Back-to-School Tips for Parents

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Back-to-school tipsSummer is over and school is officially in session! Here are some back-to-school tips to ensure that your child’s school year proceeds smoothly.

Plan healthy meals and snacks. Be sure your child gets breakfast before the morning school bell rings, because breakfast is the most important meal of the day. For lunch and snacks, make sure your child has a combination of protein, fruits, and vegetables to give them energy to last throughout the school day.

Meet the teacher(s). Attend open houses and orientations, and make personal contact with each of your child’s teachers sooner rather than later to let them know you are involved in your child’s education and eager to stay connected with them.

Set up a routine. Routines help everyone stay on track, including you as a parent. In addition to night and morning routines, have an after-school routine as well. Consider allowing for a little bit of playtime before getting started on homework or beginning after-school activities. Most importantly, make sure your child gets some rest between activities and plenty of sleep at night.

Bullying. Talk to your child about the right course of action to take when he or she encounters bullying at or outside of school, whether it’s physical, verbal, or cyber-bullying. For more resources about bullying, click here.

Safety. Make sure your child gets to school safely. If they bike, make sure they wear a helmet. If they walk, remind them “Head up, phone down” to keep aware of their surroundings.

Sources:

http://www.sparkpe.org/blog/8-essential-back-to-school-tips-for-parents/

http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/going-to-school/back-to-school/back-to-school-tips-for-parents/

Almaden Valley Art & Wine Festival 2016

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Almaden Valley Art & Wine Festival 2016It’s that time of year again in the Almaden Valley! The 40th Annual Almaden Valley Art & Wine Festival 2016 will be held on Sunday, September 11, at Almaden Lake Park from 10am to 6pm. This year the community celebrates a milestone of four full decades of sponsoring the festival, which hosts over 90 vendor booths including a number of local artists and craftspersons selling their paintings, jewelry, sculptures, and much more.

The food at the festival will be local and diverse, including Indian specialties from Mayuri, pizza from Oak & Rye, Mexican cuisine from Carmen’s Taqueria, and Asian fusion from Cross Hatch Eatery. There will also be Gourmet Food Trucks offering even more variety, and of course you’ll find dessert favorites such as shave ice and kettle corn. The popular Premium Wine Tent will be offering selections from Rombauer Vineyard in Napa and Leal Vineyards in Hollister, along with selections from other local wineries. Not the wine connoisseur? Grab a beer from a beer truck and relax at the Beer Garden! Festival glasses with the Art and Wine Festival logo will be sold at local merchant booths.

The Kid’s Fun Zone will have a rock climbing wall, carnival games, and jump houses. The Fun Zone stage will feature performances by local school bands, dance groups, cheerleading squads, and professional entertainers. There will also be a Main Stage with performances by Joanne LeBlanc, Fog City Band, Big Mike and the HartBeats, Leland High School Cheer & Dance, and many more. The Main Stage and Kid’s Fun Zone entertainment schedules are available online at www.almadenwine.org/events. To top it all off, there will be a silent auction with items such as signed sports and entertainment collectibles, limited edition art, fabulous designer jewelry, and tickets to local attractions.

The Almaden Valley Art & Wine Festival is sponsored by the Almaden Valley Women’s Club, which raises funds for the festival every year. The festival is also made possible through the support of local sponsors as well as the City of San Jose. All proceeds from the festival are donated to non-profit organizations and local schools. As always, admission and parking are free, and a free shuttle service is available. Come join the Almaden Valley community in celebrating the 40th anniversary of this popular annual event!

Almaden Community Center Activity Guide – Fall 2016

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Almaden Community Center Activity GuideCheck out the Almaden Community Center Activity Guide for Fall 2016! The guide contains classes and programs for children of all ages from dance and music to health and fitness and specialty camps. There are also a variety of new classes including 3D Cartoon Drawing, Fundamentals of Drawing, Intro to Pastels, Preschool Artist, Little Medical School, and many more. The Almaden Community Center even offers a recreation preschool and KinderCare to prepare children for elementary school.

Make note of some important dates mentioned in the guide, such as the 9th Annual Harvest Festival happening on Saturday, October 22, from 11am to 4pm. The Harvest Festival is an opportunity for residents to enjoy local art, eat good food, and pick pumpkins out of a pumpkin patch just in time for Halloween. The guide also highlights Breakfast with Santa on December 10 from 9:30am to 12pm. Additionally, there are Free Movie Fridays in the Community Room on September 30, October 28, and November 18.

There’s something for all ages in the Almaden Community Center Activity Guide. Fall registration has already begun. You can view the brochure by clicking here, then register directly at the Almaden Community Center (6445 Camden Ave., SJ 408.268.1133) or online at www.sjregistration.com.

Almaden Soccer’s 1st Annual 5K/10K “Kick-off” Run

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Running shoesIs one of your New Year’s resolutions to participate in more fitness activities? If so, here’s an opportunity to start off 2015 with a “bang!” Almaden Valley Youth Soccer League and Almaden FC is holding their first annual “Kick Off” run on January 1st at Leland High School. This fun event is open to runners and walkers of all ages; everyone is welcome. For the competitive set, medals will be awarded to the top finishers, and all participants who finish their race will receive a pin. Although entrants can register the day of the race, they can receive a discount by registering earlier. For more information, visit www.almadensoccer.org

Almaden Community Center’s Fall 2013 Activity Guide

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community-center-activity-guide-fall-2013Almaden Community Center Activity Guide includes all of the programs, classes, and activities planned for the Almaden Community Center in Fall 2013.

Almaden Valley residents have a variety of classes and activities from which to choose. There’s something for everyone – from toddlers to seniors.

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Art Classes in Almaden Valley for Children Ages 18 Months to 5 Years

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Spend quality time with your young child creating art and having fun together! (This is a parent/guardian participation class.) My First Art Class is an art program for children ages 18 months to 5 years. The program offers an art environment where your child can flourish creatively.

Each week, the program offers an exciting theme using an array of art materials such as paint, clay, glitter, stickers, collage, markers, and much more. They set up an art environment with five stations.

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Summer Art Classes at Cindy Art Studio

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cindy-of-cindy-art-studioIn addition to its regular weekly art classes, Cindy Art Studio is offering more than one dozen different special Summer art classes for children ages 5 and above.

Classes in standard media include drawing and painting, oil painting, acrylic painting, and sketching. Classes in mixed media include 3D sculpture, diorama making, rock painting, card making, and character design. Classes in specialized media include 2-toned portrait in oil, abstract painting, animal drawing, and fantasy art.

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The Fratello Marionettes Performing The Vaudeville Follies in Almaden Valley

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FrogPrincessThe Fratello Marionettes will perform their entertaining “Vaudeville Follies” in Almaden Valley. Experience the Artistry of Kevin Menegus and his marionettes. This variety show is in the spirit of the old time music hall, with experienced puppeteers performing in full view of the audience. The shows are filled with wonderful, high-quality marionettes that range in size from one foot to three feet tall! You’ll see singers, dancers, a clown that blows up a balloon, and even a trapese artist.

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Almaden Library to Host Performance by José Luis Orozco

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Jose-Luis-OrozcoJosé Luis Orozco, popular bilingual musician, is performing at the Almaden Library! Mr. José Luis Orozco is an award winning children’s book author and bilingual educator. He wrote De Colores, Diez Deditos and Fiestas. More recently, he wrote Rin Rin Rin Do Re Mi. CD’s accompany each of these colorful books to present a collection of latino songs, rhymes, lullabies, and holiday celebrations.

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Almaden Community Center’s Summer 2013 Activity Guide

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almaden-activity-guide-summer-2013Almaden Community Center Activity Guide includes all of the programs, classes, and activities planned for the Almaden Community Center in Summer 2013.

Almaden Valley residents have a variety of classes and activities from which to choose. There’s something for everyone – from toddlers to seniors.

Read more