September Baby Photo Contest Voting has ended! Check out our cute little winner! Whichever photo gets the most votes by September 19th will be on the cover of the October issue of Growing Up in Santa Cruz! Voting ends on September 19th Only 1 vote per person Please vote by leaving a comment on this post with the number of the photo you are voting for
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September Student Art
September Student Art Ivory, 10, did this mixed media art on canvas at Cherryvale Art Farm. The underwater scene combines collage and acrylic painting. This 5 by 6 inch acrylic and water color drawing is by Mata Overby, 9, a third grader at Tara Redwood School as part of the Creative Compassionate Cultures program. Mata says “It Is the perfection of the colors in the rainbow and it reminds her of all the colors that are represented with the CCC,” according to her teacher Lisa Dreyer-Campiglia. Fifth grader Jianna Muzzio’s owl painting was done at Good Shepherd School and was on display at Cafe Ella in Watsonville. It will be…
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What Do Theme Parks Do When Summer is Over?
What Do Theme Parks Do When Summer is Over? Always Amused: September 2018 By Erik Chalhoub Photos by: Erik Chalhoub. ALL NIGHT LONG it’s a bit like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when Santa Cruz kids get a chance to camp at the boardwalk all night this month. School is back in session, summer is nearly over and the weather is mild. September is here, and that means it’s one of the best times to visit a theme park. Yes, there may be fewer days and hours the parks are open, and the kids are busy with homework, but now is the time to hit the roller coasters, take a…
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Why One Child Turns Out So Well, But Not the Other
Why One Child Turns Out So Well, But Not The Other By Chris Jackson Have you ever thought, “I just don’t get why all my kids didn’t turn out well; I parented them all the same, so what went wrong?” Bingo. That’s just it: if you want all your kids to turn out the same (well-adjusted), parent them differently. When you parent them the same, they can and do turn out differently (and often not in a good way). You may have heard the recent news about a local police chief’s son who was arrested. On the department’s Facebook page, the chief stated, “His sisters (one corporate and the other…
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Five Ways to Build Your Child’s Critical Thinking Skills
Five Ways to Build Your Child’s Critical Thinking Skills By Jan Pierce Everyday life involves a lot of prob- lem-solving. How do you encourage your children to get along with others? What’s the best way to help your child learn to manage money? Should you let your kids play video games and which ones are off-limits? Without realizing it, you’re making logical decisions every day, and your kids need to learn how to make sound, logical decisions as well. Not just in their social and emotional lives, but in their reading, their writing, and their math and science explorations as well. In short, the child who knows how to think…
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Around Town September 2018
Around Town September 2018 Gift of Straight Teeth On Friday, August 3, a young woman’s life was changed forever. Dr. Brian Schabel and Dr. Vivian Chan, a husband and wife team of orthodontists and owners of North Coast Orthodontics in Capitola, gave a 16 year old foster child the gift of a lifetime: free orthodontic treatment. Earlier this year, the orthodontists launched a new community initiative they coined, ‘Spread the Aloha.’ Through this program, they will be giving back to the community on a grander scale. The first ‘Spread the Aloha’ initia- tive was a free braces giveaway. The community was encouraged to nominate a deserving individual to receive free…
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Eat Your Spinach: Birth Matters September 2018
Eat Your Spinach: Birth Matters September 2018 By Laura Maxon, LM Popeye popularized spinach for instant strength, but when it comes to iron-rich foods, there are others that pack a bigger punch. Foods rich in iron are necessary to build red blood cells, which are key to delivering oxygen to every part of the body. Iron helps us feel energized and be better able to fend off infection. During pregnancy iron is vital for both mother and the developing baby. Women are screened for true anemia (very low iron) in early pregnancy so iron supplementation can be started right away. True anemia shouldn’t be con- fused with the expected dip…
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Santa Cruz Montessori School Goes Solar
Santa Cruz Montessori School Goes Solar ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL ENERGY Santa Cruz Montessori’s 160 solar panels will give the school 98 percent of its energy and save $17,000 a year. Patience is a virtue. A decade of patience makes miracles happen. In 2008, the Santa Cruz Montessori (SCM) board approved a strategic action plan for the greening of the school. Junior high students in the Wavecrest class were tasked with organizing a Green Science Fair to determine the most effective way the school could go green. The winner: solar panels. Enter the villain, the economic downturn of 2008. With a shrinking economy, greening plans had to be put on hold. Fast…
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Tips for Boosting Your Child’s IQ
Tips for Developing Your Child’s IQ: Develop a Can-Do Attitude By Jan Pierce Here’s a hot topic for all caring parents. What can you, as a parent, do to optimize your child’s successes in learning throughout life? We’ve all heard of the nature/nurture arguments that say a child is born with a certain learning capability and their environment merely promotes or inhibits reaching full potential. And, that is true. However, the most recent thinking in the world of learning is that the environment a child experiences has a great deal to do with whether or not a child reaches that full potential. Further, the attitude the child takes into school…
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Home: September Book Recommendations
Home: September Book Recommendations By Michelle Spence With the kids back in school, there is a return to routine—often absent during the carefree days of summer. It’s an exciting time that can also be overwhelming with school schedules, sports, activities, homework, and more. One of the most important anchors for kids is home—not just the physical space, but the feeling it provides. Happily, young readers can turn to books to experience the comforts and coziness of home and family whenever it is needed. A House is a House for Me Written by Mary Ann Hoberman Illustrated by Betty Fraser Mary Ann Hoberman begins her rhyming story simply enough, naming hills…
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It’s Scary How Many People Buckle Up Wrong
It’s Scary How Many People Buckle Up Wrong: Child Passenger Safety Week is in September By Michelle Spence As a parent, you buckle your kids up for a trip in the car so often that it is easy to run through the process on autopilot, but motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death among children and most car crashes happen on short trips, close to home. One of the most important things a parent can do to keep their children safe is to ensure they are safely buckled up in the correct and properly installed car seat for their age and size, every single time they get in…
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Finishing Leo’s Haven: County Scoop September 2018
Finishing Leo’s Haven: County Scoop September 2018 By Zach Friend On June 20, the Board of Supervisors was taking testimony on the proposed County budget when two children walked up to the microphone. One was 8-year-old Oliver Potts, who often uses a wheelchair to get around. The other was Cleo Roberts, age 10. They came to talk about LEO’s Haven, a proposed playground in the Mid-County area. “LEO’s Haven will be an inclusive playground, where kids like me can play with their friends,” said Oliver, smiling as he spoke. “All kids need to play!” It was Cleo’s turn. “Everyone wants the same thing, to be accepted for who they are…
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The 6th Annual Mole Festival Hits SC September 8
The 6th Annual Mole Festival Hits SC September 8th: The Ancient Mix of Chocolate and Hot Spice was an Accident and Now a Favorite By Brad Kava SWEET & SPICY Maria Joa Gallardo and daughter Erica Bonilla Gallardo show off their mole on chicken at El Chino restaurant on Soquel Drive before they enter the mole contest Saturday Sept. 8 at the Mole & Mariachi Festival downtown. You might not expect traditional Mexican food at a place called El Chino, but that’s what Maria Joa Gallardo’s family has been producing in Soquel since 1984. The restaurant at 2525 Soquel Drive, next to Jelli Beanz, uses recipes from Mexicali, where Gallardo’s…
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Brushing, Fluoride, and All the Fun Stuff
Brushing, Fluoride, and All the Fun Stuff: Healthy Smiles September 2018 By Dr. Megan For little babies, basically after every time milk is consumed a clean and wet cloth may be used to wipe the gums. So what is exactly achieved here? Well, it is not always about teeth. We would like to eliminate any residual milk left on the gum tissue, hence eliminating a “pleasant” habitat in which cavity causing bacteria can thrive. Occasionally parents are concerned that their ritual of cleaning baby’s mouth might wake them up after all the effort of putting them to sleep. Think of this way: milk contains sugar and is capable of causing…
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These Apps are Dangerous for Your Kids
These Apps are Dangerous for Your Kids: Parents Should Be Wary of What’s on Their Kid’s Screens By Steve Walters Tech is fast. Kids are faster. If your children are using these apps, security experts say you should monitor them. They can fall into danger before they know what they’ve done. Don’t be shy about keeping a sharp eye on what sites they are visiting. Dangerous apps allow users to anonymously sent text messages, pictures, or videos. They provide user’s locations. They allow users to hide content such as pictures and videos; and they promote sexual activities or “hook ups.” Here are some to look out for. Live.Me Live.Me is…
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The Best Ways to Save for a College Education
The Best Way to Save for a College Education: The State of California Will Help You Bigly By Steve Dinnen You know college is expensive. Some financial advisors have recommended families set aside as much as 4 percent of their annual income just to handle their child’s total college expenses. So, how do you assemble enough money now to pay for that eventual bill for room, board and tuition? Moms and dads can get a big lift up on college finances by way of ScholarShare College Savings Plan. It is a program run by the State of California that permits parents – or parents, or even friends, for that matter…
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On a Roll: Tips on How Kids Learn to Bicycle
On a Roll: Tips on How Kids Learn to Bicycle By Karen Kefauver When you think about cycling, chances are good that you remember your first “real” bike and early adventures. Learning to ride is a rite of passage that grants freedom and fun. Later on, there are longer outings with friends, especially during dreamy summer days. I remember the thrill of riding miles with my friend along the C&O Canal Towpath, from Bethesda, Maryland, to Georgetown in Washington, D.C. headed to Commander Salamander, the “cool” place to shop during high school. Feeling nostalgic, I asked Santa Cruz County parents to share their tips on teaching kids how to ride…
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Your Letters and Thoughts
Your Letters and Thoughts: September 2018 The Capitola Mall removed its children’s play structure in the food court, a popular place for families. Now there are tables there and very few food vendors. We showed a photo of it on our new “Where is this in Santa Cruz?” feature at Growingupsc.com and asked where it was and why it was sad. Here are some responses: It’s sad because they tore out the play area. We used to go every time it rained – Samantha, via Growingupsc.com website. That looks like the food court at the Capitola Mall. With no food and no people – Shelly, via Growingupsc.com web- site. I…
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Time for a Digital Health Check-Up: Ask Nicole September 2018
Time for a Digital Health Check-Up: Ask Nicole By Nicole M. Young MSW Before my son left for college, I deleted the settings on his phone that limited late-night use and access to certain apps and web sites. I’d set those limits so many years ago (when it was necessary for my sanity) that I’d forgotten about them. Changing the settings was a small task but huge reminder of the new life he was beginning. I still have my teenage daughter ask permission before downloading apps so we can talk about what they are and why she wants them. I usually say yes, but often ask, “Why?” repeatedly. As in,…
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September 2018 Editor’s Note
September 2018 Editor’s Note Soquel High football players are thrilled to have former NFL player Dwight Lowery coaching them. How could they not be? It’s a trend we’d like to see at all levels of education – people who have been successful in their fields coming back to share their knowledge with the community. We see it at both local colleges, where teachers who have been successful in their industries are mentoring students with what they learned in the worlds of business, science, film making and computer tech, to name a few. We see it in the art students are pro- ducing in schools around the county, something we will…
