KIDS
san diego
North County
A MODERN FAMILY MAGAZINE
Local Events Calendar pg. 22
Surfer of the Month
Gavin Frank
Juliet Kelsay TH
NCK OF THE MON
Back to School
Chooze
pg. 6
Pinterest Picks
Happy Labor Day!
September 2017
SEPTEMBER 2017 editor’s letter
contents
FROM ME TO YOU!
H
appy September everyone! From back to school shopping, to back to school jitters, I hope you and your family had a smooth transition and are ready for a great year! Although I definitely consider myself a beach bum, there are a lot of things about fall that I am excited for; the start of football season, the tailgating and parties that go with it, the yummy fall cooking and baking, and definitely the ability to still head to the beach on the weekends (thank you Indian summers!) September is also a time to be thankful for our jobs as we observe Labor Day, a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. Need a little humor to go with that back to-school stress? We included some humor in this issue from our Down to Earth Dad on page 15 who attempts a sugar-free summer… you’ve got to read it! Then take a look at Celeb Tracker on page 5 and see what your favorite celeb had to say about their school days! And as always, check out our A is for App feature on page 29 if you’re looking for some “School Essentials” to make schoolwork a little more efficient for your straight-A student. We are also very excited to spotlight some very talented and amazing North County youth. From our North County Kid of the Month, to our Surfer of the Month, and Skater of the Month, these kids are bound to amaze you! As always, thank you for being one of our amazing readers! Stay in school San Diego,
18 4 Pinterest Picks: Happy Labor Day! 5 Celeb Tracker: They Said What?! 6 North County Kid of the Month: Juliet Kelsay 9 Spotted! 10 Surfer of the Month: Gavin Frank 13 Back to School Mad Lib
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16 Business Spotlight: Chooze Shoes
Kate Schlicher kate@sdnorthcountykids.com
Cover Photo by Nina Seibert
Graphic Design Weston Carls @westoncarls • westoncarls.com
Advertising Inquiries info@sdnorthcountykids.com (760) 452-0789
Down to Earth Dad: Tales of a Sugar Free Summer
18 Mom to Mom Book Review 19 Spotted! 20 Skater of the Month: Weston Ahumada 22 Local Events Calendar
27
Toys for Joy – Finding HOPE in the Midst of Back-to-School Season
29 A is for App: School Essentials www.sdnorthcountykids.com • www.facebook.com/northcountykids
September 2017 | North County Kids
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PINTEREST PICKS
Happy Labor Day! someecards.com
www.sophistishe.com
www.loveitsomuch.com
www.printcollection.com
www.celebrations.com
Happy
www.shespeaks.com
www.lostinthepond.com
www.issaquah360.com
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North County Kids | September 2017
Check out more fun pins on our Pinterest page, pinterest.com/NorthCountyKids
North County Kids is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Pinterest, Inc. Pinterest is a registered trademark of Cold Brew Labs, Inc. DBA Pinterest Corporation.
CELEB TRACKER
They Said What?!
See what these celebs have to say about their school days, and how they survived high school!
“I went to a high school reunion a couple of years ago and realized that the kids who were the most unusual in high school are the ones who are the most interesting now and the ones who were popular are dull and boring.” ANDERSON COOPER
“I didn’t think I was going to be able to go [to prom], and then two days before I decided to go and I had to find a dress and get ready at the last minute, but it was really fun... the theme was enchanted garden.” DAKOTA FANNING
“When I was 16, I looked 19. When I was 19, I looked 25. But I got stuck on 25 – thank God!” SELMA HAYEK “I’m pretty pale. In high school I was insecure and thought it’d be cool to go to a tanning bed. Now I just let it look the way it looks.” TAYLOR SWIFT
“Where do I begin? Shoulder pads, parachute pants, acid-wash jean jackets, stirrup pants, big hair. All of it was awful.” AMY POEHLER
“I was so shy. Instead of waiting in line with the other kids at lunch, I’d go to a corner and buy a pretzel and orange juice. I think I had that for lunch the first three years of high school!” PETER FACINELLI
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NCK of the Month
Juliet Kelsay
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North County Kids | September 2017
Photo by Nina Seibert
Photo by Nina Seibert, ice cream by Handel’s in Encinitas
QA
Photo by Nina Seibert, in front of Magical Child in Encinitas
with Juliet
We hear that you love to surf and skate. When did you start surfing and skating? When I was a baby. My Mommy and Daddy teach me to surf and skate all the time now too. What is your favorite part of surfing? It’s super duper fun. I like flying over waves on a surfboard too.
Photo by Nina Seibert
Hometown: Encinitas Age: 4 Grade: Pre-K School: Home School Hobbies: Surf, skate, dance, dress up, gymnastics, painting Favorite food: Strawberries, bananas, chicken nuggets, tri tip, ice cream Favorite thing about living in North County: I love my house, it’s so beautiful. I love playing with my best friend Jade too.
What about skating? It’s super duper, super duper fun. I like skating in my backyard with my family. Any particular skate tricks you are working on/want to learn? I am learning to drop-in and kick turn. What other interests do you have? I love to go to Nana and Papa’s house to swim, jump on the trampoline, and play with my cousins. I also like going to the park to play and swing. We also hear that you have older and younger siblings. What do you like
about being in the middle? I always have someone to play with like Aubrey, Kirra, and Chase. Tell us about the new online campaign you are a part of for local businesses Magical Child and Handels Ice Cream. I love Magical Child, they have pretty unicorn costumes, play kitchens, and I like their bubbles. I like getting special treasures there. I like Ice Cream, Handel’s ice cream is yummy. My favorite flavor is vanilla with rainbow sprinkles. What are some of your other favorite places to go in North County? Quail Gardens (San Diego Botanical Gardens) is super fun. I like to play in the music garden, bamboo forest and play house. The beach is fun because it has water and we can bring sand toys there. To see more follow this super fun little girl and her family adventures on Instagram! @thekelsays NCK
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Children’s Primary Extended Care SPORTS PHYSICALS AVAILABLE NOW! Did you know that a sports physical completed in June, July or August will cover your child for all sports during the following school year? We also offer sports physicals at our after-hours locations.
Call today to schedule your child’s sports physical! 858-502-1184 CPEC Vista
CPEC Coastal CPEC Scripps Parkway
2067 West Vista Way, #180 Vista, CA 92083
CPEC East County
12395 El Camino Real, #219 San Diego, CA 92130
CPEC South Bay
12036 Scripps Highlands Drive, #102 San Diego, CA 92131
CPEC S. Riverside*
250 East Chase Avenue, #108 El Cajon, CA 92020 769 Medical Center Court, #300 Chula Vista, CA 91911 25485 Medical Center Drive, #220 Murrieta, CA 92562 *Mon-Thurs, 6pm-8:45 p.m.
www.CPCMG.net Affiliated with Rady Children’s Health Network
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North County Kids | September 2017
Accredited by the
ACCREDITATION ASSOCIATION for
AMBULATORY HEALTH C ARE, INC.
HOT PICS
See what’s happening in North County!
Come check out amazing local artisans, boutique shopping, coffee, wine tasting, vegan BBQ, mini healing services and more at EVE in Encinitas on September 10! Come down to Seaport Village for a celebration of all things pirate in honor of Talk Like a Pirate Day on September 16! We encourage young and old to throw on their best pirate attire for a day of eye patches, parrots and walking the plank!
Does your toddler love playing with guitars, drums and instruments? Then they will love the New Children’s Museum’s Little Maestros happening each Monday in September! www.sdnorthcountykids.com • www.facebook.com/northcountykids
Farm Animal Fridays are the last Friday of each month at the San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum. KUSI News visited the museum highlighting these special guests, and new activities. Join them this Friday! September 2017 | North County Kids
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Surfer of the Month
Gavin Frank Grade: 8th School: Oak Crest Age: 13 Hometown: Leucadia, CA Stance: Regular Sponsors: Superbrand, Surface Started Surfing: 2009 Starting Competing: 2014 Hobbies: Free diving, Fishing, Skating, Snowboarding Favorite Surf Spot: Sunset Cliffs Long board or short board: Short board
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North County Kids | September 2017
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS 1st Place – WSA U16 August 5, 2017 2nd Place – WSA U16 January 14, 2017 3rd Place – SSS 2016-2017 Season Overall Ranking, Middle School Division 1
Photographs by Wendy Harper @moonlightsurfreport
“I love the feeling I get when I just got a good wave, and I am paddling back out. I feel like nothing else matters!”
QA
with Gavin
How has living in North County affected your surfing career? Growing up within this great community with good surfers and good waves helped encourage me to surf my best and keep progressing. Who are some local pros and companies that have helped you in your achievements? How? Rusty Phillipy has taught me a ton about technique. He is a great coach! KJ Butterfield and Mike Graney have helped me a lot with SSS competition strategy. Marcelo Bangoechea and Justin Cote of Superbrand have been really encouraging, and they have set me up with excellent boards. Surface sunscreen works really well in the water; it keeps me protected so I can surf longer.
Any advice to other surfers out there looking to improve their skills? Try to focus on your technique in both big and small waves.
championship tour of surfing.
What do you love the most about surfing? Why? I love the feeling I get when I just got a good wave, and I am paddling back out. I feel like nothing else matters!
Where is your go-to surf gear shop? Hansen’s in downtown Encinitas has all the right equipment.
Have you ever had any shark run-ins? Other sea creatures? Fortunately, I’ve never had a shark run-in while surfing. But I recently went deep sea fishing, and we saw a 4-6 foot shark cruising around our boat. Where do you see yourself professionally in 5 years? Continuing to learn technique from Rusty Phillipy and perfecting my maneuvers. I hope to someday be on the
Who is your favorite pro-surfer? Dane Reynolds.
What’s the biggest wave you’ve ever surfed? 10-foot Sunset in Hawaii. Is there anything else you would like to add? I want to thank Jack McDaniels and Moonlight Surf Report for all the great photos they take of us kids. Thanks to Carolyn Krammer and all the SSS and WSA organizers for supporting the sport of surfing. And, of course, a huge thank you to my family! NCK
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Would your child benefit from being in a school with smaller class sizes and personalized attention from caring and qualified teachers?
Would your child benefit from an approach to education that focuses on his or her strengths, needs, and interests?
Would your child thrive in a nurturing, safe, and inspiring environment?
If so, our school may be the perfect environment for your child.
Rancho Encinitas Academy and Edison Academy
Where Creative Minds Thrive Rancho Encinitas Academy has been providing an excellent educational experience to North County students for
over twenty years.
Our enthusiastic teachers provide a quality, child-centered approach to education. Hands-on and project based learning activities benefit our students by providing them with opportunities to engage in meaningful learning and mastery of grade level academic concepts. In our Edison Academy program, we offer specialized instruction for students who learn differently. Our students enjoy weekly classes in social skills, yoga, art, music, and physical education.
Call us at 760-942-2011 or visit RanchoEncinitasAcademy.com to learn more about our programs and schedule a tour.
Back to School Mad Lib
Today is the first day of school. I am _____________ (number) years old and am in the __________ (number with –th) grade. I decided to wear my ________________(color) ________________ (article of clothing) with my ________________ (adjective) ________________ (noun). For lunch I packed my favorite sandwich: ________________ (food item) with ________________ (food item). I left the house at ________________ (number) o’clock and ________________ (verb with –ed) to school with my friend ________________ (friends name). On the way there, I tripped over a ________________ (adjective) ________________ (noun) and scraped my ________________ (body part). I finally got to school ________________ (number) ________________ (measurement in time) late. My teacher was busy ________________ (verb with –ing), so I ________________ (verb with –ed) in the room and ________________ (adverb) ________________ (verb with –ed) in my ________________ (piece of furniture). At recess I played ________________ (sport) with my friends and scored ________________ (number) points. I then went to art and music class where I got to make a ________________ (adjective) ________________ (noun) and play a ________________ (instrument). Overall it was a ________________ (adverb) ________________ (adjective) day. September 2017 | North County Kids
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PICK YOUR FAVORITE SPOT TO WATCH ANYTIME AND ANYWHERE - AND GET READY FOR A FUN-FILLED ADVENTURE WITH
WIN A LEGO NINJAGO PRIZE PACK BY VISITING Facebook.com/NorthCountyKidsMagazine Comment your BEST caption on the LEGO NINJAGO photo posted on the Facebook page and also available under Photos > Contest, and you will be entered to WIN!
GOOD LUCK! The 20 lucky winners will be announced September 7th.
IN THEATERS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22ND! LEGONINJAGOMOVIE.COM | #LEGONINJAGOMOVIE
DOWN TO EARTH DAD
TALES OF A SUGAR FREE SUMMER T his summer my family took an epic adventure. We didn’t go on a Disney cruise. We didn’t go to Europe. We went to a place very few families travel. We went sugar free. It all started about four months ago when my daughter heard the jingle from an ice cream truck in our neighborhood, bolted out the door, chased down the sketchy driver, and returned with a bag full of candy. Candy? If she would have waltzed in with a Turbo Rocket Popsicle or an Orange Burst Pop Up I don’t think I would have flipped out. But she arrived with candy, and that was the final Pixy Stix that pushed me over the edge. In the months preceding the fateful ice cream truck encounter everywhere I turned people where pushing sugar on my kids. Teachers were giving them candy at school as a reward. Parents were drowning them with cake and ice cream at birthday parties. The post-game snack at sporting events had morphed from orange wedges to Gatorade and Gummi Bears. Granted, I wasn’t totally blameless either—I like to make the occasional peanut butter milkshake in the Vitamix. But we were approaching the confectionary Rubicon and something needed to be done. When I announced to the family that the summer of 2017 was going to be sans sugar my wife cheered in agreement, my son cried and my daughter (a lawyer’s child) attempted to negotiate a better deal.
“If I have to give up sugar then you have to give up coffee,” she demanded. Touché. She pierced me in my caffeinated Achilles heel. But I quickly explained that she lived in a dictatorship, I am Kim Jung-il, and all negotiation is futile. For years my wife has claimed the kids were addicted to sugar and I always dismissed this notion. But I quickly realized my wife’s wisdom when I saw the tremendous agony in their little faces with the prospect of a summer without sweets. The more they protested the more I knew I was making the right call. My attempts to explain to them that they weren’t being punished rang hollow in their ears. When you’re a kid and your dad tells you that you can’t have any ice cream all summer that sure sounds a lot like punishment, and I totally get that. But I wasn’t punishing them; I was trying to protect them. Sadly, I’ve recently noticed that several of their friends have packed on a few extra pounds in the last year, and I didn’t want to see that happen to my kids because I know firsthand that being the fat kid in fourth grade is no fun. When I was a kid I drank a lot of Pepsi and didn’t get much exercise. By the time I hit fourth grade I was really fat. Coincidentally, that year we read Judy Bloom’s book Blubber in class, and as the teacher read passages aloud I could hear the snickering from my classmates, and I knew they were talking about me. To this day I hate
Judy Bloom and all of her stupid books. Going sugar free this summer hasn’t been easy. We had to forgo a few family traditions, like our annual trip to this amazing ice cream parlor at Camp Richardson, just south of Lake Tahoe. But for the most part we managed to make it through unscathed. There were even a few unexpected surprises from avoiding sugar: my daughter became an expert in reading nutritional labels and my son discovered he actually loves blueberries, especially if they are topped with a bit of whipped cream. But the best part of our sugar free journey is that a couple of parents have told me how fit and trim my kids are looking, and that is nice to hear considering we live in a world dripping in high fructose corn syrup. My kids were totally stoked when I told them we were done with our sugar free summer and we were going to celebrate with a milkshake, which is now valued as a treat in our family and no longer considered a daily expectation. However, they weren’t as excited when I told them that following our celebratory milkshakes we were embarking on a sugar free life. NCK The Down-To-Earth-Dad is a lawyer by day and youth soccer coach by night. He lives in Carlsbad with his wife and two kids.
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BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
Back To School Gear: Let Your Kids Chooze If children had the opportunity to design their own clothing line, chances are there would be a swarm of color, an array of mismatched patterns and the impressive ability to stand out in a crowd. While there is an innate parental desire that drives many of us to try and steer them in a different direction, Sharon Blumberg, founder of Chooze, believes it is the freedom to express ones self that is the key to unleashing their potential. “My husband and I believe strongly in our purpose of inspiring kids with creativity, confidence and the power to have an impact,” says Sharon. “Running a business together can be overwhelming but our purpose fuels our hard work and we feel extremely proud of what we create every day.”
“She would always just instinctively grab two different shoes. People would say, ‘It’s so great that you let her do that.’ I was just letting her be herself.”
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North County Kids | September 2017
THE MAKING OF A COMPANY With that thought serving as inspiration, the family launched Chooze in 2011. The collection started out as a mismatched shoe line, but quickly grew into a lifestyle brand including clothes, backpacks and accessories. Ayla, currently 10 years old, is still involved in day to day operations. She “reviews collections with me before we go to production and tests many of our products,” says Sharon adding, “It is always good to get a chid’s perspective on our prints and color choices.”
GIVING BACK In addition to empowering kids through their wardrobe, the company is helping them ‘Chooze’ to make a positive impact. A percentage of each purchase goes to one of five children related causes that kids can decide on themselves through their website.
illustration by freepik.com
MISMATCHED SHOES From a very young age, Blumberg’s daughter, Ayla, was expressing herself through her wardrobe choices, which often included two mismatched shoes.
Jump in Unity
Little Choice in Flare
Skip in Prism
Bolt in Brush
G I V E A W A Y !
Win a new pair of back to school shoes! Let your kids ‘Chooze’ which ones they like! Just email us at info@sdnorthcountykids.com with the subject “Chooze Giveaway” and you will be entered! Good Luck! Contributed by Elise Edwards: Elise Edwards began her career writing, producing and reporting for CNN. She later served as the Supervising Producer of E! Networks, “The Daily 10” and has most recently been freelance writing for websites and magazines including LA Weekly, Los Angeles Confidential, JustLuxe, and San Diego Family as well as her own parenting blog, LuxeAngelesMom.com. She lives with her husband, two children and Tibetan Terrier in beautiful Santa Monica, CA where she enjoys days at the beach, walks along Montana Ave and exploring everything from restaurants to hiking trails. Follow her on Twitter @luxeangelesmom
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MOM TO MOM BOOK REVIEW
Megan Rath is a wife and mom of an 10 year old daughter and 6 year old son. She is the organizer of the Hip Chicks Book Club (www.meetup.com/hipchicksbookclub), a large group of diverse women of all ages that meets in North County every month. A native of North County all her life, she currently lives in Vista.
The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines Chip and Joanna Gaines are the popular stars of the show Fixer Upper on HGTV, and the owners of Magnolia Market in Waco, Texas. This is the story of how it all came to be, from how they met, to their first project together, to how they’ve become the wholesome icons so many have grown to love. I’ve got to be honest. I’ve never seen a full episode of Fixer Upper. I know. But many of my friends and family have been fans since the beginning, and when a friend suggested the book (which also happened to be on sale) I thought, eh, what the heck? And I’m glad I did. Chip and Joanna’s story is sweet, and they seem like great role models, with faith to move mountains. They made a fan out of me. I give it a B. Check out Chips Gaines’ new book, Capital Gaines: The Smart Things I’ve Learned by Doing Stupid Stuff out on October 17.
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North County Kids | September 2017
The Circle by Dave Eggers When Mae gets a job at The Circle (and internet company that I imagined was like a combination of Facebook, Google, and Amazon in one), she feels like she’s been given a once in a lifetime opportunity. As she climbs higher and higher in the company ranks, she can’t believe her luck, even if she is losing her family and friends along the way. Not to mention, her morals, as well as her privacy. This book is eerily close to the direction our society is headed. At times it was downright scary, knowing that this could one day (very soon) be us. It was well written, well thought out, and very realistic. A pretty good read. I give it a B-. If you liked this one, check out Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.
HOT PICS
See what’s happening in North County! Kids at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego can’t wait to come back to the Clubs’ after school programs. They get to make new friends, help with homework, and get healthy snacks!
The Grauer School welcomed 41 new students and their families at the New Student and Family Orientation event.. complete with the historical solar eclipse! The LecadiART Walk was a success! Thank you to all of the amazing artists and visitors.
Thank you Encinitas for coming out for Volkswagen Cruise Night! Great rides! Great music! Great times! See you all in September for Woodie Night! www.sdnorthcountykids.com • www.facebook.com/northcountykids
Qualcomm summer interns spent some quality time at the BGCGSD Clairemont Branch leading fun activities with the kids. At the end of the day they surprised the club with a $500 check that will go towards healthy lifestyle programs!
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Skater of the Month
Weston Ahumada CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Ollieing a 5/6 stair. Doing a contest at Element skate camp. Learning to skate lots of terrain, bowls, stairs, flat rails, ramps, etc.
Age: 13 Hometown: Encinitas, CA Stance: Regular Started Skating at Age: 9 Favored Discipline: Street
QA
with Weston
How has living in North County affected your skating career? I’ve been able to meet some really good skaters that have helped me learn new tricks, as opposed to when I lived in Hawaii, where not that many people skateboarded. Where do you see yourself professionally in 5 years? With maybe 1 or two sponsors, I haven’t really met anyone that could do that for me yet. What’s your favorite after-school snack (skating fuel)? Salt and pepper tomatoes.
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North County Kids | September 2017
What advice do you have for other kids thinking about learning how to skateboard? Go for it, don’t get too scared. We hear that you have several other talents and hobbies, can you tell our readers about those? I like to surf and that’s about it, surfing in North county is a lot different than surfing in Hawaii. How do you juggle your other interests and skateboarding? In school, I can surf now for one of my classes, so that I can skateboard in my free time. NCK
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EVENTS
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN NORTH COUNTY
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North County Kids | September 2017
SEPTEMBER 1-29 Cruisin’ Grand in downtown Escondido Cruisin’ Grand has become not only the #1 car cruise in the nation, but more importantly, the heart of Escondido. Sure, it’s where highend hotrods cruise and park, and Discovery Channel stars and Eric Clapton stroll, but more importantly it’s where local families come to spend a few hours, people meet up with friends, and neighbors run into each other. Cruisin’ Grand has given people a reason to come downtown every week, and in the process they have rediscovered all that downtown has to offer: restaurants, stores, performance venues and professional offices. Free Every Friday 5-9 pm www.cruisingrand.com
kids, a dozen gourmet food trucks, a great view of the bay, tall ships and cannon battles… 5-9pm Broadway Pier & Pavilion 1000 North Harbor Drive San Diego, CA 92101 www.ussandsculpting.com SEPTEMBER 1 First Friday Oceanside Art Walk Celebrate the thriving arts and culture scene in the heart of downtown Oceanside. The First Friday: Oceanside Art Walk will showcase live performances, music, poetry, art education, and culinary and pop-up art galleries showcased in local businesses and public spaces. Admission to all venues is free and open to the public. 5 – 9 pm Downtown Oceanside 311 N Tremont St Oceanside, CA 92054 www.visitoceanside.org SEPTEMBER 2 Breakfast with Tigers at San Diego Zoo Safari Park Treat yourself to a bountiful buffet breakfast while watching beautiful tigers, all before the Safari Park opens for the day and see how the big cats start their day. An open buffet, featuring a traditional American hot breakfast, awaits you in Tiger Trail’s Sambutan Longhouse, a comfortable and shaded venue with fantastic views of our tiger yards. A tiger keeper will be on hand to share stories about our fantastic felines and will invite one of the tigers to demonstrate a training session for you at the Tiger Experience Wall. Explore Tiger Trail, and the rest of the Safari Park, on your own after breakfast. $45 per person 8 am 15500 San Pasqual Valley Road Escondido, California 92027 www.sdzsafaripark.org
SEPTEMBER 1-4 U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge & Dimensional Art Exposition World Master Sand Sculptors come from Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands and Canada, from exotic places like Latvia and Russia, to challenge the best in the U.S. Their dimensional art is astounding. You’ll fall in love with it. But you can’t take it with you. The sculptures weigh over 10 tons each and they’d ruin your lawn. So we have over 1,000 works of art that you can fall in love with, buy and take home. Oh, and there’s live entertainment (big bands, singers and more), a sand box and rides for
Beach Cleanup at Oceanside Pier All are invited to attend the beach cleanups held the first Saturday of the month at the Oceanside Pier. Participants should meet along the north side of the Pier. Cleanup supplies will be provided, but please bring your own reusable bag, bucket and working gloved if you have them. Pre-registration is only required for groups of 25 or more people. The monthly beach cleanups are facilitated by Surfrider San Diego. 9 – 11 am Oceanside Pier 301 The Strand N Oceanside, CA 92054 www.visitoceanside.org
Family Fun Day at San Elijo Lagoon Nature Center 11:30 am – 1:30 pm 2710 Manchester Avenue Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA 92007 www.sanelijo.org Star Wars Day Join us for our annual Star Wars Party here at Poway Library. We will have Star Wars inspired crafts, DIY lightsaber making, viewing of the movie, refreshments, and a visit from the 501st. Light refreshments and all materials will be provided. Just show up, dress up, and have fun. 11am-1pm Poway Library 13137 Poway Road Poway, 92064 (858) 513-2900 North County Supports Shelter To Soldier (NCSSTS) Fundraiser North County Supports Shelter To Soldier (NCSSTS) will assist with staging an upcoming fundraiser in the group’s efforts to aid a nonprofit organization that provides service dogs free of charge to military veterans in need. The event will feature long-haired and bearded volunteers who have offered to be shaved during the afternoon party. Offering up their heads and faces for charity are Joe Kuntz, Alina Diaz, Daniel Humann and Jake Jucenas. Chances to shave these volunteers will be raffled off during the event. Event tickets for attendees at a concurrent “Sadie Hawkins” Dinner Party will be available for $10 apiece. 12pm Alvin Myo Dunn American Legion Post 365 1234 S. Santa Fe Ave., Vista, CA 92084 SEPTEMBER 4: Happy Labor Day!!! Labor Day Pier Swim at Oceanside Pier 1 mile (out and around pier) course marked with colored buoys. Oceanside Swim Club (“OSC”) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing a fun, safe, and competitive atmosphere for your children. We are a yearround competitive swim team offering high quality professional coaching and technique instruction for ages 5 to 18 years old. $40-$70 entry fee
MORE EVENTS ON THE NEXT PAGE!
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WHAT’S HAPPENING IN NORTH COUNTY 7AM Check-in Oceanside Pier-Lifeguard Tower 1 www.labordaypierswim.com SEPTEMBER 7 Teen Robot Building Teens come build a robot using gears and motor kits. Free and open to teens in grads 6-12 4pm Poway Library 13137 Poway Road Poway, 92064 (858) 513-2900 SEPTEMBER 8 Oceanside Firefighter Charity Surf Surf for the Sea is an environmental surfing event established in 1996 which honors the lives of influential local surfers who have passed away in recent years. Oceanside Harbor North Jetty www.facebook.com/surfforthesea Summer Movies in the Park Series: Moana Summer Movies in the Park is a perfect chance to relax and enjoy a safe and special night under the stars. Come early and get a good seat! The Summer Movies in the Park event series began in 2007 as a ‘take back our parks’ initiative, giving local residents a reason to visit their local county and city parks for a free and safe evening event. This well-attended community activity deterred inappropriate after-hours park use and loitering and gave residents an opportunity to feel safe in their local park, thus encouraging future visits. Free 6 pm Fallbrook Community Center 341 Heald Ln Fallbrook, CA 92028 www.summermoviesinthepark.com Teen Gamers After Hours Party Teens join us for a gamers themed after hours party. We will play Dungeons and Dragons, Video games, Pokémon Card Battles, Board Games, and Pizza will be provided. Bring your own Pokémon cards if you want to battle others. Open and Free to teens in grades 6-12 (permission slip required) 6-8:30pm Poway Library 13137 Poway Road Poway, 92064 (858) 513-2900
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North County Kids | September 2017
SEPTEMBER 9-10 Surf for the Sea at Oceanside Harbor Surf for the Sea is an environmental surfing event established in 1996 which honors the lives of influential local surfers who have passed away in recent years. 7am $50 entry fee per division Oceanside Harbor North Jetty www.facebook.com/surfforthesea SEPTEMBER 9 Downtown History Walk at Oceanside Public Library The Oceanside Historical Society serves the community through our museum, website, publications and walking tours. Most of our services, including our museum and history walks, are free. Our mission is to gather, preserve and share the history of our beautiful City. Free 9 – 11 am 305 North Nevada Street Oceanside www.oceansidehistoricalsociety.org Second Saturday Art Walk in downtown Escondido Welcome to Escondido’s 2nd Saturday Arts & Culture Experiences… a uniquely creative collaboration comprised of many different events. Bring the kids, enjoy a date night, or a friend’s afternoon out… there’s something for everyone! This fantastic collection of diverse cultural experiences still includes the wondrously eclectic art galleries of Escondido’s historic downtown and has grown to include arts, theater, museums and historical and educational experiences all around the area… and all throughout the day. 9 am – 1 pm 235 East Grand Avenue Escondido, CA 92025 www.visitescondido.com SEPTEMBER 10: Happy Grandparents’ Day Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon Surfing Competition at Del Mar Dog Beach Friends, families and pups come together for a day of sun, surf and fun, all to benefit the animals and programs at Helen Woodward Animal Center! Spectators are welcome to hunker down on the beach and experience 80 surfing dogs compete for “Top Surf Dog.” There are also interactive vendor booths, food, doggie costume contests, a dog agility course, live music, opportunity drawings and summer fun! The event is FREE to attend, but donations
are encouraged and go directly to Helen Woodward Animal Center. Starts at 8am 3200 Camino Del Mar, Del Mar, CA 92014 www.animalcenter.org SEPTEMBER 11 2,973 lives lost. We will never forget. SEPTEMBER 13 South O Walkabout in Oceanside The locally organized South O Walkabout is a monthly walking event that showcases our localvore beach community and its’ unique shops and restaurants. This monthly event will be encouraging walkers to discover the unique shopping and dining experiences offered in South Oceanside so come eat, drink, shop, and Walk; Good Vibes only! The Walkabout footprint is the shopping district in South O. On the south end it starts at Urge Gastropub and extends north to the Privateer on Whaley St. The easy walk is about .4 miles each way. 5 – 8 pm www.visitoceanside.org Oceanside Classic Car Cruise Night at Privateer Marketplace Take a trip back in time while attending the Oceanside Classic Car Cruise on the second Wednesday of every month from 5pm-9pm at the Privateer Marketplace. Look at vintage cars, while talking to and meeting with the owners to discover all of the work that goes into preserving these beautiful vehicles. If you bring your own classic car to join in you will receive a 10% discount on food that night. 5 – 9 pm 1704 S. Coast Highway Oceanside, CA 92054 www.visitoceanside.org SEPTEMBER 16-17 Oceanside Harbor Days www.oceansidechamber.com SEPTEMBER 16 Wavecrest Woodie meet at Moonlight Beach This is it …… Wavecrest, the granddaddy of all woodie meets. At Moonlight Beach at the end of Encinitas Blvd in Encinitas, CA you will experience the longest running and largest gathering of woodies in the world. Woodies begin arriving in the wee hours and by 8:00 am there are around 300 woodies of every size, shape, description on display. Throughout the day there is Hawaiian and
surf music performed live, along with fabulous raffle prizes and awards for the best of the best. Wavecrest merchandise and food will be available at the event. Free 8 am – 3 pm 400 B St, Encinitas, CA 92024 www.sandiegowoodies.com/events/wavecrest Night at the Library Gala Carlsbad Library and Arts Foundation presents the Annual Night at the Library! Dinner, Dancing, and Live Entertainment from Grammy Nominated Singer Songwriter Perla Batalla included! With your purchase you also receive one FREE ticket for the Raffle Grand Prize: a Week’s Stay at a Grand Pacific Vacation Resort! 5 – 10 pm. Carlsbad Central Library Complex 1775 Dove Lane Carlsbad, CA 92011 www.carlsbadlibraryartsfoundation.org Landlubbers Day A celebration of all things pirate in honor of Talk Like a Pirate Day. We encourage young and old to throw on their best pirate attire for a day of eye patches, parrots and walking the plank! The free event features live music from the Jackstraws, San Diego’s own pirate-themed band; a “Talk Like a Pirate” and costume contest; arts and crafts; a mermaid grotto with mermaids available for photos and pirate’s booty food and drink specials from the Seaport Village eateries. 12-4pm Guests are encouraged to don their finest eye patches and pirate garb. See you there! Seaport Village 849 West Harbor Drive San Diego, 92101 SEPTEMBER 19-24 Disney’s The Little Mermaid at San Diego Civic Theatre In a magical kingdom beneath the sea, the beautiful young mermaid Ariel longs to leave her ocean home to live in the world above. Based on one of Hans Christian Andersen’s most beloved stories, with music by eight-time Academy Award winner Alan Menken, it’s a hauntingly beautiful love story for the ages. Come fall in love with the magic for the first time—or all over again with classics such as “Under the Sea,” “Kiss the Girl, “Part of Your World” and more! Ticket prices vary San Diego Civic Theatre 1100 Third Ave San Diego, CA 92101 www.sandiegotheatres.org
SEPTEMBER 20 Oceanside Hotrod & Classic Car Cruise Night Mission Ave Bar & Grill will be hosting an Oceanside Cruise Night for hotrods and classic cars to be shown off and admired. Free 5 – 9 pm 711 Mission Avenue Oceanside, CA 92054 www.visitoceanside.org SEPTEMBER 21 Classic Car Night in downtown Encinitas Come to Downtown Encinitas for this unbeatable combination of historic cars, historic Hwy 101 and a national award-winning MainStreet. You will hear live music in various spots along South Coast Hwy 101. The event is open and free to the public. Every car in attendance is eligible for awards and there is no cost for displaying or viewing the cars. If historic Downtown Encinitas is not reason enough to enjoy a night out on the town, Encinitas Classic Car Nights will up the ante. It is an excellent reason to spend a summer night out in a historic downtown with great restaurants and unique shops. Free 5:30 – 7:30 pm Downtown Encinitas www.encinitas101.com SEPTEMBER 22-24 MCAS Miramar Air Show Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy exciting performances from military parachute teams and aerial demonstrations by the F-35B Lightning II, the AV-8B Harrier, the MV-22B Osprey, and an intense Marine Air-Ground Task Force demonstration. The MCAS Miramar flight line will also feature static displays, including past and present aircraft and ground combat equipment, air show memorabilia and plenty of vendors and activities for families to enjoy. Stop by and explore our military aircraft, or just sit back and enjoy the show. Prices vary MCAS Miramar www.miramarairshow.com
family-friendly environment. This popular event is included with park admission, and takes place every Saturday and Sunday from September 23 through October 29, 2017. 500 SeaWorld Drive San Diego, CA 92109 www.seaworld.com/san-diego SEPTEMBER 23 Poway Rodeo The Poway Rodeo will continue to feature the traditions of the old West and Cowboy heritage while honoring our 45 years of hosting the Poway Rodeo. The event is a natural fit with Poway, whose “city in the country” motto plays up a rural and horsefriendly atmosphere despite the city’s proximity to San Diego. The Poway Rodeo Committee is committed to bringing you a fast-paced, exciting event that will leave you at the edge of your seat. Prices vary Times vary Poway Valley Riders Association Arena 14336 Tierra Bonita Road Poway, CA www.powayrodeo.com SEPTEMBER 29 Have more fun in your everyday life when you can harness play in all that you do! Wendi McKenna, creator of Move Play Grow, will guide you through learning and practicing the ins and outs of baby play. Be ready for lots of interaction, crazy silliness, incredible bonding moments, and plenty of laughs. 10:30am Encinitas Library 540 Cornish Drive Encinitas, 92024
SEPTEMBER 22 First day of autumn! SEPTEMBER 23 – OCTOBER 29 Halloween Spooktacular at SeaWorld San Diego Our Halloween Spooktacular is our biggest fall festival, with weekends brimming with family fun. Catch spooky live shows, join in on Halloween activities and let the little ones trick-or-treat throughout the park in a safe,
MORE EVENTS ON THE NEXT PAGE!
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WHAT’S HAPPENING IN NORTH COUNTY SEPTEMBER 30
SEPTEMBER 30 – OCTOBER 30
Boys & Girls Clubs of Carlsbad 36th Annual Gala All of the Proceeds Benefit Boys & Girls Clubs of Carlsbad, nearly 100% Supported by Local Donors Like You. $250/person 6 pm Omni La Costa Resort & Spa 2100 Costa Del Mar Rd Carlsbad, CA 92009 760.444.4893 pat@bgccarlsbad.org www.bgccarlsbad.org
Big Horse Corn Maze & Harvest Festival Every weekend will be Corny and Crazy with the Pumpkin Patch and pay to play activities to include the Corn Maze, pony rides (excluding the first weekend), hay ride, pillow jump, rock wall, corn cannon, face painting, duck races, rock wall, gem mining and more. We have many family friendly free activities to enjoy in our animal sharing center, mini maze, corn boxes, excavator scoops, pig races, Hoola hoop contest, pie eating contest, pumpkin bowling, and bean bag toss.
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North County Kids | September 2017
Big Horse Feed & Mercantile 33320 Temecula Parkway Temecula, California 92592 www.bighorsecornmaze.com
TOYS FOR JOY: FINDING HOPE IN THE MIDST OF BACKTO-SCHOOL SEASON By Katie Willis
M
ost schools around the United States are opening their doors once again for what they expect to be another year of growth and development for their students this month. Preparing for the new academic year to begin means a lot of things – one of those is back-to-school shopping. From new backpacks, lunchboxes, supplies lists, or adding a few new items to the wardrobe, making a trip to the store is a must for most before a student begins their first day. According to Deloitte, the average U.S. household spends about $488 in back-to-school supplies, while approximately $130 is spent on each child’s apparel. For many, it means having the latest style or whatever is deemed “cool” by their classmates, but a majority of the students at Porter Elementary are happy wearing an outfit without holes or entering the classroom with school supplies of their own. It makes all the difference when a child can walk into class feeling not only prepared but wearing clothes that, essentially, help them fit in with their classmates. San Diego’s Rock Church is proud to continue its efforts in serving the community, and one of the many ways they help the surrounding neighborhoods is through the Rock Thrift Store. From tops, dresses, backpacks, and shoes, the store offers gently-used items perfect for any kid looking for clothes to start the new school year. It is their mission to give back throughout the year, especially around the back-to-school season and the Christmas holiday. Geneise Ligon, a former administrator for Porter Elementary, recalls plenty of students who have felt more confident after receiving clothes from the Rock Thrift Store through the Toys for Joy event.
“Regardless of how crazy their home life may be, they walk into class with their heads held high all because of the clothes they’re wearing,” said Ligon. Because of this, they are able to focus on school, learning and making friends with their classmates, instead of falling victim to the, sometimes, cruel and hurtful words that can be said when you look different than your fellow classmates. “Pity is the last thing the kids of Porter Elementary are looking for,” says Ligon. “It’s a matter of them feeling like ‘I’m just like everyone else.’” For many of them, that’s a good thing because at the end of the day, all they’re looking for is to be loved and hopeful they can be on the same “playing field” as their classmates. Although the Rock Thrift Store is open all year, many in the community attend Rock Church’s annual and well-known event, Toys for Joy, where over 300,000 articles of clothing are distributed, along with food and toys, at Porter Elementary and three other locations throughout San Diego County. The event, which is in its 21st year, seeks to impact the lives of area children through providing a toy and food for their family combined in an event that ministers in both a practical and spiritual way. Last year alone, Toys for Joy provided over 25,000 toys; 12,000 bags of groceries; and 312,500 articles of clothing and shoes to brighten the lives of many San Diego kids. “We’re ready to show God’s love in the communities where we live and serve,” says Rock Church Senior Pastor Miles McPherson. “That’s the purpose of the church.” If you would like to learn more about Toys for Joy and how you can help, visit Toys-For-Joy.org. If you would like to learn more about the Rock Thrift Store, visit RockThriftStore.com. September 2017 | North County Kids
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844-415-5266
A IS FOR APP
School Essentials! Photomath Free Photomath is a excellent, free app built to end your suffering over math problems. Point your phone’s camera at a math problem, and the app will both answer the problem and show you a step-by-step explanation. The only downside to this app is that it does not answer handwritten problems — only those appearing in a textbook. It also doesn’t answer more advanced math problems, but fraction, linear, decimal and logarithm equations are fair game.
BibMe Free BibMe takes over one of the most timeconsuming parts of writing a research paper — the bibliography. This app helps you format your list of references, including the most common APA, MLA, Chicago or Turabian formats. It’s the easiest way to generate citations to build a works cited page. Search for a book, article, website, film, or enter the information yourself. Add it to your bibliography and continue citing to build your works’ cited list. Download your bibliography in either the APA, MLA, Chicago or Turabian formats. It’s that easy! If required by your instructor, you can add annotations to your citations.
My Study Life Free My Study Life app replaces any paper planner by keeping track of your workload across multiple platforms and devices. Manage your classes with week and day timetables, keep track of tasks and exams in the cloud and receive notifications to keep you up to date with exam schedules and classes. A clean interface and the ability to color code your classes make the calendar easy to read.
Microsoft Office Mobile Free This app is a must-have. Microsoft Office Mobile lets you access, edit and share all of your Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents on your Android and iOS devices. If you want to start your homework and don’t have a laptop handy, you can create new Word and Excel documents straight from your phone.
Scribd $8.99 Scribd is essentially the Netflix of books — whether you are a bibliophile or just need textbooks for your lit class, Scribd’s supply of more than 1 million books, audiobooks and documents is well worth its $8.99 monthly fee. The app recommends titles based on ones you liked in the past and lets you store books to read offline across your phone, tablet and computer.
Tiny Scanner Free Tiny Scanner is ideal for making sure your handwritten class notes are at least legible enough to send to a classmate. This app uses the camera on your phone or tablet to scan documents and export them into PDFs that you can email or save to your camera roll. You can also crop and color-correct your images before you export them into PDFs.
Scholly $2.99 Shark Tank winner Christopher Gray developed this app so that high school, college and graduate students could easily access more ways to pay for college. The free version of Scholly gives tips for how to win scholarships and showcases past winning essays. To get full access to curated lists of scholarships without ads and the scholarship search function, you’ll have to purchase a Scholly account in-app for $2.99.
Presented by
Vocabulary Builder Free Vocabulary Builder from Magoosh is the best vocabulary app to test yourself for the SAT, TOEFL or GRE. After all, vocabulary does make up a good third of these tests. You can quiz yourself at different levels of difficulty on 1,200 of the most important vocabulary words, picked by expert tutors. Choose the best definition for each word, and if you don’t get some right, the app repeats those until you master them.
Complete Student Pack $6.99 If you need some help in math or science, this iOS bundle is here to help. With the iMathematics Pro, iPhysics Pro and iChemistry Pro, you can study more than 210 topics and 1,500 formulas. These apps come with seven calculators, a unit converter and more than 200 quizzes to test you on your progress. Solved examples and links to Wikipedia help you understand the problems you are studying.
Quizlet Free If you aren’t already an active Quizlet user, this app will turn you into a digital flashcards devotee. Just like the Quizlet website, the app allows you to search through thousands of sets of flashcards other users have made and to create sets of your own. With each set, you can play games such as Scatter and Gravity as well as test your memory with multiple-choice sample tests generated by the app.
Wolfram Alpha $2.99 Wolfram Alpha can answer most of your questions about math, physics, chemistry, words, demographics, conversions, dates for important events, and much more. Seriously, just check out the company’s examples page. And with the Wolfram Alpha app, it’s all in your pocket. There’s a learning curve for figuring out how best to input questions, but once you’ve figured it out, this app can solve just about anything you throw at it. nck
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Specializing in Family, Wedding, and High School Senior Photography. (760) 715-0807
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