Growing Up in Santa Cruz Aug 18

AUGUST 2018 AlwAyS free visit us at www.growingupsc.com

INSIDE:

6 The Best 9 Lunch Notes 25 Tech and Tots to Schools 33 &Guide After School teach your teen to drive

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what’s inside...

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WWW. GUisc . cOm

EDiTOr/PUBLiSHEr

Brad Kava, Jennifer Ford, steve dinnen

DESiGN/iLLUSTrATOr ashley Girres

ADDiTiONAL AD DESiGN

article

Teacher’s Blog

ann Fitts

DiSTriBUTiON & SUBSCriPTiONS susan Bernstein

WEBSiTE diana Fitts

article

Healthy Smiles

CONTriBUTOrS

erik chalhoub, robin estrin, dr. mojdeh Faraz, Zach Friend, elaine ingalls, linda Kay, Karen Kefauver, John Koenig, Jennifer mahal, laura maxson, ann carin niland, Kevin painchaud, ramona pursley, susan H. shane, michelle spence, tiffany Wayne, suki Wessling, nicole m. Young

article

Amnesty Hour

ADvErTiSiNG rEPrESENTATivES

departments

Editor’s Note Calendar articles

The Best Lunch Notes Teacher’s Blog We Asked, You Answered Always Amused Keep Kids Writing The Little School that Could School Guide College Before HS Graduation Hands On Birth Matters Back to School in Uganda County Scoop Driving Lessons from a Pro

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ann Fitts linda Kay sophie Veniel

ann@growingupsc.com linda@growingupsc.com sophie@growingupsc.com

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831.239.3444 p.O. Box 3505, santa cruz, ca 95063

August 2018 • Vol. 21 • No. 6 Growing Up in santa cruz copyright 2018. printed in the United states. the contents of this publication are meant as information only and should not take the place of a medical doctor’s recommendations. all views expressed represent those of the individual authors. all rights reserved. reproduction in whole or in part, in any form, electronic or otherwise is prohibited without permission. this publication does not knowingly accept deceptive or misleading advertising. GUisc is printed on recycled paper and uses all soy based inks.

August 2018 • Growing Up In Santa Cruz 3

editonr’oste Dear readers, Who knew that sharing a spoon with your infant could lead to lifelong dental problems? not me. i assumed that we share the same dna and nature would have more to do with their infant teeth than nurture. not so, says our new pediatric dental columnist, dr. Mojdeh faraz. infants are born without our bacteria in their mouths and sharing a spoonful of something can put harmful sugar bugs there. that turned into a big problem for our 2-year-old and was a lesson i wished i’d already learned. that’s our goal with this monthly magazine. We want to tell you about things you may not have known but would want to know, to answer your questions and help guide you to services and fun things in the community you may not have known about.

What do teachers really think about your kids and what are their biggest challenges and rewards? Writer and teacher tiffany Wayne will talk about that here monthly and more often on our website, growingupsc.com. We are looking for teachers of all grades to blog for us and let us know what goes on behind the teacher’s desk. send your ideas to editor@growingupsc.com Who knew there was a roller coaster factory hidden in La selva Beach?

Coaster nut erik Chalhoub did and writes about it here. he regularly keeps us posted on tourist attractions and amusement parks around the state. are you worried about putting your first teen behind the wheel of a 2-ton beast that can kill them and others on a snaking monster like highway 17?

Writer ann Carin niland has been teaching local teens to drive for two years and has some tips you may not have considered—like get them on highway 17. she even drew cartoons to help remind parents and kids about the problems of learning to drive.

We love local entrepreneurs and Patty Benson, of aptos, came up with a business that should be a hit for parents and couples. she sells notepads that start a thought and let the parents complete it in a daily note in their children’s lunch boxes. she’s now got a line of them to keep romance in relationships. radio dJ and musician Chris Jackson wrote two months ago about how to raise your kids like rock stars. this month he tells us how to connect with kids and keep them honest with “amnesty hour.” have you tried something like this?

Linda kay doesn’t just walk the walk. she spent a year gathering gifts and donations and took them to needy kids in Uganda and wrote an eye-opening story about how they start their school year, how little they have and how much they appreciated the donations from santa Cruzans.

Want to keep your kid writing when school is out? that’s robin estrin’s specialty. she teaches creative writing and gave us some tips to keep kids inspired. there’s plenty more inside and plenty more coming in the months ahead, including profiles of after-school activities, a story about an nfL star teaching in a local high school, a kids downtown walking tour and how to make just about everything under the sun.

We love your input, requests and letters. send them to editor@growingupsc.com.

Brad Kava

About the Cover: tara redwood school teaches from a global perspective. children learn about themselves and the world based on an understanding of the inter-connected nature of all things. We nurture the innate positive goodness in each child though practices such as mindfulness, critical thinking and gain insight into the question of “why be kind?” as a result, children take responsibility to protect all life. Our Wishing Garden is a place to reflect on wishes for our shared home, planet earth. We use this space to think about those big questions and send our wishes to all life. research shows that even just visualizing or thinking changes the brain. We make commitments to contribute to the world we wish to live in through our actions…being the change. preschool and elementary tours are ongoing. call to set up a tour. We would love to meet you. 831-462-9632. www.tararedwoodschool.org Cover Photo by: photographer dane argentieri is a local photographer, filmmaker and commercial producer (find his work at pebblesf.com). He is the proud father of an 8 year-old daughter who is excitedly beginning her 3rd year at tara redwood school in the fall."

4 Growing Up In Santa Cruz • August 2018

Preparing Your Child for Transitions

By Nicole M. Young, MSW

My oldest child is getting ready for the biggest transition of his life. he’s leaving for college soon, and i couldn’t be more sad. i mean, proud. and sad. half of my heart is bursting with excitement for him. he worked hard, did well in school, and is a kind, funny, thoughtful (but still tardy) young man. the other half of my heart breaks when i think about his empty room. i know we will always be a family, and yet i also know things will change once he leaves home, and that my daughter is not far behind. as i brace myself for this huge transition, i’m reminded of all the times i helped my children handle big transitions in their lives – starting kindergarten with “the big kids,” going to middle and high school among a sea of strangers, starting new jobs, and now moving away from home. the steps i taught them to deal with their emotions during transitions are coming in handy – for me. this monthly column provides tips for anyone who is raising children, based on the world-renowned triple P – Positive Parenting Program, available to families in santa Cruz County. if you have questions for a future column, email me at triplep@first5scc.org.

Dear Nicole, My son starts middle school soon. He seems excited but also anxious about going to a new, bigger school. He struggled with homework in elementary school and is worried about having multiple classes. His group of friends also drifted apart over the summer, and I think he’s worried about making new friends. The more suggestions I give him, the less he wants to talk. What can I do to help him feel confident and ready for this transition?

– Rob

any additional ideas. repeat this process for the other questions and concerns on his list.

ask nicole

concerns haven’t been acknowledged or addressed. encourage your son to ask you questions about anything he’s worrying or wondering about, such as whether he’ll make new friends, be able to keep up with the schoolwork, how to find the bathrooms, whether he’ll be able to find his classes, or where to eat lunch. Listen and reassure him that all his questions and feelings are common and natural.

Coach your son through a problem-solving process. Write down all your son’s questions and concerns.

Pick one to start with and ask him to describe his concern in more detail. this helps uncover the underlying worries and fears, which will help with the next step. then encourage him to brain-

storm as many possible solutions as he can think of. Write down all his ideas, then ask your son to identify the benefits and limitations of each idea. finally, ask him to pick an idea or solution that seems most realistic and useful to try. have him practice (role play with you) what he would do or say. offer guidance throughout this problem-solving process if he needs help, but try to avoid telling him the solution. for example, if he’s worried about not being able to find his classrooms, ask “What could you do to get familiar with the campus?” instead of telling him, “You should walk around the campus before school starts.” after he’s had a chance to try his solution, talk with him about how it worked and whether he needs to try

final thoughts: Life is a series of transitions, one after another. teaching children how to prepare for and problem-solve during major transitions will help them adapt and cope with change. it can also help parents and caregivers breathe easier, knowing they’ve done their best to prepare their children for life.

Nicole Young is the mother of two children, ages 14 and 18, who also manages Santa Cruz County’s Triple P - Positive Parenting Program, the world’s leading positive parenting program. Scientifically proven, Triple P is made available locally

by First 5 Santa Cruz County, the Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency (Mental Health Services Act) and the Santa Cruz County Human Services Department. To find a Triple P parenting class or practitioner, visit http://triplep.first5scc.org, www.facebook.com/triplepscc or contact First 5 Santa Cruz County at 465-2217 or triplep@first5scc.org.

Dear Rob, Ah, yes. Going back to school can be stressful for many kids, even when they enjoy learning. Starting middle school can be particularly stressful because of changes in the school schedule, academic expectations, friendships, and teenage hormones.

Here are some tips to try: Talk about the positive aspects of this transition. ask your son to describe the things about middle school that he’s looking forward to. Write them down as a visual reminder of things that might be fun, exciting, or a welcome change in middle school. encourage him to keep adding to the list whenever he thinks of something.

Encourage your son to ask questions. it’s natural for parents and caregivers to try and help worried or anxious children by reassuring them their fears won’t come true and that everything will be alright. this can end up increasing children’s anxiety if they feel their August 2018 • Growing Up In Santa Cruz 5

Let Your Children Know You Love Them Every Day at Lunch

aPTos moThEr CrEaTEs awarD-winning LunCh noTEs sEriEs

By Brad Kava

now, she’s selling her notepads online at www.ursospecial.com and has added a line of love notes for husbands and wives that say things such as “It makes me smile when you...” and “Tonight lets…” her pads won second place at the national stationery show in new York.

When Patty Benson was growing up, she felt out of place in school. she was a tom Boy and didn’t feel like she fit in with the girls in her elementary school. she was the only girl on her school’s football team.

But every day at lunch, she got a treat from her mother–a special handwritten note celebrating some aspect of their lives together. they were funny, loving, endearing and they made her day. “i felt someone was thinking of me and it made going to school so much easier,” she says. “it made a huge difference in my life. i wish i had saved them all. i always felt that something was coming in my lunch that made a connection.”

Benson was raised in Philadelphia and moved to new York after college to work for aBC sports as a graphic designer. that led to stints at CBs, “the View,” and ricki Lake. she met her husband, kevin Painchaud, in Los angeles where he was producing a tV travel series. she was also an on-camera carpenter on the tV shows Home Improvement and Knock First. they 6 Growing Up In Santa Cruz • August 2018

moved to aptos to be closer to his family and because they loved the area.

When she sent her daughter, tess, 7, to school, she wanted to do the same thing her mother did for her and realized she could do it in a way that would help other parents too. “the toughest part for parents is what am i going to write?” says the 43year-old, who has worked in tV and designing websites. “I love you, I miss you…i thought, what if i gave them a prompt for something more. it would be easier and make them special.” so her notes say things at the top such as: “i love it when you…” and “remember the time we…” and “i laugh when i think about…” and the moms and dads fill in the rest. each pad has 25 different prompts, all of them amusing. “kids bring them home and keep them in a special box,” says Benson.

“We save them. it increases the bond between parents and kids.”

Benson started writing them for tess when her daughter was 3 and her teacher had to read them to her. it was a joy for teacher and student.

“the most important thing for me is to make kids feel loved,” says Benson. “and to have this connection.”

You can buy the note pads at www.ursospecial.com A pack of three, with 25 notes in each, sells for $14.95.

Teacher’s Blog

By Tiffany K. Wayne, High school History and Government teacher, mount madonna

i am anticipating the start of the new school year and missing my students. the last time i saw most of them was on friday, May 18th, our last day of academic classes. finals exams were over but i still had one more day of classes with my 10th grade U.s. history students before they left for a week-long science trip to Catalina island to study oceanography. We had started the film, Selma, a few days earlier as an end-of-year movie. “that made me cry,” a student shared, wiping her eyes with her shirt.

“Why did they have to kill Jimmie Lee Jackson? for no reason!”

We talked about the ugliness of racism and violence in our country. i told the class that i was born the same year Martin Luther king, Jr. was assassinated: 1968. they stared at me in awe, as if their teacher had just time traveled and appeared to them from out of the past. “none of this was that long ago,” i tried to tell them, but these are 21st century kids and 1968 is ancient history. one of the reasons i chose to show Selma to this class was that our current juniors and seniors (including my own daughter) were on a class trip to Washington d.C. at that very moment and had met Congressman John Lewis just that week. We pulled up the trip blog and projected their schoolmates’ words and photos on the whiteboard. one of the students – a senior who had previously sat in my history and government classes – reflected in his blog post on his emotional meeting with John Lewis: “When i asked John Lewis my question about how we could keep our moral principles in times of crises,

Photo Contributed congressman John lewis paid a visit to mount madonna school and shared stories with students. he looked me in the eyes the entire time he gave his answer, the same eyes that “saw the face of death” on Bloody sunday in selma, alabama….he wanted so desperately to pass on this message to the youth of the nation, the message of non-violence, love over hate, and importance of community. “ it wasn’t that long ago. it’s happening now. “i hope John Lewis is still in Congress when we go to d.C.,” one of my sophomores said, inspiring her classmates to excitedly start calling out names of other public officials they might want to meet in person: “ruth Bader ginsburg! actually, i’d want to meet any supreme Court Justice.” “trump! i have some questions for him.” “i want to meet the Parkland kids.”

the Parkland kids: the new generation of student activists. after the movie, the class is dismissed to lunch and i spend the afternoon grading and cleaning and organizing my classroom, before leaving it for the summer. throughout the afternoon students wandered in and out as they finished up art or writing projects in other classes or have free time to play volleyball outside.

While her classmates run about outside in the quad, one student sat quietly at a table across from me, flipping through her phone. “don’t you want to go outside – or do something?” i said, in my accusatory kids-today-always-on-theirphones adult voice. she ignored my question. “tiffany, did you hear the news? there was a school shooting in texas

this morning.”

Yes, i had briefly seen the headline when i logged onto my email earlier that day but, honestly, i just did not want to think about it during the school day. those of us who teach, work at, or attend high schools do not have the luxury of avoiding thinking about what has become a regular news onslaught of school shootings. Just two months earlier i had stood outside with these same students as we held a 17-minute silent vigil for the victims of the Parkland, florida high school shooting.

Was it selfish to want to get through this day - this last day of classes – without having to process another unfathomable event? “this is so scary!” the student cried out, holding her phone out for me to see. i had just talked kids through

August 2018 • Growing Up In Santa Cruz 7

crying over the death of Jimmie Lee Jackson in 1965. i had been touched by their empathy for people in the past, but it turned out history and the distance of time were no comfort. this is the reality of the world they are growing up in now.

“Yes,” i told her. “i saw that in the news, but we don’t have all the details yet.” i wanted to wait for details, but she was getting the details as they came in a live update. she was visibly shaken. “hey,” i put my hand over her hand that was holding the phone.

“Let’s wait until we know more and then we can talk about it. Want to help me file papers?”

Just weeks before the Parkland shooting we, like schools across the country, had one of our classroom lockdown drills. the sheriff ’s department had met with faculty and told us that the lockdown procedure had changed: We were no longer to shelter in place, hoping the shooter skips our classroom. the new state protocol for an active shooter lockdown is Run, Hide, Fight. realizing that it is not always possible or safe for a room full of 20-30 kids to just huddle and wait in a classroom, we are now told to evacuate to a safer location, away from the buildings. if we are unable to leave our room, we should then barricade in place and, if in imminent danger (i.e. the shooter has entered the

8 Growing Up In Santa Cruz • August 2018

room), actively resist. disrupt his plan, throw things at him (books? sharp pencils?), fight back. at our faculty meeting, we tried not to imagine how a confrontation between children and an automatic weapon would play out in this scenario. realizing we can’t actually practice fighting off an armed gunman, for our lockdown drills we just practice awareness and staying calm. Lock the door, close the blinds, silence or turn off cell phones. resume quiet study activity until we get the signal or code from the staff outside the door. the drill is not stressful or panic-inducing, but it is also not particularly reassuring. the teenagers joke about who runs the fastest and about the heroics they will perform to save their friends. others – buoyed by the self-esteem and nurturing environment of parents and teachers as much as by teenaged bravado – are sure they can outsmart or outwit the shooter. But i know there are too many possible scenarios and too many unknowns. i feel lucky that i don’t have to do this with kindergarteners.

Run, Hide, Fight. another student skipped into the classroom to tell me that they were making tamales and enchiladas and salsa for their last day of spanish class. Many of this group of students travelled to Costa rica with this trusted teacher over the summer. a student complained that a class-

mate put too much cinnamon in the mole sauce. “i still want to taste them,” i said, despite the warning, and headed to the school kitchen. the mole was fine – a little spicy from cinnamon, but also sweet and flavorful. i took a plate of enchiladas back to my classroom. the student who was watching her phone for updates on the texas school shooting was still there, while another girl, her friend, was flipping through a paper magazine, one of several subscriptions i keep for the social studies classroom. the students can – and do – access many of the same subscriptions online. With a paper copy, however, they are more likely to land on something that interests them or catches their eye, not just read an article i assign. today, this student is looking through UPFRONT, a new York times-based current event news magazine for teens.

“Look at this photo, tiff. this is terrible.” she holds up an article about gun violence with an image of thousands of pairs of children’s shoes displayed by activists in d.C. the issue of the magazine was dated May 14th. four days before the next school shooting. “every one of these shoes represents a kid who has been killed by guns. You can’t even count them all.” “i guess that’s the point,” i say.

students moving about by their own choice and interests between volleyball, cooking, video production, watching films, reading magazines, or chatting with the teacher. Why can’t school be like this all the time?

But these conversations and interests and relationships with the teachers have been built through days in the classroom, days of rigor and structure, of reading and analyzing and mastering information, days of following through on a difficult project, collaborating with people you might not normally collaborate with, putting things into context and seeking and finding connections. “there are eight students dead in texas now,” reports the girl with the phone watching the news updates.

Later we learn that two teachers were also among the victims. friday, May 18, 2018: the last day of school before my students were off on other adventures for three months. i have missed them and i can’t wait to hear all about Catalina island and Costa rica and family vacations and surfing and summer jobs and summer flings. they will tell me all about science camp and art camp and their hopes and dreams and plans toward futures. they will reunite with friends and share stories about a summer that their peers in Parkland, florida and santa fe, texas did not get to have.

Lucky kids.

we asked, You answered

By Ann Carin Niland

Do You LET Your ChiLDrEn PLaY wiTh a TaBLET or smarTPhonE, anD Do You havE anY ConCErns aBouT ThE EffECTs ThaT ThosE DEviCEs havE on Your ChiLDrEn? Linnaea Boone Wilson, who’s daughter is 3, lives in Santa Cruz “sometimes we’ll watch some screen time. When she’s sick we’ve been watching ‘My neighbor totoro’. We recently went up to visit my in-laws in humboldt, and on the car ride we watched a little bit on the computer. and sometimes if she has questions about something like ‘what’s a carousel?’ we’ll look it up together. But i don’t let her play on her own,” says Boone Wilson.

“When i’m texting–i don’t hide what i’m doing–i’ll say ‘i’m texting your friend, or i’m texting your papa.’ and i’ll let her pick out some emoticons to send to them. But i’m not very into technology for little kids. i think it’s pretty concerning how much that is part of the culture these days. We really limit that and i try to have my phone off or i just have certain times when i look at it. i mostly do (my) screen time

when she’s napping so that’s not part of her experience with me– having my attention really divided. i don’t want her to see me on it all the time. and you know, sometimes i’m not as good about it as i’d like to be. But it’s in my mind every day, to not have that be part of our lives very much.”

“When she’s older i really don’t know. once she starts saying ‘oh i want a phone... oh i want a tablet.’ there’s definitely going to be a lot of rules about that, and i’m not really sure what it’s going to look like.” “i don’t want to be an alarmist.

But i was raised without technology when my friends had more access to technology, and there were times when that made me feel out of sync with what they were doing... But now that is something i want to give to my daughter. so that when her friends are thinking ‘i’m coding!’ she’s thinking ‘i’m going to go to the beach.’”

Cristina Ramirez 29, has kids 9 and 5 and lives in Santa Cruz.

“We do (let them play with devices). and yes, safety is always a concern. Who they’re talking to and sometimes they purchase things,” said ramirez who chuckled while shaking her head. “We shouldn’t (let them use devices) as much. she explained that she and her husband never really had a conversation about their children’s technology use before they started using it. “it just kinda happened and now we’re fixing things.”

Marissa Johnson-Csimma has 16-month-old twin girls in Live Oak. “i feel like my kids are at an age right now where this answer is going to be viable in the future. granted we do have one or two movies that they have watched. But

i have guided access. so i just lock the screen. so it’s only a movie and they’re not able to touch it and have that kind of sensory. “since we’re so physical, we are out seven days a week, but when i’m just by myself i do give them screen time once a day, and it’s usually in that quiet time.

“We’re coming into a day in age where we’re not really teaching common sense or anything like that. We’re just looking at a screen for answers, and that really drives me bonkers. But it’s like anything. i don’t really have a strong opinion towards other people’s kids it’s just towards my kids.

We’ll do movies and that kind of stuff, but as far as learning on a tablet we’ll do it within reason. i guess it just really depends on how the school system is going to.” nowadays i see apps that are marketed towards children, but they’re creepy! there’s been a few videos that i’ve watched here and there that make me worry. i do put on music for my girls though so - hey we all have our things,”

Kori Calubaquib, 38, has children who are 5 and 7. “they usually have to earn it,” said Calubaquib, interviewed at Cabrillo College. i limit the time on it. We have the kindle and it has all the security on what they can see and all the parent controls on what we allow them. it’s usually the item of last resort. so if we’re at a restaurant we try to bring coloring, or books, or even little Legos. and if we’re spending a lot of time there then at the end we’ll let them use it. But it’s a last resort. that’s with the air-

plane too. We usually fill up the backpacks with new fun exciting things, and if it’s a long trip then it’s the last thing that they’ll get to use.”

Jasmin Castillo, 27, has an 11-yearold son. “i do let him use the phone and tablet. at the beginning i was concerned about the safety about where he was going to go on line what he was going to be looking at. and we did have a conversation and he does know what is okay to look at and what is not. and yet, there’s times when i’m not supervising what he’s watching. But he, pretty much, is good about it. he’ll remove a site if it’s something he’s not supposed to be on.

Jessica Valentin, 26, of Watsonville as a 7-year-old daughter. “i do let my daughter use my phone or my mom’s tablet, but i try to look at the history to see what type of things she’s watching. once i go through the history i tell her ‘you’re not supposed to be watching this, you’re not watching that. i don’t want to see this again, or else i’ll take it away from you.’

Most of the time i look at the history and try to delete some things so it won’t pop up again. and i try to supervise her when i’m home, or i tell my mom ‘you need to supervise what she’s watching’ because there are some things that could be really bad for kids.”

August 2018 • Growing Up In Santa Cruz 9

always amused

Your guiDE To ThEmE ParKs, TourisT aTTraCTions, riDEs anD CooL EvEnTs

By Erik Chalhoub Many iconic rides built by former local company giant dipper at the santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Quicksilver express at gilroy gardens, and grizzly at California’s great america are staples at their respective parks.

But you might not know that all three roller coasters are tied together by a local connection. that is d.h.

Morgan Manufacturing, a company founded by dana Morgan in scotts Valley in 1983 that eventually moved its operations to san andreas road in La selva Beach in 1991, near the present-day Monterey Bay academy. dana Morgan is the son of ed Morgan, the founder of the famed ride manufacturer arrow development, known for building many of the original rides

10 Growing Up In Santa Cruz • August 2018

Photos by: Erik Chalhoub the trains for the Giant dipper at the santa cruz Beach Boardwalk were manufactured by morgan manufacturing in 1984.

at disneyland and coasters throughout the world. after working as a ride operator at Playtown in Palo alto, Morgan gradu-

ated from Cal Poly san Luis obispo.

Morgan eventually became general manager of the santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk before he founded d. h.

Morgan Manufacturing. the company, which was bought out

by Chance industries in the early 2000s and moved to Wichita, ks., was best known for manufacturing carousels, hyper coasters (those over 200 feet tall), coaster trains and other rides. in 1984, Morgan manufactured the trains for giant dipper out of its scotts Valley headquarters, which are still used on the coaster today. after the success of those trains, the company expanded its operations to build coaster trains, which also included manufacturing those seen on the grizzly.

Quicksilver express was manufactured at Morgan’s facility in La selva Beach near Watsonville, where it sat for a number of years before finally being constructed at gilroy gardens in 2000. todd Manoff, the Boardwalk’s mechanical maintenance manager, worked at Morgan beginning in 1994 and later at Chance, up until the late 2000s. during his time at Morgan, Manoff took on a variety of duties, such as loading trucks with finished products, purchasing, attending trade shows and the like. But perhaps his favorite job was in manufacturing, crafting a variety of coaster track, trains, carousels and other rides. “i loved manufacturing; it was a lot of fun,” he said. “You got to see all that raw material turn into this fabulous machine. “the Morgans were great to work with.”

Morgan was also known for its an-

tique car rides, one of which can still be ridden at gilroy gardens: south County Backroads, which features two separate courses. in addition, many of the park’s rides were Morgan-built. the company got its first major from-the-ground-up hyper coaster project at Minnesota’s Valley fair in 1995: a 200-foot coaster called Wild thing. “that was a big project,” recalled Manoff, who was in charge of the trains. the small, local, family-owned company was also international. it manufactured steel dragon 2000, which opened at nagashima spa Land in Japan in 2000. eighteen years later, the coaster, at 8,133 feet, is still the longest roller coaster in the world. it also stands 318 feet tall.

Manoff spent time in Japan prior to the coaster’s opening, training the park’s maintenance staff. “i probably never would’ve went to Japan if not for that project,” he said. another memorable project Manoff worked on was the Caro-seuss-el, a dr. seuss-themed carousel for islands of adventure in orlando, fla. Before the ride was shipped to the park, Mrs. geisel herself came out to La selva Beach to check out the ride, and took a spin on it herself.

Looking back on his time at the company, Manoff recalled the “beautiful setting” of Morgan’s La selva Beach facility. “it was a really special, unique place,” he said. “nobody knew it was out here.”

For information on all the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk’s offerings this season, visit beachboardwalk.com.

five Creative Prompts to Keep Your Child writing when school is out By robin Estrin random word generator Genre: Quick fiction materials: online access to randomwordgenerator.com prompt: Using the website randomwordgenerator.com, populate a list of 10 colorful nouns, verbs or adjectives. Using the list as a word bank, give your child 10-15 minutes to write a short story using all of the words. You can increase the number of words (and minutes) for more advanced writers, and decrease the numbers for less experienced writers. don’t have internet? Manually generate your random word list by moving your finger across the pages of your child’s favorite book. age range: generative for writers of all ages, this prompt is perfect for children who have difficulty “knowing what to write.” how bizarre!

Genre: surreal fiction materials: Pdf of franz kafka’s “the Metamorphosis” prompt: in franz kafka’s seminal novella, protagonist gregor samsa wakes up to find himself transformed into a cockroach. ask your child to think of an everyday task: brushing teeth, eating

breakfast, readying for school, then imagine how that task would be complicated if they introduced an element of the surreal. for example, what if you went to brush your teeth and orange juice came out of the faucet, or you walked downstairs for breakfast and saw that your family members had been replaced by computers? age range: this prompt asks students to stretch their imaginations. ideal for writers aged 9-14. love letter to an inanimate object Genre: Poetry materials: online access to sarah kaye’s love letter from a toothbrush to a bicycle tire prompt: What would an apple say to candy bar if the two met in the checkout line at the grocery store? Would it be an easy relationship, or a tale of forbidden love? in “toothbrush to the Bicycle tire,” sarah kaye personifies two unlikely suspects to write a poem that gets at the essence of what it means to be in love. in this activity, students write odes from one inanimate object to another. the exercise targets skill-building in figurative language: personification, simile,

and metaphor. encourage your child to be creative when picking their inanimate objects, and to make a list of their most recognizable uses and qualities. this will become a word bank, of sorts, for students to use while writing their own poems.

Hint: there are some lines in this poem that are okay to “borrow,” so long as the original author is credited. “They told me…” “But I know better.” “If loving you means…” age range: Best for students aged 914. what’s in your bag?

Genre: Creative nonfiction materials: any type of bag (purse, backpack, sports bag, etc.) prompt: When developing yourself as a character for a story, the things that you carry on your body can tell a reader as much about you as your emotional and physical traits. in this prompt, ask your child to look through their bag and write about what they are carrying with them. if they start by making a list, that’s fine, but encourage them to think about what the things they have say about who they are as a person. go deeper. the prompt can be altered to what’s in your bedroom,

on your desk, or around your wrist? age range: this reflective prompt is optimal for writers of all ages, adults included. world building Genre: fantasy materials: text from Julie andrews edwards’ novel, the Last of the really great Whangdoodles, Chapter 4 prompt: the actress who brought us Mary Poppins wrote a fantastically imagined novel for middle grade readers, in which three siblings adventure through the far-off Whangdoodleland. in one particular passage, the Potter siblings, their nutty tour guide, and a boisterous yet shy creature known as the “Whiffle Bird,” travel by boat down a winding river. it is from this vantage point that the children see the fantastical landscape of Whangdoodleland, and its inhabitants, for the first time. read the chapter aloud to your child, then ask them to pick a mode of transportation: train, horseback, spaceship, etc. and write about a character’s travels through a made-up land. encourage detail! What do they see, hear, smell, witness; and who, or what, do they meet? age range: students aged 6-14.

August 2018 • Growing Up In Santa Cruz 11

healthy smiles

By Dr. Megan

Do baby teeth matter at all?

We are constantly encountered with questions from parents asking whether it is important to maintain baby teeth. after all, kids lose them, right? through my years of experience working with children, i have seen a variety of reactions from children as they step into the clinic. some are very cheerful, excited and can’t wait to jump on the chair, and some other…not so excited!

Children are not all the same. We all know twins with different characters, personalities and coping skills. if it takes a little longer for one child to get himself or herself adjusted to a setting, we can only remain patient and be supportive. the rewarding part of my daily experience is when i see improvement. this would be my “Yes!” moment to see a child trusting their dentist and the staff. according to the academy of Pediatric dentistry, it is recommended that children be seen by a dentist by their first birthday, and every six months thereafter. as children encounter a child-friendly setting twice a year, their anxiety and fear diminishes more and more. they develop a level of trust and comfort, which prepares them for the

12 Growing Up In Santa Cruz • August 2018

future, in case any treatment is needed. now, let’s think of a child who has not been exposed to such settings, and around age 5, he/she develops an abscess on a tooth that never seemed to be a problem because there was no obvious “hole” in it? how do you think this child would react when the dentists decides the tooth needs immedi-

ate treatment before the infections becomes systemic and requires hospitalization? exposing children to a friendly dental setting early in their life makes them feel comfortable and more at ease. a dental visit does not have to be a source of anxiety for a child or in general for anyone! how many adults do we know who are nervous to see their dentists, even for a cleaning? a good number of nervous parents usually reveal to me they did not have a good dental experience as a child. i must confess, i didn’t! the dental office i used to go to did not have any tV, toys, any comic character (to be more specific no Cinderella for me!), or even laughing gas. every treatment was done in the “real world” which is not every kid’s favorite place to be at. so “baby teeth life matters!”

Why to take your kids to a pediatric dentist? in order to become a dentist, one finishes 4 years of dental school after obtaining a bachelor degree. at this point, they are titled a “general den-

tist”. a general dentist receives training on almost all aspects of dentistry including cosmetics, fillings, crown/bridge, denture, implant, some pediatric dentistry, and usually limited training on orthodontics. however the committed general dentists do not stop here and move on by taking additional courses after they graduate to be able to do and offer more to their patients. a pediatric dentist advances his/her education further to receive 2-3 years of specialty training in pediatric dentistry through which they get extensive exposure to all aspects of dealing with children including infants and adolescents, including treatment under sedation. as a requirement of their training they usually have to perform more than 50 cases of treatment under sedation to graduate. this training is significantly different and more in-depth than a continuing education course taken in one to multiple sessions. in conclusion, a pediatric dentist sees and treats kids all day along, rather than sporadically. through experience, they usually are well able to predict what could come next through looking at the child’s face and body language. in general, the children have proved to perform a lot better in a dental chair if they are exposed to a childfriendly environment early in life.

Dr. Mojdeh Faraz, aka Dr. Megan, is a Board-certified pediatric dentist at Pajaro Valley Children’s Dental Group. I received my DDS at NYU followed by my specialty training at Jacobi Medical Center in affiliation with Albert Einstein School of Medicine. My passion in working with children and to be part of their innocent world.

Please feel free to come by and visit our fun and child-friendly practice at: 230 Green Valley Rd, Freedom, CA 95019 (831) 722-9202 Send your questions for Healthy Smiles to editor@growingupsc.com

The Little school that Could Explore mCP sErvEs sTuDEnTs who havE nowhErE ELsE To go

By Suki Wessling

it’s a well-kept secret: We have a school system that serves most students quite well.

We have mainstream public schools that serve students with typical needs, as well as offering support for lowachieving students with special needs.

We have a network of alternative public schools that serve students in certain demographics or families with specific academic interests.

We have private schools for families looking for smaller, posher, or specific types of educational opportunities. despite the spectrum of choices, however, some students are still left looking for the right school. for a variety of reasons, some of them end up at explore MCP, a tiny private school in scotts Valley.

An unusual focus MCP’s website announces that it is “specifically designed to address students’ individual learning differences,” which may seem a bit vague. that’s because MCP isn’t your typical school for students with special needs. as a school that serves students with special learning needs who perform at or above grade level, MCP helps an atrisk population that other schools haven’t yet learned to integrate. one of the common ways that students find their way into the special education system in our public schools is through low test scores. But plenty of students with average, high, and top test scores have special needs that go unaddressed. for example, students at the higher end of the iQ spectrum have been shown to have a higher than expected incidence of a number complicating factors, including high functioning autism, dyslexia, obsessive compulsive disorder, gender dysphoria, and other learning, social, and emotional differences. also, some special learning environment needs accompany students of any academic achievement level. a typical school will see high test scores and equate those scores with “success” in educating the student.

“Success” is different for different students however, the statistics show otherwise. high iQ students are more likely than typical students to drop out of high school. students with gender dysphoria show much higher rates of suicidal ideation. high-achieving students with dyslexia often go undiagnosed because of what psychologists call “stealth dyslexia”—being able to cover the handicap of dyslexia through other coping mechanisms. and in a large school, students who don’t make waves are often assumed to be doing

Photo Contributed

mcp students visited seymour marine labs. “just fine.” about their high school experience.

MCP’s staff is trained to work with MCP staff gifts each student with a students to address all these considerbook hand-chosen for the student. ations and more. MCP’s small size and students know that their MCP means that all the students have indidiploma is more than a piece of vidualized educational plans. But bepaper—it’s a certificate of the opticause of the population they are mism and support they get from the serving, MCP students are also exstaff. pected to meet grade level expectations and beyond. all MCP students are reWhat MCP needs quired to complete dual enrollment our community can support excourses at Cabrillo during their high plore MCP most of all by referring school years.

needy students to its program. this includes students experiencing lack of a social fit; students with stealth dyslexia or other unusual learning needs; students experiencing gender dysphoria; college-bound students with highfunctioning autism; students suffering from mental health challenges; students with physical disabilities; and more. our businesses can support this program by offering monetary and inkind donations for MCP’s programs and fundraising efforts. our professionals who serve students with special needs can refer families and offer their support for MCP’s program. although small, MCP is a vital part of our community. all children deserve the education they need in order to thrive, even when their needs are so unusual that only the least usual school of all can serve them.

Suki Wessling is a writer and teacher and the mother of two teens, one of whom has attended MCP. Her most recent book is homeschool with Confidence, a goal-setting guide for teens.

Read more at www. SukiWessling.com

The lone tiny fish in a great, big sea schools like MCP are anomalies. they aren’t public, though public school districts pay to have some of their students attend in order to get appropriate education. they don’t have the strong donor base that established private schools develop, since almost all families come to them out of necessity, not by choice. there is very little grant funding available for operating expenses at nonprofit schools.

MCP functions like a small fish adrift without its school in a large, overwhelming sea. it depends primarily on full enrollment in order to keep the doors open. Parents work hard to keep it afloat because their students often have nowhere else to go. the staff is underpaid and overworked, yet fully committed to their mission.

Joy for students who might have none But MCP, amidst its struggles, is a joyful place. staff exudes excitement and pride at being able to serve the needs of its specialized population.

Parents use words like “our last hope” and “transformative” to describe how they found the school and why they stay. and students graduate from MCP full of pride for who they are. at graduation, each student gives a speech, as do their primary family members, August 2018 • Growing Up In Santa Cruz 13

AUGUST 2018

CaLEnDar

photo: By Kevin painchaud NATUrE WALKS: isabella Milligan explores Big Basin State Park. See the park’s schedule in the calendar.

wednesday, august 1 all together now! 9am-11am, ongoing Wednesdays. Live oak family resource Center. share the joys and challenges of parenting as we grow and learn together. drop-in classes in english for kids 0-5 years old. recommended fee of $3-$7 for those able to pay. 1740 17th ave.

476-7284.

Bookshop santa Cruz story time 10am. ongoing Wednesdays. Bookshop invites any toddler or pre-school age children to listen to stories read by Mamoura slike.

460-3251 Latch Clinic 9am-11am. ongoing Wednesdays. dominican rehab Lactation office 610 frederick st. receive personalized, one-on-one breastfeeding support from an international Board Certified Lactation Consultant. a Baby Weigh® scale is also available. new Moms support group 11:30am1pm. ongoing Wednesdays. free for babies 0-6 months old and their moms to discuss common concerns with other new moms. dominican rehab Yoga/Pilates room. 610 frederick st. triple P @ together in the Park (drop-in playgroup) 10:30am-12 pm. felton Covered Bridge Park, corner of graham hill rd and Mt. hermon rd (across from safeway). Parent education is offered as part of the together in the Park drop-in playgroup led by Mountain Community

14 Growing Up In Santa Cruz • August 2018

resources every Wednesday, april through october. triple P Positive Parenting tip sheets are covered with all participants or in brief, one-on-one consultations. offered in english or spanish by rosa reyes, Community Bridges – Mountain Community resources. all children and parents/caregivers are welcome. Light snacks will be provided. el Patio de Mi Casa 12pm-2pm. ongoing Wednesdays. Live oak family resource Center. inspiring playgroups for moms, dads, caregivers and children 0-5 years old. instructor: Yolanda Provostefuentes. recommended fee of $3-$7 for those able to pay. drop-in. Classes facilitated in spanish. 1740 17th ave, santa Cruz. 476-7284 free daily entertainment 12pm-6pm. everyday until august 17th. santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. engaging performers invite you to be part of the show! Worldclass magicians, acrobats, jugglers, and comedians—all performing free at two stages inside the park.

Baby happy hour at JuneBug’s gym!!

12:15pm-1:15pm. ongoing Mondays, Wednesdays, & thursdays. for crawlers through early walkers. Come let your young child crawl, creep and explore their motor skills in a fun and stimulating environment. Call 464-BUgs (2847) or drop by at 3910 Portola drive. ste. 2 & 3 Pleasure Point www.junebugsgym.com

santa Cruz farmers Market 1pm-6pm. ongoing Wednesdays. Cedar and Lincoln st.

Coca-Cola nights 5pm-11pm. every Wednesday and thursday (except July 4) through august 16. santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Bring a Coca-Cola product and enjoy unlimited rides for only $14.95+tax! hormones, Mood, and food 6pm-7pm.

Westside new Leaf Community Markets.

Class will delve into the foods we eat, (or don’t eat) and how they have a direct connection to promoting stable moods. register on the new Leaf website. female survivor support group 6pm7:30pm. ongoing Wednesdays. Monarch services. safe, supportive space for survivors of sexual assault or domestic violence. Childcare provided.1685 Commercial Way, santa Cruz. 425-4030.

24hr: 888 900-4232. Wcs-ddm.org Marc russo and the Classy Cats 6pm8pm. Capitola Village esplanade Park Bandstand. Big Band swing and Latin.

Catamaran Literary reader 2018 summer issue Launch 7pm. Bookshop santa Cruz.

Contributors will join us for a live reading.

Catamaran was founded in 2012 in the tannery arts Center studios in santa Cruz. their mission is to capture the vibrant creative spirit in fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction and to publish the best writing they can find in a narrative, together with fine art.

Wilder things: Little People’s repertory theatre 7:30pm-9:30pm. Park hall: 9400 Mill st, Ben Lomond. tickets: https://lprt.org/tickets/ Jumanji: free Movies on the Beach 9pm. santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. thursday, august 2 food addicts anonymous Meeting 9am. ongoing thursdays. trinity Presbyterian Church. a 12-step group that helps people not eat addictively one day at a time. there are no fees. www.foodaddicts.com.

420 Melrose. entrance is through the yellow gate to the library. new Parents with Babies 4 Months to 9 Months 10am-11:30am. ongoing thursdays. sutter room at sutter Maternity and surgery Center. Classes are drop-in (no pre-reg required). 477-2229.

Baby happy hour at JuneBug’s gym!!

12:15pm-1:15pm. ongoing Mondays, Wednesdays, & thursdays. see august 1.

Coca-Cola nights 5pm-11pm. every Wednesday and thursday (except July 4) through august 16. santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. see august 1. taller de triple P para familias con niños con necesidades especiales: enseñando destrezas sociales a los niños 5:30pm–7 pm.

La Manzana recursos Comunitarios, 18 W. Lake ave, salón e, Watsonville. el programa Triple P Pasos para el Éxito

AUGUST 2018 ofrece apoyo de crianza para padres y proveedores de cuidado para niños con necesidades especiales, tales como adhd, trastorno del espectro autista, síndrome de down y otros retrasos en el desarrollo. asista a este taller gratis de crianza para aprender: Cómo el juego les ayuda a los niños a aprender destrezas de comunicación; estrategias para enseñarles a los niños a compartir y tomar turnos; Consejos para tener visitas para jugar exitosas; Qué hacer si las conductas repetitivas se vuelven problemáticas. este taller es gratis y abierto al público. inscríbase para reservar su lugar y obtener el cuidado de sus niños gratis. se proporcionarán bocadillos ligeros para niños y adultos. Presentado en español por: Liliana Zamora, Puentes de Comunidad – La Manzana recursos Comunitarios Para inscribirse: Comuníquese con Liliana Zamora al (831) 724-2997 x212 o lilianaz@cbridges.org o vea el calendario en first5scc.org/calendar/parenttrainings art Walk 5:30pm-8pm. first thursday of every month. Capitola Mall (Macy’s Wing). Local artists, a featured charity every month and live entertainment. support your local artists!

Crow’s nest Beach Party 5:30pm. Crow’s nest restaurant. With live entertainment on the outdoor beach stage, and Crow’s nest’s famous BBQ and outdoor bar, beach parties are a unique and popular event. shake the square 6pm-7:30pm. ongoing thursdays. abbott square. get moving in a series of free movement classes in abbott square. dance and instructor will be announced soon! entre nosotras 6pm-8pm. 1st and 3rd thursday of the month. WomenCare’s Watsonville office. open to spanishspeaking women with all kinds of cancer. groups are led in spanish and meet at our Watsonville office. Please call 831-761-3973 for details.

Wilder things: Little People’s repertory theatre 7:30pm-9:30pm. Park hall. see august 1. friday, august 3 free first friday 10am-10pm. santa Cruz Mah. explore three floors of exhibitions for free and dig into a hands-on activity that’s great for all ages free first friday 11am-4pm. natural history Museum. enjoy the Museum for free with your family on the first friday of every month. enjoy our intertidal touch pool and large-screen microscope.

PLUs get a sneak-peek at our annual art of nature exhibit. 1305 east Cliff dr, santa Cruz. 420-6115 fun n’ tumble open gym 12pm-3pm. ongoing fridays at JuneBugs gym. ages: walking to 7 years. Parents may leave children over 3 yrs. Parents can drop off their children for 1, 2 or all 3 hours for tumbling fun! Call 464-BUgs (2847) to sign up or drop by at 3910 Portola dr. ste. 2 & 3 Pleasure Point-santa Cruz. www.junebugsgym UCsC farm and garden Market Cart 12pm-6pm. Base of the UCsC Campus (corner of Bay and high st.). get fresh

organic vegetables, herbs, and beautiful flower bouquets grown at the UCsC farm and alan Chadwick garden. Market Cart continues every friday through late october.

Watsonville farmers Market 2pm-7pm. ongoing fridays. downtown Watsonville Plaza. this market is in the heart of the famously bountiful Pajaro Valley. Peaceful and family-oriented, the hispanic heritage of this community gives this market a “mercado” feel. You’ll find a large variety of Latin american treats, including some lesser known dishes such as pambasos, huarache and chicharrones. first friday: Pacific Wave’s 25th anniversary 5pm-9pm. abbott square. skate and surf night with skate demos, skate art projects, skate and surf vendors.

Y &t 6:30pm and 8:30pm. santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. the band received extensive airplay with hits such as “forever,” “rescue Me,” “Mean streak,” and “summertime girls.”

Live Music by Post street rhythm Peddlers 6:30pm-9pm. abbott square. enjoy this live prohibition era street jazz.

Castro adobe in the 20th Century: from earthquake to earthquake 7pm. Bookshop santa Cruz. this book tells the history of the Castro adobe, a rare home that was built during 1848-1850. the Castro adobe is slated to become the next state Park in California, hopefully within the next few years!

Wilder things: Little People’s repertory theatre 7:30pm-9:30pm. Park hall. see august 1. saturday, august 4 aptos farmers Market 8am-2pm. ongoing saturdays. Cabrillo College. featuring more than 90 vendors, supplying a variety of fresh produce, prepared goods, items for the home. Live music, coffee, fresh baked goods. scotts Valley farmer’s Market 9am-1pm. ongoing saturdays. sV Community Center parking lot. Join the sV Public Library for story time, enjoy some live music, get your face painted and get fresh food.

Westside farmers Market 9am-1pm. ongoing saturdays. Mission st. ext. and Western dr. open gym at JuneBug’s gym 9am12 pm. ongoing saturdays. ages walking to 8 years old (or 80 lbs.). Parents can drop off for up to 3 hours for tumbling fun! Call 464-BUgs (2847) to sign up or drop by at 3910 Portola dr. ste. 2 & 3, Pleasure Point-santa Cruz. www.junebugsgym.com saturdays in the soil 10am-12pm. natural history Museum. help us keep our garden Learning Center thriving for visitors to learn from! Learn about caring for native plants while helping with general landscaping, occasional watering, weeding, and replanting. all ages are welcome.

Watsonville strawberry festival 10am7pm. downtown Watsonville. this multifaceted celebration will serve up a menu of

strawberry delights, non-stop entertainment, gooey contests & more.

Church street fair 11am-8pm. santa Cruz Civic auditorium. free live music and dance performances on an outdoor stage, open-air artist booths, wine and beer tasting, food vendors and activities for children.

Live Music by Brad Byrd 7:30pm9:30pm. abbott square. enjoy some live indie-rock/alt-country.

Wilder things: Little People’s repertory theatre 7:30pm-9:30pm. Park hall. see august 1. sunday, august 5 Live oak farmers Market 9am-1pm. ongoing sundays. 15th and eastcliff dr. overeaters anonymous 9:05am-10:15am. ongoing sundays. sutter Maternity & surgical Center. Come join us for a friendly, free, 12-step support group with the solution. teens and adults welcome. includes compulsive overeating, anorexia and bulimia. 2900 Chanticleer ave 429-7906 santacruzoa.org teacher fun day 10am-4pm. Wonderland toys and Classroom resources. there will be prizes, giveaways, demos, deals, a free desk calendar and more! Can’t make it but still want to shop local for your classroom this summer? Check out our website www.wonderlandsantacruz.com and get free regular shipping when you spend $40 or more in July or august.

Watsonville strawberry festival 10am7pm. downtown Watsonville. see august 5. sunday Play at the Mah 11am-2pm. ongoing sundays. santa Cruz Mah. family friendly activities that get you moving and inspire creativity. think fort building, bubble making, dance parties, and more! sunday art and Music at the Beach 11am5pm. Capitola Village. Local artists display their work and live music by ron kaplan is featured on the esplanade stage.

Church street fair 11am-8pm. santa Cruz Civic auditorium. see august 4.

Bachata by the sea 1pm-3pm (picnic) 3pm-4pm (class) 4pm-7pm (dancing).

106 Beach st. ongoing sundays. free Bachata dance class, followed by 3 hours of non-stop social dancing! Before the dancing starts we will do a fun Beach Picnic.

Watsonville nature Walks 1:30pm. ongoing sundays. Watsonville nature Center (30 harkins slough road). Come experience the incredible bird life that the Wetlands of Watsonville have to offer. the wetland system of sloughs and their uplands offer breeding and year-round habitat for over 220 species of shorebirds, waterfowl, raptors and song birds. tour of the UCsC farm 2pm-3:30pm.

UCsC hay Barn. on the first sunday of each month, enjoy a free tour of the UCsC farm.

nar-anon family groups 6:30pm8:00pm. ongoing sundays. sutter hospital. a 12-step program/support group for friends and families who have been affected by the addiction or drug problem of another. Meets in sutter room. 2900 Chanticleer avenue. newcomers, please come 15 minutes early to get acquainted. david Zeltser: the Universe ate My homework 4pm. Bookshop santa Cruz. abby hates doing homework. so when she discovers an amazing scientific recipe for creating a parallel universe where she’ll never have to do homework again, she’s ready to jump right in. there’s just one small wrinkle——she might not be able to find a way back. monday, august 6 Wellness group 10am-11:30am. ongoing Mondays. sutter room at sutter Maternity and surgery Center. supporting mothers’ emotional health in the postpartum period. 477-2229. 2900 Chanticleer ave, santa Cruz.

Baby happy hour at JuneBug’s gym!!

12:15pm-1:15pm. ongoing Mondays, Wednesdays, & thursdays. see august 1. arM-in-arM Cancer support group 12:30pm-2pm. ongoing Mondays. WomenCare office. open to women with advanced, recurrent, or Metastatic cancer. Pre-registration (office intake and a conversation with the group facilitator) is required. Please call 831-457-2273 to provide us with necessary client information. retro nights 5pm-11pm. every Monday and tuesday through august 14. santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. enjoy old-school prices throughout the park including $1.50 rides, $1.50 Coca-Cola fountain drinks, $9.95 Unlimited attractions, $2 select games, and 50% off airbrush tattoos divorced fathers network 7:30-8:30pm. ongoing Mondays. dominican hospital. dfn provides non-adversarial techniques to achieve healthy co-parenting through a support group network. aptos La selva fire dept, 6934 soquel dr. 234-5578 tuesday, august 7 UCsC arboretum: Community day 9am-5pm. UCsC arboretum. the first tuesday of each month, the arboretum is open without charge to visitors. new Parents with Babies 3 Weeks to 4 Months 10am-11:30am. ongoing tuesdays. sutter room at sutter Maternity and surgery Center. Classes are drop-in (no pre-reg required) donations accepted (no required fee). 477-2229.

2900 Chanticleer ave. tumble-on-tuesdays at JuneBug’s gym 12pm-3pm. ongoing tuesdays. ages walking to 7 years. Parents may leave children over 3 yrs. Call 464-BUgs (2847) to sign up or drop by at 3910 Portola dr. ste. 2 & 3 Pleasure Point-santa Cruz. www.junebugsgym Cancer support group 12:30pm-2pm. ongoing tuesdays. WomenCare’s office. open to newly diagnosed women throughout the course of their treatment and up to 4-6 months post-treatment.

August 2018 • Growing Up In Santa Cruz 15

AUGUST 2018

photo: By Kevin painchaud HiKiNG: Kids hike through the redwood groves. State Parks offer regular weekly hikes.

Pre-registration (office intake and a conversation with the group facilitator) is required. Please call 831-457-2273.

Birth Center tour 6:30pm. ongoing tuesdays. Call to register. dominican hospital, 1555 soquel dr, sC. 462-7709

el Patio de Mi Casa 12pm-2pm. ongoing Wednesdays. Live oak family resource Center. see august 1.

healthy Vegetarian 1pm-2pm. Westside new Leaf Community Market. delve into the essentials of vegetarian and vegan nutrition, including plant proteins, omega 3’s, essential vitamins, minerals and micronutritents! register on the new Leaf website.

Chas smith: Cocaine+surfing: a sordid history of surfing’s greatest Love affair 7pm. Bookshop santa Cruz. smith’s latest work of nonfiction peels the curtains back on a hopped up, sometimes sexy sometimes deadly relationship and uses cocaine as the vehicle to expose and explain the utterly absurd surf industry to outsiders. it also explores where dreams go when they die.

Baby happy hour at JuneBug’s gym!!

12:15pm-1:15pm. ongoing Mondays, Wednesdays, & thursdays. see august 1.

divorced fathers network 7:30-8:30pm. ongoing tuesdays. aptos La selva fire dept. dfn provides non-adversarial techniques to achieve healthy co-parenting through a support group network. 6934 soquel dr. 234-5578

santa Cruz farmers Market 1pm-6pm. ongoing Wednesdays. Cedar and Lincoln st.

Youth Coalition Meeting 5pm-6:30pm. ongoing tuesdays. resource Center for non-Violence. ages 13-21. get involved, get educated & become a community youth leader. Youth-designed & led group.

Call first. 515 Broadway, sC. 427-5066 retro nights 5pm-11pm. every Monday and tuesday through august 14. santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. see august 6. family and friends Cancer support group 5:30pm-7pm. 1st and 3rd tuesdays of the month. WomenCare’s office. open to friends and loved ones of people with cancer. Pre-registration (office intake and a conversation with the group facilitator) is required. 831-457-2273 grupo de apoyo femenino del superviviente 6pm-7:30pm. Martes en curso. en espanol. Monarch services ~ servicios Monarca ofrece un espacio seguro y de apoyo. gratis. actividades de cuidado de niños proporcionadas. 1685 Commercial Way, santa Cruz. 425-4030. 24hr: 888 900-4232. Wcs-ddm.org

wednesday, august 8 all together now! 9am-11am, ongoing Wednesdays. Live oak family resource Center. see august 1.

Bookshop santa Cruz story time 10am. ongoing Wednesdays. see august 1.

dance for Parkinson’s 1pm. ongoing Wednesdays except the first Wednesday of the month. Motion Pacific dance. Classes are appropriate for anyone with Parkinson’s no matter how advanced. no dance experience is required. free.

decoding Label Lingo 1pm and 6pm.

Westside new Leaf Community Market.

When walking through the grocery store we are faced with all types of health claims printed on food labels. find out what they mean at this free class. register on the new Leaf Website.

Coca-Cola nights 5pm-11pm. every Wednesday and thursday (except July 4) through august 16. santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. see august 2.

new Moms support group 11:30am1pm. ongoing Wednesdays. dominican rehab Yoga/Pilates room. 610 frederick st. see august 1.

female survivor support group 6pm7:30pm. ongoing Wednesdays. Monarch services. see august 1.

triple P @ together in the Park (drop-in playgroup) 10:30am-12 pm. felton Covered Bridge Park. see august 1.

Blackouts 6pm-8pm. Capitola Village esplanade Park Bandstand. 80’s tribute dance Band. ghostbusters (1984): free Movies on the Beach 9pm. santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.

16 Growing Up In Santa Cruz • August 2018

thursday, august 9 food addicts anonymous Meeting 9am. ongoing thursdays. trinity Presbyterian Church. see august 2. new Parents with Babies 4 Months to 9 Months 10am-11:30am. ongoing thursdays. sutter room at sutter Maternity and surgery Center. see august 2.

Baby happy hour at JuneBug’s gym!!

12:15pm-1:15pm. ongoing Mondays, Wednesdays, & thursdays. see august 1. thursday step Parents support group Join us on the second thursday of each month for a free, drop-in support group for anyone in the step-parenting role. We meet at various locations. email hannah mommystub@gmail.com for more details.

Coca-Cola nights 5pm-11pm. every Wednesday and thursday (except July 4) through august 16. santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. see august 2.

Crow’s nest Beach Party 5:30pm. Crow’s nest restaurant. see august 2.

Jazz night rhythm and Blues (7th street Big Band): Music in the Plaza 6pm-8pm.

Watsonville Plaza. grupo triple P de 8 semanas: Para familias con niños 2 – 12 años 6pm–8pm.

Cada jueves al 27 de septiembre, La Manzana recursos Comunitarios, 18 W. Lake ave, sala e, Watsonville. asista por 8 semanas a este grupo de triple P para conocer a otras familias y aprender estrategias sencillas que le ayudaran a: fortalecer las rela-

AUGUST 2018 ciones en su familia; fomentar conductas positivas; enseñarle a su niño habilidades y comportamientos nuevos; Manipular las conductas disruptivas o problemáticas con mayor confianza; Cuidar de usted mismo como padre. este grupo es gratis y abierto al público. inscríbase para reservar su lugar y obtener el cuidado de sus niños gratis. se proporcionarán bocadillos ligeros para niños y adultos. Presentado en español por: sandra rodelo, Puentes de la Comunidad – La Manzana recursos Comunitarios Para inscribirse: Comuníquese con sandra rodelo al (831) 724-2997 x211 o sandrar@cbridges.org o vea el calendario en first5scc.org/calendar/parenttrainings shake the square 6pm-7:30pm. ongoing thursdays. abbott square. see august 2. the dependents: katharine dion with elizabeth Mckenzie 7pm. Bookshop santa Cruz. a wise and lyrical novel about a new widower confronting the truth about his long marriage. katharine dion’s assured debut moves seamlessly between the widower’s present-day journey and the long history of a marriage and friendship. friday, august 10 fun n’ tumble open gym 12pm-3pm. ongoing fridays at JuneBugs gym. see august 3.

UCsC farm and garden Market Cart 12pm-6pm. Base of the UCsC Campus (corner of Bay and high st.). see august 3.

Watsonville farmers Market 2pm-7pm. ongoing fridays. downtown Watsonville Plaza. see august 3.

12th annual Breastfeeding health fair and Walk 3pm-6pm. Watsonville Plaza.

We will be celebrating breastfeeding with family fun games, snacks, raffle prizes, live dJ, and community health information!

Make night at the Mah 5pm-8pm. ongoing fridays. santa Cruz Mah. Make art, forts, toys, sculptures and so much more! every week will be new and exciting.

Blue oyster Cult 6:30pm and 8:30pm. santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. known for hits like “the reaper,” “Burnin’ for You,” and “godzilla.”

Live Music by hall Pass 6:30pm-9pm. abbott square. a four piece band that strives to bring rock and roll back to the forefront. thoroughly Modern Millie Jr. 7pm.

Louden nelson Center. telling the story of young Millie dillmount, who has just moved to the city in search of a new life for herself. it`s a new York full of intrigue and jazz - a time when women were entering the workforce and the rules of love and social behavior were changing forever. saturday, august 11 aptos farmers Market 8am-2pm. ongoing saturdays. Cabrillo College. see august 4. scotts Valley farmer’s Market 9am-1pm. ongoing saturdays. sV Community Center parking lot. see august 4.

Westside farmers Market 9am-1pm. ongoing saturdays. Mission st. ext. and Western dr. open gym at JuneBug’s gym 9am-12 pm. ongoing saturdays. see august 4. river health day 9:30am-12pm. Meet at the santa Cruz riverwalk adjacent to Mimi de Marta dog Park. Volunteers will help with caring for native plants as they grow and create habitat along the river. second saturdays in historic felton 11am-4pm. downtown felton. free, family-friendly event featuring live music, pop-up vendors, local artisans, and more. thoroughly Modern Millie Jr. 2pm and 7pm. Louden nelson Center. see august 10. spanish speaking Cancer support group 3pm-4:30pm. 2nd and 4th saturday of the month. WomenCare’s office. open to spanish-speaking women with all kinds of cancer. Provides emotional support, education, and referrals to other social services. group is led in spanish. Please call 831-336-8662 to register.

Live Music from Beat street 7:30pm9:30pm. abbott square. Popular party songs from the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s to now that make you want to get up and dance. sunday, august 12 Live oak farmers Market 9am-1pm. ongoing sundays. 15th and eastcliff dr. santa Cruz antique faire 9am-5pm. Lincoln st. You will find an eclectic blend of antiques and unique items, vintage clothing, collectibles and more! overeaters anonymous 9:05am-10:15am. ongoing sundays. sutter Maternity & surgical Center. see august 4. sunday Play at the Mah 11am-2pm. ongoing sundays. santa Cruz Mah. see august 5.

monday, august 13 Wellness group 10am-11:30am. ongoing Mondays. sutter room at sutter Maternity and surgery Center. see august 6.

Baby happy hour at JuneBug’s gym!!

12:15pm-1:15pm. ongoing Mondays, Wednesdays, & thursdays. see august 1. arM-in-arM Cancer support group 12:30pm-2pm. ongoing Mondays. WomenCare office. see august 6. new Mommy Musical MeetUp 12:30pm2pm. every 2nd Monday. native sons’ hall. Bring your little ones and join the free MeetUp to mingle with other new mommies and learn how to integrate music making in your baby’s life from a certified Music together teacher. 239 high street. http://www.musicalme.com retro nights 5pm-11pm. every Monday and tuesday through august 14. santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. see august 6.

Paula saunders: the distance home 7pm.

Bookshop santa Cruz. tender, searing, and unforgettable, this is a profoundly american story spanning decades – a tale of haves and have-nots, of how our ideas of winning and losing, success and failure, lead us inevitably into various problems with empathy and caring for one another. divorced fathers network 7:30-8:30pm. ongoing Mondays. dominican hospital. see august 6. tuesday, august 14 new Parents with Babies 3 Weeks to 4 Months 10am-11:30am. ongoing tuesdays. sutter room at sutter Maternity and surgery Center. see august 7. tumble-on-tuesdays at JuneBug’s gym 12pm-3pm. ongoing tuesdays. see august 7.

Cancer support group 12:30pm-2pm. ongoing tuesdays. WomenCare’s office. see august 7.

Youth Coalition Meeting 5pm-6:30pm. free. ongoing tuesdays. resource Center for non-Violence. see august 7.

Watsonville nature Walks 1:30pm. ongoing sundays. Watsonville nature Center (30 harkins slough road). see august 5.

retro nights 5pm-11pm. every Monday and tuesday through august 14. santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. see august 6.

thoroughly Modern Millie Jr. 2pm.

Louden nelson Center. see august 10.

grupo de apoyo femenino del superviviente 6pm-7:30pm. Martes en curso. en espanol. Monarch services. Ver 7 del augusto.

Jessamyn stanley: every Body Yoga: Let go of fear, get on the Mat, Love Your Body 7pm. Bookshop santa Cruz. it’s a book of inspiration for beginners of all shapes and sizes: it’s a how-to book: With easy-to-follow directions to 50 basic yoga poses and 10 sequences to practice at home, all photographed in full color. the greatest showman: Movie in the Park 8pm. aptos Village Park. Come early and enjoy music and food truck concessions too.

new Moms support group 11:30am1pm. ongoing Wednesdays. dominican rehab Yoga/Pilates room. 610 frederick st. see august 1. triple P @ together in the Park (drop-in playgroup) 10:30am-12 pm. felton Covered Bridge Park. see august 1. el Patio de Mi Casa 12pm-2pm. ongoing Wednesdays. Live oak family resource Center. see august 1.

Baby happy hour at JuneBug’s gym!!

12:15pm-1:15pm. ongoing Mondays, Wednesdays, & thursdays. see august 1. dance for Parkinson’s 1pm. ongoing Wednesdays except the first Wednesday of the month. Motion Pacific dance. see august 8. santa Cruz farmers Market 1pm-6pm. ongoing Wednesdays. Cedar and Lincoln st. science sunday 1:30pm-2:30pm. every 3rd sunday. seymour Marine discovery Center. Lectures are designed to make science interesting and “user-friendly” for everyone. free with membership, admission, or valid UCsC student id.

Coca-Cola nights 5pm-11pm. every Wednesday and thursday (except July 4) through august 16. santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. see august 2. female survivor support group 6pm7:30pm. ongoing Wednesdays. Monarch services. see august 1. the houserockers 6pm-8pm. Capitola Village esplanade Park Bandstand. rock and soul. raiders of the Lost ark: free Movies on the Beach 9pm. santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. thursday, august 16

Bachata by the sea 1pm-3pm (picnic) 3pm-4pm (class) 4pm-7pm (dancing).

106 Beach st. ongoing sundays. see august 5.

nar-anon family groups 6:30pm8:00pm. ongoing sundays. sutter room. sutter hospital, 2900 Chanticleer avenue. see august 5.

Latch Clinic 9am-11am. ongoing Wednesdays. dominican rehab Lactation office 610 frederick st. see august 1.

Birth Center tour 6:30pm. free. ongoing tuesdays. Call to register. dominican hospital. see august 7. divorced fathers network 7:30-8:30pm. ongoing tuesdays. aptos La selva fire dept. see august 7. wednesday, august 15 all together now! 9am-11am, ongoing Wednesdays. Live oak family resource Center. see august 1.

Bookshop santa Cruz story time 10am. ongoing Wednesdays. see august 1.

food addicts anonymous Meeting 9am. ongoing thursdays. trinity Presbyterian Church. see august 2. new Parents with Babies 4 Months to 9 Months 10am-11:30am. ongoing thursdays. sutter room at sutter Maternity and surgery Center. see august 2.

Baby happy hour at JuneBug’s gym!!

12:15pm-1:15pm. ongoing Mondays, Wednesdays, & thursdays. see august 1. thursday step Parents support group Join us on the second thursday of each month for a free, drop-in support group for anyone in the step-parenting role. We meet at various locations. email hannah mommystub@gmail.com for more details.

Coca-Cola nights 5pm-11pm. every Wednesday and thursday (except July 4) through august 16. santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. see august 2.

Crow’s nest Beach Party 5:30pm. Crow’s nest restaurant. see august 2.

August 2018 • Growing Up In Santa Cruz 17

AUGUST 2018

photo: By Kevin painchaud rEADiNG: Tessa Painshaud discovers adventures in reading at the Santa Cruz Library.

shake the square 6pm-7:30pm. ongoing thursdays. abbott square. see august 2.

cludes influences of rock, Latin, folk and even classical - and the music rocks!

entre nosotras 6pm-8pm. 1st and 3rd thursday of the month. WomenCare’s Watsonville office. see august 2.

saturday, august 18

grupo triple P de 8 semanas: Para familias con niños 2 – 12 años 6pm-8pm. Cada jueves al 27 de septiembre, La Manzana recursos Comunitarios. Ver 9 de augusto.

Clifford Mae henderson: Perfect little Worlds 7pm. Bookshop santa Cruz. this newest novel is set in santa Cruz during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, confronting issues of love and family within the context of this natural disaster. friday, august 17 fun n’ tumble open gym 12pm-3pm. ongoing fridays at JuneBugs gym. see august 3.

UCsC farm and garden Market Cart 12pm-6pm. Base of the UCsC Campus (corner of Bay and high st.). see august 3.

Watsonville farmers Market 2pm-7pm. ongoing fridays. downtown Watsonville Plaza. see august 3.

Make night at the Mah 5pm-8pm. ongoing fridays. santa Cruz Mah. see august 10.

Live Music by the dan Beck Band 6:30pm-9pm. abbott square. a jazz-blues fusion style we call Blue Jazz, with in-

18 Growing Up In Santa Cruz • August 2018

aptos farmers Market 8am-2pm. ongoing saturdays. Cabrillo College. see august 4. scotts Valley farmer’s Market 9am-1pm. ongoing saturdays. sV Community Center parking lot. see august 4.

Live Music by Phil harmonic Live 7:30pm-9:30pm. abbott square. enjoy some light pleasing Jazz improv

Watsonville nature Walks 1:30pm. ongoing sundays. Watsonville nature Center (30 harkins slough road). see august 5.

sunday, august 19

science sunday 1:30pm-2:30pm. seymour Marine discovery Center. Marine scientists bring you public lectures with photography, video, and stories of their work and lives.

Polynesian festival and aloha outrigger races 8am-5pm. Municipal Wharf. a fun day to cheer on friends in the outrigger races, delight in island-style music and Polynesian dancing and enjoy a taste of the tropics with “”shaved ice”“ and festive drinks.

nar-anon family groups 6:30pm8:00pm. ongoing sundays. sutter room. sutter hospital, 2900 Chanticleer avenue. see august 5.

Westside farmers Market 9am-1pm. ongoing saturdays. Mission st. ext. and Western dr.

Live oak farmers Market 9am-1pm. ongoing sundays. 15th and eastcliff dr.

monday, august 20

open gym at JuneBug’s gym 9am-12 pm. ongoing saturdays. see august 4.

overeaters anonymous 9:05am-10:15am. ongoing sundays. sutter Maternity & surgical Center. see august 4.

Wellness group 10am-11:30am. ongoing Mondays. sutter room at sutter Maternity and surgery Center. see august 6.

Paws in the Park 10am-11am. Meet along the riverwalk at gateway Plaza by Petsmart. Walks begin at with rules, directions and free training advice from Woofpack.

Walk a 1.5-mile loop around the riverwalk. all dogs must be well behaved and on 6 foot leashes.

Baby happy hour at JuneBug’s gym!!

12:15pm-1:15pm. ongoing Mondays, Wednesdays, & thursdays. see august 1. arM-in-arM Cancer support group 12:30pm-2pm. ongoing Mondays. WomenCare office. see august 6.

sunday Play at the Mah 11am-2pm. ongoing sundays. santa Cruz Mah. see august 5.

divorced fathers network 7:30-8:30pm. ongoing Mondays. dominican hospital. see august 6.

summer Code Jam with Code naturally 11am-3pm. abbott square. introduction to coding put on by the Code naturally team. all experience levels are welcome.

tuesday, august 21

saturdays in the soil 10am-12pm. natural history Museum. see august 4. spanish speaking Cancer support group 3pm-4:30pm. 2nd and 4th saturday of the month. WomenCare’s office. open to spanish-speaking women with all kinds of cancer. Provides emotional support, education, and referrals to other social services. group is led in spanish. Please call 831-336-8662 to register. the english Beat 6:30pm and 8:30pm. santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. With their reggae, soul, pop, and rock influences, they became known for great songs like “save it for Later,” “Mirror in the Bathroom,” and “i Confess.”

Bachata by the sea 1pm-3pm (picnic) 3pm-4pm (class) 4pm-7pm (dancing).

106 Beach st. see august 5.

new Parents with Babies 3 Weeks to 4 Months 10am-11:30am. ongoing tuesdays. sutter room at sutter Maternity and surgery Center. see august 7.

AUGUST 2018 tumble-on-tuesdays at JuneBug’s gym 12pm-3pm. ongoing tuesdays. see august 7.

Baby happy hour at JuneBug’s gym!!

12:15pm-1:15pm. ongoing Mondays, Wednesdays, & thursdays. see august 1.

6605 or corib@cbridges.org or register online at http://first5scc.org/calendar/parent-trainings

Cancer support group 12:30pm-2pm. ongoing tuesdays. WomenCare’s office. see august 7.

dance for Parkinson’s 1pm. ongoing Wednesdays except the first Wednesday of the month. Motion Pacific dance. see august 8.

shake the square 6pm-7:30pm. ongoing thursdays. abbott square. see august 2.

Youth Coalition Meeting 5pm-6:30pm. free. ongoing tuesdays. resource Center for non-Violence. see august 7. taco tuesday 5pm-7:30pm. felton Covered Bridge Park. Join food trucks a go go for taco tuesday. taller de triple P: Qué hacer cuando su adolescente es grosero e irrespetuoso 5:30 – 7 pm. La Manzana recursos Comunitarios, 18 W. Lake ave, sala e, Watsonville. Los talleres de triple P ofrecen consejos prácticos y estrategias para manejar las preguntas y desafíos de crianza específicas. Los padres pueden asistir a tantos talleres sobre cualquier tema que se interese. asista a este taller de crianza para aprender: Cómo fomentar una comunicación positiva con su adolescente; Cómo manejar el comportamiento grosero o irrespetuoso; Consejos para tener calma, ser consistente y justo con su adolescente. este taller es gratis y abierto al público. inscríbase para reservar su lugar y obtener el cuidado de sus niños gratis. se proporcionarán bocadillos ligeros para niños y adultos. Presentado en español por: gladys gómez, Puentes de la Comunidad – La Manzana recursos Comunitarios Para inscribirse: Comuníquese con gladys gómez al (831) 724-2997 x220 o gladysg@cbridges.org o vea el calendario en first5scc.org/calendar/parenttrainings grupo de apoyo femenino del superviviente 6pm-7:30pm. Martes en curso. en espanol. Monarch services. Ver 7 del augusto.

santa Cruz farmers Market 1pm-6pm. ongoing Wednesdays. Cedar and Lincoln st. female survivor support group 6pm7:30pm. ongoing Wednesdays. Monarch services. see august 1.

adults with adhd Meeting 6:30-8pm. fourth Wednesday of the month. the santa Cruz/Monterey Bay Branch of Chadd hosts monthly support group meetings. held at the aptos fire station, 6934 soquel drive, aptos. Contact Judy Brenis at jbbrenis@comcast.net or call 818-9619.

Books and Brews series: Book swap 7pm. santa Cruz Mountain Brewing. Bring one of your favorite books that you are willing to give away and join a group to talk about your books, then listen to others sell you theirs – you’ll have 40 seconds (and we’ll have a timer). then we swap, White elephant-style (except you’ll actually want the gift you get)! *Must be at least 21 years old to attend.* thursday, august 23 food addicts anonymous Meeting 9am. ongoing thursdays. trinity Presbyterian Church. see august 2.

Birth Center tour 6:30pm. free. ongoing tuesdays. Call to register. dominican hospital. see august 7. divorced fathers network 7:30-8:30pm. ongoing tuesdays. aptos La selva fire dept. see august 7.

Baby happy hour at JuneBug’s gym!!

12:15pm-1:15pm. ongoing Mondays, Wednesdays, & thursdays. see august 1.

wednesday, august 22 all together now! 9am-11am, ongoing Wednesdays. Live oak family resource Center. see august 1.

thursday step Parents support group Join us on the second thursday of each month for a free, drop-in support group for anyone in the step-parenting role. We meet at various locations. email hannah mommystub@gmail.com for more details.

Bookshop santa Cruz story time 10am. ongoing Wednesdays. see august 1.

Crow’s nest Beach Party 5:30pm. Crow’s nest restaurant. see august 2.

Latch Clinic 9am-11am. ongoing Wednesdays. dominican rehab Lactation office 610 frederick st. see august 1.

triple P Workshop: Preparing Your family for a new Baby 5:30pm – 7pm. Mountain Community resources, 6134 highway 9, felton. triple P Workshops are brief classes that provide quick tips for handling everyday parenting issues. attend this free parenting workshop to learn: how to prepare your children to welcome a new baby to the family; tips for helping children adjust to having a new sibling; how to do a room-by-room safety check of your home. this triple P Workshop is free and open to the public. free child care is available with advance registration.

Light snacks will be provided for adults and children. Presented in english by: Cori Burt, Community Bridges – Mountain Community resources to register: Contact Cori Burt at (831) 335-6600, ext

triple P @ together in the Park (drop-in playgroup) 10:30am-12 pm. felton Covered Bridge Park. see august 1. el Patio de Mi Casa 12pm-2pm. ongoing Wednesdays. Live oak family resource Center. see august 1.

grupo triple P de 8 semanas: Para familias con niños 2 – 12 años 6pm–8 pm.

Cada jueves al 27 de septiembre, La Manzana recursos Comunitarios. Ver 9 de augusto.

Jumanji 8pm. heart of soquel Park.

st. gabriel’s Celestial Brass Band 6pm8pm. Capitola Village esplanade Park Bandstand. new orleans Jazz Band.

new Parents with Babies 4 Months to 9 Months 10am-11:30am. ongoing thursdays. sutter room at sutter Maternity and surgery Center. see august 2.

new Moms support group 11:30am1pm. ongoing Wednesdays. dominican rehab Yoga/Pilates room. 610 frederick st. see august 1.

Back to the 70’s/disco (heart and soul Band) 6pm-8pm. Watsonville Plaza.

friday, august 24 fun n’ tumble open gym 12pm-3pm. ongoing fridays at JuneBugs gym. see august 3.

UCsC farm and garden Market Cart 12pm-6pm. Base of the UCsC Campus (corner of Bay and high st.). see august 3.

Watsonville farmers Market 2pm-7pm. ongoing fridays. downtown Watsonville Plaza. see august 3.

Make night at the Mah 5pm-8pm. ongoing fridays. santa Cruz Mah. see august 10. shabbat and Picnic in the Park 5pm (Picnic) 6:15pm (shabbat singing service). garfield Park 634 almar avenue santa Cruz. this shabbat event is also a Young families Project event. it is a wonderful opportunity to meet and greet families with children of all ages and to mingle with long time friends. Please join us and invite your friends! starship featuring Mickey thomas 6:30pm and 8:30pm. santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. enjoy amazing hits including “We Built this City,” “nothing’s gonna stop Us now,” and “sara.” the show will feature an expanded set list that includes the multi-platinum hits of Jefferson airplane, Jefferson starship, and starship.

Parks and rex Pool Party 12pm-4pm. simpkins swim Center. all proceeds will benefit County Parks youth programs and animal shelter programs. Come enjoy local craft beer from new Bohemia, wine from soquel Vineyards, great food, including bbq pizza, Marianne’s ice Cream, games, music, and fun in the pool for adults, children, and your dog, too! spanish speaking Cancer support group 3pm-4:30pm. 2nd and 4th saturday of the month. WomenCare’s office. open to spanish-speaking women with all kinds of cancer. Provides emotional support, education, and referrals to other social services. group is led in spanish. Please call 831-336-8662 to register.

Live Music by Michelle Lambert 7:30pm9pm. abbott square. indie/pop artist. sunday, august 26 Live oak farmers Market 9am-1pm. ongoing sundays. 15th and eastcliff dr. overeaters anonymous 9:05am-10:15am. ongoing sundays. sutter Maternity & surgical Center. see august 4. sunday Play at the Mah 11am-2pm. ongoing sundays. santa Cruz Mah. see august 5.

Bachata by the sea 1pm-3pm (picnic) 3pm-4pm (class) 4pm-7pm (dancing).

106 Beach st. ongoing sundays. see august 5.

Watsonville nature Walks 1:30pm. ongoing sundays. Watsonville nature Center (30 harkins slough road). see august 5. the Coffis Brothers and the Mountain Men with the elizabeth Carlisle Band: Music at skypark 2:30pm-6pm. skypark in scotts Valley. enjoy music and food for the whole family while benefiting the music programs of our own public schools. nar-anon family groups 6:30pm8:00pm. ongoing sundays. sutter room. sutter hospital, 2900 Chanticleer avenue. see august 5.

Live Music by Michael gaither and his new Best friends 6:30pm-9pm. abbott square.

monday, august 27

saturday, august 25

Wellness group 10am-11:30am. ongoing Mondays. sutter room at sutter Maternity and surgery Center. see august 6.

aptos farmers Market 8am-2pm. ongoing saturdays. Cabrillo College. see august 4. scotts Valley farmer’s Market 9am-1pm. ongoing saturdays. sV Community Center parking lot. see august 4.

Westside farmers Market 9am-1pm. ongoing saturdays. Mission st. ext. and Western dr. open gym at JuneBug’s gym 9am-12 pm. ongoing saturdays. see august 4. rockin’ Pop Up 10am-5pm. natural history Museum. free with admission. have a rock that needs identifying? Want to learn more about the geology of santa Cruz? geologists will be at the Museum, ready to id your geologic finds, as well as show off a rotating collection of specimens.

Baby happy hour at JuneBug’s gym!!

12:15pm-1:15pm. ongoing Mondays, Wednesdays, & thursdays. see august 1. arM-in-arM Cancer support group 12:30pm-2pm. ongoing Mondays. WomenCare office. see august 6. divorced fathers network 7:30-8:30pm. ongoing Mondays. dominican hospital. see august 6. tuesday, august 28 new Parents with Babies 3 Weeks to 4 Months 10am-11:30am. ongoing tuesdays. sutter room at sutter Maternity and surgery Center. see august 7.

August 2018 • Growing Up In Santa Cruz 19

AUGUST 2018

photo: By paris lahman Catch the moonrise and Taco Tuesdays with food trucks at Anna Jean Cummings Park on Aug. 28. You can catch the trucks Aug 14 at venus Spirits in Santa Cruz, Aug 21 at the Felton Covered Bridge and Aug 24 at Skypark in Scotts valley. tumble-on-tuesdays at JuneBug’s gym 12pm-3pm. ongoing tuesdays. see august 7.

Cancer support group 12:30pm-2pm. ongoing tuesdays. WomenCare’s office. see august 7.

Youth Coalition Meeting 5pm-6:30pm. free. ongoing tuesdays. resource Center for non-Violence. see august 7.

new Moms support group 11:30am1pm. ongoing Wednesdays. dominican rehab Yoga/Pilates room 610 frederick st. see august 1.

new Parents with Babies 4 Months to 9 Months 10am-11:30am. ongoing thursdays. sutter room at sutter Maternity and surgery Center. see august 2.

triple P @ together in the Park (drop-in playgroup) 10:30am-12 pm. felton Covered Bridge Park. see august 1.

Baby happy hour at JuneBug’s gym!!

12:15pm-1:15pm. ongoing Mondays, Wednesdays, & thursdays. see august 1.

el Patio de Mi Casa 12pm-2pm. ongoing Wednesdays. Live oak family resource Center. see august 1.

Crow’s nest Beach Party 5:30pm. Crow’s nest restaurant. see august 2.

taco tuesdays in soquel 5pm-7:30pm. anna Jean Cummings Park. food trucks will be serving specialty tacos plus their signature dishes.

Baby happy hour at JuneBug’s gym!!

12:15pm-1:15pm. ongoing Mondays, Wednesdays, & thursdays. see august 1.

grupo de apoyo femenino del superviviente 6pm-7:30pm. Martes en curso. en espanol. Monarch services. Ver 7 del augusto.

dance for Parkinson’s 1pm. ongoing Wednesdays except the first Wednesday of the month. Motion Pacific dance. see august 8.

Birth Center tour 6:30pm. free. ongoing tuesdays. Call to register. dominican hospital. see august 7.

santa Cruz farmers Market 1pm-6pm. ongoing Wednesdays. Cedar and Lincoln st.

divorced fathers network 7:30-8:30pm. ongoing tuesdays. aptos La selva fire dept. see august 7.

female survivor support group 6pm7:30pm. ongoing Wednesdays. Monarch services. see august 1.

wednesday, august 29

digbeats 6pm-8pm. Capitola Village esplanade Park Bandstand. rock/oldies.

all together now! 9am-11am, ongoing Wednesdays. Live oak family resource Center. see august 1.

thursday, august 30

Bookshop santa Cruz story time 10am. ongoing Wednesdays. see august 1.

food addicts anonymous Meeting 9am. ongoing thursdays. trinity Presbyterian Church. see august 2.

Latch Clinic 9am-11am. ongoing Wednesdays. dominican rehab Lactation office 610 frederick st. see august 1.

secret garden story time 10am-11:30am. abbott square. We’ll read books, sing songs & enjoy the magic of the secret garden!

20 Growing Up In Santa Cruz • August 2018

triple P Workshop: taming Power struggles & tantrums 5:30 – 7 pm Live oak Community resources, 1740 17th ave, santa Cruz. triple P Workshops are brief classes that provide quick tips for handling everyday parenting issues. attend this free parenting workshop to learn: What your child might be trying to communicate through their Behaviors; how to handle disobedience without getting stuck in a power struggle; effective ways to prevent and manage tantrums. this triple P Workshop is free and open to the public. free child care is available with advance registration. Light snacks will be provided for adults and children. Presented in english by: Liliana Zamora, Community Bridges – La Manzana Community resources to register: Contact Liliana Zamora at (831) 724-2997 x212 or lilianaz@cbridges.org or register online at first5scc.org/calendar/parent-trainings triple P 8-Week group: for families with children 2-12 years old 5:30 – 7:30 pm ongoing thursdays through october 18.

Mountain Community resources, 6134 highway 9, felton. attend this 8-week triple P group to meet other families and learn simple strategies to help you: strengthen relationships in your family;

encourage positive behaviors; teach your child new skills & behaviors; handle disruptive or challenging behaviors with greater confidence; take care of yourself as a parent. this triple P group is free and open to the public. free child care is available with advance registration. Light snacks will be provided for adults and children. Presented in english by: Cori Burt, Community Bridges – Mountain Community resources to register: Contact Cori Burt at (831) 335-6600 x6605 or corib@cbridges.org or register online at first5scc.org/calendar/parent‐trainings grupo triple P de 8 semanas: Para familias con niños 2 – 12 años 6pm–8pm.

Cada jueves al 27 de septiembre, La Manzana recursos Comunitarios. Ver 9 de augusto.

Lisa Locascio: open Me 7pm. Bookshop santa Cruz. roxana olsen has always dreamed of going to Paris, and after high school graduation finally plans to travel there on a study abroad program, but a logistical mix-up brings roxana on an adventure she couldn’t have imagined. friday, august 31 fun n’ tumble open gym 12pm-3pm. ongoing fridays at JuneBugs gym. see august 3.

UCsC farm and garden Market Cart 12pm-6pm. Base of the UCsC Campus (corner of Bay and high st.). see august 3.

AUGUST 2018 Watsonville farmers Market 2pm-7pm. ongoing fridays. downtown Watsonville Plaza. see august 3.

Make night at the Mah 5pm-8pm. ongoing fridays. santa Cruz Mah. see august 10. taller de triple P: ayudar con la tarea 6 – 7:30 pm. La Montaña recursos Comunitarios, 6134 highway 9, felton. Los talleres de triple P ofrecen consejos prácticos y estrategias para manejar las preguntas y desafíos de crianza específicas. Los padres pueden asistir a tantos talleres sobre cualquier tema que se interese. asista a este taller de crianza para aprender: Las razones más comunes por qué la hora de tarea es un problema para muchas familias; Cómo ayudar a su hijo/a a desarrollar una buena rutina de tarea; herramientas para disminuir el estrés para usted y su hijo/a durante la hora de tarea. este taller es gratis y abierto al público. inscríbase para reservar su lugar y obtener el cuidado de sus niños gratis. se proporcionarán bocadillos ligeros para niños y adultos. Presentado en español por: rosa reyes, Puentes de la Comunidad – La Montaña recursos Comunitarios Para inscribirse: Comuníquese con rosa reyes al (831) 335-6600 ext 6608 o rosar@cbridges.org o vea el calendario en first5scc.org/calendar/parenttrainings Papa doo run run 6:30pm and 8:30pm. santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. enjoy all the great Classic rock hits of the ‘60s and ‘70s, with a special emphasis on their award winning re-creation of Beach Boys’ hits.

Live Music by august sun 6:30pm-9pm. abbott square. a blend of folk, blues, and straight ahead rock n’ roll to create a high energy, toe tapping music experience. fiddle extravaganza 8pm. santa Cruz Civic auditorium. Valley of the Moon scottish fiddling school presents a night of fiddles! tickets can be ordered by calling the Civic Box office at (831) 420-5260 or through https://www.santacruztickets.com

Santa Cruz Public Library Events Mondays age Well, drive smart 10am-12pm. august 6. aptos Library. designed to provide mature drivers with the keys to driving safer and driving longer. tales to tails 3:30pm-4:30pm. first and third Monday. aptos Library. trained therapy dogs will be available at the Library to be attentive, nonjudgmental reading partners for children reading aloud. Children have individual 20-minute time slots to sit with a dog and read. Contact tales2tails@santacruzpl.org or 831.427.7717 to reserve a spot. knitting in the Library 3pm-4:30pm. every Monday. scotts Valley Library. all you need to do is bring some yarn and knitting needles. all ages are welcome. for more info call 831-427-7712.

Tuesdays Movie discussion Club 1pm-2pm. third tuesday. La selva Beach Library.

Youth Chess Club 3:30pm-4:30pm. every tuesday. aptos Library. Learn from a master and practice with your peers! ages 6-18 yrs.

Lego Club 3:30pm-5pm. every tuesday. felton Library. directed Lego construction for kids 6 and older. each week we will construct models based on a common theme. hidden gems film Club 6pm-8pm. august 28. aptos Library. foreign films, documentaries, independents and even some mainstream movies you might have missed! if you wish, bring a snack to share, and participate in the discussion!

Wednesdays Capitola Book discussion Club 10am11am. first Wednesday. aptos Library.

We will be reading Born a Crime by trevor noah in august. one-on-one tech tutoring 12pm1pm. every Wednesday. aptos Library. trying to play with technology and getting frustrated? a tech savvy librarian will provide instruction in the use of a wide range of technology services genealogical society Lecture series 1pm-3pm. first Wednesday. downtown Library. Learn about a variety of resources, strategies, and tools in the field of family research. aptos Writing group 1pm-3pm. third Wednesday. aptos Library. those interested in: sharing their writing; improving and developing their writing; or trying their hand at writing for the first time, are welcome.

Branciforte Book discussion group 1:30pm-2:30pm. Branciforte Library. third Wednesday. this month’s book will be all the Light We Cannot see” by anthony doerr.

Case art Club 2pm-4pm. second Wednesday. scotts Valley Library.

Case stands for Creative, artistic, scientific, expressive. a new monthly class for kids ages 6-10. Come craft with anna and learn about the relationship between art and science.

Branciforte Writers 4pm-6pm. second and fourth Wednesday. Branciforte Library. Writing for Children group support group for adults who are writing for children: stories and non-fiction. all ages- from picture books to young adult. evening non-fiction Book discussion group 6pm-7pm. third Wednesday.

La selva Beach Library. group will discussion current non-fiction books as selected by members. reading in the redwoods 6:15pm7:30pm. fourth Wednesday. felton Library. 427-7708. to be added to our bookgroup email list, please call 831-427-3151.

Board in the Library 6:30pm-8:30pm. first and third Wednesday. scotts Valley Library. adults need playtime too!

Join this program for hours of tabletop gaming fun.

Citizen science 6:30pm-8pm. first thursday. downtown Library. sCPL is partnering with the Children’s Museum of discovery (Mod), UCsC and the natural history Museum to present a science series for adults and teens.

Thursdays Coffee talk social hour 10am-11am. every thursday. downtown Library. free coffee, free talk; social support and information services for all. this program is designed to serve people experiencing homelessness, however it is an open space for all.

Working together: information navigation 10am-11:30am. every thursday. downtown Library. Work with an information advocate on any information problem, application, resume or access issue of your choice. armchair travel adventures 10:30am12pm. august 2. La selva Beach Library. Local residents sharing their travel adventures. Program includes photos and personal travel logs.

Boulder Creek Library Book Club 11am-12pm. third thursday. Boulder Creek Library.

Munching with Mozart 12:10pm12:50. third thursday. free noon-time concerts at the downtown Branch meeting room. Your are welcome to bring your lunch, but please no crunchy food items. do-it-Yourself Crafts 3pm-4:30pm. every thursday. Boulder Creek Library. get creative! kids, teens and families welcome!

Lego Club 3:30pm-5pm. garfield Park Library and Boulder Creek Library. every thursday. directed Lego construction for kids 7 and older. each week we will construct models based on a common theme.

Meet and greet with Westside Police 3:30pm-4:30pm. august 9 and 23. garfield Park Library. Come meet the officers assigned to the Westside! the team intends to get to know the residents in our neighborhood better and to share safety tips. spanish Conversation group 4pm5pm. every thursday. aptos Library. first and third thursday of the month. trying to work on your spanish? facilitator-led discussion and activities. all levels are welcome, including beginners. for more information contact ivan Llamas at llamasi@santacruzpl.org or 831-4277702 trivia on tap 6pm-7:30pm. first and third thursday. steel Bonnet Brewing Company. Join santa Cruz Public Libraries for trivia night. form a team (or take it on solo), and compete against other groups to win the grand prize. trees to seas 6:30pm-8pm. august 9. scotts Valley Library. topic to be presented: the importance of riparian areas in maintaining healthy watersheds

introduction to thinking Maps 6:30pm-8pm. august 2 and 16. scotts Valley Library. thinking Maps are a series of structures which allow a writer organize thoughts and information into meaningful, predictable Maps. scotts Valley genre Book discussion Club 7pm-8:30pm. Last thursday. scotts Valley Library.

Fridays Brown Bag Movie 10am-12pm. fourth friday. La selva Beach Library. Bring a snack and join us for a movie. esL Conversation group 10:30am11:30am. ongoing fridays. scotts Valley Library. any level of english welcome. We’ll have discussion topics, games, and other activities to get the conversation rolling. tales to tails 3pm-4pm. first and third friday. felton Library. see Monday.

Saturdays Books and Brews La selva Beach summer fair 10am-4pm. august 4. La selva Beach Library. arts & crafts fair, book sale, bake sale, food truck, local microbrews, face painting, and kids’ crafts! Live music on the lawn with: toby gray highway Buddha, Jane Meredith daugherty, girls & Company, Barnyard Birds, and honeytone. tales to tails 10:30am-11:30am. first saturday. aptos Library. see Monday. diY family Crafts 11am-4pm. (Branciforte Library) 11am-1pm (garfield Park Library). every saturday.

Creative Movement storytime 11am12pm. first saturday. Branciforte Library. this program integrates stories, songs and dance into an hour of fun and movement.

Board in the Library 12pm-5pm. Boulder Creek Library. first and third saturdays of the month. adults need playtime too! Join this program for hours of tabletop gaming fun. origami Club 1pm-3pm. aptos Library. first saturday. Join our monthly get together to make beautiful creations in this ancient oriental art of paper folding. We will also demonstrate more contemporary arts of book folding and 3-d modular origami.

Community Poetry Circle 1pm-3pm. second saturday. aptos Library. Join our poetry writing group led by local poet, Magdalena Montagne. Create your poems in a friendly supportive atmosphere. artist’s reception 1pm-4pm. august 11.

Boulder Creek Library. Come meet local artist, Chris hall, and enjoy her paintings.

August 2018 • Growing Up In Santa Cruz 21

AUGUST 2018 Chess instruction 2pm-3pm. every saturday except the first. downtown Library. Children’s chess instruction with full time teacher and master, gjon feinstein, for students up to 18 years old. Parents and/or other relatives are welcome to participate.

Sundays adult arts and Crafts 2pm-4:30pm. every sunday. felton Public Library. attendants are encouraged to bring their own portable projects to work on, though something will be provided if you don’t bring something. Let’s have some fun while also helping each other learn and grow as artists and crafters!

State Park Events Mondays What’s that Bird? Walk 9:30am. ongoing Mondays. Big Basin state Park. this easy, 1-mile stroll introduces you to the birds of the redwood forest. Beginner birders are welcomed! Bring binoculars if you have them–but they’re not required. seek and find: smartphone Quest 11:30am-12:30pm. ongoing Mondays.

Big Basin state Park. Bring your smartphone and kids ages 5 and up for an adventure walk. We’ll use a free app called seek to identify plants and animals here, and you can continue the adventure at home!

Tuesdays exploring Big Basin 9am. ongoing tuesdays. Big Basin state Park. Learn about the magical redwoods, forest plants, fires, geology, history and more on these fun, varied hikes with docent diane shaw. hikes are 5-8 miles and last up to 5 hours.

Thursdays Junior rangers 11am-12:15pm. august 2, 9, and 16. santa Cruz Mission state Park. Junior rangers is a California state Parks statewide program for kids ages 7 to 12 year olds. space is limited. register by calling 831 425-5849.

Fridays Meteor trail hike 10:30am-2pm. august 10 and 24. Join a Big Basin docent on one of our most diverse hikes—by mountain streams, oak woodlands, chaparral and redwoods. You’ll discuss forests, flowers and fires on a six-mile hike. redwood grove Loop Walk 11am & 2pm. ongoing fridays, saturdays and sundays. Big Basin state Park. Join us for this fun and informative guided halfmile stroll through a magnificent oldgrowth redwood forest. hwy 236 at 21600 Big Basin Way. 338-8883. old fashioned Campfire 5:30pm-8pm. august 10. santa Cruz Mission state Park. Bring your picnic dinner and lawn chairs. Make a fresh tortilla on the comal as we enjoy live music. then we’ll gather around the campfire for songs, skits, and stories.

22 Growing Up In Santa Cruz • August 2018

full Moon Madness 6pm. august 24. henry Cowell state Park. this astronomy-based evening is perfect for the whole family. We will have kids’ crafts, guided night hikes, and a special astronomer guest speaker. to wrap up the evening, the santa Cruz astronomy Club will bring their telescopes out for stargazing.

Saturdays Jays and Murrelets demonstration 8:30am. august 4. Big Basin state Park.

Come watch our Jay researchers as they set up their nets to capture and band the steller’s Jays.

Backcountry tour 9am-12pm. august 11. Wilder ranch state Park. this challenging guided three-hour hike will explore the natural and cultural history of the backcountry of Wilder ranch state Park.

Volunteer with the trail Crew 9am. every 2nd saturday. Big Basin state Park. a typical workday lasts until midafternoon. Please bring your own work gloves, lunch and water. hidden gems: flowers of Big Basin 9:30am-12:30pm. august 11. Big Basin state Park. Meet some of the hidden gems of Big Basin on this 4 mile walk! family nature Program 10am-10:30am. ongoing saturdays. Big Basin state Park. Join a Big Basin interpreter for a kids’ nature activity. family friendly.

Meet at Big Basin redwood state Park nature Museum. a Walk in the Past (native Plants) 10:30am-1pm. august 4. Big Basin state Park. take a walk with docent eva fewel and learn about some of the plants the ohlones used for food, tools and medicine. this is a 4-mile walk. sempervirens falls hike 10:30am1:30pm. august 11. Big Basin state Park. this beautiful hike takes you by sempervirens falls, old-growth redwoods, ohlone grinding rocks, the birthplace of Big Basin and more! outlook from Mt. Mcabee hike 10:30am-2pm. august 4 and august 25.

Big Basin state Park. Learn about the different habitats as you watch the environment change as we climb and enjoy the view. difficulty level is moderate. the hike is six miles Meteor trail hike 10:30am-2pm. august 18. Big Basin state Park. Join a Big Basin docent on one of our most diverse hikes—by mountain streams, oak woodlands, chaparral and redwoods.

You’ll discuss forests, flowers and fires on a six-mile hike.

Coast nature Walks 11am-1pm. Wilder ranch state Park. ongoing saturdays. explore the plants, animals, and geology of the spectacular coastal bluffs. Meet at the interpretive Center. Bring a snack, water, binoculars, and good walking shoes. Binoculars are available to borrow. Located two miles north of santa Cruz, on highway 1. 426-0505 Life on the ranch 11am-3pm. august 11. Wilder ranch state Park. hands-on

activities and living history presentations vary each month and may include: butter churning, ice cream making, branding, cooking, roping skills, wagon rides, and demonstrations in the ranch buildings.

star strolls 9pm. ongoing saturdays. henry Cowell state Park. Join us for a stroll to the observation deck to listen to stories, serenade the glittering stars, and discover the night sky. Meet at the Campfire Center

redwood tours 11am & 2pm. ongoing saturdays. henry Cowell state Park. one of our knowledgeable docents will lead you through our magnificent old growth forest and answer questions.

Meet at the Visitors Center in the dayuse area of henry Cowell redwoods state Park located off highway 9 in felton. 335-7077

Sundays

redwood grove Loop Walk 11am & 2pm. ongoing fridays, saturdays and sundays. Big Basin state Park. Join us for this fun and informative guided halfmile stroll through a magnificent oldgrowth redwood forest. hwy 236 at 21600 Big Basin Way. 338-8883. felling the giants (Logging demonstration) 11:30am. august 4. Big Basin state Park. Join docent Paul fewel as he tells stories of the logging days and demonstrates how loggers were able to fell these giants—without chainsaws!

You get to use some tools too! rain cancels. discover Big Basin redwoods hike 12pm. august 11. Big Basin state Park. explore the park’s less travelled backcountry with docent Barry grimm. this moderately paced hike will be tailored to the group’s interests. snakes alive 12pm-3pm. august 25.

Big Basin state Park. Come to the sempervirens room at Park headquarters and meet docent diane shaw and learn about the fascinating world of snakes.

the road Less travelled-a dog friendly Walk 9:30am. august 5. Big Basin state Park. on this dog-friendly walk, we travel north escape road, a paved road closed to traffic. We tour stunning old-growth redwood groves along beautiful opal Creek.

Berry Creek falls hike 9:30am. august 12. Big Basin state Park. travel deep into the heart of Big Basin as you experience a wide range of habitats on this moderate to strenuous 12-mile-loop hike. redwood grove Loop Walk 11am & 2pm. ongoing fridays, saturdays and sundays. Big Basin state Park. Join us for this fun and informative guided halfmile stroll through a magnificent oldgrowth redwood forest. hwy 236 at 21600 Big Basin Way. 338-8883. discover Big Basin redwoods hike 12pm. august 19 and 26. Big Basin state Park. explore the park’s less travelled backcountry with docent Barry grimm. this moderately paced hike will be tailored to the group’s interests. ranch tours 1pm. ongoing saturdays and sundays. Wilder ranch state Park. discover what life was like a century ago on this innovative dairy ranch in this hour-long tour. Please call the park to confirm at 426-0505.

ranch tours 1pm. ongoing saturdays and sundays. Wilder ranch state Park. discover what life was like a century ago on this innovative dairy ranch in this hour-long tour. Please call the park to confirm at 426-0505.

special needs Walk 1pm. august 26.

Big Basin state Park. on this wheelchair and special needs accessible hike, docent nan singh-Bowman will cover a wide range of subjects including plants, animals and the history of Big Basin. the hike will be paced for non-traditional kids, but everyone is welcome!

guided adobe tour 1pm. ongoing saturdays. santa Cruz Mission state Park. guided tour of the oldest building in town. 144 school street. for more information call 425-5849.

drop in family Craft 1pm-3:30pm. august 5 (tule Mats) and 19 (Luminaria). santa Cruz Mission state Park.

gardens of time 1pm. august 18. santa Cruz Mission state Park. stroll through history as you visit the various gardens within our courtyard and patio. tour our native plant gardens, demonstration vegetable beds and Victorian “nearyland”. hides and tallow 1pm-2pm. august 11. santa Cruz Mission state Park. We will look at some of the major products of the mission; leather and tallow, and demonstrate how they were used. You will see how a branding iron works and get to make your own candle. family discovery Walk 1pm-2:30pm. august 18. Big Basin state Park. Join docent norm Beeson for a fun-filled family walk and investigate the mysteries and wonders of Big Basin’s redwood forest! We’ll discover what surprises the day offers on this easy, one-mile roundtrip walk.

twilight adaptation Walk 7:30pm8:30pm. ongoing sundays. Big Basin state Park. Come test your nocturnal abilities on this fun, half-mile walk.

GUiSC will attempt to update calendar listings as needed; however, it is the responsibility of the organization listed to provide updated information. GUiSC assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Readers are encouraged to check the accuracy of the information provided.

Events that are free or cost less than $10 august be submitted for inclusion in the calendar. GUiSC does not guarantee that a submitted event will automatically be included. Preference is given for events of interest to children and/or parents.

Calendar entries must be received by the 15th of the month prior to the month of the event. Send calendar entries via email to calendar@guisc.com. Photos can also be emailed to be considered for inclusion in the calendar. Calendar entries and photos will be selected by the Calendar Editor.

afTEr sChooL EnriChmEnT & BaCK To sChooL guiDE

AUGUST 2018

schools & preschools

Campus Kids Connection – Bostwick Children’s Center lic #444412389 987 Bostwick lane, santa cruz 831.475.2151 www.campuskidsconnection.com We offer a child-centered learning environment that fosters early literacy, a sense of community, and diversity for children ages 2 – 5 years.

Campus Kids Connection – Santa Cruz Gardens Children’s Center lic #444408785 8005 Winkle ave., santa cruz 831.475.6587 www.campuskidsconnection.com We offer a child-centered learning environment that fosters early literacy, a sense of community, and diversity for children ages 2 – 5 years.

Campus Kids Connection, Inc. lic #444414596 infant & toddler center 305 alturas Way, soquel 831.471.8392 www.campuskidsconnection.com in this program, you can expect your child to have a great time in a fun, nurturing infant/toddler environment. as

a parent, you can expect the safety that comes from a fully licensed program.

We offer childcare to children ages 3 months through 30 months.

Campus Kids Connection – Opal Cliffs Children’s Center lic #444412727 4510 Jade street, capitola 831.475.5188 www.campuskidsconnection.com We offer a child-centered learning environment that fosters early literacy, a sense of community, and diversity for children ages 2 – 5 years.

Coastal Community Preschool lic #444408854 900 High street, santa cruz 831.462.5437 coastalcommunitypreschool.org CCP serves children ages 2 1⁄2 through 5 years with a safe, stimulating, and caring learning atmosphere. We have a curriculum that encourages development at each child’s own pace. among our program highlights, we offer flexible year-round schedules, a highly experienced teaching staff, and a bright, secure West side location overlooking the Monterey Bay. Join us as we continue working with parents and caregivers to raise a community of

strong, confident and happy children.

Gateway School K-8 Where Experience and Innovation Meet santa cruz, ca 831.423.0341 x302 www.gatewaysc.org gateway school offers a dynamic and intellectually challenging educational experience rooted in progressive philosophy and informed by research. the school’s mission is to inspire children to lead lives of purpose and compassion through scholarship and citizenship. at gateway you will find active and engaging classrooms and outdoor spaces. gateway school’s program is designed to inspire students to love learning, work hard, and value intrinsic understanding over external rewards. teachers empower students to confidently take action to bring their ideas into reality. students learn to act with grace and courtesy, to stand up for those who need help, and to be unafraid to examine the status quo through appropriate intellectual and social risks. gateway has long been a leader in innovative learning techniques – it was among the first schools in santa Cruz to establish a Life Lab, the first to build a Maker’s space, and the first to institute a mindfulness program. in gateway’s support-

ive and innovative environment, students develop the characteristics and skills to be successful in the 21st century.

Good Shepherd Catholic School preschool - 8th grade 2727 mattison lane, santa cruz 831.476.4000 www.gsschool.org good shepherd Catholic school, located in central santa Cruz County, offers a fully accredited academic program for students in preschool through eighth grade. for over fifty years good shepherd Catholic school has welcomed children of all faiths. a highly qualified faculty and staff provide a well-rounded curriculum that is project-based and faith driven. the school’s focus on community service gives the students numerous opportunities to learn and practice Catholic social teachings firsthand. spanish, music (both vocal and instrumental), art, library science, and physical education classes are offered in preschool through eighth grade with technology integrated throughout the school day. Beginning in fourth grade, students participate in enriching overnight trips, school-wide leadership projects, and have the opportunity to be part of the school’s highly successful interscholastic sports program.

August 2018 • Growing Up In Santa Cruz 23

AFTEr SCHOOL ENriCHMENT & BACK TO SCHOOL GUiDE 2018 after school care is available until 6:00 p.m. Please call to schedule a tour.

Holy Cross School 150 emmet street, santa cruz 831.423.4447 www.holycsc.org holy Cross school celebrates more than 150 years of Catholic education. our WasC and WCea accredited program provides students with a challenging academic experience in a faith-based, respectful environment preschool through from 8th grade. highly qualified teachers ignite a love of learning in students through an academic program that includes math, science, language arts, social studies, P.e., spanish, music, Life Lab, competitive sports, and student leadership. service-Learning projects are an integral part of the students’ experience. for more information about holy Cross school, please call (831) 4234447 for a personal tour. Visitors are welcome!

Kirby School 425 Encinal St., Santa Cruz 831.423.0658 kirby.org Grades 6 through 12 kirby school empowers students to shape their futures with confidence. our independent, non-sectarian middle and high school has been preparing

24 Growing Up In Santa Cruz • August 2018

students for college and beyond for over 20 years. in classes averaging 12 students, teachers are responsive to each learner’s strengths and interests. our rigorous academic and arts curriculum, intensive study paths, and inspiring faculty challenge each student based on their interests and readiness, rather than grade level. kirby graduates go on to attend excellent four-year colleges and universities.

Ocean Alternative Education Center & Ocean Online 831.475.0767 http://oc-losd-ca.schoolloop.com ocean alternative, Live oak school district, supports your homeschooling adventure. four credentialed teachers are available to guide you to build an exciting education plan for your child. our weekly classes include literacy, math, science, and art. students learn to communicate and collaborate in a group-learning environment. Community events, field trips & more! ocean online is a non-classroom based independent study program. We offer a wide range of services including: quality, adaptable online curriculum, weekly teacher consultation and instruction, assessment and feedback, social networks of homeschooling families, resources, and a Chromebook to loan.

Orchard School K-6 2288 trout Gulch road, aptos 831.688.1074 www.orchardschoolaptos.org orchard school, established over 30 years ago, provides a unique, yet comprehensive k-6 education. at orchard, we weave together the magic of an extraordinary faculty, a 14-acre campus and a down to earth philosophy that nourishes and honors the natural growth and development of children. small class sizes, an organic garden and an animal farm create enriching “whole child” learning experiences that are hands-on and individualized. We provide strong Core academics, excellent science Curriculum, art, Music, Physical theater/Circus arts, electives, Ceramics, archery, swimming, Leadership, field trips, drama Productions, and more.

Pioneer Academy 181 laguna corralitos, corralitos located directly across from the 5-mile house on Freedom Boulevard 831.761.5927 www.pioneer-academy.org Pioneer academy provides young people with a challenging, creative, and caring academic environment that values social, emotional, intellectual, physical and artistic exploration. We believe young people learn best when they are actively engaged in their education, re-

sponsible and aware of their personal growth, and comfortable with themselves, their teachers and peers. With this underlying belief, we are committed to employing a balanced curriculum delivered by engaging teachers in a natural setting. Classes are designed using an interdisciplinary approach through literature, history, mathematics, science, health and well-being, music, and art. see website for more information as well as open house times/dates.

Rocking Horse Ranch Preschool lic #444400117 4134 Fairway dr, soquel 831.462.2702 rocking horse ranch is a play-based preschool located on 3 beautiful acres in sunny soquel. We are open from 9-5:30 and offer morning, afternoon, and full day sessions. our outdoor space offers lots of room to explore, including our gardens and many different kinds of animals. Come visit us!

Rose Blossom Nursery School preschool, t-K, Kindergarten lic #444403616 6401 Freedom Blvd, aptos 831.662.8458 www.roseblossom.org register for fall 2018. Preschool, tk, & kinder for girls and boys starting at 2.5 years old. 9am-12pm. Before school care starts at 8am. after school

AFTEr SCHOOL ENriCHMENT & BACK TO SCHOOL GUiDE 2018 care until 2pm. strong focus on social and emotional development, creating peace, and community. an nVC-based community school for 18 years, we practice the Compassionate Communication process taught by dr. Marshall rosenberg. We offer play-based and emergent curriculum covering: alphabet/reading, writing, numbers/math, science, and social studies, integrated with creative drama, games, music, and art, and organized into monthly themes and musical performances. individualized instruction, age-appropriate activities, circle time, and free play. Beautiful, country setting in aptos. see website for intro video and facebook page for updates and activities. Contact sharon rose, director, for tour and registration info.

email: roseblossomschool@me.com Santa Cruz Montessori 6230 soquel dr, aptos 831.476.1646 www.scms.org santa Cruz Montessori is a nonprofit, independent school founded in 1964 serving children 18 months to 15 years. as a Montessori learning community, we inspire life-long learning and a peaceful world by nurturing the natural development of the whole child.

We offer a strong, well-rounded academic program including vibrant arts, spanish and theatre programs. sCM

encourages children’s contributions, curiosity, reflection, and industriousness while fostering self-respect and respect for others as part of the natural unfolding of the whole person. our goal is to create a climate where the culture of respect is present in all relationships with parents, teachers, students and administration.

Santa Cruz Parent Education Nursery School 411 roxas street, santa cruz 831.425.4495 www.scpens.org a Community treasure since 1975. santa Cruz Parent education nursery school (sCPens), is a parent participation preschool which serves children from 1 to 5 years of age. santa Cruz Pens is celebrating 42 years … sCPens provides affordable, highquality toddler and preschool programs. a parent education co-op preschool, sCPens offers an opportunity for parents to develop their parenting skills and meet other families in a supportive environment. Children and their parents participate in a developmental toddler or preschool program emphasizing children’s expression, ideas and creativity. the instructors provide training in child development and effective parenting techniques via seminars, observation and discussion. Positive guidance and problem-solving strategies are empha-

sized. sCPens is a part of Watsonville/aptos/santa Cruz adult schools and the Pajaro Valley Unified school district.

Santa Cruz Waldorf School, PreK-8 2190 empire Grade, santa cruz 831.425.0519 www.santacruzwaldorf.org info@santacruzwaldorf.org Waldorf education nourishes the whole human being in every phase of development. in Pre-k and kindergarten, children learn through supervised free play, protected from inappropriate intellectual demands. elementary school is filled with rich and deep study of the whole of human experience, engaging head, heart, and hands – math, science, and reading, fully integrated with artistic development and bodily engagement through crafts and movement. Waldorf graduates love to learn and are prepared for whatever is to come next. they thrive on solving problems. Colleges and universities are now seeking them out for their promise, for the whole human beings that they are. Visit our campus, which borders UCsC and is touched by redwoods.

Soquel Parent Education Nursery School 397 Old san Jose road soquel 831.429.3464 www.soquelpens.org soquel Pens is celebrating 69 years. soquel Pens provides a high-quality preschool experience for children ages 2.5 to 5 while simultaneously providing parent education. Both children and parents are provided a rich learning environment to explore, question, gain information, observe, discuss, develop friendships and establish a place of acceptance within our community. Parents develop skills in supporting their child’s school success in the years ahead and gain invaluable skills in establishing life-long healthy family relationships. our school’s teaching philosophy is based in open, creative, child-driven exploration of curriculum materials in art, science, cooking, literacy, numbers, and physical skills balanced with structured participation in group and snack time. this is all guided by veteran teachers well trained in the arts of child development, communication and parenting skills, and human psychology. soquel Pens is a part of Watsonville/aptos/santa Cruz/adult school under the Pajaro Valley Unified school district.

August 2018 • Growing Up In Santa Cruz 25

AFTEr SCHOOL ENriCHMENT & BACK TO SCHOOL GUiDE 2018 Spring Hill School 250 california street, santa cruz 831.427.2641 springhillschool.org spring hill school, readers Choice/santa Cruz sentinel for Best Private school in santa Cruz County, offers Pre k through 6th grade individualized education by design. spring hill school delivers advanced learning and excellence in academics through inquiry based learning. educating with social emotional learning we support and inspire children. expert teachers provide exemplary personalized education in small class sizes within a nurturing, safe environment. Within this design thinking school and design lab, students create new inventions. students learn spanish, music, art, film, sports, dance, and drama. the garden extends life lab and nutrition. We invite you to call or email for a personal tour.

Tara Redwood School elementary campus: 4746 soquel drive, soquel 831.475.0201 preschool campus: 5810 prescott road, soquel 831.462.9632 www.tararedwoodschool.org tara redwood school’s curriculum nurtures the innate positive qualities within each child while providing a strong inquiry based approach to learn-

ing about oneself and our world. our program is an integration of the Creating Compassionate Cultures pedagogy and the Montessori Methods. researched as the most important skills for today’s world, our global curriculum employs and strengthens the 5 C’s: critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication, and compassion. our program is rich with strong academics, social-emotional focused mindfulness, music, spanish, technology, science, life lab and an organic farm. all our classes enjoy long outdoor play and exploration on our 108-acre campus in the redwoods. Classes are small with a low teacher-student ratio for Preschool: 24.5 years old and elementary tk-5th.

Westside Parent Education Nursery School 1231 Bay st. santa cruz 831.429.3995 www.wpens.org Westside Pens is celebrating 47 years. WPens is located on the Westside on the Bay View elementary campus. Preschoolers and their parents play, learn and grow together. this comprehensive preschool program brings out children’s ideas and creativity. adults develop their parenting skills and build friendships with other families. thrive in a supportive environment at this much-loved parent co-op, a part of the santa Cruz community since 1970. its

award-winning teachers inspire a passion for learning. Westside Parent education nursery school was the 2016 santa Cruz sentinel’s readers’ Choice for Best Preschool! WPens is a part of Watsonville/aptos/santa Cruz/adult school under the Pajaro Valley Unified school district. enrichment, support & resources Adventure Sports Unlimited 303 potrero st., #15, santa cruz 831.458.3648 www.asudoit.com adventure sports Unlimited (asU) is the premier store for aquatics instruction in santa Cruz. We teach infants through adults the joy of water through our swim school. our ocean programs introduce families to our magnificent marine environments through the seafood foraging, kelp Pickling, and skin diving classes. We explore the world-renowned underwater landscape of Monterey and Carmel Bays through our open Water scuba courses. it all starts in our custom-built aquatics facility with our tropically heated pool including Jacuzzi, and classroom. We want to make your entry into the water world truly enjoyable. asU-you deserve it!

Nannette Benedict DDS & Associates 5015 scotts Valley dr., scotts Valley 831.440.9214 scottsValleydentist.com We are really enjoying our new space, like Barbie it has everything! We have the latest high-tech instruments which i would love to show the teenagers, including Cad/CaM crowns with 3-d imagery. the youngsters can enjoy movies or cartoons on the iPad over the chair.

We can use invisalign to straighten teenagers teeth.to better accommodate families,we are open 5 days a week and 1 saturday a month. our associates include my son:devin Bernhardt dds, rajvir kaur dds and specialists are endodontist:Jim sanfilippo dds and periodontist:tim gifford dds.

Blue Apple Art House 245 sea ridge road suite a aptos 831-588-5412 www.blueappleart.com Blue apple art is an art house for kids (adults can be kids too!) starting at age 4 and up. We offer preschool and after school classes, weekend workshops, private lessons, birthday parties, and adult classes. Celebrating 14 years of making art in this community! Like us on facebook and follow us on instagram. Visit our website to learn about our upcoming fall schedule.

26 Growing Up In Santa Cruz • August 2018

The Bookakery www.BookakeryBoxes.com Check out our Bookakery Boxes, monthly subscription boxes filled with picture books, recipes, baking tools and other goodies, curated to foster a love of reading and baking in kids and encourages parent-child activities. Bookakery Boxes facilitate activity based learning of reading, following instructions, counting and more. Bookakery Boxes are perfect for preschoolers and early elementary age children as they head back to school and throughout the year.

Dancenter 810 Bay ave., capitola (831) 475-5032 www.dancenterinfo.com our school Year begins sept. 4th!

Classes for all ages and levels in predance, ballet, modern, contemporary, jazz, tap, hip hop and Latin. expert teachers and supportive atmosphere...Come join the fun!

Dientes Community Dental Care 1830 commercial Way, santa cruz (near toys r Us) 831.464.5409 1430 Freedom Blvd, suite c, Watsonville (near mi pueblo) 831.621.2560 www.dientes.org dientes Community dental Care is a full-service dental clinic with offices in santa Cruz and Watsonville. We practice whole family dentistry including kids, adults and seniors; but children hold a special place in our heart half of our patients are kids. in our santa Cruz clinic, we have a dedicated pediatric wing where dientes’ dentists excel at making parents and children comfortable and offering preventive education with each visit. as a nonprofit dental clinic, our focus is on high-quality, low-cost dental services, including exams, x-rays, fillings, sealants and root canals. We accept Medi-Cal and have affordable rates for uninsured patients. We offer bi-lingual services - se habla español!

First 5 Santa Cruz County 831.465.2217 http://triplep.first5scc.org first 5 santa Cruz County promotes the healthy development of children from birth through age 5. Parents and caregivers of newborns can contact first 5 to receive a free “kit for new Parents” with parenting videos, children’s books, information on caring for babies and local resources. first 5 also offers parenting support through the triple P Positive Parenting Program, a worldrenowned program that strengthens families by building positive relationships. to find triple P classes or quick tips, visit our website.

AFTEr SCHOOL ENriCHMENT & BACK TO SCHOOL GUiDE 2018 French Tutoring sophie Véniel 831.295.3556 Customized french tutoring specializing in middle and high school students. Learning french can be one of the most rewarding educational opportunities. as a french native, i am passionate about teaching and sharing my language skills. i offer simple steps to understand grammar, build vocabulary to gain confidence in speaking while learning at your own pace. i offer onsite and online lessons via skype.

Friends of Santa Cruz Park friends of santa Cruz state Parks (friends) is an entrepreneurial nonprofit sustaining the legacy of our state parks and beaches. through an innovative partnership with California state Parks, and by leveraging local community support, friends funds educational programs, visitor services and capital projects. funding comes from entrance fees paid by state Parks users at state parks and beaches in santa Cruz County and coastal san Mateo County.

Learn more at www.thatsmypark.org.

Head Heart Hands Healing 406 mission street, suite e santa sruz, ca 95060 831.345.3140 headhearthandshealing.com aurore sibley, Cst-t, M.s. ed, offers craniosacral therapy for infants, children and adults, as well as remedial educational assessment and support services from a Waldorf approach to learning. specializing in sensory motor health and development, it is her passion to bridge the therapeutic and educational arts. see headhearthamdshealing.com for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Jim Booth Swim School santa cruz at Harvey West pool Watsonville in shape 831.722.3500 jimboothswimschool.com Be a water wonder! from our Little otters swim class for parents and their babies to aquaphobics, our adult beginner class, the whole family splashes together at Jim Booth swim school.

Little otters beginning at age 4 months is a gentle introduction to our 94-degree pools that will make you confident that you are guiding your infant to a happy water experience. our group lessons emphasize quality swimming in an exciting class taught by our caring, wellqualified teachers. the whole family can swim at Jim Booth swim school!

JuneBug’s Gym 3910 portola drive ste 2 & 3, santa cruz 831.464.2847 www.junebugsgym.com JuneBug’s gym is a place where your child from ages crawling-8 years of age

can experience a fun filled adventure in movement and gymnastics. Leading research teaches us that brain development occurs through a child’s movement and motor development and directly enhances reading, writing and math skills. our classes are designed to give your child a wide range of fun, creative and challenging movement activities in every class. Besides classes, we also have open gyms, birthday parties, and Parents night out! Come join the fun!

Music Together & Canta y Baila Conmigo w/MusicalMe, Inc. locations throughout santa cruz and santa clara county 831.438.3514 www.musicalme.com now offering two excellent early Childhood Music Programs: the awardwinning Music together® early Childhood Music & Movement program and Canta y Baila Conmigo®, our new spanish language & music immersion program. We’re doing our part to make the world a better place by making it more musical for everyone, especially infants, toddlers, preschoolers – including children with disabilities. our curriculum fosters the integration of music into everyday life regardless of adults’ music ability. our programs enhance children’s learning in multiple domains, increases family engagement and adds richly to each family’s “toolbox”. siblings are welcome, especially infants who may attend free if they are 8 months or under. Call now to attend one of our classes for free.

pline, and determination, all life skills which will be extremely useful for your children as they grow into healthy adults. Please visit our website for class schedules and yearly calendar.

Santa Cruz Public Libraries 224 church st., santa cruz, ca 95060 831-427-7713 https://www.santacruzpl.org the santa Cruz Public Libraries deliver information, education, enrichment and inspiration through a network of neighborhood library branches, a web-based digital library, a Bookmobile, and community-based programs. We improve reading readiness with early literacy classes, family crafts, and read-to-Me kits; we support students with reading comprehension and homework tutoring, online resources for homework help, and project-based steaM learning programs.

We support the learning needs of all ages with internet access, computers, printing, Wifi, and high tech tools like 3d printers and virtual reality. Your library is a fun and safe place to gather after school, have some fun, and learn.

SantaCruzSoccerCamp.com 831.246.1517 santa Cruz soccer Camp has witnessed over 30 years of making a sport fun, entertaining, and empowering for

boys and girls ages-5-15. at this camp they are taught by skillful educators, who have graduated Leadership development ages 13-15 and have participated as young campers immersed in the philosophy of Making soccer fun.

Seahorse Swim School seascape sports club (aptos) neW! private Home pool (aptos) santa cruz elks lodge (summer) 831.476.7946 (swim) www.seahorseswimschool.com swim Lessons: group, private, semipvt, custom classes & a non-competitive swimteam for youth & teens.

Parent-tot classes (6 months +) teach parents how to instruct babies safely. instructors are engaging, fun & interactive. the positive, specific feedback used in classes builds confidence while learning new life-long, life-saving skills.

GUiSC is not responsible for any errors or omissions, nor does inclusion in this listing constitute our endorsement of a program. Listings were written by each organization and GUiSC has not confirmed the accuracy of the information provided. Please call the individual program to confirm details.

Pajaro Valley Children’s Dental Group 230 Green Valley rd, Freedom 831.722.9202 www.dental4kids.com Parents, as you prepare for back to school, don’t forget about your child’s smile! our office works exclusively with infants, children, and teens to make a difference in their lives by creating healthy smiles. Call our office today to schedule your child’s exam and cleaning. We accept and bill most dental insurance plans and are preferred providers with many carriers, including delta dental.

Santa Cruz Gymnastics Center 2750 B soquel ave, santa cruz 831.462.0655 www.scgym.com santa Cruz gymnastics Center, inc. is the best gymnastics facility in the county. We live by our commitment to promote strong minds and bodies through the sport of gymnastics. our large established facility offers classes, camps, and special activities to children of all ages, all perfect opportunities to improve physical awareness in a fun and safe atmosphere. gymnastics not only increases strength, grace, and flexibility but also encourages hard work, disciAugust 2018 • Growing Up In Santa Cruz 27

College Before graduation CaBriLLo offErs LoCaL high sChooL sTuDEnTs an aLTErnaTivE

By Suki Wessling

Probably the most important thing happening to high school education these days is seldom acknowledged in the wider discussions of k-12 education: students are benefiting from an increasing number of alternatives to attending comprehensive high schools. some students are homeschooling. some students attend alternative schools. some students attend specialized magnet schools. and many of them have the option of attending college at the same time. “it’s a safe way for students to have the college experience,” explains Meghan Brightwater, outreach and recruitment Coordinator at Cabrillo. “they have access to all our resources and they’re getting support from their high schools, as well.” students in area high schools can take many courses at Cabrillo as dual enrollment students. as long as a course is not offered by their high school, and with the exception of some of the higher-level UC-transferable courses, students are taking—and excelling in— community college courses.

Charlotte McManus’s 14-year-old has been taking courses at Cabrillo as a

homeschooler. “i was worried because he was young, but so far, Cabrillo has been a positive experience,” she says. “he’s had great teachers who are focused on helping students learn.” homeschooled and schooled teens alike may have trouble accessing courses in their areas of passion and interest.

Charlotte McManus’s son has been pleased with what he’s found at Cabrillo. “there have been field trips and hands-on activities,” she says. “he’s taken two lab classes and his lecture classes had some small group work. he feels like he fits in and is more confident.”

Meghan Brightwater explains that high school students commonly come to Cabrillo for three reasons: they have exhausted the high school offerings in one area of study their high school doesn’t offer a specific type of course they are behind in credits or want to make up credits quickly “We work with the alternative schools in the county,” she points out. “for every one credit they get at Cabrillo, they get 3 ⅓ credits at their

high school.”

Cabrillo’s foreign language courses are especially popular, given that two semesters fulfills the two years of credits needed by high school students. advanced math students may find more math offerings at Cabrillo than at their high school. and students with interests in the arts will find more variety. “there are hundreds of classes at Cabrillo that students can take through the dual enrollment program—great hands-on, computer-based, and academic-themed courses.”

Cabrillo courses are especially popular with students taking alternative paths. “students gain maturity and confidence as they experience a college-level environment,” says Jasmin gerer, a teacher at alternative family education in santa Cruz. “high school students have benefited from the guidance they have gotten from their community college professors while also receiving more individual attention in smaller classes.” there can also be practical reasons for students to take college courses. “families can save on college tuition as students complete their degrees in three years instead of four—if the college they attend accepts the credits—and students can often enroll in advanced upper division courses when they transfer,” gerer explains.

What you should know there are a few things that prospective dual enrollment students should know about enrolling in Cabrillo courses. first of all, the process is not as quick as they might imagine. students need to register online then enroll in person with a signed dual enrollment form from their high school counselor. they may need to take placement tests. second, although meeting with a Cabrillo counselor is not required, it is strongly recommended so students can make the best decisions about their education. third, dual enrollment students have low registration priority, so it might be difficult to get into popular courses. students should check with their counselor about the steps necessary to get into priority enrollment. finally, college courses taken during high school may or may not count for college credit at a four-year institution. students should look carefully at potential four-year universities to understand their policies.

You can also listen to past students for advice. Jay friedland’s son started taking classes in 10th grade and found that looking at the course catalog was just the start. “the key to his success (beyond hard

28 Growing Up In Santa Cruz • August 2018

work) was finding professors compatible with his learning style,” friedland says. “research using rate my Professors is a great start along with asking other students who had those professors. the other very helpful thing he learned was to talk to the accessibility office about accommodations and wellmatched professors. the Cabrillo accessibility support Center is a great resource for students.”

Access to college is growing there are currently two charter high schools on the Cabrillo campus that integrate Cabrillo courses into their curriculum, delta and oasis. other schools in the county strongly encourage or even require Cabrillo courses.

“We require concurrent enrollment as a graduation requirement because there are a great deal of unanticipated challenges when a student goes to college for the first time: transportation, placement tests, registering for classes, LMs interface, initiating conversations with teachers, dealing with the registrar and ordering transcripts,” explains Jay dunlap, executive director of explore MCP, a small private school in scotts Valley that serves students with special learning needs.

“When in high school you have a better support network, lower stakes for mistakes and the opportunity to develop tools and routines to address those challenges.”

Cabrillo’s services to high school students only stand to grow with the funding of a new, full-time staff position.

“We are making an additional commitment to our dual enrollment program as an area of growth overall,” explains Cabrillo’s director of Marketing, kristin fabos. “the core elements of Cabrillo’s focus are our basic skills, transfer, and career and technical education. having a robust dual enrollment program really benefits each of those three areas.” “i think it’s a wonderful way for students to accomplish their credits quickly, and get a jumpstart on college education as well as experiencing the culture of college.” for more information: access Cabrillo’s dual enrollment information at https://www.cabrillo.edu/services/outreach/hsstudents.html or call 831-479-5759.

Suki Wessling is a writer and teacher and the mother of two teens, both of whom have attended Cabrillo as high schoolers.

Her most recent book is homeschool with Confidence, a goal-setting guide for teens. Read more at www. SukiWessling.com.

hanDs on

ice watercolors

By Jennifer K. Mahal

sometimes the simplest of projects can teach a scientific principle in a fun way. ice Watercolors, for example, are an easy way to learn about matter and its states while making art. there are three basic states most matter can be seen in: liquid (like water), solid (like ice) and gas (like steam). there are a few other states, such as plasma (like lightning) and the lab-created Bose-einstein Condensate (a super-cold clump created out of certain elements), but they are unusual. a solid has a certain size and shape, like a block of wood or a plastic toy. a liquid has a size or volume, but it doesn’t have a shape. instead it takes the shape of whatever container it is in, filling that container from the bottom. a gas has no shape or size of its own. if you put a gas in a container, it will spread out to fill the entire container equally — like air fills a balloon. all matter can transform from one state to another through changes in temperature and/or pressure. the easiest one to observe for kids is water. in its normal state, water is a liquid. freeze it and it becomes ice, a solid.

Boil it and it becomes steam, a gas.

Which brings us to ice watercolors, a creative way to both paint and do a little science. if you’re using liquid watercolors, you can either dilute them with water or put them directly into the ice cube tray, one color per cube. if you’re using tube watercolors, like we did, you can squirt a little into each cube, add water and stir with a toothpick. if you’re using food coloring, fill your cubes with water, then add a few drops of food coloring to make it as intense a color as you like.

what you need: * liquid watercolors, tube watercolors or food coloring * Water * an ice cube tray * popsicle sticks, cut in half to make shorter sticks * a freezer

Place the ice cube tray in the freezer for 30 to 40 minutes. then place a popsicle stick in the middle of each cube. Put the tray back into the freezer until the cubes are frozen solid.

Pop out the frozen paints and use them to paint a picture. notice how the paints act more like crayons at first, when they are most solid. as they melt and become liquid, they become more like paint. When the ice watercolors become too wet, pop them back in the tray and place them in the freezer to make them solid again, changing the state of the matter! discover more science and art at the santa Cruz Children’s Museum of discovery in the Capitola Mall. Learn more at www.sccmod.org.

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Jennifer K Mahal is the Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery’s volunteer director of public relations and marketing. She lives in Santa Cruz with her husband and two children.

August 2018 • Growing Up In Santa Cruz 29

more info: Who-code bestforbabes.org/ what-is-the-who-code Breastfeeding support & resources birthnet.org WABA worldbreastfeedingweek.org nies.

WaBa’s theme this year is BREASTFEEDING: Foundation of Life, with the following objectives worldwide: INFORM - people about the links between good nutrition, food security, poverty reduction and breastfeeding.

ANCHOR - breastfeeding as the foundation of life.

ENGAGE - with individuals and organizations for greater impact.

GALVANISE- action to advance breastfeeding as a part of good nutrition, food security and poverty reduction

birthatters m

By Laura Maxson, LM

very august, the world turns its emoting attention to protecting and probreastfeeding. Breastfeeding is the great equalizer. every child, rich or poor, has access to essentially free, nutritious food that comes with unmatched immunity builders and specialized nutrients. in this modern age, the perfection and synergy of breastfeeding for mother and baby

30 Growing Up In Santa Cruz • August 2018

g edin e f t eas L Br t h a n o Mon nati remain vital. globally, the World alliance for Breastfeeding action (WaBa) spearheads World Breastfeeding Week, august 1 – 7, each year. this worldwide network of individuals and organizations is concerned with the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding worldwide. no matter if countries are large or small, impoverished or wealthy, all benefit from the promotion of breastfeeding and the implementation of marketing guidelines for infant formula compa-

Locally, the santa Cruz County Breastfeeding Coalition is joining WiC/Community Bridges in their 12th annual Breastfeeding Walk and health fair on friday, august 10th as part of national Breastfeeding Month celebrations. Watsonville’s Plaza Park will be filled with informational booths from a variety of community health service providers starting at 3pm. Packed with free activities including face painting, healthy snacks, free t-shirts, raffles prizes, a live dJ and more, the day promises to be filled with fun and information for the whole family. at 5pm join health professionals and families in a short, but lively walk though the downtown celebrating breastfeeding. santa Cruz County has worked hard to achieve the highest breastfeeding initiation rates in all of California. the american academy of Pediatrics and the World health organization both agree that best practice is for babies to be breastfed for a minimum of one year, with no other foods for about the first six months.

While breastfeeding for one year is the minimum recommendation, many babies nurse well into the second year and beyond as they continue to receive important benefits, nutrients and immunities. despite these recommendations, families who are exclusively breastfeeding at five months or still nursing at the one-year mark are in the minority. developing a thriving breastfeeding relationship can depend on

many factors and families can face many barriers, from physical issues in the baby or the mother to a simple lack of support. social media can be a goldmine of support for breastfeeding families; however, there are also campaigns disguised as helpful pages and posts whose intent is to undermine a parent’s confidence in breastfeeding. as underhanded and unlikely as this may seem, corporations who profit from selling breast milk substitutes are notorious for sales strategies that ignore marketing limits. the global marketing rules for formula manufacturers is called the WhoCode. “the primary purpose of the “Who-Code” is to protect mothers and babies from the highly effective, aggressive and predatory marketing of substitutes for breastfeeding (i.e. infant formula, bottles, artificial nipples) at the most vulnerable period of their lives, the birth of a new baby.” -Bettina forbes, CLC. not only does the U.s. not enforce the Who-Code, this year our country went beyond lobbying to put political pressure on smaller countries to drop introducing initiatives promoting breastfeeding in the World health assembly meeting in May. favoring profit over compliance with these guidelines leaves companies on an honor system that has never worked. Violations in advertising and marketing go unchecked on a daily basis in the United states. social media has complicated the issue with companies offering breastfeeding or infant nutrition support pages, posts and emails whose hidden agenda is to make breastfeeding seem complicated, dangerous or undesirable. doctors’ offices used to sell patient names and address to the formula companies. nowadays, it’s a parent’s online shopping habits that cues the mysterious “free” box of infant formula that arrives on the doorstep the month the a baby is due. these free gifts cost families and communities dearly when it comes to undermining breastfeeding. now that santa Cruz County’s local hospitals are all Baby-friendly, there are no longer free diaper bags filled formula samples. doctors, midwives and nurses actively promote and support breastfeeding, arguably, some better than others, but the tide has definitely turned from the old days when breastfeeding was actively discouraged. Which is a great reason to come join the fun and celebrations around breastfeeding this august.

Laura Maxson, LM, CPM, the mother of three grown children, has been working with pregnant and breastfeeding women for over 30 years. Currently she is the executive director of Birth Network of Santa Cruz County and has a homebirth midwifery practice.

Contact her at midwife@scshop.com or postmaster@birthnet.org

Back to school in uganda has a very Different meaning LoCaL voLunTEErs Bring gifTs anD suPPLiEs To afriCa

By Linda Kay

When UCsC’s head men’s basketball coach, ron duBois, picks up his sons from an afterschool program he sometimes asks his sons, “What do we say?” dominic, 4, and Louis , 6, reply, “entitled to nothing, grateful for everything.” i smile. What a great mantra to teach kids at an early age. here they are in a classroom surrounded with books, toys, games, and craft supplies. they have had a generous snack and have had the opportunity to play on a playground with grass and a play structure. “entitled to nothing, grateful for everything.” today they have heard their friends brag about their latest Pokémon cards or Beyblade acquired and have seen a robot dog that a classmate brought to share. it is not that ron doesn’t provide these kinds of things for his sons as well, but he wants to be sure that his sons keep the right perspective. “entitled to nothing, grateful for everything.” recently i had the opportunity to travel with a group to Uganda and met children in schools and churches who

Photo Credit: Operation Christmas Child this was one of the best-looking schools the group Operation christmas child visited in Uganda. many were far worse.

lived out the duBois mantra. their surroundings were quite different from those in santa Cruz. there were no toys and few, if any, books. the walls of their classrooms were a combination of corrugated metal, tarps, handmade bricks and cement. the floors were usually hard-packed red dirt, some-

times gravel and occasionally a cement slab. Chairs were usually long wooden benches but sometimes the plastic stackable chairs you sometimes see here at outdoor eating venues. these children had no thoughts of entitlement and yet they were so grateful for everything. so grateful. our group, operation Christmas Child, came to hand deliver gift-filled shoeboxes to these children. the boxes were filled with school supplies, personal hygiene items, accessories and toys packed by people in the U.s .to show the love of Jesus Christ in a tangible way. simple things that children here take for granted – pencils, toothbrushes, soap – were received with such joy. they would squeal with delight over headbands and sunglasses. items like Play doh, watercolor sets and colorful pipe cleaners, once explained, opened their minds to creativity. flattened soccer balls were quickly inflated with the accompanying ball pump and a spontaneous game of soccer took place. entitled to nothing, grateful for everything. one dad saw his son open a box that included tools – a hammer, tape measure and screwdriver. his eyes welled up. he said he had hoped his son would grow up to be an engineer and these tools would make help prepare him. a 14-year-old boy discovered a calculator in his box. he was delighted. i asked him, “do you like school?” “oh yes!” “What are your favorite subjects?” “Math and science.”

“What would you like to do once you finish school?”, “i would like to be a biologist.” entitled to nothing, grateful for everything. ann, a Ugandan national, traveled with us. Professionally she is a teacher of teachers. i asked about the school

system in Uganda. “is there public school? do all Ugandan children have the opportunity to go to school.”

“Public school is available to all children, but the children may arrive to find there is no teacher. the teachers are poorly paid, if paid at all. so, they may forego their teaching responsibilities if they have an opportunity elsewhere to provide for their families. if parents want their children to really be educated they must send them to a private school,” ann explained. “how much does private school cost?” “it varies. on an average, in american money, it would be equivalent to $100 per semester. We have three semesters per year. With that they may get a t-shirt or some sort of uniform, a meal and maybe some medical help,” ann answered. i had seen a lot of signs along the roads in kampala pointing to various schools. But as one moved away from the big city private schools were less likely to be found. i talked to sam, another Ugandan national who also was accompanying our group, about his education. sam said that he grew up outside the city area in a single-parent home. his mom was able to raise enough fruits and vegetables to feed them but there was no income. at a young age he would dig in other people’s gardens to earn money, so he could go to school. he would look for anything he could do to raise the funds he needed. he said that when he was old enough to go to college he was encouraged to borrow money but knew that no one would give him a loan because he had no way to prove that he would be able to pay it back. fortunately, someone saw his potential, and loaned him what was necessary. he worked several jobs while taking a full load and quickly made good on his loan. he recognizes he is one of the fortunate ones. entitled to nothing, grateful for everything. these Ugandan children have every reason to be downcast and live a life of hopelessness yet, this is not the case. they had learned that a grateful heart is a cheerful heart. entitled to nothing, grateful for everything.

More about Operation Christmas Child: From children to seniors, people pack shoebox gifts each year to bless children in need around the world. Parents often use the project to teach their kids about giving and to be aware of the the needs of children in other parts of the world. www.samaritanspurse.org/what-wedo/operation-christmas-child/ August 2018 • Growing Up In Santa Cruz 31

CounTY sCooP

how County services are funded so that’s Where MY tax MoneY goes...

By Zach Friend, County Supervisor

the Board of supervisors recently approved a $777 million budget. With a budget of this size it’s common to be asked why additional funds aren’t readily available for local parks, children’s cultural programs or even children’s health and welfare programs. these are fair questions. one of the best ways to understand how the county budget is allocated is to understand how much of your local taxes go directly to the county, how the county allocates its current budget and how we can improve these elements to ensure children’s health and cultural programs, parks and more are expanded.

Where exactly do our revenues come from that make up the budget? nearly 55 percent of all county revenues come from the state and federal government; a much different funding structure than cities. these funds are generally pass-through funds to provide state and federally mandated services such as health care programs. some of this funding does go toward children’s health programs and local discretionary funding, meaning funding that the county can allocate without strings attached, has been used to leverage even more state and federal funds for children’s health programs. for example, recently the county has been working with dientes to significantly increase dental access for low-income children and their families through grant funding and health center partnerships. the county also created the thrive by three program which creates a funding stream for early childhood development services. the program invests in care for prenatal to 3-year-

olds, which is the most rapid and critical period of brain development. approximately 22 percent of the county revenue comes from local taxes. and while property taxes make up about half of that 22 percent, you may be surprised to learn how little of your property tax dollar actually goes to the county. for every dollar the county collects in property taxes, santa Cruz County is only allowed to keep about 13 cents. so where does the rest of your property tax go? the largest share, about 57 percent, goes to schools while another 17 percent goes to local special districts, cities and the libraries.

What about sales tax? about 1 percent of local sales tax collected stays within the jurisdiction where it was spent. for example, assuming an 8.25 percent county sales tax here is the breakdown: 5.25 percent goes to the state; 1.25 percent goes to local libraries, the Metro (bus) and regional transportation projects; 0.5 percent is for Prop 172 local public safety mandates, 0.5 percent is for local health and social services which leaves 1 percent to pay for general purposes in the jurisdiction in which the tax was collected.

How are our taxes spent?

Last year about 33 percent was spent on health and sanitation services with another 26 percent on human services. Most of these human, health and sanitation expenditures are state and federal government mandates – most recently there are requirements associated with the affordable Care act. the largest portion of the county’s discretionary spending is for

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public protection (sheriff’s dept., Probation, County fire), which is 30 percent. a smaller percentage is allocated to Parks and Cultural services.

While Parks has seen significant investments in the last few years, with the addition of some new staff, the opening of new parks in aptos and soquel and improvements to a number of parks, it’s clear that more needs to be done. funding for Leo’s haven, the first all-inclusive playground in the county, is almost complete - but still needs a strong county contribution. a new pump track is slated for construction at Pinto Lake County Park, but many parks need upgrades to playground equipment or the installation of bathrooms. Children’s cultural programming, while increasing since the end of the great recession, is still below what used to be offered.

While the county has been fiscally responsible––over the last few years the county has tripled our reserves to protect against the inevitable economic downturns and reduce borrowing costs and this budget didn’t have cuts as budgets in many other counties throughout the state have–– we recognize that additional contributions to children’s programs and facilities are important. this will mean working toward increasing local funding opportunities, leveraging additional state funding and developing more public/private partnerships.

The county budget can often be complex and I hope this provides you with a helpful overview. However, if you have any questions, I’d love hear from you. Please feel free to call at 454-2200.

secrets of a Driving instructor a LEsson in TEaChing from a Pro

By Ann Carin Niland

getting a drivers license is one of the biggest, and sometimes the most casually acquired, responsibilities that a young adult in santa Cruz can take on. as a parent/guardian, the feelings you experience when your child becomes a student driver can be similar to when they were born. it’s exciting, terrifying and stressful. there is a new financial responsibility, and it is life altering. i’ve been a driving instructor for two years. it’s a funny job, and i like it very much. When you find yourselves teaching your student driver something complex and dangerous, but at the same time has become second nature to you, parents need all the help they can get. the view from the passenger seat can leave you shaken, but if you and your student driver prepare, it can be fun!

Being a safe driver is like a philosophy for life. We get into the driver’s seat and head towards our destination. sometime you have to look at what’s behind you in order to see the best way forward.

We try to be good communicators by indicating our direction, but sometimes we end up flipping the bird. We try to avoid dangerous collisions and fender-benders, but if they become inevitable we hope to survive them so we can learn and continue on our way. there are laws that we follow - and some that we don’t. Judging others for the laws they break can be a funny heckling pastime or a dangerous ragefilled habit. and i don’t know about you, but even if i’m doing everything right, i never find myself at ease while i’m being followed by a cop.

with student drivers. they need help sometimes.

Just remember that when you do grab the wheel be very slight about it. no wild swerving that could ruin your day. stay calm. You know your student driver better than most.

Be prepared for their typical reaction to embarrassment, then counter it as best you can. and be kind to yourself. When you’re done teaching, the lesson is over. this goes for your student driver too. if they start behaving similarly to when they were three and needed a nap, call it a day, and pick it back up tomorrow. driving involves independence, responsibility, and an unending onslaught of choices in an unpredictable environment. these are learned skills, and even the most confident student drivers need your full attention. these days, a new student driver is required to complete a 30-hour instruction course online before taking the dMV’s written test. the practical application of that knowledge can be mixed with apprehension and even fear. the calmer you are the easier it will be for your student driver to stay calm themselves. in 1990, California pulled the funding that paid for the driver’s training in public schools. for a while parents would pay the cost, but eventually schools began to drop the elective from the curriculum. the state still requires classroom-based driver’s education, but that law is largely ignored. this leaves students’ behind-the-wheel instruction to licensed driving schools. and thank goodness too, because

Most of us have been drivers and passengers for a long while. one thing we have been programed to do is let the driver drive–don’t grab the wheel for any reason. this is not the case

that’s where i come in. some parents decide to get their student driver into the driver’s seat before their first official lesson. if you’re wondering whether or not that is the

way to go with your student driver, you have to consider the situation. if it’s a public road, it’s not legal. student drivers are supposed to get their first go in the drivers seat with a licensed instructor. some of the potential penalties for driving before the first lesson are fines, court fees, as well as the payment of towing and impound fees. sometimes students drivers loose their permit until they are 18.

in whichever direction it is you intend on going. over the shoulder, glance over the shoulder in the direction you intend on going in order to make sure there are no cars, pedestrians, or cyclists in your blind spot. go, once your eyes are facing front you – well, you go! this is a tool that should be used every time you change lanes, enter the freeway, pull over to park, pull away

s.M.o.g. stands for signal, Mirror, over the shoulder, go. signal, use your blinker to communicate your intentions to other drivers, pedestrians, or cyclists.. Mirror, you check your rearview mirror first making sure of all the activity going on behind you and then you check your side view mirror

from a parking spot and every time you turn right.

You might be wondering why you should do it when you turn right, and that’s no surprise. in order to reduce the number of traffic incidences involving cyclists, California has recently adopted new

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safety requirements for drivers when they interact with the bike lane. When drivers cross it they have to do what they would for any other lane change.

When drivers turn right they are cutting across the bike lane, and the idea with this new law is that they change lanes into it so that cyclists have to slow down behind them - instead of being hit by the car.

it’s not always easy to know how to navigate this new stage in life. even if your student driver grew up in town, even if they’ve been a passenger on the journey to the store a hundred times, being in the drivers seat changes a student drivers perspective so drastically that sometimes knowledge takes a backseat. ask them if they would like a reminder when turns are coming up, and try to leave a little earlier than you need to incase they make a few wrong turns. street names, directions, red lights, green lights, yellow lights. here are a couple of questions to ask your student driver before they climb into the driver seat. these will

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help to remind them of things they probably already know, but might forget when the pressure is on. and even if they need to be reminded of the answers to some, it will help to assure you that they are ready to take the wheel.

Who has the right-of-way at a stop sign intersection? first, pedestrians. second, the person that comes to a

stop first. third, the person on the right. and if two drivers are traveling in opposite directions (and stop at the same time) the person going straight goes first.

What is the speed limit in a residential or business district? 25mph are you allowed to turn right on a red light? Yes, unless there is a sign telling you otherwise.

When should you stop for a yellow light? You should consider how fast you’re going. if you are far enough from the limit line to come to a safe, gentle stop then you should.

What’s the difference between, and how do we do, a protected-left and an unprotected-left? a protected left has

a dedicated green arrow light that indicates you have the right of way. if it’s just a green circle then you enter the intersection with your tires pointed straight, stop part way through the intersection to yield to cross traffic, and proceed through when there is a gap in the flow of traffic.

What do you do if you see something in the road? slow down, check over your shoulder, and safely go around it. never swerve!

What do you do every time you turn right, or cross the bike lane? at 200 feet before your turn you should s.M.o.g. signal, Mirror, over the shoulder, go. go meaning enter the bike lane to block potential cyclists from catching up to you when you slow for the turn, to prevent them from getting hit. entering the bike lane should be done at least a 100 feet before the turn, not at the last second. there might be more questions to ask them based on the kinds of road conditions you have around you. for instance they might need to know how to use a turn out lane, or what you’re

supposed to do for blind turns.

With that said, highway 17 is the most dangerous stretch of road around, and yet an alarming number of student drivers about to take their drive test have never driven it. With it in such close proximity to the lives we lead here in santa Cruz County the likelihood of your newly-licensed teen never driving highway 17 is pretty slim. even if you forbid it, the moment a teenager has her/his driver’s license they are legally allowed to drive it – alone.

Like i said, driving has become second nature to most of us. so much of it has become common sense. Before we were driving we didn’t have a mini computer to look down at, so we were looking out at what was going on around us a bit more often than the student drivers of today. know that they might have some weird questions, and you might not know the answers to some of them - just like in life: no mater how long we live we’ll never have all the answers.

amnesty hour

By Chris Jackson

as a parent, you’re like a spy. You need to gather intel on your kids. With good intel, you can make the right adjustments to keep them safe. the best way to get this intel is to get it right from them during what i call, “amnesty hour.” during amnesty hour, your kids can confess anything without fear of punishment. More importantly, they can tell you anything without fear of being lectured or seeing you disappointed in them. You see, one of the main reasons kids keep the truth from us is that they treasure our love and approval. they don’t want to lose it. they want to please us, and they want us to be pleased with them. i developed amnesty hour when my kids were preteens, but you can start amnesty hour with kids much younger than that. there is no age minimum. there is however, one important requirement of amnesty hour that must never be ignored: it must always be done with one child at a time (this frees up the child to share more freely). for this same reason, i prefer one parent with one child (i did it this way because i was a single parent). if yours is a two parent household, both parents must be mentally prepared to follow through with the conditions of amnesty hour: after a child shares, a parent will not punish, lecture or show disappointment. for your first amnesty hour, simply ask your kids to choose a time to meet with you that works for both you. give them a few days and times that stretch over a few weeks. You don’t need to mention the term amnesty hour or explain the plan for the hour yet. remind them when it gets close to the day. if they try to reschedule, allow it, and once again give them several choices of days and times.

When the time finally comes, it’s important for you to make sure there are no serious anxieties and problems that day that might present a need for the appointment to be rescheduled. Parents and kids should feel at ease for amnesty hour. once the hour starts, simply say to your child, “i’d like you to feel like you can tell me anything and be completely honest with me, so i’m giving you an amnesty hour today. during the next 60 minutes, anything you tell me will not result in you being punished. You won’t be yelled at, and i won’t be disappointed in you or give you lectures. anything you share will be kept between us. i’m going to go first.” at that point, you confess something you hid from your parents.

You explain why you hid the truth from your parents, and why you regret it now.

Most likely, your kids will not trust that you will follow through with not punishing them, not being disappointed in them, and not lecturing them, so they will say they have nothing to share or confess. in that case, tell your child you will share one more confession about something you hid from your parents. By

sharing your own confession, you model how to do it. it can be awkward and embarrassing, but when your child sees and hears you do it, she will be more likely to share with you. after your additional share, remind your child of the awesome opportunity she has, and that the deal is only good for 51 minutes more (or whatever time is left in the hour). tell your child that after the hour ends, anything you discover may come with a punishment. she will probably still not trust you to keep the amnesty hour terms, and she will most likely say she has nothing to share. that’s typical. at that point, just end the amnesty hour prematurely, and thank your child for listening and keeping her word about meeting with you. tell her you’ll check in with her in a few weeks to schedule another one (it could be a few months later).

Please note that after an amnesty hour, it’s important that you keep any plans with your child later that day. if you’re supposed to go to the movies, go out for ice cream, or go play tennis, do it, and do it without showing anger, moodiness or disappointment. for the next amnesty hour, it’s best to come with facts surrounding a lie told by the child. i knew my son lied about eating my leftovers (which were marked with my name), so i used that in my second amnesty hour with him. first, i shared with him my regret for the times i lied or kept something from my parents (his grandparents). then, i calmly gave him an example of something he could share with me during the hour: he could confess that he lied about eating my leftovers. if he declined to share, i would remind him that if i discovered he was the guilty party, the only way for him to avoid punishment¬–for example, temporarily losing privileges with electronics–would be to confess the truth before the end of the hour. When he continued to decline, i simply shared another of my confessions about something i hid from my parents (or from someone else). With one minute left in the hour, i asked if he wanted to try sharing something before time ran out. he quickly said, “it was me. i ate your leftovers and

lied about it. i was hungry.” i listened, stayed silent while nodding my head, thanked him, and declared that amnesty hour was over. i told him i’d keep my end of the agreement: there was no punishment or lecture. We went out to play basketball, and he never heard about it again. this laid the groundwork for his confessions during future amnesty hours because he knew he could trust me. as for my daughter, i once presented her with an opportunity to confess that she’d lied about brushing her teeth a few nights prior. i saw that her toothbrush was dry, so i knew she wasn’t telling the truth. another time, i presented her with the opportunity to share that she lied about spilling pasta sauce on the floor. it’s important to always start with small offenses that they know would result in small punishments if you, her parent, were to not keep your part of the amnesty hour terms. in your child’s mind, the first confession will be a risk, and she will only try it with the truth surrounding a small offense.

You may be thinking, “Why should my kids get no punishment? What good does any of this do?” remember, you are looking for serious, lifesaving intel. for example, one day (it could be years later), you may ask your teen to admit she snuck out at night and drove your car with friends partying in the backseat.

When your child confesses to something

like that, while you will not be punishing or lecturing, you’ll have an opportunity to make “adjustments” to your arrangement with your child. for example, the next time your child asks for the car keys, you hand her the keys to the two-seater, rather than the four-seat sedan, so she can’t have multiple friends in the car. additionally, you may start writing down mileage. during amnesty hours, i’ve learned the names of those who present a danger to my kids (though my kids didn’t see the danger). When you gain information like this, you can act on it in somewhat of a covert way (remember, you’re a spy). for example, if the danger is from one of the popular kids at school, introduce yourself to the kid, and start up some small talk. You can mention how you noticed he’s really good with a basketball. Mention who your son is, and that as you’re around most days to pick him up from school, you’d like it if the kid could show you some of those basketball tricks. this may surprise you, but troublemaker kids don’t want parents who want to be their friend hanging around. their way out? they stop hanging out with your kid. now you don’t have ask your kid to stop hanging out with the troublemaker (which won’t work anyway). i remember one particular amnesty hour where i learned the name of a troublemaker most of us would never suspect: a neighborhood parent who was supplying alcohol to kids, including my son. after i showed an unusual amount of interest in become this parent’s new buddy, my son stopped getting invited to his home. imagine that. amnesty hour makes it easy to be a “spy” parent. try it. You’ll gain invaluable intel about your child’s feelings, actions, friends, and unhealthy coping mechanisms. You be better able to help your child, and you’ll grow closer together.

Best of all, you need not have the spy skills of 007, just a free hour every few months.

Chris Jackson is the afternoon drive DJ at KFOX radio and is working on a book about raising your kids like rock stars.

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