Saint Francis in the Schools- Free event, Wednesday October 30, 2013- Lakeside Park, Oakland

Francis in the Schools is a non-profit organization that offers free field trips to San Francisco Bay area children living in the poorest neighborhoods of our cities.  The field trip includes a civics-related theatrical presentation followed by an afternoon in the park, where the children are served a delicious free lunch and are offered an Umbrian, Renaissance-style faire.

Today, Francis in the Schools is hosting an event at Lakeside Park in Oakland.  This proves to be a beautiful and inspirational event!

There will be no parking on Bellevue Avenue in Oakland at Lake Merrit today until 5:00PM because of the event.

Resources:

Terry H. Johnson
FrancisInTheSchools.org
(925) 212-7835

Train Rides- Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad- last train rides for the season.

I called the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroads today and discovered that the official last train rides for the season are October 31st.  Yet, while they will only do railcars onclosed on Friday, they will be open for 11:00AM steam rides on November 2nd and 3rd, weather permitting.  This train is located on the South entrance of Yosemite, near Oakhurst.

Resources:

Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroads
56001 Yosemite Hwy 41
Fish Camp, CA  93633

Trick or Treating, Downtown Sonora, 3-5PM

Sonora is such a gorgeous town, a perfect backdrop to trick or treating.  There will be trick or treating from 3 to 5 on October 26, 2013

Fall Festivals- Salmon Festival 2013, Knights Ferry, CA

Each year, in Knights Ferry, CA, the locals have a salmon festival at the Knights Ferry Covered Bridge to celebrate the salmon!  They have the following food and activities:

-Food, such as BBQd salmon
-Historic Tours
-Live Music
-Fish Print Shirts
-Salmon Obstacle course
-Fiy Fishing demos

Train Rides- Harvest Haunt Express- October 26, 27 2013- Jamestown, CA

Tomorrow my son and I are going on the Harvest Haunt Express in Jamestown, cA.  Specially decorated excursion trains depart on the hour from 11AM to 3 PM.  This is Railtown's answer to Halloween!  The excursion is only 45 minutes.  The trains are specially decorated and have a "skeleton crew" aboard to help out.

Resources:

Harvest Haunt Express Train Rides
October 26 & 27, 2013
11AM- 3 PM, 45 minute ride
18115 5th Avenue, Jamestown, CA  95327
(209) 989-3953

Favorite Snacks for children- Fruit Straws

As I've written in previous blog posts, at my son's school the children need to bring both a snack in a bag and a lunch.  Finding both lunches and snacks that I can pack and that my son will actually eat have been harder than some college classes!  I thought being a mom would be easier than college but for me it isn't!  I found a healthy fruit roll up this past week called Plum Kids organic fruit straws.  There isn't even any sugar which is a definite plus!  My son liked the fact that he could use it as a straw in his milk!  The top two ingredients are organic apple puree and organic apple juice.  It has 1 gram of fiber and 10% daily recommended vitamin c.  It contains 9 grams of sugar.  Ideally, I prefer a real apple or other fruit, but I've been finding too many apples with only a bite taken out of it leaking in his lunchbox.  I'm desperate for a at least few days of non-mess lunches!

Resources:

Plum Kids
Organic Fruit Straws
real fruit snacks
Strawberry Vanilla
Distributed by
Nest Collective, Inc.
Emeryville, CA  94608
1-877-914-PLUM
INFO@PLUMORGANICS.COM
Certified organic by Oregon Tilth

Recommended book on CD- Toad and Frog

I found this CD at a local bookstore and my five year old son loves it!  It is an original cast recording from a play produced by Robert Reale.  The voices are so real and amazing that it feels like you are at the theater.  It is so fun that I really enjoy it too.  I just moved it to the car, and we listened to it on a car trip!  This CD is highly recommended!

Resources:

Frog and Toad
2002, 2004 Frog and Toad Company LLC
Distributed by PS Classics LLC
Re: PS-416
81 Pondfield Road, #306, Bronxville, NY  10708

Lunch cooler for children's lunches

Sometimes my son uses a regular lunch bag, but sometimes I want to pack him something like yogurt or cheese that needs to stay cool.  Plus, he prefers mayonnaise on his turkey sandwich.  I got a Packit freezable personal cooler that has solved the problem of me worrying he'll get sick from his mayo, or milk going bad!  I keep it clean, and after being used I put in the freezer flat.  That way when I want to pack a lunch that needs to stay cool, it is ready!

Directions are so easy!

1.  Fold the cooler and freeze.
2.  Take it out of freezer and unfold it, pack lunch.
3.  Enjoy all day, keeps food cold up to 10 hours!


Resources:

PACKIT  FREEZABLE  FREEZABLE  PERSONAL COOLER
Item # PCS-FR-0034H
PackitCool.com

Pajamas for Children- Kicky Pants, onesies, bamboo

My son loves onesies, and he only currently has one pair, a size 4.  I got this pair at a store in Alameda called, .......  They don't carry older sizes so they gave me the website to order my own older sizes.  I love this PJ's as they are 100% bamboo and really silky soft!

Resources:

Kicky Pants Pajamas

Organic Pajamas for children- Under the Nile

I am very particular about my son's pajamas, I do not buy any with fire retardant or chemicals.  I have a few that I prefer.  I really like the Under the Nile organic pajamas.  I purchased my first pair at Whole Foods in Oakland,CA.  But they don't sell them anymore after around 24 months.  My son is five but is still wearing the size 4 because I've been desperately looking for a store that carries older sizes.

Resources:

Under The Nile Organic Cotton Pajamas

Halloween- Whole Foods Bakery, edible Haunted House Kits

My son has been asking that we decorate for Halloween.  I am going to Whole Foods later this week to get one of their edible Haunted House kits, it looks fun and new,  even for me!

Sierra Waldorf School, Sonora, CA- My favorite things about this school!

These are my favorite things about the Sierra Waldorf School in Sonora, CA:

*  The Waldorf School administrators that I've met have all previously been teachers and are knowledgable about the philosophy.  The Sierra School has amazing administrators and office support. They really "walk the walk."

*There is a beautiful organic garden that the students learn to tend to.

*There were some bats living in the eaves of the school buildings so they built a bat house, where they now peacefully live.

*They successfully do beekeeping

*The classrooms are clean, peaceful, organized and serene.

*They have a store in downtown Sonora where they sell toys, supplies, and do some crafts.  I haven't visited yet, since they open at 12:00.

*They have a great space with lots of room for the children to be children!  I can really appreciate this since I currently live in the city.

*I could say so much more, this school seems like a really warm, loving environment that involves the community in activities such as a not scary Halloween festival that has fun activities for the children and actually ends with a bonfire, sounds like an idyllic way to spend Halloween!

St. Paul's School, Oakland, CA- My favorite things about this school!

I visited St. Paul's School in Oakland, CA for their open house, this past Saturday.  I spent a few hours visiting the classes and I saw many aspects of the school I loved.  I've gone to several private schools and I'm going to start writing about what I've discovered that I liked about each one.

St Paul's- k-8 school in Oakland, CA

*I discovered on Saturday that St. Paul's is not a parochial school, in fact they study many different religions and learn about them.  I think this is fascinating and a charming quality to make children more tolerant and worldly.

*Each Friday, they go to the chapel, and the young children sit with their older buddies and sing, and do other things having to do with world religions and spirituality.  One mom I talked to said that was her children's favorite part of the week!  I can see that being a  favorite part of my son's day too!  They told me Saturday that I am welcome to bring my son any Friday to experience this firsthand.

*The staff is really warm and friendly!  I felt really comfortable, and it seemed that they really cared!  I haven't always felt this at a private school, as sometimes it feels more chilling and sterile.  I get a strong feeling at St. Paul's that they focus on socio-emotional needs of children and parents.

*There were lots of hands-on math manipulatives and games out in the classrooms, so I got a feeling that they don't just focus on drill and kill worksheets, but do lots of hands-on activities.  I need to go visit the school in session to discover more about this.

* The Kindergarden class had under 20 children and 2 teachers, how wonderful!

*I loved the Kindergarden class, it had a loft and lots of spaces within the space.  It was a fun place, and I imagine my son would love it!  I don't always like the spaces in schools.  I loved the kindergarden class.

*The children at St. Paul's do service learning.  Each year they do a different project.  One grade made sandwiches to be delivered to a senior center, another class visits seniors.  I love the way they teach the children about giving back, I see this as a way to prevent judgement and entitlement that I've seen some children exhibit.

*I've shared seven things, and I want to share 7 things I appreciated about each school I visit, but I could continue!  I highly recommend visiting this school to see if it fits your child's and your personality and preferences!

What is my son's favorite snack for school?

Since my son started elementary school in September, what to feed him for snack is now becoming a source of stress for me.  Why?  Well, starting school has a whole new set of challenges!  Where my son goes to school they have children bring both a snack bag and a lunch bag.  I need to bring something that can be packed easily, does not need to be eaten warm, does not go stale if not refrigerated, and a whole set of problems!  After working on this problem for almost two months I have a snack that I actually pack most days, since I KNOW that he will eat it and enjoy it!  I love variety and spontaneity in snacks, but it is too stressful now that he has started school.  I don't feel very creative at 7:30 AM in the morning!

My son LOVES the Late July organic mini cheddar cheese crackers.  On the package it claims it is "real organic white cheddar cheese between organic mini buttery tasting rich crackers."  I have tried to pack him plain crackers with a slice of cheddar cheese in it, but when I pick him up and the cheese and crackers are still there, I feel bad wasting that food since after a day at school in a bag, the cheese is no longer edible and doesn't look edible anymore either!  The box claims that these crackers are produced without synthetic pesticides and have no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.  I love reading the ingredients and being able to understand EACH one, no strange names!  I also give him a box of 365 organic organic 100% apple juice (no sugar added.)  I started the year giving him a thermos of fresh, refrigerated apple juice and after he lost three of them, and I started getting sick of wandering around the school and classroom looking for them, I switched to boxes, at least for this year.  I still haven't found any of those three thermoses, which still bothers me as they are really expensive.  I recycle the box, but I still feel bad about the waste.  I haven't found a better snack, yet, but I am always looking!  When I find one, I will blog about it!

Resources:

Late July Organic Mini Cheddar Cheese Crackers

Bite Size Sandwich Crackers

Distributed by:

Late July Snacks

3166 Main Street

Barnstable, MA  02630

www.latejuly.com

Looking Glass Photo & Camera Grand Opening Event- October 20, 2013- Berkeley, CA

The Looking Glass Photo & Camera store is my favorite in the area!  They have recently moved from Telegraph Avenue to Ashby Avenue, and area having a grand opening event tomorrow, October 20th.
They will have the following activities:

*Free workshops
*Free seminars
*RAFFLE prizes
*tech demos
*huge savings
*expert help
*There will be reps from top brands:
-Canon
-Fujifilm
-Nikon
-Sony
-Tamron
-GoPro
-Olympus
-Lowepro
-Lensbaby

Resources:

Looking Glass Photo and Camera
1045 Ashby Avenue
Berkeley, CA
(510) 548-6888
lookingglassphoto.com

Why do Waldorf School's incorporate handwork in their curriculum?

I recently read a blog discussing why Waldorf School's emphasize handwork in their curriculum.  I do think there is a hand-brain connection in children, they need to experience learning through touch, not just through dittoes.

Resources:

http://handworkbarn.blogspot.com

4th East Bay Mini Maker Faire, Park Day School, Oakland,CA

Last year I took my son to the East Bay Mini Maker Faire at Park Day School in Oakland,CA.  I was honestly blown away at the beauty of this private school campus.  My son loved this faire, they had all kinds of mini maker activities, including a chicken coop, bee hives, cheese making, and all kinds of other activities for children and their parents.  The Faire is put on by the Studio One Arts Center and the Park Day School.

Resources:

East Bay Mini Maker Faire
Park Day School
360 42nd Street,
Oakland, CA
Temescal District
(510) 653-0317
www.parkdayschool.org

Crowden School- Community Music Day- is this Sunday, October 20th- Berkeley, CA

This Sunday, October 20th, is Community Music Day!  Community Music Day attracts over 1,500 students each year!  It is an amazing day of free music and activities!  It is a free musical carnival for the entire family.  They will have all kinds of activities, such as the following:

*Instrument petting zoo-  Explore, touch, and learn to make sounds on all the different instruments in a symphony orchestra!  Features special mini string instruments for tiny hands and fingers.

*Very first concerts-  The San Francisco Chamber Orchestra performs short and engaging programs with the musical theme, "Small Instruments, Tall Instruments."  10:40 AM, 11:20 AM, and 12:00PM.

*Instrument Making

*Face Painting

*Musical performances by kids, for kids

*Crowden School admissions information.  Crowden School is for children, 4th through 8th grades, though they also offer music classes, such as suzuki strings, music together, singing, etc.

*BBQ & baked goods, "Chill" room, prizes, and more!


Resources:

Crowden Music Center
1475 Rose Street
Berkeley, CA  94702
(510) 559-6910
www.crowden.org

Autism- Resources For Help

A few resources and help for families of children with autism:

Dr. Ron Steingard, The Child Mind Center advises, "It's important to advocate for our child and turn to your peers for advice and support."

Autism Speaks (autismspeaks.org)

Parents Helping Parents (php.com)

Harvest Fair is this Saturday, October 12, 2013 at East Bay Waldorf in El Sobrante, CA

My son did mommy and me "Sweet Pea" classes at East Bay Waldorf starting when he was 18 months, the classes were once a week and included a homemade snack where we all sat around the table having snack, and the children learned rhymes such as "napkin on your napkin," which we still bring up with smiles on our faces!  The East Bay Waldorf has great festivals, and the Harvest Festival is no exception.  I've never been to a Waldorf festival I didn't like, and isn't it great to go to a festival both the parent and child enjoy!  The festival starts at 11AM.  There will be lots of good, healthy food, vendor items for sale, music, dance, activities, and entertainment.  The Waldorf festivals are truly magical for both parents and their children!

Resources:

East Bay Waldorf
3800 Clark Road
El Sobrante, CA
http://www.eastbaywaldorf..org

Alphabet Learning and Reinforcement- Touch and Learn Alphabet Fish

Imaginarium Learning has a Touch & Learn Alphabet Fish with 29 interactive Touch Points.  It is great for the car!  It is kind of loud for a restaurant or public space.  This is a good tool for alphabet and alphabet sound introduction as well as review.  The Alphabet fish has the following features:

*2 play modes,
-discovery
-game

*26 touch points teaching the alphabet

*3 hidden touch points with fun sound effects and songs

*Lightweight and portable design

Resources:

Imaginarium Learning Touch & Learn Alphabet Fish
www.imaginarium.com
www.toysrus.ca
5F60E25

Ages 2+ (My son is five and it will be fun for awhile, just reviewing letters and sounds after a long summer.  The voice says, "Great job,"  and "You are so smart," when he gets it right!  I know he loves that!)

Nutrition-Kids Superfood, chocolate flavor for milk

My son likes Kidz Superfood in his milk.  It tastes like chocolate milk, but not as sweet.  It is made with organic wheat grass and other veggies.  It is gluten free and vegan.  I started out by mixing his milk with half of the kids superfood and half regular chocolate milk mix, then I gradually just put the kids superfood.  As he got used to the flavor, he actually preferred it to regular chocolate mix.

Resources:

Amazing Grass
Kidz Superfood
Outrageous Chocolate Flavor
gluten free and vegan
60 servings
amazinggrass.com
P.O. Box 475576
San Francisco, CA  94147

For smoothie recipes, look at amazing grass.com/recipes

Recipe- Easiest pasta with sauce and meatballs!

When we have a really busy day of school, and then other classes on top of that, we don't even get home until dinner time.  I would rather make my own meatballs and spaghetti sauce, but when that is not possible, my son really loves a simple pasta with sauce and meatballs using particular ready-made varieties.  I discovered Aidalls Italian style meatballs with mozzarella cheese about a week ago at the Village Market in Oakland, CA.  I like the Organicville Organic Pasta Sauce, we like the Tomato Basil variety.  Or, sometimes we have the 365 organic when it is on sale at Whole Foods, we like the Tomato Basil and the Classic varieties.  Sometimes I make my own spaghetti sauce using fresh tomatoes, herbs, and a tomato paste such as Bionatura Organic tomato paste.   I like this kind as there is no salt added.  Then, for a pasta, I discovered a small pasta shop right in Jack London Square called Edison Grainery.   Since I am gluten free, I like the Organic Quinoa pasta as then I can eat it too!

Resources:

All Natural Chicken Meatballs, Gluten Free, No Nitrates, and No Hormones
Aidells Italian Style with Mozzarella Cheese
www.aidells.com
(Follow directions on package for heating, really easy!)

Edison Grainery Organic Quinoa Elbows (gluten free)
By Edison Grainery
Emeryville, CA
EDISONGRAINERY.COM

Organicville
Organic Pasta Sauce
Tomato Basil
Gluten Free
Sky Valley Foods
878 Firetower Road
Yanceyville, NC  27379
www.organicvillefoods.com
(24 oz has 420mg of salt, which is 18% of the sauce.)


365 Organic Pasta Sauce
Tomato Basil or Classic
Distributed by Whole Foods Market
Austin, TX  78703
(25oz has 500mg of salt, which is 21% of the sauce)

Bionatura
Organic Tomato Paste
NO SALT ADDED
Distributed by:
Euro-USA Trading Co. Inc.
North Franklin, CT  06254
(Refrigerate after opening.  Use within 10 days.)

Amy's Organic pasta sauce
Family Marinara
Amy's Kitchen Inc.
P.O. Box 449
Petaluma, CA
Amy's.com

kitchen toy-Thomas the train, Island of Sodor Felt Playmat, 2 + years

I finally got my son the Island of Sodor Felt Playmat so he can play train in the kitchen while I cook.  It is a really durable felt surface and is 30"x 25x.  Our kitchen is tile and is really cold so it is nice for William to even use to hang out on!

Resources:

Thomas & Trains
Wooden Railway
Island of Sodor Felt Playmat
2 + years
Fisher Price
www.thomasandfriends.com
fisher-price.com/thomasandfriends
I.D. Y4471-0910G2

Cameras- the easiest for children to use is the Fujifilm instamatic

I used to love the Polaroids as they were so easy to use, especially in a classroom.  I used them for writing books, posters, and all sorts of things.  They instantly create a party as children love to see the picture instantly, and then take it home.  Also, children love to take pictures with an instamatic.
I think they are a great tool for educators.  I've even used them in higher education classes for getting to know each other activities as well as other assignments.  Now, I use the Fujifilm Instant Camera, I have really enjoyed it!  Be careful, as it can break if not handled correctly.  I got my camera at Looking Glass
Photography in Berkeley, CA.

Resources:

Fujifilm Instant Camera, insta 210, includes 45 cm close up lens.
wide picture format
Fujifilm Corporation
26-30 Nishiazabu 2-Chome, Minato-KU
Tokyo, 106-8620 Japan

Snacks for children- Late July Organic Mini Cheddar Cheese filled crackers

My son's favorite snack this week is Late July organic cheddar cheese filled crackers.  He loves them!  In September I had purchased the Annie's Organic snack mix, and he didn't like that as much.  Though I thought the snack mix had more of an adult snack, tasty with a soda or beer.   I had also tried the pizza flavored snack mix and he didn't like that either, I think that has an older flavor also.

Resources:

Late July
organic Cheddar Cheese cheddar cheese filled crackers
3166 Main Street
Barnstable, MA  02630
www.latejuly.com

Annie's Organic Snack Mix
(has an older flavor, my son didn't like it as much.)
1610 5th Street
Berkeley, CA  94710

Escuela Bilingue International School, Berkeley, CA

EBI is an independent bilingual school for pre-kindergarten through seventh grades.  About one third of EBI's students arrive to the school speaking at least some Spanish.  The founders of the school, which opened in September 2006, were parents who specifically wanted a Spanish immersion environment, which at that time was difficult to find past fifth grade in Northern California.

EBI's founders envisioned bilingual education as a key component of an educational philosophy to nurture global citizens, installing the ability to recognize and respect differences, and to consider problems from various perspectives.  Not only are children working in English and Spanish by third grade, but at that time the students start to study Mandarin four days a week.

As of the 2010 census, 12.8 percent of the U.S. population - 37 million people over age 5- spoke Spanish at home.  Worldwide, Mandarin is the most spoken language, approaching 900 million speakers, with English and Spanish runner ups, according to Ethnologue, an online language research site.

EBI bases its curriculum on the International Baccalaureate (known as IB), a Geneva-based foundation created to develop "the intellectual, personal, and emotional and social skills to live, learn, and work in a rapidly globalizing world." The BI was founded in 1968 and already works with more than 3,000 schools in over 146 countries.  IB focuses on inquiry-based learning.  There is a popular and well respected IB program at Berkeley High School.  Berkeley High School has a four-year IB diploma program, called Berkeley International High school.  Many colleges accept IB high school classes interchangeably with AP classes for college credit.

My son has native accent in Spanish since he learned so young, why? Does this also come later in High School?

I really wanted my son to learn a second language in preschool.  I decide on Spanish since my husband and I both took classes in school and have some knowledge of words.  We decided on an immersion preschool for our son, and he went two or three days a week.  At first it was hard for him as his teachers spoke only in Spanish, only using English rarely.  Though it was difficult to watch, I knew from my own experience as a teacher, that he would learn quickest and sound more like a native, from an immersion model.  My son now has a natural accent when speaking Spanish, though he still isn't truly fluent.  It takes people by surprise!   I looked up accents on wikipedia and this is what was written:

"The most important factor in predicting the degree to which the accent will be noticeable (or strong) is the age at which the non-native language was learned.  The critical period theory states that if learning takes place after the critical period (usually considered around puberty) for acquiring native-like pronunciation, and individual is unlikely to acquire a native like accent.  This theory, however, is quite controversial among researchers."

How do I get my son to eat breakfast before elementary school?

This morning was a nightmare.  My son started kindergarden this September and I am having a hard time getting him to eat 3 meals a day plus snack at school.  I have to prepare 3 meals before 8:00AM and it is really hard!  The students bring a lunch in a lunch box but there is also a tub to put recess snacks in, which by the time I pack a drink and snack, is almost like another meal!  This morning I actually fed my son organic cheese leftover pizza and an apple juice for breakfast.  He enjoyed half of it, then put it down and the dog ate it, and dogs aren't even supposed to have flour!  Last year I usually made scrambled eggs with a little cheese, the secret to my son liking it is cooking it really slow!  The following are some other breakfast ideas that work for my son, and I am looking for some new ideas!

Breakfasts my five year son likes:

scrambled eggs with cow or goat milk, scrambled slow

Boiled eggs (great as I can make them ahead, but he doesn't like the yolks so I feed those to the dog.)

poached egg

string cheese

bagel with cream cheese and lox

crackers with peanut butter

chocolate chip or regular pancakes

egg pizza (check out Oliveto Cafe in Rockridge Cafe in the morning for this delicacy, I haven't learned how to make it yet!)

Cheese pizza  (when desperate, not best choice! Homemade organic is preferred.)

W cheese roll (See previous blog for directions, we make these together.)

chicken apple sausage

croissants

morning buns (very sweet on a school day)

toast with peanut butter or chocolate hazelnut butter

strawberry smoothie with vanilla yogurt (If at jamba juice, sometimes I'll have them add a banana as it doesn't really change the taste.)

apple juice/ apple slices without peel




What he doesn't like, yet...I'll keep trying:

oatmeal with soy milk, dairy, or goat milk

healthy cold cereal, but still trying variations

granola

bacon

muffins/scones

banana

blueberry pancakes (this makes me really sad as my dad used to always make us blueberry pancakes, but my son really doesn't like them.)

banana pancakes with walnuts  (My son doesn't like the banana or walnuts in anything.  He will tolerate a banana in a smoothie if I don't announce it.)

I have to admit that I don't care for getting three snacks/meals ready before 8:00AM in the morning.  I am working on getting better at this.  My favorite meals are the "slow food" variety where we can make the meal together watching it simmer!  I love making homemade pizza with my son, or W cheese rolls, or slowly cooked scrambled eggs with fresh croissants I've made or picked up at the bakery early in the morning.  I miss those days, when he played beside me while I made a nutritious breakfast!

Book Recommendation: My Name is Gabriela/ Me Llamo is Gabriela by Monica Brown

Ashay By the Bay, at the Rockridge Out and About Festival, picked out My Name is Gabriela for a bilingual read aloud for my five year old son.  I love the illustrations and it was a fun and interesting mommy read too.  The story is about the life of author, Gabriela Mistral, who was the first Latin American writer to receive  a Nobel Prize for Literature.  Gabriela Mistral was born in 1889 in Vicuna, a small town in Northern Chile in South America.  She published over thirty collections of poetry in her lifetime.

I read both of these books at bedtime and he enjoyed them both.  I work on reading at least one or two bilingual spanish books each night for at least five minutes, then I let him pick a few choices.

Resources:

My Name is Gabriela/ Me Llamo is Gabriela
by Monica Brown
Illustrated by John Parra
2006 International Latino Book Award Winner
Luna Rising Publishing
P.O. Box 1389
Flagstaff, Arizona  86002-1389
ISBN 13: 978-0-87358-859-1

Ashay By The Bay
African American and Multi-Cultural Books and Educational Services
www.AshayByTheBay.com
Phone:  510-520-2742
FAX:  707-557-3585
EMAIL:  ashaybythebay@gmail.com
Contact:  Deborah Day
Headquarters:  Vallejo, CA

Book Recommendation: Hairs and Pelitos by Sandra Cisneros

We were at the Rockridge Street festival in the Rockridge district of Oakland, California today and I stopped at a table set up by the book business Ashay By The Bay.  The company specializes in African and multi-cultural children's books and educational services.  The website is also really helpful as it gives book suggestions by age and grade level.  I was looking for a few bilingual to read my son at night at bedtime, the owner recommended Hairs and Pelitos by Sandra Cisneros.  This jewel-like vignette, shows through simple, intimate portraits, the diversity among us.  It is for ages five to eight, and talks about differences in hair color and quality, even in one family.  My son loved it, and they are talking about differences color and hair even in kindergarten.  Sandra Cisneros also wrote The House on Mango Street which is for older children, grades 6-8


Resources:

Hairs and Pelitos
by Sandra Cisneros
Dragonfly Books, New York
ages 5-8


The House On Mango Street
by Sandra Cisneros
Knopf Doubleday Publishing
grades 6-8
ISBN- 13: 9780679734772

Ashay By The Bay
African American and Multi-cultural books and educational services
www.AshayByTheBay.com
Phone:  510-520-2742
FAX:  707-557-3585
EMAIL:  ashaybythebay@gmail.com
Contact:  Deborah Day
Headquarters:  Vallejo, CA

Fully Belly Farm in Capay Valley has family campout tonight and activities tomorrow.

Full Belly Farm in Yolo County, CA is having a campout tonight.  The price is $25.00 per car and no reservations are required, and you do not have to have a CSA membership to camp over.   This year is the 26th annual celebration, and the main festivities are  today from 11AM to 11PM.  Last year my son and I drove to Guinda for the Saturday celebration, but did not camp.  They had food, music, and other entertainment.  They also had tractor tours of the property which were really interesting!  This year we had another engagement so couldn't go, but I look back fondly at last year's trip there.  Next year I want to camp there as it was a long trip there and back.

Check out a video of full belly camp on tube, under the title of Full Belly Camp Documentary by Andrew Pinkham.

Full Belly Farm is a certified organic farm located in the beautiful Capay Valley of Northern California.  Their CSAF program offers boxes of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables, and offers seasonal outings like these, some for members of the CSA only and others for the general public.

Resources:

Full Belly Farm
fullbellyfarm.com

Hoes Down Harvest Festival
26th Annual Celebration
http://www.hoesdown.org/
October 5th and 6th
Yolo County
Saturday, 11AM to 11PM
Saturday Night camping, $25.00
Sunday- Specialized hands-on seminars in a variety of subjects, register at Ecofarm booth.

Fully Belly Farm
16090 Road 43
Guinda, CA
95637
(530) 796-2214

From www.fullbellyfarm.com:

From www.hoesdown.org:

Is this the right school for my child?

I know that many of my friends whose child just entered K are thinking, "Is this the right school for my child?"  Or, they may thinking, "Do I want to be around these people for the next several years?"  Preschool and elementary school are such different worlds, for the child as well as the parent.  I will  be writing a series of blog posts looking at what parents should be looking for.  How happy should the child be?  How happy should the parent be?  Is it normal to feel disconnected and "not part of" the school setting in the the fall?  What would a perfect experience in K feel like for the parent and the child?  I do not have the answers to these questions myself.  Also, the violence in Connecticut last year, many parents do not feel safe anymore dropping off their child.  This K class of parents are the first class of children to worry when they drop off their child, whether they will never see their child again.  As an educator myself, I have never seen parents have so much fear about security and safety, even in neighborhoods where parents have traditionally not had to worry.  It is so sad for parents to have to worry about dropping off their children to school, it breaks my heart!

Best Afterschool Snacks for my son in Kindergarden

My son started elementary school in September and he is so tired and hungry when he gets out of school.  I've learned to pack a snack for when I pick him up.  The best snacks, I've found, for lifting his mood are string cheese, cold milk, a chocolate chip cookie made from organic flour, peanut or other nut butter and crackers, fresh fruit such as an apple or other dried  fruit  such as Annie's Orchard, Strawberry Fruit Bites, which has one serving of fruit inside, or hummus and veggies.   After a few of these snacks, and  I feel I have my son back!

Resources:

365 Organic String Cheese
Vegetarian
Distributed by Whole Foods Market
Austin, TX  78703

Organic Orchard
Strawberry Fruit Bites
Annie's Homegrown
1610 Fifth Street
Berkeley, CA  94710

Bridge School Benefit Concert is this Weekend!