FWM 2009 09 and 10

2 FamilyWorks Magazine - September & October, 2009 www.familyworks.org

September & October, 2009

FamilyWorks® 4 Joseph Court, San Rafael, CA 94903email: [email protected]

Read FamilyWorks Magazine on-line at www.familyworks.org

Advertising Information: Doug Silberstein Phone: (415) 492-1022 FAX: (415) 492-1099email: [email protected]

Editorial Information: Lew TremainePhone: (415) 492-0720 x231 FAX: (415) 492-1099email: [email protected]

Circulation: This major family magazine is published bi-monthly and widely distributed FREE throughout Marin and Sonoma Coun-ties: through home deliveries, distribution to over 200 community locations - stores, public and private schools, medical offi ces, hospitals, and family-related businesses – and direct mail to thousands of active participants and sponsors of FamilyWorks®.

© 2009 FamilyWorks®, All rights reserved. FamilyWorks is a nonprofi t agency serving families in the Bay Area. No portion of FamilyWorks Magazine may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. Appearance of articles, editorials, author’s point of view, advertisements or announcements for products and services in FamilyWorks Magazine does not necessarily constitute an endorsement by FamilyWorks® and FamilyWorks® is not responsible for its content or the reactions of readers to its content. FamilyWorks Magazine reserves the right to refuse advertising for any reason. Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs are welcome and should e-mailed to: [email protected]

Executive Director: Mary Jane DeWolf-SmithEditor: Lew Tremaine

Marketing: Doug Silberstein

Art Director/Website: Christine M. Astin

Web Publisher: Art Severe

Printed by: Marin Sun Printing

FamilyWorks® Board of Directors:

Amy Whitelaw, President

Maria Villani, Treasurer

Mark Clark, Secretary

Anjana Berde, Board member

Paul Ricken, Board member

FamilyWorks Magazine is published by FamilyWorks®

3 2009 Families of the Year? By Patricia Saunders

APPLE FamilyWorks 12 Education Programs 13 Counseling Programs 14 Special Needs Programs 15 Calendar

16 Want Healthy, Active Kids Try Juggling By Jeff Civillico

18 2009 School Directory

This seal of approval is a service mark of Independent Charities of America and is used under license.

Content is the responsibility of FamilyWorks.

awarded to

19 School Profi le: Marin Waldorf School

20 Kids & the Arts: You Are SO Dramatic By Kate Magill

22 Fairfax: A Destination for Family Health

6 Whose Homework is It?By Mary Jane DeWolf-Smith RN, MA, MFT

Cover photo courtesy of Shooting Stars Productions

www.shootingstarsphoto.com

FamilyWorks Magazine -September & October, 2009 3www.familyworks.org

Some families are inspirational mod-els that overcome obstacles and give of themselves to make our community healthier and stronger. Here are the stories of six such families.

Family Unity Award FinalistsThe Cifuentes/Alvarez Family– Nominated by Marianne Slattery, Early Head Start

Emilson Alvarez, was born with kid-ney disease. He had feeding intolerance and had a feeding tube through which he could only take formula because he could not take food by mouth. He was unable to walk, took numerous medications, and was finally placed on dialysis. The outlook for this little one was grim.

Emilson’s parents, Carmen Cifuentes and Elmer Alvarez, went daily to UCSF to receive medical care for Emilson. They would go together, often staying overnight in the hospital. When Elmer had to work, he would make the trip to San Francisco, then back to San Rafael for work and back again to S.F. to be with his family. Finally, Emilson required a kidney

2009 Families of the YearFinalists for the 2009 Families of the Year have been selected by the FamilyWorks panel of judges made up of community leaders from Marin’s non-profit agencies and businesses. The recipients of the Volunteer Family of the Year, the Family Unity Award and Family Friendly Business of the Year will be announced at the 5th Annual Families of the Year Gala on October 16, 2009.

By Patricia Saunders

Inspirational Stories

Families of the YearWho will they be?

Family Unity Award...given each year to a family that stays strong

as a family unit, despite great adversity.

Volunteer Family of the Year...given to a family that volunteers as a

family unit to make a difference in their community.

2009 Families of the Year JudgesSuzy Coxhead

(Center for Volunteer & Non-profit Leadership)

Bobbie Casey(Autodesk)

Laura Alder(Marin Woman’s Commission)

Anjana Berde(Tamalpais Bank)

Paul Ricken(Pheonix American Financial Services)

continued on next page


transplant – a kidney that was happily donated by Carmen.

Emilson is now a thriving four year old boy.His family is a wonderful role model of strength. Through all of the difficult times and various ill-nesses Emilson experienced, they never gave up hope. Despite her own challenges, Carmen and Emilson continued to come to Early Head Start’s parenting meetings whenever they could. She was always smiling and so happy to be with her son, modeling for all that adversity can be overcome by a unified family.

The Alvarez/Mendez Family – Nominated by Saul Godinez, Canal Alliance

Francisco and Sonia met each other at a traditional Aztec dance group where they fell in love and later married. Through this dance group, Francisco and Sonia became strongly tied to the Latino community and the dancing provided stress relief and commu-nity support during difficult times.

In 2003 the Alvarez-Mendez family was referred to the Canal Alliance Fatherhood Program. Soon they were able to enroll their then three and seven year old children in the childcare program, which provided the family with stability so they could work.

In 2004, Francisco had to leave his wife and two children, Alexis and Sonia, to return to Mexico to make funeral arrangements for his mother. As a re-sult of the loss of income, the family forfeited their apartment and moved in with a sister. For several months, four adults and six children lived together in a small two-bedroom apartment.

Just before the birth of their third child in 2007, Canal Alliance secured subsidized housing for them. In October, Anthony was born with Down Syndrome and a heart condition. When Anthony was two months old, he was admitted to UCSF for open-heart surgery and remained in hospital until he was five months old. Mom and dad struggled to support the older children while caring for Anthony in the hospital. They had a difficult time juggling work, family responsibilities, and frequent visits and overnight stays with Anthony.

The Alvarez-Mendez family is a model of strength for other families in the community. De-spite their difficulties, they helped build a strong community through participating in the Aztec dance group, the Fatherhood Group and San Pe-dro school activities. Today they are leaders in the community, teaching Aztec dance to families at the Fairfax/San Anselmo Children’s Center and mentoring in the Canal Alliance Fatherhood program.

Volunteer Family of the Year FinalistsThe Palma/Rivera/Rodriguez Family –Nominate by Vanessa Vasquez, Canal Alliance

Marina Palma participates in the “Adult Concil-lio” in the Canal Community, an organization dedi-cated to empowering the citizens of the community. She is also on the board of directors of the Canal Wellness Center, is an active member of the Marin Organizing Committee & Viviendo Verde. Marina is an inspiring parent who is actively involved in the lives of her daughters’ Alexis and Monica, and is a strong advocate for their success.

Alexis Rodriguez and Monica Rivera are active in “Youth Concillio”, lead the recycling program and are members of the Youth Leadership Institute and other community service groups at Canal Al-liance and at school. Alexis is also a peer educator on anti-smoking and spoke to her peers at her high school graduation in June. Alexis inspires other stu-dents daily. She is a role model and also asks peers to step up to their potential and responsibilities.

This family is truly a family of leaders that has positively affected Marin family life by providing an example of what families can achieve when they put forth the effort. Together they have transformed from a family that received assistance to one that is self-sufficient, advocates for themselves, and for others in their community.

continued on page 10


Family Unity Award Finalists

Volunteer Family of the Year Finalists

The Challenger Family

The Schinske Family

The Cifuentez-Alvarez Family

The Sicroff FamilyThe Palma/Rivera/Rodriguez Family

The Alvarez/Mendez Family


WhoseHomeworkIs It?It’s another school year.

You are hopeful.

You are worried.

You remember the battles, excuses and half-truths:“I’m going to get good grades this year.”

“Get off my back. I don’t have any homework.”

“I’m just checking in with Sam about our project. I’m not on Facebook.”

“But Ma-ah-am! I have to go to the mall to buy stuff for my science project. It’s due tomorrow.”

“My computer is a piece of junk. It lost the homework files.”

“I know it’s midnight but I have to finish this.”

You remember your threats and rebukes:“You’re not going anywhere this weekend until xxx is finished.”

“If you don’t get good grades no college will accept you.”

“You can’t have the car unless xxx.”

“This report is sloppy and rambles.”

“After all I’ve done for you, you could at least try.”

“If I get one more call from the teacher, you’re grounded for a month.”

“You’re just like your uncle - - - Lazy!”

by Mary Jane DeWolf-Smith, RN, PHN, MA, Licensed Marriage & Family �erapistMary Jane DeWolf-Smith is a licensed Marriage & Family �erapist specializing in couples, parenting and co-parenting concerns. She is a renowned family

educator. Learn more great parenting skills in her Positive & Peaceful Parenting class. For more information on counseling and classes, see pages 12 and 13 of this issue.



The Trap is Invisible at FirstThe first time it happens, we just don’t see it coming.

We’re confused. We feel guilty, upset, worried and angry. We don’t want our children to fail. We actually believe that the “emergency” is unrelated to anything our once compliant child could foresee. We commiserate, ask ques-tions, and maybe give a mini-lecture on the importance of planning as we drive at 9 PM to the art store, or rummage through boxes in the basement to find the proper resource that is desperately needed. Perhaps the first time it was 10 PM that, exhausted and tired of arguing, we surrendered and sat down at their computer to finish their report.

The second time, we began to worry that we’d been duped. But, our child insisted that the teacher just didn’t make the assignment clear and, while we had a little steam coming out our ears and a building headache, we felt that this was an exception. After all, s/he’d been sick, forlorn about the break up with the boyfriend/girlfriend, busy with basketball, soccer, tennis, etc.; besides, we’d been working long hours and probably should have been more on top of things. In other words, it wasn’t just the child’s fault it was probably our fault, too.

Somehow this pattern continues. The kids manage to string us along for quite a while.

But at some point – we hit the wall and ask ourselves: “Wait a minute – whose homework is it?” The obvious answer is – our child’s.

How is it that our kids:Don’t take responsibility for their homework,Don’t plan ahead,Pressure us at the last minute to run around and do their homework for them, and Manage to make it our fault?The answer is this: We have bought into the idea that

it is the parent’s responsibility to have the homework looking perfect and turned in on time. It’s as though it is our homework. We care more than our child does about whether the homework is finished, and thus, the child/teen no longer feels responsible.Shifting the Responsibility Back

Calm yourself when feeling: Impatient – at their slow pace or lack of understanding Anxious – that we don’t have time to help them? Fearful – that our children won’t get into a “good college” Frustrated – that they don’t like academics the way we did

Overwhelmed – by all of our other responsibilities

Reduce your childs feelings of being: Uncreative

Unable to meet expectations

Exhausted and time pressured

Discouraged

EntitledRealistic Expectations

Some children excel in people skills, sports, music, and academics. Some kids. But most children have areas in which they do just fine and maybe one area in which they shine. Some are average (C) students across the board. Some have learning disabilities and/or need accommoda-tions. Some kids hate sitting still, resist boring drills and long-term projects. They love new, different, physically active, outdoor activities. They’ll excel at electronic games and spend hours on Facebook, but avoid plodding, repeti-tious drills, homework and writing projects. These kids may find a passion later in life that brings them back to school but for now academics are agonizing.

continued on next page

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How Does Your Child Learn and Grow?

Talk with each teacher. What do they think your child’s learning skills and style are?

How can you help them at home? Is your child alert, tired, or bored in class? Who are his/her friends? What are the class subjects, timelines, and expecta-tions? Can the homework be cut down for now? How will you and the teacher keep each other informed about issues or problems?

Know Your Child’s TemperamentDoes your child study best alone in a

quiet place or do they do best with music blaring, or in the middle of the living room (low sensitivity, low distractibil-ity)? Does your child sit still and work through difficult problems for 15 or 20 minutes or does s/he need to sit on an exercise ball while studying, swaying back and forth and chewing gum (low/moderate activity or high activity)? Does she only stick with a novel activity with frequent positive reinforcement e.g., video games, tweeting, IM, Wii, etc. (high approach; high adaptability)?

Goodness of FitAt FamilyWorks we recommend hav-

ing a Temperament Profile for each child and adult in the family. After a consulta-tion of the results of the questionnaire, adults learn ways to guide their children based on their behavior traits. If you are a parent who is highly “persistent” and moderate to low “activity”, you can stick with a project for a long time regard-less of frustration and difficulties. This inborn trait makes academics easier for you. If, for example, your child is low persistence and higher activity, it is liter-ally uncomfortable for her/him to sit still and navigate through learning barriers to the end of the assignment. Breaking up the project into small pieces and sitting still for shorter periods of time will lead to more success. If your child is fast “adapting”, s/he may like to jump from activity to activity. While, if you are slower “adapting” you may avoid shift-

ing gears, once more making it easier for you to stick to one subject/project. The point is, you may be expecting the child to study your way and it may not be a good fit for his/her temperament.

In every case, what holds the child’s interest, and what makes the child feel good, will get the child’s attention. So making the homework fun and provid-ing positive reinforcements will lead to more completion of tasks.

The Fatigue FactorAll the understanding of Tempera-

ment in the world will not make up for a negative fatigue factor. Many kids have each afternoon so crammed with sports, music, drama, daycare, and social clubs that little energy is left to concentrate on homework.

• Assess the school/sports/social balance:• Does your child start homework after dinner every night because of after school activities?• Are the weekends so full that there is no “do nothing” time?• Is time set aside for fun, relaxation with parents as well as focus on tasks?

Planning and ReinforcementsWith the busy life we all lead, plan-

ning is essential because time is lim-ited. Many children need a lot of time to complete their homework. So, set specific goals and establish a sequence for completing the homework. Perhaps begin with the most difficult, then take an easier assignment, then the next most difficult, etc. Create a homework calendar. Enter project beginning, mid and end due dates. Outline specific baby steps: When, on a reliable and predict-able basis, will homework be done? How much time is needed? What materials are required, by when and whom?

Create a Consequence Chart. Just as employees have performance

reviews and incentives for production, so can your student. Sit down with your children and ask them to build in their

own Consequences Chart. Make the reinforcement frequent, near the time of completion, based on activities and not cash or things.

Positive consequences:•So many minutes of work, then a break to shoot hoops for 15 minutes.• Homework done for the night, then time for Facebook, a video, etc.• Homework in on time for a week, choose favorite meal to be prepared for him/her.• Mid-way portion of project is completed, a sleep over.• When improvement by one grade is achieved – pro baseball/ football game outing.

Negative consequences:• Removal of phone for a day• No e-activities for 3 days• No friends over for the weekend

CautionWhen you follow through with iden-

tifying their temperament, their school/social/sports balance, planning the ap-proach to schoolwork, and establishing rewards and consequences, they may still “forget” to get in an assignment, study for a test, or complete a project. You can expect your children to resist enforcement of the consequences. In fact, early on this will surely be the case. Unconsciously, they will be testing you. Part of them is so used to the old way of being, that they’ll let things slide, try to go back to old patterns, and they may be disrespectful, or cry that it isn’t fair, blah blah, blah. This is where you will need to stay strong and stay with your convictions.

Stay calm, clear, and avoid blaming. Be compassionate, “I know it is hard to take on this responsibility.” “This is a new approach. You’ll plan ahead and remember next time”.

“Let’s look at the consequence that you set for yourself.” “Okay, we’ll put he iPhone away through this weekend and start fresh on Monday.” They will tmoan and complain, saying, “It isn’t


fair!”, “You’re mean, uptight.”, or “You don’t understand; I have to call Sean.” They’ll act like the world is coming to an end. They don’t want to say no to their friends. They will, however, be secretly relieved to say, “I can’t go to the party, because my mother/father won’t let me.” You are helping them say “Yes” to being responsible.

It is imperative that you follow through, gently but unwaveringly. Translation: No lectures, arguing, sham-ing, or blaming. Remind them of the Consequences Chart and if they don’t follow through, remove the electronic medium (phone, iPod, TV, computer, even computer if you have to lock it in the trunk of your car for a few days), decline to drive them, type the report, etc. Millions of dollars are spent to make electronics addictive, so don’t expect your children to easily release their grasp on the device.

If your child has trouble staying at homework tasks, and instead switches in and out of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube etc., you may have to create a non-in-ternet homework computer set up in one area of the home, require their computer to be outside their bedroom etc. In any case, remove the TV from their bedroom and perhaps their iPod or iPhone during study time.

It is extremely hard to be a parent today. Our kids have so many more choices, temptations, and pressures than we had at their age. They need consistent guidance to make responsible decisions. It is really, really hard to watch our children be unhappy. It is even harder to have their flailing and spitting fire at us. But we’re not their best friend; we are their parents, mentors, and coaches. Guiding our child’s growing acceptance of responsibility will lead to clarity of parent-child roles, improved planning skills, your child’s acceptance of respon-sibility, wise choices, less household tension, and greater self-esteem for everyone. It is so much better for them to see the consequence of their in-action now, rather than in the next grade, next school, next job, or next relationship.

The results will speak for themselves and when they are older (perhaps not until their mid-30’s) dealing with their own children. They will thank you for applying these principles and the guid-ance it provided for them when work-ing with their own children. And then,

ADD/HD SpecialistTutoring in content areas

Organizational skillsADD/HD self-regulation strategies

including Brain Gym and Alert Program

Martha Leopardo MA, OTR/LLearning Specialist

Occupational Therapist415 246 6234

[email protected]

Leopard Learning

you’ll feel a sense of satisfaction that is worth it all!

Mary Jane DeWolf-Smith, RN, MA is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in family systems and communication skills. To make an appointment, call 415-492-0720.

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The Sicroff Family – Nominated by Maria Baird, Volunteers of Fairfax

Anne-Marie Sicroff and her daughters, Olivia and Micaela, volunteer at Fairfax Town Hall whenever possible, giving of their time over the summers and even during school vacations by doing book-

keeping, filing, delivering CD’s on fire safety, filling Easter baskets and doing other holiday projects – among many other things. Anne-Marie is also active on the Drake Fund committee, working to raise funds for school activities that are not covered in Drake High School’s

annual budget. Jonathan is “the rock” of the family, “pitching in to support their efforts wherever he can and picking up the ball at home so our family is free to support the community,” Ann-Marie says.

Olivia is very active in Habitat for Humanity and the Teens-Go-Green projects and volunteers at Camp Kinder Kool. Recently, she participated in the Creek clean-up project in Fairfax. When she attended St. Rita’s School, which requires 30 hours of community service, she was so committed that she exceeded those requirements by completing over 170 hours.

Michaela, who just started college in Oregon this year, and found herself with some spare time. Unlike some young students who might fill that time with play, she went straight to the local hospital and asked to volunteer. She also volunteered to take notes for dyslexic students and help them with organizing their schoolwork.

This amazing family has instilled a principle of community service and helping others among their peers and in the community. They have prioritized the needs of others by helping those less fortunate than themselves and have improved the quality of life for many.

The Schinske Family – Nominated by Toni Shroyer, NovatoSpirit

Marian Schinske is the founder & Executive Director of NovatoSpirit, a non-profit that offers recreational scholarships to kids, allowing them to participate in sports/activity programs that they might otherwise be unable to attend. She has designed a program that speaks to the benefits of sports and rec-reation, not only for physical fitness but to foster independence, self-sufficiency, personal protection and development of self-esteem and maturity, with a special focus on reaching out to Span-ish-speaking families. Scholarships are awarded for five years and Marian has handpicked a wide variety of programs that kids can participate in, e.g., karate,

2009 Families of the Yearcontinued from page 4


dance, soccer, tae kwon do and more. The development of NovatoSpirit

has been a family affair: Don does bookkeeping, fundraising, handling of personal donations and lifting and car-rying junk to the dump after fundraisers; Robert helps with annual garage sales, donates some of his own money from his allowance, helps mom with mailings and has walked door-to-door to garner donations.

Additionally, Marian volunteers on Novato’s Blue Ribbon Committee focused on decreasing bullying, drug/alcohol use, and violence in schools. This is a truly inspirational family of volunteers.

The Challenger Family – Nominated by Emily Mann, Homeward Bound

Amy Challenger, with her family’s support, began a program to provide bags of food for families at Homeward Bound’s Family Emergency Center (EFC) so the families could enjoy meals together, despite the stressful circum-stances of being in a shelter.

Four over a year, the fourteen families participating in Amy’s project, each adopted a family and prepared their bags of goodies to meet the tastes and needs of the family they supported. Those bags of food contained some of the families’ favorites – things that were part of their culture or represented better times when the family gathered in their own homes.

The recipients of the bags of food have been so grateful for the extra support and spoke with tears in their eyes about the difference it made to their families. One family told Amy that, because of her ef-forts and those of the other volunteers, once they were stable and established in their own homes, they were committed to passing along the same kindness and are determined to start their own team of volunteers and bring food to the shelter. This family’s commitment is a great example of how contagious helping others can be.

Autodesk is proud to sponsor APPLE FamilyWorks, because sooner or later we all need somebody to lean on.

Autodesk is a registered trademark of Autodesk, Inc. in the USA and other countries.© 2009 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.

� e 2009 Families of the Year Gala

will be held on Friday October 16

at Homeward Bound’s Next Key Center

on Hamilton Dr. in Novato

from 6:00 to 9:30 p.m.

For information, call 415-492-0720.

12 FamilyWorks Magazine - September & October, 2009 www.familyworks.org 12 FamilyWorks Magazine - September & October, 2009 www.familyworks.org


Family Therapy and CouplesCounselingConcerns, hopes and dreams, as well as practical and effective relationship tools are explored. The result is increased understanding and empathy, more cooperation and more fun in family life through:

and Conflicts

Depression and Addictions

Responsible Children

Strengthening Relationships... For a Lifetime Therapy and Life Skills Center

Assessment and Consultationdevelopmental assessments, parents and children will learn positive skills and design behavior plans that maximize each child’s potential. Therapists consult with teachers and parents, developing behavioral interventions that work at home, play and school. Therapists are available to make

home-visits,schoolobservationsand attend IEP meetings. Mentalhealthscreeningsfor anxiety, depression,AD/HD, etc. are available.

IndividualTherapyof theoretical approaches,FamilyWorks’ therapists help individuals to develop healthy life skills and increase their social-emotional well being. We are skilled in helping with a broad range of relationship and psychological issues, including:

TransitionsSelf-Esteem

Visit our websitefor more program information

www.familyworks.org

TherapywithChildrenWith Child-centered “playrooms,” and a wide variety of expressive arts, including FamilyWorks’ specialized sand-tray materials, children “play” in ways that allow them to bring their thoughts and emotions to the surface. As children’s experiences and knowledge are more and more freely communicated through play, the therapist works with those themes as a vehicle for self- acceptance and emotional regulation.

GroupsDownTimeLearn strategies for coping with financial stress. Reduce anxiety and depression related to economic uncertainty. Strengthen family connections and resiliency.

Cool CommunicationLearn to take the conflict out of family communication with time-tested anger management and emotional regulation techniques that will bring harmony to your household.

Therapywith TeensFamilyWorks’ skilled therapists work with adolescents to

expressive arts therapy, interactive play/exercises and outdoor activities, teens find new ways to resolve problems, build greater self-esteem and enhance their social skills in ways that support their healthy growth and development.


Support for Individuals with Disabilities

Our StaffProgram Director, Mary Jane DeWolf-Smith, RN, PHN, MFT ensures service excellence with her experience as a public health nurse, life-skills coach, parenting educator and marriage and family therapist.

Program Coordinator, Katherine Arnsbarger, brings her education and experience as an educator and anthropologist to provide culturally sensitive and individualized services.

Support Staff Include: Patricia Saunders, MA, MFT, Lew Tremaine, Candace Fraser and Diana Wilkins.

Our MissionTo enhance each individual’s health and development, including interaction with friends, family, work and community. Services take place in the consumer’s residence, community facilities and other environments in the area served by the Regional Centers: SARC - RCEB – GGRC – NBRC.

ParentingSupport Services

Family Planning

Stress Reduction

in Postpartum Depression

and Hygiene

and Exercise

and Transportation

and Budgeting

Support Systems

IndependentLiving Skills

and Exercise

and Budgeting

Social Support Systems

Who DoWe Serve?We serve adults and children with developmental disabilities.

Our ProcessThe all-inclusive, wrap-around program is cost-effective and eliminates duplication of services. An assessment and individual service plan will be written by APPLE FamilyWorks for approval by Regional Center case managers.

Strengthening Relationships... For a Lifetime

www.familyworks.org

Call

KatherineArnsbarger

415-492-0720 ext. 226

Support for Individuals with Disabilities


1 Explorando la MaternidadJuntas - 10 am-12n - Novato

Exploring Motherhood - 6:30-8 pm - FamilyWorks

4 KlunkerzSan Anselmo - 8pm

5

6

Bill & Ted’s Excellent AdventureSan Anselmo - 8pm

Rear WindowSan Anselmo - 8pm

8 Explorando la MaternidadJuntas - 10am-12n - Novato

Exploring Motherhood 6:30-8 pm - FamilyWorks

12 RushmoreSan Anselmo - 8 pm

15

19

Explorando la MaternidadJuntas - 10am-12n - Novato

Exploring Motherhood 6:30-8 pm - FamilyWorks

CPR Class 9:30 am-1 p.m.First Aid Class 1:30 - 4 pm

22 Explorando la MaternidadJuntas - 10 am-12n

Exploring Motherhood - 6:30-8 pm

Child Centered Co-Parenting7-9 pm

29 Explorando la MaternidadJuntas - 10 am-12n



Calendar of Services & Events

3 Iron ManWashington Sq. Park, SF 8 pm

6 Explorando la MaternidadJuntas - 10 am-12n, Novato



13 Explorando la MaternidadJuntas - 10am-12n - Novato

Exploring Motherhood 6:30-8pm - FamilyWorks

16 Families of the Year Galaat Homeward Bound’s Next Key Center, Novato 6-9:30 pm

20 Explorando la MaternidadJuntas - 10am-12n



27 Explorando la MaternidadJuntas - 10am-12n



September October

Check Out the NewFamilyWorks Website!

www.familyworks.org

• Education and Counseling

• Special Needs Services

• Upcoming Events

• FamilyWorks Magazine

Instant access to information on:

415-492-0720www.familyworks.org

DownTimeThe DownTime program will teach you skills and strategies for:• Explaining job loss to children

• Focusing on family values and time together

• Making time to maintain loving relationships

• Coping with depression, self-doubt, anxiety and fear

Call Candy to sign up for the next group

$120 for the 8-week group ($15/session)

Sign up as a couple and each person only pays $88 ($11/session)

Explorea Little

FamilyWorks Program Film Night in the Park


By Jeff Civillico

If you’re tired of your kids sitting around and playing video games all day and wish there was a way to get them to be more active and involved in a less sedentary pursuit, you may want to introduce them to juggling. The fact is that today’s youth are inundated with countless sedentary hobbies. The days of playing tag outside or riding bikes for hours seem to be fading away. No wonder the Cen-ters for Disease Control and Prevention cite that 16% of children (over 9 million) 6-19 years old are overweight or obese – a number that has tripled since 1980.

Learning to juggle has many benefits for children. It enables them to engage their mind and body into a fun activity, it’s something “cool” that they can do to impress their friends, and when kids learn to juggle with their parents, it gives them a new way to connect and interact with each other.

By all accounts, juggling is a powerful hobby for today’s children. It provides the perfect disguise for teaching many useful life lessons in a way that is lively, engaging, and different. Here are a few of the essential life lessons both kids and adults can glean from juggling.

A Desire to be ActiveYou can’t juggle sitting down, so juggling naturally

gets kids up on their feet doing something that is physical. While they’re not jumping around or breaking a sweat while juggling, they will be constantly bending over to pick up what they dropped and running to chase balls – especially in the beginning when they’re learning the basics. All that bending and walking is a low-impact type of exercise that will burn calories and help tone muscles. Additionally, since no one learns how to juggle in five minutes, this type of activity will continue for a while. And once your kids master the basics of juggling, they’ll want to challenge themselves with new things to juggle, which will start the learning (and continual bending over) process all over again.


Laser Sharp FocusIn today’s ADD culture, kids need to develop focus. Jug-

gling is one way to do that. Just as the game of pool is all about geometry, juggling is an activity of algorithms. There are formulas for how you create patterns, timing for how long things are in the air, etc. It’s much more logical and analytical than most people realize – but you don’t have to tell your kids any of that. All they’ll know is that once they learn how to juggle, they won’t want to stop. They’ll feel the power that comes from completing a difficult task. In the process, they’ll be developing what’s called relaxed concentration, which is about being focused but not tense or jittery. Such mental conditioning is what builds hand-eye coordination and visual-spatial coordination. So just tell your kids that learning to juggle will make them better video game players and they’ll be hooked for life. Goal-Setting Basics

Learning how to juggle is a systematic, step-by-step pro-cess that is broken down and accomplished one goal at a time. You can’t just pick up three balls, throw them in the air, and expect to juggle. There are certain things you must do in a precise order before you can start juggling. Even veteran jugglers who are attempting a new trick break it down and learn step by step. For example, you may have seen a juggler balance a ladder on his chin while juggling. That person got to that point by first learning how to bal-ance a peacock feather on his chin, and then a juggling pin, and then a broom, etc. Everything in juggling is a step-by-step process. Your kids will learn that in order to reach a certain level of expertise, they have to progress one goal at a time.A Commitment to Teamwork

Learning to juggle goes better if you work with a partner or a group of people. When you’re in the midst of an activity, you’re often too close to it and can’t see how you’re really do-ing. You can’t see if you’re holding one hand too high or are not balancing your weight on your legs properly. However, outsiders (or your teammates) are able to see where you need to improve and can point it out. When kids get a teamwork experience where they are learning from each other they become much more recep-tive to other team activities, whether it be sports or a study group. They learn to trust other people’s perspectives and take their comments into consideration. A Healthy Dose of Self-Confidence

No one ever thinks they’ll be able to learn how to juggle. They approach it with

skepticism no matter what age they are. But when kids learn how to juggle, they see that they can accomplish something that is seemingly impossible. They achieve something that they thought was out of their reach, and that opens their mind to all the other things they can potentially accomplish. When they attempt something else that is difficult or new, they can think back to their juggling experience and realize that they can do anything they put their mind to. That’s a powerful self-confidence booster to kids of any age.Share the Fun

If you’re ready to introduce juggling to your kids, you can find many books and training videos on line that give a good overview of the basics. Check out a few that seem interesting and give them a try. Encourage your kids to keep practicing and soon they’ll be able to keep three balls in the air with ease. Very quickly they’ll learn that juggling is so much more than just a cute parlor trick. It’s a life-enriching hobby that builds both inner and outer skills.

But don’t stop with just the kids. Parents and other adults can gain the same benefits from juggling. So start learning together. You’ll be building not only vital life skills, but also a lifelong bond with your kids that any parent would envy.

Jeff Civillico’s highly engaging program, “Comedy in Action,” blends comedy, juggling and audience par-ticipation both as a featured entertainer and a Master of Ceremonies at corporate events. An honors graduate of Georgetown University, he explores themes of communi-cation, goal setting and teamwork during his workshops. Working with companies of all sizes, Jeff’s clients include Disney, Wachovia, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Verizon, and The American Heart Association. To hire Jeff, please visit www.jeffonstage.com.

at the YMCA!

Celebrate

Your Birthday

at the YMCA!

Celebrate

Your Birthday

For more info contact Chris McCune at [email protected] or 415-446-2178.


�e German Language School of Marin We provide students with affordable, yet highly qualified instruction about the language, customs, history and culture of German speaking countries. Classes are given on Saturdays from 9:30 am - 12:00 noon and are open to anyone interested in learning German.Visit www.germanschoolmarin.com

Lycée Français La Pérouse�e Lycée Français is the only total immersion French school in the Bay Area. �e college preparatory school welcomes children from pre-K to 12th grade on three campuses, where students follow the authentic French National Education program. �e school is ideal for engaged, active learners who are not afraid of academic challenges. Visit www.lelycee.org

Marin Country Day School Marin Country Day School is a warm, inclusive, diverse community guided by core values of respect, responsibility and compassion. Children develop into excellent learners and good people through a broad-based, highly participatory curriculum. �e vibrant spirit of all involved engage to make MCDS a good place for children. Primary points of entry are at kindergarten and grade 6. Visit www.mcds.org

Marin Waldorf SchoolPre-K through 8th grade. Our curriculum provides a rigorous academic education including foreign languages, arts, music, movement, and community festivals. Our program fosters critical thinking, emotional and social intelligence, and physical activity. Marin County’s only accredited Waldorf School. Open House November 14th 10am – noon. (415) 479-8190 x 102.Visit www.marinwaldorf.org

San Domenico SchoolParents: Have you ever felt forced to choose between a competitive school and a supportive one? At San Domenico School we don’t see a necessary distinction between high-achieving students and happy, well-balanced children. Find out more by touring our beautiful San Anselmo campus. Call 415-298-1905 or go to www.sandomenico.org/visit

St. Isabella SchoolSt. Isabella School is dedicated to achieving the spiritual, intellectual, physical, psychological, and social growth of our students. Our program fosters academic excellence in a supportive, community-focused environment. We’ve been Educating Tomorrow’s Leaders in Kindergarten – 8th grade for over 40 years. School tours begin early October. Call Jessica at 479-3727. Annual Open House is Sunday, January 31 10AM–1PM. www.stisabellaschool.org

2009School Directory


Marin Waldorf School755 Idylberry RoadSan Rafael

Why do parents choose Marin WaldorfSchool for their children (Pre-K-8th grade)?

Since 1972 Marin Waldorf School has provided for local families a rigorous academic curriculum, a staff of dedicated teachers and a spa-cious, safe campus in the Marinwood area of San Rafael. We strive to stimulate students’ love of learning, channeling their idealism while strengthening their sense of social responsibility. In addition, the school has created a strong community of parents who are working in partnership with the faculty. At MWS, parents play a critical role in their children’s education. All share a common set of values even though their life experiences and professions are quite varied. As such, the social life of our school is warm and very active.

What are the values that bind our strong community together at both home and school? The belief that education is a partnership, that home and school work together to provide a solid foundation, building from elementary school through high school and on to college. These values include a belief in healthy food as the fuel for learning, and the knowl-edge that it is better to read to your child or have them read a book rather than watching TV. We stress the understanding that computers are tools best used after students learn to read, write, spell, edit and express themselves. Our parents want a small school where their children are seen as individuals receiving individual attention when necessary. We carefully assess our students with Portfolio Assessment -- real essay writing and note taking, rather than standardized tests which reduce teaching to facts and encourage work-sheets and rote learning rather than deep understanding of the academic topics presented. We are also a “Green School” and have been from our founding in 1972. As such, we try to use natural and organic products whenever possible, keeping in mind a goal of sustainability and making our school the healthiest environment possible for our students.

The MWS curriculum is rigorous, as students are expected to learn math, science, language arts, geography, history and two foreign lan-



Just this afternoon, as I was dashing

through Safeway pondering how to

start this article, I heard a woman make

this statement to her son, who was doing his

utmost to convince her of all the reasons he had to have a certain

kind of cereal. I should have given her my card, and I hope she reads this article and sends her ‘dramatic’ son my way, because I have a positive, productive, educational and FUN way to channel all that dramatic energy!

“You’re SO Dramatic!”

I have the privilege of leading the Edu-cation Department and Young Repertory Company at Cinnabar Theater in Petaluma. From its beginnings, Cinnabar, a trans-formed one-room schoolhouse founded by Marvin and Jan Klebe, has been dedicated to education. It was through their leader-ship that the Young Rep was founded in 1983, providing classes, choirs, workshops and Young Rep productions all taught, directed and designed by Cinnabar’s dy-namic team of professional theater artists. “Cinnabar Theater gives young actors wonderful theater exposure but, it [also] gives them confidence, a sense of expres-

707.763.8920 • www.cinnabartheater.org • [email protected]

CinnabarTheater

ClassesCampsShowsChorusesfor All Ages

sive elasticity, and an opportunity to enjoy the camaraderie of creative souls,“ says Ken, whose son is a long-time member of the Young Rep.

But we’re not solely for the ‘so dra-matic’ students – we’ve also seen some of the shyest, most awkward students blossom in the accepting, encouraging environments of our classes and rehears-als. Michele’s daughter is a member of the Young Rep: “(My daughter) has always been an outgoing child but never quite knew where she fit in…but when she walks in the doors of the theater she feels like she is with people who under-

stand and love her for who she is.”

But the benefits of studying drama reach far beyond Cinna-bar’s studio-class-room. Our programs


Cynthia Lucas Artistic Director

Mentoring the Joy and Commitment of DanceOffering a classical ballet syllabus supported by a range

of other dance idioms for students ages 3 to 18.

Now accepting new students.Visit www.marinballet.org for enrollment information

or call 415.453.6705.100 Elm Street, San Rafael, CA - Serving Marin County for over 45 years

Cynthia Lucas Artistic Director

provide a safe environment for students in which they can develop life-skills: verbal, problem-solving, communica-tion, memory and concentration skills, social and physical awareness, self discipline and confidence and, of course, imagination! Or, if you’re still not convinced, in a 1997 study of students who took the SATs – those with four years of drama instruction scored between 60 and 108 points higher than average, while those with no drama instruction scored, on average, lower than the mean.

So… with all the benefits that drama-education provide, what does Cinnabar’s Young Rep have to offer you?

Teens and youth may audition for our Young Rep main-stage productions which include: The Winter Rose (a NEW fantasy-musical written by me, Marlies Primmer and Janis Wilson), The Crucible (Arthur Miller’s portrayal of the Salem Witch Trials), The Gondoliers (a comedic opera by Gilbert and Sullivan) and Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. We’ve also got some special projects in the works as well as classes and workshops to hone your skills!

Children and Youth (ages 3-13) may participate in: Miniature Mondays (a variety of classes for ages 3-6), Theater Tuesdays (acting classes for ages 7-14) or War-bling Wednesdays (musical theater classes for ages 7-13). We’ve even got a Fall Drama Camp in October for those who attend year-round school.

Homeschooled families may enjoy the classes being developed just for you --interdisciplinary curriculums incorporating history, literature, music and art, as well as drama. (I’m a Pathways vendor, too!)

Adults, never fear, we have programs for you, too! Whether you sing regularly or merely remember the joy of singing ‘way back when,’ come join one of Cinnabar’s Choral Ensembles. But if you are not a singer, perhaps the new Cinnabook Club or a stand-up comedy workshop would be more to your liking!

So, to see the benefits of a drama-educa-tion for your child (or yourself!), check out Cinnabar where our safe, ‘homey’ location and outstanding staff lead students to new levels of self-awareness and produce power-house student performances … and we have a whole lot of fun in the process. “I know that wherever I end up and whatever I end up doing in life, Cinnabar will always be there as a staple in my childhood memories and a place that will always welcome me back with open arms,” says Aimee, high school junior and Young Rep member.

To find out more about any of our Young Rep programs, to enroll, or to inquire about our need-based scholarships (or any of the MANY other things going on, including in-

timate professional operas, dramas, musicals and comedy), check out our (NEW) website at www.cinnabartheater.org.

See you at Cinnabar Theater – where GREAT things come in small packages.

Kate Magill is Director of Education at Cinnabar Theater in Petaluma, CA.


Fairfax Celebrates Family Health

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Fairfax Celebrates Family HealthWith a wildly popular family-oriented

event this August 15th and an exciting-new family-friendly health and wellness festival planned for September 26th, Fairfax is more and more a county-wide destination for family health.

Over 3,000 gathered August 15th in Fairfax for a day of wholesome, organic, local foods as well as physical activity in celebration of Good Earth Natural Foods 40th Anniversary. Children of all ages experienced the (safe) thrill of climbing, the athletic mayhem of the jumpee house and bopping to Tim Cain and Rhythm Village’s African music. They also sampled raw ice cream, organic melons and organic air-chilled chicken among many other offerings. Good Earth is well-known as a cutting-edge leader in organic and green practices, provider of wholesome, organic school lunches to thousands of Marin school children. They also offer a wide selection of herbs, supplements and homeopathy used by many parents. They recently expanded their hours and are now open 9am to 9pm daily. More information about Good Earth is available at http://www.genatural.com

Coming on Saturday, September 26th from 12-7 is a new family health and wellness oriented event from the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce. Fairfax Body and Soul, a festival celebrating the whole person, family, and community will include a wide range of activities of interest to families. There will be pan-els on parenting, H1N1, and children’s health, a jumpee, facepainting and ad-ditional activities for children. Outdoor classes for all ages will include tai chi, kung fu and dance and indoors there will be Persian, ayurvedic and vegetarian culinary demonstrations. The Body and Soul Marketplace will offer the opportu-nity to meet top holistic practitioners.

Health and wellness businesses will showcase their offerings in a relaxed environment. Free health screenings will also be available. Healthful food and

beverages will be available for sale and there will be an organic wine bar.

The event will feature some great music. including fingerstyle guitarist Walter Strauss who has been called a “one man folk festival” by the UK’s Maverick Magazine. The audience will also enjoy the soaring vocal harmonies, and multi-instrumentalism of Three At Last who recently performed at the Kate Wolf Festival and the spontaneous hilar-ity of singer-songwriter Scott Kalech-stein who has performed at the events of Deepak Chopra, Jack Canfield and Dr. Bernie Siegel among many others. The day will culminate with a performance from the Fairfax All-Stars band which will include members of Tom Finch Group and Big Brother and the Holding Company among other talent. The event takes place at Peri Park & the Fairfax Women’s Club at 46 Park Street (off Bolinas Ave.) in Fairfax. Tickets are $5 and free for children under 12.

The event supports local businesses by

encouraging people to do business with a Fairfax Chamber of Commerce member <http://fairfaxcoc.com > in order to get a free ticket (while supplies last).

Details are available at http://www.wordoutconsulting.com and a full schedule of events will be available as the event draws nearer.

The idea of a health-focused family friendly event was originally brought to the Fairfax Chamber by homeopathic M.D. Dr. Michelle Perro of Down to Earth Pediatrics. Recognizing the op-portunity to highlight Fairfax’s role as a hub for health and wellness businesses and holistic practitioners, the Chamber of Commerce decided to move forward with the idea. They hired Word Out Consulting’s Hannah Doress, a Fairfax mother known for family-friendly fes-tivals at the San Geronimo Valley Com-munity Center, to develop and produce the new event.


guages. They also play a musical in-strument, play sports, make practical items in woodwork and handwork, and sing in the choir. In addition, children work in the school’s two gardens and perform community service, participate in a yearly class play and numerous educational field trips. In short, the elementary school years (the founda-tion of a child’s education) cultivate critical thinking skills, emotional and social intelligence and practical skills. Our parents come to Marin Waldorf because they are seeking a truly well-rounded education. They want their children to be smart, to get along well socially and to be able to accomplish a variety of tasks in preparation for meeting life’s challenges.

Our parent body participates fully in their children’s education with regular class nights to discuss their children’s progress, regular communication, accessible and responsive teachers, and comprehensive written progress reports. MWS has dedicated teachers who love teaching children and take part in extensive off-site continuing education each year. Each teacher has also taken an additional three years of teacher training at one of the five nationally recognized Waldorf cur-riculum teacher-training colleges in the US.

We have a superb eleven-acre cam-pus, which holds two preschools and two kindergartens with their own dedicated playground, garden and indoor practical activities space; eight grades classrooms, a library, wood-shop, orchestra room, multi-purpose room, organic teaching garden, two playgrounds and large ball field. In addition, our campus abuts 1,000 open

Marin WaldorfSchoolContinued from page 19

Successful Academics for Students with

Learning DisabilitiesTutoring in content areas

Homework support

Strategies for overcoming academic obstacles

Specializing in reading and writing for all levels

Martha Leopardo MA, OTR/LLearning Specialist

Credentialed Teacher415 246 6234

[email protected]

Leopard Learning

space acres that we utilize regularly. If you would like to visit Marin Wal-

dorf School then please visit our website,

marinwaldorf.org, or call Nick Broad, Director of Admissions for a tour: (415) 479-8190 ext. 102.

Documents

FWM 2009 09 and 10