Nwk jan2014 final

magazine

l i v e • play • do

The

Arts Issue

An interview with Carson Ellis The IPRC | Music Classes School Open House Guide

nwkidsmagazine.com

Jan

2014

2 | NW Kids Magazine

NW Kids Magazine | 3

editors’

Corner

Welcome, 2014. With all the hubbub of the holiday season behind us, it’s a great time to start thinking about how you will spend this year getting out with the family. If you’re like us you might already be planning vacations, exploring camps, classes, summer programs, and how to make this year fun for your kids. You might also be transitioning this year from young children to kids starting school. If so, you may have a handful of schools to visit in order to make the best choice for your family.

This month we feature some great editorial on the arts in Portland, not to mention, a lovely interview with one of our favorite Portland area artists, Carson Ellis.

We couldn’t be more excited to share this issue with you; it appeals to our junior-high school selves; music, art and zines! It’s funny how some things never change.

Are you looking for music classes for the budding musician in your life? Don’t miss our piece on how to foster a love for music. Also, maybe you’ve been curious about where you and your kids can get involved in zine making. If so, read up about the IPRC. And if you are starting to consider your options when it comes to where your children will go to school, don’t miss our January Open House Guide.

And, in celebration of the arts, we’re having a contest! Your kiddo’s art could be featured on the February cover of NW Kids and they could win some great prizes. You have two more weeks to get your kids’ entries in. For more information visit, nwkidsmagazine.com/colorme/.

Happy New Year, Kelley & Beth

4 | NW Kids Magazine

Contents january 2014

8 From Banging Spoons to Budding Musicians 12 Canvases and Camper Vans: An Interview with Illustrator, Carson Ellis 16 School Open House Guide 28 Best of Portland and Beyond Our Top Picks for Getting Out This Month 32 Found Around Town: Art & Music 34 The IPRC A Place to Create 36 Books for Young Artists

Cover and Contents Photography by K DIMOFF PHOTOGRAPHY kdimoffphotography.com

NW Kids Magazine | 5

Listings Agia Sophia Academy...................................31 Ainsworth School.........................................37 Amiguitos Preschool.....................................27 Kids’ Backyard Store......................................40 Barre3............................................................13 Bennett Suzuki Violin Studio..........................9 Blue Frogs Jump...........................................37 Bridges Middle School..................................31 Cedarwood Waldorf School..........................26 Coffee Kids....................................................33 Beth Israel Preschool.....................................37 Cornerstone Montessori................................37 Delphian School............................................27 French American International School.........25 The German American School of Portland ..33 Glow Mother Baby........................................11 GoodTime Chinese School............................31 Harmony Road................................................9 Hope Chinese Charter School.......................37 KidFest...........................................................35 Kids Like Languages.....................................11 Laurelwood Public House & Brewery.............7 Legacy Health.................................................3 Little Fruit Farm Montessori..........................37 My MasterPiece Art Studio...........................11 Northwest Chinese Academy.......................33 Oregon Childrens Theater...............................2 Oregon Episcopal School..............................15 Oregon Hope Chinese School ......................37 Oregon Repertory Singers..............................9 Portland Aquarium.......................................13 Portland Language Arts...............................27 The Portland Montessori School..................31 Portland Parks and Recreation.......................9 Portland Trampoline.....................................40 Rising Star Chinese School...........................37 School of Autism...........................................25 Small Friends School....................................31 Soccer Shots............................................38-39 Spielwerk Toys.................................................7 St. Cecilia School...........................................26 St. Gabriel Episcopal School.........................37 St. John the Baptist Catholic School ............15 St. Matthew Catholic School........................31 Summa Institute...........................................33 Sweet Peas Kidzone......................................11 Tears of Joy Theatre.........................................9 The Art Of Movement.....................................7 The Bar Method Portland...............................2 The Marylhurst School.................................25 Tigard Playschool..........................................37 Trillium Preschool.........................................33 Trinity Lutheran School.................................25 WeVillage......................................................27 World Forestry Center.....................................7 World of Smiles...............................................9 Zenana Spa...................................................11

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magazine Publisher / Advertising Director Michelle Snell michelle@nwkidsmagazine.com Editorial Beth Friesenhahn beth@nwkidsmagazine.com Kelley Schaefer-Levi kelley@nwkidsmagazine.com Account Manager Laurel Ackerman laurel@nwkidsmagazine.com Client Services Coordinator / Client Ad Design Karel Chan karel@nwkidsmagazine.com Advertising Inquiries: 503-282-2711, ext. 1 sales@nwkidsmagazine.com Design Robyn Barbon robyn@folkloremedia.com Accounting & Business Services Heather Rex heather@nwkidsmagazine.com Connect With Us: • Phone: 503.282.2711 • email: contact@nwkidsmagazine.com • Facebook: facebook.com/nwkids • Twitter: @nwkids • Pinterest: pinterest.com/nwkids NW Kids is published monthly by Miche Media, LLC. Every effort is made to ensure accuracy; sometimes we make errors. Please let us know when we do and accept our apologies.

Printed locally; please recycle.

what we’re listening to

NW Kids Magazine | 7

From Banging Spoons to Budding Musicians Article and Photography by

R

laura jost

egardless of how you perceive your own musical abilities, if you are a parent or spend significant time around babies and children, it is all too clear how responsive they generally are to music and rhythm. I’m sure most of us have witnessed the sheer delight at the sound of a banging spoon; loud, sustained, and sometimes melodic vocalizations; wildeyed grasping at any toy that plays a tune; fussy babies that stop when music starts; furniture-cruising toddlers that start bopping up and down to any beat; little ones who love to blow raspberries; and giggles and applause at playing peek-a-boo and “so big”. Even though it doesn’t necessarily feel like it, activities that you already encourage are teaching components of music. Think about the rhythmic way that we use our bodies to put babies to sleep; we hum, pat, rock, sway, sing, and bounce.

And that’s just babies! What about the number of times you’ve seen older children exploring an unsupervised piano, dancing with no regard for onlookers, or singing at the top of their lungs. I think we are all more musical than we give ourselves credit for and it seems to be intrinsic of human nature. The youngest of us don’t question their rhythm or pitch; they just know what they like and own it.

With a few quick Internet searches, you can find studies that show a child’s exposure to music instruction positively affects language

development, neural activity, and spatial intelligence (among a multitude of other benefits, proven and speculative). And how wonderful is it that you’re likely well on your way to providing your child with a musical education? Aside from listening to music, there are a number of appropriate instruments and musical toys available (that don’t require batteries).

With xylophones, rainmakers, clappers, shakers, bells, drums, tambourines, kitchen items like spoons and pots, blocks, and simple toys that rattle or crinkle, you can make music. As they get older, you can add ukulele, harmonica, recorder, and even accordion. We once had a piano horn and, though the children absolutely loved it, I cannot express to you how important the square footage and acoustics of your house are in considering what instruments you offer at home.

When you think that your youngster is ready for organized music classes, Portland provides an array of opportunities for all ages.

If your child is passionate about a certain class or instrument, but they are younger than the typical student, don’t be deterred; your chosen organization will help you figure out what is appropriate. And what do you do if your school-aged kiddo wants to take a class or start lessons, but hasn’t expressed a fondness or aptitude for any specific instrument?

The very informative and delightful Roberta Gannett with Ethos Music Center suggests continued on p. 10

8 | NW Kids Magazine

NW Kids Magazine | 9

a group percussion class to get started. For example, their African Drumming class is appropriate for beginners and exposes children to a learning environment that can help them narrow down their considerable choices as well as broadening their cultural horizons.

With Ethos’ 10-week group class terms, your child can easily try on more than one instrument. And if cost is what is holding you back, programs like Ethos offer a sliding scale for qualifying families.

There are actually many great programs out there ready to offer information and financial assistance in addition to a range of music classes. After looking into all of these organizations, it turns out that you are really never too young or too old, too novice, too busy during the week, or with too little expendable income to participate. I can’t wait to show my kids that there is more to it than sheer volume.

Community Music Center SE Portland Group music classes and private lessons Starting at 6-months old communitymusiccenter.org Ethos Music Center North Portland Group music classes and private lessons Classes starting at 2-years old ethos.org Harmony Road Music Center Clackamas Piano-based group music classes and private piano lessons Classes starting at 18-months old harmonyroadoregon.com Little Wing SE Portland Group music classes Starting at 2-years old littlewing.com 10 | NW Kids Magazine

Music Together Portland Metro Area Group music classes Classes starting at birth musictogether.com Musicwerks Studio NE and SE Portland Group music classes and private lessons Classes starting at birth musicwerksstudio.com Oregon Children’s TheatRE NE Portland Group music and musical theater classes Starting at 3-5-years old oct.org [listed under Acting Academy Class Schedules] Oregon Repertory Singers Youth Choirs NE & SW Portland Group choirs Groups start in Pre K orsingers.org Portland Parks and Recreation Portland Metro Area Group music classes and private lessons Classes starting at 6-months old portlandparks.org Sound Roots School of Music Far SW Portland Private lessons and custom group lessons Private lessons typically for 5 years and older soundrootsmusic.com Youth Music Project West Linn Group music classes and private lessons Starting in Kindergarten youthmusicproject.org

Laura Jost is a mother and singer whose children could not be sung to sleep. They wanted to sing too. She sees a musical education as vital to all children and is proud to live in a city where so many work so hard to get music into the hearts and minds of everyone.

NW Kids Magazine | 11

Canvases and Camper Vans: An Interview with Illustrator,

Carson Ellis

by Katie Boehnlein

For many years now, illustrator Carson Ellis has captured the imaginations of young and old through her whimsical artwork. Her successful career as an illustrator began unassumedly in college, designing posters for (now husband) Colin Meloy’s band. When he started The Decemberists in 2000, she continued creating album art, drawings that caught the eye of art directors and literary agents. She’s been illustrating bestselling children’s books ever since, something she has wanted to do since childhood. Carson and Colin live on a farm in Tualatin with their two sons, Hank and Milo.

Carson has lived in Portland for 12 years, and her rootedness in the Portland community is evident in her creative pursuits. She helped with the creation of a mural in St. Johns to celebrate the neighborhood and has collaborated with Colin on a book Milo, Colin, and Hank Meloy series, The Wildwood Chronicles, set in mythic Forest Park. The last Wildwood book will be released next month (Wildwood Imperium). In honor of our annual music, arts and theater issue, we sat down with Carson to pick her brain about what it’s like being a working artist and mom in Portland.

How does Portland inspire you artistically?

I’ve always drawn a lot of inspiration from the natural world, and Portland, of course, has nature in spades. But it also has very good art, especially for a small city. I draw a lot of inspiration from what other artists are doing here, visual artists, filmmakers, writers, musicians. We really have the best of both worlds.

What has it been like working creatively alongside your husband?

Wonderful. We’d been talking about collaborating on novels for kids for like ten years before we got around to doing it so Wildwood was a long time coming. The collaboration hasn’t always been easy. In the beginning, especially, there were lots of squabbles while we sorted out what the 12 | NW Kids Magazine

world of Wildwood should look like. But we’ve been working together for many years and have gotten very good at squabbling and at reaching a consensus afterwards without hurting each other’s feelings much.

How has becoming a mother inspired or changed your art?

It’s made me appreciate the time I have to work and draw a lot more. I used to take that time for granted. Now it’s really precious to me. Also, watching my older kid read has helped get me back in touch with what children love about books, what makes stories and illustrations engaging. I’m always striving to make beautiful illustrations, I want them all to be able to hang in a frame on a gallery wall. But Hank reminds me that there’s a lot more to a great children’s book than nice art. continued on p. 14

NW Kids Magazine | 13

Carson designed a celebratory mural for the St. Johns neighborhood, complete with depictions of local mushrooms, a sea monster, and a sailing ship painted on the side of a Grocery Outlet.

What activities do you do together as a family?

We’re all fanatical about books so we spend lots of time reading and visiting libraries and bookstores to get more books to cram into our house which is already overflowing with them.

We also have a Volkswagen camper van, our Westy, that we like to go adventuring in. Hank’s not super into hiking but he loves campfires, ghost stories and s’mores. As for Milo, he likes to ride around in a backpack and look at things.

We recently moved to a farm in Tualatin so he’ll grow up differently than Hank did. Hank is such a city mouse. Milo will be a farm kid.

How have things changed since the birth of your second son, Milo?

They’ve gotten busier. Also, more fun. It’s nice to have more people in the house; more kids to snuggle. He’s nine months already and I desperately want to slow time down.

When Hank was a baby I didn’t know how fast he would grow up and I was always eager for the next stage: the crawling, the walking, the talking. Not so with Milo. I want him to slow down.

In what ways does your family life inspire your work?

We’re a family of over-imaginative people. I might be thinking a lot about microcosmic worlds on the forest floor while Colin is thinking a lot about pickpocket culture and Hank is thinking a lot about terraforming the moon. And all these things we’re all thinking a lot about and talking about influence me and kind of amalgamate in my imagination. I’m currently working on a picture book that I wrote about homes and there is so much of Hank and Colin in it. It wasn’t intentional. Their noisy, 14 | NW Kids Magazine

fantastic inner lives just kind of bleed into my own. As for Milo, who knows what he’ll be thinking a lot about. I’m dying to find out.

What’s next for the Ellis/Meloy family?

I’m working on the aforementioned picture book. I think it’ll come out sometime next fall.

Then I have three more books lined up, one of which is another collaboration with Colin.

He’s currently recording the next Decemberists record so we’ll be working together on some more album art in a bit too. Hank is obsessing about aliens and watching movies about galactic space battles in his head. Milo is just learning to chew stuff and is very excited about eating. As a family, we’re learning to take care of our new farm and the animals that came with it: two llamas, a bunch of chickens, a family of barn owls, and one very feral cat.

Carson Ellis

Photo courtesy of Melody owen

To see more of Carson’s work visit her website, carsonellis.com.

Katie Boehnlein is a teacher and writer living in Portland, OR where you can find her exploring the beautiful natural areas of the Rose City by foot and by bike. She grew up exploring the parks and staircases of Southwest Portland, which fueled her passion for ecology and urban exploration early on. You can follow Katie’s adventures on her blog “In the Midst,” which can be found at kboehnlein.wordpress.com.

NW Kids Magazine | 15

School Open House Guide Agia Sophia Academy

Ainsworth Elementary

Amiguitos Preschool

address

14485 SW Walker Road Beaverton

2425 SW Vista Avenue Portland

5101 SE Aldercrest Road, Milwaukie

phone

(503) 641.4600

(503) 916.6288

(503) 653.4081

website

ASApdx.org

ps.k12.or.us/schools/ p ainsworth

amiguitos.org

description

A rich academic and arts curriculum, grounded in Christian values. Small class sizes foster love of learning, personal responsibility and respect for each person. Accredited by AdvancED | NWAC.

Our mission is to support all students in achieving their very highest educational and personal potential, to inspire in them an enduring love for learning and to prepare them to contribute as citizens of a diverse, multicultural and international community.

Amiguitos Preschool is a Spanish immersion school.

Children acquire a second language in a nurturing environment with loving, experienced teachers whose native language is Spanish.

open house

January 30, 5-7pm Tours by appointment

February 5, 6:30pm

Tours by appointment

grade range/ age range

PreK (3-5 years old) 5th Grade

K-5

PreK-1st Grade

full-day kindy

Yes

Yes

Yes

max enrollment

60

student teacher 10:1 ratio

7:1

Before/After School Care

No

Yes

Yes

Religious Affiliation

Orthodox

None

None

Tuition Range

$4,900-$7,500 annually

See website

Financial Aid

Yes

No

Teaching Method

Montesorri PreK; Montessori inspired elementary

Speciality Program

Kodaly Music Instruction, BrainDance PE Classes, Greek and Latin languages, Art & Art History. Cursive Writing, Spalding Spelling, Singapore Math.

16 | NW Kids Magazine

Music, Art, PE, Spanish (for Immersion lottery students).

Beth israel Preschool

Bridges Middle Cedarwood School Waldorf School

Cornerstone Montessori

1972 NW Flanders Street, Portland

716 NE Marine Drive Portland

3030 SW 2nd Avenue Portland

PO Box 580 North Plains

(503) 222.2037

(503) 688.2922

(503) 245.1477

(503) 647.7402

bethisrael-pdx.org

BridgesMS.org

cedarwoodschool.org

ontessoricornerstone. m com

A safe, nurturing environment where children embark on a Jewish journey; love for learning is supported through inquiry, discovery, play; and our intentional approach to teaching fosters the development of the whole child.

Bridges Middle School is an independent nonprofit school serving 5th-8th graders with learning differences.

Cedarwood instills a love for learning, the curriculum weaves together arts, academics and movement with a reverence for the developing child.

Individualized program meeting unique developmental needs of each child. Interactive environment helps develop self-esteem, independence, innerdiscipline, and love of learning.

January 21, 5:30 - 7pm February 18, 5:30 - 7pm

January 22, 6:30pm

January 25, 10am-Noon

Call for an appointment

2.5-5 years old

5th-8th Grade

Parent child and PreK to 8th grade

2.5 years old Kinderrgarten

Yes

No

No 50

N/A

327

16

8:1

9:1

14:1

8:1

Yes

No

Yes

No

Jewish

None

None

Christian

$250 -$565 monthly

$16,700 annually

$1,725-$10,768 annually

$280-$320 monthly

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Play based & art based preschool inspired by the Reggio Approach

Individualized

Waldorf

Montessori

Lunch bunch and Enrichment classes such as Art, Dance, Science Buddies and Spanish.

Individualized Special Education.

Spanish, Japanese, Art, Handwork, Woodworking, Music, Movement, Eurythm

NW Kids Magazine | 17

School Open House Guide Delphian School

French American International School

German American School of Portland

address

20950 SW Rock Creek Road, Sheridan

8500 NW Johnson Street, Portland

3900 SW Murray Boulevard, Beaverton

phone

(503) 843.3521

(503) 292.7776

(503) 626.9089

website

delphian.org

faispdx.org

gspdx.org

description

Empower young people with effective study skills, a solid academic foundation, a strong sense of personal integrity and a wide range of abilities.

The French American International School is a preschool through grade eight independent school with an internationallyfocused curriculum.

Providing an excellent education for children preschool through 5th grade. Through our curriculum students develop and maintain fluency in both the German and English languages.

open house

Call for appointment

Lower School: January 17, 9 -11 am Middle School: January 30, 6:30–8 pm

January 12, 10:00am

grade range/ age range

K-12

Age 2.5 through 8th grade

Preschool-5th grade

full-day kindy

Yes

Yes

Yes

max enrollment

550

180

student teacher 7:1 ratio

9:1 in PS-K 16:1 in 1st-8th grade

8:1

Before/After School Care

Yes

Yes

None

None

Yes

Religious Affiliation Tuition Range

$26,080-$43,960 annually

$12,600-$16,500 annually

$9,585-$12,400 annually

Financial Aid

Yes

Yes

Yes

Teaching Method

Speciality Program

18 | NW Kids Magazine

French immersion & IB in Lower School; International curriculum & IB in Middle School Music, Art, Drama, Pottery, English Language, Athletics, Yoga

Music, Art, Sports/ Movement

Immersion program enriched with music, art, sport and second step.

GoodTime Chinese School

little fruit farm Montessori

The Marylhurst School

12512 NW Central 9100 SW Wilshire Street Drive, Ste 201, Portland Portland

16445 SW Melinda Street, Beaverton

817 12th Street, Oregon City

(503) 616.5585

(971) 226.7500

(503) 521.8603

(503) 650.0978

goodtimechinese school.org

hopeccs.org

littlefruitfarmmontessori .com

themarylhurstschool. com

Immersion Chinese preschool, afterschool, Saturday school, summer camp and winter camp. Sept 2014, we will be offering elementary school.

To provide a comprehensive bilingual and bi-literate education that nurtures students to be highly proficient in all academic subjects, with a special emphasis on Mandarin Chinese, English and mathematics.

A certified, licensed homebased Montessori preschool providing a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment.

Elementary afterschool care/tutoring available.

Marylhurst is a 41-yearold, non profit school offering preschool and K-6 primary programs.

In our community of creators, explorers and citizens we honor the journey of each child.

February 22, March 22, April 26, May 31, 1-2:30pm

January 13, 6:30 pm

January 11 10am-noon

January 25, 9am-noon

PreK-5th grade/ 3-12 years old

K-3rd Grade

Preschool/ Early Elementary

Preschool & K-6th grade

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

50

24

10

200

8:1

12:1

10:1

8:1

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

None

No

N/A

$7,100-$8,000 annually $5,500 annually (full day kindergarten)

$500-$800 monthly

$1,300-$7,200 annually

Yes

No

Yes

Immersion

Montessori

Emergent

Chinese immersion.

Music, Art, PE also offered.

Music, Movement, Art, Soccer, Gardening, Cooking, Singing and Creative Movement.

Specialist teachers in science, music, Spanish and Physical Education.

Immersion Chinese Bilingual School.

Hope Chinese Charter School

NW Kids Magazine | 19

School Open House Guide Northwest Chinese Academy

Oregon Episcopal School

Oregon Hope Chinese School

address

8565 SW BeavertonHillsdale Hwy, Beaverton

6300 SW Nicol Road Portland

4010 NW Kaiser Road Portland

phone

(503) 546.3455

(503) 768.3115

(971) 226.7240

website

nwchineseacademy.org

oes.edu

oregon-hope.org

description

Educating today for tomorrow’s world with full-time immersion education in small classes (1:10), using advanced Beijing Chinese and English curriculum.

OES offers an inquirybased education, where open minds may inquire, explore, and grow in order to succeed in a global community.

There is an array of classes at Oregon Hope Chinese School to suit every student’s needs.

Children as young as three years old can enroll and learn Chinese.

open house

January 11, 10am-12pm, January 16, 9:30am11am, February 22, 10am-12pm

January 8, 7pm

January 15, 10-11:30am

grade range/ age range

Preschool (age 3) 6th grade

PK-12th Grade

Preschool-8th Grade

full-day kindy

Yes

Yes

Yes

max enrollment

180

850

200

student teacher 10:1 ratio

7:1

7:1

Before/After School Care

Yes

Yes

Yes

Religious Affiliation

None

Independent with Episcopal roots

None

Tuition Range

$6,100-$13,600 annually

$14,361-$26,544 annually

$150-$899 monthly

Financial Aid

Yes

Yes

No

Teaching Method

True Language Immersion

Speciality Program

Language, Music, Calligraphy, Table Tennis, and Choir/Dance Troop.

20 | NW Kids Magazine

Chinese Immersion

Music, Art, Spanish, Music, Chinese Mandarin, French, PE, painting, Chinese Athletic Teams, Technol- dance, Go. ogy, Laptop program.

Portland Language Arts

The Portland Montessori School

Rising Star Chinese School

School of Autism

10180 NW Brady Lane Portland

4911 NE Couch Street Portland

12555 SW 4th Street Beaverton

1785 NE Sandy Blvd, Suite A, Portland

(971) 506.8838

(503) 688.2992

(971) 225.0698

(503) 283.9603

portlandlanguagearts. com

portlandmontessori.org

r isingstarchineseschool. com

schoolofautism.com

PLA is a Chinese Immersion Preschool. We strive to cultivate our students to be creative, expressive and intellectually curious through a multilingual academic program in an environment that celebrates diversity of cultures and experiences.

By nurturing curiosity and guiding discovery, our primary and elementary programs help your child to develop a lifelong love of learning.

Rising Star Chinese School serves young children by providing a developmentallybased curriculum which promotes each child’s social emotional, physical and cognitive development.

School of Autism provides education and to children with autism and their families.

January 25, 10am-1pm

February 8 11am-2pm

February 5 January 5, 1:30-4:30pm January 14, 9:30-11:30am 3:30-4:30pm February 9, 1:30-4:30pm February 18, 9:30-11:30am

2-5 years old

2 1/2-12 years old

Preschool, After School, Age 3 and up

3-14 years old PreK-8th Grade

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

16

160

50

39

8:1

10:1

8:1

5:1

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

N/A

None

None

$6,340-$9,085 annually

$750 monthly

No

Yes

No

Yes

Montessori / Reggio Emilia

Montessori

Chinese immersion, play-based, and reggioinspired

Relationship-based using Oregon State Standards and the right environment.

After school Chinese for 5-12 year olds, Music Together, Movement, Chinese Cooking

Soccer, Spanish, Cooking, Music, Japanese Needlepoint, and more to come.

Art Lessons, Language Math, Literacy, HisClasses, Music/Movement tory, Art, Drama, and Yoga.

Technology, Science, Gymnastics & more.

NW Kids Magazine | 21

School Open House Guide Small Friends School

St. Cecilia School

St. Gabriel preSchool

address

7475 SW Oleson Road Portland

12250 SW 5th Street Beaverton

17435 NW West Union Road, Portland

phone

(503) 388.2266

(503) 644.2619

(503) 928.1359

website

smallfriendsschool. com

stceciliaschool.us

stgabrielonline.org/ preschool

description

At Small Friends, children explore, create, observe, experiment and collaborate to construct a deeper understanding of their world.

Partnering with parents to prepare students to be responsible citizens and life-long learners with strong Catholic values.

A nurturing and sustainable community dedicated to teaching children to thrive through learning experiences based on imagination, creativity and curiosity.

open house

Preschool: February 6, 7:00pm Kindergarten: March 6, 7pm

January 26 10am-12:30pm

January 27 6:30-8:30 pm

grade range/ age range

Preschool 3-5 years old; PK-8th Grade K 5-6 years old

Preschool 3-4 years old

full-day kindy

No

Yes

No

max enrollment

PK: 18/class, K: 16/class

30 per grade

15/class

student teacher Preschool: 4.5:1 ratio Kindergarten: 8:1

14:1

15:2

Before/After School Care

No

Yes

No

Religious Affiliation

None

Catholic

Episcopal

Tuition Range

$156 - $415 monthly

$1,850-$6,490 annually

$400-$600 monthly

Financial Aid

No

Yes

No

Teaching Method

Play-based

N/A

Reggio Emilia

Co-curricular offerings include PE & Health, Music, Computer, Spanish, Art Literacy, Sports & more.

Our student-directed program is immersed in art, music, and outdoor experiences.

Speciality Program

22 | NW Kids Magazine

St. John the Baptist Catholic School

St. Matthew School

Summa Academy

Sweet PEAS Kidzone

10956 SE 25th Portland

221 SE Walnut Street Hillsboro

2510 SW 1st Avenue Portland

15320 NW Central Drive, D-12, Portland

(503) 654.0200

(503) 648.2512

(503) 287-1785

(503) 533.5252

sjbcatholicschool.org

stmatthewschool hillsboro.org

summaacademy.org

s weetpeaskidzone. com

A premier preschool8th grade Catholic school recognized

by Apple as a Distinguished School for innovation, leadership, and educational excellence.

United as a community of faith, St. Matthew Catholic School nutures the heart and mind of every student to live, learn, and serve with the compassion of Christ.

Summa Academy is an independent school empowering students to reach their full intellectual, physical, emotional, and social potential.

Our goal is to create a safe foundation, where learning is fun, imagination flows, and creativity is encouraged.

January 26 11am- 1pm

January 26, 9am-1pm

January 25 10am-noon

Call to schedule a tour.

Preschool-8th Grade

PK3, PK4, K-8th grade

K-8th grade, 4-14 years old

3-6 years old PK, Kindergarten

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

250

300

130

45

12:1

17:1

11:1

7:1

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Catholic

Catholic

None

No

$4,970-$6,600 annually $4, 600-$6,700 annually

$10,000-$13,000 annually

$200-$900 monthly

Yes

Yes

Yes

Relationship based education

Whole Child Learning

Music, movement, art, and outdoor exploration are a part of every day.

Indoor Playground, Rock Wall, Music, Art, and 2nd Language Offered, Library Visits, Field Trips and more.

Yes

Traditional

Music, Library, PE, Spanish, Art, Speech, Drama, Choir, Print Media, Web Design, Athletics & more.

Music, Art, Band, Library, Spanish, Technology Integrated Classrooms, Electives.

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School Open House Guide Trillium preSchool

Trinity Lutheran School

WeVillage

address

5420 N Interstate Avenue, Portland

5520 NE Killingsworth Portland

424 NW 11th Ave, PDX 1295 NE Orenco Station Parkway, Hillsboro

phone

(503) 285.3833

(503) 288.6403

(503) 935.5590

website

trilliumcharterschool.org TrinityPortland.org

wevillage.com/ program/preschool

description

Trillium Preschool sees every child as a capable, intelligent, curious individual within a community. We believe in the significance of listening, following interest, documenting and reflecting the unfolding of development.

Trinity Lutheran School exists to develop students who are: Empowered by Christ’s love. Trinity Students engage in academic rigor to be life-long learners and serve others.

Whole-child approach, focusing on academic, social, and adaptive skills kids need to thrive in kindergarten. Potty training NOT required.

open house

February 13, 6-7:30 pm April 17, 6-7:30 pm

February 20 6:30pm - 8pm

M/W/F 9am-1pm with lunch

grade range/ age range

3-5 years old

Preschool to 8th Grade

6 weeks to 12 years old

full-day kindy

No

Yes

No

max enrollment

24

300

10

student teacher 8:1 ratio

16:1

10:1

Before/After School Care

No

Yes

Yes

Religious Affiliation

None

Lutheran

No

$2,205 - $6,300 annually

$475 monthly

Tuition Range Financial Aid

Yes

Yes

Yes

Teaching Method

Social Constructivist, Democratic, Reggio Inspired

Challenging Career and College Ready Instruction.

Montessori style

Speciality Program

Music, gardening.

Challenging curriculum, small class size, family centered, diverse student body, computer lab, sports, music, drama, art, and more.

We are unique as our classes are small and intimate which allows the teacher to develop a program specific to the class size and children attending.

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Best of Portland and beyond Our top picks for getting out this month

January

1

Imago’s signature work returns!

Alligators, glowing strings, musical windbags, penguins playing musical chairs, and an endless cowboy are just a few of the incredible mask characters and creatures that come to life in this fantastical show that has been acclaimed worldwide. $16-31. January 1-5. imagotheatre.com

3

2

Feeling a little restless after the holidays? It’s a great time to catch “Peter Pan” before the show ends. Now through January 5th, get your family a one-way ticket to Neverland and experience the magic of your favorite fantastical characters. $1822, times vary. nwcts.org

Experience the magic of Lan Su Chinese Garden during Great Eight Free Days. Lan Su is offering free admission (general admission is regularly $9.50) for each donation of a non-perishable food item from January 4-11. All food donated at this community event will benefit Lan Su neighbor, Transition Projects.

It’s a win-win! lansugarden.org

Please confirm calendar events and performances as scheduling changes may occur.

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5

4

Happy Birthday, J.R.R. Tolkien!

Elves, wizards, orcs and all others are invited to join in this all day celebration of J.R.R. Tolkien. Live music, Hobbitinspired food, “Lord of the Rings” complete trilogy in the theater, performances and more.

January 11th at the Kennedy School. Check website for more details. mcmenamins. com/events/121176-HappyBirthday-JRR-Tolkien

6

Rose City Classic Dog Show is the place to meet your favorite furry buddy. Watch agility, obedience and rally trials; with opportunities to meet the breeds. $10 per person or $20 for a family (5 people).

8am to 6pm or later. The show runs from January 15-19 at the Portland Expo Center. rosecityclassic.org

Photo courtesy of Sit! Stay Pet Photography

Knock Knock. Who’s There? It’s the “Curious Garden”, a special comedy show for the whole family and especially for kiddos 8 and under. Laugh along with all of your “Curious Garden” friends, and remember, each performance ends with an open mic for all those aspiring comedians. If you have a special talent, dance or joke to share you can do it here; onstage! Every second Sunday of the month at 10:30am, $5 suggested donation. Tip: Get there early. This show is popular and has a tendency to fill up fast. January 12. curiouscomedy.org/events/curious-garden

7

Accessible, live and fully costumed 50-minute opera performances for families are pure genius. “La Boheme” performed by Portland Opera To Go is the first in the series of monthly all ages performances at Mountain Park Recreation Center (in LO) produced by award-winning performer and local resident, Aaron Nigel Smith. $5 per person or buy advance tickets here: ayaworld.com/mt-park-concerts.html NW Kids Magazine | 29

9

Welcome the Year of the Horse and 18th Annual Mochitsuki Festival with drumming, dancing, origami, and watching the making of mochi - sticky rice cakes. Oh, and you can eat it, too! $412, kids 3 and under are free. 11am-4pm, Scottish Rite Center. January 26. mochipdx.org

8

This month Oregon Children’s Theatre brings E.B. White’s heartfelt classic, “Charlotte’s Web”, to the stage.

Saturdays at 2pm and 5pm; Sundays at 2pm. Recommended for ages 4 and up, $15-30. January 18 - February 16. octc.org/onstage/charlottesweb

10 Written by a seventh generation puppet master, “Monkey King”, features 30 dramatic puppets created in China for the Tears of Joy Theatre. Friday at 7:30pm, Saturdays 11am and 1pm, and Sundays at 1pm and 3pm. Tickets $13-$18. January 31 - February 9. tojt.org

Remember to check the NW Kids online calendar for dozens more outings and activities each day. Share with friends, subscribe to the RSS, add directly to your calendar, and more features.

There’s something going on you don’t want to miss!! nwkidsmagazine.com/events/month 30 | NW Kids Magazine

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Temple Blocks

by Green Tones Moomin Notebook Collection, by Chronicle Books at Spielwerk Toys, $13

at Coffee Kids, $50

Toy Trumpet by 6X Music at Grasshopper, $18

found

around Town

Johnny Cash and The King Onesie at babywit.com, $18

Pantone Color Book

by Pantone at Powell’s, $17

Playful Piano by Hape at Black Wagon, $85

Calligraphy & Lettering Kit by Speedball at Collage, $13 32 | NW Kids Magazine

Fashion Design Kit

by Melissa & Doug at Child’s Play, $18

Design Tiles

by Eboo

at Coffee Kids, $20

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the

IPRC a place to create

D

o your kids love books, spend hours at the library, collect comics, read zines or have a general or obsessive love for the literary arts? Maybe they like to draw, relish storytelling or are interested in printing. You may have a young zinester on your hands. I was this kid. From a very young age I read comic books and created journals and books of all kinds; binding, stapling, sewing cover and page together, filling the pages with stories, ephemera and later interviews with bands, movie reviews and friends of note.

It’s no wonder I spend much of my time today thinking about the written word, illustrations and photographs, and how they fit onto the pages of NW Kids.

If you have kids interested in learning about how they can create their own publication— or need space to complete something they’re already working on—from zines to comic books and beyond, the Independent Publishing Resource Center (IPRC) is a great place for them to get started, to find inspiration and meet others doing the same thing. In its 15th year, the IPRC has been supporting creative expression, literary artists and self-publishers by offering workshops and equipment. They offer workshops to folk of all ages on publishing, letterpress printing, binding writing and comics.

Youth involvement varies from the IPRC simply opening their space to members with kids interested in zine making, to camps and workshops on how to create a cartoon or comic. Every Sunday from noon to 5pm kids can head to the IPRC production for Zine Canteen! During Zine Canteen youth aged 8-17 can make free copies and use all the production supplies for free. It’s a safe place for kids to hang out and work on something creative, 34 | NW Kids Magazine

by Photo courtesy of Kelley schaefer-levi

the iprc

express feelings through their work and feel comfortable doing so.

Kids can also go to the IPRC with adult members during open hours, so if you’re working on a project together like a chapbook, you can do it at the IPRC. Members have access to letterpress printing equipment, binders, cutters and copy machines. And while you’re there, be sure to check out their vast zine library and Yeti Research Station. The Yeti is the IPRC mascot.

Illustration by Nicole Georges

the media action project Another way the IPRC works with local youth is through the Media Action Project, an outreach program in local schools and onsite.

In a digitally dominated world where people are spending more time than ever online, kids are encouraged to think critically about media images seen on TV and the Internet and to meet up with other members of the community to confront issues central to kids now like bullying and poor body image. The IPRC offers up space where kids can find more authentic expression and human dialogue. They will also learn media literacy and explore these topics through zine making.

check out In January and February they will be offering a Cartooning for Youth class for kids ages 8-13. Program Coordinator A.M. O’Malley explains, “Comics Class is a space designed to help kids and young teens develop their creativity, imagination, and artistic skills through comics and cartooning.”

Students will learn the basics in drawing, character design, composition, storytelling, page layout, and publishing. They will also benefit from working amongst a classroom of peers. “Each class begins with a simple lesson introducing new techniques & concepts,” Says O’Malley. For the remainder of the class, kids will work on exercises or personal projects.

Repeat students are welcomed and encouraged.

Beginners are welcome.

For schedule and workshop information at the IPRC visit, iprc.org and for additional literary arts resources for kids go to nwkidsmagazine.com

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Books for Young Artists

By Earl Dizon of Green Bean Books Faces for Baby

by Yana Peel (Board Book $21.99) Yana Peel follows up Art for Baby with this sturdy board book that curates twelve more famous art pieces, this time with a focus on faces! A diverse range of artists such as Chuck Close, Yoshitomo Nara, Paul Klee and Chris Ofili are represented in these stunning pages. Babies will delight in responding to the different facial expressions throughout the pages and will be thrilled at the surprise of seeing their own face at the grand finale.

The Museum Written by Susan Verde, Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds (Hardback $16.95) Spend a day on a grand art museum tour with a little girl and her enormous imagination! Each art piece she encounters prompts an enthusiastic array of twists, twirls and other emotive and even visceral responses. For the final installation, our little artist comes face to face with a shockingly blank canvas. At first stunned, her mind quickly opens to all the amazing and creative possibilities this empty canvas beholds‌far too many to imagine! Budding artists will be moved to create for themselves after they take this inspirational journey through this magical museum. Peter H. Reynold’s interpretive illustrations of famous artwork add another level of enjoyment for adults as well.

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Sneaky Art

by Marthe Jocelyn (Hardback, $12.99) From tissue-paper cupcakes to stick pixies, and cork critters to winter blossoms, kids will love making these inventive craft projects using found objects and sharing their creations with others in unexpected places. This gem of a how-to book will help your little artist find their subversively creative side. Add a little art inside your refrigerator, on your window and anywhere else that needs a little brightening up.

The Interactive Art Book

by Ron Van Der Meer (Pop-up, Hardback, $27.99) Wow! A quick flip through this interactive book will leave readers utterly amazed.

Kids will spend countless hourspouring over the pages, lifting flaps, using the 3-D glasses, constructing and deconstructing activities, and all the while learning about art. An awesome activity book is also tucked in the back for even more educational fun.

1600 NE Alberta Street 503-954-2354 greenbeanbookspdx.com

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