The Abbey art show--final details!

Allrighty, folks!  We are in our last week before the art pieces are due at the Abbey.  So now is the time for me to share with you all the last bits of information you will need before the show.  I asked Philip, the assistant to the Abbey art director, a bunch of questions, and here is what I learned:

 

Dropping off your art:

They will start installing the art when the Abbey closes at 8:00 p.m.  next Wednesday, March 27.  This means you need to bring the art to the Abbey before 8 on that day.  Anytime that afternoon or early evening should be fine--I will make sure the Abbey workers that day know the pieces are coming, so they can direct you where to leave them.  Unfortunately, there is not a space to secure all of the art before the day of the installation.  I do not responsibility for your children's masterpieces, but I will be glad to work out necessary arrangements with families who might be out of town for Spring Break.

 

 

How you can help with the installation:

I have heard from one family offering carpentry services with the installation.  Great!  May I suggest  you either show up right before 8 the night of the installation ready to offer your services, or email Philip in advance at phillip at lincolnstreetstudios dot com.  Thanks!

 

 

How to label your child's art:

Please make one placard for each piece of art you submit.  The placard should be on white cardstock cut to 3 x 5 inches.  The information you should include on the placard, in this order:

1.  Name of piece

2.  by Child or children's name(s), age ____

3.  Medium used for the piece (for example, watercolor or paper mosaic)

 

Please print out these cards (i.e. please do not handwrite), using any font you desire as long as it is approx. 18 pt. boldface.  Please center the information on the card. 

 

When you drop off your art piece, please make sure the placard is safely taped to the back (but in a way that will not harm the front of the placard, as these will be hung by your child's art).  

 

 

The art show Opening!

The Opening will be held Saturday, April 6th there at the Abbey, from 4-6.  Please invite your family and friends to come and celebrate our children's artistic achievements! 

 

 

How you can help with the art Opening:

I have also heard from two parents offering to bring desserts to the opening.  Yes, let's make it a party!  Let's make it a dessert/snack potluck, and everyone who can, please bring a finger food to share.  Let's try to avoid messy things like chips, please, as the Abbey will be hosting their monthly Open-Mic Night at 7, and we don't want to cause extra work for the Abbey staff.  So I'm thinking veggies and dip, cut up fruit, and of course finger-lickin' desserts like brownies and cookies!  

 

Is there anyone who can help provide napkins?  Small paper plates?  (Please, no plastic.)  Please leave a comment below and let me know.  Thanks!

 

For drinks, we will rely upon the fabulous offering of the Abbey, who is being so generous to host us  We can show our thanks through our patronage. : )

 

 

The show will run:

The show will be up for the month of April!  

 

 

Any more questions?

Please do not email me if you have questions, but instead leave them as a comment to this post. This way everyone may benefit from the answers.

 

 

One last thing:

I just want to remind everyone that this show does have three required elements:

1) the overall theme of "New Life"

2) the construction theme of layers

3) the mounting of each piece, using the black matte board specified in the earlier post.  This board is found at Palace Arts, and comes in pre-cut sizes over in the framing department.  It is black with white core.  There is also black with white core matte board in the do-it-your-self section to the back left corner of the store.  Just make sure it is black with the white core.  It is not foam board, but like heavy paper stock.

I look forward to seeing everyone's creations!

 

 

 

Musical Mondays

In the past my kids and I have participated in the Musical Mondays program--10 weeks (well, 9 starting next week) of class 3-5 in which kids learn a musical and perform it at the end.  This semester the musical is Peter Pan, and they have added a dance element in addition to the play and singing.  I know some of you families have tried the program, but anyone who hasn't and wants to know more can leave a comment here. 

I know there are several theatre groups out there for homeschool kids now.  Here is why I like this one:

--very child friendly
--all kids are on the stage all the time, so even though some kids will have more lines, all the kids equally share the stage.
--all kids sing all the songs, so again even the kids in the background feel like they are fully involved and equally "stars."
--the kids choose what kind of role they want, the casting is based upon what the kids want, and the script is re-written as necessary so that every kid who wants to speak gets to.
--it is very reasonably priced, and you can pay for it with Ocean Grove funds.
--this is not a "theatre" program, so it is not at all stressful for the kids or parents--it's just pure enjoyment.  There is no pressure to perform a certain way.  Kids are allowed to be kids and not have to be evaluated for their skills.
--It is a very reasonable schedule, for us busy homeschool families.  Some of the other more serious theatre programs have appropriately intentive rehersal schedules; this program is just Mondays 3-5 until the performance days, at which time they have rehersal before the performances. There is one Monday performance and one weekend performance, to accommodate working parents.

Now I have heard very good things about some of the other local children's theater programs, esp. CYT.  I just wanted to let you all know about this one in case you are looking for something a little simpler, less intimidating (no auditions), less formal.  This is about the same caliber as a church Christmas play--and for me that is part of its charm. : )

And I knew some of you might want to know if your kids would have friends there--so for at least this semester, we will be there! 

P.S. We are building upon the activity by reading the original Peter Pan, and we might try to "LitWit" it a little. ; )  Becky, that's another book you and Jenny need to add some year!

Family Park Day--tomorrow!

Hello Vintage homeschool moms!

There is a family park event planned tomorrow at Harvey West park, from 10-1.  We will be there, and it would be fabulous to see you all!  Bring a picnic lunch for your family.  (We will come after we drop the girls off at martial arts at 10:30 at Laird's nearby)

Musical Mondays play "The Sound of Music" this Sunday!

Hello everyone!  Jan reminded me that the final performance of "The Sound of Music" is this Sunday, at 3:00 at the First Congregational Church on High Street.  Very convenient for those who are coming from the 11 a.m. Vintage service--just grab lunch downtown and then drive over. : )  Jonathan from Old School Mondays will be playing Captian Von Trapp!

Info on upcoming Author's Fair

Hi,


You are receiving this email because you have contacted us this year about the Authors’ Fair or because you participated last year.

We are delighted to have your children enter books in the Fair to be held on April 30 from 10-4:30 at the Capitola Mall. We have attached the Guidelines provided by the Fair Coordinators. If you have other questions after reading the Guidelines, please contact us.

Our OG student authors loved displaying and having their books admired last year. The books are not judged, but each participant receives a certificate of participation. In addition, we provide post-its so visitors can comment on and encourage the authors. The children also have the opportunity to read their books from the Author's Chair for an audience. They are "interviewed" about their book and then read it.

Over 30 schools participated last year, and there were 100s of books on display. Our table had over 25 books last year, and large schools had 100s. The tables receive much attention from mall shoppers, and many people will look at the books.

The books which were entered last year ranged from poems on decorated paper plates to intricately designed and professionally bound books. The books may be imaginative narratives, poems, non-fiction, etc. The materials, design, and content can be anything that interests and sparks creativity in your children. These links will provide ideas and instructions for making some fun books.

http://www.makingbooks.com/families.shtml

http://www.makingbooks.com/freeprojects.shtml

http://www.vickiblackwell.com/makingbooks.html

http://familycrafts.about.com/od/homemadebooks/Book_Projects.htm

http://www.thenewhomemaker.com/crafts/bookmaking.html

http://www.learningbooks.net/literacy.html


We will be setting up the display at 9am on April 30 and the Fair runs from 10am - 4:30. You may bring your books that morning or get them to us before then. All the ESs will be meeting on the week of March 14th, so your ES could bring the books to one of our meetings if you cannot come on the morning of the 30th. We ask parents to help staff the table during the day in one or two hour shifts if they are able to do so. Please consider which hours you will be able to help.

Please let us know the names and grades of your children so we can make their certificates, and the name of your ES so we can be in contact with her/him also. We will be sending reminders as the date approaches.

Please forward this to any Ocean Grove family that you think might be interested in participating. We look forward to hearing from you, meeting you and your children, and seeing their books!



Kim Evans and Terry Cleary

Student Authors' Fair Coordinators for OGCS

re: Christian Youth Theatre

I heard really good things about the productions of Honk!  that went on just these past weeks--it is so great to have such opportunities for our kids in this area! 

Lisa L. shared with me this info about the production they will be doing next:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We are announcing our next show: Aladdin!


Auditions will be March 25/26 right after the first class of of our 2nd session on March 24th.


Forward this to anyone you think may be interested and have them visit our website: cytsantacruz.org

We will be taking our sign ups at that address as well.
 
--


Mary Jo Epperson

Area Coordinator, Shows

totally unique history/music learning opportunity

It's local, and I *think* it will be FREE too!  (finding out for sure)

Here is the original post by a local homeschool mom:

Hi everyone, I was intrigued that the SC Baroque Festival is having a glass armonica concert coming up on February 12. http://www.scbaroque.com/concerts.html In case you didn't see my previous note about this, this is an instrument that Benjamin Franklin invented and which had a brief period of popularity before the piano took over. The performer is both a musician and a historian of this instrument.


I inquired about getting some kids in to meet the performer and see the instrument that afternoon, and they are open to having a small group come. They also wanted me to point out that every Baroque Festival concert has youth (under 18) tickets for only $3, so if you have a child old enough to sit through the concert, they'd love to see more interested kids at the actual concerts, too.

They can't give me an exact time yet, but the fieldtrip will be in the afternoon of February 12 at the UCSC Music Recital Hall. Please e-mail me if you want to attend, and I will put together a list and let you know what time the week of the concert. Kids any age are welcome, but of course your child should be able to be respectful of the instrument and the musician in order to be able to participate fully! :)

Suki
Susana (Suki) Wessling
suki@sukiwessling.com

FREE passes to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Nov. 15!

Hello everyone!

We signed up for the Homeschool Day at the Aquarium on Nov. 15, and now we can't go, because our girls have a play performance that night!  (This is what happens when you are asked to sign up before the Fall semester even begins)  ALSO, we got tickets for the McNabbs, but then they realized they would not be back in CA quite that soon.  Bummer!  The good news for you is that we now have two families worth of tickets available for anyone who had not signed up previously!  PLEASE let me know if you are interested ASAP.  Otherwise I will post this on another homeschool forum that is county wide, or worst case will just let the aquarium know we can't come. 

The program sounds GREAT too. : (  Hope someone out there can take our place!

Lisa C.

Boys & Girls' Club Holiday Gift and Food Fair

Lisa here:

This event is just too much fun.  The sellers are all kids, mostly homeschoolers.  The crafts are typically impressive.  We traditionally get each of our kids a Christmas ornament every year, so when they are ready to have Christmas on their own they will have a little collection already. : )  There were so many adorable ornaments there--a great place to pick up a few presents while supporting local kids!

If anyone wants to particpate, I'll just say that the food tables always seem to have a brisk business underway! : )

---------------------------------------------------------
ATTENTION: Parents, Teachers & Club Leaders:


Join in the fun of this Great Community Event & Fundraising Opportunity for Groups & Junior Entrepreneurs

The Boys & Girls Club of Santa Cruz is hosting the Annual Children’s International Holiday Gift and Food Fair Saturday, December 4, 11 to 2 pm

The Boys & Girls Club of Santa Cruz invites all Creative and Entrepreneurial Children who enjoy crafts, cooking, or selling and have a need to raise money, and all who appreciate youthful creativity and originality.

The gymnasium of the Boys & Girls Club (located downtown, at 543 Center St.) will be transformed into an international marketplace, offering hand-made items to customers. Decorated table displays will be laden with homemade products including sweet treats to hand-knit scarves, jewelry to freshly-made burritos, and hot-baked breads to ornate wreathes. Everything offered for sale is made entirely by participating youth under the age of 18. Local bands, choirs and performers will provide music during the Fair. Customer admission is free!

The scheduling of this event coincides with a very busy day downtown, with masses of parade attendees adding to the bustle of holiday shoppers. To bring in customers, our event will be publicized and postered throughout Santa Cruz. Vendors are encouraged to promote this event, too!

Table space is limited, so please reserve yours early by sending $15 per table (can be shared to save $, limit 2 per participant).

Hand-made Items that have sold well in the past include:

Homemade Jams Decoratively Wrapped Baked Goods & Cookies
Beaded Earrings & Jewelry Cards & Photos
Knitted Hats & Scarves Quilted Potholders
Custom Stitched Pillowcases Candies & Treats
Scented Decorative Candles Bird and Bat Houses
Holiday Wreaths & Swags Dog Biscuits & Pet Items

Let your child’s creativity flow……….

Interested in participating in this year’s Children’s International Gift and Food Fair ? Please complete the bottom portion of this letter, enclose $15 per table, and send to:

Julie Penniman, Boys & Girls Club of Santa Cruz

Attn: Craft Fair
P.O. Box 873
Santa Cruz, CA 95061
(831) 423-3138 ext. 29
julie@boysandgirlsclub.info

Children’s International Gift and Food Fair
____ I am interested in participating this year

Child’s Name or Organization: ________________________________________

Contact person: __________________________________________________

Address: _________________________________________________________

Child’s Home Phone #: ______________ Parent’s Work #:_________________

Attached is my $ _______ table fee. Please reserve me a table. Maximum two tables

per person or organization.

FREE screening of new documentary!

Hi All,

The Rio Theatre will be showing the new, award-winning documentary Race to Nowhere on Nov. 4 and it sounds like you can reserve free tickets! 

Here is the link to the theatre:  http://www.racetonowhere.com/screenings/rio-theater

Here is the link to info about the movie: http://www.racetonowhere.com/

(too lazy to make it look all nice with html tonight ; )

Out of towners--check the second link to see if there is a free screening near you!

JOHNSON FARM HARVEST TOUR

*Lucy sent this in and said it was not too late to sign up--but I imagine the sooner the better, if you want to participate!  This is a fun tour that the young ones enjoy, and is considered a public-school kindergarten staple here in Aptos. : )

Come join Farmer Rob at Johnson's Farm for a Harvest Tour. The Johnson Farm abounds in a festival of fall colors and activities. It is time to gather in the bounty of the farm. Visitors will enjoy shucking and shelling corn, an old-fashioned harvest demonstration, and gathering pumpkins. The tour lasts one hour and includes a hayride, a time to feed the animals, a lesson on harvesting, and a choice of a pumpkin you pick from the field.

Date: Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Time: 12:45 PM (Please arrive by 12:15 so that money may be collected)
Cost: $7.00 per person (anyone attending that is 2 or older is $7.00, under 2 years old is free)
Location: Johnson Farm, 16385 Two Bar Road, Boulder Creek, CA

If you are interested in attending please email me, Kathy Newman, k_newman@sbcglobal.net by October 10th (the earlier the better as we are limited to the number attending). Please send your name and the number of children that will be attending. If you have any questions please contact me.

See you at the harvest!

Local history FREE field trip

From a homeschool email group:

I have a confirmed fieldtrip to the Scotts Valley Scott House. The website is http://www.svchamber.org/svhistory/ Virginia Hooper will be our guide as we tour the house, find out about Hiram D. Scott and his family, Scotts Valley, and the archaeological find on the property.


3 PM, Friday, October 22, 2010
Civic Center Drive, Scotts Valley 95066

This tour will be directed toward early elementary aged children. Anyone interested in joining our group for this free fieldtrip should contact me at cat_on_2_wheels @ yahoo.com by this Thursday.

Thanks,

Julie Moore

FREE Science Fun!

**My out of town readers--there are other locations for these science events all over the US, so please click on the last link to get to the national site, and look at the "satellite" section to see if there is anything taking place near you.

Cal Science & Engineering Festival


A community celebration of Science@Cal!

Explore the wonders of science with activities for the whole family at the first-ever Cal Science & Engineering Festival.

This free event will take place at UC Berkeley, on Spieker Plaza (located next to Haas Pavilion) http://www.berkeley.edu/map/maps/DE23.html on *Saturday, October 23 *from 10am to 2pm.

It's all about science in action! You'll put solar power to the test, get hands-on with ancient fossils, discover the "science" of unicycling and basketball, make your own earthquake, journey to the stars—and more!

The Cal festival is hosted by Science@Cal, an initiative of the UC BerkeleyOffice of the Vice Chancellor for Research, and is presented in conjunction with the inaugural USA Science & Engineering Festival http://usasciencefestival.org/

It sounds GREAT--hope we can go. : )

free piano!

another one that came to my inbox today:
-----------------------------------------------
I am helping my friend, Ingrid, to find a home for their old piano. It is a Con console upright piano (I understand it is a lower height) that is in good condition but will probably need to be tuned. Her ideal situation is to find a good home to loan it to for a up to a year or longer, but if no one wants it as a loan, she is willing to give it away. She just needs to have it out of their old home soon. It is currently in Aptos but we might be able to move it to to be picked up in Santa Cruz.

Interested families should contact me: Nancy Winans at whynansy@yahoo.com and I will let Ingrid know. Let me know if you have any other questions. If you want it, please tell me your name, phone number and when you would be able to pick it up or receive it.

Thanks! - Nancy

Storytelling with Jim Weiss!

Hello Moms!

I am here to sell you on tell you about an amazing upcoming event!  I am sure a lot of you are familiar with  Jim Weiss, who is one of the top story tellers in America today and is the voice behind The Story of the World books.

Well, from what I have learned from my wonderful E.S. Terry Cleary:

Diane Bokulich and Mary Ann Shapiro worked to bring Jim Weiss to Capitola to teach your kids about storytelling!


Here is the info from the database:


Classes will take place on Monday, Nov 8 from 9Am to 3PM. at ST. JOSEPH'S CATHOLIC COMMUNITY- CAPITOLA, CALIFORNIA, 435 Monterey Avenue, Capitola CA 95010, 831-475-8211.

There will be no "drop-off" and there is no area for small children to play. Students should bring a sack lunch if they are staying for the whole day. 

I interpret this last part to mean that there must be a parent attending the event with his/her child, and this will not be a good venue for little ones.  But think about it this way--YOU get to attend the event for FREE! ; )

Cost is $95/student. BUT it turns out that the price will drop as more students sign up! If we have 10 students, the cost is $95 each. With 20 students it drops to $47.50.  This event is covered fully by your Ocean Grove funds, BUT let's still see if we can't get enough interested parents/kids to bring the cost down!

Sarah Frank will be taking Hannah while her husband watches the boys.  She has generously offered to "parent" Gwynneth so she can attend and I can be here with my little ones!  I am sure us Vintage Ocean Grove moms can together work out child care help for those of us who could not do it otherwise, so if you are interested, leave a comment below and we will see what we can do! 


And be sure to sign-up for the event with your Ocean Grove E.S.!

Oh, those of you with girls should consider this. . .

There is a program we have done for 3 years now, called Musical Mondays.  It is basically a musical production every semester, with a free performance open to the community.  The woman in charge, Candace, is AWESOME.  The kids all get pizza and lemonade every week when they first arrive, which is included in the cost. The quality of story and music chosen are excellent.  I love that kids get to choose if they want a speaking role or not, and ALL the kids sing ALL the songs together--no solos--and they all stay on stage the entire production, so they get to really feel like they are all in the production equally. 

This fall the selected musical is. .  Annie!!!  Oh, my girls are in for a treat!

I think the youngest allowed is 7, so Bronwyn will not be participating, but that is ok--I think she is a bit young for it anyway.  But Meredith and Gwynneth are SO going to be in this--and Musical Mondays are an Ocean Grove vendor!!!  AND it is held at a church right near Vintage, so we always go on over to catch the 6 pm martial arts class at Laird's afterwards, and make the most of being on that end of town. . .

Can I sell you any more on this?  boys are of course welcome too, but those of you with older girls--THINK ABOUT IT. : )

Here is the email I received tonight:

Hello Everyone,



Musical Mondays is about to begin. This fall semester we will perform Annie. I chose this play for many reasons first and foremost because I love it! There are so many parts, such fun songs and great chances to show our best acting from the clown, Mrs Hannigan to President Roosevelt. The first class is September 13, 3-5pm. We will meet every Monday from 3-5 and perform our play on Monday, November 15, at 5pm and Sunday, November 21, at 3pm. Please check/reserve these dates now. The fee for the class is $125.00/semester. Invite your friends to join the fun. No need to preregister, just join us for pizza on the 13th.


Candy, Cheryl, and Jenny

EDUCATION DAYS AT SANTA CRUZ COUNTY FAIR

From the Coast & Valley homeschool newsletter:

As homeschoolers, you can get into the fair free on Wednesday, Sep 15 & Thursday, Sep 16th. You have to apply and get special tickets. See http://www.santacruzcountyfair.com/ for general info about the fair. Go to http://santacruzcountyfair.com/pdf/2010/education_dept/app_education_days.pdf to download the application for your tickets.

Be sure to check out the Harvest Building Youth Department and the Livestock area for the many homeschoolers in 4-H that have projects displayed. Many Coast & Valley members also have items in the Crosetti Building (home arts) as well as the Fine Arts building.

Eggs recall--FYI

228M eggs recalled following salmonella outbreakBy MARY CLARE JALONICK, Associated Press Writer Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press Writer Tue Aug 17, 11:55 pm ET

WASHINGTON – An Iowa egg producer is recalling 228 million eggs after being linked to an outbreak of salmonella poisoning. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said eggs from Wright County Egg in Galt, Iowa, were linked to several illnesses in Colorado, California and Minnesota. The CDC said about 200 cases of the strain of salmonella linked to the eggs were reported weekly during June and July, four times the normal number of such occurrences. State health officials say tainted eggs have sickened at least 266 Californians and seven in Minnesota.

The eggs were distributed around the country and packaged under the names Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph's, Boomsma's, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms and Kemp.

The Food and Drug Administration is investigating. In a statement, company officials said the FDA is "on-site to review records and inspect our barns." The officials said they began the recall Aug. 13. The most common symptoms of salmonella are diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever within eight hours to 72 hours of eating a contaminated product. It can be life-threatening, especially to those with weakened immune systems.

2010 Monterey Bay Aquarium Home School Days Sign Up OPEN NOW

Hello Moms! As of yesterday, you can sign up for the FREE Monterey Bay Aquarium Home School Days program.

We signed up our family and the McNabbs for the Nov 15th slot, just in case any of you want to try for the same day. : )

Educational Games/Toys Closeout SALE--TOMORROW

As many of you know, the Educational Resource Center is closing at the
end of this month. If you haven't heard, you can read about the
complete details in the right hand column here:
http://www.edcentersantacruz.com/

The good news is that we will be sharing a majority of the lending
library to a new homeschool co-op that is forming on the eastside of
Santa Cruz. It's not going to open until the fall and we are still
working out the details of how it will look, but I am excited to keep
the lending library accessible.

However, their space is smaller, so we are having a toy sale tomorrow--
Saturday, June 26th. Here's the information, please come and buy a few
things to help us pay our rent!

----
Toys for kids 18 months to 12 years old including: board games, puzzles,
building toys, toddler toys, dress up clothes, teacher resource books,
beginning readers, and more

We also have larger items including a train table with trains,
bookshelves, loveseat, Varde base cabinet from IKEA, and industrial wire
shelving from Costco

Educational Resource Center of Santa Cruz
224 Walnut Ave, Santa Cruz
Saturday, June 26, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (no early birds)
-----

Thanks!
Heddi Craft