Why Outdoor Learning? Mount Madonna School Prepares for a Fall 2020 Return to Campus By Ann Goewert, Ph.D. There is something magical about learning outdoors, and Mount Madonna School’s (MMS) 375 acres of land includes groves of coastal redwoods and live oaks, mountain meadows, chaparral, and ponds. The ecological tapestry of biomes, rich with diverse life forms, provides an unmatched outdoor laboratory for our educators to engage students in a broad variety of learning experiences and opportunities, from the art of crafting stories to scientific inquiry and experimentation. Immersing students in nature and outdoor learning develops the whole student. Outdoor learning fuels the mind and ignites all of the senses.…
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Aug Coloring
August Coloring Page Jim Booth Swim Schools in Santa Cruz and Watsonville are teaching one on one classes: “We’re still swimming! Give us a call 831-722-3500. Come hop in!”
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Summer Stone Fruits
Summer Stone Fruits The Advantage of Seasonal Eating by gretchen heimsoth *Recipe card at the end of article Summer is upon us! The time of year that stone fruits make their appearance in the farmers’ markets and local produce purveyors. The family of stone fruits includes cherries, plums, pluots, apricots, nectarines, and peaches. Lesser known in the family are avocados, which are also in supply at the local markets with a wide variety, and mangoes, which sadly for Northern California are not local. Mangoes are delicious and rich in nutrients. But for this feature, I am going to focus on locally grown stone fruit and save avocadoes for another conversation.…
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Which School
Private School? Homeschool? Public School? Let’s Look at the Options for 2020 By Suki Wessling At the time of this writing, one month before school starts, a lot of school parents are in limbo, not knowing what school will look like for their students. Some are considering alternatives to their neighborhood schools. So what are the options? Move to private school?Most local private schools have announced plans to reopen site-based instruction part- or full-time. If you’ve been thinking about trying private school anyway, this may be a good time to explore the options. Smaller schools do have more flexibility. However, all schools will have to change their plans if the…
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Pandemic Child Care
Six Ways to Care for Kids During the Pandemic By Suki Wessling Throughout the time that I homeschooled my children, I also worked. Most of the homeschooling parents I knew also worked, at least part-time. A few of them were wealthy enough to afford professional childcare, but they were the exception to the rule. Most of us took part in the informal childcare economy that homeschooling often requires. In this article, I’ll attempt to lay out a framework for a variety of ways to get care for your children during this pandemic, but of course, it will be necessary for you to look at your own household and think creatively.…
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Breastfeeding Month
Breastfeeding Month By Laura Maxson, LM August is here and, like the rest of the year, nothing is business as usual. Normally, Santa Cruz County Breastfeeding Coalition and WIC (Women, Infants and Children) would be inviting everyone to their annual Breastfeeding Walk and Health Fair, but that is not happening this year due to COVID19.Although families will not gather together in the park to celebrate this year, they will be able to participate in virtual activities all month long during National Breastfeeding Month. Locally, families can connect with the Breastfeeding Coalition and their member organizations on Facebook to learn more about the benefits of human milk and local/virtual events. (facebook.com/SCCBFC)…
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Jovanna Vera
Jovanna Vera LOCAL ARTIST When I was young, I loved arts and crafts and found out that I enjoyed being creative. However, it wasn’t until I started high school that I began to pursue art passionately and started focusing on improving my technical skills. I’ve had the opportunity to work as an assistant art teacher a few times in different schools and teach arts and crafts at the Castroville Public library before the state lockdown began. I even got to work on an art website for six years. I love art, and I love to share my passion with others and to get others to enjoy it as I do.…
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Chinese Medicine
A Doctor of Chinese Medicine By Jeanette Prather “From what we’ve seen in Chinese medicine, COVID-19 is really going to take root and be a harder disease for patients who have cold lungs and cold digestive systems,” local doctor of Chinese medicine, Dr. Nihal Kaur, offered freely. “This means no sugar, sweets, ice cream, drinks, etc., but rather hot drinks like tea, soups and broth are best. Make sure that your digestive system is warm, with a combination of ginger and licorice tea being the best.” This is just one of the small anecdotes that Dr. Kaur offers her patients via online sessions instead of her traditional in-person appointments. Dr.…
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Dominican Best for Baby
Only the Best for Baby and Mama Newsweek Recognizes Dominican Hospital as a Best Maternity Care Hospital Distinction places the hospital among just 231 medical facilities nationwide recognized for superior maternity care SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (July 17, 2020) Dignity Health Dominican Hospital has been designated as one of Newsweek’s Best Maternity Care Hospitals 2020. According to Newsweek, this honor recognizes Dominican for its extraordinary service to mothers, newborns, and families in our community. To compile the list, a panel of experts set rigorous requirements and reviewed key data. They looked for hospitals with low rates of C-section, episiotomy, and early elective deliveries, and that follow crucial protocols to protect mothers…
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Aug Editor Note
Editor’s Note As if our country wasn’t divided enough, we now have important questions splitting our local community every day. Should we send kids back to school as the president has firmly advocated? Is distance learning a valid replacement for classroom teaching? Should we find private schools that have found ways to do in-person teaching? Should we home school, or form pods and hire teachers to teach kids in small, safe groups? What can we do to keep the education fair and available for everyone? Are only families with enough money for private schools going to be able to get their kids a good education? Should we be wearing masks?…
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Staff Bios
Brad Kava – Owner | Editor Brad Kava is a lifelong journalist who got his start working for Santa Cruz weeklies and then spent many years commuting over the hill to newspapers in San Jose and Gilroy. When he had a son four years ago with Jennifer Ford, he found a way to stay in the county he loves and writes about what he was learning: raising kids. He has two teenaged stepchildren with Jennifer and together they are plugged into the spectrum of child-rearing from birth to almost college. Their bold adventure together inspires them to put out a resource for local families and all the challenges they face.…
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Kari Byron
Mother Kari Byron Spent a Lot of Time Busting Myths Our Mythbuster Stumbled into the Greatest Job in the World By Kevin Painchaud If you ever turned on the TV between the years of 2003 and 2018, I’m sure you had the opportunity to watch the Discovery Network hit show, MythBusters. It was one of the most popular TV shows ever produced by the Discovery Channel. One of the fun and quirky co-hosts of this show, was Kari Byron. I had the chance to chat with Kari and learn a bit more about her and her new show titled Crash Test World.KP: Hi Kari. So where did you grow up…
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Writing
Now is the Perfect Time to Get Kids Writing By John Koenig Wendy Thompson wants you to know one thing. The Young Writers Program will be back for the fall 2020 semester—although online, not live. Now retired after a long teaching career, she will be leading the YWP into uncharted territory as schools learn to reopen in the time of COVID. Last spring, it survived the retirement of its founding director, the school lockdowns, and funding cuts that left essential staff positions unfilled. As the new executive director, she is focused on returning with the projects that have been a part of Santa Cruz education and a part of her…
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Staying at Home
Staying at Home Make Family Read-aloud Time the Highlight BY JAN PIERCE Watch out parents, having to stay at home with the family may force you to have quality time together. You may find that a family read aloud time becomes a family favorite. Reading good books together supports all kinds of learning—vocabulary building, communication and listening skills, expanding imagination, building logic and problem-solving skills, and the list goes on and on.Finding the just-right read for your family can be a bit of a trick, so here are some lists of quality chapter books designed to meet the needs of your clan. Remember that doling out the chapters is part…
