Texas International Queens at the Children's Museum

This weekend I had the chance to catch up with my fellow sister queens Bonnie and Dymond, at the Woodlands Children's Museum. We had a "Queen for a Day" event where the kids got to make crowns and sit in the "princess" chair. We signed autographs and at the end, Bonnie took Dymond and I out to eat at the Cheesecake Factory. Dymond and I wished her luck, because she is leaving this weekend for Chicago to compete at the Mrs. International pageant! Good luck Bonnie, you will do great! :)
http://www.chron.com/commons/persona.html?newspaperUserId=jwerner&plckPersonaPage=BlogViewPost&plckUserId=jwerner&plckPostId=Blog%3ajwernerPost%3abf37a06e-a3ad-48ad-b57b-25683a056304&plckController=PersonaBlog&plckScript=personaScript&plckElementId=personaDest

President Obama Proclaims July 9th as "Summer Learning Day"

National Summer Learning Day, 2009

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation:

"Like an athlete out of practice, a child who takes long breaks from learning can face academic setbacks. This problem is especially prominent during the summer, when students may lose more than two months of progress. Children must remain engaged to maintain and build upon their current academic achievement.

Learning loss can be especially pronounced among low-income children. Recent research suggests that unequal access to summer learning opportunities helps explain
the achievement gap between low-income and affluent students. This gap ultimately means that low-income students may be less likely to graduate from high school or enroll in college.

High-quality summer learning programs help children catch up, keep up, and work ahead. These activities provide students with hours of focused time for hands-on learning and creative projects. Participation can result in gains in writing, reading, and math skills. Through the arts, sports, and other extracurricular activities, summer learning opportunities also promote innovation and physical fitness. These health benefits are especially important because childhood obesity is at an all-time high and children typically gain weight two to three times faster during the summer.

Sustained public service can also dramatically impact summer learning loss. Students can challenge themselves and others through mentoring, environmental projects, and other meaningful volunteer work. Youth and their communities both benefit from these activities. Local opportunities for service can be found at: Serve.gov.

Families and community members play the most important role in the lives of their children. Demands at work and home mean that many parents have less time to spend with their children, but this time, care, and instruction is critical to children's academic success. Especially during the summer, parents should try to find time to read interactively with children. When possible, families should visit public libraries, tour museums and science centers, and explore the great outdoors. Parents can also encourage youth to keep a journal and to practice math skills through cooking and games.

Even though summer has arrived, student learning needs do not take a vacation. On Summer Learning Day, we highlight the need for more young people to be challenged during their time off from school. We also express support for local programs, communities, and families that help children grow through learning initiatives. Working together, we can help students remain engaged and return to school with lithe and limber minds.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim July 9, 2009, as National Summer Learning Day. I call upon all Americans to support students as they participate in summer learning. I encourage students, parents, educators, and the non-profit community to engage in summer learning activities so that youth return to school poised for academic advancement.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixth day of July, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.

BARACK OBAMA"

Stand Up For Kids Announces Segway Off the Streets

"Stand Up for Kids" announced its collaboration with "Segway Off the Streets". The mission of "Stand Up for Kids" is to reach out to kids that are homeless, many are coming from abused households and they serve as a prevention and outreach organization. In the U.S. there are more than 1.3 million homeless youth. In 75% of cases it will only take two weeks for them to become involved in theft, drugs, or prostitution in order to survive. A man by the name of Mike Taylor will set off on a Segway, a small electric vehicle, on August 2, 2009 from Rochester, MN and travel 2,500 miles at 12 miles per hour to his final destination, Atlanta, GA where the National Headquarters of "Stand Up For Kids" is located. This very long journey, at a very slow pace, it will take him nearly two months but is for a very worthy cause. This is an amazing campaign, for more information about how you can help "Stand Up For Kids" and "Segway Off the Streets" (SOS Tour 2009) please visit www.segwayoffthestreets.org

SMART Girls Healthy Nutrition and Healthy Body Image Class

For the 3rd installment of my SMART Girls class we talked about nutrition and eating healthy, at the same time I wanted to discuss healthy body weights. Since the class is made up of younger girls I try to keep it light and fun. We started out by having a "tea party" with out the tea and just snacks. I brought snacks like mango, avocado, peanuts, peas, corn, green beans, pineapple, peaches, & strawberries. I brought them because a lot of the girls had never tried certain things and I wanted to make sure that they knew what it tasted like before they said that they didn't like it. If they still didn't like it, then we both knew that at least they had tried it. After that we played a game, I laid out about 30 different pictures of celebrities, and each of them were to choose 1 body type that they thought was healthy and 1 that was not healthy. Then we went around the room and discussed what they thought. There were a couple of girls that thought that the too skinny girls looked "healthy", but the majority of them had a good perspective. Here is a picture of some of my girls with their "healthy weight" choices!! :) Each week I let a different girl wear my crown and another my sash. I already have my waiting list and can't wait till our next class!

Jade Monfils featured in the Lewisville Leader and JC Penney Newsletter

I got a call saying that the "Lewisville Leader" ran a story about me in their city paper, my mom drove around looking for the paper in Lewisville and found it! I was also featured in this month's JC Penney company newsletter (you can click on both stories at the top to read). Back in April I ran into a group of JC Penney employees at the DFW USO airport event. When we were taking pictures I told them that I work at the home office as well, and they said that they would have to write a story about my recent win. When I got back to work I did an interview with them and they did a great job putting the story together. It is so great to have a company that fully supports what you are trying to do in and out of the workplace!!

Jade Monfils visits the North Dallas Bea's Kids

On my lunch break I visited Bea's Kids North Dallas location. I had stopped by before as "Wednesday's Winner" back in January, and Vosica the director of the branch said that the kids have been asking about me and what I have been up to. I wanted to stop by and share with them the story about my recent win in San Antonio, and make sure that they were still working on their own "dreams". I was excited to see that there were 4 interns helping out, who are currently Juniors and Seniors in high school. I congratulated them on being active in their communities, because I remember when I was volunteering at my local Boys and Girls Club during my high school years. The kids are now off from school during the summer, and the program runs for a couple hours a day in the afternoon. They get a healthy sack lunch, and I had to remind them that they should be eating things that are good for them and getting plenty of exercise (ex. kickball, hopscotch, or basketball). Being healthy and adopting good habits will lead them to a life time of good health!

Miss Texas International featured Front Page in Coppell Gazette

I was so excited to be featured in the community newspaper, front and center! I had my article featured in the Coppell Gazette, where I had a chance to get my message out about my platform and what I have been doing in the community. I have had friends and neighbors calling me and letting me know that they read it, and are so proud of me and what I am trying to achieve!! Thanks everyone!
http://www.courier-gazette.com/articles/2009/06/05/news_update/302.txt

Jade Monfils at the Garland Asian Festival

Yesterday was the Garland Asian Festival held at Saigon Mall in Garland. It was a HUGE event, with around 5,000 people. It was so crowded that the parking situation was getting out of control with people parking and blocking in cars 3 cars deep! I was making announcements and introducing city council and other community leaders. It is always great to see a celebration of different cultures and diversity. The day started off with the presentation of the Mayor of Garland giving a proclamation, a lion dance around the parking lot, and firecrackers! Yes, firecrackers were lit off for about 5 minutes in the parking lot!! The fire and police departments were both were very approving, "There has to be some fun sometimes"! Afterwards were many dances and performances from cultures all over Asia.

SMART Girls update

This week was the 1st class of S.M.A.R.T. Girls, that I am teaching at the Boys and Girls Club. I originally planned my curriculum with teen girls in mind, but the majority of the young ladies that were in my class ranged from 8-12. No problem, I just had to change my level of thinking. The younger girls 8 & 9 years have the shortest attention and you really have to make the content fun for them (they are in 3rd and 4th grade), while my 10 & 11 year olds are very into what their friends are doing and they tend to want to stick together in groups, so I have to make the content "cool". The 12 year olds will understand a little more, since they are starting to realize the difference between them and the boys. This week we talked about goals and what we want to accomplish in the future. We made my favorite "inspiration boards", I brought a TON of magazines and told them that they could have anything in the whole world, to look through the magazines and if they want it to rip it out. I told them that if they even thought they might want it to take it and we could always sort later. It was a fun "girls" time, some of the younger boys were trying to check out what we were doing and to join in on the fun. But were told by the girls that it was "GIRLS ONLY"! It is really fun to see what all the girls want to have in their future. Also it is important that they know that they can have anything that they want as long as they set their mind to it. :) I can't wait til next week when we talk about nutrition!

Jade Monfils at Dallas City Arts Festival

This past weekend was the Dallas City Arts Festival, which highlighted all the wonderful talents musically, culinary, and artistically in Dallas. It was a 3 day event held in the Dallas Arts District, one of the largest in the nation. All the museums were open to the public for free, Dallas has some great museums; The Dallas Museum of Art, The Crow Collection of Asian Art, and the Nasher Sculpture Center. The streets were closed up for blocks, so that patrons could visit all the musical stages (there were 4) and the tents with all the celebrity chefs of Dallas. It was a huge event, and being a creative individual myself, I was honored to be a part of it. I was making announcements on the main stage (sponsored by Fox 4) and the "Fair Park" stage at the other end of the street. I also got to do a radio interview for KLIF 570 am talk radio, who were set up inside the TXU Energy tent. It was definitely Texas weather, HOT! But was a great day to come out and learn more about what arts Dallas has to offer!!

Jade Monfils at the Philippine Republic Day Gala

I was so happy to be asked to attend the annual gala dinner in honor of Philippine National Independence Day. Each year Filipinos from all over Texas and Oklahoma come together in Dallas to celebrate this special occasion. It was held at the Hilton in Dallas, and was a very extravagant event! Everyone was dressed in their finest to watch and listen to the wonderful entertainers. I made announcements and introduced the musicians. Here I am in a traditional Filipina dress called a Terno, with global Filipino band sensation Primo. I also got to meet Kimberly and Sage Miss Philippine Texas and Miss Teen Philippine Texas!

Jade Monfils at the Boys and Girls Club Fundraiser

Friday night was the Boys and Girls Clubs annual Texas Hold Em Tournament, where all proceeds go towards the afterschool club. It was held at the W Hotel and I got to work the "Fund the Need" board. I previously helped out with this board at the Billiard Ball held back in March as Miss Dallas. I was excited to share with all the board members, presidents, and volunteers about my recent win in San Antonio. They had previously told me that they fully support me and my cause and wished me luck back in March, so I was happy that I made them proud and brought home the title! Basically the "Fund the Need" board is made up of different levels of sponsorship that an individual can purchase, they get to choose what they want their money to go toward and what is important to them. $25 will pay for one hour of one on one tutoring for one student, $50 will pay for their school supplies, and $100 will pay for a field trip for about 15 students- this covers the van expense and gas money. I had several people donate to the $250 fund, which covers sports equipment for one sport like basketball, in one club (this will pay for the basketballs and jerseys), because sports were so important to them growing up. There was also $1250 donations available which pays to keep one child in the club for one school year. I love being able to raise money for this needed program, and being around so many other people and organizations that also have these kids in mind!

Jade Monfils Partners with the Afterschool Alliance

This week I got in contact with the Afterschool Alliance, the nation's leading voice for afterschool, and signed on to help raise awareness about the importance of afterschool programs. As you know my platform relates directly to this cause and I am so excited to be championing this message at an even larger scale! I want to encourage everyone who supports afterschool programs and thinks that children would benefit from affordable programs that will in return give positive effects, to go to http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/a4aJoin.cfm and sign the petition. By doing this you are helping to get the needed funds for these very crucial programs. All it takes is a little time, and it doesn't cost anything! I myself grew up in a home where both of my parents worked, I didn't have an afterschool program but I know that I could have benefited from them. Here is the link once more:

http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/a4aJoin.cfm

Donations for the Fresh Air Fund matched dollar for dollar in June!

I just wanted to let everyone know that during the month of June, the Fresh Air Fund (www.freshair.org) has donors that will be matching all donations dollar for dollar. If you are interested please donate to this worthy cause that takes inner city kids out of the city during summer months to either summer camps or host families in the suburbs or countryside. Act fast, because the donations will only be matched until June 30, 2009. Also if you would be interested in hosting a child for the summer visit www.freshair.org. Thanks so much!!

Jade Monfils at the Scottish Rite Children's Hospital

I was excited to go to the Scottish Rite Children's Hospital and bring a craft to do with the kids. I chose to have the craft be "inspiration boards" where you find pictures in magazines that piece together your ideal future, and cut them out and put them on a piece of poster board. I got the idea from "The Secret", this technique helps you visualize what you want, so that you can make it happen. Also I thought that since the kids are stuck in hospital rooms, these "inspiration boards" might help brighten it up some, and since they are small they can transport them easily. I invited my friend Ashley (Miss Fort Worth) to come and join me at this event, and we had a great time!

Houston Training Update with Pageant Sponsors

Pageant preparation takes time and dedication, I was excited to go down to Houston and San Antonio to meet with a number of sponsors of the Texas International pageant. On my stop at Valerie Hayes (the best interview coach- www.valeriehayes.com) I met up with Bonnie Hubert my sister queen and the Mrs. division winner. On this trip I also met up with Sheila Ybarra (www.pageantfaces.com) who gave me my sponsored make-up lesson, and in San Antonio I met with my personal trainer Kris (www.bodiesbykris.com). I am so inspired by these professionals and motivated to better myself, not only for the upcoming pageant but also in life!

The S.M.A.R.T. Girls program

Yesterday I went to my local Boys and Girls Club to meet some prospective students for my 12-week summer class. The program that I have developed is called S.M.A.R.T. Girls (Which stands for skills mastery and resistance training) and the classes will be held once a week at the Boys and Girls Club. It is important that in gang prevention that the female counter parts are not forgotten. A lot of times young girls also have a need to belong and will turn to other things such as drugs, alcohol, teen pregnancy, and abusive relationships. My goal with this program is to educate these young ladies about the dangers out there such as STD's, AIDS, and female victimization. Giving them the knowledge, so that they can make smart decisions. Also educating them about the importance of career goals and being active in their community. I want for them to have confidence so that they do not have self esteem issues, which is why diet, exercise, and etiquette are all part of the curriculum. I cannot wait to get this program rolling!

Jade Monfils at the Carrollton Bea's Kids

I stopped by the Bea's Kids after school program in Carrollton. Once there I helped the elementary school kids with their writing and math homework. 5:00 is when all the teen and pre-teen kids come, and I was able to talk to them and share with them my personal stories of high school and college. I let them know that everything that they do today reflects what will happen to them tomorrow. I talked with them after my speech and got the "low down". I now know that Facebook is not cool, but MySpace still is.... haha. As you get older you get more out of the loop. I am glad that I can still communicate with these kids on a personal level and hopefully have an impact on the choices that they make!

Jade Monfils Emcees the 19th Annual Dallas Asian Festival

Saturday was the 19th annual Asian Festival held at Dallas City Hall. There were over 60 booths, and different performances on the main stage. May is known as Asian-Pacific Heritage month and I was fortunate enough to have been asked by the Greater Dallas Asian Chamber of Commerce to Emcee the day's events with Chris Flannagan, one of Dallas's own WFAA Channel 8 newscasters. Although the day was scheduled for thunderstorms, most of the morning was okay and there was a very large turn out to see all the performances. Cultures from all over Asia were recognized, from India, Thailand, China, and Japan. I finished the day by drinking one of my favorite Asian drinks........ bubble tea, which is a flavored tea with tapioca "pearls" on the bottom, it is drank with a wider straw!

Jade Monfils at the AHA Go Red Luncheon

One of the best things about the International Pageant system is their dedication to the community and helping their queen's champion their own personal platforms. The pageant has their own platform with the American Heart Association's "Go Red for Women" campaign. Heart disease is the #1 killer of Americans, women included. The "Go Red" initiative is targeted at women and educating them about prevention of heart disease. Simple steps you can take in your life include eating lean foods, exercising daily, and limiting your amount of alcoholic intake, and of course no smoking! The fun thing about the luncheon was that AHA gave seminars on how to live healthy, one of them was with Chef Chamberlain who has two restaurants locally. He taught us how to cook lean beef so that it tastes good, but without all the extra oils and fats. I even got my BMI tested at one of the booths that were giving out free screenings. Luckily I am at a healthy BMI of 20 and an athletic body fat. It is pretty intimidating getting your body fat measured, but it is essential in preventing heart disease. One of the most touching stories that I heard during the event was from a woman who at 30 years old, was diagnosed with heart disease. She was an active cheerleader and athlete, didn't even smoke or drink, and had just had a baby. One day in January 2005 her heart collapsed and she had to have a heart transplant. She got a second chance, but many other women do not. Her daughter now 7 came to the stage and gave her flowers. Everyone in the audience, myself included, was trying to fight back tears. Heart disease can be prevented, you need to have annual check ups and keep your body healthy through exercise, making smart eating choices, limiting alcohol intake, and no smoking! Please educate those that you care about, because it can be prevented and not have to take another life too soon!

Jade Monfils at Coppell Relay for Life

I attended Coppell's annual Relay for Life that benefited the American Cancer Society. This was a special day because a dear friend of mine detected a small lump in her breast this year, she is a cancer survivor and has had the lump replaced with a radioactive particle. The relay started in the evening and ran all night until morning. These cancer survivors are all heroes..... they have triumphed over their cancer and are living the life that God intended for them. It was a pleasure to honor those that have both survived and also those that have passed on. I also got to spend the day with other extraordinary young pageant women that compete in the Texas America pageant on July 5th! Best of luck to them, you guys will be great!

Jade Monfils greets the troops at DFW airport

I have been wanting to greet the soldiers at DFW airport for a very long time now. I am a little ashamed that it has taken me so long to do it, but this past weekend I had a great time! Miss Fort Worth, Ashley Johnson, was there bright and early to greet the incoming soldiers from Iraq. Many of them have been traveling for more than 20 hours just to arrive at DFW, just one stop on their way home. It is important to show them our support and to let them know that they are not forgotten. It was really emotional to see the faces of loved ones, after not seeing our soldiers for such a long time, it definitely brought tears of happiness to my eyes! There were several girl scouts troops there to greet them, and were so sweet to bring the soldiers my favorite....... girl scout cookies...... having been a Brownie and a Junior, I know how important giving back is to these little girls. I also ran into a huge group from JCPenney there, after talking to them and telling them that I work for JCPenney too, everyone was excited and now they want to write a story about me for the company paper. It was a great day and I was so glad that I got to share the experience with a fellow queen and the real heroes of our country!! :)

Jade Monfils at the Boys & Girls Club Alumni Mixer

The Boys & Girls Club of Dallas has gotten a program together that unites former B&G Club members. It is really nice to see how successful many of their alumni have turned out and to see what an impact the organization has had on their lives. After talking with several of them, their stories were very similar. Many of them said that before the B&G Club they had no motivation and didn't have goals to work toward. The club helped them set goals and motivated them to get off the streets. I got to meet the 2001 "Youth of the Year", her story was great because after being in the club, she now works as a social worker and helps to give back to the community that gave to her. I had a great time meeting all the different people who all share a common bond!

Jade Monfils at "Circus Day" for Isabel's Community Outreach

This past weekend I was able to take part in "Circus Day" at Isabel's Community Outreach in East Plano. The circus themed day had a raffle, face painting, cotton candy, and games. I was honored to have my own autograph table, and was touched when I was told some of the little girls came specifically that day to see me and dressed in their best! What is great about Isabel's program is that she started it 4 years ago for the Hispanic community, many of these women were uneducated and coming from abused relationships, the outreach program teaches them skills that they need to be able to survive on their own. The program has now grown to include men, and children from all different backgrounds. This very special circus day was a day for all of the students and their children to forget about their problems for one day and just have fun! I am so proud of all the women in the program, especially those that are now moving on to college to further their education!

Jade Monfils at the Easter Egg Hunt

One of the best things that I remember as a child during Easter was of course the Egg Hunt!! I got to help out with the Dallas Arboretum's Easter Egg Hunt. There were children from babies to 9 years old, all there with one mission......... to get the most eggs! The morning started off with arts and crafts, breakfast, and then I got to start the egg hunt. It was a great setting with all the flowers to set the mood for Spring!