April 2007 • Volume 10, Number 7
April 2007 • Volume 10, Number 7 |
Editor's Note If you have any resources, ideas or events you'd like to share, please let me know! Lenore Colacion Hayes
About The Letter Home
The Letter Home is published monthly by BayShore School & Educational Services. The newsletter is only available through email and on our webpage. Many of you have asked if it is ok to share this email newsletter with others ...most certainly, YES!! If using material from this newsletter for another publication, please cite "The Letter Home" as your source and list our website, email and/or mailing address. Edited by Lenore Colacion Hayes and two cats, Fig and Max who try very hard to get this in your email box by the 10th day of each month. Subscribe to The Letter Home
Historical April 1: U.S. launched first weather satellite, 1960.
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Community Calendar
April 14: Olvera Street 77th Anniversary Celebration. One of the oldest streets in Los Angeles, El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument (Olvera Street) opened its Mexican Marketplace in the 1930s. This celebration is free to the public. For more information: Contact: 213/ 625.5045. Click here to learn more about the history of Olvera Street. April 17: Family Nightlife Walk the El Dorado Nature Center (7550 E. Spring Street in Long Beach). Looking for an alternative to homework and TV? Bring the kids to the Nature Center for a naturalist-led walk of the trails. We'll search for signs of nocturnal animals as they awake to search for a meal. Time: 7 - 9 PM. Cost: $3.00/person; pre-registration required. Call 562/570.1745 for more information or visit the Nature Center website. April 19: Open House and Ice Cream Social for Teachers and Their Families at the Bowers Museum (2002 North Main Street in Santa Ana ). Build your own ice cream desserts from 5:30 - 6:30 PM in the Margaret and Cleo Courtyard. After that, stroll through the museum with your family, until 8 PM. Admission: $14 per family. (Teacher ID required, please.) For more information, please call 714/567.3679 or 714/567.3680. April 21: Shakespeare Festival The Huntington Library & Gardens (1151 Oxford Road in San Marino). All the world really is a stage as actors from Shakespeare at Play and the Guild of St. George perform scenes from the Bard’s comedies and tragedies in different settings throughout the gardens. The day long festival will include key scenes from The Taming of the Shrew, Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet, The Comedy of Errors, and many more. Hours: 10:30 AM - 4:30 PM. Cost: General admission. For more information, call 626/405.2100 or visit the Huntington website. April 21: Wonders of Asia Annual Arts Festival Day at the LaHabra Children’s Museum (310 South Euclid Street in La Habra). Explore the Far East at this free family event. Enjoy an amazing day of music, art, food and fun! Free activities will include: museum admission, dragon bounce house, Hmong-inspired crafts, pony rides, Asian cultural demonstrations, face painting, balloon artist and special performances by Hmong, Chinese and Korean dancers and musicians. For a nominal charge, enjoy a variety of carnival games and tasty concessions. Hours: 10 AM - 4 PM. For more information, visit the museum website. April 22: Family Festival at the Pacific Asia Museum (46 North Los Robles Avenue, Pasadena ). Hands-on crafts workshops including origami, calligraphy, sumi-e, collages, mandalas and more for all ages in the museum's courtyard and auditorium. This free event will run from 1 - 4 PM. For more information, visit the museum website or call 626/449.2742 x31. April 22: The Belmont Shore Sidewalk Chalk Art Contest (Second Street, between Park and Corona Avenues in the Belmont Shore neighborhood of Long Beach). This all-day event (9 AM - 4 PM) attracts seasoned and emergent visual artists, as well as participants from local high schools and universities, the Community Action Team's third annual "Belmont Shore Chalk Art Contest" will showcase the works of diverse artists who use chalk as their medium, and the sidewalks of Belmont Shore as their canvas. There will be $500 cash awarded this year. There is no charge to spectate. The event is for artists age 16 and older, only. There is no official entry form. Free entry for the first 75 pre-registrants, and just $20 thereafter. Entry, pastels, paper and pizza lunch are free for the first 75 pre-registrants. A 12-color set of non-toxic pastels and an approx. 38" x 50" white sheet of artist's paper will be provided to the first 75 pre-registrants. To register, send an email to JustinRudd@aol.com with your name, grade & school (if any), city, phone and e-address. Also, indicate if you will be participating by yourself or as part of a group. Visit the CAT website to view photos from previous years’ events and for more information about this year's event. April 22: Banning Heritage Day at the Banning House Museum (401 East M Street in Wilmington). This free event will feature horse-drawn trolley rides, self-tours of the historic 1864 home, live music from that era, and other family-oriented games, crafts, and activities. Additional information is available on the Banning Museum website or by calling 310/548.7777. April 28: Stream to Sea Family Fun Day Mountains Restoration Trust (3815 Old Topanga Canyon Road in Calabasas). Join local environmental organizations for a day (12 - 4 PM) of hands-on fun and learning with entertainment including performances by the National Theatre for Children and music by Fellow Travelers, and refreshments. Children of all ages are invited to receive a “Passport to the Sea” by collecting stamps at a variety of creative water-themed activities. This event is sponsored by Mountains Restoration Trust, the City of Calabasas, and the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District. For more information contact, Mountains Restoration Trust 818/591.1701 ex. 186 or visit the Mountain Trust website. April 29: Celebrate the Children in your Life at the Third Annual Día del Niño Festival (Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific). A popular celebration in Mexico since 1925, this day pays homage to the importance of children in society and supports their wellbeing. This special festival for kids will include interactive storytelling, arts and crafts, children’s dance groups, live music, and a special awards program. The Aquarium will present its Heroe Juvenil (Young Hero) Award to a new recipient. This honor will recognize an exceptional young environmental steward of our day. One free child admission will be granted for each paid adult (limit four per household) with the mention of Día del Niño at the Aquarium’s ticket window. Hours: 9 AM - 5 PM. For more information call 562/590.3100 or visit the website. April 29: Imagination Celebration: Japanese Cherry Blossom Family Festival at the Bowers Museum (2002 North Main Street in Santa Ana). Celebrate springtime and discover the traditions of Japanese culture. Enjoy storytelling (11 AM); a puppet production (12:30 PM) of the Japanese legend, “The Crane’s Daughter;” and Taiko drummers in the Courtyard (2 PM). There will also be cultural demonstrations, food sampling, face painting and art projects (nominal fee for art & face painting). Hours: 11 AM - 3:30 PM. Children are free with each accompanying paid adult. For more information, visit the Bowers website or call 714/567.3600. April 29: Textile, Costume & Clothing Show at the Pickwick Gardens (1001 Riverside Drive in Burbank). An International Trade Fair for apparel fabrics and accessories whose exhibitors include professionals from the industry of antique fabric, vintage yardage, quilts, hats, shoes, buttons, beads, ethnic clothing, lace, linens, victorian whites, vintage clothing, jewelry, accessories, vintage decorative accessories, and designer resale. Hours: 9 AM - 3 PM. Admission: $6.00; free parking. For more information, visit the event promoter’s website. April 28-29: 12th Annual Festival of Books on the UCLA campus. This annual event is not to be missed! Two days of workshops, activities, and vendors. Even if you don't attend any of the workshops (with many notable writers!), it is worth the trek to UCLA to book shop. Parking on the UCLA campus is $8.00. Visit the L.A. Times website for updates. May 6: Spring Festival at the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Gardens (CSU Long Beach campus, 1250 Bellflower Blvd.). Enjoy a live Japanese taiko drum concert along with a stunning ensemble of Asian drum and dance performances in the spectacular garden setting. View fabulous displays that enrich your understanding of these magnificent art forms. Art projects appropriate for all ages will be ongoing throughout the festival. Remember to eat lunch before you arrive. Tea, bottled water, and treats will be available for purchase at the festival. Admission: Adults $7, Seniors & CSULB Students $6, Friends of the Japanese Garden Members $5, Children 12 and under free. Hours: 12 - 4 PM. For more information or driving directions, visit the Gardens website. May 19-20: Annual Open House at The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (4800 Oak Grove Drive in Pasadena). View exhibits and demonstrations about the Laboratory's ongoing research in new technologies, solar system exploration, spacecraft communication and much more. Many JPL scientists will be available to answer questions about these projects, and other aspects of their work. Hours: 9 AM - 5 PM (both days). Please visit JPL’s website for more detailed information about restrictions (no backpacks, ice coolers, etc.), rules, and driving directions. You can also call 818/354.0112. |
Earth Day April 21: Earth Day at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium (3720 Stephen M. White Drive in San Pedro). Celebrate our ocean planet with a beach cleanup (8-10 AM) and courtyard activities including music, children's activities and displays and information from over 40 local and national environmental groups and government agencies. This daylong event runs from 10 AM through 3:30 PM and will also include guided walks to the adjacent salt marsh, Salinas de San Pedro, a slide show from “An Inconvenient Truth” (at 1:30 PM), and more. Beach parking is $1.00/hour for cars or catch the free parking and a shuttle from the lot at 22nd Street and Miner near the Marina terminal of the Port of Los Angeles Waterfront Red Car Line. For further information: 310/548.7562 x 232 or x 217, or visit the CMA website. April 22: Earth Day at the El Dorado Nature Center (7550 E. Spring Street in Long Beach). Come to the Nature Center and meet with fellow nature lovers that will share their knowledge and passion with you at activity tables set up along the trails. Hours: 10 AM - 3 PM. Call 562/570.1745 for more information or point your browser to the Nature Center website. April 22: Los Angeles Children's Earth Day 2007 at the Star Eco Station (10101 W. Jefferson Blvd. in Culver City). Los Angeles Children’s Earth Day 2007 features games, crafts, activities, healthy cuisine and live entertainment designed to inspire children to help protect the planet! Bringing together various green organizations, government agencies, museums, schools and individuals, this tropical outdoor extravaganza is designed to show the families of Southern California that they are a vital part of a larger, worldwide environmental effort. Hours: 10 AM - 4 PM. Cost: Free. For more information, call 310/842.8060 April 21: Rollin Down the River-Earth Day Cleanup at the El Dorado Nature Center (7550 E. Spring Street in Long Beach). Explore the wildlife of the San Gabriel River by bike and descend into the channel to help cleanup the aquatic ecosystem. Bike recommended, but not required. Time: 1 - 3 PM. Rain cancels. For more information, call 562/570.1745 or visit the website. April 21: Family Arts Festival & Greening the Earth At the Armory (145 N. Raymond Avenue in Old Pasadena). The 6th annual festival features exhibits, entertainment, organic food, community gardens, workshops and activities. The festival spans from Memorial Park to the Armory Center for the Arts and includes a street festival on Raymond Avenue between Walnut and Holly. Hours: 10 AM - 4 PM. For Information call the City of Pasadena at 626/744.4721 or the Armory Center at 626.792.5101 x122. April 21-22: Annual Earth Day Celebration at the Aquarium of the Pacific (100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA 90802). Visitors will have the opportunity to learn ways to protect our environment for future generations during Earth Day weekend at the Aquarium. Over a dozen local environmental organizations will demonstrate and provide information on a variety of fun and easy ways to help our ocean planet. Highlights will include children’s games, face painting, and organization’s educational booths. Bring in any of the e-waste items listed below, and receive a coupon for $10 off one adult admission valid on April 21 or April 22, 2007. Present an e-waste item at the eWaste, Inc booth in the front of the Aquarium for coupon. Eligible e-waste items include: Computer towers and monitors, television sets, printers, fax machines, scanners, paper shredders, copy machines, radios, turntables, amplifiers, audio and video cassette recorders, compact disc/DVD players, speakers, camcorders, cameras, cell phones, electric typewriters, and calculators. These materials will be processed into useable plastic, glass, and metal. Event hours (both days): 9 AM - 5 PM. For more information, go to the Aquarium website or call Contests for Kids
National Environmental Education Photo Contest Week National EE Week is designed to enhance the educational impact of the Earth Day celebration by creating a full week of educational preparedness in K-12 classrooms, nature centers, zoos, parks, and museums. The Photo Contest will highlight National EE Week, the many benefits of environmental education, and the important work of educators who initiate environmental education both inside and outside the classroom. To enter, contestants must take an outdoor photograph during National Environmental Education Week, April 15-22, 2007. The Photo Contest will offer two categories for entry: • The Wildlife Explorations category will be for photos of wildlife observed over the course of National EE Week. Photos in this category must not contain persons or non-natural objects.
Earth Day Photo contest for Middle School Students During the week of Earth Day (April 22), U.S. students in grades 5-8 can be part of a unique national effort to capture our changing world. Anytime from Sunday April 22 through Sunday April 29, take a photograph of something that is changing in your local environment. It could be a change occurring in your backyard, outside your school, in a local park, or off in the distance toward the horizon. • What is the change taking place in your photograph? Entries will be judged based on relevance to topic (depiction of change in the environment), uniqueness and overall appearance of the photo, and thoroughness of the written explanation. The top three winners will receive cash prizes in the amount of $100, $75 and $50, respectively. The top 10 winners will receive their photograph in a special frame commemorating Earth Day 2007. The top 50 photographs and accompanying descriptions will be published on the IGES Web site. Additional information is available on the IGES website.
Alternative Education Events April 19: Westside Waldorf School Tour (17310 Sunset Blvd., in Pacific Palisades) for parents of prospective students. Time: 9 AM. Please RSVP to Anne Saldo. For more information about the Westside Waldorf, please visit the school website. May 5: HEART Seminar: Successful Junior High and High School at Home May 28: The 18th Homeschool Fair at Ontario Christian High School. A day of showcasing homeschoolers’ skills, as well as enjoying a variety of activities. Hours: 9 AM - 4 PM. For information about registering for activities or to volunteer (badly needed!), visit the fair website. June 25-29: Destiny and Karma: Why do children come to the Waldorf School? The Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA) Summer Conference 2007 will feature a variety of focus groups, and artistic workshops. This event is hosted by Highland Hall School (17100 Superior Street in Northridge). Click here for more information and registration materials. |