Eastern Shore Parents Child Care Issue (February 2024) by KeepSharing

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D A P H N E • A T M O R E • B AY M I N E T T E • B R E W T O N Eastern Shore Parents I February 2024

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February2024 38

Volume 16 Number 10

Columns

4 Publisher’s Note Lynn Knighton

Creating Healthy Eaters 8 tips to turn your junk food junkies into healthy eating kids.

6 Meeting Kids Where They Are

Looking for Daycare?

Works of Wonder Therapy, LLC

Questions to ask and what to look for specifically before deciding.

11 Kids Health Watch

Sponsored by Magnolia Springs Pediatrics

36 Dinner’s Ready Gabriele Jones

Child Care Guide

Our detailed guide to Mobile daycares, preschools and MMO programs.

Get Kids Off the Couch

60 Tweens, Teens and Screens

Fun ideas to get them out of the house and moving any time of year.

Kristi Bush, LSW

Departments On The Cover Cooper M. Dorsett (3), son of Matthew and Morgan Dorsett. Grandparents are Trish and Wendell Mears, Charles Mathison, Brian and Vickie Dorsett, Marion Mathison, and Danny Reed. Cooper enjoys playing outside, fishing and playing with dinosaurs. He also loves school and all emergency and construction vehicles.

12 Teacher of the Month 14 School Bits 54 Family Calendar

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Publisher’sNote The Eastern Shore’s Foremost Parenting Source

We are starting the second month of 2024, and many of us are assessing our New Year’s resolutions. How are yours going? I will say I am making progress, but definitely not at perfection. Two of my resolutions are to read more and to exercise more consistently. I started working with a registered dietician in September and developed some healthy nutrition habits. I feel really good. However, I need to strengthen my exercise habits. So when my RD recommended the book Atomic Habits, reading and helping form an exercise routine seemed like a win/win. I thought if I could read the book on the treadmill, that would be multi-tasking at its best. Alas, that lasted only a few days. I finally realized that I am too social to work out alone. So, I have ditched solo fitness and joined some classes. Now I look forward to it and am having a lot of fun! Experts will tell you that when forming new habits, it is essential to evaluate and, if necessary, change your environment. That’s especially true when forming healthy food habits. When we aren’t prepared, and hunger sets in, grabbing whatever may be lingering in our pantry is easy, especially with “kid food” hanging around. How do we work around that? In this month’s feature Turn Your Junk Food Junkies into Healthy Eating Kids - 8 Tips Every Mom Should Know, Kara Ferraro addresses that very question. With this solution, everybody wins! This month, we also focus on our annual “Childcare/Preschool” issue. Each February, we gather information to help you in the decision-making process of choosing the right childcare/preschool for your family. Whether you are a new mom getting ready to go back to work or just deciding it is time for your child to experience a preschool setting, you will find some great points to consider in What To Look For When You’re Looking For A Daycare by Tanni Haas, Ph.D. Once you have finished reading the feature and have your checklist ready, you will want to flip over to the Childcare Directory. Here, you will find an extensive list of daycare centers, preschools, and mother’s morning out programs in the area. Do your research on the ones you are interested in, make a visit (or several), and ask questions. While you are visiting centers, make sure you listen to your gut, too. Just because a specific preschool/daycare is a good fit for your best friend does not necessarily mean it is the perfect fit for you. Every family has different needs and personalities, so make sure you find childcare that is an excellent fit for yours. Keeping with the theme of change and transitions, it won’t be long until we transition from winter’s cooler temps to the warmer days of spring. With this welcome change also comes our March SUMMER CAMP issue! So, if your business, organization, or school plans to host a summer camp this year, please let us know by February 9. The March issue will be full of fantastic camp opportunities, and you want to ensure yours is included! In the meantime, remember to check out the Family Calendar, where you will find plenty of fun family activities and Mardi Gras happenings to keep the good times rolling all month long!

Lynn

Publisher Lynn Knighton lynn@easternshoreparents.com Editor DeAnne Watson deanne@easternshoreparents.com Research Editor Lucy Green Contributing Writers

Kristi Bush, LSW Kara Ferraro Tanni Haas Rebecca Hastings Gabriele Jones Dave Ramsey Robert L. Rux, M.D. Works of Wonder Therapy, LLC

Cover Photography Jenn Glies Photography www.jenngliesphotography.com

President Jason Watson jason@easternshoreparents.com Advertising Opportunities Lynn Knighton ads@easternshoreparents.com (251) 929-2099 Ad Design Tim Welch Web Content Manager Scott Davis

Visit us online at www.easternshoreparents.com

lynn@easternshoreparents.com

Eastern Shore Parents I February 2024

Eastern Shore Parents Magazine, is founded on the principle that parenting is an exciting, diverse, challenging, and significant, role in our community. Eastern Shore Parents Magazine is a community advocate for families and the parenting process.

Eastern Shore Parents magazine is published monthly by KeepSharing, LLC. Mailing address: P.O. Box 374, Montrose, Alabama, 36559. The phone number for voice and fax is (251) 929-2099. Eastern Shore Parents is copyrighted 2024 by KeepSharing LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. Opinions expressed in Eastern Shore Parents magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the owners, nor do they constitute an endorsement of products and services herein.

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SUPPORTING BALDWIN COUNTY SCHOOLS

Fa 2024 L ir h o p e, A

March 16 • Fairhope, AL RRCA certified # AL22009JE

10K – 8 a.m.

$20 per adult early registration, thru March 1 $25 per adult after March 1

2-mile fun run/walk – 9:30 a.m.

$20 per adult early registration, thru March 1 $25 per adult after March 1

$18,488 ISSUED TO BALDWIN COUNTY SCHOOLS IN 2023 Register online at SpringFeverChase.com

FAIRHOPE EAST

CHRIST THE KING

FAIRHOPE MIDDLE

FAIRHOPE WEST

J. LARRY NEWTON

MORE THAN $91,000 DONATED TO LOCAL SCHOOLS SINCE 2012

by Works of Wonder Therapy www.worksofwondertherapy.com

Slow Down to Help Kids Build Empathy What is your primary goal for your child’s education? Is it getting good grades, collecting as many awards and scholarships as possible, or participating in as many sports and activities as possible? Leonard Sax MD, PhD is the author of School Choice: An Elon Musk School or a Mother Teresa School? According to Dr. Sax, the mindset of an Elon Musk school is achievement. Unfortunately, most of us have subscribed to the thought that this is the only type of education that encourages “success”. However, the downfall of this style of education is that it prioritizes self-enhancement and achievement. This focus on achievement is causing a deficit in empathy. Empathy is a crucial virtue. Empathy is critical for healthy relationships, cultivates understanding, and generates compassion.

Eastern Shore Parents I February 2024

Dr. Sax encourages parents to prioritize a Sister Teresa style of education, which teaches children to look outward by focusing on helping others, making the world a better place, learning about different cultures, and appreciating nature. The benefit of this education is self-transcendence, which leads to the development of empathy. As a parent, SLOWING DOWN is vital for giving your children a Sister Teresa style of education and developing the virtue of empathy. The need to SLOW DOWN is supported by the famous Good Samaritan Study. A group of Princeton Seminary students were asked to give a speech on The Good Samaritan, a Bible story about an abused man left to die on the side of the road. The victim was rescued by the good Samaritan but ignored by several ‘religious’ people. The students were individually sent to give their speech on The Good Samaritan.

One-third of the students were told that they were going to be early, one-third were told they were going to be on time, and onethird were told they were going to be late. While the students were on their way to give the speech, a stranger was staged to fall in front of them. Overall, only 40% of the students stopped to offer help. Of those who helped, 63% believed they were early, 45% believed they were on time, and 10% believed they were late. The bottom line is this: the students who had a little extra time to pay attention to the stranger were more likely to stop and help. We can talk to our children about the importance of helping others, we can make our children watch movies and read books about helping others, and we can even make our children write and give speeches about helping others, but if we do not leave time for our children to take the focus off themselves, we are not helping them develop empathy. Leave time in your child’s day for them to truly see the people, animals, plants, and beauty around them. Allow them to see how truly small they are in the grandness of the world. Let them wander off and pick flowers for your neighbor. Let them have an extended conversation with the other mother at the park. Give them time to draw a card to give their teacher. Do not keep them so busy focusing on success that they do not have the opportunity to build the virtue of empathy.

Dr. Beth Long received her education in Counseling Psychology from Chapman University. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Beth has worked in six unique clinical environments across the country and currently owns Works of Wonder Therapy in Montgomery. Beth utilizes the knowledge from a variety of different disciplines to give her patients the best care possible. To learn more visit www.worksofwondertherapy.com.

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Children’s of Alabama Dreaming of a Cure 19th Annual Golf Tournament

Children’s of Alabama celebrates their 19th annual Tee Off Fore A Cure on March 1 and 2, honoring Fairhope cancer survivors. This year’s fundraiser theme is “Dreaming Of A Cure” and will celebrate the fight against cancer with a golf tournament, food, art and entertainment for the whole family. The event is hosted at Lakewood Golf Club, located at 1 Grand Boulevard, and honors local cancer survivor Frances Grace Hirs. As a 24-year-old Fairhope girl who has battled cancer for most of her life, Hirs first fought cancer as a toddler, and at 9 years old had a relapse. In February 2013, she was diagnosed for the third time with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). At age 13, Hirs received the bone marrow transplant that saved her life. Now, Hirs works at the very clinic that discovered her cancer, Eastern Shore Children’s Clinic. Along with her parents and the Lakewood staff, Hirs has invested years into generating awareness and raising money to benefit children like her at the cancer clinic at Children’s of Alabama, the state’s only freestanding pediatric medical facility. Proceeds from Tee Off Fore A Cure benefit the Alabama Centers for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders (ACCCBD) at Children’s of Alabama. For more details or to register for the golf tournament contact Kerrie Benson, Children’s Gulf Coast coordinator, at 251-610-4969, or visit give.childrensal.org/teeoff.

Lisa and Matt McMann Author Event at Page and Palette

Page and Palette invites you to an event with middle grade authors Lisa and Matt McMann! On Thursday, February 22 at 5PM, this dynamic duo with sign and discuss their latest novels: Lisa’s Forgotten Five #4: Dangerous Allies and Monsterious #4: The Beast of Skull Rock! X-Men meets Spy Kids in Lisa’s The Forgotten Five, a fast-paced middle-grade fantasy/ adventure series filled with action and heart. Monsterious is a series of terrifying standalone tales that combine monsters + mysteries, perfect for reluctant readers and fans of Goosebumps. It’s going to be a dynamic, fun-filled event you won’t want to miss! Page and Palette is located at 32 S Section St, Fairhope, AL 36532.

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21st Annual Mystic Mutts of Revelry Parade

Baldwin Bone and Joint “Many More Miles” Shoe Drive

Local school-age kids, runners and exercise enthusiasts may have put a lot of miles on old running shoes and shoes for all purposes, but when they are donated to the “Many More Miles” campaign, those gently used shoes will come to life again as they land on the feet of someone who really needs them. Shoe donations for 2024 are being accepted through March 15. Baldwin Bone & Joint will award cash prizes to P.E. programs to the top three Baldwin County Public Schools who donate the most shoes. In addition, the class that brings in the most shoes overall will receive a Chick-fil-a party and the teacher will be awarded a cash prize provided by City Hope Church. Those interested in participating are encouraged to clean up those gently used athletic shoes and tie them together in pairs before dropping them off at any of the following locations: • Baldwin Bone and Joint (1505 Daphne Avenue, Daphne) • Baldwin Bone and Joint (1400 N McKenzie Street, Foley) • The University of South AL Student Recreation Center (Mobile) • McCoy Outdoor Company (3498 Springhill Ave, Mobile) • White Spunner Realty (3201 Dauphin St., Mobile) Organizations who will benefit from the collected shoes this year include: Fostering Together Gulf Coast, Waterfront Rescue Mission, McKemie Place, Salvation Army and more. Call 251.656.3843 or visit baldwinboneandjoint.com.

The 21st annual Mystic Mutts of Revelry parade benefiting The Haven for Animals, Fairhope’s No-Kill Animal Shelter, will be held on Saturday, February 3 starting at 3:00pm. The walking parade begins and ends at Fairhoper’s park, located on the corner of S. Church Street and Morphy Avenue in downtown Fairhope. This year’s theme is “Paws and Parrotheads - Pooches in Paradise”, a tribute to the late Jimmy Buffett. Both humans and their pets are encouraged to sport their Parrothead attire. For complete event details including the downtown parade route and pre-registration link, visit our Facebook page at https://www. facebook.com/mysticmuttsofrevelry. Comfort Colors t-shirts, as well as the inaugural collectible beads with the MMOR logo will also be available for purchase on the registration page and on parade day. Parade passes are $35 per human over age 12, $10 for 2 – 12 and free under 2. Same day registration will begin at 12:00 pm on parade day in Fairhoper’s Community Park. This year’s MMOR Presenting Sponsor is McSherry’s Irish Pub. Proceeds from the parade provide vet care, vaccinations, medicine, food and much more for homeless animals.

Miss Juneteenth America Scholarship Pageantry Program™

Baldwin County Chambers of Commerce will host the third annual Baldwin Connect College and Career Expo taking place on March 20th at the Baldwin County Coliseum. Hours are 8:00AM - 3PM and open to the public for any student or adult job seeker during. Baldwin County Chambers of Commerce have partnered with Baldwin County Public Schools to establish a joint college and career expo for 11th and 12th grade high school students as well as the public. The second annual county wide resume contest is open again for public high school seniors. Scholarship dollars will be awarded to the top resume from each school and then will be entered to win the top scholarship award. Deadline to submit a resume to student’s school is February 6, 2024. “This Resume Scholarship program will help our students be better prepared to meet the real world. This teaches them the proper way to complete a resume, how to list past job descriptions and set goals for future careers. Our hope is that the scholarship money will help further the winner’s education,” says Christina Hellmich, Director of Workforce for the Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce. If your business is interested in participating in the Baldwin Connect Career Expo, applications are available online at https://bit.ly/ BaldwinConnect2024.

Baldwin Connect College and Career Expo

Registration is now open for the 2024 Miss Juneteenth America Scholarship Pageantry Program™ through March 1st. This national program, presented by The Maynard 4 Foundation, is open to young ladies ages 13-18 from anywhere in the United States. This 4-day educational program is designed to build confidence and consists of workshops ranging from public speaking, college and career exploration, financial literacy and much more! The program will be hosted at The Battle House Renaissance Mobile Hotel & Spa located in beautiful Mobile! Qualifications, registration, and even sponsor information may be found at www.missjuneteenth.org. Limited scholarships available to cover registration $450 fee. Events open to the public include the Miss Juneteenth America Second Line on June 14, the Miss Juneteenth America Scholarship Pageant on June 15 and the Miss Juneteenth America Scholarship Brunch on June 16. Pictured: Karrington Bourgeois-Wilkins of Los Angeles, CA, 2023 Teen Miss Juneteenth America and Mariah Smith of Mobile, Alabama, 2023 Junior Miss Juneteenth America. Eastern Shore Parents I February 2024

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31st Annual Festival of Flowers

The award winning Festival of Flowers will celebrate its 31st year in downtown Mobile’s Cathedral Square, March 8-10, 2024, by proudly showcasing life-sized living sculptures created by regionally acclaimed florists, artists and garden designers. These artists will vie for bragging rights for the Festival of Flowers People’s Choice Award by highlighting the theme “Make Your Mark.” Visitors can view the elaborate plant creations in Cathedral Square and cast their vote via QR code or weblink. Donation required for entry. Special events include a Saturday morning Exotic Car Show, Buds and Brews, and self-guided tours of area gardens. On Sunday, visitors can bring a furry friend to enjoy the show during Welcome All Wags from 3-5 p.m. Join us to give back to our healthcare community and celebrate those that have made their mark in Mobile. Festival proceeds will be used to purchase advanced electrocardiogram (EKG) equipment for the USA HealthProvidence Cardiac Care Unit. Please visit https://www.usahealthsystem.com/ festival-of-flowers for more information.

Mobile Ballet Presents Sleeping Beauty and Sleeping Beauty Tea

Mobile Ballet is excited to present Sleeping Beauty along with Sleeping Beauty Tea and K-12 field trips to help celebrate to opening of this captivating show and engage the community. The opening event, Mobile Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty Tea, will be held Sunday, March 10, 2pm – 4pm at their NEW Eastern Shore location at 26150 Equity Drive, Daphne, AL. At this fantastical fairytale tea party, guests of all ages will enjoy delicious treats, a special performance by Sleeping Beauty cast members, story time, fun photo ops and activities, a raffle, and more! Tickets to the tea are available at www.mobileballet. org. The public is also invited to the new location’s ribbon cutting and Open House on Friday, February 23, from 3:30 – 6:00pm. Mobile Ballet will also offer a fully-staged performance of Sleeping Beauty for area K-12 students through our Discover Dance program on Friday, March 22, 9:30 a.m. at Mobile Civic Center Theater. Tickets are $5 for students and free for teachers. School groups may reserve seats at www.mobileballet.org, or call Mobile Ballet at 251-342-2241. The feature production, Sleeping Beauty, will be held March 23-24 at the Mobile Civic Center Theater, with performances on Saturday, March 23, at 7:00pm, and Sunday, March 24, at 2:00pm. Both performances will feature the Mobile Ballet Orchestra playing the iconic score live, led by conductor David Ott. Come experience classical ballet at its finest! Tickets are $22-$66 at www.mobileballet.org

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K Project Prom

Alexandra Kruse Earns Girl Scouts Gold Award

The Junior Auxiliary of the Eastern Shore invites everyone to come play dress up with us at Project Prom! Have a ball trying on dresses, shoes, purses and even accessories. The best part is, if you find something you love, you can take it home with you at no cost! Project Prom will be held 2-6pm on Friday, March 8 as well as 10am-2pm on Saturday, March 9 at Fairhope High School. This event is open to ALL local high schools! We will have thousands of dresses and accessories. All FREE! To check out some of the fun fashions check out their InstaProjectPromJAEasternShore. Do you have a dress, shoes, purses or other accessories you would like to donate to this fun event? Or maybe even have a service like up-dos, manicures, or pedicures? Donations can be dropped off at Thompson Animal Hospital off 181 in Fairhope, Mobile Bay Realty in downtown Fairhope, or Castle Technology Partners (off Pollard Road) in Daphne. Donations accepted through March 7. For more information on Junior Auxiliary of the Eastern Shore, visit https://jaeasternshore.org

Eastern Shore Parents I February 2024

Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama is proud to announce that Alexandra Kruse Earns Gold Award for Bringing Awareness to Recycling and Upcycling to Fairhope Community. The Girl Scout Gold Award is the pinnacle of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, and it’s available exclusively to Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors (9-12 grade). Through the Gold Award, girls engage in a rigorous leadership process, as they tackle issues they’re passionate about to create long-term, sustainable change. To earn the Gold Award, girls typically spend one to two years exploring the root cause of a local or global issue and partner with the community to create lasting solutions. For Alexandra’s project, she educated her community about the importance of recycling and upcycling through hosting informative presentations, creating an educational pamphlet and refurbishing an old piano and piano bench that would have gone to the landfill. Alexandra has been a Girl Scout since the sixth grade and has earned the Bronze and Silver Awards during her time as a Girl Scout. She plans to attend college in the Fall of 2024 to become a biomedical engineer.

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KidsHealthWatch

Sponsored by Magnolia Springs Pediatrics

Be Prepared for Flu Season Hey guys! Well, here we are in 2024, and while Covid is still here, we are now inundated with flu, RSV, and other viruses. Let’s review the flu vaccine and how it may affect your family this year! The flu shot is recommended for any child aged six months to 19 years and for any adult persons aged >19 years; women who will be pregnant during the influenza season; persons who have chronic pulmonary (including asthma), cardiovascular, renal, hepatic, hematological or metabolic disorders (including diabetes mellitus); persons who have immunosuppressant (caused by medications or by HIV); persons who have any neurological condition that can compromise respiratory function or the handling of respiratory secretions or that can increase the risk for aspiration; residents of nursing homes and other chronic-care facilities; healthcare personnel; household contacts and caregivers of children aged <5 years and adults aged >50 years, with particular emphasis

on vaccinating contacts of children aged <6 months; and, household contacts and caregivers of persons with medical conditions that put them at high risk for severe complications from influenza (cdc.gov). So, anybody over six months of age and anyone caring for a child, especially under six months old, should get the vaccine. What are your options? The flu shot is most common, approved for six months and above. Your best bet is to talk to your healthcare provider about the flu vaccine and what might be right for you. The last thing to discuss is why people elect not to get vaccinated. Of course, the choice is yours, but I encourage my parents to get vaccinated, especially if they have children under six months. While an adult might claim, “I never had the flu shot, and I’ve never had the flu!” anything is possible, and you might be putting your child at risk. The other question I hear frequently is about the flu vaccine not working. Each year, the flu vaccine comprises the flu strains predicted to be the most common culprits for the disease.

Unfortunately, since the vaccine cannot contain every possible strain, there have been years where the vaccine wasn’t as effective as in past years. Every year, a few patients receive the flu shot but still get the flu. But we have had many more people with the flu who did not have the vaccine! However, it was interesting that people who did receive the flu vaccine and still got the flu had significantly fewer symptoms and serious complications than those who did not receive the vaccine. And last but not least, you cannot get the flu from the flu shot! So, go to www.cdc.gov/flu and check out numerous links about flu symptoms, treatments, and medications. Never hesitate to talk to your local healthcare provider about this or any other topic.And remember to wash your hands.

Robert L. Rux, M.D. is a Board Certified Pediatrician at Magnolia Springs Pediatrics. Originally from Mobile, he attended medical school at The University of Alabama School of Medicine (UAB) and completed residency at The Children’s Hospital of Alabama (UAB).

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Leah McDonald Central Christian School

Sponsored by:

“Ever since I was a little girl I dreamed of being a teacher. I actually remember the moment when I was in second grade that I stopped and prayed,” said Leah McDonald, our Eastern Shore Parents Teacher of the Month. “My prayer was simply, ‘Dear God, when I grow up can I be a teacher and a mommy?’” Both prayers were answered for Leah and in exceedingly, abundant ways. She and her husband Mark have been married for 41 years and have two grown sons, one daughter-in-law and two grandsons. Leah has been teaching for a total of three decades! “Honestly, I am overwhelmed by this honor,” shared Leah when asked how she felt about receiving our Teacher of the Month award. “It’s hard to find the words to even express how I feel. I am new to this school and this area so I am humbled that the parents have nominated me for such an honor.” Leah and her husband moved here from California. Actually, they sold their home and left California a few years ago and took time to RV around the country. It was only a year ago they decided to settle into our community and she began teaching sixth grade at Central Christian School in Robertsdale. “We love to RV,” Leah exclaimed. “We have

Eastern Shore Parents I February 2024

traveled all over the country seeing numerous national parks, historical places and so much of the beauty God created.” Leah says it is difficult to describe her teaching style but it is probably ‘out of the box’ and a real mix of any type of teaching styles available. “I believe children learn best when they are enjoying the process and are actively engaged,” she said. “I use a lot of hands-on activities, games, brain breaks and small group collaborative work. I also use a lot of STEAM activities, Barney Bucks, class points, etc. to keep them motivated.” Beyond academics, Leah hopes to leave her students with a desire to develop a relationship with God. “My hope is that I teach them to love the Lord with all their hearts and to understand how much He adores them,” Leah shared. “I also want them to realize life is a journey and to find joy in every circumstance.”

Leah McDonald and her husband Mark have been married for over four decades and have traveled all over the country in their RV. They love to hike, kayak, play games and meet new people. They also enjoy watching their grandsons play baseball and football.

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Baldwin County Virtual School Scholars’ Bowl Team Starts Strong

Baldwin County Virtual School’s Middle School Scholars’ Bowl team opened the season with a pair of victories, defeating Summerdale and Foley. Members include Mason Ard (07), Bobby McDonald (07), Jacob Franklin (08) and Evan Gann (08). Go, Pelicans!

Daphne High School Wins at Baldwin County FCCLA Competition

Daphne High School competed in the Baldwin County FCCLA Competition and brought home 6 first place medals in Career Investigation, Food Innovation, Community Service Project Display, Repurpose Redesign, and Sports Nutrition. Also, Brendan Sternberg did an outstanding job in the Beef Cook Off for preparing Beef Wellington. Please congratulate these awesome students on their hard work as they now prepare for state in March!

Send School News and Photos to: lynn@easternshoreparents.com!

Bayside Teams Place First & Second in AISA District Math Competition

Bayside Academy’s middle school math team finished as champions and the high school math team finished runner-up at the Alabama Independent School Association (AISA) District Math Competition at Faith Academy yesterday. Each school in the competition is permitted a middle school and a high school team, with each team allowed five competing members and one alternate, and the top four scores are used to determine the winners. The high school team has a ciphering round where four members answer four questions each. Middle school mathletes were 8th graders Braxton Bender, Huan Chen, Joey Dorman, and John Stephen Klimjack and 7th graders Don Chen and Owen Swagart. Huan Chen was the highest individual scorer of the middle school competition. High school mathletes were seniors Michael Klimjack, Georgia McInnis, Jack Roussos, and Isabelle Rutland and junior Jared Dull. Michael Klimjack was the highest individual scorer of the high school competition. The entire middle school team and Michael Klimjack will represent Bayside Academy at the AISA State Math Competition in Montgomery on January 31. The team sponsor is Joe Swagart. Pictured: Front Row: Middle school math team members John Stephen Klimjack, Don Chen, Huan Chen, Owen Swagart, Joey Dorman, and Braxton Bender. Back Row: High school math team members Georgia McInnis, Michael Klimjack, Jack Roussos, Jared Dull, and Isabelle Rutland, along with sponsor Joe Swagart. Eastern Shore Parents I February 2024

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Ordo Amoris Classical Academy to Host Christian College Fair

Ordo Amoris Classical Academy invites you to their inaugural Christian College Fair, Thursday, February 22, 10:00 AM5:00 PM at Fairhope Civic Center (161 North Section Street, Fairhope). The Ordo Amoris Classical Academy team has meticulously vetted and curated a list of exceptional Christian colleges that are committed to providing a nurturing and academically enriching environment. This fair is a unique opportunity for you to explore a variety of institutions that share a common foundation in faith, values, and academic excellence. For more information call 251-223-3404 or visit OrdoAmorisClassical.com.

Stapleton Anticipates Brand New Outdoor Patio

While Stapleton School is disappointed that the reading deck overlooking their beautiful back campus grounds had to be torn down, the school is excited to see their new outdoor patio taking shape. Stapleton is so grateful to the district for its consistent commitment to meeting the capital needs of the school, and thankful for the stellar Construction and Development Department which oversees the vast construction and maintenance projects underway in our county. Stapleton can’t wait for our students to be able to enjoy this terrific new resource!

CTKCS Spelling Bee Winners

Assumption Hall was packed for the Christ The King Catholic School Spelling Bee. Our junior high students went head-to-head spelling many challenging words! Congratulations to our 1st place winner, sixth-grader Brendan Schott, and our 2nd place winner, eighth-grader Quentin, a job well done!

please join us for a

SleeFairytale ping BeauTea Tea Party

MARCH 23 & 24, 2024 WITH LIVE ORCHESTRA

sunday, march 10

•

2 - 4 pm

MOBILE BALLET EASTERN SHORE STUDIO new location!

Tea, treats, performance, storytime, photo ops, and more!

MOBILE CIVIC CENTER THEATER

w w w. mobileballet. org

www . mobileballet . org

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Daphne Middle Student is a Shining Star

North Baldwin Tech Holds Blood Drive

Another successful Blood Drive at North Baldwin Center for Technology with 16 units donated! Thank you to everyone that came to donate and thank you to LifeSouth for meeting the needs of our community!

Congratulations to Daphne Middle School’s Anna D Robinson who has been selected as a Baldwin EMC Shining Star Student. Anna demonstrates the Touchstone Energy© characteristics of Integrity, Innovation, Accountability, and Commitment to the Community. Congratulations Anna!

Fairhope Archery Team Hosts Fairhope Pirate Tournament

The Fairhope High School archery team hosted the Fairhope Pirate Tournament at Fairhope Middle School. Freshman, Nathan Wiggins, shot a 293 out of 300 and won 1st place in the high school boys’ category. Nathan is now tied for #1 high school boy in the state of Alabama!

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When people with extraordinary talent and passion are given the technology, the facilities, and the support, they achieve great things. The discoveries taking place today will help shape the future of treatments and lead to cures – benefitting not only our patients and families, but people across the country and around the world for years to come.

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St. Michael Catholic Mother Teresa Service Club Holds Book Drive

Bayshore Christian Spelling Bee Winner

The Mother Teresa Service Club at St. Michael held a Book Drive for USA Children’s and Women’s Hospital. The group was able to collect 261 books to donate to the hospital for their young patients. The books were donated in memory of Ann Briggs McCullough. Pictured from L-R, service club members Kendall Gorum, Townes Bowman and Haleigh Farrar.

Congratulations to all of the Bayshore Christian School Spelling Bee contestants for a job well done! First place winner of the 2024 BCS Spelling Bee was Connor Moore!

Silverhill Elementary Students Celebrate AR Goals

Silverhill Elementary School celebrated their students in grades 1-6 who met their AR Goals for the first semester! Students enjoyed a movie and popcorn, pizza, and popsicles! Way to go Silverhill Readers! A big thank you to the wonderful Silverhill Elementary PTA for sponsoring Silverhill’s AR program!

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St. Michael Catholic High Wrestling Team Competes in First Meet

The newly formed St. Michael Catholic High School wrestling team competed in their first team region meet on January 2, 2024! They were seeded last out of 8 teams, but the Cardinals battled all day and made a name for themselves, finishing 3rd overall! Pictured: Back Row, Left to right: Coach Adam Hicks, Sam Crosby, Cal Cella, Jesse Randolph, Toby Edmiston, Abe Faiupu, Coach Mac Hirsch MIddle Row L-R: Colin Thompson, Landon Bodean, Parker Baas Front Row, L-R: Eduardo Silva, Jimmy Roh, Chase Patterson, Christian Roach, Walker Box

Baldwin County High Improves State Report Card

The Baldwin County High School students gained 9 points on the State Report Card improving from a C to a B. They are ranked 4th out of the 8 local high schools. Baldwin County High School was recognized and congratulated by Superintendent Eddie Tyler and his Senior Staff for a job well done. Baldwin County High is very proud of their students and staff for all their hard work!

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Spanish Fort High DAR Good Citizen Award

Congratulations to Danielle Woods on being named Spanish Fort High School’s DAR Good Citizen. The faculty voted for Danielle because she possesses the qualities of dependability, service, leadership, and patriotism.

Bay Minette Middle Student is a Shining Star

Congratulations to Bay Minette Middle School’s NeKyiah Renea Steele-Ulmer who has been selected as a Baldwin EMC Shining Star Student. NeKyiah demonstrates the Touchstone Energy© characteristics of Integrity, Innovation, Accountability, and Commitment to the Community. Congratulations NeKyiah!

Robertsdale High Student Sets New School Record

Congrats to Robertsdale High School student Trevor Coon on setting the indoor school record in the 60m hurdles in Birmingham! Robertsdale High is proud of you Trevor and all of their athletes who competed! 19

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C G Foley Students Perform with Gulf Coast Saxophone Ensemble The Gulf Coast Chamber Ensemble concert took place at the University of South Alabama. It was an absolute pleasure to see Foley High School students and alumna Zion Shoots (Class of ‘23), Claudia Sebastian (Class of ‘24), and Thomas Valenzuela (Class of ‘26), perform as members of the Gulf Coast Saxophone Ensemble. You made the Foley High School Band proud!

Stapleton Students Recognized for Excellence

Being successful takes hard work, perseverance, and drive! These students in Mrs. Donald’s class at Stapleton School know that and that’s why they have been able to achieve such success. Mrs. Donald was so proud of the effort her students put in to achieve growth, that she wrote a positive office referral to recognize and thank them--”Congratulations to the following students for their exceptional gains on the STAR Reading and Math assessments. Reading: Ethan, Isaac, and Mabry Cate. Math: Lucy, Isaac, and Wyatt.” Terrific job students!

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Central Baldwin Middle Girls’ Presentation Wins

Central Baldwin Middle School FCCLA members Yeimi Contreras, Alice Tejada and Laci Sanderson brought home 1st place medals at the county FCCLA competition for presenting their Focus on their project “UNO, Dis, Tres: Read!” For their project, these students prepared a bilingual reading lesson for a group of elementary students at Elsanor Elementary. The project focused on encouraging students to grow academic language in both their first and second languages through reading. The students sewed each student a book pillow as a reading incentive and gave each student a donated bilingual book. Great job, girls! Congratulations!

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Bayshore Student Good Citizen Award

Congratulations to BCS senior Alexandra Brousseau for being awarded the Good Citizen Award by The Ecor Rouge chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The chapter selected awardees based on an essay they wrote on citizenship as well as teacher recommendations. 21

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Daphne Wrestling Teams are Champions!

The Daphne High School girls wrestling team remained undefeated on the season by defeating a talented Thompson team at the Southeastern Pools. The Daphne High School boys wrestling team finished 3rd. Way to go! Champions: 100 Alanah Girard 107 McKenzie Nugyen 114 Emily Smith 132 Kalyse Hill Second place 106 Micah Swiger 138 Toby Hymel 190 Colton Rainer 120 Jenna MacDonald 126 Ellawyn Laffery 138 Bella Harris 145 Kimber Alford 165 Taliah Wade Third Place Jacob Luna Addy Hollis Fourth Place Ethan Curry Jacob Sweet

Robertsdale High Receives New Microscopes

Out with the old- in with the new!! Thanks to community support through the 3 Mill Tax, Robertsdale High School students received a beautiful set of compound microscopes to replace the very outdated microscopes. Multiple science classes will benefit from this enhancement! Thank you community!

Congratulations to the Spanish Fort Middle School wrestlers who placed first in their weight classes: Ashton Hoy, Maxwell Wilson, Colin McFadden, Kian Beekman Other top four placers: Eli McCarty, Keaton Mcrkazo, Ethan Schwal, Austin Best, Caleb Lewis, Christian Howerin, Patrick Fowler Overall Spanish Fort Middle School finished second in the county overall in team points!

Beta Chi Sigma Greets Students at BMES

Students at Bay Minette Elementary were greeted by members of Beta Chi Sigma as they arrived at school this morning. The members helped welcome students back to school as they arrived in the car rider line. Beta Chi Sigma is an elite service organization that was established in 2019 on the Baldwin County High School campus by Kayland Lamar and Norleisha Lewis. The organization is built on the principles of C.L.A.S.S. (Character, Leadership, Attitude, Sisterhood, and Scholarship). The purpose of Beta Chi Sigma is to promote positive interaction between young ladies who exemplify excellence through leadership, social and cultural awareness, character development, sisterly relations, and academic success. News and photo courtesy Beta Chi Sigma. 22

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Nature Connect Scholarship Fund Provides Tuition Assistance to Families in Need

The H.G. Clay Foundation, a philanthropic organization committed to empowering communities and supporting educational initiatives, has made a generous large contribution to the Nature Connect Scholarship Fund. The Nature Connect Scholarship Fund, founded by Nature Connect School, is dedicated to providing tuition assistance to children and families in need, enabling them to participate in enriching educational programs that foster a deep connection with nature. Daniel Thompson, Executive Director of the H.G. Clay Foundation says, “Nature Connect is doing innovative work in education. Their desire to bring this proven work to ALL children (not just families that can afford it) made a great partnership with our foundation. They partner with organizations we also help fund so they are in alignment with our vision of ‘keeping our eyes on the margins.’” Nature Connect classes offer invaluable experiences that go beyond traditional classroom learning, offering students opportunities to explore and appreciate nature through hands-on activities and outdoor adventures. The H.G. Clay Foundation’s dedication to education and community empowerment has made them a valued partner in various charitable endeavors. Their commitment to supporting organizations like Nature Connect School demonstrates the foundation’s passion for making a positive difference in the lives of others. The Nature Connect Scholarship Fund offers various ways to make a donation. Learn more at www.natureconnectalabama.org/donate. Nature Connect also welcomes volunteers interested in contributing their time and skills to support their programs and initiatives. If you are interested in learning more about the programs and initiatives supported by the H.G. Clay Foundation, please visit their website www.hgclayfoundation.org

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Elsanor’s Global Traveling Mural

During National Picture Book Month in November, the Elsanor Elementary School sixth grade students created the Second Annual Elsanor Mural as part of the Global Traveling Mural Project. The Traveling Mural Project is an art project about connecting with other school communities around the world to create murals of peace, friendship, diversity, and love. Students from schools around the world create their own ten-foot mural to tell others about themselves and their community. Once completed, the original mural is cut up into one-foot pieces and sent to nine other schools around the world. Elsanor Elementary also receive nine mural pieces from those schools that they put together to create a Global Traveling Mural. Here are the students with their final creation (they designed and painted it) and then the Global mural after they received most of the pieces. Their mural incorporated so much about what makes the community and state great, including the works of two notable Alabama authors: Watt Key, author of Alabama Moon and Kathryn Tucker Windham, author of 13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey and many others too.

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Renaissance School Welcomes a Special Visitor

Renaissance School student’s love when Indie visits! Indie is a working therapy dog that brings joy wherever she goes.

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Central Christian Students Having Fun in Earth Science

Central Christian’s 8th grade Earth Science class learned about the strength of air pressure using two straws and a potato. When students held the air in, by covering the end of the straw, it made the straw stronger allowing it to puncture the potato without bending. Many of the open-ended straws bent when trying to puncture the potato. Science is so appealing!

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Hydroponic Gardening at Spanish Fort Elementary

Happy Friday from Spanish Fort Elementary School STEAM Lab! We are so excited to share our first flower bouquet from our hydroponic garden! Another tower is growing Salanova Red and Green Butter Lettuce and we were able to have another harvest! We are planting new seedlings and can’t wait to see what we grow!Thank you to the Gulf Coast RC&D Council for this amazing opportunity!

2024 Dogwood Trail Court

Thanks to the incredible support of the community, please congratulate the EIGHT members of the 2024 Dogwood Trail Court for the very first time in no particular order#7 Celia Cocke #9 Emory Mitchell #14 Mary Chapel Whitehead #16 Abigail Nance #22 Karlee Lambert #25 Madison London #29 Londyn Jane Norris #45 Ella Shedd 25

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Bayside Academy Named Chapter and District Winner of DAR Good Citizen Contest

Bayside Academy is proud to announce that senior Isabelle Rutland was named the chapter and district winner of the Good Citizen Program for the Ecor Rouge Chapter and Southern Alabama District of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). Isabelle will now compete at the state level. The DAR Good Citizen Program is a unique event as students are given a topic on the spot and are required to write a timed essay with no additional resources. All six high schools in our area (Bayshore Christian School, Bayside Academy, Daphne High School, Fairhope High School, St. Michael Catholic School, and Spanish Fort High School) choose one senior who best represents the quality of a good citizen to participate in the Good Citizen Program. Bayside seniors Michael Klimjack, Jack Roussos, and Isabelle Rutland were selected by Bayside’s faculty members as finalists for the school nomination. Then, the senior class voted for Isabelle as the school’s representative. She wrote a timed essay and submitted other requirements for the contest. Isabelle attended the Ecor Rouge DAR chapter’s luncheon on Thursday, January 11, where she was announced as the chapter and district winner. After being announced as the winner, she read her essay to the audience. Isabelle’s father, Arthur Rutland, and selected school representative Katie Ray were also guests in attendance at the program. Pictured: Bayside Academy senior Isabelle Rutland

Eastern Shore Parents I February 2024

Club Day at Foley Elementary School

The 6th grade Lego Club at Foley Elementary had a blast at Friday Club Day! Creative minds worked together to build 3-dimensional structures!

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Pine Grove Students Experience Fine Dining

Pine Grove Elementary School’s Project Success teachers hosted an Italian themed dining experience for their students! Students practiced restaurant etiquette and table manners.

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Baldwin County Fine Art Teachers Selected for Fine Arts Course of Study

Collaborative Art at Robertsdale Elementary

6th grade art classes at Robertsdale Elementary have begun work on a collaborative bear painting to be hung in the office! Each 6th grade art student will be making their marks until the painting is complete!

Congratulations to the three Baldwin County Fine Arts teachers who have been selected to be members of the Alabama State Department of Education Fine Arts Course of Study Committee and Task Force. Over the next calendar year, these teachers will meet regularly with other educators and stockholders from across the state to update the Fine Arts Course of Study. Teachers selected include Michael Roy at Foley High, Griffin Hood at Daphne High, and Thomas Turner at Summerdale Elementary.

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Elsanor Celebrates Quarter Achievements

Elsanor Elementary School students in Mrs. Mashburn’s class celebrated their victories for 2nd Quarter. Students were celebrated for the following achievements: reaching their AR Goal in Reading; STAR Reading Gains; STAR Math Gains. Congratulations to Harmony Finney for having the Highest STAR Math gains from Fall to Winter! Congratulations to Abby Newton for having the highest STAR Reading gains from Fall to Winter!

Central Christian Athlete Signs!

Natalie Gulledge was joined by Central Christian teammates as part of a signing ceremony on January 5th where she submitted her commitment to join Snead State Parsons. Gulledge helped the Saints earn their fourth panhandle Christian Conference championship this season.

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Forensics at Renaissance

Spanish Fort High’s ACT 30+ Members!

Renaissance School student’s study forensics and finger printing! Science is amazing with Mrs. Jenny!

Please join Spanish Fort High School in welcoming the new members to their ACT 30+ Club! Congrats, everyone! What an accomplishment! Peyton Cox Lauren Garner Sam Henderson Crista Hoffman Cooper Kelly Abbey Lowe Riley Osbourne Weston Payne Zahra Uddin Helena Wilson Cherry

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The Light of the City Offers Free Afterschool Tutoring in Bay Minette

The Light of the City offers a free afterschool tutoring program for students in first through eighth grades. The program meets 3 to 5 p.m. each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at the Douglasville School of Arts & Recreation. For more information about openings, contact Barry Hurst at 251-349-9585 or email b.hurst1964@att.net. DSAR is located at 1000 Shedrick Hardy Parkway. Light of the City also offers a free summer camp for area youth, providing daily recreational activities, meals and snacks for area children. To learn more about this program, follow Light of the City on Facebook: Light Of The City Eastern Shore Parents I February 2024

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Robertsdale Student Earns Seal of Biliteracy

Meet Stella Thompson from Robertsdale High School. She is the first native English speaker in the Baldwin County Public Schools system to qualify for the Seal of Biliteracy. Students must demonstrate abilities in two or more languages to receive this award. Stella studied Spanish I with Ms Pitts & Spanish II, III, and AP Spanish with Ms Brunny Campos Vega at Robertsdale High School. She is also a member of: NHS, NSHSS, Spanish NHS, H.o.P.e., Mu Alpha Theta, Peer Helpers, Prom Committee, Band Leadership, Varsity Scholars Bowl, & Student Government. Stella plans to attend the University of South Alabama where she will major in Nursing & minor in Spanish.

Fairhope West Artists Representing Baldwin County

Fairhope West Elementary Students Anne Chapel Duell and Judd Determann will have their art on display in Montgomery as part of the State Superintendent’s Art Show. They are two of the handful of students representing Baldwin County Public Schools. Fairhope West Elementary is so proud of their talented artists!

Bay Minette Middle Students Use STEM Skills in Class Project Bay Minette Middle School students in Dana Markulj’s STEM classes have been learning how to apply the product design process and improve a prototype after testing. The eighth graders had to create a Supreme Sanitation Station using index cards and tape which must hold a UV light. News and photo courtesy BMMS. 29

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Writer’s Week at Spanish Fort Middle

Writer’s Week at Spanish Fort Middle School began with a bang! Madison Collins, a former Spanish Fort Middle student, talked to the 7th grade students about her success in the fashion world. She has accomplished quite a lot since she left Spanish Fort Middle. Students were enthralled as she explained why she began writing and where it is taking her in life. She had some great advice for all the students about following their dreams.

St. Michael Catholic High Peer Helpers Spread Cheer

The St. Michael Catholic High School Peer Helpers spread some Christmas Cheer at the Brennity on December 9th. They sang carols and visited with the residents, who loved interacting with the exuberant students!

Baldwin County High Students in Tuba Christmas Concert

Three Baldwin County High School Band Members, Michael Blanton, Warren Chestang, and Jameson Peak, participated in the Annual Tuba Christmas Concert in Mobile. This year was the 50th anniversary of the Tuba Christmas event. They did a phenomenal job representing our band and school!

Daphne Elementary Hosts Honors Day Parade

Winter Wonderland Created in Science at Renaissance School

Daphne Elementary School celebrated our students in our Second Quarter Honors Day Parade! Congratulations to all the students!

Eastern Shore Parents I February 2024

Renaissance School science classes produced a Winter Wonderland using sodium polyacrylate. What an incredible world Science creates! 30

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Elberta Middle School FCCLA Success at FCCLA Competition

Congratulations to Elberta Middle School FCCLA on their success at the 2024 Baldwin County FCCLA Competition participants! First Place Chapter Service Project Display: Addison Cranford and Mackenzie Santose Second Place Event Management: McCoy Ezell, Brylee Householder, and Maggie Thorjusen First Place Food Innovations: Blakely Kichler First Place Hospitality, Tourism, and Recreation: Avie Busby and Ryleigh Fogos First Place Sports Nutrition: Emma Franks and Michlynne Shaver Special thank you to our volunteers Brelyn Bowman, GG Goxcon, and Taylor Yates. Next stop State Competition March!!!

CTKCS Cold Weather and Hot Chocolate Morning

Mrs. Manning’s 4th-grade class at Christ The King Catholic School was treated to homemade hot chocolate by Fr. Savoie, CTK Pastor, along with the help of Mrs. Garlock, CTKCS Principal. This treat was given as a thank you for helping Fr. Savoie teach a lesson during his homily. Two students from Mrs. Manning’s class modeled during the homily that even though they may be young and small, they are mighty, including their prayers. Hot chocolate and a breakfast treat of muffins and bananas was the perfect thank you on the chilly morning.

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Fairhope East Silly Sports

Daphne East Chooses Crown of Character Students

Mrs. Gersonde’s class at Fairhope East Elementary use cooperative learning and silly sports for team building!

Congratulations to the awesome Daphne East Elementary students who were chosen to receive the Crown of Character award for 1st and 2nd quarters by their homeroom teachers. We are proud of you!

Reading Buddies at St. James Episcopal

This semester, St. James kindergarten students begun reading with their 30 month “buddies” on Fridays. We love buddy reading days!

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Safe Social Network Speaker at Christ The King Catholic

Christ the King Catholic School acknowledges the importance of teaching lessons that go beyond the textbook. Students in grades five through eight, heard from speaker Mr. Ben Tracy, a speaker on digital citizenship, online safety, and responsible social media use. Mr. Tracy shared his story with our students along with challenging them to create a school culture filled with kindness and respect. The students were engaged and related to Mr. Tracy and all the topics he discussed.

Gulf Shores Middle Celebrates Nurse Jill Morgan

In the heart of Gulf Shores Middle School, there’s a sanctuary of healing and encouragement that transcends the traditional role of a school nurse’s office. Step inside, and you’ll find Nurse Jill Morgan, the embodiment of compassion, mentorship, and dedication. Her recent recognition as the School Staff of the Year is a testament to her unwavering commitment to the well-being and development of the students. With 26 years of nursing experience, including roles in ER/ICU, cardiac cath/special procedures lab, nursing homes, and 18 years specifically as a school nurse, Nurse Jill brings a wealth of knowledge to her position. Beyond administering basic health care, she has become an integral part of the school community, building incredible relationships with students that extend far beyond the confines of her office.

Despite her impressive achievements, Nurse Jill remains humble. She emphasizes that recognition was never her goal; rather, she strives to make a positive impact on her students’ lives every day. Her commitment to creating a judgment-free and encouraging space during the challenging middle school years is a testament to her belief that an educated person is a successful person. In Nurse Jill’s office, every student is encouraged to relax, be themselves, and find solace amid life’s challenges. As she rightfully points out, middle school may be tough, but with Nurse Jill, it becomes a place that is easy to talk to, easy to find encouragement, and easy to just be. 33

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Gulf Shores Middle School Honors Exceptional Teacher of the Year

In the heart of Gulf Shores Middle School, Mrs. Martha Morales stands as an exemplary educator, embodying the spirit of dedication, versatility, and a relentless commitment to her students. Awarded the prestigious title of Gulf Shores Middle School Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Morales’s journey from a math teacher to a Spanish teacher and her unwavering dedication to fostering environmental awareness and gardening initiatives have left an indelible mark on the school community. Born in Oviedo, Spain, Mrs. Morales embarked on her teaching journey at a remarkably young age. At 15, she taught English as a second language to 5 and 7-year-olds in a summer program at Palacio de La Ferrería in Asturias, Spain. Her passion for education only intensified as she worked in the Math Lab at her college, tutoring in mathematics and later serving as a Math TA at the ADVANCE summer program in Louisiana. After obtaining her Master’s degree in Mathematics, Mrs. Morales’ journey took a transformative turn when she decided to pursue a teaching degree and simultaneously taught High School Math and Spanish at LSMSA. Mrs. Morales is also known for her advocacy in environmental and gardening efforts across the school system. Her dedication to serving others and filling the needs of the community showcases her passion for continuous growth and excellence. In her own words, she expressed her admiration for her colleagues, stating, “My coworkers inspire me to think outside the box and embrace new challenges. Together, we create an environment that fosters continuous growth and excellence.” Mrs. Martha Morales’s journey from Spain to Gulf Shores, from math to Spanish, and from teaching to environmental advocacy, is an inspiring testament to the transformative power of education. As Gulf Shores Middle School Teacher of the Year, she stands as a beacon of excellence, leaving an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of her students and colleagues alike.

6th Grader David Green Wins Bayside Academy’s Spelling Bee

Renaissance Seniors Awarded In-Person Acceptance Letters

Fifteen spellers from Grades 4–8 competed in the Bayside Academy Spelling Bee on Tuesday, January 9. There were two sets of siblings competing in the tournament this year: Anne Riley and Mary Helen Williams (both 8th graders) and Griffin and Mary Kathryn Jacobs (4th and 6th graders, respectively). After 22 rounds, 6th grader David Green was declared the winner and 6th grader Mary Kathryn Jacobs named the runner-up, with 8th grader Natalie Johnson and 7th grader Abby DiMatteo tying for third place. It should be noted that 4th grader Sarah Kell competed deep into the tournament. The 2024 championship word was bunions. David will represent Bayside Academy in the Baldwin County Spelling Bee. The event will be held virtually on February 1. Bayside Academy Spelling Bee Participants 4th Grade: Nicholas Goleash, Griffin Jacobs, and Sarah Kell 5th Grade: Nizar Morrar, Jeremy Ou, and Fenn Schlesinger 6th Grade: David Green, Mary Kathryn Jacobs, and William Roberts 7th Grade: Abby DiMatteo, Annabel Kimbrell, and Bennett Lieb 8th Grade: Natalie Johnson, Anne Riley Williams, and Mary Helen Williams Pictured: Bayside Academy Spelling Bee winner David Green and runner-up Mary Kathryn Jacobs Eastern Shore Parents I February 2024

Renaissance School Senior, Micah Zeitlin is awarded an in person acceptance letter by prestigious Marion Military Institute. Congratulations Micah! Marion Military Institute acceptance rate is 45%. Also, Renaissance School Senior, Matthew Brightbill is awarded an in person acceptance letter from Beacon College in Leesburg, Florida. Beacon College’s acceptance rate is 40%. Congratulations, Mark! 34

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Fairhope High Choir Shares Music with University of Southern Mississippi

The choral students of Fairhope High School were treated to a concert by the Choral Department of the University of Southern Mississippi. In turn, the choral students from Fairhope High School sang a couple songs for the special guests from USM. What a great morning of beautiful music.

J. Larry Newton Student Artwork Advances to the Next Level

Three J. Larry Newton students’ artwork has been selected by the county to be submitted to the 2024 State Superintendent Art Show. Countywide (elementary, middle school and high school) only 24 students are selected, three of those will be from JLN. The artwork will be sent to Montgomery where it will be judged and possibly chosen to be placed in the state art show. A big CONGRATULATIONS to: Third grader: Evelyn Ralston Fourth grader: Tyler Adams Sixth grader: Ansley Lane

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Stephen and Alicia Searcy have loved raising their boys on the Eastern Shore. They are very active in the community. Stephen is the Vice President at First Horizon Bank, working in Mobile and Fairhope, and Alicia is a Luxury Travel Designer with The Travel Boutique. They both volunteer at their church, children’s school, and various other organizations. “Dinner as a family has always been something that centers our family. Even when the boys were babies, we’d sit around the dinner table together each night, as difficult as it may have been with food flying and tired toddlers,” shared Alicia. “Now, it can be challenging to sit down together consistently because of sports schedules. We try not to beat ourselves up about it, but we try to make it happen at least three times a week. There is just something about a home-cooked meal that makes you feel like all is right in the world, even if it’s not.” The Searcy boys are very close in age, which keeps the family in the throes of after-school activities. She is 11, loves baseball, and just recently started wrestling. Luke is ten, and while he loves baseball, his parents say he is also a budding musician. Stephen often has opportunities to help coach the boy’s activities, which he loves to do. “We love getting out and about as a family on the Eastern Shore, whether it’s watching the sunset at the Fairhope Yacht Club, hiking at Blakely State Park or the park preserve in Daphne, or just taking a golf cart ride around the neighborhood,” said Alicia. “We know these moments are fleeting, and we want to squeeze them in at every opportunity.” Eastern Shore Parents I February 2024

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Alicia says that the family tries to eat at home more often than not as it saves money and allows them to eat healthier. However, with two working parents and busy afterschool schedules, eating out becomes more frequent. “I am sharing ‘Change Your Life Chicken’ with Eastern Shore Parents because it’s a great recipe for any season and a wonderfully hearty root vegetable dish for this winter season. Plus, it’s easy… a one-pan dish,” says Alicia. “I was first introduced to this recipe by Laura Rowe, a friend and local photographer! I also want to give the author credit - Kendra, from The Lazy Genius Collective.”

Change Your Life Chicken Ingredients: • Chicken thighs with the bone and the skin • Two handfuls of vegetables per person You can use whatever you have. Options: onion, carrot, potato, green bean, asparagus, leek, sweet potato, and cauliflower. (Avoid mushrooms, zucchini, squash and broccoli with this method.) • Olive oil, salt, and pepper 36

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. 2. Line a baking sheet with heavy duty foil. Your pan needs to hold your vegetables comfortably - not too close together, not too far apart. Heavy duty is less likely to tear, i.e. to get dirty from chicken grease. Do not use glass. It will shatter. I’d recommend not using any kind of baking dish with high sides because you won’t get the same kind of crisp. 3. Cut your vegetables into large bite sized pieces and toss with olive oil, more salt than you think you need and black pepper. 4. Peel the skin back from the chicken and generously season with pepper and salt. The best order is to place the chicken skin side down on the vegetables, season, flip, pull back the skin, season and put the skin back.

5. Pat the chicken skin dry with a wad of paper towels. 6. Place the chicken skin side up directly on top of the vegetables. 7. Bake at 500 degrees for 50 minutes. Don’t worry if the chicken will be done; it will be.

Gabriele has been married to her husband Daniel for 17 years. Together they have three incredible children – two boys, ages 16 and nine, and a sweet girl who will be two in August. Gabriele is a full-time Sales Director for Mary Kay Cosmetics. When she isn’t spending time with family or building her business, she supports her husband who is the Lead Pastor and Planter of Forward Church in Gulf Shores.

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2) Keep fruits visible. A few months ago I purchased an assortment of apples, oranges, mangos and bananas. I had the kids peel off the stickers, and I washed the fruit and put it in a gigantic bowl on my counter. Now, whenever they are hungry I see them glimpse over at the bowl. Yes, Mom scores a point!

Finding healthy snacks for the kids can sometimes feel like a job within itself, especially if you have a picky eater. Some parents think that buying healthy snacks means spending more money. I know it is so easy to fall in to the trap of letting the kids just settle in with a yummy bag of Cheetos. They are healthy right? Each morsel contains some niacin, whatever that is. That’s what I used to tell myself when I was pregnant and had the munchies. Now, as a busy mom of two elementary school children who would be thrilled if they could snack on Cheetos and chips all day, I have taken it upon myself to try to instill some healthy eating habits. I’m not a health food nut by any means, it’s just that I’ve found if I take a few minutes to think about what I buy before I hit the grocery store I can save money and provide my kids with the healthy snacks they deserve. Okay, I admit it. Sometimes I have my own secret stash. You know, that hidden box in the pantry for the occasional moment when I need a little pick-me-up. But in all honesty, when it comes to your kids, who don’t control where you shop and what you buy, it is up to you to help them make healthy choices about what they eat. Remember that when you go shopping, you have control. Here are a few tips to help you save some money and turn your little junk food junkies into healthy snack eating kids.

3) Clean out the pantry. Before you run out and buy healthy snacks, take a look at what you have. You may have a few things in there that need immediate disposal...like last year’s Halloween candy. It’s also exciting to find something that the kids might enjoy that you forgot about. Last week when my son had a friend over, I took a few handfuls of peanuts and put them in a bowl on the table without saying a word. A few minutes later, they were sitting there cracking the shells having a grand ol’ time.

4) Don’t make it obvious. Buy veggies, fruits and other healthy snacks and serve them to your kids without ever asking them if they want to eat it. Unless you have a real picky eater on your hands, your kids will typically eat what you serve them if there aren’t a lot of unhealthy alternatives around. If I cut up cucumbers and put them on a plate with ranch dressing, my kids will just gravitate toward the plate and begin snacking away. I then look over and ask “Oh, do you want carrots too?” Mom scores again! 5) Try to find fun ways to serve the food. Some of the simplest things bring great pleasure to your kids, and they don’t cost much money. I am afraid we forget that all too often. I was reminded the other day when my son was digging in our pantry because he said he wanted to get some ants and raisins. I wasn’t sure what he was talking about until he told me about a snack his friend brought in for lunch. It was ants on a log: celery, peanut butter and raisins. My 5-year-old son was actually looking for the ingredients to make a healthy snack. One more point for Mom!

1) Don’t buy junk food! Yes, that may contradict what I said before about my secret stash, but if the kids don’t see the unhealthy snacks, they can’t eat them. I haven’t purchased Cheetos or potato chips in a few years, and no one here is asking for them. Really!

Spring is right around the corner. Keep your smile feeling as fresh as the ßowers! Call us to schedule your free consultation and ask about including a whitening treatment! 251.928.9292 www.stricklandorthodontics.com 39

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Vote for 1d Best o 0 yea f Dap rs in h a rowne !

REG www .Eas ISTE tern O ShoR reGy NLIN mna Eastern Shore E: s t i cs.co Gymnastics Academy, Inc m congratulates our 2023 Regional Qualifiers and Regional Champions

Kennedi Bragg Level 10

Rosie Roberds Kate Bengtson, Adalyn Spivey Level 6 State Team Reagan Rhodes Member Xcel Gold

Luci LeCroy Bryson Copeland Xcel Platinum Makaila Miller Regional Floor Silver Medalist Xcel Platinum

Emilee Jones Xcel Gold

Makaila Miller Xcel Platinum Regional beam Gold medalist

AC Carrigan Xcel Gold Regional Floor Gold Medalist

Eden Cryar Xcel Silver

Call (251) 447-0505 8566 Athlete Drive • Daphne, AL 36526 www.EasternShoreGymnastics.com Easternshoregym@yahoo.com

6) Take your kids grocery shopping with you. Yes, I know it can get crazy at times; however, by bringing the kids with you, you may actually save by buying them items they will eat. While you are there, take your kids into the produce section and let them help pick out the healthy fruits and vegetables that they will eat. Don’t hurry this up. Even if they are older, have them walk slowly down the store isles and talk about the yummy things they can make with you. You will also get to know them better if they talk about their likes and dislikes. Maybe they even have a suggestion for a meal they tried at a friend’s house that you can make together.

7) Cook with your kids. Yes, get them involved in everything you make as often as you can. My kids would jump out of the chair if I said, “Who wants to make a smoothie?” It’s not really about the good tasting smoothie; it’s about the pouring of the milk, the berries and ice and blending it all up. Sometimes we do simple things like put a banana on a stick and freeze it or make hot air popcorn and they love it. Not to mention that my kids’ friends think I am the coolest because they have never seen a hot air popcorn popper. 8) Let your kids get their own snacks. Yep, that’s right. Let them get into that pantry or refrigerator and go at it. Make sure snacks are on lower shelves for little ones. If you filled it with healthier options for your kids, why worry? I never heard anyone complain that their child ate too much granola, have you? And if they get to pick their own snack, they have learned how to make a choice on their own about the food they eat. Helping your kids make healthy eating choices isn’t as difficult or costly as it seems. Sometimes just taking time out to make it available for them is all that you need. Involve them as much as possible in the process, and pretty soon they will be making healthy choices on their own. ESP

Kara Ferraro is a publisher and freelance writer with two elementary aged children. She is always looking for clever, budget friendly activities to do with her family and ways to save money and make healthy choices.

Eastern Shore Parents I February 2024

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It’s a Credit Card Addiction Q. I think my mother-in-law has a serious credit card problem. She can’t afford stuff, but she shops anyway, chalks up more and more debt, acquires more credit cards, and thinks she’ll pay for it all later somehow. Her ex-husband has bailed her out a few times, but he’s unwilling to help anymore. My wife and I, and my wife’s sister, want to address this issue, but we’re all worried about her reaction, and we don’t know where to start. Do you have any advice?

A. First, everyone involved should understand they’re likely to receive an angry response from this lady if she’s confronted over her actions. Sometimes people get ticked off when they hear the truth, especially when it’s connected to their own misbehavior. It may even be a good idea for your wife and her sister to

Eastern Shore Parents I February 2024

get some advice from a family counselor beforehand. Really, what we’re talking about here is an intervention. Also, you need to stay out of the discussion. This is something for her daughters to handle. Support your wife and her sister through it all, but if you’re in there asking questions and probing around, you’re liable to come off as the evil son-in-law. And you folks don’t need to add any more problems to the mix. They need to sit down with her in a quiet setting, one where there are no interruptions, no television and no one else. Start with the fact that they love her and

care about her deeply. That’s very important in a situation like this. But they also have to walk through what’s really going on, and let her know they’re tired of watching her destroy herself, and her finances, with her irresponsible behavior. If she had a drinking problem, you’d want to try to make her see how alcohol was hurting her and the relationships she has with her family. In this case, she basically has a credit card addiction. And it’s wreaking havoc on her financial well-being and people who care about her. So, show as much love and understanding as possible. But someone needs to say something soon.

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There's a Story Here...

By Anderson McKean

Never After: The Missing Sword by Melissa De La Cruz

Return to the land of Never After, where real life and fairy tales collide! This is the fourth book in Melissa de la Cruz's middle grade fantasy saga, perfect for fans of The Land of Stories. As the League of Seven follows the yellow brick road to retrieve the enchanted sword, nothing will thwart the ogres and their mission to destroy Never After. In a land where nothing is as it seems, will Fil and the League of the Seven survive the witch's tests?

The Swifts by Beth Lioncoln

The Swifts is a captivating celebration of words and individuality, packed with games, wordplay, and lots of mischief! Middle graders will cheer for Shenanigan as she sets out to save her family and define herself. On the day they are born, every Swift child is brought before the sacred Family Dictionar. They are given a name and a definition it is assumed you will grow up to match. Our heroine, Shenanigan Swift, is a Little sister, a Risk-taker and a Mischief-maker!

Skandar and the Phantom Rider by A.F. Steadman

Skandar’s adventure among the warrior unicorns continues in this spectacular sequel to the Skandar and the Unicorn Thief. Skandar Smith has achieved his dream: to train as a unicorn rider. But as Skandar and his friends enter their second year, a new threat arises. Immortal wild unicorns are being killed and a prophecy warns of terrible danger. Can Skandar save the Island from destruction before it's too late?

Which Way to Anywhere by Cressida Crowell

From the beloved author of How to Train Your Dragon comes an out-of-thisworld adventure where magic and reality collide! K2 O’Hero is a seemingly ordinary boy—after all, he and his twin sister, Izzabird, have been sworn to keep their family's Magical history a secret. But K2 has a secret gift: He draws maps of worlds that are beyond the wildest imaginations. But what K2 doesn’t know is that the maps he draws are real!

Find these great books and more at your local bookstore Page & Palette | 32 S. Section St. Fairhope | (251) 928-5295 | www.pageandpalette.com 43

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When considering an appropriate day care for your kids, how do you choose among the various programs available? What are some important factors to consider? Drawing on the advice of reputable organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Association for the Education of Young Children, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’ve compiled a list of things to think about as you evaluate your options. It’s advisable to contact each day care director and ask for permission to see the actual spaces where your kids would spend their time before you make any decisions.

Look around and ask yourself the following questions: • Is the space clean and well-maintained? Is it decorated in happy, kid-friendly colors? Is the space kid-proof? Are electrical outlets covered? Are medicines and cleaning supplies kept out of the reach of kids? • If there’s an outside play area, is that area also clean and well-maintained? Is it enclosed and safe from traffic? • Is the space well-stocked with ageappropriate toys for different kinds of play? Is there a library with a broad selection of books for kids of different ages? Are there non-electronic games that stimulate kids’ cognitive learning like chess, checkers, puzzles and word games? • Are the restrooms clean and safe? It’s also advisable to ask each day care director, or alternatively the senior staff member in charge, the following questions during your site visit: • Is the program accredited and licensed by relevant state and federal authorities? What are the program hours? Can parents sign up for specific days of the week, or must they commit to the whole week? Is the program open only during the school year or also during holidays? • How much does the program cost? Is payment due in full up front or on a monthly basis? Will parents be charged a late fee if they’re late for pick-up? Are needs-based scholarships available? • Does the program have a specific child care philosophy? Does it follow a particular curriculum and pedagogy? Does it have a set schedule for each day that includes ageappropriate indoor and outdoor activities that encourage learning? Are there activities

that prepare kids for reading, writing, math, and science? • What is the age range of the kids, and how many kids are there in the different age groups? How does the staff ensure that the individual needs of each kid are met? • Does the program track kids’ developmental milestones, and does the schedule regular meetings with you to discuss your kids’ development? Are parents allowed or encouraged to stop by at any time? Does staff welcome parents’ ideas? • What is the staff-student ratio, and what kind of credentials does the staff have? Are they certified and licensed in early childhood education? Do they have experience assisting kids with special needs? Does the staff receive ongoing training in working with kids? • How are staff screened, and how long have they been working there? Are staff subject to state and federal background checks, including fingerprinting? • Are one of more of the staff certified in CPR and first aid? Do staff know how to respond to an allergic reaction? Are they trained in how to prevent injuries? What is the policy regarding immunizations? • Does the program have an emergency preparedness plan, including for fire and flooding, and is staff trained on how to handle emergencies? Do staff conduct regular fire drills? Does the program have a written plan to follow if a child is injured, sick, or lost? • Are staff trained on how to administer medications to kids? Are all medications labeled to make sure the right kid gets the right amount of the right medication at the right time? Are records kept to show when kids received medication and how the medication was given? • Are nutritious meals and snacks provided to kids at appropriate times? Are the kids supervised at all times, including when they’re sleeping? • Is there a written policy that spells out how behavioral issues are dealt with? Does the policy make it clear that there will be no spanking, humiliating, or excluding kids? • Does the staff maintain a list of who’s allowed to pick up your kid, and do they check that list when your kid is picked up? ESP Tanni Haas, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Department of Communication Arts, Sciences, and Disorders at the City University of New York – Brooklyn College.

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Christ the King Catholic Preschool

708 Dryer Ave Hours: PreK-3 Half Day- 7:45am-11:45am. PreK-3 Full Day & PreK-4-7:45am-2:45am. Before & After Care Available Ages: Pre K-3/K-4 (251) 626-1692 mccallum@ctkcsdaphne.org www.ctkcsdaphne.org/over-view

Coastal Kids Academy

11101 County Road 64 Hours: Monday - Friday 7:00am - 5:00pm Ages: 18 months - K4 (251) 621-9555 cka@coastalchurch.tv https://coastalchurch.tv/kidsacademy

Color Us Kids Learning Center

26000 Nelson Street Hours: Monday - Friday 6:30am - 6:00pm Ages: infants – PK (251) 625-6933 www.coloruskidslearningcenter.com

Eastern Shore Montessori School 980 Main Street Hours: Monday - Friday 7:00am - 5:30pm Ages: 18 months – 5 years (251) 626-7505; (251) 751-0886 esmontessorischool@gmail.com

Eastern Shore Preschool @ Eastern Shore Baptist Church

Bay Minette

Weinacker’s Montessori School

First Baptist Church Child Development Center

28765 North Main Street Hours: Monday - Friday 6:00am - 6:00pm Ages: 6 months - 5 years (251) 259-5037 www.weinackersmontessori.com

1201 Hand Avenue Hours: Monday - Friday 6:00am - 6:00pm Ages: 6 weeks – K4, After-school program for elementary school aged children (251) 937-3744 Cathy@fbcbm.com https://www.fbcbm.com/cdc

Kinder-Kastle

115 North Dobson Avenue Hours: Monday - Friday 6:00am - 5:30pm Ages: 6 weeks - 4 years (251) 239-8360 www.facebook.com/KinderKastleLLC

Daphne Bayside Academy ad on page 37

303 Dryer Avenue Hours: Monday - Friday, Full school day Ages: PK-3 - 12th grade (251) 338-6300 admissions@baysideacademy.org www.baysideacademy.org

Resurrection Academy ad on page 21

2401 Main Street Hours: Monday-Friday 7:00am-5:30pm (Full Time), 9:00am-1:00pm (Part Time) Ages: PreK2-PreK4 (251) 626-3606 academy@resurrection.cc www.resurrectionacademy.cc Eastern Shore Parents I February 2024

ad on page 24

3Circle Church Mom’s Day Out

10080 County Road 64 Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00am - 1:00pm Ages: K2 - K4 (251) 910-3699 stephanie@3circlechurch.com www.3circlechurch.com

Abiding Love Preschool & Childcare

1030 Stanton Road Hours: Monday - Friday 7:00am - 6:00pm Ages: 2 months - 5 years (251) 510-3974 www.facebook.com/abidinglovepreschool

Ascension Christian School

6847 Park Drive (Building C) Hours: Monday-Friday, 2, 3 or 5 days a week, Regular hours: 9:00am-2:00pm, Extended hours: 7:30am-3:00pm Ages: 8 weeks-K4 (251) 626-7627 espreschool@myesbc.net www.myesbc.net

Hermes Enchanted Garden (RPC)

1005 Main Street Suite 200 Hours: Monday - Friday 7:00am - 5:30pm Ages: Infant - Pre-K (251) 408-9144 info@hermesenchantedgarden.com www.facebook.com/hermesenchantedgarden

Kids Kabin Daycare

27730 Main Street Hours: Monday - Friday 7:00am - 5:30pm Ages: 10 weeks - 6 years (251) 375-0152 kidskabindaycare@gmail.com www.facebook.com/daycareKidsKabinDC

KinderKids Learning Center Friendship Road

25860 Friendship Road Hours: Monday - Friday 7:00am - 5:30pm Ages: 6 weeks - 4 years (251) 288-5393 www.kinderkidslc.com

8888 County Road 64 Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 11:45pm; Extended Care 12pm-5:pm Ages: PreK3 - PreK4 (251) 348-7510 ascension.schooldaphne@ gmail.com www.christian.school

KinderKids Learning Center Belforest

AUC Resource Center, After School and Daycare

Little Crusaders Learning Center

8355 Jonesboro Road Hours: Monday - Friday 6:30am - 6:00pm Ages: 6 weeks - 14 years (251) 626-6056 www.africanuniversalchurch.org

25270 County Road 54 West Hours: Monday - Friday 7:00am - 5:45pm Ages: 6 weeks - 4 years (251) 408-9095 www.kinderkidslc.com

9023 Lawson Road Hours: Monday - Friday 6:30am - 5:30pm Ages: 6 weeks – K4 (251) 621-6363 littlecrusadersllc@yahoo.com www.littlecrusadersllc.com

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Our Little Sprouts

28848 North Main Street Hours: Monday - Friday 6:00am - 6:00pm Ages: 6 weeks - 5 years (251) 340-2800 olsdaycareprek@gmail.com

Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church Preschool

28788 North Main Street Hours: Monday - Friday 7:00am - 5:30pm Ages: 12 months – PreK4 (251) 626-2774 stpaulspreschooldaphne@gmail. com www.stpaulseasternshore.com

The Neighborhood School

26481 Kensington Place (Suite A) Hours: Monday - Friday 7:00am - 6:00pm Ages: Infant - After School Program (251) 626-0074 tnsdaphne@gmail.com www.facebook.com/TheNeighborhoodSchoolDaphne/

Tiny Tots Academy, LLC

25478 Friendship Road Hours: Monday – Friday 6:30am - 6:00pm Ages: Infant – Pre-k (251) 625-6625 Tinytots25478@gmail.com www.facebook.com/tinytotsacademyllc/

Fairhope

Country Day School

Bayshore Christian School ad on page 23

316 Presbyterian Drive Hours: Half-day program 5 days a week for PreK Ages: K4 - 12th grade (251) 929-0011 BCSadmin@bayshorechristian.org www.bayshorechristian.org

Fairhope-Point Clear Rotary Youth Club Pre-K ad on page 1

19128 Young Street Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 2:30pm Ages: 4 years by September 1st (251) 928-9148 tmiller@rotaryyouthclub.org www.rotaryyouthclub.org

Eastern Shore Kids Kastle, Inc.

10291 B County Road 48 Hours: Monday - Friday 6:00am - 5:00pm Ages: 6 weeks - 5 years (251) 990-5350 eskki@bellsouth.net

Nature Connect School ad on page 27

Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00am - 3:00pm Ages: 3 years - 5 years (251) 513-7802 Brittany@natureconnectalabama.org www.natureconnectalabama.org

ad on page 17

Saint Benedict Catholic School

12786 South Illinois Street Hours: Monday - Friday 7:55am - 2:55pm, extended care available Ages: PreK3 - 8th Grade (251) 986-8143 info@saintbenedict.net www.saintbenedict.net

Eastern Shore Academy of Excellence

23946-B US Highway 98 Hours: Monday - Friday 6:30am - 6:00pm Ages: 6 weeks - 12 years (251) 243-5153 jamie.snowden76@gmail.com www.facebook.com/EasternShoreAcademy

Saint James Episcopal School

Elberta

23800 US Highway 98 Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9am - 12pm and Wednesday 9am - 1pm Ages: 18 months - Kindergarten (251) 928-1403 countrydayfairhope@gmail.com www.countrydayfairhope.com

860 North Section Street Hours: Monday - Friday 7:30am - 5:30pm (Full Day); 8:00am - 2:30pm (School Day) Ages: 30 months - 1st Grade (251) 928-2912 schooldirector@stjamesfairhope.org www.stjamesfairhope.school

Fairhope UMC Preschool Ministry

155 South Section Street Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00am - 12:00pm Ages: 2 years - PreK (251) 928-1280 terry.lowell@fairhopeumc.org www.fairhopeumc.org

GRECS Early Learning Center Fairhope

24044 Highway 98 Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 2:30pm Ages: 6 weeks - 5 years (251) 517-5034 jubileeheadstart@grecs.org www.facebook.com/JubileeHSFairhope/

Call us today to schedule your appointment!

Mobile and Baldwin County’s Board Certified Allergy Experts coastalallergyasthma.com 47

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Swift Church Preschool

23208 Swift Church Road Hours: Monday - Friday 7:00am - 5:30pm Ages: Infant - K4 (251) 943-8367 swiftchurchpreschool@gmail.com www.swiftchurchpreschool.com/home

Gulf Shores First Baptist Early Growth Center – Gulf Shores

2200 West 1st Street Hours: Monday - Friday 7:30am - 5:30pm Ages: 6 weeks – PK (251) 968-8124 www.fbcgulf.com/early-growthcenter

Gulf Shores Methodist Church Mother’s Day Out and Preschool

1900 Gulf Shores Parkway Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00am - 2:45pm Ages: 12 months - 4 years (251) 968-4328 Lana@gulfshoreschurch.org gulfshores.church

Holy Spirit Episcopal Day School

616 West Fort Morgan Road Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 2:30pm, Extended hours 7:30am-4:30pm Ages: 12 months - K4 (251) 968-5219 https://www.facebook.com/holyspiritepiscopaldayschool

South Baldwin Christian Academy

Jubilee Shores WeeSchool

Little Learners Kiddie School

708 West Laurel Avenue Hours: Monday - Friday 6:30am - 5:30pm Ages: 6 weeks – 4 years (251) 923-7602 https://little-learners-kiddieschool-inc.business.site/

6900 Highway 59 Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:30pm Ages: K3 - 12th Grade (251) 968-1230 admissions@southbaldwinca.org www.southbaldwinca.org

Marietta Johnson School of Organic Education

Precious Moments Learning Center

Loxley

17261 State Highway 181 Hours: Monday - Friday 7:30am - 5:00pm Ages: 10 months – 5 years (251) 928-9133 ext. 1 weeschooloffice@gmail.com www.jubileeshoresumc.org/wee-school

8 Marietta Drive Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 3:00pm Ages: 4 years - 11 years (251) 928-9347 marietta.school@mchsi.com www.fairhopeorganicschool.org

STARS Early Learning Academy

8209 Gayfer Road Extension Hours: Monday - Friday 6:30am - 6:00pm Ages: 6 weeks - Kindergarten (251) 928-9552 starsearlylearningacademy@ gmail.com www.starsearlylearningacademy.com

The Learning Tree Preschool at First Fairhope

300 South Section Street Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00am - 1:00pm, extended day program 1:00pm-3:00pm Ages: 6 months - 5 years (251) 928-0496 tlt@firstfairhope.org www.firstfairhope.org

Foley Cradle 2 Crayons, Inc.

507 West Rose Avenue Hours: Monday - Friday 6:00am - 6:00pm Ages: 6 weeks - 12 years (251) 943-4599 cradle2crayons@gulftel.com www.cradle2crayonsinc.net Eastern Shore Parents I February 2024

1900 South Oak Street Hours: Monday - Friday 6:00am - 7:00pm Ages: infants - 13 years (251) 943-4399

Snook Christian Academy

18930 County Road 28 Hours: Monday-Friday 7:45am - 3:00pm (before care 7:00am - 7:45am, after care 3:30pm 5:30pm) Ages: Prek3 - 12th Grade (251) 989-2333 www.snookchristian.org

The Stepping Stone Academy

230 West Laurel Avenue Hours: Monday - Friday 7:30am - 5:00pm Ages: infant - 4 years (251) 970-5437 foleyssa@gmail.com www.thesteppingstoneacademy.com

Heavenly Sent Learning Center, Inc. 12710 County Road 65 Hours: Monday - Friday 6:00am - 6:00pm Ages: 6 weeks - 12 years (251) 970-3324

Kid Plus Child Development Center 900 South Bay Street Hours: Monday - Friday 6:00am - 6:00pm Ages: 6 weeks - 11 years (251) 970-1566 kidpluscdc@gmail.com www.facebook.com/kidplusfoley

East Coast Migrant Head Start Program

16742 County Road 68 Hours: Monday - Friday 6:00am - 4:30pm Ages: 6 weeks- 5 year (251) 960-1060 lconway@ecmhsp.org www.ecmhsp.org

Orange Beach Bright Beginnings Preschool Ministry at OBMC

28751 Canal Road Hours: Open Daily from 8:00am-2:30pm. Morning care-7:30am-8:00am ($2 per use), after care-2:30pm-5:30pm ($12 per use) We offer 2 and 3 days per week for one’s and two’s Ages: 12 months - 4 years (251) 981-6750 brightbeginnings@obmchurch.com http://obmchurch.com/brightbeginnings

Discovery Island Child Development

24843 Commercial Avenue Hours: Monday - Friday 7:00am - 6:00pm Ages: 6 weeks - 5 years (251) 974-5488 www.discoveryislandcdc.com

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Spanish Fort

Central Christian School

Faith Family Fellowship Preschool

ad on page 27

17395 Highway 104 Hours: Monday-Friday 7:00am-5:30pm Ages: K3 - 12th grade (251) 947-5043 admissions@ccssaints.com www.ccssaints.com

Central Kids Daycare

17395 Highway 104 Hours: Monday-Friday 7:00am-5:30pm Ages: 6 weeks - 3 years (251) 609-0132 centralkidsdaycare@gmail.com

10424 Old Highway 31 Hours: 12 months - K3 Monday - Wednesday 9:00am-1:00pm, K3 & K 4 extended day offered until 3:00pm, K5 - 5 days a week 9:00am-1:00pm or 9:00am-3:00pm Ages: 12 months - K4 (251) 656-3535 www.facebook.com/NewLife PreschoolMomsDayOut

ad on page 7

7100 Spanish Fort Boulevard Hours: Monday - Friday 7:30am – 3:00pm (Extended hours 7:00am – 6:00pm) Ages: 2 years - PreK4 (251) 295-0731 www.faithfamilyonline.com

Spanish Fort UMC Preschool

6690 Spanish Fort Boulevard Hours: 3 day, and 5 day availability. Hours 9:00am - 12:00pm Ages: 2 years - Pre-K4 (251) 626-1334 preschool@spanishfortumc.org www.sfumpreschool.org

Spanish Fort Presbyterian Preschool ad on page 35

22305 Palmer Street Hours: Monday - Friday 7:00am - 5:30pm Ages: 6 weeks – 5 years (251) 947-4407

6620 Spanish Fort Boulevard Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00am - 1:00pm; Extended care 7:30am - 4:30pm Ages: 2 Years- 4 Years (251) 626-7137 sfppreschool@gmail.com www.spanishfortpresbyterian.com

Little Anchors Preschool

Jubilee Early Child Dev. Center

Children’s Learning Center

18200 Hwy 104 Hours: Monday - Friday 7:00am - 4:30pm, Preschool hours are 8:00am-12 noon. We offer early morning and afternoon extended care options. Ages: 2 - 4 years (251) 929-9355 littleanchorspreschoolfbc@gmail.com www.firstrobertsdale.com

Saint Patrick Catholic School

23070 Highway 59 North Hours: Monday – Friday 7:45am - 3:00pm Ages: PreK3 - 8th Grade (251) 947-7395 school@stpatcatholic.com school.stpatcatholic.com

9543 Stagecoach Commercial Park Circle 9917 Spanish Fort Blvd Hours: Monday - Friday 7:00am - 5:30pm Ages: 8 weeks - K4 (251) 625-4042 stephaniewilson@easternshoreacademy.com

Baldwin County

New Life Assembly of God After School Program

Ages: 4 years old by September 1 (251) 937-0306 www.bcbe.org/Page/9446

Baldwin County Public School System PreK

10424 Old Highway 31 Hours: Monday - Friday, 3:00pm - 6:00pm We pick up at Rockwell Elementary, Spanish Fort Elementary and Stonebridge Elementary Ages: K5 - 5th Grade (251) 656-3535 www.newlifecarespanishfort.org

per person

1. Start with a cup of award winning Seafood Gumbo

Eastern Shore Academy

8930 Spanish Fort Boulevard Hours: Monday - Friday 7:00am - 5:45pm Ages: 9 weeks - PreK4 (251) 625-1234 www.jubileechildcare.com

New Life Assembly of God Preschool

Gulf Regional Early Childhood Services

Ages: Infants - 5 years (251) 473-1060 childcare@grecs.org www.grecs.org ESP

New Location, Same Great Doctors Come See Us at Our NEW Fairhope Location 134 Hoyle Ave. (off N. Highway 98) Fairhope, AL 36532

2 Followed by a create-your-own Own-Seafood Platter

Choice of 3 items plus Choice of 2 sides

Fried Shrimp Stuffed Crabs Fried Oysters Fried Flounder

Grilled House Catch Grilled Shrimp Baked Stuffed Shrimp Shrimp Scampi Grilled Chicken Breast

Visit uampa.com or call 251-433-1895 to schedule an appointment.

3.Finish with a shared homemade bourbon Bread Pudding www.originaloysterhouse.com/valentine 49

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It was a beautiful day. It was sunny, warm, and we didn’t have anywhere to rush off to. I love days like this. Until I look over at the couch and see my kids glued to their devices.

Eastern Shore Parents I February 2024

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We know the benefits of being active; we’ve heard them for years. Active kids have improved cardiorespiratory health and build strong bones and muscles while controlling weight and preventing health conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Leading an active lifestyle can also reduce anxiety and depression, an increasing problem among youth in the United States. If we know these benefits, why do we still struggle to get kids moving? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that only 24% of kids are active for 60 minutes daily. Busy parents need simple ways to combat these numbers.

Four Ways to Increase Activity

Increasing activity doesn’t have to be a battle. You can find things your kids will look forward to doing each day. It just takes a little intention and dedication.

1. Get out of the house: Sometimes

it just takes a change of environment to get the kids excited and active. It can be challenging to do this all the time when you have other responsibilities, but a change of scenery can inspire your kids to move more. Some simple places you can go are the park, library, museum, zoo, friend’s house, or hiking.

2. Involve friends: Kids are more likely

to be active when they have someone to play with. This is a great option if you need to be home to get work done. Plan a few playdates each week and give the kids something fun to do. Having these simple ideas will help make it easier: Sidewalk chalk, variety of balls, lawn games, printable scavenger hunt, shaving cream, bubbles, and large cardboard boxes and markers.

3. Reduce access to electronics: This is the idea kids usually aren’t fond of. It can be hard to limit electronics, especially if you need to get things done or the kids complain. As much as we don’t like battling with our kids, reducing electronics access forces kids to do other things. Some ideas to help: * Have a plan for electronics use and be consistent. * Set certain times kids can look forward to using their devices. * Give kids a list of things to complete before electronics use. For example, kids may need to read, do something creative, and play outside for 30 minutes each before they can use technology. * Model healthy electronics boundaries. 51

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4. Join your kids: Often, kids want to engage with their parents. Being active with your kids is a great way to get them up and moving. This helps you and your kids’ physical, mental, and emotional health with the added benefit of being together. Try playing a game of horse, taking a walk or bike ride, working in the garden, exploring a new playground each week, putting on music and having a dance party, doing a yoga video together, or building something together

Fun Products to Get Your Kids Moving: Obstacle Course Race: Create an ob-

stacle course with things in your house or a prepackaged set like the American Ninja Warrior Competition Obstacle Course. (Indoors or outdoors)

Wack-a-Tag: A fun pop-up tag game for kids from 18 months to get moving and increase hand-eye coordination. (Indoors or outdoors)

Stepping Stones Game: Discover endless fun and possibilities with a stepping stones game like Turtle Steps or PlayzoneFit Stepping Stones. (Indoors or outdoors) Ninjaline: Improve balance and strength with this hanging obstacle line. You can set this up in your yard or bring it to a park or on vacation. (Outdoors) Doorway swing: This hanging swing goes in a doorway, giving your little and big kid a fun way to get some energy out indoors. (Indoors) Swings: Give kids a place to swing outside, even if you don’t have a swing set. Try a big swing like a Saucer Swing or a Slackers Swingline to give multiple swinging options. (Outdoors) You can encourage your kids to get off the couch when you make it fun for them. They may argue or complain but don’t give up. Keep trying new ideas and remember the reason you want them off the couch: to be healthier. Don’t worry about getting sixty minutes in each day. Instead, focus on finding things your kids enjoy. This will help them feel motivated to get off the couch and get moving! ESP

Rebecca Hastings is a freelance writer, speaker and friend.

Eastern Shore Parents I February 2024

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Grading Family Movies: Streaming, Online Rentals, and Theatrical Releases Migration

The Boys in the Boat

Mean Girls

Night Swim

Alcohol/Drugs A

Rating PG-13

Theaters

Overall B

Violence B+

Sex A-

Profanity C

Alcohol/Drugs C-

Rating PG-13

Theaters

Overall C

Violence B

Sex C+

Profanity D

Alcohol/Drugs D

Rating PG-13

Theaters

Overall D

Violence C

Sex A

Profanity B+

Alcohol/Drugs A-

The Wallers’ new home comes with a backyard pool fed by natural springs. Now able to swim every day, dad Ray is finding welcome relief for his multiple sclerosis – but others are having frightening supernatural experiences in the water. Based off a five-minute-long YouTube clip, this movie is waterlogged, filled with ridiculous plot points and incomprehensible behavior. On the flip side, violence and other negative content are comparatively light for a horror movie, but that doesn’t make it good.

Profanity A

After moving from Kenya to Illinois, Cady is befriended and then betrayed by her new school’s queen bee, Regina, prompting her to band together with two artsy outcasts to seek revenge. Viewers of teen dramas won’t find anything new here, but the themes of honesty, kindness, self-assessment, and change are relevant to adolescents. The film raises the issue of the sexualization of teenage girls and the dangerous ubiquity of social media, and also contains negative content around teen drinking and sexual activity. Photo ©Paramount Pictures

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Violence B

In the depths of the Great Depression, Joe Rantz tries out for the University of Washington’s rowing team, primarily as a way of obtaining a place to sleep. He winds up with likeminded teammates, all determined to win the 1936 Berlin Olympics. This is a standard underdog sports film, celebrating grit, courage and teamwork. There are some scenes of jovial intoxication and just over 20 mild and moderate profanities in the script, but it remains a good choice for teens.

es)

Overall A

Anxious and cautious, Mack doesn’t want to risk his family’s safety, but mama duck Pam wants to follow a flock of migrating ducks to warmer climes. Pam prevails, and the feathered family head off, only to wind up lost in the streets of New York where they find themselves befriended by chickens, pigeons, a parrot and a heron. Stunning landscapes, a superb voice cast, fast action scenes, funny jokes, and solid messages about trust, courage, determination, and love make this charming movie a win for families. Photo ©Universal Pictures

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Rating PG

Theaters

The Book of Clarence

Theaters

Rating PG-13

Overall D

Violence D

Sex B-

Profanity C-

Alcohol/Drugs D

Deeply in debt to Jedediah the Terrible, Clarence needs two things: safety and cash. He figures he can find both by following Jesus of Nazareth’s example and becoming another Messiah. Staging fake healings and delivering sermons, the skeptic soon finds the coins rolling in – but Clarence’s problems are only beginning. Depending on your perspective, this is either a dark comedy, a redemption tale, or a blasphemous misuse of a sacred text. In any case, it’s an overlong, violent film with abundant drug use. Photo ©TriStar Pictures Detailed reviews available at www.parentpreviews.com 53

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FamilyCalendar Thursday February 1

ESCC Annual Celebration-2024 5:00 PM Bluegill Restaurant, 3775 Battleship Parkway Spanish Fort, AL, 36527 Annual Celebration at Blue Gill Restaurant https://business.eschamber.com/ Expect Excellence Community Theatre presents “The Wizard of Oz” 7:00 PM Expect Excellence Community Theatre, Orange Beach, AL, 36561 Expect Excellence Community Theatre will present “The Wizard of Oz” on Feb. 1-3, 2024 at 7 p.m. and Feb. 4, 2024 at 2 p.m. on the main stage of the Orange Beach Performing Arts Center. General admission is $15. www.orangebeachal.gov/423/Performing-Arts-Center

Friday February 2

80th Annual Gala & Silent Auction 6:00 PM Foley Civic Center, 407 E Laurel Avenue Foley, AL, 36535 This year marks the 80th Annual Gala for the South Baldwin Chamber of Commerce. During the Gala, we celebrate our accomplishments with awards for Business of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Diplomat of the Year, Lifetime Achievement Award, Healthcare Hero, and Public Service Award. https://www.southbaldwinchamber.com/ Apollo’s Mystic Ladies 6:45 PM Daphne Civic Center, 2603 US-98 Daphne, AL, 36526 Starts behind the Daphne Civic Center on Scenic 98 Expect Excellence Community Theatre presents “The Wizard of Oz” 7:00 PM Expect Excellence Community Theatre, Orange Beach, AL, 36561 Expect Excellence Community Theatre will present “The Wizard of Oz” on Feb. 1-3, 2024 at 7 p.m. and Feb. 4, 2024 at 2 p.m. on the main stage of the Orange Beach Performing Arts Center. General admission is $15. www.orangebeachal.gov/423/Performing-Arts-Center

Saturday February 3

Battlefield Blitz 8:00 AM Historic Blakeley State Park, 34745 State Hwy 225 Spanish Fort, AL, 36527 Registration for the park’s annual fundraiser, the Battlefield Blitz 5K and Fun Run! https://www.blakeleypark.com/ February Living History Crew Drill 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM, USS ALABAMA Battleship Memorial Park, 2703 Battleship Pkwy Mobile, AL, 36602 Come see history come to life with our WWII reenactors during their February drill. Interact with historical WWII reenactors aboard the USS ALABAMA and USS DRUM. https://www.ussalabama.com/ Senior Bowl 2024 12:00 PM Hancock Whitney Stadium, 500 Stadium Dr Mobile, AL, 36608 The Reese’s Senior Bowl is widely regarded as the preeminent college football all-star game and the first stage in the NFL Draft process. www.seniorbowl.com Puppy Pet Parade 1:00 PM OWA, 100 N OWA Blvd Foley, AL, 36535 No holiday celebration would be complete without our furry friends, and we invite you to bring them to the 3rd annual Puppy Gras Pet Parade on Feb. 3 through Downtown OWA! https://visitowa.com/

Eastern Shore Parents I February 2024

Mystic Mutts of Revelry Parade 3:00 PM Fairhopers Community Park, Church Street Fairhope, AL The Mystic Mutts of Revelry Parade is a walking Mardi Gras parade in downtown Fairhope, AL, for the canine population. This year’s theme is “Paws and Parrotheads”. https://www.facebook.com/mysticmuttsofrevelry Krewe du Kidz Masquerade Street party 4:00 PM - 6:30 PM, OWA, 100 N OWA Blvd Foley, AL, 36535 From Moon Pie Bingo to mask decorating and Mardi Gras themed glitter tattoos, every corner of this carnival is full of family-friendly activities for young revelers. With this DJ-fueled dance party and stilt walker performance, this event is a jazzy good time for the whole family. https://visitowa.com/kdk-masquerade/ Knights of Ecor Rouge 6:30 PM Fairhope Civic Center, Fairhope, AL Starts at the Fairhope Civic Center Expect Excellence Community Theatre presents “The Wizard of Oz” 7:00 PM Expect Excellence Community Theatre, Orange Beach, AL, 36561 Expect Excellence Community Theatre will present “The Wizard of Oz” on Feb. 1-3, 2024 at 7 p.m. and Feb. 4, 2024 at 2 p.m. on the main stage of the Orange Beach Performing Arts Center. General admission is $15. www.orangebeachal.gov/423/Performing-Arts-Center Free Senior Bowl Concert 8:00 PM Cathedral Square, Mobile, AL, 36602 Join us for our free downtown concert, located at Cathedral Square featuring Counting Crows. Mobile Opera presents Le Villi Murphy High School, 100 S. Carlen Street Mobile, AL, 36606 Mobile Opera is proud to present Puccini’s Le villi https://www.mobileopera.org/

Sunday February 4

Malbis Winter Market 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Historic Malbis Nursery, 10145 US Highway 90 Daphne, AL Shop with over 50 local vendors at the Malbis Winter Market! We will have food trucks and more! Expect Excellence Community Theatre presents “The Wizard of Oz” 7:00 PM Expect Excellence Community Theatre, Orange Beach, AL, 36561 Expect Excellence Community Theatre will present “The Wizard of Oz” on Feb. 1-3, 2024 at 7 p.m. and Feb. 4, 2024 at 2 p.m. on the main stage of the Orange Beach Performing Arts Center. General admission is $15. www.orangebeachal.gov/423/Performing-Arts-Center

Monday February 5

Winter Concert Series 7:00 PM Erie H. Meyer Civic Center, 1930 W 2nd St Gulf Shores, AL, 36542 The Four Freshmen are one of America’s most enduring vocal groups, who have been bringing a jazz sensibility to the classic American songbook in their own special way since their inception in 1948. www.gulfshoresal.gov/1426/Winter-Concert-Series

Tuesday February 6

Winter Concert Series 7:00 PM Erie H. Meyer Civic Center, 1930 W 2nd St Gulf Shores, AL, 36542 The Four Freshmen are one

of America’s most enduring vocal groups, who have been bringing a jazz sensibility to the classic American songbook in their own special way since their inception in 1948. www.gulfshoresal.gov/1426/Winter-Concert-Series

Thursday February 8

Little Explorers Sensory Play & Learn with Ms. Surani 10:00 AM Spanish Fort Public Library, 7361 Spanish Fort Boulevard Spanish Fort, AL, 36527 Come explore sensory play for toddlers through preschool. Best for ages 3 to 5. Children must be accompanied by an adult. For questions please email librarian@cityofspanishfort.com. Space is limited. Each individual child must be registered to participate. 251-410-READ www.spanishfortpubliclibrary.org A Day in the Life: Life Aboard a Steel Giant 11:00 AM USS ALABAMA Battleship Memorial Park, 2703 Battleship Pkwy Mobile, AL, 36602 Join us as we step back in time to an era where the rhythmic pulse of the ocean was matched only by the beating hearts of the brave sailors who called the “Mighty A” home. During this talk, discover what life was like aboard a WWII battleship. Visitors will also get to learn about the daily routines, challenges and camaraderie of the sailors during this pivotal period in our nation’s history. https://www.ussalabama.com/

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Friday February 9

Maids of Jubilee 6:45 PM Fairhope Civic Center, Fairhope, AL Starts at the Fairhope Civic Center on Section Street; south on Section to Fels Avenue; west on Fels to Church Street; north on Church to Fairhope Avenue; east on Fairhope to Bancroft Street; north on Bancroft to Magnolia Avenue; west on Magnolia to Church Street; south on Church to Fels Avenue; east on Fels to Section Street; north on Section to end at the starting point.

Saturday February 10

Cruise to the Site of Old Mobile: Alabama’s First European Settlement 9:00 AM Live Oak Landing, 8700 Live Oak Landing Road Stockton, AL, 36579 Blakeley’s annual “Battlefield Blitz 5K and Fun Run” is a fundraiser directly benefiting park programming and special projects. https://www.blakeleypark.com/ Children’s Books Book Signing 10:30 AM Barnes & Noble Bookstore, 30500 AL-181 Suite 414 Spanish Fort, AL, 36527 Childrens book signing for children’s books at the Barnes & Noble Bookstore in the Eastern Shore Centre on February 10, 2024 from 10:30am-1:30pm. Flora-Bama Super Chili Bowl Cook-Off 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM, Flora-Bama , 17401 Perdido Key Drive Pensacola, FL, 32507 A Fundraiser for Relay For Life and The American Cancer Society https://www.florabama.com/chili-cook-off Foley Parade 12:00 PM West Roosevelt and Alston Foley, AL Starts at West Roosevelt and Alston and travels north on Alston; turns west on 98 (West Laurel Avenue); turns south on Oak Street; turns east on West Roosevelt and ends at Alston.

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Calendar Krewe of Mullet Mates 2:00 PM Mullet Point, Point Clear, AL Mullet Point Mystical Order of Mirams 5:30 PM Perdido Beach Boulevard, Orange Beach, AL A two-mile stretch of Perdido Beach Boulevard (Alabama 182) from west to east. Starting at Wintzell’s Oyster House (24131 Perdido Beach Boulevard) and ending at Alabama 161. Mystics of Pleasure 6:00 PM Perdido Beach Boulevard Orange Beach, AL, 36561 A two-mile stretch of Perdido Beach Boulevard (Alabama 182) from west to east. Starting at Wintzell’s Oyster House (24131 Perdido Beach Boulevard) and ending at Alabama 161. Shadow Barons 6:45 PM Daphne Civic Center, Daphne, AL Starts behind the Daphne Civic Center

Sunday February 11

OWA Mardi Gras Parade and Party 1:00 PM OWA, 100 N OWA Blvd Foley, AL, 36535 Join us at OWA on Joe Cain Day (Feb. 11) for a Mardi Gras Parade and Party you won’t want to miss.The epic celebration begins at 1 pm with free live music on OWA Island from 5 Mile Brass, an 8-piece funky rock brass band from Mobile, AL. Plus, we’ll have fun kids’ activities where they can create their own feathered Mardi Gras mask or Mardi Gras beads and Moon Pie Bingo. Then, after the parade head to OWA Island at 5 pm to check out Rockin’ Dopsie Jr. & The Zydeco Twisters. https://visitowa.com/

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Loyal Order of the Firetruck 2:29 PM Daphne Civic Center, Daphne, AL Starts behind the Daphne Civic Center

Monday February 12

MoonPies on Main 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM, The Wharf, 23101 Canal Road Orange Beach, AL, 36561 It’s time to “let the good times roll” at our annual Mardi Gras kid + pet and float parades. The festive celebration will feature something for all to enjoy — even your furry friends. So come early with the krewe to kick-off the night with our rockin’ DJ + kids’ activities. https://alwharf.com/ Order of Mystic Magnolias 6:45 PM Fairhope Civic Center, Fairhope, AL, 36532 Starts at the Fairhope Civic Center

Tuesday February 13

Gulf Shores Parade 10:00 AM Winn Dixie Shopping Center, Gulf Shores, AL Orange Beach Parade 2:00 PM Perdido Beach Blvd Orange Beach, AL, 36561 Bingo Night (Free) 3:30 PM Daphne Public Library, 2607 US-98 Daphne, AL, 36526 Join us every other month on the second

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FamilyCalendar Tuesday for some bingo fun! This is a free event with prizes up for grabs, seating is limited. 251-620-2500 www.daphneal.com/178/Library

Wednesday February 14

Thursday February 15

Heroes in Healing: Medics During WWII 11:00 AM USS ALABAMA Battleship Memorial Park, 2703 Battleship Pkwy Mobile, AL, 36602 Join us for a captivating talk that will shine a light on the incredible bravery and selflessness of those who served as medics during one of the most challenging periods in our shared past. https://www.ussalabama.com/ Winter Concert Series 7:00 PM Erie H. Meyer Civic Center, 1930 W 2nd St Gulf Shores, AL, 36542 Sister Hazel is comprised of five gifted, seasoned musicians whose will-spring of natural talent has been called “one of the Top 100 Most Influential Independent Performers of the last 15 years” by Performing Songwriter Magazine. www.gulfshoresal.gov/1426/Winter-Concert-Series South Baldwin Community Theatre presents The Hallelujah Girls 7:30 PM South Baldwin Community Theatre, 2022 West 2nd Street Gulf Shores, AL, 36542 After the sudden death of a dear friend, a feisty group of women from the town of Eden Falls, Georgia, decide that life is indeed short, and they vow to change their lives and achieve their dreams. Sugar Lee Thompkins decides to reach for her elusive star by converting an abandoned church into a day spa. https://www.sbct.biz/

Friday February 16

Winter Concert Series 7:00 PM Erie H. Meyer Civic Center, 1930 W 2nd St Gulf Shores, AL, 36542 Sister Hazel is comprised of five gifted, seasoned musicians whose will-spring of natural talent has been called “one of the Top 100 Most Influential Independent Performers of the last 15 years” by Performing Songwriter Magazine. www.gulfshoresal.gov/1426/Winter-Concert-Series South Baldwin Community Theatre presents The Hallelujah Girls 7:30 PM South Baldwin Community Theatre, 2022 West 2nd Street Gulf Shores, AL, 36542 After the sudden death of a dear friend, a feisty group of women from the town of Eden Falls, Georgia, decide that life is indeed short, and they vow to change their lives and achieve their dreams. Sugar Lee Thompkins decides to reach for her elusive star by converting an abandoned church into a day spa. https://www.sbct.biz/ Satisfaction — A Rolling Stones Tribute 7:30 PM OWA Theater, 205 N OWA Blvd Foley, AL, 36535 Get ready for a rock ‘n’ roll extravaganza as Satisfaction – A Rolling Stones Tribute takes the stage

Eastern Shore Parents I February 2024

at OWA Theater on February 16 and 17! https://ci.ovationtix.com/35683/production/1181653 AEG Presents Gipsy Kings Featuring Nicolas Reyes 8:00 PM Saenger Theatre, 6 South Joachim Street Mobile, AL, 36602 https://www.asmglobalmobile.com/

Saturday February 17

South Baldwin Community Theatre presents The Hallelujah Girls 7:30 PM South Baldwin Community Theatre, 2022 West 2nd Street Gulf Shores, AL, 36542 After the sudden death of a dear friend, a feisty group of women from the town of Eden Falls, Georgia, decide that life is indeed short, and they vow to change their lives and achieve their dreams. Sugar Lee Thompkins decides to reach for her elusive star by converting an abandoned church into a day spa. https://www.sbct.biz/ Satisfaction — A Rolling Stones Tribute 7:30 PM OWA Theater, 205 N OWA Blvd Foley, AL, 36535 Get ready for a rock ‘n’ roll extravaganza as Satisfaction – A Rolling Stones Tribute takes the stage at OWA Theater on February 16 and 17! https://ci.ovationtix.com/35683/production/1181653 Battle of Mobile Bay 5K 8:10 PM Fort Gaines Historic Site, Dauphin Island, AL A scenic 5k course that starts at Fort Gaines and winds through scenic Dauphin Island neighborhoods. Benefiting Historic Fort Gaines https://portcitypacers.com/battle-of-mobile-bay-5k/ Sea Turtle Half Marathon and Sweetheart 5k The Hangout, 101 E. Beach Blvd. Gulf Shores, AL, 36532 Make plans to participate in this long-standing race in Gulf Shores- half-marathon, 5K or 1-mile fun run! Events will take place at The Hangout and will run down to West Beach in Gulf Shores. https://www.gulfshores.com/events-calendar/leisuresports/sea-turtle-half-marathon-and-sweetheart-5k/

Sunday February 18

South Baldwin Community Theatre presents The Hallelujah Girls 2:30 PM South Baldwin Community Theatre, 2022 West 2nd Street Gulf Shores, AL, 36542 After the sudden death of a dear friend, a feisty group of women from the town of Eden Falls, Georgia, decide that life is indeed short, and they vow to change their lives and achieve their dreams. Sugar Lee Thompkins decides to reach for her elusive star by converting an abandoned church into a day spa. https://www.sbct.biz/

Wednesday February 21

Thursday February 22

Christian College Fair 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Fairhope Civic Center, 161 N Section St Fairhope, AL, 36532 Join us for our Christian College Fair. This fair is a unique opportunity for you to explore a variety of institutions that share a common foundation in faith, values and academic excellence. 251-233-3404 Www.ordoamorisclassical.com Little Explorers Sensory Play & Learn with Ms. Surani 10:00 AM Spanish Fort Public Library, 7361 Spanish Fort Boulevard Spanish Fort, AL, 36527 Come explore sensory play for toddlers through preschool. Best for ages 3 to 5. Children must be accompanied by an adult. For questions please email librarian@cityofspanishfort.com. Space is limited. Each individual child must be registered to participate. 251-410-READ www.spanishfortpubliclibrary.org Submarine Warfare: From WWII to Present Day 11:00 AM USS ALABAMA Battleship Memorial Park, 2703 Battleship Pkwy Mobile, AL, 36602 Dive deep into the world of submarine warfare with our upcoming museum talk, spanning from the gripping days of World War II to the cutting-edge technologies of the present day. https://www.ussalabama.com/ Page and Palette Lisa and Matt McMann Author Event 5:00 PM Page and Palette, 32 S Section Street Fairhope, AL , 36532 Join us for an event with middle grade authors Lisa and Matt McMann! This dynamic duo with sign and discuss their latest novels: Lisa’s FORGOTTEN FIVE #4: DANGEROUS ALLIES and MONSTERIOUS #4: THE BEAST OF SKULL ROCK! X-Men meets Spy Kids in Lisa’s THE FORGOTTEN FIVE, a fast-paced middle-grade fantasy/adventure series filled with action and heart. MONSTERIOUS is a series of terrifying standalone tales that combine monsters + mysteries, perfect for reluctant readers and fans of Goosebumps. It’s going to be a dynamic, fun-filled event you won’t want to miss! www.pageandpalette.com Trivia Night 6:00 PM Daphne Public Library, 2607 US-98 Daphne, AL, 36526 Join us the 4th Thursday of even months for themed trivia nights! Theme-National Treasure. Ages 13 and over. www.daphneal.com/178/Library Winter Concert Series 7:00 PM Erie H. Meyer Civic Center, 1930 W 2nd St Gulf Shores, AL, 36542 Paul Thorn-February 22, 2024Show begins at 7 p.m. www.gulfshoresal.gov/1426/Winter-Concert-Series Dream On: A Tribute to Classic Rock ($15) 7:00 PM Orange Beach Performing Arts Center, 23908 Canal Rd Orange Beach, AL, 36561 “Dream On” is a classic rock tribute show dedicated to some of the greatest music of all time. From Elton John to Def Leppard, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Come and rock out to this City of Orange Beach original production! www.orangebeachal.gov/423/Performing-Arts-Center AEG Presents Diana Krall 7:30 PM Saenger Theatre, 6 South Joachim Street Mobile, AL, 36602 Diana Krall is the only jazz singer to have eight albums debut at the top of the Billboard

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Friday February 23

Dream On: A Tribute to Classic Rock ($15) 7:00 PM Orange Beach Performing Arts Center, 23908 Canal Rd Orange Beach, AL, 36561 “Dream On” is a classic rock tribute show dedicated to some of the greatest music of all time. From Elton John to Def Leppard, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Come and rock out to this City of Orange Beach original production! www.orangebeachal.gov/423/Performing-Arts-Center Mobile Boat Show 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM, Mobile Convention Center, 1 South Water Street Mobile, AL, 36602 The 2024 show will feature a great selection of boats, motors, personal watercraft, and marine accessories. Fun for the whole family. Activities include: Twiggy the Skiing Squirrel, Trout Pond Fishing, Marine Resource Touch Tables, Live Music and much more. https://gulfcoastshows.com/mobile/ Mobile Ballet Eastern Shore Ribbon Cutting/ Open House 3:30 PM - 6:00 PM, Mobile Ballet Eastern Shore, 26150 Equity Drive Daphne, AL, 36526 Mobile Ballet invites the community to an Open House as we celebrate the opening of our Eastern Shore Studio’s new location. This exciting development represents a significant milestone in Mobile Ballet’s growth and commitment to providing exceptional dance education and performances for Gulf Coast communities on both sides of the Bay. 251-342-2241 www.mobileballet.org South Baldwin Community Theatre presents The Hallelujah Girls 7:30 PM South Baldwin Community Theatre, 2022 West 2nd Street Gulf Shores, AL, 36542 After the sudden death of a dear friend, a feisty group of women from the town of Eden Falls, Georgia, decide that life is indeed short, and they vow to change their lives and achieve their dreams. Sugar Lee Thompkins decides to reach for her elusive star by converting an abandoned church into a day spa. https://www.sbct.biz/

Saturday February 24

Bay Minette Beautification Committee Tree Giveaway 8:00 AM 301 D’Olive Street Bay Minette, AL, 36507 The Bay Minette Beautification Committee will hold its annual tree giveaway on Saturday, Feb. 24, beginning at 8 a.m. Trees available will include Red Chokeberry, Spicebush, Red Bud, Magnolia Sweetbay, Blackhawk Virburnum, Red Maple, River Birch, Kousa Dogwood, Sourwood and Nutall Oak. There is a limit of six trees per household (two per species). 251-580-1625 Mobile Boat Show 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM, Mobile Convention Center, 1 South Water Street Mobile, AL, 36602 The 2024 show will feature a great selection of boats, motors, personal watercraft, and marine accessories. Fun for the whole family. Activities include: Twiggy the Skiing Squirrel, Trout Pond Fishing, Marine Resource Touch Tables, Live Music and much more. https://gulfcoastshows.com/mobile/

32nd Annual Orange Beach Seafood Festival + Car Show 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM, The Wharf, 23101 Canal Road Orange Beach, AL, 36561 Start your engines and bring the whole family out to enjoy arts and crafts vendors, delicious seafood, live music + entertainment stages, as well as dozens of classic and hot rod vehicles. https://alwharf.com/ Dream On: A Tribute to Classic Rock ($15) 7:00 PM Orange Beach Performing Arts Center, 23908 Canal Rd Orange Beach, AL, 36561 “Dream On” is a classic rock tribute show dedicated to some of the greatest music of all time. From Elton John to Def Leppard, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Come and rock out to this City of Orange Beach original production! www.orangebeachal.gov/423/Performing-Arts-Center South Baldwin Community Theatre presents The Hallelujah Girls 7:30 PM South Baldwin Community Theatre, 2022 West 2nd Street Gulf Shores, AL, 36542 After the sudden death of a dear friend, a feisty group of women from the town of Eden Falls, Georgia, decide that life is indeed short, and they vow to change their lives and achieve their dreams. Sugar Lee Thompkins decides to reach for her elusive star by converting an abandoned church into a day spa. https://www.sbct.biz/

Sunday February 25

Mobile Boat Show 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Mobile Convention Center, 1 South Water Street Mobile, AL, 36602 The 2024 show will feature a great selection of boats, motors, personal watercraft, and marine accessories. Fun for the whole family. Activities include: Twiggy the Skiing Squirrel, Trout Pond Fishing, Marine Resource Touch Tables, Live Music and much more. https://gulfcoastshows.com/mobile/

Tuesday February 27

STEM Lecture Series 3:30 PM Daphne Public Library, 2607 US-98 Daphne, AL, 36526 The Future of Nuclear Energy-Scientists have the ability to develop safe, meltdown-proof, eco-friendly nuclear power, but the public is still in the dark on this fantastic technology: Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactors. These lectures are open to adults and teens, children up to parent discretion and must be supervised. All lectures will be followed by an interactive demonstration with equipment and items. www.daphneal.com/178/Library

Thursday February 29

Exploring WWII Ordinance 11:00 AM USS ALABAMA Battleship Memorial Park, 2703 Battleship Pkwy Mobile, AL, 36602 Explore the USS ALABAMA from a different perspective as you

learn about the different guns and ammunition used aboard the “Mighty A” during WWII. https://www.ussalabama.com/ Gala Concert featuring Yo-Yo Ma 7:30 PM Saenger Theatre, 6 South Joachim Street Mobile, AL, 36602 Our Gala Concert with Yo-Yo Ma will be – by far – the most high-profile and highly anticipated concert along the Gulf Coast for 2024. Yo-Yo Ma is that rare performer whose passions reach far beyond the concert stage. He will perform Elgar’s Cello Concerto. https://mobilesymphony.org/event/gala-concertfeaturing-yo-yo-ma

Friday March 1

Outback Presents John Crist The Emotional Support Tour 7:00 PM Saenger Theatre, 6 South Joachim Street Mobile, AL, 36602 Outback Presents John Crist The Emotional Support Tour https://www.asmglobalmobile.com/ The Mobile County Commission Presents Souls Of Time 7:00 PM Mobile Civic Center, 401 Civic Center Dr. Mobile, AL, 36602 Souls of Time, a musical drama, a Matthews Educational Consultant production, written and composed by Mobilians, Japonica Brown and Yvonne Matthews, is a story that follows a young girl named Jade, residing in Mobile, Alabama in 2020 before the Pandemic. https://www.asmglobalmobile.com/ Cash Back — A Tribute to Johnny Cash & June Carter-Cash 7:30 PM OWA Theater, 205 N OWA Blvd Foley, AL, 36535 Join OWA Theater on March 1st at 7:30 PM for an unforgettable live musical performance, “Cash Back — A Tribute to Johnny Cash & June CarterCash.” Immerse yourself in an evening of live music that pays homage to the iconic Johnny Cash and his beloved wife, June Carter-Cash. Let the timeless classics, vibrant energy, and heartfelt tributes transport you to the golden era of these music legends. https://visitowa.com/cash-back/

Saturday March 2

Pirate Dash 2024 8:00 AM Knoll Park, Fairhope, AL, 36532 The Fairhope Elementary Schools Pirate Dash 5k & 1-Mile Fun Run is set for March 2, 2024. This beloved Fairhope community event supports all three Fairhope Elementary Schools. https://runsignup.com/Race/Info/AL/Fairhope/FairhopePirateDash5k 2024 Spring Fling 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Baldwin County Coliseum, 19477 Fairground Rd Robertsdale, AL, 36567 Shop with crafters, bakers, boutiques, direct sales, and many unique vendors to help you find the perfect gift for someone special! Be sure to grab some food from our food vendors at the outside portion of our market! We also give complimentary shopping bags to our first 100 customers! Ballyhoo Festival 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Gulf State Park, 20115 State Park Road Gulf Shores, AL, 36542 This exciting festival event is unique in its focus on fine art, combined with cultural charm, and the fun-loving spirit of residents of Coastal Alabama! Enjoy fine art from all across the southeast, local seafood, and live music! www.ballyhoofestival.org

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FamilyCalendar 2024 Mobile Walk for Camp Seale Harris 10:00 AM OWA, Foley, AL This is a family-friendly Walk/ Run raising awareness of diabetes, and an opportunity for participant fundraising efforts to make it possible for kids to attend Camp Seale Harris for kids and families living with diabetes. https://campsealeharris.org/diabeteswalk/ Spring Festival in the Forest (Tickets are $15 at the door for adults. Kids are free) 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM, Nature Connect Alabama, 7159 McIntyre St Fairhope, AL, 36542 Everyone is invited to our Spring Festival in the Forest, hosted by the Nature Connect Outdoor School! We will have woodland games, food trucks, face painting, a vendor market, and much more! This is an event for all ages. https://www.natureconnectalabama.org/ AEG Presents Floyd Nation 8:00 PM Saenger Theatre, 6 South Joachim Street Mobile, AL, 36602 Floyd Nation is a U.S.-based Pink Floyd Tribute Band that performs all of your favorite hits from the vast collection of Pink Floyd albums such as The Wall, Dark Side of the Moon, Animals, Wish You Were Here, Meddle and The Division Bell. https://www.asmglobalmobile.com/

Sunday March 3

Alabama Authors Day 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Five Rivers Delta Resource Center, 30945 Five Rivers Blvd. Spanish Fort, AL, 36527 Historic Blakeley State Park invites all those interested in the literary arts to join us at Five Rivers Delta Resource Center for our annual Alabama Authors Day. This special celebration showcases the work of accomplished writers throughout the state, with an emphasis on Gulf Coast authors and those who explore topics associated with regional history and natural heritage. https://www.blakeleypark.com/ Ballyhoo Festival 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Gulf State Park, 20115 State Park Road Gulf Shores, AL This exciting festival event is unique in its focus on fine art, combined with cultural charm, and the fun-loving spirit of residents of Coastal Alabama! Enjoy fine art from all across the southeast, local seafood, and live music! www.ballyhoofestival.org

Wednesday March 6

AEG Presents Foreigner The Farewell Tour 7:30 PM Saenger Theatre, 6 South Joachim Street Mobile, AL, 36602 https://www.asmglobalmobile.com/

Thursday March 7

Women During WWII 11:00 AM USS ALABAMA Battleship Memorial Park, 2703 Battleship Pkwy Mobile, AL, 36602 Join us for our upcoming talk as we shine a spotlight on the resilience, courage, and unwavering commitment of women who played pivotal roles in shaping the course of history during wartime. https://www.ussalabama.com/ Art Talk on the Works Progress Administration 6:00 PM Mobile Museum of Art, 4850 Museum Dr. Mobile, AL, 36608 Inspired by DECADES: Looking Back/Moving Forward (1920 – 1939), join us for an art talk on the Works Progress Administration with Dr. Matthew L. Downs. https://www.mobilemuseumofart.com/

Eastern Shore Parents I February 2024

2024 Festival of Flowers Gala 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM, Cathedral Square, Mobile, AL, 36602 Be the first to view the Festival’s floral displays and sculptures by joining us for an evening under the stars. Enjoy cocktails and culinary delights by Morrissette and Company. Proceeds will be used to purchase advanced EKG monitors for the Cardiac Care Unit at USA Health Providence Hospital. https://www.usahealthsystem.com/festival-of-flowers

Friday March 8

2024 Festival of Flowers 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM, Cathedral Square, Mobile, AL, 36602 The award-winning Festival of Flowers will celebrate its 31st year in downtown Mobile’s Cathedral Square by proudly showcasing horticultural displays created by the Mobile area’s best teams of florists, nurseries, landscapers, designers, and artists. https://www.usahealthsystem.com/festival-of-flowers

Saturday March 9

($10, Children 10 and under are free) 10:00

AM - 4:00 PM, Foley Heritage Park, 125 E Laurel Ave Foley, AL, 36535 Festival goers enjoy great food, popular blues bands, children’s activities, and a raffle. All proceeds support the South Baldwin Chamber Foundation. Crawfish for the Classroom 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM, Daphne City Hall, 1705 Main St Daphne, AL, 36526 Join us for a fun day of Crawfish, Beer, Live Music & Children’s Entertainment all while supporting your Daphne Public Schools https://www.seedsindaphne.com/ Pendleton Whisky Presents Professional Bull Riders Velocity Tour 7:00 PM Mobile Civic Center, 401 Civic Center Dr. Mobile, AL, 36602 https://www.asmglobalmobile.com/ Mobile Symphony Presents Strings Attached 7:30 PM Saenger Theatre, 6 South Joachim Street Mobile, AL, 36602 Vibrant young artist Simone Porter has been praised for masterful performances with top orchestras across America. She’ll perform Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, a Romantic masterpiece and a guaranteed showstopper. We conclude with Schumann’s Symphony No. 3, a richly toned portrait of the Rhineland. https://mobilesymphony.org/

Sunday March 10

2024 Festival of Flowers 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Cathedral Square, Mobile, AL, 36602 The award-winning Festival of Flowers will celebrate its 31st year in downtown Mobile’s Cathedral Square by proudly showcasing horticultural displays created by the Mobile area’s best teams of florists, nurseries, landscapers, designers, and artists. https://www.usahealthsystem.com/festival-of-flowers Orange Beach Festival of Art 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM, 26389 Canal Road Orange Beach, AL, 36561 The Orange Beach Festival of Art celebrates an extraordinary amount of arts including visual, performing, musical and culinary. With more than 100 vendors displaying a variety of media, festival attendees will have plenty to see, touch, taste and hear. The event also has a kid’s art alley, a culinary arts court featuring local fare, and a music and songwriter’s stage. https://www.orangebeachal.gov/338/About Mobile Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty Tea 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM, Mobile Ballet Eastern Shore, 26150 Equity Drive Daphne, AL, 36526 Mobile Ballet invites you to our Sleeping Beauty Tea on Sunday, March 10, 2-4 pm. At this fantastical fairytale tea party, guests of all ages will enjoy delicious treats, a special performance by Sleeping Beauty cast members, story time, fun photo ops and activities, a raffle, and more! This special event is presented by the Mobile Ballet Barre volunteer association and is a fundraiser for Mobile Ballet’s Releve Project student assistance program. Get tickets at www.mobileballet.org. www.mobileballet.org

Thursday March 14

Winged Wonders: Birds, Conservation, and Outdoor Discovery 11:00 AM USS ALABAMA Battleship Memorial Park, 2703 Battleship Pkwy Mobile, AL, 36602 Join us for a unique experience as we host a captivating talk on birding and nature conservation. Our special guest speaker, Courtney Weatherby from Alabama Audubon, will take you on a journey through the skies, unraveling the fascinating world of birds and their significance in nature conservation. https://www.ussalabama.com/

Friday March 15

52nd Annual Outdoor Art Show 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Eastern Shore Art Center, 401 Oak Street Fairhope, AL, 36532 The festival takes place in front of the Eastern Shore Art Center along Oak Street and Section Street up to Magnolia Avenue with over 100 artist booths, live demos, music and more! esartcenter.org/event/52nd-annual-outdoor-art-show/

Saturday March 16

Spring Fever Chase 8:00 AM Downtown Fairhope, Fairhope, AL, 36532 Join Thomas Hospital and Wells Fargo for the 46th Annual Spring Fever Chase, a 10K and 2-Mile Fun Run/Walk that winds through beautiful downtown Fairhope overlooking Mobile Bay. https://raceroster.com/events/2024/83547/springfever-chase-2024 52nd Annual Outdoor Art Show Details Friday March 15. esartcenter.org/event/52nd-annual-outdoor-art-show/

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FamilyCalendar Sunday March 17

Friday March 22

Mobile Opera presents Rigoletto 7:30 PM The Temple Downtown, 351 St. Francis Street Mobile, AL, 36602 (251) 432-6772 https://www.mobileopera.org/ Big Spring Entertainment Presents Travis Tritt 7:30 PM Saenger Theatre, 6 South Joachim Street Mobile, AL, 36602 Big Spring Entertainment Presents Travis Tritt https://www.asmglobalmobile.com/ North American Entertainment Group Presents Katt Williams The Dark Matter Tour 8:00 PM Mobile Civic Center, 401 Civic Center Dr. Mobile, AL, 36602 North American Entertainment Group Presents Katt Williams The Dark Matter Tour https://www.asmglobalmobile.com/

Saturday March 23

March Living History Crew Drill 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM, USS ALABAMA Battleship Memorial Park, 2703 Battleship Pkwy Mobile, AL, 36602 Come see history come to life with our WWII reenactors during their February drill. Interact with historical WWII reenactors aboard the USS ALABAMA and USS DRUM. https://www.ussalabama.com/ Mobile Ballet Presents Sleeping Beauty 7:00 PM Mobile Civic Center, 401 Civic Center Dr. Mobile, AL, 36602 Mobile Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty will transport you on a mystical journey to the fairytale world in a story where evil meets good and the power of love overcomes all obstacles once again. This iconic ballet is a masterclass in the classical style, ideal for longtime ballet lovers as well as newcomers. Audiences of all ages will be swept away by this elegant production featuring Tchaikovsky’s ravishing score, stunning sets and costumes, and international guest artists, in a new adaptation by Artistic Director Katia Garza. Classical ballet at its finest! https://mobileballet.org/

lincoln logs, picnic pieces, buckets of dinosaurs, and more. Join us in the Activity Room for Free Build every Monday and Friday from 9am - Noon. 251-929-1465 www.fairhopelibrary.org/

experiment. The program will end with a themed craft. Lessons and activities are based on elementary level concepts and skills related to nature. 251-923-4267 http://grahamcreekpreserve.org

Lego Free Build - Spanish Fort Public Library 3:30 PM Spanish Fort Public Library, 7361 Spanish Fort Boulevard Spanish Fort, AL, 36527 Every Monday 3:30 - 5 pm, patrons are invited to the Spanish Fort Public Library to exercise their creativity and practice their engineering skills by constructing their very own LEGO® creation. 251-410-READ www.spanishfortpubliclibrary.org

Every Thursday

Every Tuesday

Bay Minette Public Library Story Time 10:00 AM Bay Minette Public Library, 205 W 2nd St Bay Minette, AL, 36507 Story-time runs year-round at 10 a.m. Tuesdays in the Children’s Room at the Bay Minette Public Library. These stories are geared toward younger children but all are welcome. https://cityofbayminetteal.gov/departments/library Story time - Lap Babies (Free) 10:30 AM Daphne Public Library, 2607 US-98 Daphne, AL, 36526 Lap babies at 10:30 am (infant to 23 months) Songs, stories, puppets and more! 251-620-2500 www.daphneal.com/178/Library Family Game Night - Spanish Fort Library 4:30 PM Spanish Fort Public Library, 7361 Spanish Fort Boulevard Spanish Fort, AL, 36527 Bring the family or bring your friends (or bring both!) to SFPL on Tuesday evenings! Pull up a chair and enjoy playing one of the many board and card games we have available for use. 251-410-READ www.spanishfortpubliclibrary.org

Every Third Tuesday

Kickstart Art (Free) 3:30 PM Daphne Public Library, 2607 US-98 Daphne, AL, 36526 Kickstart art for 4th-8th grade. 3:30pm4:30pm in the cafe. 251-620-2500 www.daphneal.com/178/Library

Every Wednesday

Storytime - Page & Palette 10:00 AM Page & Palette, 32 S Section Street Fairhope, AL, 36532 Please join us on Wednesdays at 10:30 AM for storytime! Each week, Miss Paula share a silly story the whole family will enjoy. 251-928-5295 www.pageandpalette.com

Sunday March 24

Mommy and Me Storytime-Barnes and Noble 11:00 AM Barnes and Noble, 30500 State Hwy 181 Suite 414 Spanish Fort, AL, 36527 Come join us for Storytime Every Wednesday at 11am. https://stores.barnesandnoble.com/store/2186

Mobile Opera presents Rigoletto 2:30 PM The Temple Downtown, 351 St. Francis Street Mobile, AL, 36602 (251) 432-6772 https://www.mobileopera.org/

Sensory Preschool Story time 2:00 PM Daphne Public Library, 2607 US-98 Daphne, AL, 36526 Sensory Preschool Story time –Every Wednesday 2 PM (2 yrs. – 4 yrs.). 251-620-2500 www.daphneal.com/178/Library

Every Monday

Every third Wednesday

Mobile Ballet Presents Sleeping Beauty 2:00 PM Details on March 23.

Free Build - STEM Play (Free) 9:15 AM - 12:00 PM, Fairhope Public Library, 501 Fairhope Avenue Fairhope, AL, 36532 Ages 2 to 10 years old. Come put your creative imagination to the test! We will put out all of our legos, soft blocks,

Story time Preschool (Free) 10:30 AM Daphne Public Library, 2607 US-98 Daphne, AL, 36526 Story--time for 2 yrs. – 4 yrs. 251-620-2500 www.daphneal.com/178/Library After School Book Club 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM, Daphne Public Library, 2607 US-98 Daphne, AL, 36526 After School Book Club – Thursday 3:30 PM -4:30 PM (Kindergarten -5th grade) www.daphneal.com/178/Library

Second Thursdays through April 11, 2024

Craft Critters (Free) 10:00 AM Nature Connect School, 7159 McIntyre St. Fairhope, AL, 36532 Craft Critters is a free family class at Nature Connect for ages 2-4! We will enjoy a nature craft and creative play in the woods on our school campus. Our friendly teachers will provide all the required materials and helpful tips to unleash your imagination. So, get ready to dive into the world of Craft Critters with us! https://www.natureconnectalabama.org/calendar

Every first Friday

Graham Creek Natural Preserve Guided Tours (Free) 9:00 AM Graham Creek Natural Preserve, 23460 Wolf Bay Drive Foley, AL, 36535 Call to reserve a golf cart tour of the reserve. Limit: 8 251-923-4267 http://grahamcreekpreserve.org

Every Saturday

Saturday Storytime-Barnes and Noble 11:00 AM Barnes and Noble, 30500 State Hwy 181 Suite 414 Spanish Fort, AL, 36527 https://stores.barnesandnoble.com/store/2186

Every third Saturday

Observe and Explore (Free) 10:00 AM Graham Creek Natural Preserve, 23460 Wolf Bay Drive Foley, AL, 36535 The program will begin at 10:00 am with a story that fits the theme. This will be followed by a short lesson with an activity or science experiment. The program will end with a themed craft. Lessons and activities are based on elementary level concepts and skills related to nature. 251-923-4267 http://grahamcreekpreserve.org

Second and fourth Sunday

Mobile Bay Maker’s Market 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Along Mobile Bay at The Pier, Fairhope, AL, 36532 Taking place every 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month, the Mobile Bay Maker’s Market features over 35 local artisans, farmers, and makers along the gulf coast. The event takes place just south of the Fairhope Municipal Pier. Food trucks are also on site.

We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of these calendar events. However, you should call ahead to confirm dates, times, location, and other information.

Please send your calendar events to lynn@ easternshoreparents.com.

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It’s the Parents Job to Say No Children and Technologies Are Like Mischievous Puppies We got a new puppy for Christmas. Well, my son got a puppy, but we collectively chip in to help because taking care of a puppy is evidently a four-man tag team effort. He has, at the grand total weight of 10 pounds, effectively taken over my office, my back porch, and all of my free time. He is constant chaos interspersed with the sweetest cuddles and new puppy smells. His name is Milo. And we love him so much already. But as I have spent a lot of time with this baby shark (his new nickname given his razor teeth and propensity to chew everything), I realized how much he is like kids and teens when they first get social media, games, or a device. Let me explain. When Milo first came home, he was quiet. Unsure. Calm. He did not know his environment yet and could not understand all the amazing, bright, new, and shiny things he could get into. Until he did. And once he did, well, let’s just say the whole house is tired with a capital T. Your kids are like puppies. Before exposure to social media, games, and devices, they were not sure what they could get into. It all seems fun Eastern Shore Parents I February 2024

because other, bigger kids are doing it. But they do not REALLY know until they get their first taste of a device and the freedom that comes with it. Then, they become a lot like Milo. They want to chew EVERYTHING. They want to explore everything. They want to test all the boundaries to see what will happen without knowing or caring about the consequences.

I can not tell you how many times Milo has fallen off the last two steps of the porch in his excitement to get to the yard. Your kids do the same. They make huge missteps by jumping into places they should not be online. Much like toys to Milo, social media and gaming light up that pleasure center in their brains, leading them to want more. In the way a chew toy hi-jacks Milo’s focus, social media hi-jacks your kids’ focus. But here is the thing. As Milo’s 60

grandparent and part-time caretaker, I sometimes have to redirect him. If he is chewing on something he shouldn’t, it is my job to tell him “nope” and redirect him by giving him a toy that he CAN chew on. At the risk of making all of this sound silly and ridiculous by comparing our kids to puppies, that is really what we must do. They will “chew” on the wrong things regarding games and social media if allowed. They are going to test those boundaries. It is then up to us as parents to redirect them to more appropriate areas that they can explore. As Milo’s trainer told me, it is a marathon of slow, incremental steps over a long period of time. We must follow the same advice when it comes to protecting our kids from online dangers. I think Milo thinks his name is “Nope.” Your kids will get frustrated and angry with your re-direction and constant “No’s,” but that is okay. When we stick it out for the long haul, we have well-adjusted, techsmart kids who become well-adjusted, tech-smart adults. And if you have a new puppy, you come out on the other side with your furniture still intact.

Kristi Bush serves as a national education consultant and social media safety advocate. She is a licensed social worker with greater than 15 years of clinical practice and health care experience. She attended Troy and Auburn University where she studied social work and counseling. Kristi travels nationally and has spoken with thousands of children, parents, professionals and organizations about the benefits and threats associated with social media. You may reach Kristi through her website at www.knbcommunications.com.

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251-928-0624 www.eschildrens.com

FAIRHOPE LOCATION 150 S. Ingleside St. Suite #7 Fairhope, AL 36532

SPANISH FORT LOCATION 9603 Stagecoach Commercial Park Circle Spanish Fort, AL 36527

Rhoda Burns, MD, FAAP; Paula Drummond, MD, FAAP; Jennie Breslin, MD, FAAP; Meg Moore, MD, FAAP; Elizabeth Orr, MD, FAAP; Jennifer Walker, MD, FAAP; Susie Fitzharris, MD, FAAP; Natalie Carlisle, MD, FAAP; Olivia Akins, CRNP; jANELLE Davis, CRNP