A resource for families in Santa Cruz County | |
"It made me mad and sad." | |
When children take a Litwits class with Becky and Jenny, they read the book before coming together. At the beginning of their first meeting after reading Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. which takes place in the 1930s in Mississippi, they each reported a variation of, "It made them mad, sad and wanting to FIX IT."
Learn more about how a LitWits class helps young readers identify and understand important, profound principles they can apply to their own lives and how a LitWits class clarifies for children why certain, admirable character qualities are worthy of incorporating into their own being.
I wish every school in Santa Cruz County used the LitWit's criteria for selecting literature and for facilitating a deep dive into the times, culture, qualities of characters to emulate, beautiful writing, and universal, profound lessons.
As a teacher, and parent, I had the good fortune to be affiliated with a school that supported a program similar to LitWits. I'm not familiar with every one of our school's literature curriculum; I just hope they provide excellence like LitWits. Imagine continuing to read to and with your school age children at home. It's a treat to discover great books you missed along the way!
Have a mighty fine weekend, going for a rain walk and returning to tea, a comfy chair and a book, Parmalee
P.S Want to smile, laugh and feel good. Check our last calendar event. Hurry! Tickets for this event sell fast.
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Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry | |
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LitWits is noted for its hands-on, memorable, meaningful ways to do "deep dives" into literature, and to bring to light powerful lessons .
Recently, Becky and Jenny taught Mildred D. Taylor's Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry in their experiential workshop style.
"It's a memorable but difficult book to read, because it's about racial conflicts and injustices of 1930s Mississippi, from a child's point of view. And, as we told parents ahead of time, it includes language and violence our chosen books don't usually include."
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"But they trusted that there were lessons worth learning in this story. They must have believed, as we do, that identifying with a strong character facing adversity would help their own kids develop understanding, empathy, and coping skills. So 72 kids, many as young as seven, showed up with this tough book inside them, ready to learn more."
We always start our workshops by asking the kids how the book made them feel, and what it made them want to do —because that's what matters most. The children in different sessions reacted similarly:
"It made me sad and mad,
and I wanted to jump into the book and FIX THINGS!"
That's the power of a great book, and why we want kids to learn to love reading them. Read more -> -> ->
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End of Winter / Almost Spring Snow
USA West to East: Snow Conditions with Meteorologist Chris Tomer’s complete snow forecast.
California Summary: I’m forecasting lingering snow into early 3/13 and then heavy snowfall 3/14 and 3/17. Total accumulation of 1-3 feet at Lake Tahoe, Mammoth, and Mt. Shasta. Ski Resort Reports
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March is Women's History Month
March is Women's History Month. We read about famous women from centuries past. We see contemporaries making notable contributions in our community. In our daily lives we see women quietly leading admirable lives in an astonishing variety of roles.
These women are YOU, doing your best, making mistakes, solving problems, loving and guiding your children, becoming discouraged yet picking up and moving forward as you live the most important role on earth, parenting. Whether you are famous in the world or admired within your family YOU are important, YOU are making history.
We celebrate YOU, incredible women who make our world better! Who is this woman of another era whom I admire? Read her story. I bet you also will admire Josephine Cochrane.
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St Patrick’s Scavenger Hunt Monday, March 17, 10am, It looks like three of our county parks have been visited by some sneaky leprechauns! Now, did these tricksters leave any gold behind?
Join us at our St Patrick’s Scavenger Hunt at 10am to look for gold! Here 1, Here 2 or Here 3!
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PI Day Picnic, Friday, March 14, 5 – 6:30pm, Don’t Miss the Ultimate Pie-Lover’s Picnic! Pie is delicious. Pie is life. And on Pi Day, pie is your ticket in! Join fellow pie lovers for a fun-filled evening of tasting, sharing, and celebrating all things pie! From flaky crusts to gooey fillings, every bite brings us closer to discovering the ultimate crowd favorite. Open to people of all ages. RSVP please, Details
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For the first time since 2022, a breathtaking celestial event is about to light up the night sky... On the night of March 13-14, a total lunar eclipse will cast its mesmerizing glow across Earth. This rare phenomenon, often called a "blood moon", occurs when the full moon passes through Earth’s shadow, taking on a stunning reddish hue. In Northern California, the partial eclipse starts at 10:09pm PDT, with totality occurring from 11:26pm. to 12:32am PDT.
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Music of the West African Kora with Sean Gaskell, Friday, March 14, 3 – 4pm, Please join us for a musical performance featuring Sean Gaskell and the West African Kora harp. The kora is a 21 stringed West African harp that is traditionally played by oral historians known as Griots. Many of these songs preserve a history dating back 800 years to the founding of the Mande empire.
Details
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Watsonville Teen Artist Showcase, Opening Reception March 14, 5-7pm; Fridays 2-4pm, Saturdays & Sundays 11am-4pm, through March 23, Celebrate the next generation of artists! The Watsonville Teen Artist Showcase features incredible work by talented students from local schools including Aptos High School, Ceiba College Prep Academy, Diamond Tech Institute, Pajaro Valley High School, St. Francis High School, Watsonville High School. Details
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Recycle Right! Boot Camp, Saturday March 15, 10am – 1pm, Details
Parent Nest: A guided play and connection series, Fridays, March 14, 9:15 – 10am, Details
Live Like Coco Seeks Volunteers for Read Run Repeat, April 26, Details
Watsonville Wetlands Paid Internship for Watsonville public high school students, Apply today! Details
National Craft Month Madness, Saturday, March 15, 1 - 3pm, Details
Tales to Tails Garfield Park Mondays, Make an appointment, Details
Gabby’s Dollhouse Meowseum Discovery Days, Saturday 10am – 5pm, March 15, Details
Lego Brick Builder Fridays, Fridays, 3-4pm, Details
READ program with Ziggy the mini, One hour Sessions, 1pm and 2pm, on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, Details
Skate the Civic, Monday, 6:30 – 9:30pm, Roller skate at the Civic! Details
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Nature in Your Back Yard, Friday, March 14, 5:30 – 7:30pm,
Join Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks for a book talk with author and illustrator Marni Fylling! Friday, March 14, from 5:30-7:30pm at Natural Bridges State Beach. She will talk about her newest guide, how she came to be a scientific illustrator, what makes the discipline unique and how she approaches her illustrations. Details
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Explore the nature of Santa Cruz — wherever you are! Connect with local experts and join your community in deepening understanding about nature, science, and stewardship online and in-person. 10 Unique Nature Events with your favorite museum leaders, Details
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Rick Steves | ON THE HIPPIE TRAIL, Istanbul to Kathmandu and the Making of a Travel Writer, Sunday, March 16, 4 -5:30pm, This in-person event will include a 90-minute discussion and visual presentation, plus audience Q&A and a book signing. Details
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The Link Between Your Digestion, Inflammation, and the Symptoms Challenging You, Tuesday, March 18, 4:30 – 5:30pm, Discover the connection between your digestion, inflammation and the symptoms you are struggling with: low energy, body pain, excess weight, allergies, digestive issues like gas bloating, irregular BM’s, headaches and what you can do to transform your health & symptoms so that you can enjoy your life fully! Details
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Artificial Intelligence Discussion Group, February 20, 6 – 8pm, Join us and discuss the infinite possibilities of A.I.! Are you Intrigued by A.I.? Does A.I. Scare you? Do you want A.I. to write your next term paper? Come hang out and talk about the implementation and implications of this rapidly advancing field. Details
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Coming Soon: Howl, The Art and History of Pets, Starts March 21, An exhibition featuring pet themed art and historical photos from the MAH’s collection to celebrate our furry and feathery friends. Details
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Top Dog Film Festival, Saturday, March 22, 7 – 10pm, Supports Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter, The Top Dog Film Festival, Australia’s premier showcase of the best dog-themed movies from around the world, comes to Santa Cruz to celebrate the passion of dog lovers.
The festival will bring a curated selection of hilarious, heartwarming, and delightfully dog-centric films.
This tour promises an experience that will tug at everyones heartstrings and leave them with a renewed appreciation for the extraordinary spirit of dogs. Details
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Parenting Workshops, These parent workshops offer outstanding skills, tips and support in our parenting path. We are fortunate to have these resources. Even if everything is going well, it's good to know what's available! March
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