|
________________
Coming Up the Last 2 Weeks at
THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND
Summer Day Camp
in Oakland and Berkeley
AUGUST 18 - 22
♦ Build a bow-string generator
♦ Get a slam dunk with a mini-
basketball catapult
♦ Build a battery cell lightning
bug
AUGUST 25 - 29
♦ Use a launcher to shoot a
rocket sky high
♦ Get a strike with a mini-
bowling alley
♦ Score big points with an
electric pinball game
|
|
_____________
Daily Rates Available
at Summer Camp
Call (510) 581-3739
|
|
Shop at Amazon.com and support Sarah's Science scholarship program. All purchases made at Amazon.com through the above link will generate 4%-10% referral fees, which will be used by Sarah's Science to provide scholarships to children who would otherwise be unable to attend our programs. Thank you.
| |
Greetings!
Our fantastic 2008 summer camp program will continue with a variety of dazzling projects during Build It! Week starting August 18th, and ending with some of my all time Favorite Projects starting August 25th. We still have room at both our Robert's Regional Park and Tilden Park camps, so follow the links in the left column below or call our office to register. If your child starts back to school mid-week or your vacation overlaps our weeks, remember your child can attend our camps by the day at a daily rate of $77/day.
 This week marks the end of our first summer camp at Little Hills Ranch in San Ramon, and I want to express my sincere thanks to all the children and parents who made it such a great success. We look forward to a 9-week program at Little Hills next summer.
In the meantime, we are putting the finishing touches on a full calendar of Fall Programs in both San Ramon and Oakland. Since many parents were out of town and missed out on our Fall Discount Offer, we have extended the deadline to August 25, 2008. See below for all the details.  It's been a such a fantastic summer for all of us, and I hope you've had a chance to check out our Scrapbook of summer photos. We will be adding all the weeks of summer shortly, so check back soon to get the full picture of outdoor fun and learning at our 2008 THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND Summer Day Camp.
I hope you've all had a wonderful summer so far, and I encourage you to get the whole family outdoors and enjoy our many beautiful parks and recreation areas soon.
Sarah |
Register and pay in full by August 25, 2008 and save 15% on our upcoming Fall Programs!
Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to lock in the lowest rates available this year for our Fall Programs.
Register by August 25th and pay in full for any of our upcoming Fall Programs and save 15% off the regular rates.
Call (510) 581-3739 today to reserve your space with a credit card, or follow this Programs Link to our website, click on the program and location of your choice, download the registration form, and mail with a check by August 25th to confirm your reservation. Offer expires August 25, 2008.
Join us as we focus on the science of magic. We'll spend the day making magic and learning about the fascinating physics behind it. A professional magician will will tantalize us with amazing feats of magic.
Oakland Location:
Lake Merritt United Methodist Church
Date: Sat., Sept. 27, 2008
Hours: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Cost: $100 ($85 until 8/25)
San Ramon Location:To be annnounced Date: Sat., Sept. 20, 2008 Hours: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Cost: $100 ($85 until 8/25)
Saturday Science: Robots
Have a blast inventing cool robots with lots of special features. Take home a robotic pet (it doesn't need to be walked or fed).
Oakland Location: Lake Merritt United Methodist Church
Date: Saturday, Oct. 11, 2008
Hours: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Cost: $100 ($85 until 8/25)
San Ramon Location:
To be announced
Date: Saturday, Oct. 18, 2008
Hours: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Cost: $100 ($85 until 8/25)
Science Night: Stargazing
During this special evening edition of Sarah's Science, we will explore the universe of stars and planets through unique astronomy projects and direct observation of our starry sky, plus special guests and other surprises. Dinner will be served and kids can bring their jammies and sleeping bags for story time. (Parents, this is your chance to enjoy an evening out!)
Oakland Location: Lake Merritt United Methodist Church
Date: Saturday, Sept. 13, 2008
Hours: 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Cost: $65 ($55.25 until 8/25)
San Ramon Location: To be announced
Date: Saturday, Oct. 25, 2008
Hours: 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Cost: $65 ($55.25 until 8/25)
Thanksgiving Camp: Gadgets & Gizmos
The Oakland Unified School District and the San Ramon Valley Unified School District are closed November 24 - 28, 2008.
We'll make crazy gadgets and gizmos that light up, make strange sounds, fling objects and do other amazing things (and learn the science behind it all).
Locations:
Oakland and San Ramon locations to be announced.
Dates: Monday - Wednesday, Nov. 24 - 26, 2008
Hours: 8:00 am - 5:30 pm
Cost: $105/day ($89.25/day until 8/25)
| |
|
Featured Book
Pet Bugs: A Kid's Guide to Catching and Keeping Touchable Insects
by Sally Kneidel
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1st edition (May 9, 1994)
Available from Amazon.com
 This has been an exciting week of camp with "Nuts about Nature" as our theme. It's thrilling watching kids in their element exploring nature - the bugs, lizards, banana slugs, etc. My book recommendation is Pet Bugs: A Kid's Guide to Catching and Keeping Touchable Insects by Sally Kneidel. Insects provide children with a wonderful link to nature. As the owner of a dog, a cat and lots of pet bugs, I can tell you that bugs are easier pets. You don't have to walk them or take them to the vet. They may be picky eaters (for example, Monarch caterpillars eat only milkweed), but they do not require "Fancy Feast Salmon Florentine with Delicate Greens" like my cat does. If your child is a bug lover, call the office to sign up for the Bug of the Month Club, which runs one Saturday a month from September through May.
|
|
Cool Links
 National Geographic's site for young readers is one of the best resources for information on the Net about the world, its people, and its wildlife. Not only can you read the newest edition of this magazine on-line, you can check out the contests, polls, games and even virtual adventures.
Sponsored by the American Museum of Natural History, the Ology website is a playground for children interested in all areas of science. Some of the subjects covered include dinosaurs, marine biology, genetics, and astronomy. Children may also choose a username and password to be able to collect ology cards with more information about special topics. Games, crafts, experiments, and interviews with scientists are all part of the variety of activities included.
|
|
Sarah Recommends
Sulphur Creek Nature Center
 I recently visited Sulphur Creek Nature Center, a wildlife education and rehabilitation facility operated by the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District. The mission of this wonderful center is twofold: to promote the conservation of local environmental resources by fostering an appreciation and understanding of the animals around us; and to encourage peaceful coexistence between people and native wildlife by serving as a community resource for wildlife issues. Sulphur Creek is a great place to visit to learn about the reptiles, amphibians, fish, and arthropods on display in the Discovery Center. Birds and mammals of the area can be viewed in outside enclosures. You can learn about watersheds, creek life, and the animals and plants that depend on this important habitat, and also find out which animals prefer the dry summer heat and which ones are happiest with the cool wet showers of spring.
 I was so happy to learn that the Center provides care and rehabilitation to injured animals in the area, a service I feel is vitally important to the preservation of our local ecosystems. I really enjoyed attending their recent Flight to Freedom fundraiser, and it was heartwarming and thrilling to see the release of rehabilitated barn owls back into the wild. I encourage you to bring the family to Sulphur Creek Nature Center for a fun exploration of local wildlife. For more information click on this link: Sulphur Creek Nature Center. 1801 D Street, Hayward (510) 881-6747 sulphurcreek@haywardrec.org Park Hours 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Tuesday - Sunday Discovery Center 10:00 am to 4:30 pm, Tuesday - Sunday
| |
|
|
|
