Children's Center Preschool Serving the Los Feliz, Hollywood, Silverlake , Atwater communities
  • Holidays

  • Jan15

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    January 2012 CCP Newsletter

    Posted in: Curriculum, Family events, Food and Cooking, From the Director, Holidays, Newsletter, Weekly Happenings in the School

    Dear Parents,

    Happy New Year! We are glad to be back with everyone. The year started very well and the kids settled in very well.

    Calendar 
    Monday, Jan 16th- School closed in observation of Martin Luther King Day
    Wednesday, Jan 18th at 9 am- Green Room Parent Coffee
    Tuesday, Feb. 7th at 6:30 pm- Green Room parent potluck dinner.
    Thursday, Feb. 23rd, 6:30 pm- Yellow Room parent potluck dinner
    Family transitions
    We are delighted to be welcoming three more families into the Green Room over the next two months.( names removed for web posting) Please introduce yourselves. Then our classroom and the school will be full. Hooray!
    Parent Potlucks
    We will be having the Green Room first parents potluck on Tuesday night, the 7th of February and the Yellow Room’s potluck will be on February 23rd.. It is a chance for parents to gather together and enjoy an evening of community and conversation. Please arrange babysitting now so you can join us for this fun evening. There will be a sign-up sheet at the front table for food and beverages. If someone would like to help decorate the tables in the afternoon, please let me know.
    Tuition Payment
    I want to review the tuition procedures as there were a few questions.
    A few days before the end of the month, you will receive an invoice for the next month tuition. It will  give a summary of current charges ( tuition, after and morning care, etc)  and any past due amount. These charges are due at the first of the month. Afterschool and morning charges will be computed to the 25th of the previous month and added to the bill. The remaining days of previous  month’s afterschool and morning charges will appear on your next month’s bill.
    Late payments per the contract arrangements will incur a $20 late penalty on the 10th. If you know your payment will be delayed, please talk to Deborah to make arrangements.
    Curriculum
    We have some exciting things going on this month. In the Yellow Room, four families will be helping us celebrated “chinese” New Year the way that their countries have adapted it.During the week of Jan. 23rd,  we will have costumes and discussion about new year’s in Tibet; we will be making dumpling soup with two Korean parents; we will be making also be making paper dragons, as this will be the year of the dragon. We will decorate the room with traditional red paper cut into festive designs.
    We will also be making Stone Soup as we cook from the book of that name. Every child will bring a vegetable to add to the vegetable broth on Tuesday and Wednesday, the 17th and 18th. We will  throw in some barley and herbs and enjoy a feast together with parents at going home time.
    We look forward to a wonderful month together.
    Warm regards,
    Deborah, Ty, Aracely, Maya, Marilyn, Esme, Mye, and Allison

  • Dec5

    1 Comment

    Nearby Holiday Ideas for Families

    Posted in: Family events, From the Director, Holidays

    Lots of fun things to do this year in Los Angeles. Have a great holiday season. I have shared some of my ideas and experiences as a native of Los Angeles. Hope you enjoy some of the suggestions.

    DOWNTOWN ON ICE

    Right across from the Biltmore Hotel in Pershing Square

    http://laparks.org/pershingsquare/doi.html

     

    532 South Olive St, Los Angeles, CA 90013

    Skating Session $6; Skate Rental $2

    HOURS OF OPERATION
    General Schedule: November 17, 2011 – January 16, 2012

    Monday – Thursday: 12:00pm to 10:00pm
    Friday – Sunday: 10:00am to 10:00pm

    *Special Extended Holiday Hours
    December 19 – January 2 from 10:00am to 10:00pm daily

    Parking in the lot underneath.

    TRAIN RIDE TO SANTA ( GRIFFITH PARK)

    http://www.griffithparktrainrides.com/content/travel-town-santa-train

    The Travel Town Museum has a magical Holiday Train Ride and Visit with Santa.  Santa, himself, will be on hand and each child will receive a candy cane and a special little gift.  Mrs. Claus will also be there to greet you and talk about life at the North Pole. If you wish, Santa’s helpers will happily take your picture with Santa for purchase as a keepsake of your visit. After visiting Santa you can board the Santa Express at Travel Town Station for a trip through a wonderland of holiday lights and scenery. If you prefer, you can get into the Holiday spirit by riding the Santa Express before you visit Santa.

    The ride will continue on December 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 and December 14th through December 23rd.  The first train leaves about 5 pm each night and the last train will leave at about 8 pm, unless it sells out, in which case they may close earlier.

     

    BILTMORE MILLENIUM HOTEL – Holiday Tea for Children

    In conjunction with the City Ballet of Los Angeles’ annual performance of this time-honored classic, the Biltmore hosts a special tea for children and parents with holiday sandwiches and cupcakes! Event will feature special performances throughout the tea by real ballet dancers from the production, including the Sugar Plum Fairy herself!

    Saturday, December 12 and Sunday, December 13, 2009 from 11:00am – 1:00pm in the Rendezvous Court

    $38 per person

     Please call Smeraldi’s Restaurant at (213) 612-1562 for reservations.

    LOS FELIZ 3 THEATERS 

    Mommy and me Wednesday matinee at 10:30 am at 1822 N. Vermont Ave. Great to do when the kids are out of school.

    Beautiful Holiday Lights

    Los Feliz is the perfect place to view holiday lights and decorations.  When my daughter was young, we used to gather together as a family in my mom and dad’s camper with its big windows and drive the streets.  Armed with hot chocolate in Thermoses, we  drove the streets, oohing and aahing at the sparkling and colorful lights and inventive decorations.

    Los Feliz  usually has the  DWP  Lights Festival but this year, due to prolonged construction, it is not open.   Hopefully the construction will be complete by next year.

    Relatives in town/ Children Off from School

     TRY GEOCACHING

    Geocaching  is a new way for family and friends to have fun and explore the Los Feliz area. It is  a fabulous blend of an old-fashioned treasure hunt and modern day technology. In our family, it appeals to my husband’s love of computers, his Iphone, and technology in general,  to my love of treasure hunts that take me back to childhood and college days, and to our children and grandchildren’s love of the hunt.

    Here is how geocaching works. All over the world, people have hidden small boxes and other containers that contain a log for recording the finder’s name and often, little trinkets and trackers. Trackers are the official geocaching item that has a tracking number that keeps track of the travels of these items.

    In order to find these caches, you go online to geocaching.com and look up an area where you want to search for a cache. I looked up 90027 and found many interesting possibilities. You make note of the area and the GPS coordinates, then off you go in search of the cache. Now these hiders are quite clever so you have to use the clues the other cache finders have left to solve the puzzle and locate the cache.

    When you find the container, sign in on the log. If there is a tracker, you can take it and place it in a new cache that you find next time.  At the end of your caching day, whether you have one or several, log on and record what you have done at geocache.com.  It is nice to leave a clue on the computer record if you found that a cache was tricky to find. We ended up eating in a great restaurant right next to a cache, an added bonus to the experience.

    So if you find yourself with family and friends looking for something fun to do that can take 20 minutes or several hours or you need everyone out of the house so you can cook or wrap packages, try geocaching. We have found that we learn something new about our Los Feliz neighborhood every time.

    Happy Hunting!

    Holiday Shopping for Chanukah and Stocking Treats

    Holiday shopping is truly upon us.  I was raised in a traditional manner here in Los Angeles; Christmas shopping only began after Thanksgiving.  There were no early holiday purchases, decorations or holiday music. While times have changed now that I have grandchildren, I still leave the stocking presents for close to the holiday. In Los Feliz, there are many delightful places to buy great holiday gifts and stocking stuffers.

    For the coffee or tea drinker:

    For books:
    • A new book by a favorite or new author plus an interesting selection of books you might not find everywhere ( Skylight Books on N. Vermont (http://www.skylightbooks.com/))
    • Theater tickets are a nice treat  at Los Feliz 3 on 1822 N. Vermont Ave.

    When our grown children come with the grandchildren, it opens the door to much more shopping. Great toys and children’s clothes can be purchased at:

    Farmer’s Markets

    • The Farmer’s Market on Hollywood just west of Vermont at Barnsdall Park on Wednesday from noon to 6 pm is a great source of food goodies and handmade items.

    Los Feliz Library- A Jewel in the Crown

    Remember the library; Los Feliz has a great one.

    Los Feliz library (http://www.lapl.org/branches/Branch.php?bID=36) is one of the jewels in the crown of the Los Angeles Public Library system.  Located at the corner of Franklin and Hillhurst Ave, it is a community center for much more than books. We are so lucky to have a beautiful building with natural light and wonderful spaces to enjoy many neighborly experiences.

    As a preschool, we regularly uses this library to get books that  reflect  activities in the classroom and  children’s interests. The book collection offers so much to choose from; the  56,000 books is very thoughtfully  and well put together. This collection is loaded with current titles and excellent breadth of subjects. The librarians are very knowledge,  always able to guide with great suggestions. There are movies to rent and books on tape. They have a program that allows interlibrary

    The library is much more than books. It offers a wide variety of programs such ascomputer classes, author program, architectural lectures, monthly book discussions, music performances, chess, and a quilting circle.

    One of the lesser known treasures of the library that I have been wanting to try is the Scrabble Club. I love Scrabble but I am part of a family who are not enthusiasts. On Saturday morning, people with all levels of skills put their Scrabble boards under their arms and come to the community room to find a similarly skilled partner. I loved the friendships and goodwill that were evident the day I visited.

    The children’s story hours are always lovely and many of the preschool families have enjoyed many hours with well-chosen books.

    A library card and the Los Feliz Library are definitely a passport to hours of enjoyment.

    For Last Minute Boxing and Shipping Needs

    No matter how we try and how careful we are in our planning, there is always something that needs to ship at the last minute. Box Brothers on Hillhurst Ave (http://www.boxbrosla.com/boxtest/store-locations/box-bros-los-feliz-village) has everything you need. They can do any kind of shipping from electronics to antiques and also provide a valet boxing pick-up service if you aren’t able to get to the store (or want to avoid long lines).  They will also assist you in helping to find the exact size box you need so you can pay for only what you need. They have loads of packing materials as well. They save us every year.

    I wish you a wonderful holiday and a great new year.

     

     

  • Nov21

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    10 Great Holiday Gifts

    Posted in: From the Director, Holidays, literacy, Parenting

     Holiday Gifts for Young Children

    I selected the favorites for children this year by going from learning area to learning area in the classroom. At the preschool, we want our “toys” to have lots of play value, room for imaginative and creative expression, and chances for exploring and discovery.  I hope these ideas add inspiration and joy to your holiday season.

    1. Magna- tiles. The  favorite manipulative. Magnet-edged squares and rectangles that can create a wonderful variety of structures. Add animals and people to increase range of play.  Tinkertoys are also very hot right now in the Yellow Room. Amazon.com has the best prices.
    2. The Barn and Castle- The children’s favorite additions to the block area this year have been the Melissa and Doug Fold N Go Barn and Castle. They invite hours of play. We bought lots of castle horses and people as well as a big set of barnyard animals.  Melissa and Doug are an excellent source of  a wide range of excellent quality toys.
    3. Dress up box. My mother-in-law put together a fabulous dress up box for our kids. It was filled with capes, scarves, dresses, coats, shoes, jewelry, hats, and specialty accessories.  Use your imagination. Thrift shops such as St. Vincent du Paul are a great source of supplies.  Decorating the box is a nice extra touch.  Hearthsong catalog is a great children’s catalog and has some excellent items.
    4. Sensory Materials- First the basics- playdough, flubber, flome., bubber with you can get at Discount School Supply or Lakeshore or recipes on this website., Add small rolling pins, cookie cutters, popsicle sticks of different colors,  garlic presses, dull knives  etc.  A Special Treat- Gray clay is fabulous and a big bag will last you a long time. I love going to KitKraft in Studio City and cruising the  aisles for the clay and wonderful tools. This store is loaded with kid friendly ideas.
    5. Bookstores are my idea of heaven and so books are a major item on any buying list. We have the holiday and winter favorites, Jan Brett’s The Mitten and The Wild Christmas Reindeer, Robert Sabuda’s The Twelve Days of Christmas, Debbie Martinez’s Celebrating Chanukah, Tomie de Paola’s The Nights of Las Posadas, and Alexandra Day’s Carl’s Christmas. And then there are the children’s current favorites and the classics. Right now, The Dairy of a Worm, Diary of a Spider,and Diary of a Fly by    are very popular. Mo Willems series, Knuffle Bunny, Knuffle Bunny, Too and Knuffle Bunny Free are fabulous. Henry the Explorer, Caps for Sale, If You Guve a Mouse a Cookie and other Felicia Bond books. and Loving are  wonderful.  There is Grandfather Twilight, Stellaluna, The Patchwork Quilt, and Rosemary Wells’ series about Max and Ruby. Amazon.com
    6. Music is one place where I represent the favorites of my children’s childhood and the teachers reflect the more current tastes. We overlap with Hap Palmer  ( all are wonderful) and Raffi .  For me, it is Ella Jenkins ( all albums are great) , Patty Zeitlin and Marcia Berman ( Spin, Spider, Spin, Chanukah songs, and I am not Small, Raffi, Burl Ives  (Christmas and Favorites for Children), For the teachers, it is Dan Zane, and Greg and Steve. Some of the musicals have been very popular with our kids i.e Lion King and Sound of Music. Again, Amazon.com carries the full range.
    7. Art Boxes- Start with the basics: scissors, with regular and  fun cutting edges, mystic tape, and a hole punch, then add drawing materials: colored pencils, marking pens,  and crayons. Then, over time,  you can enrich the supplies with  oil pastels, glitter pens, pastel chalks. Stamp pads and rubber stamps are great as are watercolor sets and tempura pads. Dot art is very popular right now. We use Discount School Supply. 
    8.  A children’s cookbook, i.e. DK Children’s Cookbook, an apron, and some cooking supplies: a medium sized good bowl with a handle and a  non-skid bottom,  a  wooden spoon, a spatula, a small sifter, a small grater,  a plastic one-cup measuring cup with pouring spout.
    9.  Games- Target has a very good selection of games. Eric Carles, author of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, has several games that go with his books.  There are the classics- HiHo Cheerio,  Connect Four, Chutes and Ladders, and Candyland. There is also  Brown Bear, What Do  You See? and  Sequence for Kids. Card games include  Go Fish, Uno, and regular cards for the game of WAR.
    10.  Stocking presents-  a number of the above ideas are great for stockings, i.e. a CD, a book, or a box of pastel chalks. Science items from Lakeshore Learning Materials make good choices.  A magnifying glass, color paddles, a set of magnets,  a few packets of seeds to plant a winter garden ( lettuce, sugar snap peas, radishes).  Lakeshore is the other wonderful teacher store from which we buy.

  • Nov15

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    Thanksgiving Thoughts and Ideas

    Posted in: Family events, Holidays, Parenting

    Thanksgiving is one of the times in the year when I become more mindful about my life and the many things I have to be thankful for. I am thankful for the wonderfully diverse communities I live, work, and shop in; Los Feliz, Silverlake, Larchmont, and Hollywood give my family so much. At the same time, I am aware of the many people in my communities who struggle, be it from health issues, hunger, joblessness, poverty,or violence in their home and area.

    I think this is true for the families of CCP. Especially at Thanksgiving, we want to give to our communities, to say thanks and to extend a hand. We can help our children to be thoughtful of our communities during this time by including them in our holiday outreach.

     

    The book,  Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes, offers a personal way for children to understand the concept of giving thanks and be aware of what they have to be thankful for. It is easier then to take the next step with them and look beyond their family.

    Over the years, I have been involved with some excellent organizations that provide care, food, and other necessities all year to the many neighbors who need help.

    Here are a few that may work for your family.

    Firstly, you can bring canned food to the school and contribute to the ongoing food drive conducted through Temple Knesset Israel, the temple from whom we rent. They work with SOVA, a community food and resource program that is part of Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles. SOVA cares for 10, 000 people per month of all religions, ages,  and ethnicities.

    Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles is one of our closest neighbors and provides many services to children beyond health care. The Red Wagon Program, Toy donations, food, and money are welcome contributions. This link is to their “Giving” page, both for the holidays and all year.

    Los Feliz Hope-Net is an interfaith and community effort to eliminate hunger and homelessness. Its founding premise is that ” none of our neighbors should go hungry”. It maintains food pantries and food deliveries as well as many other services.

    Angel Harvest , is especially valuable to know about if you are in the Hollywood entertainment business or have dealings with companies that give  catered events. They have established an experienced organization that  picks up  leftover food  from events, cafeterias, and other catering venues and immediately distributes it to centers who feed hungry.

    Los Angeles Regional Food Banks have a interesting way to donate that can include your family and friends. Virtual Food Drives are a great way to support the Foodbank’s hunger relief efforts. The Foodbank’s new website makes it easier to create and customize a Virtual Food Drive page to get your friends and family involved in the fight against hunger.

    Silverlake MOM’s Club has Operation Sleep Tight that provides 150 backpacks filled with sleepwear, small stuffed animals, small toys,  and special treasure for young children.

    We wish you all a happy holiday.

  • Oct17

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    Halloween for Los Feliz/ Silverlake Kids

    Posted in: Family events, From the Director, Holidays

    Los Feliz, Silverlake, Larchmont and surrounding areas is a fun place to be with children. While there are the scary events for the older children, there are also some fun and even educational things happening around town for the preschool set.

    Natural History Museum Spider Pavilion,  www.nhm.org/site.

    COOL THINGS

    Spider Pavilion Nighttime Flashlight Tours

    October 21 & 28

    We‘re keeping the Spider Pavilion open late for exciting nighttime exploration and guided tours by flashlight. Complimentary flashlight and commemorative Spider Pavilion 2011 pin while supplies last.A great experience on Oct. 21 and 28th.  

    Ivanhoe Public Elementary School- Fall HoeDown- Oct 29th- at 1 pm.- 2828 Herkimer St Los Angeles, CA 90039-4103 - (323) 664-0051

    Larchmont Family Fair- Sunday, October 23, 12-5 pm. Larchmont Blvd.  between First and Third.

    Self- Realization Center Halloween Festival  in Mt. Washington. It is always the Friday before Halloween. This year will be October 28th and it usually goes from 6-8, or around that time. It is open to the public. Kids can come dressed up. They have all kinds of wonderful Jack O’ Lanterns, lots of activities for the kids, a Halloween queen and several acts (singing, magician, dancers, performers, etc.) Highly recommended by some of our parents. 

    Los Angeles Zoo- Boo at the Zoo

    Boo at the L.A. ZooBoo at the L.A. Zoo is Back!

    October 29 & 30, 10am-4pm
    Have a safe and spooky Halloween at Boo at the L.A. Zoo!

    Eucalyptus Grove will turn into a giant Pumpkin Patch with jack-o-lantern carving, photo opportunities, and eerie crafts. The Creepy Creature Encounter at the Winnick Family Children’s Zoo will feature trick-or-treating, a chance to get up close with some creepy creatures, and Halloween entertainment.  Free with paid admission or with zoo membership.

    The 9thAnnual Rose Scharlin Halloween Hullabaloo is October 29th  from 4pm- 8pm. 2414 Lake View Ave. Los Angeles, Ca. 90039

    Los Angeles Charter School of the Arts-

    On Saturday, October 22, the annual LFCSA Halloween Festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Come join the fun as we help raise needed funds for our school. Activities include a petting zoo, giant slides, a haunted house, dunk-your-teacher booth, great food, bake sale, Stewies shaved ice, facepainting, spray tattoos, games, crafts and some new surprises. Admission is free.

     

     

     

  • May8

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    Mother’s Day- an Inclusive Way

    Posted in: Child Development, From the Director, Holidays, Parenting

    Happy Mother’s Day!  We are going to have a Mother’s Day celebration at the preschool on Monday. Here is the note sent home explaining to our  parents how we celebrate Mother’s Day in a more inclusive way.

    Dear Parents,

    Below you will find our plans for tomorrow morning.

    First, though we wanted to explain why we are celebrating this day and later Father’s Day in a more inclusive way.  We have invited mothers, grandmas, aunts, and other important women in children’s lives to be with us.

    One of the most important  goals of Children’s Center Preschool is to help children to understand  and appreciate not only their own family’s heritage, culture, and makeup, but those of other children’s families.  We want to develop more than tolerance in children, which is a passive state.  In addition we seek to develop understanding, acceptance, and appreciation. When a child sees the value of his or her family as well as the value of families  who live differently , they develop an active belief that each person matters and that there are many different ways to live life positively.

    Mother’s Day was originally a Hallmark Card marketing opportunity that seems to have evolved into a National holiday. But life is not the same as it was 50 years ago, and our children and their families need to find new ways to approach this holiday (because it is so ubiquitous). Children are no longer raised only in traditional mother and father households.  They are also being well raised in single parent, same sex parent, adoptive parent, grandparent, or other caring people households. They also have several other important women who participate in meaningful ways in their upbringing,  nannies, babysitters, grandmas, aunts, neighbors, and friends.

    Tomorrow we will celebrate them all!  We hope that celebrating in this way, we will help your children redefine Mother’s Day in a new and more inclusive way and value the many women who enrich their  lives.

    We look forward to celebrating with you.

    The Morning Plan Read More | Comments

  • Dec23

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    Holidays/ Learning About Traditions

    Posted in: Family events, Food and Cooking, Holidays, Monthly Classroom Themes

    The December holidays are upon us.  Within our diverse community, there are a number of different traditions, religions,  and cultural celebrations that are part of our families’ lives. We encourage families to come and share their holiday experiences with us. As teachers, our goal throughout the holiday season is for our  children to learn more about their own families celebrations and traditions and to respect and appreciate the traditions and celebrations of others.

    For Chanukah, a child’s mom and dad brought in all of the ingredients  and helped the children to  make potato latkes. They proved to be very popular at snack; applesauce on top  of the latkes was the favorite but some of the children joined me and tried the sour cream.

    They also took turns pretending to light the Menorah, carefully holding the shamus as though it was really lit and counting the nights.

    The children who celebrate Chanukah told us about their own evening celebrations with their families.  We put dreidels on the table; they were great fun even though they were hard to get spinning. Singing the Dreidel Song helped. It became one of the best known songs by the time we reached the winter sing.

    One of our families comes from Sweden and on the 13th of December, the Swedes celebrate St. Lucia Day as a national holiday. At school, our Swedish mom brought special lussekatt (Lucia buns)  and pepparkaka (gingerbread). She helped the children make the traditional crowns  Staffan hats.

    We also celebrated the Christmas holiday. We read great Christmas stories; my favorite is the Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg. Parents helped us to  decorate Christmas cookies and  make baker’s dough ornaments.

    Throughout the last two weeks, we sang songs about Chanukah, Christmas, and Winter. By the time we reached the Winter sing, we were really good at Jingle Bells (with accompanying bells) and Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel. Deck the Halls was fun because when the Falalalalala part came, the children really sang with flair. The children requested Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman even though they didn’t know many of the words.

    The culminating moment came when the parents and children came at 7 pm to the back of the classroom where the room was lit only with twinkle lights. They were greeted with appetizers and then we all sat together and sang. My favorite moment was when the children realized they were singing their songs and that they were being sung by everyone; they had become a part of a larger shared experience with their families and teachers. We culminated  in laughter  and singing as I tried to keep up with the singers while I turned the pages of the Twelve Days of Christmas.

    We finished with desserts made by the families. Hopefully everyone went home with visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads.

    We wish everyone a very happy holiday season and joy with your own family.

  • Nov30

    4 Comments

    Christmas and Chanukah Gift Giving

    Posted in: From the Director, Fun with Preschoolers, Holidays

    Gift giving to young children can be challenging. At Children’s Center Preschool, there are some favorite toys and activities that children really love that we thought you would enjoy knowing about. Each offers many opportunities for imaginative, open-ended play, hours of enjoyment, and, except for the Magna-tiles, are fairly inexpensive.

    • Manipulatives area-Children aged 3-7 years old  play over and over again with the MAGNA-TILES available from Amazon.com.   These square and triangular plastic tiles have magnets along their edges, allowing them to connect and create structures in an amazing array of shapes. You will want at least 50 and probably a hundred. They will last for years of use.  I love these! Bristle blocks and Medium-sized Legos are also very popular and can be added too as time goes on.
    • Sensory area- Playdough is always popular and you can get big tubs of it in a range of colors . Add some rollers, garlic presses, plastic knives, rubber stamps, etc. However, the current favorite is IncredibleFoam. It is made of tiny beads and bound together so that it can be gently molded into many shapes. Ty says it feels like soft Rice Krispy Treats.  Both are available from  Discount School Supply . It is very, very fun!
    • Sensory possibilities additionally can be found on this website. Directions of how to make Flubber, Playdough, Clean Mud, and Cornstarch Goo are given. These can be made and put into fun containers.
    • Art  projects are  always a favorite thing to do. Several years ago, my husband and I put together CREATION BOXES for all of our grandchildren. Our main source of collage materials, fabric, paper, tubes, ribbons, stickers, and other great stuff was Trash for Teaching in downtown LA. We get our recycled materials for the school from T4T. They have more than a hundred bins of manufacturer’s leftovers and other new but repurposed items. It is a bonanza of great stuff and you pay $2.00 a pound. Check your previous email or the website for more information.To make the boxes, Stephen and I first took large cardboard boxes and covered them with holiday paper. Then we filled them with different colored paper, glue sticks, tape, hole punches, markers, and lots of the items from T4T. They were a favorite present that year and still get lots of use. They are easy to refill with new materials that keeps them fresh and interesting.
    • DRESS-UP BOXES are another gift that gives hours of play. At the school , the children spend many hours putting on the dress up clothes and acting out roles from mother and baby to doctor and train conductor.  Thrift stores are a great source of clothes, shoes, jewelry, purses, capes, ties, etc. Hats (police, fire, etc. ) are great props; they can be enough to create the character and are cheaply purchased online. Scarves are very versatile as well.Once you have the basics, you can be as elaborate as you want. You can buy a ready made doctor’s kit or for a doctor coat, buy small short sleeved white  shirt and put a red cross on it. Add some doctor play equipment from the 99 cent store. Or add a few children’s cooking tools, some food boxes,  a pot and a pad of paper and pencil  and  the kitchen or restaurant have their beginnings. Ask children what they want later to create a more complete set of supplies.
    • Books are universally popular at the school and availalbe through Amazon.com. The current favorites are : Read More | Comments

  • Nov21

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    5 Ideas for Giving Thanks

    Posted in: From the Director, Holidays

    Thanksgiving is one of the times in the year when I become more mindful about my life and the many things I have to be thankful for. I am blessed with loving family, good friends, a school I really enjoy, wonderful colleagues and friends, good health, and the means to enjoy life.

    I also am thankful the wonderfully diverse communities I live, work, and shop  in;. Los Feliz, Silverlake, Larchmont, and Hollywood give my family so much. At the same time, I am aware of the many people in my communities who struggle, be it from health issues, hunger, joblessness, poverty,or  violence in their home and area.

    Especially at Thanksgiving, I want to give to my communities, to say thanks and extend a hand. Over the years, I have been involved with some excellent organizations that provide care, food, and other necessities all year to the many who need help. Here are a few.

    Firstly, you can bring canned food to the school and contribute to the ongoing food drive conducted through Temple Knesset Israel, the temple from whom we rent. They work with SOVA, a community food and resource program that is part of Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles. SOVA cares for 10, 000 people per month of all religions, ages,  and ethnicities.

    Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles is one of our closest neighbors and provides many services to children beyond health care. The Red Wagon Program, Toy donations, food, and money are welcome contributions. This link is to their “Giving” page, both for the holidays and all year.

    Los Feliz Hope-Net is an interfaith and community effort to eliminate hunger and homelessness. Its founding premise is that ” none of our neighbors should go hungry”. It maintains food pantries and food deliveries as well as many other services.

    Angel Harvest , is especially valuable to know about if you are in the Hollywood entertainment business or have dealings with companies that give  catered events. They have established an experienced organization that  picks up  leftover food  from events, cafeterias, and other catering venues and immediately distributes it to centers who feed hungry.

    Los Angeles Regional Food Banks have a interesting way to donate that can include your family and friends. Virtual Food Drives are a great way to support the Foodbank’s hunger relief efforts. The Foodbank’s new website makes it easier to create and customize a Virtual Food Drive page to get your friends and family involved in the fight against hunger.

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