The Official 2007 Summer Camp Brochure is now available here.
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Abiyoyo-palooza: African Music & Magic This event is free and all are welcome. -Hasan Bakr and Kevin Nathaniel introduce the sounds of Africa and the African diaspora through the story of a young musician, a magician, and how they save their village from the evil giant Abiyoyo. -Free copies of the book “Pete Seeger’s Storysong ABIYOYO” will be distributed courtesy of Simon & Schuster, Children’s Publishing Division. Directions The Audubon Center is located in Prospect Park. Enter on the East side of the Park at Lincoln Road. Follow the road into the Park and keep going until you get to the duck feet on the ground that lead the way under a bridge and to the Center. Subway: S or Q to Prospect Park station (Lincoln Road exit). Bus: B43 and B48 to Lincoln RoadThis event is presented with support from the Brooklyn Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and in conjunction with the Prospect Park Alliance.   large photo by Karen Baird, small photos by ChiChi Bakr.Looking for a creative environment to inspire your kids this summer? The Maple Street School summer camp brochure and registration forms are available at the school on 21 Lincoln Rd. between Ocean and Flatbush Avenues or by emailing the director, Wendy Cole, at wendola@earthlink.net Unlike many other day camps, MSS offers something for the younger set (ages 2-6yrs.). Two year olds can opt for half days (all others must choose full days) and flexible weekly sessions accomodate your summer vacation plans. The camp begins July 2nd and ends August 10th. Each week has a particular theme. Lots of arts and crafts using inspired recycled materials, water play and science and nature exploration in Prospect Park, drumming, dancing, storytelling and local trips are just some of the many activities your little ones can choose from. My kids have always enjoyed the camp for the opportunity to continue the connection with their school friends throughout the summer, make new friends from the neighborhood and it has proved to be a great segue into fall enrollment for any incoming two year old. For more info and materials, stop by the school, email Wendy or call 718-282-4345. Laissez les bons temps roulez! The events committee of the Maple Street School is organizing a fundraiser to enrich our kids’ curriculum while helping the parents unleash their inner Dr. John. All are invited to party on the deck at Cattyshack in Park Slope on May 5th between 3:30-7:30. Tickets are $40 before April 23rd and $45 thereafter for all the freshly boiled crawfish and fixin’s and ice cold beer you handle. March on in like the Rebirth Brass Band, only 100 tickets will be sold and you don’t want to miss this! Eight strong volunteers are needed to set up, clean up and prepare food between 1-5pm and 5-9pm. For more info and to volunteer, please email Lizzie Bicknell by April 13th at eabicknell@yahoo.com. See you there!
Save the date: Saturday, June 2, 2007! More info will be posted to the main Web Site soon (www.maplestreetschool.org), but until then here are some important forms: 2007 Gala Reservations Form (PDF format) 2007 Journal Ad specifications (PDF format) 2007 Journal Business Ads form (Word format) Aah…the eternal parental question: should we bear more children? Can our marriage bear it- our finances? And most importantly: are we doing a good enough job with the one(s) we already have? Well, our four year olds are about to embark on the adventure we boldly (naively) signed on for when we had our first child. Theirs, of course, will be a teddy bear and there will be no financial burden, sleepless nights, concerns about higher education (you know, the kind that starts at age two) or worries about inflicting permanent psychological damage. However, I’ll bet their parenting skills will bear witness to how they have been raised thus far. Will the reflection on us be positive or will we be hanging our heads in shame? I think we’ll notice that our kids have been listening all along. Perhaps all the platitudes about nutrition have not been lost on them and we’ll overhear things like, “you have to eat your veggies if you want to grow big and strong” and “you can’t have any more of that candy in your goody bag or your teeth are going to fall out.” Maybe we’ll think our voices sound ridiculous echoed in our children’s mouths. Maybe we’ll feel sad hearing them putting off their bears with, “I would love to play with you now, but I have to wash the dishes and fold the laundry” and “I can’t stay longer, sweetheart, or I’ll be late for work. But, Mommy always comes back.” With any luck, we’ll realize that our kids understand that life marches on and everyday we all have to buckle down and “get ‘er done” as my husband’s football coach used to say. Life ain’t all playdates and hot chocolate at the cafe, much to all our chagrin. Because isn’t that how we all get through it? Coffee and crab sessions while our children take out every toy possible, free to play with their buddies with an abandon we don’t usually allow when it’s just us and them? Those moments when we have a parent or teacher or caregiver to hash out concerns with or just marvel at how emotionally flexible they can be at times, how creative they are and how they really get the notion of teamwork when they have a peer to share the work of life with, make the labor of parenting so worth it. If you think about it, parenting is somewhat of a magnificent, well-orchestrated (albeit insane) circus act that we would probably laugh more about if we could just see it from the outside. Last Thursday’s (1/25/07) Bear Welcoming Celebration in the 4’s clasroom was a riotous good time! Mostly, because I swear it looked just like the mealtime mayhem at my house. Fortunately, we had a great turnout of parents who formed a tagteam operation to keep an eye on younger siblings, flip pancakes, divvy up blueberries and gingerbear cookies and clean up spilled hot chocolate and overturned chairs. I’m sure we all had that moment where we were pleased that at least the baby bears were sitting quietly, oblivious and happy with crumbs on the floor. It was a fine feast, healthy and nut-free and most of it ended up in bellies. The best thing about it was that the children felt like honored guests, proud parents. By cleanup time, they were all helping to return each other’s bears to their proper bed boxes for a long winter’s nap. It seems that the kids have also recognized the truth in the philosophy that “it takes a village to raise a (bear).” They may not get everything right, but together, they will learn along the way. If nothing else, learning to care for another besides yourself breeds compassion. Humility, too. Good luck, kids and remember, “If there is a load you have to bear that you can’t carry, I’m right up the road, I’ll share your load if you just call me.” -Bill Withers PLG Arts, the new neighborhood arts group that supports local artists and raises funds for the Community Arts Center, will be caroling around the ‘hood to spread cheer and raise funds for the group. Carolers meet in front of the subway staion on Lincoln Rd. There is an optional rehearsal Dec. 19th from 7-8pm at 135 Maple St. Caroling begins on Friday Dec. 22 from 6:30-8:30pm on Maple and Midwood Streets, Sat. Dec. 23 4-5pm at the LIncoln Rd. subway station and Lincoln and Sterling Streets from 5-6pm and finally on Dec. 24 from 4-6pm on Midwood Street and Rutland Rd. For more info contact Siobhan O’Neill at mammasiobhan@.att.net or visit www.plgarts.org Jackie Duvall-Smith and Elena and Gilbert Flores have joined efforts to organize a gift wrapping event at Elena and Gilbert’s children’s boutique, Belle and Maxie, on Cortelyou Rd. in Ditmas Park. They are still looking for volunteers to help wrap for this one day event which will take place on Saturday Dec. 23 from 11am-6pm in front of the store. So, bring your lotioned, nimble hands to help wrap or a gift that you would rather pay someone else to wrap. The suggested donation for the wrapping of a small gift is $2, $3 med. sized gift and $5 and up for any large gift. The best part is: all proceeds go to the Maple Street School! Thanks Elena and Gilbert and Jackie for organizing and lending the time, location and giftwrap. For more info, please contact Jackie at 718.633.4567. Many blessings for the holiday season and New Year! A few years ago, Jennifer Smith, a former MSS parent, planted a seed at the Maple St. School. She had an idea to create an afterschool program that would sustain our kids’ interest after a long day of school, but would give them the feeling that they were at home. She named it APPLE, representing “afterschool partners in play, learning and enrichment.” She brought in specialists to offer a specific focus each day and though they had to follow rules and guidelines, the children had the freedom to simply play or lay down and read a book. This seed grew into the summer camp. The classes, like the Maple St. Family, are a vibrant reflection of multiculturalism. Through courses in language, dance, martial arts, cooking, storytelling and music, our children are enthusiastically learning skills together that represent their diversity. Alas, just as the APPLE program began to take root, Jen’s kids graduated from MSS and understandably, she moved on with them. In walks Joanna Walchuk, an actress and dancer who came in one day to apply for a teaching position. After five years of teaching musical theatre in drama-based summer camps in her hometown of Colorado, Joanna moved to NY to perform. While auditioning, rehearsing and performing in a rock band, she has also held down teaching and managerial positions at the Shadowbox Theatre and the Brooklyn Arts Exchange (BAX). Needless to say, the sun shined down on our Maple tree the day Jen met Joanna and convinced her to apply instead, for the position of afterschool director. Jen saw in this would be replacement, someone who would go beyond filling a vacancy. Someone who wouldn’t just babysit our kids. Joanna could continue to lead them on a journey of self-exploration through guided, creative play. And so the tree has given fruit. Joanna has been busy pruning and re-seeding as she learns more about the needs and interests of both the kids and their instructors. That said, she has managed to put together an amazing lineup of classes. Mondays feature kickboxing with John Slaninka. Through the use of obstacle courses, animal “impersonation”, balance and coordination games, the kids are learning early technique, individual confidence and self-awareness. This class alternates with resident teacher, Habby Jacques’ mixed dance class. He plays everything from rock and hip-hop to lullabyes to get the kids moving. They copy bits of choreography, play freeze dance, move like animals or just freestyle all while learning coordination, motor skills and rhythm. Tuesdays feature music with Amon. Though the kids are learning West African drumming styles, Amon makes a point of also teaching them music language and theory, rhythm and counting. He hopes to be able to incorporate more storytelling next semester as well, with a special highlight on Dr. Seuss. Wednesday’s class may be more familar to a lot of parents as many of you pick up early (this one runs until 5:50pm) and end up sitting and watching the kids, as engaged in the activity as they are. Nicole Cain, Teyha’s mama, and James Miles, 4’s class teacher, instruct the children in creative dramatics. Though the age range is 2-5years and it is a beginner level class, they are all learning (and really getting) advanced acting games and techniques. They use improvisational games to stimulate spontaneous diologue and storytelling. They are problem-solving in the context of an ever-changing plot; they are naturals at this, of course! And as they are taught how to use their bodies to express emotion, they are gaining an emotional literacy some adults have yet to master. Thursday’s class, Cubanana, is brought to us by Jesus Alvarez. The class is split into two groups (2-3 year olds and 4 years and up). He teaches many aspects of Cuban culture including rhythm in music and dance as well as language. If any of you have taken a salsa class and learned a basic backstep or showed off your Cuban Strut at The Copa or even had the opportunity to see the documentary on the Buena Vista Social Club, you know the kids are having fun and nobody’s holding up the wall! Last, but not least, Wendy Cole is making Fridays fabulous with Green Days. The class is all about nature. They have a whole worm curriculum where they play with worms, find them, learn about them and use them in composting. Of course, they plant and our greenhouse will be put to more use in the spring, thanks to that class. They have also just finshed making holiday wrapping paper with things found in nature and with natural vegetable dyes. Joanna has really helped to reap in the harvest here with all the hard work and enthusiasm of the kids and staff and the huge effort started by her predecessor. Looking to the future, Joanna has begun the process of applying for a grant from the Mockingbird Foundation. The grant would be made possible by the band, Phish. Phish’s goals are to improve music programs in education in both schools and non-profit organizations. Their hope is to foster self-esteem and free expression through the study and performance of diverse and unusual music styles and forms. If we were to receive this grant, Joanna would be able to get a choreographer from BAX to teach afterschool and be able to pay for the current instructors to continue their classes during the summer camp. Jesus could bring in his partner, Carrie, and offer a 2 hour Cubanana family program for the MSS community. Amon would be able to bring in other musicians and storytellers to accompany him. And the list goes on. Keep your fingers crossed and come check out our APPLE. The new semester starts in January and applications are available at the front desk. Students need not be MSS students to enroll. Afterschool begins at 3:30pm and runs until 5:50pm. Most classes run from 4pm-5pm. The fee for a child currently enrolled at the Maple Street School is $8.50/hr. The fee for non-students between the ages of 2-7yrs. old is $12.00/hr. Joanna Walchuk can be reached at the school after 3:30pm at 718-282-4345. Just a reminder that our school is having a potluck feast on Monday, November 20th to celebrate Thanksgiving. Official “diggin’ in time” will be from11:30am-12:30pm afterwhich the students will resume their normal schedule. Helpers are needed to set-up at 11:00am and clean-up from 12:30pm until it’s done. Kids who are scheduled need not bring a prepared lunch, unless they want to. Parents, caregivers, siblings and unscheduled/chaperoned students are all encouraged to join our Maple Street family gathering. It will be a great way to connect before we part after Wednesday, the last day of school before Thanksgiving break. There is no end, in my mind, to the amazing foods we share during Thanksgiving- and I’m a vegetarian. It’s all about the sides, baby! Please bring on all/any of your favorites with two exceptions: please omit the nuts (peanuts and sesame seeds in particular) and additionally, no eggs for the upstairs class. Many thanks. Just remember, traditional Thanksgiving foods vary greatly from family to family. When interviewed on their feasting plans, a few of the upstairs 3’s had some interesting ideas: “Cheerios, chicken and pancakes.” -Shanelle “Um, I don’t know…I like to eat chicken.” -Rachel “I’m gonna eat pizza…and turkey too.” -Zora Happy Turkey/Tofurkey Day! If the four’s class were a country and their “Prime Minister/Mistresses” (the teachers: Jackie, Peggy, Helen and James)raised a flag, it would look like a patchwork quilt. Their class represents one of the best aspects of the Maple Street School, its diversity. To represent that and learn more about what each one of us brings to the table, the teachers have focused their lessons on different family traditions. Thomas’ mom played music from Brazil and translated a story from the original Portuguese text. Josh’s Dad read a bilingual story, teaching the children some words in Spanish. These are some of the languages all the children hear snippets of at pickup and drop-off time when parents and caretakers are saying their “goodbyes” in their mother-tongues. As a multi-racial/multi-cultural child, I too was always reminded that even though we are in an english-speaking country, we all bring our particular “flava” to the pot. What a rich stew to dip in when we pass the pot around! Helen shared a Korean recipe traditionally prepared during the Crane Thanksgiving. The children enjoyed working with the sticky rice to make (and eat) the sweet rice cakes. On another afternoon, I read a story entitled Epossumondas, based on the Southern folktale, Epaminondas, which has African and Caribbean versions as well. This version used an oppossum as it’s main character who has a taste for persimmons that he must satiate. I brought in dried and fresh persimmons (a new taste for most, though Helen recalls eating it in Korea). The children eagerly tried the persimmons and pomegranates (a particular favorite of Kieran, Rie and Annie’s, who all had ruby colored faces) and enjoyed the pumpkin cookies they prepared themselves. I also shared an African folktale with the kids about why the Sun and Moon Gods live in the sky to show how masks are used around the world to help tell stories. We talked about how masks change how people see us and allow us to become anyone or anything we want. This, of course, sparked a conversation about the Halloween costumes they had worn the day before. Children love transforming themselves, their ideas of who they can be and their suspension of disbelief are still, gratefully, so limitless. They are natural “make-believers” and so, make us believe. Not surprisingly, they painstakingly personalized the African masks we decided to make, decorating them with markers, Fall leaves and plenty of multi-colored glitter. Nikita was so delighted with the glitter that she finished her incredibly sparkly mask and ended up with a matching pair of glitter gloves! Perhaps she has a future in costume design! |
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