We're Back!

What was thought would be a two month hiatus from organizing/editing this newsletter turned out to be nearly a year! Life with children and elderly parents just has a way of stumbling all over the place sometimes, doesn't it?

The Letter Home (TLH) began publication in 1992, initially as a paper newsletter for homeschooling families enrolled in the BayShore School, private independent study program. Through the years, TLH has evolved into an online/email only resource, addressing southern California homeschooling families. Once again, it is time for TLH to "grow up" a bit more. In the next few months, we will be taking a slightly altered direction by adding a few family friendly features, and the focus will expand beyond homeschooling families (however, we will still include homeschooling events and items).

TLH will remain free! You can read it online here, or you can request it be emailed to you (see below for details). This current month will only be available online as we work through some glitches - sorry for the inconvenience! We will continue to be somewhat picky about what we include in TLH, and at some point before this summer, we will start including small ads (again, we'll be picky!).

If you have any ideas or suggestions you'd like to share, please drop a line!

Lenore Colacion Hayes
Publisher/Editor

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.

The events listed in this newsletter are not planned by BayShore (unless otherwise noted). Questions about events/activities should be directed to the person/organization cited in each item.

The views expressed in articles and advertisements in The Letter Home belong to the authors and advertisers, not necessary to The Letter Home, BayShore Educational Services or its owners and staff.  

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.
Extra special thanks to Thea Teeter for rummaging through the internet in search of interesting tidbits!

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Spring Forward, Fall Back

March 11: Daylight Savings Time Begins at 2 AM. A brief history of daylight savings and the changes starting in 2007 (extended one month) is available at the CA State Energy Commission's website.

Community Calendar

March 3: Dr. Seuss Day at Kidseum (480 N. Arroyo Blvd., Pasadena). Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss! this special day to honor Dr. Seuss while celebrating the wonderful world of reading. Events are planned throughout the day, including: a giant foot mural with the Cat in the hat in the Central Courtyard at 11 AM. Storytime with Busy Buzzy Bee in the Stone Hollow Amphiteater at 1 PM.Performance Arts with Flutter-By in the Stone Hollow Amphiteater at 2 PM.
Event hours: 11 AM - 3 PM. Call 626/449.9144 or visit the Kidseum website for more information.

March 3-May 13: The Flower Fields (5704 Paseo Del Norte, Carlsbad). View endless fields of flowers! Other activities include the Sweet Pea Maze- immerse yourself in thousands of fragrant and colorful living maze of "old fashion" sweet pea blossoms. An Arts & Crafts Fair will also take place on April 14 & 15 from 9 AM - 6 PM. Ticket prices: $9.00 for Adults, $8.00 for Seniors 60+, $5.00 for Children 3 - 10, Children 2 and under are free. Season passes are also available: $17.00 for Adults, $15.00 Seniors 60+, $9.00 for Children 3 - 10. Call 760/431.0352 for more information, or visit the website, where you can also buy and print tickets online.

March 3-4 & 10-11: Dana Point Festival of Whales 2007. Festival highlights include parades, street faires, art exhibits, concerts, environmental activities, educational opportunities, crafts, and of course, whale watching excursions. A schedule of events is available online or by calling 949/472.7888 or 888/440.4309.

March 4: Chinese New Year Family Festival at the Bowers Museum (2002 North Main Street in Santa Ana). Celebrate the Year of the Pig with festivities that include Chinese dance and music performances, a tea demonstration, and the art of lantern painting. Learn how to make Chinese knotting and paper cuts. Sample delicious foods. Festival Hours: 11 AM - 3 PM. Music and folk dance performance at 1:00 PM. For reservations and more information, please visit the Bowers website or call 714/567.3680.

March 4: Arbor Day at Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Garden (1500 N. College Avenue in Claremont) Enjoy stories, tours, and activities focusing on California's native trees and the important roles trees fill in our lives. Arbor Day will increase your appreciation of trees from leaf tips to roots. Time: 11 AM - 3 PM. For more information, call 909/625.8767 x.224 or visit the Garden website.

March 4: Meet Biddy Mason at the San Berardino County Museum (2024 Orange Tree Lane in Redlands). Biddy Mason was a leading Black pioneer business woman in this area in the 1800s. This program is sponsored by the Museum’s History Division and is appropriate for older children as well as adults. Dr. Sandra Kamusikiri portrays Biddy Mason in this free event. Hours: 2-3 PM. Museum admission is free on this day. For more information, visit the Museum website or call 909/307.2669.

March 4: Our Voices, Ourselves: Celebrating Women's History Month at the California African American Museum (600 State Drive in Exposition Park, Los Angeles). Join Jeffrey Anderson Gunter and Charmaine Jefferson along with CAAM's guest artists, which include master drummer Marcus Miller celebrating the contributions of women to our community. Museum opens at 11 AM; live program begins at 1 PM. Event is free; parking is at 39th and Figueroa Streets ($6 per vehicle). Call 213/744.7432 for more information, or visit the Museum website.

March 10: Women’s Music, Art, Dance, and Word Festival - Celebrating Diversity at the Second City Council Gallery and Performance Space (435 Alamitos Avenue in Long Beach). Enjoy a day of music, dance, art, fashion, food and vendors. Featured artists include Maria Reyes from the Freedom Writers, Madame J Body Painting, the Long Beach Renaiisance High School for the Arts, women’s world music fusion group, Yeh Dede, and much more. Hours: 11 AM - 6 PM. For more information call 562/901.0997 or visit the gallery website.

March 10: Family Festival at the Getty Villa (17985 Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu). Celebrate the arts and cultures of the ancient Mediterranean at this day of family fun. Experience Tunisian music, discover folk tales from the eastern Mediterranean, and make a mosaic inspired by the current exhibition Stories in Stone: Conserving Mosaics of Roman Africa; Masterpieces from the National Museums of Tunisia. Hours: 10 AM - 5 PM. This event is free, but advance, timed ticket are required for each individual. Call 310/440.7300 or use the "Get Tickets" feature on the website to check availability. Parking is $8.00.

March 10: Celebrate Women's History Month with “Herstory,” the wonders of storytelling at the El Dorado Park Nature Center (7550 E. Spring Street in Long Beach). Appropriate for children ages 12 and older; and of course, adults! Event starts at 7:30 PM; $5 donation. For more information, go to the Nature Center website or call 562/-570.1745.

March 10 - 11: Los Angeles Environmental Education Fair (LAEEF) at The Arboretum of Los Angeles County (301 N. Baldwin Avenue in Arcadia).
View the exhibits & displays of over 60 organizations that teach and promote environmental education. Hands-on activities, ready-to-use lesson plans, field trip and assembly ideas, and other useful resources will be available for school and home environmental projects. Participate in the Ecological Treasure Hunt! Using a map and a compass, teams explore the ecological treasures of the Arboretum. Participants are challenged to locate several "Eco Stops" where they participate in hands-on activities and answer questions about the world of nature. Competition is open to students in grades 4-12. Additionally, a variety of interactive displays and events will be available for everyone to explore, including the mystery of animal tracks, analysis of owl pellets, and live animal exhibits. Enjoy music, crafts, story telling, live animals and more! Hours: 9 AM - 4 PM. For more information, call 562/922.6682 or visit the Fair website.

March 10-11: 37th Annual Pow Wow at CSU Long Beach. Events include American Indian dancing, arts, crafts, and food. Hours: 11 AM - 10 PM (Saturday) and 11 AM - 2 PM (Sunday). Admission and parking are free. For more information, contact AISC 562/985.4963, email or view the ASIC website.

March 17: Restoring the Children's Garden at Irvine Regional Park (1 Irvine Park Road in Orange). The Children's Garden has been neglected for three years, and the park is in need of volunteers to thin out, weed, and plant native vegetation. Volunteers can also add rock formations, benches, railings and re-establish mounds. The park’s goal is to set up the garden for future walking tours. Volunteers who can handle light to moderate labor are welcome . Irvine Park is also seeking groups that are willing to make the Garden a quarterly or yearly volunteer activity. Park Ranger Kimberly Vargas will be supervising this monthly activity. Hours: 8 - 10 AM. Additional 2007 dates: April 21, May 19, June 23, July 21, August 18, September 29, October 27 (tentative), November 17, and December 15. For more information, call 714/997.3968 or 714/973.3173 or view the Irvine Park website.

March 18: Sixth Annual Spelling Bee Championship at the Bay Shore Church Auditorium (5100 E. The Toledo, Long Beach). Children (grade 5 and lower) enrolled in Southern California elementary-level, public, private, and parochial schools may participate. Homeschooled students are welcome to participate in a preliminary written event (approx. 20 words) that will be held approx. 30 minutes prior to the Championship. Pens and paper will be provided. The top five home-schooled spellers will then be invited to compete in the Championship. Championship begins at 2 PM.
Free entry before March 11 ($10.00 fee after this date). $5 per spectator. Additional information and downloadable registration materials are available online. Please be sure to read through the rules section. Event is sponsored by the nonprofit Community Action Team (CAT).

March 21: Spring Equinox Celebration at the El Dorado Park Nature Center (7550 E. Spring Street in Long Beach). Take a nature walk, where you will discover how the end of winter and the start of spring marks an exciting time of change for plants and animals. Time: 7 - 9 PM. Pre-registration is required. $3 per person. For more information, go to the Nature Center website or call 562/570.1745.

Of Interest

Art Center for Kids (Pasadena) offers classes for kids on weekends. The next session begins on March 4, 2007. Courses include: advertising; animation; architecture; filmmaking; comic book illustration; robot building; printmaking; toy design; photography; and more. These five-week classes are appropriate for kids in grades 4 through 8. For more information, including full course description and online enrollment, go to the Art Center for Kids website. You can also phone 626/ 396.2246.

Simple Saturdays
March 10, April 7

Celebrate the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development by visiting the El Dorado Nature Center (7550 E. Spring Street in Long Beach), on the 2nd Saturday of each month from 9 AM -2:30 PM. Discover new and simple ways to live a healthier, happier life for you and your family; and a gentler, kinder life for the planet. For the monthly topic, call 562/570.1745. Free program. For more information, visit the Nature Center website or call 562/-570.1745.

March 24: Fun with Flowers Workshop #1: Tuzzy Muzzies and the Victorian Language of Flowers at the Homestead Museum (15415 East Don Julian Road, City of Industry). Learn how to "speak" the arcane language of flowers and how to craft a nosegay with a real message. Flowers, foliage, ribbon, and miscellaneous supplies provided. Bring a sharp florist knife or small paring knife, a pair of garden pruners, and several small bud vases or jam jars. This workshop is designed for ages 12 and up. The registration fee is $20 for adults and $15 for students and seniors. Sign up for all three workshops in this series and receive a 15% discount (the other workshop dates are June 2 and November 10)! Space is limited for this 1 - 4 PM event. Call 626/ 968.8492 or visit the museum website for more information.

March 24: Baby Animals Day at the El Dorado Park Nature Center (7550 E. Spring Street in Long Beach). The Nature Center will once again usher in the spring season with fun, family and little furry things. Join in for a day of animal education, crafts, and the Annual Rubber Ducky Race. Sponsor a duck in the race for $5 to help restore and enhance habitats at the Nature Center. This free program runs from 9:30 AM - 2 PM. For more information, go to the Nature Center website or call 562/570.1745.

March 24: Insectival! at the San Berardino County Museum (2024 Orange Tree Lane in Redlands). This day-long insect festival features special presentations (such as “CSI: Insects at the Scene of the Crime”), bug displays, and other kid-friendly activities. Admission for children ages 5 – 12 is half price (just $2.00 each) with paid adult.For more information, visit the museum website or call 909/307.2669.

March 24-25: Irvine Park Railroad's 11th Anniversary (1 Irvine Park Road in Orange). Activities include: $2.00 train rides, face painting, balloon animals, and more. Hours: 10 AM - 4 PM. Parking Fee: $5.00 per park entry.

March 25: Children's Art Festival Star Eco Station (10101 W. Jefferson in Culver City). This free outdoor festival showcases artwork from hundreds of area school-aged artists, and an opportunity for local children to create their own masterpieces. Also available are naturalist-guided tours of the STAR ECO Station, an Environmental Science Museum and Exotic Wildlife Rescue Facility – where you can meet real animals and learn how you can do our part to save the planet. Tour costs: $6 for children (16 and under), $7 for seniors (65 and over) and $8 for adults. Event is sponsored by STAR Education and local businesses. STAR (Science, Theatre, Art, Recreation) is a non-profit organization that has been dedicated to improving the quality of children’s education since 1986 through enrichment programs in over 40 California school districts. For more information, call 310/842.8040 or visit the EcoStation website.

March 29: Educators Open House and Ice Cream Social at the Bowers Museum (2002 North Main Street in Santa Ana). . Teachers and their immediate families are invited to an old-fashioned Ice-Cream Social in the Margaret and Cleo Key Courtyard from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM. All kinds of good fixings will be available for you to build a delicious hot fudge sundae or banana split. From 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM, take your families and stroll through our galleries - including the beautiful new Dorothy and Donald Kennedy Wing. View our two new exciting exhibits Ansel Adams: Classic Images and Treasures from Shanghai: 5000 Years of Chinese Art and Culture. For reservations and more information, please visit the Bowers website or call 714/567.3680.
Admission: $12 per family /teacher ID required, please.

March 31: Cesar Chavez Day at Olvera Street (El Pueblo De Los Angeles Historic Park, 845 N. Alameda Street in Los Angeles). Celebrate the contributions of the late Mexican American labor leader, Cesar Chavez. Activities will include a keynote speaker from UCLA, a film about Cesar Chavez, activities for children, live entertainment, workshops, and a children’s parade around the plaza. Hours: 10 AM - 3 PM. For more information call 213/624.3660. Click here to learn more about Cesar E. Chavez.

March 31: Don’t Stop The Presses Workshop at The Huntington Library and Gardens (1151 Oxford Road in San Marino). Children can experience the hands-on excitement of using a printing press as they make their own small book or newspaper in a workshop led by the International Printing Museum. Participants will set moveable type and print on an antique press while hearing stories about the amazing world of printing, from the Gutenberg Bible to newspapers like the Los Angeles Times. Time: 9 - 11:30 AM. Ages 7 and up, with one accompanying adult. This event coincides with the current exhibit (through June 3, 2007), First Freedoms: The Los Angeles Times and the Right to a Free Press 1881-2006. Workshop Cost: $20. (members); $25. (non-members). Call 626/405.2128 to register for this workshop. Go to the library website for more information about this exhibit.

March 31: Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Gardens Spring Plant Sale (1500 North College Avenue in Claremont). Featuring native California annuals and perennials. Hours: 10 AM - 2 PM (9 AM, preview for members only). Call 909/625.8767 or visit the website.

March 31 - April 1: Cherry Blossom Festival in Little Toyko at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center Plaza (244 S. San Pedro Street, Los Angeles). This free event features a historical pavillion showcasing an internment camp photo exhibit, the Martial Arts Museum, and the Japanese American Museum; entertainment (Taiko, the Samurai Action Studio, and the Children’s Fun Zone); crafts; vendors; a fashion show; and food. The festival will extend from the plaza into the streets of Los Angeles on San Pedro Street between 2nd and 3rd Streets. Parking is available in assorted nearby lots. For more information, call 626/683.8243 or visit the festival website.

April 7: Blessing of the Animals at Olvera Street (El Pueblo De Los Angeles Historic Park, 845 N. Alameda Street in Los Angeles). A celebration of all that the animal world provides to humanity with entertainment and a parade of house pets and exotic animals, displays and exhibits. This free event runs from 12 PM to 5 PM. For more information call 213/625.5045 or visit the Olvera Street website. The blessing begins at 2 PM.

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 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.