Dear Penguins and Parents:

Swim season is almost here! Just a few quick notes and reminders:

• If you have any friends or neighbors interested in joining LPAC, have them come to Walk-In Registration this Saturday (4/22) from 8:30 to 9:15 am. Forms and additional information are located on the website: https://swimlpac.org/team-info/joining-lpac/

• The orientation meeting for new families will be on Thursday, April 27 at 7:30 pm. Returning families are not required to attend, but you can come by the clubhouse to catch up with swim team friends, pick up handouts, and sign up for volunteer shifts.
• Practices start on Monday, May 1, with age group times as follows:
  • New swimmers only: 5:00-5:30 pm
  • 8 & under: 5:30-6:15 pm
  • 9-11: 6:15-7:00 pm
  • 12-14: 7:00-8:00 pm
  • High school: 8:00-9:00 pm
• Any siblings who are trying out for the team this year should plan come to the new swimmer practices every day that first week from 5:00 to 5:30 pm.
• If you are planning to go on the Raft Trip on July 1, you might want to book your hotel rooms now, as spaces are filling up fast. Mention “Los Paseos Swim Team” to get discounted group rates at the hotels listed below:
  • Motel 6 (209-847-8181)  Group rate: per night:  $109 1 king,  $119 2 queens
  • Holiday Inn (209-847-9121)  Call Karen Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday after 4 pm or Saturday before 11 am Group rate: $178 1 bed, $188 2 bed. Only 10 rooms are available as of 4/17.

We look forward to seeing you all very soon!

Dear Penguins and Parents:

Yes, it’s almost that time of year again!

• LPAC Registration Forms are attached and are also posted to the team website. Please complete forms and turn in with payment by Saturday, April 1. Registration fees are the same as last year.
• Please note there is a new page at the end. If you’d like to pay now for some of the fun team activities (like the Raft Trip, Overnighter, etc.), you can use this form and just write one check for the total amount due.
• If your child is not planning to return to LPAC this summer, please reply to this email.
• If you have a new sibling who will be trying out for the team this year, please include them in your registration forms.
• If you have any neighborhood friends who are interested in joining LPAC, please tell them to send email to info@swimlpac.org and plan to come to Walk-In Registration on Saturday, April 22.
• The team calendar has been updated on the website: www.swimlpac.org. Practices start May 1.

We’re looking forward to seeing you all very soon!

Just a few quick notes as 2016 comes to a close…

• Due to repairs being made at the Rancho Santa Teresa Pool, the South Valley Stingrays will be holding swim practices at the Los Paseos Pool starting January 3. This is a great opportunity to give year-round swimming a try while the practices are being held in our very own pool! And as an extra incentive, they will waive registration fees for any LPAC swimmers. For more information, go to southvalleystingrays.com or send email to info@swimlpac.org.
• The Los Paseos Association is hosting a Polar Plunge tomorrow morning (Sunday, January 1) at 10:00 am.  All LPAC families are welcome!  They will be serving cocoa and doughnuts afterwards.
• For those of you who are already thinking about summer vacation plans, please note the following dates: Time Trials on June 3, Bye (and Raft Trip) on July 1, and Champs on July 22.

We’ll have more information about registration and the 2017 season coming in another month or two…wishing you all a very happy new year!

Just a few last-minute reminders before tomorrow:

CHAMPS CHECK-IN: 7:00 AM

Remember: swimmers need to check in tomorrow no later than 7:00 am at the Morgan Hill Aquatic Center.

Please leave plenty of time to drive to Morgan Hill, find parking, and locate the check-in table in our designated team area. LPAC will be in the same location as last year, in the middle of the grassy area (see map posted to the Champs page of the website). Gates will not open until 6:15 am, so please do not arrive before then.

If your child is ill, please call or text Coach Scott at 408-613-5126.

Parents, please check in at the volunteer table and be sure to listen for announcement and shift changes. You can pick up your Snack Bar or Panera meal tickets when you check in.

We encourage you to purchase a program, food, and t-shirts — all proceeds help our team and the league pay for Champs!

BANQUET ON SUNDAY

The LPAC Team Awards Banquet will be on Sunday starting at 4:30 pm. Remember to bring your own folding chairs. We look forward to getting all the penguins back together one last time to hand out trophies and celebrate another great season!

DVDs

Melinda Doutt will have DVDs of the awesome team slideshow/video. If you haven’t already done so, you can purchase one for $20.

GO PENGUINS!!

Dear Penguins and Parents:

Only one week left!! This swim season has just flown by. Please read through this entire email, as there is a lot of information here about Champs, the Banquet, and all the fun events going on during Spirit Week.

PENGUINS TAKE A BITE OUT OF THE SHARKS

We closed out the dual meet season with a convincing victory over the Silver Creek Sharks, winning both in place points and improvement points for an overall score of LPAC 104.3 to Silver Creek 85.6. Now let’s continue that momentum into Champs this weekend!

RECORD-BREAKING BOYS

Special congratulations to Everett Leung-Thomas, Daniel Cendejas, Braedon Hoge, and Christian Wise for breaking the 13-14 Boys 200 Freestyle Relay record with a time of 1:47.60. The previous record from 2012 was held by David Olson, Nikolas Mamola, Ben Jackson, and Nico Fasan. Way to go boys!

THIS WEEK AT PRACTICE

Although swimmers will be tapering and resting up for Champs this week, it’s still very important to come to practice very day to keep refining those small improvements that can add up to big points at the meet. Please note that there will be no dryland exercises the rest of this week. Night practices will be Monday through Wednesday at the usual time; there is no night practice on Thursday because of Spirit Night.

Remember to dress up for our theme days:

• Manic Monday: Dress backwards, inside-out, or all mixed-up
• Dress Like a Coach Tuesday: Dress up like an LPAC coach!
• Woyalty Wednesday: Dress like a prince or princess
• Thuperhero Thursday: Dress like your favorite superhero
• Black and White Penguin Formal Friday: Wear black and white and show your penguin spirit!

PENGUIN POOL PARTY ON MONDAY

Swimmers of all ages are invited to the Penguin Pool Party today (Monday) at 4:00 pm to enjoy root beer floats and make tie-dye shirts for Champs. Please bring a white or light-colored shirt to tie-dye. The cost is $2 for Association members and $3 for non-members. Parents of kids 12 and under are asked to please stay and help out; this is not a drop-off event.

SPIRIT NIGHT ON THURSDAY

Parents and swimmers are invited to attend Spirit Night on Thursday (7/21) from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. Swimmers will get together to eat pizza, decorate posters to hang up at Champs, and elect swimmer reps for next year. Meanwhile, parents have a meeting to discuss Champs and elect next year’s Board members. Then we’ll all get together in the clubhouse for Swim-a-Thon awards and a slideshow/video that celebrates the season and energizes the team to do their best at Champs. There is no cost for this event. Look forward to seeing you all there!

PURCHASE A DVD FOR $20

If you’re interesting in getting a DVD copy of the team slideshow/video, please bring $20 to Mark or Melinda Doutt at Spirit Night on Thursday. It’s a great way to remember all the fun we had this season!

SPAGHETTI DINNER FOR TEENAGERS ON FRIDAY

All teenage swimmers (ages 13-18) are invited to the clubhouse on Friday (7/22) from 6:00 to 7:00 to  “carbo-load” before Champs at the annual Spaghetti Dinner. We’ll also decorate cars to show our penguin pride. The cost is $7 per swimmer; please pay at the door. We do need some parents to help serve and clean up as well; please email Dave Blacow if you’re available to help out.

BANQUET FORMS DUE TODAY!

If you haven’t already done so, please turn in your meal order form NOW for Sunday’s Awards Banquet. Swimmers eat for free, but we still need you to fill out a form so we know how much food we’ll need. See the Banquet page of the website for more information. The Banquet will be on Sunday, July 24 from 4:30 to 8:00 pm.

CHAMPS ON SATURDAY

The VCSL Championship Meet (“Champs”) will be held this Saturday (7/23) at the Morgan Hill Aquatic Center. This is a huge meet, with swimmers from all six teams competing to determine the overall league champion. LPAC swimmers will need to check in no later than 7:00 am. The meet starts at 8:30 am and usually lasts until around 4:00 pm. Entries have already been submitted to the league and will be posted to the website later this week.

Champs volunteer assignments have been posted to the Champs page of the website. Please check to see what shift(s) your family has been assigned. Please note that families with more than one swimmer may be assigned to multiple shifts. If you have any questions, please send email to volunteers@swimlpac.org. Even if you don’t see your name listed here, please check in with the volunteer coordinators on Saturday morning, as you may still be needed to help fill in.

There is also a map posted to the Champs page showing our assigned team area (which is the same as last year) as well as posts for marshals. If you are assigned to a marshal shift, please be sure to check the map so you know where to go.

We’ll have even more information about Champs at Spirit Night on Thursday during the parent meeting.

A NOTE OF THANKS

As many of you already know, LPAC parent Wendy Marley was recently diagnosed with lung cancer and has been undergoing radiation and chemotherapy over the last few months. She wanted to pass on this message to the team:

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Monday, July 18: Penguin Pool Party
• Thursday, July 21: Spirit Night
• Friday, July 22: Spaghetti Dinner
• Saturday, July 23: Champs
• Sunday, July 24: Banquet

Some quick reminders before the weekend:

1. Tomorrow’s meet is at Los Paseos against Silver Creek. Swimmers need to check in with the coaches no later than 6:30 am. Meet entries have been posted to the website.
2. Remember there is NO PARKING in the church parking lot this weekend due to a funeral. If you must drive, please leave a little earlier than usual so you can find street parking nearby.
3. Volunteer shifts for Silver Creek have been posted to the website. Please check to be sure you know what shift(s) you are working. Remember that families with multiple swimmers may be required to work more than one shift if needed. And be sure to sign up for a volunteer shift at Champs if you haven’t done so already.
4. On Saturday, please remember to turn in your Banquet forms and payment as well as Swim-a-Thon pledges. See Judy Seps if you’d like to contribute to the coaches’ gifts. Jennie Anderson also has extra LPAC merchandise for sale if you want to get ready for Champs.
5. We say this every time, but parents and swimmers, PLEASE stay to help clean up after the meet. All high school swimmers should help put away the lawn chairs as soon as the meet is done. If you see garbage, pick it up. We’re all hot and tired at the end of the meet, but if everyone stays and helps out just a little bit, it goes much faster!
6. The Beach Trip is also on Saturday (7/16). If you haven’t already RSVPd, please reply to this email NOW. The cost is $8 per swimmer (no charge for parent drivers). Please bring money that afternoon. Plan to meet at the pool at 4:30 pm to carpool to the beach.
7. Lots of fun Spirit Week activities coming up next week! We’ll have more details in the Monday morning email, but plan to kick off the week with “Manic Monday” and come to practice dressed backwards, inside out, or all mixed up. The Penguin Pool Party (with root beer floats and tie dye) will also be on Monday from 4-6 pm.

GO PENGUINS!

Dear Penguins and Parents:

CONGRATULATIONS to all our penguins for a great win on Saturday against Almaden! The Gators actually had a slight edge in overall place points, but LPAC had a higher improvement percentage and won the meet by a score of 113.1 to 108.2. Great job everyone! Let’s try to continue that momentum this weekend against Silver Creek and carry it all the way to Champs.

It’s hard to believe, but there are only TWO WEEKS left in the swim season. It is crunch time now! Please take time to read through this entire email. There are lots of activities coming up, and we don’t want you to miss out on any of the fun!

A RECORD-BREAKING DAY

We had some fantastic swims on Saturday, and no less than FOUR team records were broken. Congratulations to Sarina Seps for getting the 7-8 Girls Backstroke record with a 19.44. That record was originally set by Cherisse Hughes back in 1986 and has stood for 30 years! We should probably find out what John Anderson had for breakfast Saturday morning, as he tore through the 6 & Under Boys Breaststroke record with a 25.31 (breaking Cameron Klinger’s 2004 record by more than 2 seconds) and then got the 25 Freestyle record as well with a 20.35 (bumping Coach Connor Bleeg off the record board). And Daniela Fasan got in on the fun too, shaving a little more time off her own 13-14 Girls Freestyle record with a blazing fast 26.06. Way to go!

WILL YOU BE AT THE MEETS?

This week the coaches have to do meet entries for both the Silver Creek meet on Saturday (7/16) and Champs (7/23). It is very important to let both the coaches and volunteer coordinators know TODAY if your child will be missing any part of either of these meets.

The swimmers we know who will be missing some or all of the Silver Creek meet (7/16): Alex Delgado, Coco Delgado, Aleyna Espinoza, Phyllis Hansen, Dylan Marley, Viola Sunderman, Ishir Vaidyanath, Cooper Wyness, Madison Wyness, Ryan Yacono.

The swimmers we know who will be missing some or all of Champs (7/23): Aleyna Espinoza, Jake Fuss, Everett Leung-Thomas, Dylan Marley, Viola Sunderman, Cooper Wyness, Madison Wyness.

LAST CHANCE FOR CHAMPS MEAL ORDERS!

Nancy Keslin has kindly extended the due date for Champs Meal Orders, but you MUST get your order forms in by tomorrow morning (Tuesday) at 10:15 am. You can write one check (payable to “LPAC”) for both snack bar and Panera orders. Please remember the snack bar will serving pre-orders ONLY until 8:00 am for breakfast and until 1:00 pm for lunch. So you really need to get your order in ahead of time if you want to be sure your family eats! If for some reason you are unable to get to the pool before tomorrow morning, please email Nancy Keslin TODAY.

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT PARKING FOR SILVER CREEK MEET (7/16)

Please note that parking will be very tight for our home meet this Saturday (7/16) due to a funeral at the church. Please plan to walk or arrive early enough to find street parking nearby. Carpool if you can, so we can leave space for the visiting team!

BEACH TRIP FOR HIGH SCHOOLERS

The annual Beach Trip for the high school age group will be on Saturday, July 16. Plan to meet at the pool at 4:30 pm, and we will carpool to Twin Lakes beach in Santa Cruz. We do need parent drivers for this event, as swimmers are not allowed to drive themselves. The cost is $8 per swimmer; there is no charge for parents. If you did not already sign up at the meet on Saturday, please RSVP by responding to this email.

BANQUET MEAL ORDERS DUE!

The LPAC team Awards Banquet will be on Sunday, July 24 from 4:30 to 8:00 pm. This year the banquet will be a catered taco bar featuring freshly grilled tacos with chicken, carne asada, or vegetables, plus rice, beans, chips and salsa. All swimmers eat for free, but we do need you to turn in an order form so we know how many meals to prepare. Parents and siblings may also purchase additional meal tickets ($10 for adults, $7 for kids 12 and under). Please download and print the Banquet Meal Order form and turn in with payment to the “Banquet” folder no later than Monday, July 18.

SWIM-A-THON PLEDGE FORMS DUE!

Monday, July 18 is also the last day to turn in your Swim-a-Thon pledges to be eligible for prizes. All donations are tax-deductible.

ROOT BEER FLOATS & TIE-DYE: MONDAY, JULY 18

We’re planning a penguin party with root beer floats and tie-dye for Monday, July 18 at 4:00 pm. Please plan to bring your own light-colored shirt to tie-dye. Stay tuned for more details.

COACHES’ GIFTS

Judy Seps will continue collecting money for coaches’ gifts all week during practice and Saturday at the meet. Please see her if you’d like to contribute!

EXTRA MERCHANDISE AVAILABLE

We still have some extra LPAC team merchandise available for sale. Please check with Jennie Anderson at the meet on Saturday if you are interested in purchasing any of the following:

• Kid’s jersey shorts $12 – 1-XL and 2 S
• Kid’s hooded sweatshirt $22 -1size M
• Kid’s sweatpants $15 -1 size M
• Girl’s shorts $24 -1 size S
• Junior Girl’s boardshorts $28 1size 5 and 1size 7
• Junior Girl’s hooded sweatshirt $27 1 size M
• Ladies V neck shirt $22 1 size 2XL
• Ladies black razor back tank $14 -1size 2XL

SPIRIT WEEK NEXT WEEK!

The last week of the swim season is always jam-packed with fun activities. Stay tuned for more details about dress-up theme days. And mark your calendar for the following events:

• Monday, July 18: Root Beer Float & Tie Dye Party (all swimmers – 4:00 pm)
• Thursday, July 21: Spirit Night (all swimmers and parents – 7:00 pm)
• Friday, July 22: Spaghetti Dinner (all teenage swimmers 13-18 – 6:00 pm)
• Saturday, July 23: Champs (all swimmers and parents – ALL DAY!)
• Sunday, July 24: Banquet (all swimmers and parents – 4:30 pm)

A few quick reminders:

1. Tomorrow’s meet is at home. Swimmers need to check in with coaches no later than 6:30 am. Try to get to bed early tonight!
2. If your child is ill in the morning, please call or text Coach Scott: 408-613-5126.
3. Please double-check the Volunteer Assignments that have been posted to the Almaden meet page of the website; there have been some changes.
4. Meet Entries have also been posted to the website.
5. Don’t forget to turn in forms and payment for Champs Meals and Champs Ads — both are due tomorrow (7/9).
6. Always check OUT with the coaches if you have to leave the meet early.
7. Please remember that we need all LPAC families to stay and help clean up after the meet. It goes pretty fast if everyone pitches in!

See you all bright and early tomorrow morning…GO PENGUINS!

Happy 4th of July! Hope you are all enjoying the holiday weekend and the day off from swim practice!

WILL YOU BE AT THE MEET ON SATURDAY?

This Saturday’s meet (7/9) will be at home against the Almaden Gators. Swimmers will need to check in with the coaches Saturday morning no later than 6:30 am.

If your child will be missing any part of this Saturday’s meet (7/9), please email the coaches and volunteer coordinators TODAY. Due to the holiday, we will have a short week to complete meet entries. So far the swimmers we know who will be missing at least part of the meet are: Alexie and Shaelan Barber; Alan and Ethan Calderon; Nicholas and Marcus Fumigalli; Nick Mamola; Zoe Marley; Melani Quezada,

NEW BLOCKS ARE IN!

Most of the swimmers already know this, but our new diving blocks have been installed and are working out great! Thanks to all penguins and parents for raising Swim-a-Thon funds over the last couple of years to purchase the new blocks. And special thanks to Nancy Keslin and Kevin Nicholls for getting them ordered and installed. We’re excited to use them in the meet this weekend. We’ll see if penguins really CAN fly!

CHAMPS FORMS DUE JULY 9

Remember to get your Champs meal orders and payment turned in to the “CHAMPS MEALS” folder by July 9. You can write one check to “LPAC” for all meals. Champs Program Ads are also due on July 9. Both of these are important fundraisers for the team and the league, so please show your support and get those forms in on time! Forms are posted to the Champs page of the website.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Saturday, July 9: Almaden @ LPAC
• Saturday, July 16: Silver Creek @ LPAC
• Thursday, July 21: Spirit Night
• Friday, July 22: Spaghetti Dinner
• Saturday, July 23: Champs
• Sunday, July 24: Banquet