SFkids.org Newsletter
October 2010 |
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Summer is finally here! It's been as beautiful as ever this month.
October is usually one of San Francisco's busiest months and 2010 is no exception. This newsletter is full of Halloween and Dia de los Muertos ideas, a little Giants fever, and much, much more. 
We love to hear from other parents with ideas about kid-friendly restaurants, activities, and more. We're also always looking for people to write feature articles. If you have something you'd like to submit we'd love to hear from you.
-Kim, Chris, Robin, & Nina, the SFkids.org team |
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| SFkids.org Events Calendar Highlights | 
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| Go Giants!!! |
 We're all very excited about the success of the Giants. While tickets to the big games are out of reach for many of us, there are other ways to get in the spirit. - Have your own Giants Party either at someone's home or at the park with a picnic and a radio.
- Take a field trip down to AT&T Park just to soak in the atmosphere. Watch the game along the Portwalk in Right Field area outside the park. Fans can watch the games for free, through the right field fence, from this first-come, first-serve, viewing area, reminiscent of the Knothole Gangs of the old-time ballparks.
- Take a tour of the park. October tour dates are October 14, 25, 29, 30, and 31 at 10:30am and 12:30pm. Tickets are $12.50 for adults, $7.50 for children 12 and under, children under 2 are free. See the Giants website for more info and to buy tickets.
 Hungry?
If you're in the neighborhood, check out the kid-friendly
American Grilled Cheese Kitchen on South Park. Also see the A Little Yum blog post about the restaurant. They are open until 7pm on home game days, 3pm other days. Ask about their secret kids menu :).
Giveaway! The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen has generously donated two $10 gift certificates. Email us for a chance to win.
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| Combating Bullying |
 Bullying (both psychological and physical) is something every child will probably face at one time or another. For LGBT Youth and parents, The Trevor Project has many great resources. Also check out the It Gets Better Project, the essential message of which is really applicable to non-LGBT youth too.
A great local resource is kidpower.org, which offers classes, articles, podcasts, and other resources relating to bullying, personal safety, self-defense, self-protection, boundaries, advocacy, and other people safety Issues. A few interesting articles include: Facing Bullying with Confidence, Bulling in Schools: Seven Tips for Parents, Shunning and Exclusion: Kidpower Skills for Protecting Children From Relational Bullying.
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| Preschool Preview Night |
County Fair Building (just inside GG park) at 9th & Lincoln). You can register online, $8/person in advance (and $10 at the door).
Parents Place presents a once-a-year opportunity for parents and caregivers to participate in an informational extravaganza that brings together more than 100 San Francisco preschools and child-related service vendors and agencies in one setting. Pre-registration is highly recommended.
SFkids staff will be there, so please stop by and say "howdy" and pick up a special Halloween handout. |
| College Admissions Essay: The Basics |
 by Felicia Fahey
Each fall and spring I speak to large audiences of high school students and their parents about writing the college admissions essay. The central objective of these presentations is to quell some of the stress that results from a fear of the unknown... (read more)
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| Halloween & Dia de los Muertos |
 Halloween and Dia de los Muertos are always great San Francisco events. Our calendar is chock full of holiday events.
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| Trick or Treating San Francisco Style | |
In recent years, trick-or-treating has gone from something you do just on your own block to a great excuse for a party. Families gather at popular local merchant  hubs or neighborhoods that fully embrace the Halloween spirit. We've put together a list of the most popular spots in our article Where to Trick-Or-Treat in San Francisco.
Even if you do go to a central location, try to trick-or-treat on your own block, too. It fosters community and reminds your neighbors that there are still families in San Francisco.
Host your own Halloween Party and invite friends over. You can take turns taking the kids out and then settle in with friends for the night. |
| Costume Ideas that Won't Break the Bank |
Searching for the Perfect Costume? You don't need to spend a fortune. Get your creative juices flowing and find some great stuff at these local stores:
* SCRAP, the best deal in town! |
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Let's Go Take a Hike! Bay Area Adventures for Families |
 by Laure LathamWith microclimates and every single kind of landform from coast to mountain via prairies and marshes, the San Francisco Bay Area offers some spectacular places for hiking with children. From short and flat with playground to challenging with historical landmarks, any trail can be tailored to fit the age and ability of ...(read more)
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| Pumpkin Patches, San Francisco and Beyond |
 by Laure Latham
"Pumpkin patches of old were just that: bare fields with pumpkins right off the vine on the ground, and nothing else. Today's pumpkin patches come in so many flavors that it is sometimes hard to decide which one is best. Here is a selection of the Bay Area's pumpkin patches with a focus on what they do best. " (read more...)
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| Have a Green Halloween |
Halloween could be a lot greener! This Halloween, try to think about using recycled  materials for costumes, keeping the plastics to a minimum, and encouraging your child's school to make their Halloween activities as green as possible.
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| Happiness Matters |
 We love both Rona Renner of Childhood Matters and Christine Carter of Raising Happiness, so we are ecstatic that they are joining forces for a new parenting podcast. Subscribe on iTunes or on the Greater Good website. This week's podcast is "How to be a More Patient Parent." Also check the website for great past shows.
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| Parent Teacher Conference Tips | |
Many schools will be having parent-teacher conferences in October. The San Francisco Public Schools will be the week of October 18-22.
The following are some very helpful resources to make your conference as successful as possible:
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| Fighting in Front of the Kids. Harmful or Helpful? |
 by Noelle Cochran, PsyD and Lele Diamond, MFT of Symbiosf.com
Q: I need a bit of help with an incident that happened between my wife and I last night. We're the parents of a 3 year-old daughter (with number two on the way) and just completed a cross-country move. Needless to say, stress levels are high and things have been tense between my wife and I. Last night we got into a fight in front of... (read more)
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| The Fall School Search | |
The Fall School Search is in full swing!
Other Resources:
Upcoming Events:
-- High School Fair at Lick Wilmerding High School, Sept. 19, 1-3:30pm. Open to all. FREE |
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| Advice for The Middle and High School Search | |
Two San Francisco parents give us great tips for the Middle and High School Searches.
The High School Search by Caroline Grannan "Choosing a high school is an important decision parents and teens need to make together. The following are some resources and tips to make the process a little easier." (read more) 
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and 
SFUSD has a great new website 