GIVEAWAY: Oregon Children’s Theatre’s “Locomotion”

“Everybody’s doin’ a brand new dance now / (C’mon baby do the loco‐motion) / I know you’ll get to like it / If you give it a chance now…” He’s named after a song, but Lonnie’s jumbled words and emotions spill across the stage, gather, take shape, and become poems in the Oregon Children’s Theatre’s latest production – Locomotion.

The show is adapted by three-time Newbery Honor author Jacqueline Woodson, based on her 2006 book, Locomotion (a National Book Award finalist and Coretta Scott King Award Honor book). Originally commissioned by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Orlando Repertory Theatre, OCT’s production marks the play’s West Coast premiere.

Locomotion, featuring an all‐black cast and director, offers insights on what it’s like to be a poor black kid in a big city: considered a probable thief by store security guards, noticing differences between the haves and the have nots – and how that usually aligns with whether they are black or white, and the realities of sickle-cell anemia in his community. Read more

GIVEAWAY: Two tickets to Oregon Ballet Theatre’s performance of “Giselle” at Keller Auditorium

Experience the grandeur and romance of a true ballet masterpiece at Giselle, playing February 25th through March 3 at Keller Auditorium.

A sweeping tale of love, loss, forgiveness and beauty beyond death, Giselle features some of the most difficult and exquisite choreography ever created for the stage. Romantic era ballet expert Lola de Avila will be creating a world premiere staging of this beloved masterpiece, featuring lush scenery from the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Florence, Italy and the full OBT Orchestra. Don’t miss this ballet experience of a lifetime!

“A stunner, with showy choreography and a mythical story.” - Houston Chronicle

We are so excited to be giving one lucky winner a pair of seats for the Thursday, March 1st 7:30 pm performance of “Giselle”.

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Review: Matt Clark’s “Magic Cardboard Ride”

Reviewed by Kate Griffin, PDX Kids Calendar intern

Right away you can tell that Matt Clark’s newest CD, “Magic Cardboard Ride,” is going to be a hit.  It starts off with a bang and sets the pace for the rest of the songs.  It is a clever, energetic, album that will have your kids (and you) singing along in no time.

Portland’s own Matt Clark has been on the kindie music scene since 2008, and has been inspired by his two sons every step of the way.  As Matt’s kids grow, so does his music.  From trips to the museum in “OMSI” to the powerful use of the imagination in “Cardboard Box,” he sings about the fun times of having two small children.

One of the unique things about Matt’s album is that most of the songs are told from the child’s perspective.  For instance, in “Cardboard Box,” the song cleverly encapsulates every parent’s experience of giving their child what they think is the “perfect” toy, only to have him or her prefer the box over the gift inside!  But it’s sung from the child’s perspective with such exuberance that you can’t help but smile.

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Review: Music Together of Portland

Review by Ali

When Grady was very small, about three months old, we signed up for the infant Music Together class.  Although I had a lot of fun dancing around, swinging scarves, and generally making a fool of myself in a room with a dozen other similarly-situated caregivers, I was never quite sure how Grady felt about it.  He was so small then – not even crawling – and of course couldn’t tell me “I really enjoyed the song where you patted on my belly!”  With Grady now closing in on two, and with just a month until his little sister arrives, I thought it would be a great opportunity to take the class again – both to have some special Mommy-Grady time before his life gets uprooted, and also to re-experience Music Together now that he can verbally let me know what he thinks about it.

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GIVEAWAY: Harlem Globetrotters February 25th

On the heels of signing one of the most extraordinary rookie classes in team history, the Harlem Globetrotters will bring their 2012 World Tour to the Rose Garden on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012!

The outstanding rookies include Paul “Tiny” Sturgess, the world’s tallest pro basketball player at 7-8, Jonte “Too Tall” Hall, the shortest Globetrotter ever at 5-2, and Fatima “TNT” Maddox of Temple University, the team’s first female player since 1993 and ninth female in team history.

The new Globetrotters also feature the top three finishers from the 2011 College Slam Dunk Contest, including the reigning champ Jacob “Hops” Tucker. At 5-10, Tucker sports a 50-inch vertical leap, and his YouTube videos have garnered well over four million views. Tucker joins slam dunk runner-up John “Jet” Williams of UNC-Asheville and semifinalist Darnell “Spider” Wilks of the University of Cincinnati.

The 2012 rookie class has a total of three seven-footers including 7-4 Jermaine “Stretch” Middleton, the third-tallest player in team history, and 7-foot Anthony “Biggie” McClain. At 7-8, Sturgess becomes the tallest Globetrotter ever after a career at Mountain State University (W.Va.). He is the 19th internationally born player in team history, hailing from Loughborough, England.

“The Globetrotters are excited to welcome a new generation of stars to carry on the storied tradition of the world’s most entertaining basketball team,” said Globetrotters CEO Kurt Schneider. “This year’s rookie class features some of the most talented and promising players from across the world.”

Current Globetrotters stars Special K Daley, Big Easy Lofton, Flight Time Lang, Dizzy Grant, Scooter Christensen, and many others will team up with the world class rookies for nearly 270 games on the North American portion of the World Tour, bringing the Globetrotter magic to over 230 cities in 46 states, the District of Columbia, and five Canadian provinces.

We are so excited to giving away TWO pairs of tickets for the 2pm game and TWO pairs for the 7 pm games!

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GIVEAWAY: Tickets to Cirque du Soleil’s OVO

Cirque du Soleil’s OVO is a headlong rush into a colorful ecosystem teeming with life, where insects work, eat, crawl, flutter, play, fight and look for love in a non-stop riot of energy and movement.

The insects’ home is a world of biodiversity and beauty filled with noisy action and moments of quiet emotion. When a mysterious egg appears in their midst, the insects are awestruck and intensely curious about this iconic object that represents the enigma and cycles of their lives. It’s love at first sight when a gawky, quirky insect arrives in this bustling community and a fabulous ladybug catches his eye – and the feeling is mutual.

OVO is overflowing with contrasts. The hidden, secret world at our feet is revealed as tender and torrid, noisy and quiet, peaceful and chaotic. And as the sun rises on a bright new day the vibrant cycle of insect life begins anew. Read more

PDX Arts & Crafts Guide

Sometimes you just need to get crafty!

Below you’ll find a list of some of our very favorite venues to make art with your little one (or even by yourself).   We’ve collected paint-your-own pottery places, recycled craft classes, messy art, and lots more.

Now go get messy!

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Spring Break Camps Guide – 2012

 

Spring Break is just around the corner! To help you get a jump on some of the amazing camps available in PDX for Spring Break 2012, we have put together a listing of just some of the fun camps going on in, and around, Portland.

We will be adding to this list often, and if you know of a camp we’ve missed in our seach, please let us know – or encourage them to submit their info directly for free basic inclusion.

FEATURED CAMP:

Mad Science of Portland & Vancouver: Moving With Science
Grades K-6 (5-12 yrs)
Focus: Science
Crazy Chemistry: How can a crystal absorb 200 times it weight in water? How can a simple black marker create all the colors of the rainbow? Why does sidewalk chalk turn warm when we make it? You can find the answers in Crazy Chemistry, designed to pique your interest in the world of chemical reactions!
Biology Blast: Soar silently through the air on stealth owl feathers, eat like a bird using different shaped beaks and dicover the dicarded treasures within owl pellets! Biology Blast gives your camper an in-depth look at our fine feathered friends!
Machine Mania: Create a load-lifting catapult, extend your reach with mega pinchers and meet Linus the line tracking robot! Machine Mania lets your camper find the things around us that make life easier. From Simple levers and pulleys to sophisticated robots your camper is sure to have a wonderful time!
Where: Mad Science Laboratory: 1522 North Ainsworth St., Portland, OR 97217 – 503.230.8040
When: All camps run from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.  Tuesday March 27th: Crazy Chemistry; Wednesday March 28th: Biology Blast; Thursday March 29th: Machine Mania
Costs: Register for one day or for all three! Register for all 3 days for $99 or register for individual days for $37
Registration Info: Register online at http://register.madscience.org/portland/ – enter “Mad Science Laboratory” in the search by location field on the left hand side
Additional Information: Campers should always bring a snack and a sack lunch. Campers should wear appropriate attire for doing hands-on science projects (play clothes that can get dirty) and shoes that will stay on feet when chilldren are running. Weather permitting we may go outside for some activities so please bring a jacket. Camp hours are from 10 am to 2 pm. Students may be dropped off no earlier than 9:45 and must be picked up promptly at 2pm.
Register online at http://register.madscience.org/portland/
Enter “Mad Science Laboratory” in the search by location field on the left hand side.

Day Camp for Kids at Pittock Mansion: Life in 1914
Description: Kids ages 8 – 12 can learn what life was like a century ago at Pittock Mansion’s half-day camps.
Focus: History

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School Open House Guide

We have pulled together a comprehensive listing of open houses for Schools around the Portland area. These include daycares and preschools, all the way through high-schools and schools with specific focuses. We will be updating the guide frequently and will post the coming week at the top.We are also collecting info to put together a much more comprehensive Education Guide. Information can be submitted here.

We also have a list of the schools in alphabetical order here.

If your school is not listed here, you can submit information for free inclusion here.

Week of February 20 – 26, 2012

Tuesday February 21

All Saints School
Open Houses: Pre-K: Feb. 21 – 6:30 pm, Feb. 23 – 9:00 am; Grades 1-8: Feb. 28 – 6:30 pm
601 NE 39th Ave., Portland, OR 97232 – 503-236-6205
www.allsaintsportland.com
Grades Pre-K – 8
Includes Art/Music/Library/Computer/PE/Spanish

Childswork Learning Center
Tours are offered 4 times a month as follows: February 21, 22; March: 6, 7, 13, 14; April: 3, 4, 10, 11, 24; May: 1, 2, 22, 23 Please call to reserve your spot.
4235 SE Salmon St., Portland, OR 97215 – (503) 234-3611
www.childswork.org
Ages: Parent-Child 2′s, 3s, 4s, blended age, prek and K
Childswork is a non-profit, play-based school.

Hands On Art & Play
Open House Feb. 21 2:00 – 4:00 pm and Open House & Art Show Mar. 3 10:00 am to noon
2800 SE Harrison, Portland, OR 97214 – (503) 239.8521
www.handsonartandplay.com
Ages 2.5 – 6 yrs
Preschool, summer camp and more programs

Wednesday February 22

Amiguitos Preschool
Open House: Feb. 22 – 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
11675 SW Butner Rd., Portland OR 97225 – (503) 596-2661
www.amiguitos.org
Ages: 30 mo to 5 yrs
Preschool Spanish Immersion near Cedar Hills.

Bodhi Tree Center
Open House Dates: Wednesdays, 10:00 am – noon, January through February. For other dates/times please call to arrange.
5403 SE Center St., Portland, OR 97206 – 503-788-0336
www.BodhiTreeChineseSchool.org
Ages: 2 years old, 3-5 years old, pre-K, ages 6-12, 13 on up
Specialize in Mandarin Chinese children’s programs.

Childswork Learning Center
Tours are offered 4 times a month as follows: February: 21, 22; March: 6, 7, 13, 14; April: 3, 4, 10, 11, 24; May: 1, 2, 22, 23 Please call to reserve your spot.
4235 SE Salmon St., Portland, OR 97215 – (503) 234-3611
www.childswork.org
Ages: Parent-Child 2′s, 3s, 4s, blended age, prek and K
Childswork is a non-profit, play-based school.

Thursday February 23

St. Stephen’s Academy
Open House: Feb. 23 – 7:00 – 8:30 pm
7275 SW Hall Blvd., Beaverton, OR 97008 - 503-646-4617
www.ssa-k12.org
Grades: K-12
Beaverton’s Classical Christian School.

The Tucker-Maxon School
Open Houses: Feb. 23 4:00 – 5:30 pm and Apr. 26 4:00 – 5:30 pm
2860 SE Holgate Blvd., Portland, OR 97202
Ages: From early intervention at 2 mos – 5th grade
www.tmos.org
Deaf and hearing children achieving excellence.

Trillium Charter School
Open House: Feb. 23 6:30 – 7:30 pm
5420 N. Interstate Ave., Portland, OR 97217 – 503-285-3833
www.trilliumcharterschool.org

Saturday February 25

Kenilworth Community Preschool
Open Houses: Feb. 25: 9:00 am to 2:00 pm
4028 SE 34th Ave., Portland, OR 97202 – (503) 235-3977
www.kenilworthcps.org
Ages: Preschool – three and four year old children
Kenilworth Community Preschool is a play-based preschool.

Tillamook Preschool
Open House: Feb. 25: 10:00 am – 1:00 pm. Teacher will speak at 11:30.
2 & 3 day class options935 NE 33rd Ave. (We are located in, but not affiliated with, the Presbyterian Church of Laurelhurst), Portland, OR 97213 – (503) 482-8078
www.tillamookpreschool.org
Ages: Mixed aged-program 2 3/4 to 5 years old
Learn more about our school & submit your application.

Sunday February 26

St. Therese School
Open Houses: Feb. 26 – 10:00 am; Mar. 6 – 6:00 pm
1260 NE 132nd Ave., Portland, OR 97230 – 503.253.9400
www.stthereseschool.org
Ages: Preschool (3 & 4 year olds), Kindergraten – 8th GR
St. Therese School, fully accredited, is a community of families built on Catholic values, empowering students to reach their academic potential. The school provides a quality Preschool through 8th grade education in a full academic year. Curriculum includes all core subjects, plus PE, Spanish, Computer, Library, and Title I Reading. Our music dept. boasts a strong band, orchestra, choir, and Handbells. Special classes for Middle School include Life Sports, Ceramics, & Music Specialties. Little Flower Preschool has a curriculum designed to help children grow and learn through artwork, stories, fine and large motor skills, the alphabet and sounds, new vocabulary, numbers, shapes and problem solving skills. In addition, preschool students experience PE, Music and beginning Spanish.
Teaching Method/Philosophy: Student mass, Lunch program, band/strings, many extras
Minimum Age Requirement: By Sept 1: Preschool – 3 & 4 yrs/Kinder – 5 yrs
Teacher to Student Ratio: 1:20
Before and after school care available
Program Hours: PreSch – am & pm / K-3 -8:10-3:00 / 4-8 -8:10-3:15
Tuition: Morning: annual, semi-annual, qtrly or monthly
Sibling discount: Multi child disc available. Scholarships – March deadline
Financial Aid available
Additional info: Avg class size – 25. Uniforms required. Applications due in February/March. Call for information, 503-253-9400, x30

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GIVEAWAY: Tickets to see Rosebuds Jr. Roller Derby Bout

The Rosebuds are a full contact ranked junior league for the Rose City Rollers –  Portland’s all female flat track roller derby league. The Rosebuds players range in age from 12-18 years old, and these girls are awesome – at skating, hitting, and playing an amazing game of roller derby on the track.

The Rose City Rollers (RCR to those in the know) are one of the top roller derby leagues in the world! The mission of RCR is “to develop women of attitude, athleticism and passion to play a hard-hitting sport of speed and skill.” As pioneers in the rebirth of roller derby, RCR continues to foster its growth. The league’s goals are to serve our community by empowering women and girls, providing entertainment for its fans and supporting charitable causes.

Next Saturday, February 17th, two of the four Rosebud home teams, the Little Red Riveters and Death Scar Derby Dolls will be battling it out on the track.  This bout will sell out, and we are excited have our hot little hands on four tickets! Here’s your chance to check out the next generation of Rose City Rollers’ derby stars as they play for home team ranking. Read more

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