Growing Up Santa Cruz April 2021 by Growing Up in Santa Cruz

APR 2021

COVER STORY Cabrillo Extension SUMMER CAMPS RETURN

EARTH MATTERS Visit us at GrowingUpSC.com

SURF’S UP

50 YEARS of

DISCOVERY

Tours by Appointment April 6 & 7 from 9:15am-2:15pm

GATEWAY SCHOOL W H E R E E X P E R I E N C E A N D I N N O VAT I O N M E E T

Join Us Outdoors or Online!

Visit www.gatewaysc.org to schedule a tour.

Your music school for families with children from Birth to 8 years old.

(831) 332-9002 | MusicalMe.com

Tara Redwood School your Premiere Early Literacy & K-12 Resource

(841)462–9632

tararedwoodschool.org

• Creating Compassionate Cultures Today!

NOW ENROLLING 1st–6th Grades

75% Outdoor Immersion

Privately Located on 108 Acres of Redwood Forests! Virtual Programs & Learning Resources

Interactive Preschool Storytime • Stories for Bedtime Interactive Toddler Storytime • Tales to Tails Cuéntame un Cuento • Cuentos y Experimentos Homework Help • eBooks • Teacher Concierge Service

santacruzpl.org/kids 2

APRIL 2021 | Growing Up in Santa Cruz

Features

11 Swim Schools Open Back Up

14 Celebrating Mother Earth

20 New Column: Where Are They Now?

EDITOR/PUBLISHER

Brad Kava, Jennifer Ford, Steve Dinnen ART DIRECTOR

Zelzi Belle | Christy Shults

Rocking Horse Ranch is an alternative Preschool, located on three beautiful acres, where our goal is to grow good human beings. We encourage “Out-of-the-Box” thinking through structured and non-structured play. Call us for a zoom open house visit!

Jim Booth Swim School

Evenings • Saturday Classes • Birthday Parties

The BEST in Baby Swimming! Start at 4 months in our 94 ° indoor pool! SIGN UP

TODAY

serving children for more than 30 years!

i ng H R ockR anchorse CHOOL P R E S

831.462.2702

4134 Fairway Drive, Soquel

NANCY C OHEN Owner / Director

rockinghorseranch4134@gmail.com License # 444400771

Kids Summer Camp

Will take place in our new shelter location! 2601 Chanticleer Ave. Santa Cruz CA For students in 1st-6th Grade $275 9am-3pmM-F

Now at Harvey West in Santa Cruz and Watsonville indoor and outdoor pools.

722-3500

JimBoothSwimSchool.com • Like us on Facebook

Love Learning.

DISTRIBUTION & SUBSCRIPTIONS

Susan Bernstein CONTRIBUTORS

Dana Abbott, Ashley Carone, Seb Frey, Linda Kay, Brad Kava, Patricia Lucas, Laura Maxson, Hugh McCormick, Kevin Painchaud, Jan Perice, Jeanette Prather, Sandi Schwartz, Suki Wessling, Susan Willats

Open registration will go up in April For more information, and registration visit: spcasc.org/humane-education/ Call us at (831)566-3753 or email us at maria@spcasc.org

PHOTOGRAPHER

Kevin Painchaud AD REPRESENTATIVES

Ann Fitts  ann@growingupsc.com Linda Kay  linda@growingupsc.com Sophie Veniel  sophie@growingupsc.com

SIMPATICO - CA.COM @SIMPATICO.CA

831.239.3444 editor@growingupsc.com

Be Inspired.

P.O. Box 3505, Santa Cruz, CA 95063

APR 2021 | VOL. 26 NO. 4 Printed lovingly by Fricke-Parks Press.

Growing Up in Santa Cruz copyright 2021. Printed in the U.S.A. All views expressed represent those of the individual authors. The contents of this publication are meant as information only and should not take the place of a medical doctor’s recommendations. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part, in any form, electronic or otherwise is prohibited without permission by the publisher. This publication does not knowingly accept deceptive or misleading advertising. Growing Up is printed on recycled paper with soy-based inks.

GIFTS, ARTISAN GOODS AND TREA SURES FOR A LIFE WELL LIVED.

6223 HW Y 9, FELTON

Spring Hill School

Editors Note..................................4 Parenting......................................5 Moms Who Make a Difference......6 Cover Story: Cabrillo Extension Summer Camps............................7 Inside Ed.......................................8 Teacher's Desk...............................9 Birth Matters................................10 Local News: Jim Booth..................11 Calendar.......................................12 Earth Day......................................14 Photo Story: Kirby Clean Up.........15 Summer Camps............................16 Extremely Sports..........................19 Where Are They Now?..................20 Parenting......................................23 Seen and Heard............................24 Book Review: 2020 Hindsight Local News: Musicians..................26 Local Artist...................................27 Summer Activities Guide..............28 Coloring Page...............................30

We Teach Kindness!

Zooms & Tours K-6th Grade Call or email: Now enrolling 831-427-2641 admissions@springhillschool.org

www.springhillschool.org

GrowingUpSC.com | APRIL 2021

Even small changes can make a BIG difference. Triple P is a scientifically-proven, world-renowned positive parenting program available to families in Santa Cruz County. Triple P strategies address a wide range of parenting challenges by providing a toolbox of easy-to-use tips. Find a full schedule of Triple P tips and classes at triplep.first5scc.org. This program is made possible through a partnership between First 5 Santa Cruz County, Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency (MHSA – Prop 63 funds) & Santa Cruz County Human Services Department.

I n f o r m at I o n : first 5 Santa Cruz County 831.465.2217 triplep@first5scc.org • triplep.first5scc.org

Editors’ Note I don’t know what we would have done through this pandemic without having some of the greatest county parks in the world in our backyard. While our three kids have been sheltered in place, the one break they get is going outside and getting some exercise. Of course the beaches and mountains are great for the teens, but for the 5-year-old, nothing has been better than the range of our local county parks. And as parents, and even for the teens, the parks have been a real meeting place, masks and all. Some say the last place to see society as equals, after high schools, is the DMV, where everyone must suffer, rich and poor together. But the local parks are an even better place to meet people from all walks of life, more cheerfully. The main thing we have in common is love for our kids. We’ve met people from countries all over the world, ranging from millionaire CEOs to farmworkers, all watching and bonding our kids cascading down the big slides at Blue Ball Park and Ocean View parks, playing on equipment at Chanticleer Avenue and Harvey West Parks. That’s been our COVID relief and we have to pay tribute to the county parks staff, which keeps the park clean and safe. We can’t tell you how much we appreciate your work. Thanks. That said, our current issue features

articles about keeping your kids playing music, learning to swim safely, cleaning the environment, healthy eating and saving for college! A pretty wide range of family topics. We also have our first new guide to summer activities now that they are coming back. And, as always, we have a salute to a local mom and a local teacher, as well as a coloring contest that is getting more and more popular. We print the winners’ work in our weekly Friday newsletter, which you can get free at www. growingupsc.com. With Mother’s Day coming up, remember to send us your nominations for mother of the month (editor@ growingupsc.com) and teacher of the month. They will win prizes and thanks from you and from us. We’ve got our local youth artist inside and also a fun piece about what kids are most wanting to do after COVID. That one will make you smile. Next month, we’ve got a great feature about the best local beaches for families, and how some of the beaches got some crazy names. Even locals don’t know some of those stories. Thanks for reading and please send comments, love letters and advice to editor@growingupsc.com Brad Kava, Jennifer Ford and Steve Dinnen

About the Cover Cabrillo Extension is excited to welcome kids back this summer to enjoy safe, fun, and engaging summer camps. Their summer youth program team partners with local entrepreneurs and small businesses to provide inclusive and positive learning environments where kids learn new skills, make connections that will last a lifetime, and have tons of fun in the process! This summer’s camp

APRIL 2021 | Growing Up in Santa Cruz

line-up includes everything from teen baking to hands-on STEM experiences to adventures in art to active and challenging sports camps. Campers will be inspired, engaged, and will develop skills that help them succeed and grow. Join them this summer for diverse, high-quality camps to explore science & engineering; culinary; computers & technology; sports; and the arts.

PARENTING Your Baby May Have a College Savings Account Whether You Mnow It or Not… BY SUKI WESSLING

You may have received the letter and tossed it, thinking it was junk mail. You may have gotten a flyer at your baby’s birth, but who can keep track of things when there’s a new baby in the house? But in any case, if your baby was born after December 31, 2020 and you are a resident of Santa Cruz County, they qualify for up to a $50 gift towards their higher education. It’s all thanks to Santa Cruz Seeds, a partnership between Santa Cruz Community Ventures, the County, the Office of Education, and a host of other agencies that saw the potential in this simple idea. “Research shows that children who have savings for college are more likely to go to college, and more likely to graduate,” explains Maria Cadenas, Executive Director of Santa Cruz Community Ventures. The germ (or should we say seed?) of

the idea was planted four years ago, as a way to capitalize on growing research on public health. Although programs that directly target the health of families and children are very effective, research has found that knowledge has a huge effect on behavior. Just knowing that they have a college savings account primes a child to look forward to higher education. And that looking forward has a profound effect on public health. Cadenas remembers helping a mom access her baby’s account through the online portal. “The mom stopped in the middle of learning how to open the portal. She looked at her baby and she said, ‘This is for you. You don’t have to be like me’.” Maria Cadenas stresses, however, that the parents most likely to benefit from this program aren’t simply slackers. “This is a working mom who

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“Research shows that children who have savings for college are more likely to go to college, and more likely to graduate,” explains Maria Cadenas, Executive Director of Santa Cruz Community Venture.

didn’t get to college,” she explains. “This is a mom who has worked hard and is already contributing. The idea of this account gave her so much hope for her daughter.” How can you access your baby’s account? First, give them time to get it set up. Then go to the Parent Portal at SantaCruzSeeds.org. You will need the Registrant Number from your child’s birth certificate, and that’s all! All accounts will be seeded with up to $50, depending on household income. And once the account is active, families can continue to contribute. If families choose not to use the account, no problem. The money will be returned to the system once the child

ages out. And families who don’t want free money are free to opt out of the program entirely. Cadenas points out that 50% of the population of Watsonville is unbanked, and it’s pretty much impossible to save for college without a bank account. Families with means can also donate to the program, and the many agencies that support it will be watching to see the effect in years to come. For more information: Visit SantaCruzSeeds.org.

 Suki Wessling is a local writer and teacher who raised two Santa Cruz kids. Read more at www. SukiWessling.com.

SUMMER@KIRBY! It’s going to be a great summer! Join us at Kirby School for our virtual or in-person academic, arts, and athletics summer program in June and July 2021. Our staff are safety trained and excited to ignite your incoming 6th through 12th grade student’s imagination. We invite you to learn, play, and create together! Sign up to learn more about our program at: 425 Encinal Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 | kirby.org

kirby.org/summeratkirby

GrowingUpSC.com | APRIL 2021

“ BY SUKI WESSLING

Suki Wessling is a local writer and the mother of two adult children. You can read more at SukiWessling.com



Welcome back to our monthly feature of moms who have faced the task of pandemic parenting while also continuing their work in our community. Research has shown that women have suffered greater economic and personal fallout from the pandemic, losing jobs or having to work while also caring for children.

From Chilaquiles to Community Development Maria Cadenas Focuses on Love

Maria Cadenas’s 12-year-old daughter is “not a morning person,” so that’s Maria’s prime time for work. And work she does: On top of her primary job as Executive Director of Santa Cruz Community Ventures, Maria has run for office for Santa Cruz City Council and State Senate. And that’s not all. “Maria raised and distributed millions of dollars for undocumented families who were left out of federal relief programs,” says County Supervisor Ryan Coonerty. “This was essential in helping a vulnerable population survive.” During her campaigns, Maria ended up having to enlist her daughter’s help. “She became a trooper in helping put up yard signs and so patient as I took on phone calls and meetings in the evening”—the time that Maria usually sets aside for family time.

APRIL 2021 | Growing Up in Santa Cruz

“I hope it helped her see another side of civic engagement,” Maria says. “I remember there was a phone call—we were having meetings every evening. It was a tough call, and after it ended, my daughter looked at me and was like, ‘that was interesting.’ She was engaged even if she wasn’t directly part of the conversation.” Maria shares custody with her daughter’s other mom, and finds that she shares the frustrations common to most parents these days. “COVID has changed many things, but the most crucial one has been an adjustment of how to view ‘screen time,’ especially using it to keep my daughter connected to friends and using it for video playdates and staying in touch with family,” Maria says. She had to adjust her expectations further once school went online as well.

“They are building their social identities and connecting with their peers,” Maria points out. “I was like, ‘I don’t want to deprive you of the connections you’re making via technology to stay connected to school friends,’ but it was a real shift for me to learn to let it go.” In her day job, Maria is focused on making our community a better place for everyone. Community Ventures is part think tank, part community development. Maria and her agency were instrumental in creating the new Santa Cruz Seeds program that will give every child born in the county a college savings account. (See article on page 5) Maria works to reimagine how people can alter the local economy to work better for everyone. “We put money on such a pedestal—it controls what we do,” Maria says. “But people created our economy, we created money, and we have the power to change it.”

During the pandemic, Maria has made a strong focus on spending time in the kitchen with her daughter. “Her favorite dish is chilaquiles. It’s a pretty simple dish, but there’s a lot of prep, from making chips to shredding the cheese. She is my sous chef!” On Sundays, Maria says, the roles are reversed. “She wrote down the pancake recipe when she was five in this little family cookbook we have in the kitchen. On Sundays she gets out the recipe that she wrote when she was little and then I’m her sous chef!” “I feel blessed to work for an agency that nourishes my soul and helps so much in building the vision of a more equitable and welcoming tomorrow,” Maria explains. Her philosophy of life? “Everything begins from love of each other and our planet.”

If you know of a mom who has made a difference, please email us at editor@growingupsc.com

COVER STORY Cabrillo Extension Youth Program Returns Popular Youth Summer Camps Will Open for Registration April 1st

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Resuming the Cabrillo Extension Summer Youth Program is another important part of the College’s commitment to help meet the community’s needs.

This summer, Cabrillo Extension will again be offering its dynamic Summer Youth Camps program. They will continue with many successful virtual camps, and are working with instructors and local partner organizations to bring back the most popular camps for in-person on-campus learning. Current planning includes in-person camps including Cabrillo Athletics sports camps like basketball, baseball, soccer and volleyball. Kuumbwa Jazz, Seafloor Science ROV, and PlayWell TEKnologies’ LEGO Engineering are also being planned. In addition, there will be various new camps added to the lineup, including a much-requested Filmmaking camp for teens. Resuming the Cabrillo Extension Summer Youth Program is another important part of the College’s commitment to help meet the community’s needs. Over the past year, the College has been able to adapt, pivot, and respond to the pandemic on multiple fronts. Beginning with the original shelter in place order in March of 2020, Cabrillo responded within weeks by transitioning to virtual learning, and by fall of 2020, began offering safe instruction in a limited number of face-

to-face courses. During the CZU Fire crisis, Cabrillo opened the campus to the Red Cross and fire evacuees. Most recently the College has collaborated with community partners to offer COVID-19 testing and, with the County Office of Education, organized vaccines for local educators, including Cabrillo’s faculty and staff. Cabrillo Extension staff is excited to add the Summer Youth Program to the resources that Cabrillo will make available to the community. As in past summers, camps will be hands-on, content rich, and will offer our community youth the chance to explore and grow. Summer camp operations will follow current public health guidelines and with American Camp Association (ACA) guidance. Community Education Coordinator Alicia Bierson says, “The ACA has been a lighthouse in an ocean of shifting national, state, and local public health guidelines. We rely on the ACA for best practices around safety and protocols for our camps. Now, more than ever, their guidance has allowed us to develop fun, engaging camps, while ensuring the health and safety of our campers.” Bierson says that their camp schedule will be regularly updated to reflect any

changes in the public health guidelines that may allow them to offer more camps. She encouraged parents to keep an eye on the Extension website for updates, to review their health and safety protocols, and to get more information about the exciting summer camp options. Julia Clancy-Smith is eager to register her grandson this coming summer. "In 2019, our grandson, age 10, enrolled in a large number of the Cabrillo Extension camps. He played soccer and tried out for water polo for the first time. We let him choose whatever weekly activities he wanted. All of them were wonderful and engaging thanks to the marvelous staff and teachers. When in August came and it was time to return to the regular classroom, our grandson didn't want camp to end! But he was very well prepared for fifth grade because of his Cabrillo experience." Along with the planned in-person camps, Extension will also continue their successful virtual offerings for youth that were developed in 2019 and

2020. Expect to see camps in culinary, LEGO engineering, video game design, and much more brought straight to your home in summer 2021. “We’ve learned a lot since last summer,” says Bierson. “Virtual camps have safely connected kids to one another, and to the best possible instructors, without the constraints of a physical location. I’ve watched friendships form over the last year that would not have been possible without our virtual camps.” Talking about her experience in the virtual youth culinary classes Karolina, age 13, was enthusiastic. "The online classes have been different, but my instructors Melody and Stephany have made it really fun doing it through Zoom. I always look forward to seeing familiar faces and hope to keep taking these classes!" Registration for the Cabrillo Summer Youth Program virtual camps will open on April 1. Look for updated information about in-person camps on May 1st. For more information, and online registration, go to: cabrillo.edu/extension

GrowingUpSC.com | APRIL 2021

INSIDE EDUCATION Cooking and Racial Justice Every year, the Santa Cruz County Office of Education welcomes a diverse group of locals—businesspeople, educators, government employees—to come together monthly and learn about education in Santa Cruz County. The program serves as a bridge between public education and the wider community, promoting understanding and connections to benefit both sides.

This month’s Inside Education started with an important subject for parents to hear: the hot topic of “learning loss.” Debi Bodenheimer, Associate Superintendent of the County Office of Education, and teacher Stephanie Sumarna presented an important message about reframing this debate: • • •

•

It has been a challenging year for all students The COE has done its best to keep stability as a priority Some students are thriving in distance learning, and the COE plans to integrate more flexibility into public education in response to this finding The COE is using an “assets-based” model rather than focusing on “loss”

Schools will be resuming CAASPP assessments with a focus on meeting

APRIL 2021 | Growing Up in Santa Cruz

students “where they’re at” in the next school year. Culinary Arts instructor Chef Andrea Mollenauer did a wonderful presentation that tied in well with this attitude of meeting students “where they’re at.” She said that instead of bemoaning the loss of hands-on learning at the start of the pandemic, she got to work. She hauled a commercial prep table up the stairs of her Victorian and got to work helping her students integrate cooking and health into their home lives. Cabrillo instructors Nikia Chaney and Raina Chelise presented on the college’s Amplify podcast project, which promotes the voices of Cabrillo students of color and focuses on racial justice. “Our students of color don’t feel like they belong on our campus,” explains Chelsie. “It’s not necessarily a space that would celebrate cultural diversity.” The podcast hopes to create a more inclusive atmosphere for all. Hayley Mears of the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership presented information about a new career website aimed at local high school and college students, MBCareerConnect.org. The site has tools for students to assess their interests, learn about careers, and even

Chef Andrea setting up a home kitchen for Zoom calls and instruction videos. Selfie: Andrea Mollenauer build resumes. Finally, Rachel Kippen, Executive Director of O’Neill Sea Odyssey, showed how the program has not only risen to the challenge of providing distance education during the pandemic, but

has reached thousands more students than usual through virtual assemblies. Although the staff is eager to get back out on the water, they feel that the pandemic has challenged them to learn new skills in reaching their target audience.

Are you a community member who would be interested in getting an in-depth look at our local education system? Contact Les Forster at lforster@santacruzcoe.org to join Inside Education’s next round.

TEACHER'S DESK The Scare BY LISA CATTERALL It’s that we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and it’s showing us how very, very dark the tunnel has been. – Kate McKinnon I began class yesterday swinging a perfectly balanced, forged metal axe into the top of a thick cut of firewood. I was wearing hot pink Minnie Mouse footsie pajamas and singing at the top of my lungs, and my teenager was holding up a Zoom camera, streaming it all live. I was going completely insane, on record. It all made sense, in my mind. My engineering class needed a demonstration of a simple machine, and I had carefully stacked a pile of logs on campus for them, so they could try out the mechanical advantage of a wedge, while the class watched in masks, from a distance, and the machine was meticulously disinfected between students. Then we were going to take a socially distanced field trip, which means a walk, to the campus machine shop to look at a powered way to make lumber. Perfect lesson plan, perfect segue into energy transfer. Then I was going to hand out home lab kits as we knew we would be learning remote for quarantine after a winter vacation next week. The home lab kits were not ready yet.

“You do have our kits?” a student asked. “We don’t need to worry. We have a week.” An hour later at home, I was happily thinking about the wood chopping fun we were going to have the next time we met, and the pajamas I was going to wear for spirit week, when my son came out of his room. His best friend tested positive. We weren’t going back. “Well, this is just the world we live in, for the next year at least,” said my aunt when I told her. She is seventy and in our “pod,” and was first on my list when it came to letting our contacts know we might have been exposed. Pod, pivot, HyFlex, Zoom, remote, asynchronous, exposure, contact… could someone have at least taught us the vocabulary, a year ago? I did not know what to panic about first. I think I may have PTSD from wiping down my groceries every day last spring, or from watching White House briefings, or from well, just HIDING from the world for a year. I don’t know what to feel anymore. This was the moment we had dreaded for a year. Should I freak out about my partner and I lying in hospital beds next week, leaving five kids to figure out how to cook? Should I even think about my teenager, who has asthma, and that his lungs came near those microscopic floating spike balls of destruction at some point this week? I thought about all of it. I thought about it as I made the

test appointments; I thought about it as I put on a mask so I could be around my kids. I thought about it as I hyperanalyzed every single sensation my body experienced, wondering if that was the beginning. The test results took three days to arrive, and I admit, I ugly-cried it out at least twice. The idea that a good friend and his family were in the unknowable zone of “one member positive… no symptoms… yet…” was plenty, all else aside. How do we all handle it? How do we handle anything? I had to go on, “momming,” teaching, cleaning, cooking. The world doesn’t stop because we fall apart inside. Either I was going to melt in a puddle and stay there, saturated with the mere impossibility of life with COVID, or figure out a way to chop wood over Zoom. Something in me just decided to well, flex. Flex the muscle of resiliency. Flex 48 years of living through life. Flex to a new way of teaching all over again. Who cares if I’m talking to myself when I teach high school, and mostly controlling the excitement of cat appearances in elementary…keeping filters and chat rooms appropriate with middle school. So what? The part of teaching that is a full-spirited show of passion for what is taught was going to go on, darn it. Through everything. And, it felt really good to chop some wood.

 Lisa Catterall teaches STEAM, math, science, and art at Mount Madonna School and is a senior associate of the Centers for Research on Creativity. She lectures and trains teachers and administrators on innovation in education in Beijing, China. Lisa has five children and lives in Santa Cruz County.

GrowingUpSC.com | APRIL 2021

BIRTH MATTERS Growth Spurt? BY LAURA MAXSON, LM Once breastfeeding is established, most parents breathe a big sigh of relief. Got this! Then one day, the baby is suddenly inconsolable and wants to nurse all day and all night, too. A quick check for anything obviously wrong most often finds no fever or symptoms other than a baby who wants to be at the breast constantly. Before hitting the panic button (is it colic, reflux?), it’s good to remember the supply and demand basics of milk production. Milk supply is based on milk removal. Baby is diligently doing its part to create more milk by putting in extra sucking time. Continuing to nurse on a seemingly empty breast signals the body to make more milk. Parents unaware of what a growth spurt might look like might respond by troubleshooting the fussy baby instead of the milk supply. A tired, frustrated parent may reach for a pacifier and some extra soothing techniques instead of one more nursing session. Babies generally respond well to this, but at what price? A pacifier or a handy pinky finger, often used to calm a fussy baby, can short circuit the “make more milk” message the baby is trying to send. If the majority of extra sucking isn’t at the breast, the milk

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supply will slowly diminish, fussiness increases, and this can be the beginning of the end of breastfeeding for many. These growth spurts or “frequency days” are common, often beginning in the first week, then occurring every week or two for the first few months, and randomly every few weeks to months after that. A lactation specialist can be vital in resolving sucking or positioning issues that might interfere with milk removal in the early days. Generally, as long as baby can get those extra feeds in, a normal milk supply will catch up with baby’s increased demand within a day or two. As baby gets older, a series of neglected frequency days can be a cause for an unexpected dip in supply. Older babies can become easily distracted and cut nursing sessions too short. Those learning to roll over or crawl can get so busy practicing, they forget to nurse much during the day at all. When coupled with “sleep training” techniques that limit nighttime nursing, it’s easy to see how an established milk supply can suddenly tank. Resolving an unexpected dip in an established milk supply includes recognizing frequency days, decreasing

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Resolving an unexpected dip in an established milk supply includes recognizing frequency days, decreasing pacifier use, increasing nighttime nursing opportunities, and possibly temporary breast pump use to help build the supply..

pacifier use, increasing nighttime nursing opportunities, and possibly temporary breast pump use to help build the supply. However, a baby who is not gaining well is often simply prescribed supplementation with an ounce or two of formula after each feeding without an accompanying plan to find the root cause and increase the milk supply. With no effort to build up the milk production, supplements will slowly increase as the milk supply decreases. It can be devastating to not be able to provide baby with a full milk supply. Unfortunately, not everyone’s experiences fit the typical cause-andeffect situations mentioned above, and there are many more complicated reasons for a dip in milk supply that doesn’t recover. After weeks or months of trying everything, it becomes clear in hindsight that the milk supply is not responding. There are many different ways parents ride this out. Some will simply switch gears and move to formula. Others may

Virtual Meet the Doulas Learn about how doulas support families through the birth and postpartum experience during our current COVID19 situation.

Don’t miss out on local stories, activities, and events!

Preregister to join our FREE LIVE ZOOM EVENT: BirthNetSantaCruz.EventBrite.com

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Camp GatewaY Gateway

Mini-maker Stations, Field Games, Gym Play, Crafting Corner, Science Sleuths,and much more! Registration starts on April 15. gatewaysc.org/campgateway 2 week sessions starting July 12 through August 20 from 9:00am-3:00pm

APRIL 2021 | Growing Up in Santa Cruz

Local Lactation Support – BirthNet.org WIC - 831-722-7121 Sutter Lactation - 831-477-2229 Dominican Lactation (831) 462-7862

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Saturday, May 15, 4pm

Unplug and Engage at Camp Gateway!

continue feeding the baby at the breast using a nursing supplementer to provide formula or pumped/donated milk at the breast. Some babies are happy to feed at the breast and be topped off with a bottle, where other babies will opt to stop at the breast but happily take any amount of pumped milk from a bottle. There are lots of ways to feed a baby; finding the solution that works for each family is the goal. Understanding the ins and outs of breastfeeding takes time and exposure to others who are nursing. Taking a class before baby arrives is helpful, but continuing to learn, observe, and share about breastfeeding is vital to success. This has been hard to do during the pandemic but opportunities for support are opening up with more virtual and in-person availability.

NOW ENROLLING Private Lessons and Swim Babies

Find out more at asudoit.com 303 Potrero St #15 • Santa Cruz 831-458-3648 • asudoit.com

LOCAL NEWS Dealing with Godzilla BY JIM BOOTH, OWNER, JIM BOOTH SWIM SCHOOL

We teach kids swimming and we believe we’ve got a pretty great program. But, included in our swim teacher training is the concept that we have to be open to change, we have to be adaptable. I say to them in our meetings, “What would we do if Godzilla shows up someday? Would we go on as usual? Well, in February 2020 Godzilla showed up. At least the buildings are still standing, but for a small service businesses like our swim school the creature was about to rip up the foundation of our existence. One cannot, after all, do online swim classes.

NO WATER, NO SWIMMING. WHAT DID WE DO? HOW DID WE ADAPT?

At our pool we have always sanitized and often provided sanitizer. Now we upped the game, we removed some seating and put more space between people and increased our own cleaning schedule. I’ve always worried about infection but this was a whole new monster and we didn’t yet no it’s behavior. Signage was paramount. Of course our swim families want to stay safe so we keep in mind to be positive and supportive in our signs. We suggested the parents may want to drop the children off with the teacher and then remain in their car till it was time to pick them up. We met with all of our teachers to support them in communication with the parents, always emphasizing that we are not experts on virology. The teachers were great and enthusiastic in meeting with the families and explaining the situation to them When we had to shut down completely we talked to every family and let them

know what we would try to do. All of them had credits for future lessons, we just didn’t know when that would be. Our office manager April, made sure that all credits were recorded in their files. We talked to every swim teacher and shared what we knew about filing for unemployment. Some needed help walking through the process so we provided it. We reopened in August and families got the lessons we owed them and almost all of them continued as usual with their swim classes But we had to make some big changes. Changes to our fundamental philosophy and procedures. The mandated protocol required that we teach our students one on one after 45 years of doing groups. Arrows marked on the pool deck directed parents where to drop kids off and pick them up. No more showers or visiting together. For the teachers this was a huge sacrifice: some had worked 30 or more hours a week, now, the maximum was eight hours a week. Everyone went on as best they could. Then there were the fires. Huge, raging fires. The pools looked more like barbecue pits and pools. Ashes on the deck in in the water. All had to be cleaned before we could re-open again There comes a point for all small businesses where the financial burden begins to sink them. Owners are proud to pay their employees and will make payroll even without a check for themselves. Maybe some people don’t realize that when someone starts a business it’s their baby: it starts small, hopefully grows and stays healthy. The

owners biggest desire is to keep it alive. We’ve seen that here in our community businesses we’ve loved and places we’ve stopped in our daily routine are now disappearing. Some businesses will now close because their baby boomer owners are in their late 60s, some because they wilted and died without business coming in. But, our business will be back. We’re lucky we weren’t buried under huge rents and other costs. Yes, we just received PPP, paycheck protection program money and that will help guarantee that our teachers get a check until we’re in the black again.

NOWN

I am personally lucky to have an operations manager like Ashlyn who kept the team together, who remembers the details and never loses sight of our mission which is that we teach people to swim. It looks like Godzilla will move into the background now and let us move on. I’m especially grateful to all the parents who have been calling, sometimes many calls a day, ready and anxious to get their kids back in the swimming pool. We’re here we’re ready. Let’s move on together.

for kids ages crawling ~ 8 years

E P O ! All classes Fitness, Food, & Fun Camps Tues/Thurs 9-12noon (1pm extended stay) June 8th-Aug 12th

Open Gyms Tues & Sat (w/ reservation) Inchworm Classes for Crawlers & Early Walkers

Bee Smart Learning Pods Fridays: 12:15 to 3:15pm

Health and Safety standards always a priority! junebugs gym gymnastics

junebugsgym

Check our Website for Details Call us to register or for more information!

831-464-BUGS (2847) www.junebugsgym.com

3910 Portola Drive, Suites 2 & 3 • Santa Cruz, CA 95062

GrowingUpSC.com | APRIL 2021

THURSDAY 1 April Fools’ Day Major League Baseball Opening Day

FRIDAY 2

at the Wrigley! Featuring LOCAL art, handmade & vintage shopping + Food trucks & pop-ups and LIVE MUSIC...all outdoors at the Old Wrigley Parking Lot on Mission. Eggstraordinary Easter Weekend at Roaring Camp After riding either the Redwood Forest Steam Train or the Santa Cruz Beach Train, your kids will have a blast participating in Easter activities in Town. RoaringCamp.com/events

MONDAY 5 National Deep Dish Pizza Day

TUESDAY 6

National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day This combo is just about the best thing since sliced bread, even though technically it’s been around a few years longer. Peanut butter debuted at the 1883 Chicago World’s Fair. It was mainly sold in fancy tea rooms until the early 1900s, when the peanut industry commercialized and peanut butter became more affordable for everyone.

WEDNESDAY 7

SATURDAY 3 JuneBug's Saturday Open Gym 9-12:00 To guarantee a spot, please call 831-4642847 Come explore our fun-filled gym in a supervised setting-Zipline, trampolines and more! For ages walking - 8 years Eggstraordinary Easter Weekend at Roaring Camp The Easter Bunny makes a stop at Roaring Camp. After riding either the Redwood Forest Steam Train or the Santa Cruz Beach Train, your kids will have a blast participating in Easter activities in Town. RoaringCamp.com/events National Find a Rainbow Day

APRIL 2021 | Growing Up in Santa Cruz

us, and be our biggest motivators and competitors. It’s now growing into a nationwide day of both remembrance and celebration.

SUNDAY 11 Seymour Center Labside Science Chat Marine Mammals with Luis Huckstadt PhD of UCSC National Pet Day

MONDAY 12 National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day

TUESDAY 13 Tumble on Tuesday at JuneBug's Gym 12-2:00: To guarantee a spot, please call 831-464-2847. Come explore our funfilled gym in a supervised setting-Zipline, trampolines and more! For ages walking8years

WEDNESDAY 14 Wednesday Night Sailboat Races, 6:30 pm – 8 pm Santa Cruz Harbor, Wednesday Night Sailboat Races begin in April and run through fall ending in October.

World Health Day This year’s World Health Day will shine a light on nurses and midwives, the on-the-call, restless workforce that revolutionized the healthcare industry as we know it today.

THURSDAY 8 National Empanada Day

FRIDAY 9 Tea with Teachers 7 pm - 8 pm, a panel discussion with Mount Madonna School middle and high school teachers. Enjoy a cup of tea and join this Zoom discussion to hear from teachers about the school program. RSVP to admissions@ mountmadonnaschool.org for the Zoom link.

SUNDAY 4 Easter Easter at Gospel Community Church Join us for Easter as we safely gather outside to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus through worship, Scripture, and teaching! Free lunch after service plus an Easter Egg Hunt for ages toddler-elementary. www. gospelcommunitysc.org Westside Marketplace Shop Local at the NEW Westside Marketplace! 1st Sundays

Gateway Tours by Appointment 9:15am-2:15pm. Gateway School, 255 Swift Street Come and learn how Gateway School inspires curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking through innovative education for a fast-changing world. You’ll have the opportunity to see the health and safety protocols of our facilities while also learning more about our curriculum. Visit www.gatewaysc.org to make an appointment for a personalized, individual tour of our campus. Tea with Teachers, a panel discussion with MMS middle and high school teachers, 7-8pm. Enjoy a cup of tea and join this Zoom discussion to hear from MMS teachers about the middle and high school program. RSVP to admissionsl@mountmadonnaschool.org for the Zoom link. Wednesday Night Sailboat Races, 6:30 pm – 8 pm Santa Cruz Harbor, Wednesday Night Sailboat Races begin in April and run through fall ending in October. Harbor restaurants & the beach are great viewing areas to watch the sailboat races against the setting sun.

Rockin' Pop-Up (Virtual) 3-3:30 p.m. Geologists Gavin and Graham help us dig deep into geology with these monthly rock-talks! Watch live on Facebook to ask questions — or go back and watch past episodes at santacruzmuseum.org/ category/rockin-pop-up/. Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, 831.420.6115

SATURDAY 10 JuneBug's Saturday Open Gym 9-12:00 To guarantee a spot, please call 831-4642847 Come explore our fun-filled gym in a supervised setting-Zipline, trampolines and more! For ages walking - 8 years National Siblings Day Our siblings encourage us to be our best, embarrass

National Gardening Day With National Gardening Day arriving during Spring, it’s a great chance for you to warm up your green fingers and get planting and preparing for the summer. Our gardens are a unique space, use this day to get out there and make the most of them.

THURSDAY 15 Sustainable Development: The Climate-Energy-Equity Nexus, 7pm8pm Part three of the Mount Madonna School (MMS) public speaker series based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This lecture will feature MMS alumnus and Stanford University professor, Dr. Noah Diffenbaugh, Ph.D., and focus on the complex climate challenges posed by the substantial benefits of energy consumption.

APRIL CELEBRATIONS FRIDAY 16

MONDAY 19

SATURDAY 24

TUESDAY 27

National Librarian Day

National Garlic Day

SATURDAY 17

TUESDAY 20

Saturdays in the Soil (Outdoors) 10 a.m. to noon It’s time to get your hands dirty! Join us for our monthly volunteer program in our native plant garden. Learn about native plants and sustainable gardening while coming together as a community (in a physically distanced manner!) to steward Tyrrell Park through the City’s Adopt-A-Park program. Space is limited and RSVPs are required. Email volunteer@ santacruzmuseum.org to express interest. Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, 831.420.6115 JuneBug's Saturday Open Gym 9-12:00 To guarantee a spot, please call 831-4642847 Come explore our fun-filled gym in a supervised setting-Zipline, trampolines and more! For ages walking - 8 years Spring Glass Art Show 10am -5pm, Our annual offering to welcome in spring is our Spring Glass Show at the Live Oak Grange. Come and shop for beautiful hand made glass from our Davenport studio, including jewel-toned pulled flowers, cups and bowls (to hold your favorite spring tonics and fresh strawberries!), glass hearts, English wine goblets, vases (for spring flowers!), paperweights, glass eggs, and of course pumpkins (appropriate any time of the year).

Tumble on Tuesday at JuneBug's Gym 12-2:00: To guarantee a spot, please call 831-464-2847. Come explore our funfilled gym in a supervised setting-Zipline, trampolines and more! For ages walking8years National Look-Alike Day

Out and About (Outdoors) 10 a.m. to noon This new monthly series of familyfriendly, small group get-togethers welcomes you to safely explore Santa Cruz’s diverse natural spaces. This month we'll explore the Indigenous history of Aulinta (now Santa Cruz) through native plants, traditional tools, and oral tradition. Registration is required: santacruzmuseum.org/4-24-outand-about-birding-at-neary-lagoon/. Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, 831.420.6115 JuneBug's Saturday Open Gym 9-12:00 To guarantee a spot, please call 831-4642847 Come explore our fun-filled gym in a supervised setting-Zipline, trampolines and more! For ages walking - 8 years Omega Nu’s 31st Annual Ducky Derby Ducky Derby will be held virtually this year and there will be multiple virtual races and lots of amazing prizes! Adopt a duck and cheer it on as you watch the races online. Please help Omega Nu continue our long-standing tradition of supporting vitally needed community programs, charities, college scholarships, and teacher grants for classroom materials. Go to DuckyDerbySantaCruz.org and join in the fun! Adopt a duck for a chance to win prizes while supporting your community National Pigs in a Blanket Day

Tumble on Tuesday at JuneBug's Gym 12-2:00: To guarantee a spot, please call 831-464-2847. Come explore our funfilled gym in a supervised setting-Zipline, trampolines and more! For ages walking8years

WEDNESDAY 21

WEDNESDAY 28 Wednesday Night Sailboat Races, 6:30 pm – 8 pm Santa Cruz Harbor, Wednesday Night Sailboat Races begin in April and run through fall ending in October. International Guide Dog Day

SUNDAY 25 Seymour Center Labside Science Chat Fish Evolution with Suzanne Alonzo PhD UCSC Wednesday Night Sailboat Races, 6:30 pm – 8 pm Santa Cruz Harbor, Wednesday Night Sailboat Races begin in April and run through fall ending in October.

MONDAY 26

Parenting Workshop Series 3pm,This is free series of workshops to support parents during these difficult times. There will be a Kids Zoom Hour run at the same time so that you can attend to the workshop. Each Kids Hour will be sponsored by a different organization, such as The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Santa Cruz Children’s Discovery Museum, and Santa Cruz Public Library. Administrative Professionals Day National Tea Day International Bat Appreciation Day Bat Conservation International (BCI) was founded in 1982 by a group of concerned scientists who recognized the importance of protecting bats. Bats contribute towards controlling pests, create rich fertilizer for landowners, and pollinate fruit and flowers. BCI aims to conserve bats and their habitats through a combination of education, conservation, and research.

SUNDAY 18 Downtown Santa Cruz Makers Market 10am - 5pm, Come on out and support local makers and artists at the Downtown Santa Cruz Makers Market every THIRD Sunday of the month on Pacific Ave at Lincoln St! National Animal Crackers Day

THURSDAY 29 International Dance Day

FRIDAY 30 National Arbor Day

THURSDAY 22 Earth Day FishWise: Sustaining Ocean Ecosystems and the People Who Depend on Them 7pm-8pm Part four of the Mount Madonna School (MMS) public speaker series based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This lecture will feature MMS alumnus and FishWise CEP Tobias Aguirre, and focus on seafood supply chains and how a local nonprofit can have global impact.

FRIDAY 23 National Picnic Day

Stop Food Waste Day Stop Food Waste day on April 28 aims to teach people ways to reduce food wastage. It’s crazy to think that around a third of the food produced on Earth goes to waste — either it’s lost or goes bad! This day aims to raise awareness of this shocking statistic. While so many on Earth go hungry, the issue of food waste is only growing.

National Pretzel Day Pretzels, somewhat surprisingly, got their start in the Catholic Church. Sometime around the 7th Century A.D., monks presented their students with treats of baked dough twisted in the shape of crossed arms. At the time, crossing one’s arms was the traditional posture for prayer. Not only that, but pretzels, made from water, flour and salt, were also the perfect food for Lent — when meat, dairy and eggs were prohibited. So there you have some National Pretzel Day history — with a twist!

GUiSC will attempt to update the calendar listings as needed; however, it is the responsibility of the organization listed to provide updated information. GUiSC assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Readers are encouraged to check the accuracy of the information provided. Events that are free or cost less than $10 can be submitted for inclusion in the calendar. GUiSC does not guarantee that a submitted event will automatically be included. Preference is given for events of interest to children and/or parents. Calendar entries must be received by the 15th of the month prior to the month of the event. Calendar entries and photos will be selected by the Calendar Editor. Please email christy@growingupsc.com.

GrowingUpSC.com | APRIL 2021

“ BY ETHOS SANTA CRUZ

Earth Day is the perfect time to set your earthloving resolutions for the year! It’s like New Years Day for citizens of the earth when we set our actionable goals and envision sustainable steps forward in our climate-conscious lives.

 Ethos is a low-waste living shop and refillery located in Santa Cruz, California. Our mission is to serve our community as a resource for the building of more ethical and sustainable habits into our everyday lives. Located in Capitola Village on the corner of Capitola Ave and Monterey EthosSantaCruz.com Follow us on Instagram @ethossantacruz

It’s Time to Set Your Earth Day Resolutions! So, it’s Earth Day, and you’re wondering how to use your powers for the good of Mama Earth, not just today but every day of the year. Consider this your call to action to get your hands dirty in protecting the environment. Earth Day is the perfect time to set your earth-loving resolutions for the year! It’s like New Years Day for citizens of the earth when we set our actionable goals and envision sustainable steps forward in our climate-conscious lives. There’s some mighty power behind Earth Day and the advocacy it sparks. So far, we’ve seen the passage of monumental environmental laws in the U.S., including the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. And since the ’70s, millions of Americans have mobilized each year on Earth Day, and this movement has snowballed into

the planet’s largest civic event. We all do our gosh darn best to support the protection of our environment and our community by building more ethical and sustainable habits into our everyday lives. Sadly, many of the giants we fight stay strong in their nasty habits and disingenuous corporate promises to reduce environmental impacts without enough momentum. As Denis Hayes, Earth Day Founder put it, “Despite that amazing success and decades of environmental progress, we find ourselves facing an even more dire, almost existential, set of global environmental challenges, from loss of biodiversity to climate change to plastic pollution, that call for action at all levels of government.” “SO TELL US, How do we get involved locally on Earth Day and every day ?” Okay, okay, no dilly-dallying, here we go:

Sign the Plastic Free President petition to urge

President Biden to take major action in the first year in office, in addition to the ten steps proposed by #ClimatePresident. Join the monthly “Love Your Mother” letterwriting campaign hosted by Ethos Santa Cruz (@ ethossantacruz) and Klara (@sustainability.student) on Instagram Live on the last Thursday of every month at 6:30 p.m. PST. Participate in a beach cleanup on your own or through the Save Our Shores Marine Debris app. Listen to planet-wise podcasts like “How to Save the Planet” with journalist Alex Blumberg and scientist and policy nerd Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. Choose bike or foot over car where possible. Every time you make this choice, you reduce your carbon footprint. Read a revolutionary environmental book from the Ethos Lending Library, Santa Cruz Library, or your local bookstore. Watch an interesting and educational documentary, like this one, “A Plastic Ocean,” “The Blue Film,” and “The Story of Stuff,” or sit down with a familyfriendly film with environmental themes such as “Princess Mononoke.” Donate to an environmental organization like Plastic Pollution Coalition to help work toward a world free of plastic pollution and its toxic impact on humans, animals, waterways, the ocean, and the environment. Remember, you vote with your wallets, and the choices you make for yourself with friends and family affect the way they see the world. Join us in finding ways big and small to make a positive impact. Go forth, sweet climate caretakers!

APRIL 2021 | Growing Up in Santa Cruz

LOCAL NEWS Students Helping the Environment

In its fourth year, Kirby School’s Community Involvement program faced a big challenge: how to help the community when you are restricted from being around people by a pandemic. In the past, students spent a combined 1,000 hours with various service organizations. This year, they spent three days and thousands of work hours helping the environment, as well as organizations, safely distanced. “COVID-19 has touched every

community in the nation and around the world,” said Christy Hutton, the Head of School. “On a very personal level, every student knows this, because they have felt the impact on their lives or their family or their friend’s lives. Refocusing attention on the needs of our wider community, students look beyond personal challenges, and reconnect with one another and rediscover their own capacity. They find purpose through action, which is an act of empowerment.

These are the times that inspire young minds to do great things.” Partner organizations focus on a broad range of important issues and include Santa Cruz SPCA, Second Harvest Food Bank, Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Reserve, and the Homeless Garden Project . In addition, students undertook service projects on or around campus such as removing invasive species from the Pogonip which is directly behind the Kirby campus.

“During the time of Covid, when community seems so hard to find, Kirby has given students the opportunity to come together and not only work collectively to help themselves, but to help others as well. To me, community involvement means actively working to better the places and people around you which in turn creates a fulfilling feeling that is hard to beat.” said Juliet McKinney, 11th grade student at Kirby School.

FUN IS BACK!

Summer Registration Begins ONLINE May 1

GrowingUpSC.com | APRIL 2021

BY JEANETTE PRATHER

 Jeanette got her BA in journalism, French, international studies, and dance at Cal State, Long Beach circa 2007. Since then, she has published thousands of articles and blogs from zines to dailies to traditional glossies, as well as four books, and six musicals. She runs a local business, Stellaria Creative Company, and resides in Santa Cruz with her husband and two children.

Yes Virginia, There will be Camps! As things open back up and promise for better days, summer camp facilities and institutions are scrambling to reopen safely after one year of silence or minimalism for most of them. “UCSC canceled everything last spring, and we tried to wait as long as we could, but since we’re dictated by the university, we had to follow suit,” commented Rusty Kingon, boating supervisor at UCSC Community Boating Center. “We’ve opened up mid-March after being closed for one year.” Director and owner of Four Points Youth Camp, Kasey Lindemann, had the misfortune of forecasting the launch of her new summer camp programs during summer of 2020. “Four Points is a brand new day camp and this will be our first year of operation. We were supposed to open last year but I cancelled because of the pandemic,” confirmed Lindemann. “I did end up changing a lot of the program to allow for social distancing.” “Cougar Swim School is hopeful and currently planning to have summer camps and swimming lessons this summer,” said Kurt Edwards, owner and instructor at Cougar Swim School. “The pool on the San Lorenzo Valley High School Campus has been under renovations and should be finished in April. Once everything is completed, the school district will determine when the pool will be reopened and what types of programs will be offered. “I realize that progress is being made and restrictions are being relaxed, but safety and health is foremost in the District’s mind as well as Cougar Swim School’s,” said Edwards. Another organization coming out of hibernation is the Santa Cruz SPCA. “We did not do a live camp last year, but we did a virtual 6-week camp,” said Brenna Ewing, manager of humane education and volunteer programs at the Santa Cruz SPCA. “It went well, but we can’t wait to get back in-person.” These institutions will be opening their doors, one for the first time and the other three for the first time, inperson, for one year. All of them agree that implementing the hopefully-bysummer lessened County restrictions is prudent, and they will be adjusting programming accordingly. “We have a community room in our new shelter that is big enough to safely social distance,” said Ewing, who referenced constant enforcement of

APRIL 2021 | Growing Up in Santa Cruz

sanitizing protocols, pre- and during the pandemic, as well as newly individualized kits for students, masks, temperature checks, and a waiver, to name a few. “Will be working with the animals, who are super low risk. We haven’t had an animal with COVID this whole year and we’re confident the risk isn’t viable; however, we’re maintaining our already stringent hand washing and sanitizing.” “We have many guidelines in place to keep our campers and staff safe this summer,” added Lindemann. She mentioned consistent mask wearing, social distancing, temperature checks, stringent equipment sanitization, and hand washing as a few of the required protocols her camp will follow. “Being outdoors adds another layer of protection against COVID-19,” she said of holding the summer camps at Orchard School in Aptos Kingon, from the 30-year-old UCSC Community Boating program, mentioned that their team submitted a blueprint for reopening that included person and equipment sanitizing, masking, and distancing for the parents, students, and community. “We’ll be socially distanced, wearing masks – even on the boats, but not during capsizing drills – implementing strict cleaning policies, and putting hand sanitizers everywhere,” confirmed Kingon. “We’ll probably have people stick together on a sailing pod to try and limit a lot of the cross-over contact.” More information, including available scholarships to families in need, is available at Recreation.ucsc.edu/boating/index.html (please note that you may need to contact staff directly to access the scholarship). Then there are the other organizations that have been in operation at some capacity during the pandemic but may be reopening to more students and/or more opportunities. “We are offering a swim team, water aerobics three times per week,private, and semi-private classes beginning April 5,” said Donna Smith, manager of SLV Swim Center. “We’re hoping to add group lessons in June.” Smith added that, because her facility is smaller, she was able to accommodate less people during the pandemic. “We are a smaller facility and COVID-19 rules were not hard to implement,” said Smith. “Our instructors wear a clear mask in the pool, practice social distancing, and require masks to be worn outside of pool.”

Be Natural Music is hoping to extend its camp. “We’ll be offering summer camps the second half of June and possibly another one in July,” said Matt Pinck, the music director at Be Natural Music. “Beginning last June, we got everybody in person by taking their temperature, mandating masks, putting shields between everybody, spreading out band so nobody was within six feet of one another, putting a Hepa filter in every room, wiping things down, etc.,” confirmed Pinck. “We’ve had zero incidents since opening up, so we’re pretty stoked. We’ll be implementing the same procedures for summer camps.” The Santa Cruz Natural History Museum will be jumping on the summer camp bandwagon again this year with their campers spending most of their time outdoors, but also benefiting with exclusive access to the Museum. “Last

year, we were nervous about camp at first, but the kids are amazing, and I have been blown away by their resilience and flexibility,” said executive director, Felicia Van Stolk. “I especially love hearing little ones learning how to be gracious, to articulate their own boundaries, and to respect each other’s boundaries in such beautiful ways.” The Museum will be opening for members on April 10 and is hoping that its upcoming one-week spring camp will be a good preview for their summer camp. Even though some organizations don’t know when they’ll post information on their summer camp offerings, most institutions remain hopeful that they will have summer camp success. Not to mention the increasing demand from local parents and restless children, especially for camps as popular as the Santa Cruz Junior Lifeguards. “We are offering four, two-week sessions starting

“

As things open back up and promise for better days, summer camp facilities and institutions are scrambling to reopen safely after one year of silence or minimalism for most of them.

on June 14,” confirmed Daniel LawsonThomas, Recreation Supervisor of Sports & Beaches for the City of Santa Cruz. “We don’t have our summer camps outlined yet because we’re really focusing on our swim lessons right now and they’re taking up a lot of time,” said Emily Zimmel, owner and operator at Adventure Sports. “In the past we’ve done scuba camps for eight through ten-year-olds, and a snorkel camp for five through eight-year-olds. I’d also like to see our beach camp happen this year as well.” Zimmel mentioned that the beach camp offering was new and pitched to her by a former Junior Guard, although they’re not certain it will get off the ground this year. All of these institutions are toiling away behind the scenes and eager to welcome campers back into their spaces with safety and precaution on the mind. “It’s going to be a work in progress, and we’ll have to modify as we go along,” said Kingon of UCSC Community Boating Center, “but after taking last year off, we’re ready to go.”

Kids and parents need a break, camp owners said. “I’ve had several parents say many times, ‘Thank you so much for staying in business because it was the only form of normalcy that my kids had last year,’” said Pinck, Be Natural Music owner. “When we got to do in-person it became even more of a normality for them. We are lucky to be small enough to have been open during that time.” Another Santa Cruz hopeful, the SPCA, says that they’ve really missed the kids and are thrilled to have them in the space again. “We like having kids in the space and they really help with the care of the animals by taking them out and giving them enrichment,” said manager of humane education and volunteer programs, Ewing. “It’s a win-win for them and the animals.” “The fresh air and space are good for [campers’] hearts and their health,” said Natural History Museum director, Van Stolk. “In the end, they make friends and set up playdates just like always - COVID is no match for camp friendship and bonding!”

GrowingUpSC.com | APRIL 2021

Creating a more peaceful world through education. Four Weeks of Learning & Fun June 18 - July 16, 2021 Chartwell’s Summer CORE Program is academically focused and open to any student who would beneﬁt from specialized instruction or wants to maintain progress achieved over the preceding academic year. Morning CORE Program Afternoon Reading Clinic Afternoon Workshops and Clubs Online and On Campus Options

Summer Camps 2021 Applications Due May 8th Highly specialized summer camps for students ages 5-young adult with social learning differences. Visit www.growingsocial.org for Summer Application and details or call (408) 806-4603 for more information 18

Social APRIL 2021 | Expanded Growing Up in Santa Cruz Vocational Camps for older teens and young adults

EXTREMELY SPORTS Santa Cruz Surf Contest PHOTO STORY BY KEVIN PAINCHAUD

High school kids from Aptos, Santa Cruz, Half Moon Bay, Soquel, Santa Cruz Mountains, and Marin competed on Saturday March 20 in the Santa Cruz Scholastic Surf League contest at Pleasure Point in Santa Cruz.

GrowingUpSC.com | APRIL 2021

“

Over the years so many kids have graced the cover of Growing Up in Santa Cruz. We are curious about what’s become of them!

This Kid has Grown Up with Growing Up BY LINDA KAY

Caleb Malabuyo, now a junior at Scotts Valley High School, was featured on the August 2012 cover of Growing Up in Santa Cruz. He remembers the photo shoot. “I was totally trying to seem nonchalant about it, but I was actually really excited to be in a magazine.” He remembers when the magazine came out. “I had mixed feelings at first because in all the photos we took I had this cool new Sharks hat on, and the ONE picture it fell off my head was the one that was used for the cover. But I quickly got over it after my friends and family showed their enthusiasm for my appearance. My family was super happy for me getting on the cover and my grandparents immediately framed it and it still is hanging on their wall today.” That was over eight years ago. A lot has happened in Caleb’s life since then. Caleb’s family moved to England when his dad was transferred to Google’s London office. Caleb did part of 5th grade and middle school there. “British

20 APRIL 2021 | Growing Up in Santa Cruz

and American schools are very similar and very different at the same time. Here we have roughly 5-7 classes. The school I went to had 17 mandatory classes. And this was on a two-week rotating schedule, so it was almost impossible to remember where you needed to go and getting lost was pretty common. Some of these mandatory classes included religious studies, art, computing, geography, drama, and more, along with all the normal academic classes. We also had to wear school uniforms with a blazer and tie every day.” Caleb’s family took advantage of their proximity to Europe, so every school break they checked out a different European country. When asked about adjusting to the school and cultural changes, Caleb said, “Honestly for the most part I didn’t find it too difficult to go there, because I was the cool American kid from California (which means Hollywood to them). Coming back, I already knew most people and was able to pick up on those

friendships where I left off.” “Shortly after moving back some of my good friends were starting a band and wanted a permanent drummer. Since I was there for most of the band practices, and I already had a pretty good sense of rhythm, I naturally became their drummer. Shortly after that, the newfound Polarity Band played their first gig on the 4th of July at the celebration at Skypark. Polarity is still together but Covid-19 has made it very hard to find or play at gigs. I have been playing for Gateway Bible Church for a while and Santa Cruz Bible Church more recently.” Besides drumming Caleb has a passion for art and design He also plays a lot of video games and he’s learning to skate. He plans to attend college after high school. Caleb said he had no idea what was going to happen in his life when those cover photos were taken back in 2012 “From my experiences, I have found that change should be embraced, and opportunities are made to be taken.” Do you remember the photoshoot for the cover picture? What were your feelings about it?

I do remember the photoshoot and I was totally trying to seem nonchalant about it but I was actually really excited to be in a magazine. How did you feel when you saw yourself on the cover of Growing Up?

I had mixed feelings at first because in all the photos we took I had this cool new sharks hat on, and the ONE picture it fell off my head was the one that was used

for the cover. But I quickly got over it after my friends and family showed their enthusiasm for my appearance. How did your family (parents, siblings, grandparents, extended family) react to seeing you on the cover?

My family was super happy for me getting on the cover and my grandparents immediately framed it and it still is hanging on their wall today. Did any of your friends or teachers say anything about you being on the cover?

I don’t remember if I told my teachers, but I definitely told my friends… a lot. They didn’t believe me at first, but when I showed them they thought I was awesome and asked how they could get on a cover. I didn’t tell them of course. That was over 8 years ago. What have you done with your life since then?

A couple of years after that photoshoot I moved to England for some of the 5th grade (called year 6 there) and then middle school (which is high school there). I lived in a town called Woking for about 2 years, and during the breaks in school, my family and I would vacation to a different European country. Then I came back to the US and picked up some new hobbies, then moved houses, and after the first “stay at home order” picked up some more hobbies. Now I am stuck at home like everyone, waiting for the virus to pass. How did British schools compare to American schools?

British and American schools are very similar and very different at the same

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GUIDE time. Here we have roughly 5-7 classes including extracurricular, which are optional, and usually, every other day is roughly the same. The school I went to had 17 mandatory classes. And this was on a two-week rotating schedule so it was almost impossible to remember where you needed to go, and getting lost was pretty common. Some of these mandatory classes included religious studies, art, computing, geography, drama, and more, along with all the normal academic classes. As you progressed from year 7 to year 11, you were able to choose your own classes. There was the main building and a lot of classrooms were inside because it was so cold outside. We also had to wear school uniforms with a blazer and tie every day and every so often there was a special day called day 11, because of the 10 days in the normal two weeks, and this is where we could wear our own clothes and we got to choose from an array of special activities for the day. Other than that, the school was very similar to the US with classes, worksheets, and homework. Did you find it difficult to adjust to the differences either coming or going? If yes, how so?

Honestly for the most part I didn’t find it too difficult to go there, because I was the cool American kid from California (which means Hollywood to them), and the fact that I came in year 6, so everyone was moving to a new school along with me. And coming back, I already knew most people and was able to pick up on those friendships where I left off. Of course, it was difficult to leave those relationships I had with those people and leave the place I have been my whole life or just gotten used to, but I got lucky to have such a good experience with moving. What was your favorite British cultural thing?

My favorite British cultural thing has

got to be the tea and scones. Afternoon tea and scones with clotted cream and lemon curd when it was 5°C (41°F)is the best. Also, the candy, like Cadbury and Haribos, are delicious. What American cultural thing were you happy to return to?

The American cultural thing I was happy to return to is the Mexican food. I could not get a good taco, burrito, and quesadilla for such a long time. Tell me about your drum playing. Is it your primary passion? Were you self taught? Do you play at school? I know you played in a band on the 4th of July at the celebration at Skypark. Are you still with that band? I know you play with two worship bands. Tell me about that. Shortly after moving back some of my good friends were starting a band and wanted a permanent drummer, because their drummer at the time, my guitarist friend’s brother, wasn’t really interested in drumming anymore. Since I was there for most of the band practices, and I already had a pretty good sense of rhythm, I naturally became their drummer. Shortly after that, the newfound Polarity Band played their first gig on the 4th of July at the celebration at Skypark. I got an electric drum set first and then an acoustic when I moved houses. When I first started playing I learned by watching drum covers of my favorite songs and playing along with them until I attended Soundwall Music Camp where everyone could read music, so I began to take drum lessons about 1 and a half years into playing. Since then Polarity is still together but Covid-19 has made it very hard to find or play at gigs. Also, I have been playing for Gateway Bible Church for a while since my dad plays piano there, and Santa Cruz Bible Church more recently.

What other passions/interests do you have?

Another passion of mine is art and design. Ever since I was a kid I loved drawing superheroes, and last year I was gifted an Ipad and apple pencil. I love to draw and have been trying to expand my mediums for art on my own time, as well as in art class in school. I also play a lot of video games and I’m learning how to skate. You’re a senior, right? How do you feel about that?

I am a junior. It is crazy to me how fast time moves and it almost feels like yesterday I was in the UK and I am disappointed that Covid has taken so much time from my high school experience. What are your plans after you graduate?

After I graduate I plan on attending college. Beyond that, I have no idea what I want to do. I am interested in something along the lines of art and design, and I am considering going to college in Europe but nothing is set in stone. If your friends were going to describe to you what three words or phrases would they use?

My friends would describe me as Eccentric, Outgoing, and Friendly.

If your family were to describe you, what three words or phrases would they use?

My family would describe me as Responsible, Thoughtful, and Entertaining.

Do you have a job? If so, tell me about it.

I do not have a job because I am taking most of the hardest classes at my school so I spend too much time doing homework(especially during online learning), chores, and hobbies. What else should the world know about you?

The world should know that I had no idea what was going to happen in my life when I took those photos, and what path I was going to take. And from my experiences, I have found that change should be embraced, and opportunities are made to be taken.

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Details at tandybeal.com 22 APRIL 2021 | Growing Up in Santa Cruz

PARENTING Which Parent Are You? BY CHRIS JACKSON One parent steps in and prevents the child from failure and negative outcomes. The other parent says, “I’m not doin’ that. Either (the child) does it, or it won’t get done.” Which one seems healthier? Are you surprised it’s the second parent? Healthier for the parent and for the child. “But, if I don’t help her register at the DMV, I’ll be the one driving her around.” No you won’t. Don’t do it. “But she’ll miss her classes and lose her job.” Yup. “But then I’ll have to pay more to support her.” Well, you could consider other options for that too. The term codependency is thrown around a lot, and for good reason. It applies here. The first parent has a codependent relationship with their child. An easy way to look at it is: do you, the parent, depend on your child feeling good? Liking you? Loving you? The second parent does not depend on that. The second parent’s happiness is, to a large extent, independent from the child’s happiness. The first parent’s happiness is strongly dependent on their child’s feelings, moods and disappointments. For example, if you were to announce you’re dating someone new or starting a new part-time job and will not

be available to drive your child to participate in something for which you had been the driver. How much would it bother you that the child will be upset, not approve, and be extremely disappointed? Some parents would delay telling their child. Some parents, after hearing their child’s disapproval, would compromise their new schedule to accommodate the child’s wishes. Those parents could be doing that in an unhealthy way that’s codependent. The child who is saved from discomfort, loss, failure, and fury, may suffer greatly as an adult. That child may not be sufficiently independent. We parents must be emotionally free to make decisions based on whether or not they are wise and healthy, not based on whether or not they are convenient or comfortable for a child. A great example would be a child’s birthday. The child can be told “no” to much or all of what they’re requesting for a birthday celebration. But why don’t you, the parent, do that? Because your feelings are tied in with (dependent on) your child’s feelings. You want to accommodate the child’s wishes, because it makes them and you feel better. The healthy place to be is where it only makes

the child feel better, not you. That is, you feel just fine knowing you made a healthy decision–one of which your child just happens to disapprove. Try seeing how long the protest from the child lasts. You’ll learn that the child bounces back a lot sooner than you

thought. They do so because they have to–and your healthy decision forced them to have to–and that’s a good thing.  Chris Jackson is a Bay Area disk Jockey at KOME-FM who is working on a book about how to treat your kids like rock stars.

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GrowingUpSC.com | APRIL 2021

BY HUGH MCCORMICK

 Hugh graduated from UCSC magna cum laude- with a BA in sociology and a focus on global information and social enterprise studies. If you need to get a hold of him or his chiweenie Groot, check 26th Avenue beach or De La Veaga disc golf course.

What are Kids Most Excited About After the Pandemic? We polled kids around town about what they most want to do when shelter in place orders are lifted and we got a lot of answers. What do you think they miss most? Read on!

POLLED AT SEACLIFF SKATE PARK Weslie Rose

10 years old - Fifth grade Soquel Elementary

“I miss going to the Boardwalk. Playing games was the best. The claw machines especially. I’m looking forward to not wearing masks when the coronavirus ends. To feel free.” Nora Pilgram

7 years old – 2nd Grade Fammatre Elementary

“I for sure want to go on vacation again. Anywhere. For now though, I’m just going to skate a lot. I love this community.” Linnea Brooks

Age 15 – 10th Grade Pacific Collegiate School

pandemic is seeing my friends, and being able to do fun things with them. Before the pandemic we went on bike rides together, and had playdates almost every day. My friends were always by my side. I cannot wait to see them again! Timothy

After Covid-19 I’m looking forward to not having to wear my mask and having more options of things to do on the weekends. I’m on campus now, and my favorite thing is being able to see my friends. I also like that I don’t have to be on a computer all the time. There is one thing that is kinda annoying on campus, and that is the masks because I get rashes on my chin. River Brinton

“I’m looking forward to going to amusement parks again. I just love the rides and always have fun. I miss my friends too, and really want to go back to school.” Caleb Gregory

10 years old – 4th Grade Twin Lakes Elementary

“I’m looking forward to going on trips and seeing my friends I can’t see right now. Especially my friends living in Seattle. I can’t get on a plane to go see them. I wish we could go back to school and get close to each other without wearing masks.” Gavin Pilgram

10 years old – 4th Grade Fammatre Elementary “When this is over I’m going to go to

“I’m looking forward to going back to actual school. Remote learning sucks. I miss going out to lunch with my friends. Also being able to go on trips and vacations. Going on planes. Snowboarding too, for sure.” Ben Palma

Age 15 – 10th Grade New Brighton Middle School

What I really look forward to after our pandemic is that the citizens of California will be able to have social interaction which is good for our community. Also after the pandemic, scientists will have a greater knowledge of when and what to do when we have another pandemic. I think we learned a lot about what to do in a pandemic and it will help if this happens again. In conclusion, in a way, COVID-19 was a blessing, because we will acquire social interaction and scientific knowledge. WIllow

After COVID-19 I am really looking forward to a lot of things. I am mostly looking forward to doing horse shows because they are really fun. Sometimes it can be scary, but most of the time I am just having fun. I like when I am riding in the shows. My favorite horse is named Icee, and I like riding him and winning. That is what I am most excited about doing when Covid-19 is over. Molly

After the pandemic, I look forward to seeing my mom the most. Though I would also look forward to seeing my friends again, and just having normal life back. I look forward to no problems with anti-maskers or stuff like that too. I can’t wait to see my friends again! Amelie

“I’m looking forward to the arcade at the Boardwalk. Me and my dad play games there and I really miss it. I miss seeing my friends – just hanging out and playing with them. Having to wear a mask really bums me out.

Disneyland and possible Lego Land too. We’ve missed out on a whole year. We missed out on so much. I miss play dates with my friends.”

Andrew

Edison Weaver

9 years old – 3rd Grade Green Acres Elementary

24 APRIL 2021 | Growing Up in Santa Cruz

Age 12 – 6th Grade Branciforte Middle School

“Travelling is the biggest one. You know, sitting on a plane without a dang mask. Sitting and relaxing in a restaurant too. It’s been a year. Going back to movies will be awesome.”

HERE’S WHAT FOURTH GRADERS AT MOUNT MADONNA SCHOOL ARE MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO: Rebecca

The thing I look forward to most after the

What I most look forward to when the pandemic is over is being able to see my friends Kyah and Owen again. I also would love to see my family, especially my uncle who we call “Trouble” and my aunt Betty. I am excited to see and hug them again. Myla

What I look forward to after Covid is seeing my friends. When the pandemic is over, I will be so happy. Felix

After Covid, it will be great because then we can have sleepovers and play sports.

Book Review Pierce

The thing that I look forward to most after Covid-19 is playing soccer with my friends and doing fun tournaments with them. When the coronavirus hit the US, soccer got shut down. I was very sad and for about a year and a half I couldn’t play at all. There were no games. Soccer is one of my most favorite sports in the world and I am really looking forward to games even if we have to wear masks. I don’t care, I just want to play soccer. Leyla

I am most excited for the pandemic to end so I can see my aunts, uncles, grandparents and my cousins again. I miss them so much and want to hug them a lot. One of my favorite memories is when I made a snowman with them in Reno. That was so much fun. We also did a fun snowball fight together. I can’t wait to get back to doing that stuff again. Giavanna

What I enjoy most about going to school instead of online learning is that I get to see all of my friends and get to talk to them. Even though we wear masks and have to stay six feet apart, I still enjoy being around them. I know quite a few people who do online classes, and they say that they miss being around other people. That is the reason why I feel so lucky to get to be in person at school. Cadence

My favorite thing about being at school is being able to see my friends. I joined Mount Madonna School when Covid19 was not here, and I did not have to wear a mask. Now, I have to wear one and it is very uncomfortable. My cousins are remote, and all my other friends. I am glad I get to go to school in person with my classmates, Pierce, Amelie, Willow, Timothy, Ripley, Rebecca, River, Giavanna, Myla, Leyla, Molly, Bishop, Felix, and my teacher Nick. I enjoy seeing them five days a week. Although we still have to be careful because of Covid, we still have fun and play games together. I can’t wait to see all my friends and family again soon. Bishop

I am excited to visit my cousin Ivy when the pandemic is over. It’s been a long time since we saw each other, and I am looking forward to playing together again. Ripley

After the pandemic, I look forward to going places again. My favorite place to go is Disneyland. I hope we can go back there soon.

FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADERS AT ORCHARD SCHOOL IN APTOS HAD THIS TO SAY: Lyla Lou

9 years old - 4th grade During the pandemic, I am lucky to go to Orchard School. We have an outdoor classroom, and I like to play outside. We are so lucky that we are not on a screen! When we are outside, we do not have to wear a mask and there has never been a time like this. I will never forget last year and the rest of this school year. I am glad we are at school. Jordan

11 years old - 5th grade It feels so special to have gotten the opportunity to go to school in person during covid. There are lots of things I enjoy about school but one stands out to me and that is playing soccer with my friends at recess. It feels like life before the pandemic. Sometimes when I play I can even forget about covid. I am having so much fun. The sense of joy when I score a

goal or from just getting to run, it is truly magic. For a while I was on zoom and I remember hearing that Orchard was coming back, I was so happy. I had missed everything, but especially playing with my friends. Solomon

10 years old - 4th grade I am very grateful to be going to school right now during the pandemic. I really like being with my friends. We have partner activities which are the best because you get to be with your friends. The class is reading a book right now, it is called “Holes” and it is the best book, it is so awesome. There are yellow spotted lizards in the book. My all time favorite thing about my school is that we have a lot of choice over how we learn and what activities we do. For instance, before the pandemic we chose electives, and now we get to choose if we want to draw, knit or sew. There is also a POOL! Siena

10 years old - 4th grade I’m so grateful to be in school during the pandemic, while a lot of my friends have to stay at home and do zoom. I feel very lucky. It’s been an amazing year so far. We have a pool at our school, and when it’s hot we get to swim. We also do art, play soccer, and best of all learn together. Right now we are learning about explorers. I’m learning about James Cook, an explorer from the seventeen hundreds. It’s been really fun, a lot more fun than learning on a computer. There’s a lot of things we have done that you can’t do on zoom, like bingo math games or making pie for Thanksgiving. We are also allowed to bring our unicycles, it’s so much fun. I hope all the other kids can go to school soon. Julien

10 years old - 4th grade I am grateful for being able to go to school during the pandemic. It is much more fun than learning on a computer. For example, we got to make a map of our school, and we played explorer games which would have been really hard on a computer. Also, when you’re at school you can see your friends in real life instead of in a tiny box on a screen. Riley

10 years old - 4th Grade What I like about school during the pandemic is that we usually use a tent as a classroom, but sometimes we have to go inside when it’s raining. Secondly, I’m very grateful and lucky to even be able to go to school in person, so many people have to use Zoom all day everyday, and Zoom isn’t as fun as in-person school. It takes twice as long for me to do my work on the computer because my teacher isn’t there to help me. At our school sometimes the teachers start playing games with us during recess and we have so much fun that they forget to call the end of recess. Additionally, in general, we are outside a lot more than before we entered the pandemic.

Local Photographers Create Living History BY BRAD KAVA When two of the top local news photographers looked back on last year, with its traumas, disasters and a community that fought to come together, they realized they were seeing a huge piece of history, something people would be interested in seeing for years to come. So, Kevin Painchaud, of Lookout Santa Cruz and Growing Up in Santa Cruz, and Shmuel Thaler, of the Santa Cruz Sentinel, decided to pack 2020 into a special edition glossy book. The resulting work—“2020 Hindsight: Looking Back on a Tumultuous Year in Santa Cruz County”—is the kind of keepsake most everyone in this county would want to have in their bookcase and look back on through the ages. Sometimes you don’t realize just how important the times you are living in are until you see it bound in a publication that puts it all in context. This duo didn’t create the book to make a profit. All proceeds from its sales go to the Community Foundation Santa Cruz County’s Fire Relief Fund. Through a partnership with the Santa Cruz County Office of Education, a free copy of the book also will be made available to every high school junior in Santa Cruz County, as well as free curriculum for all teachers of U.S. history. Along with breathtaking photos, the book features essays by locals who look at five forces that drove 2020 in Santa Cruz: pandemic, justice, fire, democracy and community. The writers include columnist Wallace Baine; former county clerk Gail Pellerin; former Mayor Justin Cummings; emergency room doctor Misty Navarro; Digital Nest founder, Jacob Martinez; journalist Rachel Anne Goodman; and developer and philanthropist George Ow, Jr. The essays give a real insider’s view to the year from the people who were driving forces, or victims. “No one we asked for help said no,” Thaler recounted. Community Printers donated much of the printing cost; Rowland and Pat Rebele, the Ow Family Properties and the Community Foundation gave funding. Writers donated their time. Teachers created a curriculum you can see by searching Hindsight Santa Cruz curriculum. And in the interest of full disclosure, I proofread the book and was blown away by the writing and honored to be a small part of it. Part of the beauty of the project is that it will be featured as an educational tool in all of our high schools. What could make history come alive more for students than studying something they were a part of, but may not have realized its context and perspective? This is something they lived through, a living history book, and one they will someday share with their children and grandchildren. You can buy the book at Bookshop Santa Cruz and on the web at HindSightSantaCruz.com While it’s great that the money is going to fire victims, this is a book that will be a treasure for everyone who got through one of the toughest years in our history.

Sadie

10 years old - 4th Grade In the pandemic, I am very grateful that I’m able to go to school because all of my neighborhood friends have to sit down looking at a screen for hours! At school I get to be outside and I have all my friends there in person. My favorite things are that we still have electives like knitting and sewing and that we go to school for about six hours and not only two!

GrowingUpSC.com | APRIL 2021

LOCAL NEWS Nurturing the Teenage Musician BY SUSAN WILLATS

“ We all know it’s not easy being a teenager. (It’s also not easy parenting a teenager, but that’s a topic for a different article.) Teenagers who play musical instruments face additional challenges: finding time (or motivation) to practice on a regular basis, worries about disappointing their instructors, and possible stigma or labeling from other kids at school. Research continues to show great advantages to those who play music, but it can seem a long and lonely slog at times to younger players. Community Music School of Santa Cruz has been hosting a resident music camp specifically for teenagers since 1999. At camp, students play in both instrument-specific groups as well as in an all-camp ensemble. One of the benefits of attending a full-immersion program like Teen Camp is having the

space to focus on music for an extended period of time. Phones are off, there are no televisions, and campers’ sole purpose is to have fun while playing music with like-minded people. The primary music of Teen Camp is Celtic, a genre with a rich tradition of playing in multi-generational groups. Campers learn the etiquette of playing in seisúns (informal jam sessions) – the glue that binds the traditional music community together. One of the lessobvious benefits of attending Teen Camp is learning that such a welcoming community exists, and how to become a part of it. For music students, who often spend a lot of time practicing and playing alone (especially those who don’t have a school music program available), playing with other musicians can be a true

Redwood Music Teen Camp A resident camp for musicians ages 12-19 June 14-19, 2021 Learn and perform the folk music of Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, and more. Beautiful outdoor setting in the coastal redwoods above Aptos. Open to players of fiddle, violin, cello, flute, pennywhistle, recorder, guitar, banjo, mandolin, bouzouki, harp, dulcimer, accordion, percussion, keyboards, and more.

For music students, who often spend a lot of time practicing and playing alone (especially those who don’t have a school music program available), playing with other musicians can be a true game-changer.

game-changer. Parents of campers often report their teenagers show a renewed interest in music – and practicing – after returning from camp. Students often start thinking of themselves as musicians, which can be extremely empowering during the confusing and pressure-filled teenage years. A parent of a new camper sent this just after the final concert in 2019: “This week was amazing for him. The concert was almost tear-inducing, to be honest. I was so happy to see my kiddo SO HAPPY playing gorgeous music with other kids, and he talked about camp for over an hour back at home. He loved it, and I’m so grateful. Thank you for creating this.” This year Teen Camp will take place

from Monday, June 14 to Saturday, June 19 at the Monte Toyon Conference Center in Aptos. Camp is open to players of fiddle, cello, flute, recorder, pennywhistle, guitar, mandolin, banjo, harp, dulcimer, accordion, keyboards, and more. Participants must be proficient on their instrument (i.e., have played for at least two years). Faculty include world-class musicians from the Monterey Bay area and beyond – some of whom are Teen Camp graduates who have gone on to careers in music. Additional information (including scholarships, COVID considerations, and the new “bring a friend” discount) is available online at CommunityMusicSchool.org.

Information about registration, scholarships, and our new “bring a friend” discount is on ourwebsite: CommunityMusicSchool.org

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26 APRIL 2021 | Growing Up in Santa Cruz

LOCAL ARTIST Zephy Pfotenhauer and Dante Clark Mother and Son Duo Mother and son Zephyr Pfotenhauer and Dante Clark (11) have been working together creatively for as long as Dante can remember. A professional artist and designer, Zephyr is often inspired by Dante for her own work and regularly enlists his help in completing various projects, from murals to printmaking. Dante is a longtime member of Art Lab in Boulder Creek and particularly enjoys

building in Lego, Minecraft, wood and clay in worlds both real and virtual. A 6th grader at the Nature Academy, he is looking forward to returning to school, seeing friends and exploring the county with his classmates. Until recently Zephyr worked for Discretion Brewing as their in-house artist and designer, creating labels and merchandise for the family-owned craft brewery. Now

fully self-employed, her clients include Edible Monterey Bay, the SC County Arts Council, Fruition Brewing and numerous others in need of her sharp-yet-whimsical creative aesthetic. Her work can be found at the Felton Mercantile and online at zephyrpfo.com or @zephyrpfo.o on Instagram.

GrowingUpSC.com | APRIL 2021

SUMMER ACTIVITIES GUIDE

So many peoples’ lives were changed by summer camps. They are places not just to get away from parents and make new friends, but to try new things, enjoy nature and learn crafts. We canoed, made lanyards, caught frogs and snakes, learned guitar, made fires in the wilderness and cooked and cleaned up afterwards. Those were timeless experiences that gave us a lifetime of memories. *Please check with the camps to make sure they are operating this summer.

CAMPS Be Natural Music

740 Water St, Santa Cruz, CA (831) 515-8369 benaturalmusicsantacruz.com/ summermusiccamps The 3rd & 4th weeks in June are BNM’s 2021 Summer Music Camps! At Be Natural Music summer camps, kid & teen musicians shine on stage as they compose original music, script music videos, and at the end, record their song! We produce the final music video in high-quality and display it on our YouTube to jump-start your kid’s career. Youth who already know how to play an instrument & composers are welcome! Camp Gateway

255 Swift Street Santa Cruz (831) 423-0341 GatewaySC.org/CampGateway Unplug and Engage at Camp Gateway! Gateway School is hosting a screen-free interactive summer camp experience for rising 1st - 6th graders. Campers will engage in our counselor-led activities including mini makers stations, field games, gym play, crafting corner, science sleuths, and more! During the 2020-2021 school year Gateway School provided students with a safe On-Campus experience and we are excited to carry this into Camp Gateway. Visit http:// www.gatewaysc.org/campgateway/ for more information and to register. Camps will run in two weeks sessions from July 12 through August 20. Registration opens on April 15, 2021. Cabrillo Extension Summer Youth Program 6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos 831-479-6331 Cabrillo.edu/youth

Cabrillo Extension Summer Youth Program offers safe, fun, and engaging summer camps. We partner with local entrepreneurs and small businesses to provide inclusive and positive learning environments where kids learn new skills, make connections that will last a lifetime, and have tons of fun in the process! This summer’s line-up includes everything from teen baking to hands-on STEM experiences to active sports camps. Campers will be inspired, engaged, and develop skills that help them succeed and grow. Join us for diverse, high-quality camps to explore science & engineering; culinary; computers & technology; sports; and the arts. We are proud to be a member of the American Camp Association, which provides us with outstanding resources for our staff and campers, and inform our policies, procedures, and practices.

28 APRIL 2021 | Growing Up in Santa Cruz

Four Points Youth Camp

Orchard School, 2288 Trout Gulch Road, Aptos kaseylindemann@FourPointsYouthCamp.com FourPointsYouthCamp.com Four Points Youth Camp is a new summer day camp with activities designed to broaden every camper’s horizon. Serving campers in grades K-8, our activities include sports, arts and crafts, technology, and traditional camp games.We also offer a counselor-in-training program for teens 13-15 years old. These activities are designed to cater to each age group. With new unique themes each week, every camp session is a fresh experience. Growing Social

GrowingSocial.org info@growingsocial.org 408-914-0552. Growing Social?is a highly therapeutic, educational program offering Summer Camps and school year services to those with social learning differences (including Social Communication Disorder, Autism Spectrum, ADHD, ADD, social anxiety, those without a formal diagnosis). Farm animals, gardening, cooking, and other creative group activities are utilized to teach and practice social learning concepts. In small groups, students are carefully matched by age (K-young adult) and skill level. Social vocational and camp counselor opportunities for teens and young adults.?Sessions are taught by Stephanie Madrigal and Amy Miller, Speech and Language Pathologists/social learning specialists.? Redwood Music Teen Camp

info@communitymusicschool.org communitymusicschool.org Weeklong overnight camp for teen musicians (ages 12-19) begins June 14th. This year more than ever, it’s a great opportunity for teenagers to get out of the house and hang out with other teens without computers! This full-immersion music experience is for players of fiddle, flute, pennywhistle, recorder, harp, guitar, mandolin, ukulele, accordion, small keyboards, and cello. Students practice and perform in instrument-specific groups, with the entire ensemble, and in lots of informal jam sessions. Other activities include crafts, movies, and a talent show. Information and registration online at CommunityMusicSchool.org. Summer Camps at The Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

1305 East Cliff Dr., Santa Cruz, CA 95062 (831) 420-6115 ext. 17 SantaCruzMuseum.org/camp/ Nature Explorers Camps connect kids to nature through art, games, and exciting activities. Campers spend time outdoors

and investigating the museum’s exhibits. They use scientific equipment and natural specimens to examine the wonders of nature. Join the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History for a summer of fun, learning, and exploration! Registration for week-long day camps opens April 2nd. $275 per week, with discounts available for multiple week registration, siblings, and Museum Members. SC SPCA Kids Summer Camp

(831)566-3753 2601 Chanticleer Ave., Santa Cruz spcasc.org/humane-education/ The Santa Cruz SPCA Summer Camp will be happening in our new shelter location! For students going in 1st-6th grade. $275 for one week, 9am-3pm, Monday - Friday. Open registration will go up in April and spaces will fill quickly. For more information, and registration, visit our website, call, or email maria@spcasc.org

CLASSES Advantage Driving School

831-462-0139 AdvantageDriversEd.com Advantage Driving School has been training safe drivers in Santa Cruz County since 1999. Our professional and friendly instructors are experts in preparing you to drive safely and to pass the DMV Test. We offer a variety of packages and we will even take you to the DMV for your test! You can trust Advantage Driving School to have the best value with excellent instructors, competitive pricing, and flexible scheduling. We also offer a stateof-the-art online scheduling program and a convenient pay as you go program. Visit us at AdvantageDriversEd.com and start driving today! Mountain Music School (Formerly known as B Sharp)

216-A Mt. Herman Rd, Scotts Valley CA 95066 (831)201-9605 (text or call) MountainMusicSchoolSV.com Mountain Music School offers lessons for kids, teens, and adults, from beginners to experienced players! Learn to play piano, voice, guitar, ukulele, drums, and more! Students and their families enjoy the passion and lighthearted atmosphere brought by our qualified instructors. Our philosophy is that lessons should be fun! Chartwell School

2511 Numa Watson Road, Seaside 831.394.3468 chartwell.org Chartwell School, located on 65 acres in Seaside, CA, serves students with dyslexia and other related learning differences who are not currently reaching their full potential.

We do this in grades 1-12 by providing targeted and direct instruction to empower learners with the skills, strategies, tools, and social-emotional mindset they need to thrive in college and beyond. Summer@Chartwell is a four-week program that emphasizes literacy, math, STEAM, and enrichment skills.

ENRICHMENT The Bookakery

BookakeryBoxes.com Looking for activities to do with your kids at home? Have a kid that always wants to help in the kitchen or curl up on your lap to hear a good book? Love getting packages? The Bookakery has just the thing: Bookakery Boxes, a monthly subscription box for kids aimed towards fostering a love of reading and baking. Each Bookakery Box comes with a hardback picture book, kid-friendly recipe card, baking item and activity, all based around a theme of the month. Order yours today! Use code GUISC10 for 10% off any subscription length (renews at standard rate). Expires 12/31/2021 Santa Cruz Public Libraries

224 Church St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060 831-427-7713 santacruzpl.org The SCPL Summer Reading Program for all ages, has gone virtual! You can earn books, attend virtual events, and win prizes. Reading just 5 books over the summer helps prevent learning loss in students. Kids can continue learning while having fun at virtual programs such as storytimes, craft and other STEAM activities. Amazing performers will present virtual shows all summer long. Sign up at any branch or online at santacruzpl.org\srp starting June 1st. Tandy Beal and Company’s KEEP ON TRUCKIN!

TandyBeal.com This great dance company presents world-famous artists in free, live 15 - minute fabulous family shows, outdoors and safe. A burst of joy in your neighborhood, April-June. These pop-up concerts on a flatbed truck feature legendary artists: Keith Terry/Evie Ladin (Body Music & Banjo), Omar Ledezma (Latin Percussion), Coventry/ Kaluza (Circus), Calvin Kai Ku (Magic). Singers: Tammi Brown, Claudia Villella, Ariel Thiermann, SoVoSó singers (featured in Mixed Nutz) Dave Worm (Bobby McFerrin’s Voicestra), Bryan Dyer, Sunshine Garcia/Matt Hartle. Jeff Gallagher (Classical Music) Shelley Phillips/Neal Hellman (Celtic Music), Iman Lizarazu (Eccentric Clowning), Patti Maxine (Old Timey).

York School Summer Bridge Program

9501 York Rd., Monterey, CA 93940 831-372-7388 york.org/summer Welcoming students in rising grades 8–12! We are offering fun and safe summer programs on York’s 100-acre campus for local middle and high school students. Whether you’re looking to brush up on academics, get moving with athletics, explore your creativity in the arts, or enhance your social-emotional wellness, we have a program for you! Camps will run weekly with morning, afternoon or all-day options, starting in June. For more information, please visit york.org/summer or email us at summer@york.org.

PRESCHOOLS Rocking Horse Ranch Preschool

Lic #444400117 4134 Fairway Dr, Soquel 831.462.2702 Rocking Horse Ranch is a play-based preschool located on 3 beautiful acres in sunny Soquel. We offer morning, afternoon, and full day sessions. Our outdoor space offers lots of room to explore, including our gardens and many different kinds of animals. Come visit us!

RECREATION Adventure Sports Unlimited

303 Potrero Street, #15, Santa Cruz 831.458.3648 asudoit.com We teach infants through adults the joy of water through our Swim School. Our Ocean programs introduce families to our marine environments through the Seafood Foraging, and Kelp Pickling. Explore the world-renown underwater landscape of our local bays through our Open Water Scuba courses. It starts in our custom-built aquatic’s facility. Community Boating Center, UCSC

790 Mariner Park Way Santa Cruz, CA 95062 831-425-1164 Recreation.ucsc.edu/youth/juniorsailing/ index.html The UCSC Community Boating Center has been teaching local juniors how to sail for over 30 years. All classes are hands-on, co-ed classes, ages 8-16 and are taught in RS Quests, RS Visions, and Lasers. Students learn the basics in the protected Santa Cruz Yacht Harbor and progress to the beautiful Monterey Bay. Enjoy sailing in a safe, fun, and supportive environment with knowledgeable, experienced staff. Sign up today! (Adult classes are also available!) Junebug’s Gym

3910 Portola Drive, Suite 2, Santa Cruz 831.464.BUGS (2847) JuneBugsGym.com/ June Bug’s Gym is a place where your child can experience a fun-filled adventure in movement. We have a caring, respectful, and supportive staff that encourages every child in their growth of large motor skills and gymnastics along with social, emotional and cognitive development. Our goals for our students are to help them feel control and empowerment in their bodies, to build self-esteem through success, to open up imaginations, and to feel confidence and joy in their exploration of movement.

Music Together, Canta y Baila Conmigo, & Rhythm Kids w/ MusicalMe, Inc.

Locations throughout Santa Cruz and Santa Clara County 831.332-9002 MusicalMe.com Our online & outside classes offer the best in Early Childhood Music Learning for ages Birth to 8 years. Music Together®: A music program for children birth to age 6—and the grownups who love them, enhancing children’s learning in multiple domains (mentally, physically, socially, etc.), increasing family engagement and, adding richly to each family’s “toolbox”. Siblings are welcome, especially infants who may attend free if they are 8 months or under. Canta y Baila ConmigoTM: A unique curriculum for young children (ages Birth to 6 years) with dual, complementary goals of music education and language immersion. Designed for beginners and native speakers alike, CyBC creates a playful, interactive atmosphere where language learning is integrated naturally and organically into the musical experience. Rhythm Kids®: A drumming, music, and movement, program for children ages 4–8 years. Classes naturally support children’s rhythm development and help them prepare for formal music lessons. Contact us today to try a free class and bring the joy of music into your family’s life. Santa Cruz Gymnastics

(831) 462-0655 info@scgym.com During the summer we will be offering themed Recreational Gymnastics Camps to give parents a safe place for children ages 5–12. Our camps will be offered all summer long starting in June. Beginning through advanced gymnasts will participate in all Olympic gymnastics events as well as daily trampoline, tumbling, strength, fitness and flexibility exercises. We’ll be filling our camps with lots of other out-of-the-sun fun! Visit our website or contact our office for complete details & registration. Come flip with us! Check scgym.com or call for info

SUMMER HEALTH Ultraderm | California Skin Institute

3311 Mission Dr., Santa Cruz 95065 (831) 272-0936 californiaskininstitute.com/locations/ ultraderm-santa-cruz/ As the days get longer, sunnier and filled with outdoor activities you need to protect your family’s skin from UVA/UVB rays. Remember to apply/reapply a sunscreen with SPF 30 or more. If you have any concerns about the health of your child’s skin, California Skin Institute is a premier dermatology practice in Santa Cruz, Freedom, & Monterey with board-certified dermatologists and specialists helping families with their skin health. Visit our website or call to make an appointment and ask us about our teledermatology options.

SUMMER EATS Kianti’s Pizza & Pasta Bar

Order online at www.kiantis.com. Offering patio dining, curbside and delivery for our entire menu and drinks including Kianti’s Kids Pizza Kits, Family Dinner Special for $40, smoothies and mocktails, Kianti’s Signature Cocktails, Bottles of Kianti’s Wine and Kianti’s Vodka, Gin, Rum or Whiskey and Happy Hour. Shop our gift cards and apparel. Delivery services include Kianti’s direct, DoorDash and UberEATS. Visit kiantis.com/virtual-fun for Kids Pizza Making Videos and more! Visit Kiantis. com/curbsidetogo for Kianti’s rockin’ curbside specials. Jim Booth Swim School

Santa Cruz at Harvey West Pool and Watsonville at Duncan Holbert Pool and Fitness Evolution 831.722.3500 jimboothswimschool.com Be a water wonder! From our Little Otters swim class for parents and their babies to Aquaphobics, our adult beginner class, the whole family splashes together at Jim Booth Swim School. Little Otters beginning at age 4 months is a gentle introduction to our 94-degree pools that will make you confident that you are guiding your infant to a happy water experience. Our lessons emphasize quality swimming in an exciting class taught by our caring, well-qualified teachers. The whole family can swim at Jim Booth Swim School. Mountain of Fun – Mount Madonna School

491 Summit Road, Mount Madonna 408-847-2717 mountmadonnaschool.org/summer This summer get your kids out in nature, unplugged, outdoors, and active! Utilizing its 375-acre campus situated amid grassy meadows and redwood forest, Mount Madonna School’s popular camps return the weeks of July 12 and July 19 for children ages 5 to 13* including arts, forest play, nature crafts, and more - even a half-day horse camp option. New Redwood Explorers camp for ages 10-13. An all-day horse camp is offered the week of August 2. Camps are Monday through Friday, 9:00 am-3:30 pm. Safe transportation is available from Gilroy, Morgan Hill, Aptos, and Corralitos. Details and registration online at www.mountmadonnaschool. org/summer. City of Santa Cruz Parks & Recreation Department

831-420-5270 santacruzparksandrec.com City of Santa Cruz Parks & Recreation Department 831.420.5270 Fun is Back! Register for our popular summer camps and junior guards for a fun-filled summer. Get moving with Skatedogs Skateboarding Camp, World Cup Soccer Camp, and SUP/ Kayak Camp. Create with virtual art camps or expand your knowledge with science and STEAM camps. Visit santacruzparksandrec.com to view the Summer Activity Guide in Spanish and English. Online registration opens Saturday, May 1, and Monday, May 3 for phone registration for the City of Santa Cruz Parks & Recreation summer programs.

From parenting to local events to monthly guides and everything in between.

1100 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 831-469-4400 kiantis.com GrowingUpSC.com | APRIL 2021

COLORING PAGE

Submit your coloring entry to editor@growingupsc.com and we will select some for great prizes! You can also mail them to Box 3505, Santa Cruz, 95063

30 APRIL 2021 | Growing Up in Santa Cruz

Maternity care born from humankindness. Your journey to motherhood is a precious time. That’s why Dignity Health – Dominican Hospital’s Family Birth Center is here to support your big day with a customized birthing experience focused on you. From live virtual classes and birth center tours, to our midwifery program and Level III NICU, Dominican Hospital offers the highest level of care in the Monterey Bay area. See for yourself how we’re safely delivering humankindness at DignityHealth.org/DominicanBirthCenter.

GrowingUpSC.com | APRIL 2021

Learn to Sail this Summer! UCSC Community Boating Center at the Santa Cruz Harbor

Junior sailing classes for ages 8-16

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! For a complete schedule of classes and registration information visit

recreation.ucsc.edu/youth/juniorsailing/index.html

or call (831) 425-1164

Scholarships available thanks to a grant from the Div. of Boating and Waterways

Growing Up Santa Cruz April 2021

Articles inside

Summer Activities Guide

Local Artist

Book Review: 2020 Hindsight Local News: Musicians

Local News: Jim Booth

Parenting

Summer Camps

Seen and Heard

Extremely Sports

Photo Story: Kirby Clean Up

Earth Day

Moms Who Make a Difference Cover Story: Cabrillo Extension

Inside Ed

Calendar

Parenting

Editors Note

Teacher's Desk

Summer Camps