be known as Iowa Colony High School.

The committee decided to name the new school after the city in which it will be located, according to a statement from Rachel Moore, AISD’s communications coordinator.

The committee also recommended that the district’s eighth junior high school in the Meridiana residential development be named Jackie Doucet Caffey Junior High School.

Caffey taught in Alvin ISD for 42 years and was instrumental in developing the districts gifted and talented and program.

The committee also suggested that the Alvin High School natatorium be renamed the Lenny Garcia Natatorium. Garcia coached swimming, diving and water polo at the Alvin High School for more than 30 years.

He was also a PE coach at Stevenson Primary and coached for the city of Alvin’s Aquatics Club.

Garcia also founded a scholarship program that is funded through the annual “Beneezy Purple Monkey Fun Run.” Additionally, the committee also recommended that Alvin High School’s performing arts center be renamed the Marguerite Edwards Performing Arts Center.

The recommendation was seen as a way to continue to recognize the assistance that the Marguerite Edwards trust fund provides AISD students, according to a statement from the district.

Jackie Caffey, left, and Lenny Garcia are honored after Board approves recommendations of new facility names.

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Inaugural Meridiana 5K Walk & Run successful The Meridiana 5K Walk & Run benefiting Meridiana Elementary’s PTO made its debut in the community of new homes south of Pearland on Saturday, March 14.

The race was followed by a race celebration and First Responders Bash at Freedom Field.

The first responders bash featured air ambulance helicopters, fire trucks, snow cones, a bounce house, a balloon artist and face painting.

Keating Toyota on schedule for summer 2020 opening If all goes to plan, the new Keating Toyota dealership at SH 288 and SH 6 will open in late summer — sometime in July or August.

The 70,000 square foot facility will be part of the Toyota of Alvin family of brands.

When completed, the dealership will have space to accommodate 1,100 new and certified pre-owned cars.

Additionally, the dealership will also have a latte bar, snack shop and kids’ play area.

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Craft Night - keeping active, building friendships and developing artistic gifts

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Local Business DIRECTORY

Your Business Could Be Here Call 281-331-4421 Ask for Brenda or Darlene 10

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Fun and Learning all rolled into one

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