Sunflower Creative Arts
Notes from the Garden

March 2013   
In This Issue
Writers wanted!
20th Aniversary Concert
Dates to Remember
Roots & Shoots News
What's New on Sunflower Blog
Register for Spring Classes

Download the registration form on our website or call 561 482-3412 to register today!

 
Susan Caruso
Artistic Director 
  Jennifer Ligeti
Managing Director
Jaime Greenberg 
 Communications Director
Victoria Green
PR and Development Director
Dorota Salas
Bookkeeper
Carol Vogt
Quickbooks Consultant 
Ellen Stone 
Cultural and Environmental Consultant
 
 
Sunflower Board of Directors 

Crystal MacLean
President
Ani Smith
Sharon Baker
Bill Epstein
Lora McCoy
Edgar An
Russell Parker
Susan Caruso

2601 Saint Andrews Blvd.
Boca Raton, FL 33434

561 482-3412

girl writing

 

We're looking for guest bloggers to share their voices with our community, and we'd love to hear from you!  

 

Please send inquiries, ideas, pitches and posts to Jaime Greenberg.  

Remember Play Shirts for Sale
$16 each
$30 for two.

Profits benefit our programs.

Purchase shirts when you come in for class or call
561 482-3412 for more info!

topGreetings!

Susan Caruso Reflecting on our wonderful 20th Anniversary Ice Castle Celebration and a super special 60th birthday month has made me ask myself....how in the world can I possibly thank everyone who worked so hard to make it happen?  

 

All the beautiful gifts, cards, artwork, hugs, smiles, music, joy, the fantastic groups of alums talking and laughing together, seeing so many of my students all grown up but with that little Sunflower seed in each of them so visibly shining in their eyes. Seeing the parents who look exactly the same as they did when their children were toddlers. Holding on tight to each other and reliving two decades of amazing memories.


I would need to write 500 thank you cards, and even if I could do that, no words would come close to what I would want to say to each of you.  

 

I can only hope that each of you knows, just like each child that
walks through the gate at Sunflower knows, how very much I love, appreciate and am honored to share a small part of your lives. It is as if Sunflower is my only daughter and each of you are wrapped up in her arms with me always and forever.  

 

With much thanks and love,

Susan 

Sunflower 20th Anniversary Concert - Save the Date

Saturday, May 4, 2:00 pm
Mizner Park Cultural Arts Center
Tickets: $30 (VIP seating) and $15 (general admission)

Raffle tickets for fabulous prizes (including a $350 value Marriott
stay)!

Join all your Sunflower friends, current families and alums for the final fundraiser of our 20th Anniversary year! Proceeds to benefit Sunflower's programs.

Featuring performances from talented members of our Sunflower community. Lineup will be announced soon! Contact Susan if you are interested in performing.

20th Anniversary Logo
Celebrating 20 years of empowering families through Play, Nature and the Arts.
Dates to Remember

 

Parent Toolbox: Fundamentals
Parts I and II*
Monday, March 18, 7:00 - 9:00 pm
Tuesday, March 19, 7:00 - 9:00 pm
$10 per adult.
No childcare. Must RSVP: 561 482-3412

*This will be the last Fundamentals Toolbox class offered until August. Please note, Fundamentals Parts I & II is a prerequisite for all other Toolbox sessions.*

Explore a core philosophy from which to gather parenting tools that help develop sincere, caring, reciprocal relationships.

SUNFLOWER SPRING BREAK
March 25 -30
No classes.

Introduction to Seedlings Meeting for Parents
Tuesday, April 2, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
Last Intro meeting of the year. Required for families interested in enrolling Fall 2013.
 
Sunflower Roots & Shoots, Boca Raton Community Garden
Saturday, April 6, 9:00 - 11:30 am
Re-Cycos service project. Ages 12 and older welcome to join us.
Help tend the garden and harvest veggies to donate to Boca Helping Hands. Call 561 482-3412 to register.

Parent Toolbox: Intro to Guidance Method of Discipline
Saturday, April 13, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
This session will focus on basic tools and participants' individual challenges.
$10 per adult. Childcare available with reservation $10/child
(must bring nut-free lunch for each child)
Scholarships available upon request.
Fundamentals Toolbox Parts I & II is a prerequisite for this class. 

Banana Faces and Playtopia Performances
Tuesday, April 16, 4:00 - 4:30 pm

Parent Toolbox: Talking with Kids about Death
Saturday, April 20, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
$10 per adult. Childcare available with reservation $10/child
(must bring nut-free lunch for each child)
Scholarships available upon request.
Fundamentals Toolbox Parts I & II is a prerequisite for this class.

Parent Toolbox: Talking with Kids about Sex
Saturday, April 27, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
$10 per adult. Childcare available with reservation $10/child
(must bring nut-free lunch for each child)
Scholarships available upon request.
Fundamentals Toolbox Parts I & II is a prerequisite for this class.

20th Anniversary Concert - Save the Date!
Saturday, May 4, 2:00 pm
Mizner Park Cultural Arts Center
Tickets: $30 (VIP seating) and $15
Roots & Shoots News
Roots & Shoots logo
Join us for Roots & Shoots weekly meetings! Wednesdays at 3:00 pm (Shooting Stars, ages 5-9) or 5:00 pm (Re-Cycos, ages 10-16), at Sunflower. No fee.

Pizza Party
Boca Community Garden Re-Cycos Pizza Party will be Friday, April 12, 4:00 to 7:00 pm.

Primate Workshop at Lion Country Safari
Ellen Stone
Ellen, with a bouquet she created for the chimps.
Roots & Shoots held our annual primate workshop/field trip on Saturday, March 9. Many thanks to Ellen Stone for coordinating and to Lion County Safari for hosting. Roots & Shoots members had a fantastic time creating stimulating toys for the chimps.
On the Sunflower Blog
All the latest news and stories from Sunflower blog. 

Flying
by Susan Caruso
This time last year my youngest son, Steven, had been safely back home in the States for about a month, after a year in Afghanistan. My heart still crashed through my stomach at a radio mention of casualties in Afghanistan. I stood paralyzed at the grocery store with a newspaper [...]...»

Susan, Steven and an R22
Susan, Steven and an R22

by Jennifer Ligeti 

Last year Jaime and I attended the US Play Coalition Conference on the Value of Play at Clemson University, where we marveled at the world of play advocates surrounding us - the academics, the preschool and K-12 teachers, the doctors, the athletes, the parks and rec professionals, the psychologists, the landscape architects, the child advocates and [...]...»

 

by Victoria Green 

Merideth Konkel is surrounded by children. She raises one hand above their heads, fingers held close together. She plunges the spade that is her hand down into the rich soil of a wooden garden box which she built, which she and the children filled with compost made with food waste from their kitchens. Merideth is [...]...»

Merideth Konkel
Merideth: master gardener, artist and playful teacher
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All the best,

Susan Caruso
Sunflower Creative Arts