Once Upon a Story, the independent children’s book store/treasure, has started a Mother Daughter book club for 4th, 5th and 6th grade girls and their moms. As a mother of a 5th grade girl, I am elated to find such a perfect fit for us. This month the book selection is Coraline by Neil Gaiman. The discussions are held the 2nd Sunday of each month at 4:00pm.

They have a blog here for the book club and it lists the past selections. There are a couple of books from earlier discussions that we have already read and loved, so I have high hopes for their selections!   Once Upon a Story is a wonderful resource and full of the magic of books. You can walk in to this store and they will be happy to help you with a list of recommended reading for any age. Visit soon and often!

JOIN THE GARDEN COMMITTEE!

Lucky Los Cerritos students love to go to the garden! When our students tour the gardens at Rancho Los Cerritos, they know as much about the flora as the docents! How many kids make vegetable soup in class and then announce they love Swiss chard? How many kids can say they line up to try borage flowers and that they taste like cucumbers? All the kids at Los Cerritos can! Keep the tradition alive by getting involved, make a weekly commitment to your child’s classroom. Each and every student at Los Cerritos has the opportunity to visit the “outdoor classroom” on a weekly basis, and that means we need volunteers, every week!

Calling all Parents, Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles! If you would like your child’s classroom to be able to watch the lifecycle of the Monarch, grow, harvest basil, & prepare pesto for the delicious pasta, build and maintain a worm bin, make grapevine wreathes, grow the biggest cabbage and so much more – then they need you! If you cannot volunteer during the week but would still like to be involved, there are many tasks to do after school or weekends as well!

Living in the urban environment makes the garden a crucial link to understanding the key concepts of community, sustainability, diversity, responsibility, networks, systems, cycles, and flows. Join us in the garden, under the trees, in the orchard and get your hands dirty!

For more information on how to get involved - contact your child’s teacher, write to LosCerritos@Mac.com, or call Kelli at 426-9909

Los Cerritos is proud to announce a new after school activity! The Kid’s Theater Company, lead by Director Kyle Becker, is coming to Los Cerritos!! They have completed three productions, Alice in Wonderland, Wizard of Oz and Peter Pan. This upcoming Fall season, they will perform The Frog Prince and Cinderella. Here’s the exciting part…Los Cerritos students may audition for these two shows on Monday September 15 and Tuesday September 16, right after school in the auditorium. Rehearsals will also take place on Mondays or Tuesdays until the show in late January.

There will also be acting work shops, a film club, princess monologues, and improv classes. This is a fantastic way for the kids to loosen up and get invaluable training in a fun and exciting way. They will learn to analyze and write dialog, speak clearly and project and think on their feet.

For updates and information about the programs, check back on this site, check the back pack for flyers, check in at the Kid’s Theater Co blog and join this website’s rss feed.

This program is designed to accommodate all our neighborhood’s students.  That means you can invite a friend, relative or neighbor even if they do not attend school at Los Cerritos.  Tell your - Longfellow, Burrough’s, St. Barnabus and Westerly et al. - friends to come on down!!  Open to grades 1 and up.

Today from 12-2pm you can find out your child’s classroom assignment and have an otter pop.  Join the PTA and say hey to some friends!

The board will also be out on Tuesday September 2nd, day before school.

The School News asked all the schools to submit a few paragraphs on the history and meaning behind the name of the school. What a great topic for Los Cerritos! So here’s what we submitted…

What’s in a name? You might be surprised!

With a truly rich history and roots that go back much farther than even the Spanish and Early Mexican era, Los Cerritos surely takes it’s name from the beginning of those ranching times. Manuel Nieto was granted 300,000 acres in 1784 and they called a section of those lands the Rancho Los Cerritos or Ranch of the Little Hills. Nieto’s daughter received the 27,000 acre ranch and had a good life with her family, cattle and crops.

The Rancho Los Cerritos still maintains the Monterey-style adobe built by Temple in 1844 as his cattle business headquarters. The business of the ranch went from cattle to sheep with the Bixby’s and the adobe became a bustling residence for the large family.

Native Americans lived on the lands as early as 2000-3000 BC. We know more about the Tongva who were there until 1769. Then the Spanish settle, the Missions, Mexican rule, California becomes a U.S. territory. All this history and terroire starts to make sense around 4th grade! And boy does our 4th grade squeeze the most out of every drop of that amazing past. They put together a “Rancho Days” event that made several folks a little misty when describing how great a Day it was! From old-fashioned games & butter churning to steer roping contests & square dancing, a fine time was had by all. The kids could even be seen (square) dancing around school for weeks!

What a lucky group of students we have. They can walk to the Rancho Los Cerritos, the newly created Dominguez Gap wetlands, our Dana Branch Library. They absorb the history from the ground the school is built on every day when they walk through the orchards. The past fills them as they put their hands in the dirt working the little farm on campus. They feel the pride of those who lived off these lands many years ago when they grow and prepare their own food, from their own gardens. The ambiance and history, families, staff and community are what is in the name, Los Cerritos Elementary. It just sings.

Thought this sounded pretty good!

Kids Garment Sewing Camp - making pajamas.
Date : Monday, 21 July 2008     From : 10:00am   To : 2:00pm

Kids Garment Sewing Camps
Students must have a working knowledge and understanding of their sewing machines.
Ages 10 and up.  Tuition: $125 each
Instructor: Helen Jo Bletko

Students will be making pajamas.  They will choose their own fabric and learn about correct sizing for pattern layout. They will cut out their pjs then follow directions on sewing them together.

Monday-Friday, July 21-24 (10am-2pm) &  July 25 (1-5pm)
OR
Students will be making a top & skirt.  Students will learn about fitting, buttonholes, buttons and sewing and fitting collars.
Monday-Friday, July 29-Aug. 1  (10am-2pm)

Special package:  For just $299 your child can get one Kid’s Camp program and a brand new entry level sewing machine along with a basics guide class.

We are signing up tomorrow!

Just say yes to PinkBerry in Bixby Knolls! Write to Lucas@PinkBerry.com and let them know how welcome they would be, indeed!!

Summer at the Rancho is a true neighborhood treasure.  Concerts on the front lawn, rancho days old timey activities for the kids, mud mania…it’s all near and dear to my heart!  Find out more about all things Rancho, here… 

Piano and Guitar Camps are added to the ongoing private lessons, rock school and Saturday morning little jammers. The high quality teaching staff will help your child get the most out of every session. For more info check out their site here…

Right here in the neighborhood, chess camp.  Sounds good to me!!  Project Oasis is putting together a great little afternoon of mentally stimulating fun at Elise’s Tea Room.  Chess is one of those generation bridging skills everyone should possess.   You’ll find my progeny at the second session…Pay online here…