Family/Children
Crown Hill's Small Faces Child Development Center celebrated its 35th year as a nonprofit organization Sept. 11. And, for the first time in 35 years, the older children of Small Faces had a playground of their own to celebrate on.
In addition to the anniversary, Sept. 11 was the official debut of Small Faces' new playground for older children. Before that, Small Faces only had a preschool-centric playground.
John Otto, executive director of Small Faces, said he found a letter from the 1980s signed by students and a teacher asking for a playground for older children.
The new playground was built by volunteers in two days, but it took a week before children were allowed to use it, Otto said.
"The kids could just not wait," he said. "They were on the other side of the fence like, 'Please just let us in.'"
Otto said he is looking forward to another 35 years of Small Faces. And, now that Small Faces owns its facilities at the Crown Hill Center, there is a chance to make some real improvements, he said.
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Photo credit:
Michael Harthorne
By Bethany Overland
It’s mid-August, and the new school year is less than a month away. New clothes, shoes and school supplies can be hard on the budget of any family—that is, if you’re lucky enough to have a budget.
For homeless parents, back-to-school can mean back-to-wondering how they’ll meet their children’s needs for the new academic year. But thanks to Project Cool, more than 1,800 homeless students across King County will enter the year with a brand-new backpack, binder and other basic supplies necessary for success in school—and eventually in life.
More than 30 volunteers met Aug. 11 at a former Baptist church in Crown Hill to stuff backpacks with school supplies. Thousands of packages of crayons and markers and stacks of notebooks littered the hall, and brand-new backpacks waited reverently in the pews.
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Bethany Overland
Signups for Ballard Boys & Girls Club winter basketball camps and leagues start Sept. 8.
The kindergarten through first-grade boys camp runs on Tuesdays and Fridays from Oct. 19 to Dec. 17 and features 8-foot basketball hoops.
The second-grade boys camp runs on Mondays and Wednesdays from Oct 18 to Dec. 15 and features 9-foot hoops.
The second and third-grade girls camps runs on Thursdays and Saturdays from Oct. 21 to Dec. 18 and features 9-foot hoops.
Winter basketball in-house leagues for third-grade boys, fourth and fifth-grade boys, and fourth and fifth-grade girls start practice Jan. 3. Games begin in late January, and the leagues end March 4.
The cost for all leagues is $75 and includes a Boys & Girls Club membership.
In addition to basketball, the Ballard Boys & Girls Club is offering first through fourth-grade coed flag football. Signups are Aug. 13, and flag football runs Mondays and Wednesdays beginning Sept. 13.
For registration information, visit www.ballard.postiveplace.org or call 206.783.5775.
The final piece of the new Crown Hill Park is ready to be completed after a handful of parents, activists and skateboarders met with Seattle Parks and Recreation and Pillar Design Studios Aug. 2 to discuss the park's skateboarding area.
Kim Baldwin, project manager for Parks, said the public's reaction to a skatedot, a 1,500-square-foot skateboarding area, was overwhelmingly positive at previous meetings.
Out of a total budget of $1.2 million for Crown Hill Park, located on the north side of Holman Road Northwest between 13th Avenue Northwest and 14th Avenue Northwest, $55,000 has been designated for the skatedot, which will be located in the southeast section of the park.
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Michael Harthorne
By Sara Reardon
On July 30, the Ballard Library looked more like the battle deck of a sci-fi spaceship than a library. Little barrel-shaped robots blooped and bleeped and whizzed their way about on the carpet as teams of children and their parents programmed instructions. The Robot Challenge was underway.
This summer, the Pacific Science Center’s Science on Wheels program has partnered with Seattle Public Library’s Summer Reading Program to put on a number of free Robot Challenge events at different library branches.
“This is the first year we’ve focused on summer programming,” said Emily Wojcik, an instructor with Science on Wheels who directed the event.
During the school year, the Science on Wheels program drives a brightly painted van to classrooms around the state, presenting workshops and hands-on science classes on a variety of topics from rock n’ roll to the human body.
Usually they take the summer off, but a recent grant from JP Morgan Chase has allowed them to provide free science programs at community centers like libraries and Boys & Girls Clubs.
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Sara Reardon
by Sara N. Reardon
When it comes to weight loss, it seems that no one is an island, especially children. At the West Seattle YMCA, a program called Actively Changing Together! (ACT!), formerly known as Strong Kids/Strong Teens, is teaching families with overweight children and parents about healthy lifestyles by encouraging them to work together toward their weight-loss goals.
“We’re about helping parents and kids have better communication, creating an environment where fun experiences happen in healthy lifestyles,” said YMCA disease prevention director Lindsey Gregerson, who heads the program. During the 12-week course, families run relay races and obstacle courses together and discuss their food choices with a nutritionist. At the end of the class, the families cook a light meal to share. The goal, says Gregerson, is to “keep everything fun.”
Due to its popularity, Greenwood's Taproot Theatre is bringing Drama with Your Mama, a theater class for toddlers, back for a summer run.
Drama with Your mama launched last spring and provides parents and caregivers a fun and enriching way to bond with their children while encouraging social and self-awareness in the toddlers.
Taproot Theatre Education Director Sara Willy told the Ballrad News-Tribune in May that children get a lot out of the class. Future actors are learning skills that will serve them in that pursuit, while other children learn how to use their voices, bodies and space while being aware of others, she said.
She said the goal is to build confidence in children. For example, when asked to show what a tree looks like, young children will often look to adults to show them first. Drama With Your Mama will give them the confidence and ability to make their own choices and show what a tree looks like to them, Willy said.
The class, for children ages 1 to 3, takes place on Mondays from July 12 through Aug. 16 at Timberlake Church, located at 1460 N.W. 73rd St. The six-week session is $75 or $15 on a drop-in basis.
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Michael Harthorne
After more than six years providing care for young children and hands-on learning for high schoolers, Casa Maria Montessori Language and Cultural Center was packed up this week and moved from its home at Ballard High School to a storage garage.
According to Seattle Public Schools, the termination of Casa Maria's lease, which was announced in December, was a result of a lack of space and the need for the high school make room for programs for students with autism.
Casa Maria Director Gail Longo said she was led to believe the partnership between Casa Maria and Ballard High School was long term. She said she the removal of the program was surprising and unnatural.
"I realized that I placed my trust in a system that I regarded as having shared goals for the education of youth, aware of the possibility that our program at Ballard High would open the way to greater understanding of what it means to be human in the 21st Century," Longo said.
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Courtesy of Gail Longo
Mary Dunlap became homeless at 13 and spent much of her teenage years living with friends and family. After graduating from high school, she applied to the University of Washington and was granted a full-ride scholarship.
While she said the four years of tuition are a blessing, the financial aid did not guarantee other basic living expenses. Desiring stability and structure, Dunlap moved into Crown Hill's Labateyah Youth Home in May.
“It’s more like a rent-savings program for youth," Dunlap said. "I like to think of it as a bank almost. They give you a loan in a sense."
Labateyah, located at 9010 13th Ave. N.W., was established in 1992 when founder Bearnie Whitebear noticed that Native American youth were disproportionately represented in the homeless community and often had trouble assimilating into traditional support programs. Whitebear hoped to provide Native youth with a nurturing environment and culturally relevant program.
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Photo credit:
Michael Harthorne
200,000 Huggies diapers will be given away
Kimberly-Clark, makers of Huggies brand diapers made an enormous delivery of 200,000 diapers today, June 23 to WestSide Baby 10032 15th Avenue Southwest in White Center. WestSide Baby is a non profit organization that collects and coordinates the distribution of used clothing, toys and diapers, lots of diapers to thousands of families throughout West Seattle and White Center every year.
The diapers were brought in by a semi truck, backing into the tiny parking lot outside their location.
The diapers WestSide Baby got will be distributed throughout the year by their distribution partners, established social service agencies such as food banks, DSHS or the Public Health Department.
Arriving promptly at 11AM the delivery truck was opened and Executive Director of WestSide Baby Nancy Woodland jumped in and began unloading with the help of her own children, board members, and other volunteers.
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Photo credit:
Patrick Robinson
