Growing Up in Santa Cruz

The Play’s The Thing

How is it the holidays already? Wasn’t it just summer? Isn’t it still summer? It sure feels like it. And aren’t things supposed to slow down in the winter? Not here and not for families...

Scrooge is Coming to Town

Santa Cruz Shakespeare (SCS), a nationally recognized professional repertory theatre company staging imaginative productions for more than a decade, debuts a new holiday tradition for the whole family with its production of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Audiences...

Local Parents Find a Circle of Support in Aptos

The journey of pregnancy, birth and parenting is humbling, joyful, vulnerable and more than a little exhausting. And while many families navigate this season of life with minimal support, there is a team in Aptos...

Holiday Classic Comes to Mountain Community Theater

Miracle on 34th Street, the play based on the 1947 novel by Valentine Davies is a long-standing tradition at Mountain Community Theater. First adapted by MCT co-founders Peter Troxell and Rita Wadsworth in 1982, it...

SpongeBob SquarePants Swims into Cabrillo

Cabrillo College’s theater department is no stranger to musical theater. Cabrillo Stage mounts a high quality professional musical every summer, with two recent highlights being 2023’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame and 2024’s In The...

Strategies to Build Resilience and Emotional Strength

According to Webster’s, resilience is the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness. Here are strategies parents can use that are based on three well-researched, go-to resources for parents: SPACE (Supportive Parenting...

Meaningful Alternatives to Holiday Checks and Cash

Gifts of money are often received (and spent) with joy and appreciation that lasts about as long as it takes to get to the mall or log onto Amazon. But there are better ways to...

Mi Casa Es Tu Casa Exhibit Opens

Pajaro Valley Arts has opened their current and annual exhibit, “Mi Casa es Tu Casa” at their Sudden Street gallery. The show explores the connection between the living and those who have passed. The theme...

Tips for a Winning College Application

College-bound seniors are off to a busy season as they juggle their 12th-grade classes and between 7-20 college applications. While this may seem overwhelming while juggling sports and extracurricular activities, take the time to lay...

Deepening Unique Relationships with Your Children

“Our jobs, other responsibilities, and numerous distractions, make it difficult to devote individual time to each of our children. These competing demands on our time, energy, and attention don’t have to deprive us, though, of...

Early Education Local Families Can Trust

Choosing the right early education program for your child is a critical decision that shapes their foundation for future learning. For families in the San Lorenzo Valley, Community Bridges’ Early Education Division (EED) offers a...

Visible and Invisible

This year I have the honor of guiding our senior class in carrying out a capstone project. They came into the first day of classroom work with ideas of wanting to help everything and everybody...

Dental Care During Pregnancy

Pregnancy rites of passage can include pregnancy portraits, baby showers or blessing ways, and many prenatal doctor visits. But visiting the dentist? Yes. Prenatal dental care plays a vitally important role in a healthy pregnancy...

Learning to Cook Gourmet, Locally Grown Food

Santa Cruz Schools are on a mission to change the way your kids think about vegetables. For the first time ever, five county school districts jointly participated in a culinary training program designed to present...

Santa Cruz Schools Selected as America’s Healthiest

All 10 campuses in the Santa Cruz City School District have placed on the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s list of America’s Healthiest Schools. The list recognizes schools in a wide-ranging set of categories relating...

Fall Financial Tips for Families

As the leaves turn and the cool breeze sets in, fall brings a season of cozy gatherings and family fun. It’s also the time when holiday spending starts to creep in, with Halloween and Thanksgiving...

Celebrating RC Fam’s Connections

Raíces y Cariño/RC Fam and the Mother’s Milk Bank California are excited to announce the grand opening of a long-awaited milk collection site on this side of the hill. The community is invited to join...

Students Share Their Creative Projects

Last month, TEDxMeritAcademy hosted an inspiring event featuring seven talented teen speakers who showcased their innovative projects aimed at making a positive impact on the world. This year, the event was hosted at the 418...

Why Neighbors Matter for Your Self-Care Routine

  In the wise words of Fred Rogers, “I’ve always wanted a neighbor like you,” something our entire world needs most right now. In this column, I am sharing one of the most vital elements...

Building Healthy Sleep Habits

Isn’t sleep just the best? I definitely love it! As a parent, though, you quickly learn that the blissful slumber you once took for granted becomes a distant memory. Now, I don’t know about you...