Fast Forward | March 2022

FastForward Vol. 31 #4 March-April 2022

SUMMER CAMPS

Artwork by Matt Reynolds Mill Valley Middle School, 2003

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MOUNT TAM SCHOOL Treats for Streets Team

— Justus, Jasper, Jahan, and Azalaïs, Treats for Streets Team, 6th Grade

SPONSORED BY:

Check out our Shop & Give Donations Program — Select your favorite charity and we’ll donate 2% of your total grocery receipts.

At MTS, we started a Treats for Streets Team, leading a “Snacks Drive” at our school to help the San Francisco unhoused population. What started the project? Our 6th grade class met two field nurses on zoom, Tim and Sophie, who work with homeless (unhoused) populations in San Francisco. In the conversation, Tim and Sophie described their work and the “street medicine” they practice. They have a mobile health clinic/van that they drive around in the city and help unhoused people who might need medical attention.

Tim and Sophie have learned that the best way to get folks to talk with them is by offering them snacks. Once they get into conversation, then they learn more about the individuals and what they might need. They carry hygiene supplies and also have other medical care they can provide, such as giving out vaccinations for COVID, flu and tetanus.

We saw that we could help Tim and Sophie by collecting individually wrapped snacks to donate. We gathered snacks during morning drop off, collecting a large assortment which we then delivered to Tim and Sophie.

We are grateful to our 6th grade teacher Isaac Jacob-Gomes and to our 7th/8th grade teacher and parent Volunteer Marianne Kabir for helping us succeed with this project.

FEATURES MARCH-APRIL 2022

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16 TRASH

MARIN SUMMER CAMPS

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MARIN YOUTH POSTER CONTEST ENTER TO WIN!

Revealing Facts

KEVIN FAGAN

...One of the Good Guys

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VILDA NATURE CAMP

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CAMP LISTING PAGES

LYNNE TWIST Giving Back

Marin Horizon School Marin Waves Track &Field Club MJCC Camp Kehillah Marin Shakespeare Camp Marin Summer Camp Fair Mill Valley Recreation Camps Mill Valley Market Morning Star Farm Camp Mountain Camp Mount Tamalpais School Performing Arts of Marin Poekie Nook

Marin Horizon School

SCHOOL OF THE MONTH Strawberry Point School THE ART PAGE Mill Valley Middle School

PUBLISHER: Winifred MacLeod

ADVERTISERS/SUPPORTERS Andrew’s Camp Camp Funderblast Camp Winnarainbow Carmel Valley Tennis Camp Circus Center San Francisco City of San Rafael - Kids Camp Coastal Camp Dave Fromer Soccer Camp Farm Camp FrameCrafters Headlands Preparatory School Marin Greenplay Camp

GARDEN OF THE MONTH San Pedro School

winifred@fastforwardweb.com Ross Academy Montessori Ross Recreation Saint Isabella School Shakepearance Soloquest Learning Center SummerCrest SummerFilm- California Film Institute Strawberry Recreation Camps The Terra Schools —Terra Marin The Good Earth The Magic Flute Vilda Nature Camp

O: 415.256.8920 M: 415.272.3569 ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Britta Esmail CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Sofia Audi,

Arlo Christensen, Inara Thai, Leila Al-Moosa, Sophie Canepa, Chloe Craft, Anya Esmail, Maya Esmail, Sarah Goody, Minna Hibbitts, Kendall Islam, Daniel May, Attey-Louise Massey, Alma Nabatian, Georgia Pauli, Angeline Phan, Finley Robinson, Gillian Reynolds, BT Salle and the Strawberry Point 5th Grades

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS: Fiona Bailey, Nico Brand, Amelia Green, Amy Le, Sonia Manshouri and Matt Reynolds

Safe learning for a diverse community of students

At Marin Horizon, we celebrate our unique Physical and Outdoor Education program, where our students take advantage of the natural beauty that surrounds our school.

Nestled at the base of Mt. Tamalpais, our campus and surrounding Homestead Valley neighborhood provide an ideal environment for outdoor learning, as students are able to exercise, socialize, and practice environmental stewardship in a safe environment.

Saint Isabella K-8 School provides a wholesome nurturing environment that establishes a foundation for lifelong learning. We are a parent involved school located in Terra Linda on a private campus close to Hwy. 101. Our programs promote the academic, social, and spiritual development of our students.

School Tours are offered by Appointment 415-479-3727 x112 or admissions@stisabellaschool.org 1 Trinity Way Terra Linda – San Rafael www.stisabellaschool.org

SPONSORED BY:

Check out our Shop & Give Donations Program — Select your favorite charity and we’ll donate 2% of your total grocery receipts.

MON-SAT 7am - 7:30pm SUN 9am-7pm

12 Corte Madera Avenue Mill Valley 415-388-3222

Preser ve your child’s art

Monday - Saturday 10-6 ~ 320 Bon Air Center Greenbrae www.framecraftersgallery.com ~ (415) 461-7688 FASTFORWARD

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Summer Fun... and lifelong memories Laugh, play music, create, build something, explore new places, make new friends, ride a horse, sing songs...

Do what you love.

MOUNTAIN CAMP

By Eliza Ross and Kendall Islam 7th Grade, Mill Valley Middle School

“Dad! When are we going to be there?” I ask for the fifth time. I’m imagin-

ing a whole week of meeting new friends and hanging out in the mountainous woods for a week or two, without a care in the world.

Mountain Camp has it all: everything from dance to archery to a water trampoline to sitting around a campfire under the stars, singing classic camp songs including some Mountain Camp originals such as the Jeopardy song while waiting to find out: who’s got the Gizmo?

I’m thinking about wakeboarding on the crystal clear Ice House Lake, Mountain Camp’s almost completely private lake and zooming down the incredible zip line on Lobster Claws Pass when I see the entrance. We drive up to a man wearing a blue shirt who happily says, “Welcome to Mountain Camp!”

With excitement I proudly reply with a smile, “I’m so excited to be back!”

As I hop out, I am reminded of the pine and forest-scented air that I will always remember. I run over to the check-in area and run through the welcoming, high-five line of the many smiling counselors and other staff. I already feel at home. After checking in, I head over to the water bottle table and pick up my free Mountain Camp water bottle that I will use during my stay. I run back to the car where my dad is waiting and point to an open air, log cabin with a wooden sign that reads, “Mt. Lassen” and ask my dad to help carry my gear in. After a few hugs I say good-bye to my dad. Instantly, I start to make friends with the nice girls in my cabin. Our counselors arrive to tell us it’s time for the tour. As we walk around the huge

A Mountain Camp welcome line

camp, I am reminded of my favorite activities—wake boarding, photography, power boat tubing, and mountain biking. After the tour of the many fun activities at Mountain Camp we go back to our cabin and get ready for the delicious dinner and dessert made by the great cooks. Next, we layer up for evening program which happens to be opening campfire. We listen to the funny presentation of the few rules, the list of what seems like a thousand awesome activities, hilarious skits and songs, and the introduction of the counselors. The entire camp huddles around the warm fire and sings the closing song. Later we walk back to the cabin and get ready for a good night’s sleep that prepares us for the tiring yet fun days ahead.

I read for about ten minutes and then shut off my light, I let my head sink into my pillow and slowly drift off to sleep, dreaming about tomorrow.

Gold Arrow campers head out on a backpacking excursion

GOLD ARROW CAMP

By Leila Al-Moosa, 5th Grade Marin Country Day School

Looking outside of the window at the winding road, the trees stood tall in huge clusters. The road seemed to be getting narrower and it felt exciting. I was going on a new journey. I had such a good feeling about it.

When I arrived and unloaded, I went to my cabin. I saw all of the activities listed and was super excited. I would be able to try sailing which I had never done yet. I loved sailing on the big blue lake called Huntington Lake. It was nice. It felt so calming and the water was not that cold.

While at GAC, I took a ropes course that was really fun. You’d have to work with your partner to get around the obstacles and you get to zip line down. We also did archery and axe throwing and rifilery.

I really enjoyed the time I went on the horse trail rides. Those were really fun moments. Our cabin would split in half and one of the groups would go on a trail ride with the horses, while the others were brushing horses and helping to care for them. Then we would switch. This was super fun. My favorite horse was Ursula and there was a beautiful Palomino named Paloma.

We’d rode around the hills, and as the paths curved around trees, some of the trees had horse facts on them. One of the facts I remember was, horses have the biggest eyes of any mammal.

One time, we got to go on top of a giant boat that had two levels. You walk up the stairs to the top. We would go to the top of the boat, and jump off of it into the lake, and get back on. I had such a fun time with my whole cabin.

The instructors don’t have their regular names. They have funny names like FASTFORWARD

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Dew, Wait and Jelly. And one was Funfetti.

They kind of keep it a secret of what their name is. And we have to try and guess their names, so that is fun too.

The food is so good there. For breakfast, we always had different choices like apple cider, hot chocolate, or lemonade and even passion fruit drink. There were so many options — there was always cereal with five options of different cereals like Special K., Toast Crunch, Reese’s Puffs. There were waffles, pancakes or bagels too. For lunch, we had hotdogs, burgers and spaghetti. And one day we had burritos. Dinner was my favorite meal probably because we got dessert like Rice Krispies cookies, pudding and other tasty choices.

Every night we’d have a campfire. And we’d say something about our day that we really enjoyed and something we’re grateful for. And sometimes we’d have s’mores and marshmallows and popcorn to roast. And there was storytelling. Everyone always has funny stories about their family or about something that happened to them either at camp or at home. That was so fun to listen to.

For the last night, we had a bingo party and then dancing. Everyone came. And we just danced and there was photobooth to take photos with your friends. The theme was Candy, and everyone dressed up. We all joined together and looked at pictures of everyone at camp. We also did skits for enter-

tainment. My friend and I did a skit on expectations versus reality. We started with, “Oh, I bet the food is going to be really gross at camp.” And of course the food ended up being really good.

One night we did stargazing where we just slept outside. We took our mattresses from inside of the cabin and put them on like our patio deck. I’ve never seen as many stars my life as I did that night.

At Gold Arrow Camp, I loved the community. It was a wonderful place. I made so many friends there and left with so many memories that I’ll have forever. I can’t wait to go back.

COASTAL CAMP

by Arlo Christensen, 8th Grade Martin Luther King Jr. Academy Every year during the summer, I spend at least two weeks at Naturebridge’s Coastal Camp in the Marin Headlands. Through hiking, games and observing nature, Coastal Camp focuses on teaching kids between the ages of 5 and 17 how amazing the outdoors is. We go down to Rodeo Beach where we search for carnelians, watch surfers riding the waves and play a variety of games like Wax Museum. We can also just rest and listen to the waves. Last

A proud partner of the National Park Service A proud partner of the National Park Service

COASTAL CAMP 2022 COASTAL CAMP 2022

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M M U S S I H T IN THE

A R R E I S The ultimate setting for nature-based exploration, outdoor adventures and fun.

The ultimate setting for nature-based exploration, outdoor adventures and fun.

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WHEN: Weeklong sessions from June 6–August 19, 2022 WHEN: Weeklong sessions June grouped 6–Augustby19, 2022 WHO: Serving grades K-12;from campers fall 2022 grade levels *New Counselor-in-Training program available for grades 10-12 WHO: Serving grades K-12; campers grouped by fall 2022 grade levels *New Counselor-in-Training program available for grades 10-12 DETAILS: • Sessions include a camp t-shirt DETAILS: • Explore the Marin Headlands though adventure, games and science • Sessions include a camp t-shirt • Transportation available from San Francisco and Marin • Explore the Marin Headlands though adventure, games and science • Transportation available from San Francisco and Marin

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What an amazing experience for city kids to be immersed in nature! They came home and taught What an amazing for city to kids to our be me about nativeexperience species and ways help immersed in nature! They came home and taught environment–such an amazing program! me about native species and ways to help our —COASTAL CAMPan PARENT environment–such amazing program!

—COASTAL CAMP PARENT

BOYS & GIRLS GRADES K-9 FRIENDSHIP & FUN SINCE 1933 6 FASTFORWARD

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REGISTER TODAY: coastalcamp.org REGISTER TODAY: coastalcamp.org

summer, a dead whale discover everything it has to offer for yourself. For those who do, I hope washed up on the you enjoy it. beach and remained CREATIVE CAVE there for weeks which

by Maya Esmail, 7th Grade, Mill Valley Middle School was fascinating. HowIn our manga class at Creative Cave Camp, we used ink and waterever, while you might think it would be cool color for manga drawings, as cover art for a book. It was not a real book to check it out, I’m but the cover art for a book we had to imagine. There was a fun vibe warning you your nose about the place, and everyone was kind. I learned a lot in that class will think differently. such as how to make the perfect manga face shape and how to properly In addition to hiking, use cross hatching. The teachers were fun and offered useful tips. My another big activity drawing skills improved a lot, and while that isn’t quite my style it is that we do there is to still useful to blend manga into my own style. It was entertaining and visit the Skins and I liked it a lot.

Skulls lab. The Skins Photo Credit: Margaret DuaneNIKE BASKETBALL CAMP at SAN DOMENICO and Skulls lab hosts Checking out the California newts taxidermy animals Georgia Pauli, San Domenico School, 9th Grade that died of natural and unnatural causes. Visiting this lab allows us I had an amazing time at San Domenico Nike Basketball Camp. Evto have an opportunity to learn about these animals and help them so ery morning we’d warm up, practicing fundamentals such as ball they don’t go extinct in the future. You can touch some stuff if you were control, jump stops, pivots, and defensive stances. I enjoyed scrimwondering, and I find it fun to touch the pieces of whale baleen, teeth maging against other kids. We all improved because everyone pracand skulls of animals like sharks, deer, bobcats and birds. We also visit ticed jump shots, being aggressive with the ball, sharing the ball, some of the many old army batteries in the headlands that were built to and being a good teammate. Some days we had guest speakers who protect our coast. Battery Townsley is one that we visited. We found a played or coached basketball. I learned about the hard work it takes huge gun out front that could fire over 20 miles out to sea, which is re- to be a successful basketball player. After lunch, we held a minute ally cool, but not as cool as what you’ll find behind the other entrance. plank, trying to hold it longer each day. On the last day of camp, all Inside where the other cannon was, you will see a pond! Now, you may players had a chance to try holding a plank for four minute to win a wonder, how is a pond cooler than a massive gun that shoots 20 miles basketball. At the end of every day, players had an option to cool off out to sea? This pond was a host to a colony of California newts! In this in the pool. Nike Basketball Camp was an experience I’ll never forpond, there are at least 80 of them swimming around. If you’re lucky get. Everyone was so kind on and off the court. The coaches not only like I was you might be able to touch one if the counselors permit it. If taught you skills — they made sure all players understood them. you go there, you might also see endangered red-legged frogs! This is The coaches were supportive and always raising kids’ spirits. I will a short overview of Coastal Camp but you will have to go yourself and definitely go next summer!

SUMMER CAMPS AT SAN DOMENICO

Discover. Explore. Create.

Academics • Sports • Arts • STEM • Digital Media • Music and more Ages 5-17 • sandomenico.org/summers

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MARIN SHAKESPEARE CAMP

SHAKESPEARE SUMMER CAMPS WE MAKE SHAKESPEARE FUN!

Campers will gain self-confidence, explore their creativity, build intellectual curiosity, and make friends — with experienced and caring teaching artists!

CAMPS AVAILABLE FOR JUNE - AUGUST www.marinshakespeare.org/summer-camps

By Sofia Audi, Sophomore, Lycee Français de San Francisco Marin Shakespeare Company offers camps for kids as young as eight years old to discover Shakespeare and perform his plays. I participated in their Teen Camp which was for people aged 12 to 19, where we put on a 1950s high school, “Grease” inspired production of “Much Ado About Nothing.” Everyone contributed to the production whether it was designing the set, selecting costumes from the Marin Shakespeare Company costume collection, or playing a role. There were more roles in the production than cast members, so some of us were double cast.

For example, I was cast as Margaret and one of the watchmen.

Our amazing counselors Leon and Josie were the Director and Producer for Much Ado About Nothing. We would start off our camp day with tongue twisters as a warm-up, which were followed by typical theater and improvisation games. We would then discuss what the plan was for the remainder of the day, which was usually running the play in the amphitheater, discussing the proper ways to perform Shakespeare, and then one more camp game (water balloon fight, tie dye…) . The cast members were all different types of people, with different backgrounds, ages, and some with more theater experience than others, but we all worked well together and helped each other grow and learn.

Shakespeare wrote with a vernacular that not many people are familiar with today, so in order to help people understand what the plot is and how the characters are feeling, we couldn’t just rely on the script and were forced to utilize other tools that are just as important. Marin Shakespeare Camp taught us to think about and rely on other aspects of acting such as body language, facial expressions and emphasis.

I recommend this camp to any student who loves acting or wants to try acting. You will make friends and have a lot of fun, as you learn so much!

MARIN WAVES and TRACK

By Daniel May, Sophomore, Marin Academy

GROUP SESSIONS now Available SPRING/SUMMER Running/Track & Field

OPEN REGISTRATION 8 FASTFORWARD

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marinwavestrack.com

I love running track at Marin Waves and Track Club because it has helped me learn to focus, work hard and achieve success through running. I’ve now been with the Club for over five years. I especially like that there aren’t any set time commitment— it’s come as much as you can or want to. I go as often as I can and give it my best. I first pursued running by trying out for my middle school track team. I had not done anything to prepare for that and it did not go well. I felt like a failure.

Then a friend told me about David Hay and his Track Club. I started right away and noticed how taking time to work on my running technique helped me learn to become a better runner.

I immediately started focusing on my form and Coach Dave really helped me start perfecting this. A good team is impossible without a good coach. I’d say David Hay isn’t just a good coach.

He’s a fantastic coach. He knows his stuff— all about running, form, stride and what it takes. He’s good been very good at analyzing my form and telling me what I need to do to improve my running. He can see what my weaknesses are and helps me improve. He can also see my strengths.

I feel great when I’m running but the same time I’m tired and out of breath because I’m working super hard. I don’t just sit back, relax and take it easy. I like to make myself work for anything I get.

At a meet, my focus is more just making sure that my form is perfect. And I’m going as fast as I’m supposed to be. I need to know how much longer I have to keep my pace up. I might be thinking, ‘Okay, I need to punch it, or else I’m not going to be able to beat this guy’ or, ‘okay, I’m not gonna’ be able to hold

it for this long. I think I might have to accept that he’s gonna’ pass me.’ I’m entirely focused on for making sure I’m pacing myself correctly, that everything’s going perfectly.

I’ve also met a wide variety of cool people at Marin Waves. Besides being focused, they are nice people. And during COVID, being able to go outside and run has been one thing that’s definitely been a saving grace.

Track is a great sport beneficial for any athlete. Taking the time to work on my running technique definitely has helped me become a better runner, which in turn has helped me with other sports. In the entire like Soccer League, I was notorious for being the fastest kid in the entire program, especially as a defender. I could keep attacking the striker; I could always catch up.

Overall, I have enjoyed learning new ways to train and I always choose to work harder each time. And I’m grateful to have a coach like Dave who can see any slight faults in my technique for me to work on and improve. Overall if I had to rate Marin Waves & Track Club from a one to 10, it would be an 11!

I do have a dream of going to the Olympics. Going to the Olympics itself is like a gold medal. Getting a gold medal on top of that is like taking that and squaring it. Marin Waves and Track is helping me reach for this goal.

SHAKESPEARANCE

Anya Esmail, 5th Grade, Strawberry Point School

My heart slammed against my chest so hard I thought my skin would rip. My Shakespearean group hid behind the tree waiting for everyone to arrive and for the performance to start. I looked back at my fighting partner Tessa. Showtime! Half the group hopped onto the stage. I was nervous for my line but when it was my turn it went smoothly. The second group playing the King’s knights said their lines. It was time for our fighting scene. All I could hear was our plastic swords clanking. I clinked my sword against Tessa’s.

As we ran off stage, I knew I would have to play Lysander and Quinn soon. I put on my Lysander scarf and headed onto the stage. Backstage I was so relieved that my first scene was over and I thought about all I had done during this camp. The performance was one of the most exciting parts which we were literally in the middle of.

It was fun to meet new friends and and be part of a group. We also played games. It was truly an incredible experience. Kitty and the fighting teacher helped us perfect our lines and get it done. At Shakespearance, I learned being in a new group can help you make friends.

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CAMP KEHILLAH

By BT Salle, Sophomore, Archie Williams High School Camp Kehillah at Osher Marin JCC is a great variety camp for kids of a wide range of ages, from preschoolers to 8th graders. Camp Kehilla provides a welcoming environment for all campers, and runs fun days full of activities in four two-week sessions over the summer. At the beginning of each day, camp starts with us all in an opening circle where we sing songs and welcome everybody to camp. After that, campers split into age groups with their counselors. Typical days consist of various counselor run games along with blocks of “specialist time” that are run by specialists. These include sports time, art time, and swim time. The basketball gym and pool at the JCC are super high quality and fun to play in. There is also a nice field with a playground at camp. There’s always snacks at camp, but you bring your own lunch!

Camp Kehillah also does field trips. The younger kids might walk to the local farmer’s market, but there are other opportunities for the older kids to go farther, like to the beach or on an overnight camping trip. The highlight of camp for many kids is on Friday, when Shabbat is celebrated. Shabbat is the Jewish day of rest, but it includes everyone at camp. On Shabbat, we eat the Challah (a traditional Jewish bread) that we made that day and drink grape juice to celebrate.

COMPLETE PROGRAM INFORMATION & REGISTRATION AT:

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Summer Camps ANDREWSCAMPS: Marin County, Corte Madera June 13th - Aug 23rd 9:00AM-5:00PM AT THE CENTER Age 5+ Large indoor and outdoor play areas. Active games: zip line, bouncy houses, laser/nerf tag, trampoline, climbing wall, monkey bars, hockey, soccer, baseball, basketball, obstacle courses, capture the flag, and more.

Creative activities: Play rooms, Lego room, computer rooms, arts and crafts rooms. ADVENTURE DAY TRIPS Age 7+ Six Flags, Hurricane Harbor, Rebounderz, Scandia, Spring Lake, Cal Skate, & more. OVERNIGHT CAMPS at Clark Creek Lodge Grades 4-12 Nice cabins, lodge, incredible activities: swimming, boating, tubing, jet skis, rafting, archery, BB guns, paintball, dune buggies, cave exploration, fishing, hiking, and more.

REGISTER NOW! ANDREWSCAMPS.COM 415-891-3185 CAMP FUNDERBLAST: Games, arts & crafts, swimming, nature adventures, chill time & more in a fun, loving, safe environment. Led by Veronica Cowen.

4 Locations: Mill Valley: Scott Valley Swim & Tennis Club, Homestead Valley Community Association, Peace Lutheran Church. Fairfax: Saint Rita’s Campus.PreK-7th grade. Swimming at Homestead or Scott Valley w/ option to participate in Tennis Camp at Scott Valley. Homestead: 9AM-4PM June 13-Aug. 12; Scott Valley: 9AM-4PM, June 13-Aug. 19; Peace Lutheran: June

9:00AM-5:00PM June 13-August 19; Fairfax: 9:00AM4:00PM. June 13-Aug. 12.

FUNDERBLAST.COM 415-843-1730 CAMP STRAWBERRY AT STRAWBERRY RECREATION CENTER: Ready, Set, Go Camp Strawberry!

Swimming, tennis, soccer, field games, nature walks, themed days, arts & crafts and more. Camps: June 13— August 12 with full summer or weekly options.

Camps for three age groups: Ages 5-12 (1 and 2-week sessions available); Ages 9-12 Athletic X-Training Camp, M-F, 9:00AM-4:00PM; Camper-In-Leadership Training (CILT)– ages 12 to 14 (M-F, 9:00AM– 4:00PM).

STRAWBERRY.MARIN.ORG 415-383-6494 CARMEL VALLEY TENNIS CAMP est 1970: Tennis... and a whole lot more! Consistently picked by Tennis Magazine as a “Top 5” sleep away tennis camp in the USA. Excellent tennis instruction, healthy competition, conditioning, and numerous sports and social activities take place in Carmel Valley on a beautiful 38 acre private and secure setting as a tennis camp for children 10-18. Only Tennis Camp in the West accredited by American Camp Association.

CARMELVALLEYTENNISCAMP.COM 831-659-2615 CIRCUS CENTER SF — SUMMER CAMPS 2022: Run away with the circus this summer! AGES: 7-13. DATES:

1-week sessions, June 6 – August 26.

CIRCUSCENTER.ORG/CAMP

415-759-8123

CITY OF SAN RAFAEL CHILD CARE DIVISION, KIDS CAMP: A fun-filled, action-packed summer program for kids ages 5-11, at Coleman, Glenwood, Lucas Valley, Parkside, Mary Silveira and Vallecito Children’s Center.

Children have the opportunity to create, explore, swim, splash, play games and just enjoy being a kid! June 13thAugust 16th. Each of our 6 centers has professional, caring enthusiastic staff that plan and present a wide variety of kid-friendly activities and special events in safe, state-licensed facilities. Centers open M-F, 8:00am4:30pm. Weekly rate $280.00. Additional fees for field trip and swim days.

CITYOFSANRAFAEL.ORG 415-485-3386 COASTAL CAMP: A day at Coastal Camp is a day spent connecting with nature. With the Marin Headlands as our backdrop, campers learn more about the topics they love while exploring the coastal trails and marine setting. Our highly qualified staff engage campers’ interests and curiosity with a program that is flexible and adaptive to each group’s needs. Offering week-long sessions for campers entering grades K-12. Session dates run June 6 - August 19, 2022. Transportation is available from Mill Valley & San Francisco.

COASTALCAMP.ORG 415-331-1548 ...Continued on page 14

JUN 6-AUG 26

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Register: terramarin.org/camps

summer camp

San Francisco + Marin Locations

spanish immersion

mandarin

Earth

earth discovery (Ages 3-5)

mania (Ages 3-10)

discovery (Ages 3-9)

70 Lomita Dr. Mill Valley | (415) 906-2220

TERRA MARIN CAMP

June 20 - August 12, 2022

VILDA NATURE CAMP

Alma Nabatian, Ross Valley Charter School, 8th Grade I first got introduced to Vilda Nature Camp because they did a nature day every Friday at my school for three years. Now I go to the camps over most of the school breaks and several weeks in summer. What I like about the camps is that the counselors are really nice, the camps are all in nature, which is great, the games are fun, and I’ve learned a lot of crafts and skills. I’ve gotten knife certified and learned to whittle. I’ve gotten to make fire by friction with a bow drill and do archery. I love the kayaking and paddle boarding at China Camp too! I’ve also gone on some of the backpacking trips in Point Reyes that are just for girls.

Those were really fun! One other thing that has been nice about Vilda Nature Camp is that I’ve gone to a lot of beautiful places that I’d never been to before, and now I go back there with my family.

Horse Camps Ages 5-14

English/Western Camps Riding Lessons l Birthday Parties l l

Morning Star Farm

885 Sutro Ave Novato, CA (415) 897-1633 Visit us online: morningstarfarm.info FASTFORWARD

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Come to one or both!

Held at Lucas Valley Elementary School, 1175 Idylberry Road, San Rafael 94903

Sun., March 20, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Dominican University

June 13 – July 2

July 5 – July 22

(415) 457-6672 Email: marinsummer@earthlink.net

www.summercrest.org

SUMMERCREST SUMMER CAMP

145 Palm Ave. off Acacia Ave.

Inara Thai, Lucas Valley Elementary School, 3rd Grade

Pre-register for Free Raffle at Camp Fair:

FREE Admission and FREE Parking

www.MarinCampFair.com 1 Free Raffle Ticket for each canned good donation

FUN FAMILY FRIENDLY FAIR FREE DRAWING

Produced by (925) 408-4014 jay@BayAreaFamilyFest.com

FREE ACTIVITIES

www.MarinCampFair.com

Super Charge Your Summer WITH Mill Valley Recreation Summer Camps!

At SummerCrest you get to learn about different stuff depending on what class and teacher/teachers you get. There are a lot of amazing stuff each class learns about. For instance, some classes teach about History and another teaches about various unique and very different fish. At lunch you are divided into a few groups with people in your class. Every week you change groups, and every week there is a different theme for the group names. Your group is assigned a different name/ animal each week related to the theme, then your team chooses a team captain. You’re asked questions about your animal, and you get points for it. The team captain usually answers questions. Some days you get research which is just questions about your animal. Whichever team gets the most points wins! If your team wins you get to choose a prize. When I went to SummerCrest I enjoyed taking trips to the creek and observing different things. I also enjoyed learning about amazing and deadly fish, how to write cursive, and a little trick to multiply nine by single digit numbers. SummerCrest is not only fun but it’s very educational and you make a lot of friends.

MILL VALLEY RECREATION SUMMER CAMPS Sophie Canepa, Mill Valley Middle School, 8th Grade

Splash Camp | Art | Theater | Sports | Wellness Counselor in Training | Adaptive Needs *Extended Care | & More!

Camps Available for Preschool through Teens * Depends on the camp, see specific camp for details

Register Today at MyMVR.org!

Mill Valley Recreation | 180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley (415) 383-1370 | millvalleyrecreation.org

12 FASTFORWARD

MARCH 2022

Over the summer I volunteered as a C.I.T at Mill Valley’s Recreation Camps. My experience made my summer the best yet to come. I got to be a part of a well-run program and had so much fun! I did Splash Camp, with the Electric Eels, the Kindergartners of the group. I loved being there so much because for me, little kids are the best, and during the day you get to all these fun activities. We did art projects, games, and swimming.

The counselors were very nice and so were the supervisors. All the camps that were available had so many smiling campers faces!

My favorite part about going to this program was having something productive and fundamental to do in my summer.

During the summer, I can just sit down and be bored, but now I’m playing games and having so much fun! The camps have something for every age from 3-18, because you can be a camper, C.I.T, or a counselor. Now, even though I don’t get paid, I will do this all year with no hesitation. Because of this experience volunteering, I now volunteer during the school year as well.

I recommend this program to everyone since it was so much nature upwhen close fun! I absolutely loved doing this and willKids be asee C.I.T again at Vilda Nature Camp I can get a chance.

41st ANNUAL DAVE FROMER SOCCER

SUMMER CAMPS

JUNE, JULY & AUGUST MONDAY - FRIDAY, 9AM - 3PM BOYS & GIRLS, AGES 5 - 12 TOP PROFESSIONAL COACHING STAFF

SUMMER SESSION! • Middle & high school courses • Accelerate your learning or recover a grade • 1-on-1 instruction, in-person or online

Since 1974, our dynamic, experienced coaching staff has been helping players develop ball skills, provide tactical training, and build passion for the beautiful game of soccer. Attending camp is a great way to stay active, meet new friends and have lots of FUN!

Explore our wide range of over 140 UC-approved classes, including 34 AP and 24 honors classes.

Rolling Enrollment at www.HeadlandsPrep.com

CITY OF SAN RAFAEL CHILD CARE DIVISION

Kid’s Camp

MILL VALLEY ••LARKSPUR • SAN RAFAELL••NORTH LAKE TAHOE REGISTER AT DAVEFROMERSOCCER.COM

Is Learning a Struggle?

SoloQuest can help!

A fun-filled, action-packed summer program for school-age children. Each week your child will have the opportunity to create, explore, swim, splash, play games and just enjoy being a kid!

• Located at Coleman, Glenwood, Lucas Valley, Parkside, Mary Silveira and Vallecito Children’s Center.

Each of our 6 sites has professional, caring enthusiastic staff that plan and present a wide variety of kid-friendly activities

Learning Center ●

and special events in safe, state-licensed facilities.

●

• Centers are open 8:00am-4:30pm, Monday through Friday. Flexible scheduling and part-time enrollment is available.

●

For more information: Contact Kelly Albrecht at 415-485-3386

●

Summer Session

Identify cause of challenge One-to-one Cognitive Training strengthens weak underlying skills, like memory, attention, processing One-to-one instruction All ages and grades

● ●

College Prep Courses WASC - accredited

Tutoring ● ●

45 San Clemente Dr., C200 Corte Madera, Ca (415) 927-1449

All Subjects ACT/SAT/GED test prep

sqoffice@soloquest.com www.soloquest.com

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MARCH 2022 13

Summer Camps ...continued from page 10

CULINARY DUDE’S SUMMER CAMP: Let your child experience the wonders of cooking with the Culinary Dude’s Summer Cooking Camps. Our hands-on cooking camps will enable kids to find their inner chef. The Culinary Dude has created a wonderful collection of daily menus that the kids will cook themselves. Using the freshest ingredients, fun and interactive cooking techniques, the kids will prepare meals from scratch each day. Held at Bel Aire Elementary School, 277 Karen Way, Tiburon, 94920.

THECULINARY DUDE.COM 415-242-4192 DAVE FROMER’S 41st ANNUAL SOCCER CAMPS: June 20th - August 19th for boys and girls of all ability levels aged 5-12. Featuring a top-level coaching staff with an emphasis on skill development & fun! Coed and all-girl camp sessions offered weekly with sites throughout Marin County (Mill Valley, San Rafael & Larkspur). Plus a camp in North Lake Tahoe. Full-Day (M-F 9AM - 3PM) and Half-Day (M-F 9AM - 12:30PM) options available. Supervision is available beginning at 8:30AM for all camps.

DAVEFROMERSOCCER.COM 415-383-0320 FASTFORWARD ADVENTURE REPORTERS: Fascinating Interviews set up with authors, actors, actresses, politicians and filmmakers For beginning level writers & up! Students conduct 4 interviews p/ week, developing interviewing & writing skills, learning that “listening to someone else can change your life.” Photography, broadcast journalism & creating interactive slide shows are all in our project-based fun camp! TWO weeks of camps: June 13-17 and June 2024, $400 p/week.

Email: winifred@fastforwardweb.com FASTFORWARDWEB.COM 415-256-8920 MARIN GREENPLAY CAMP 2022: A Marin IJ Readers Best Summer Camp. Marin GreenPlay Camp is a nature and adventure day and overnight camp now in its 12th summer for kids entering kindergarten through 12th grade. Activities, depending on the camp program selected, include outdoor rock climbing, tidepooling, boogie boarding, kayaking, exploring, nature art, service learning and more! June 20 - July 29. Full day (9AM-4PM) and half day (9AM-1PM) sessions available. Mill Valley, Tiburon, Larkspur and other locations in Marin and Tahoe. Offering Outdoor Rock Climbing Camp: New climbers get a full five days of learning beginning climbing skills from AMGA certified Single Pitch Instructors at Ring Mountain and in the Berkeley Hills, Mickey’s Beach, Sunset Boulders & Castle Rock, all popular Bay area climbing areas.

MARINGREENPLAY.COM 415-264-2828 MARIN HORIZON SCHOOL SUMMER CAMP: Summer 1-week camp sessions for ages 3–7 that’s fun AND academic! Every week has a different theme. In previous years, themes have included Community, Art, Kitchen Chemistry, Imagination, Science and Engineering, Music Makers, and Outdoor Ed. Many of our themes include engaging STEAM-themed projects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) for even our youngest campers. All groups have a 12:1 camper to counselor ratio. Normal hours from 9AM– 3PM and extended care from 8:30AM–4:30PM. June 20 – July 29.

Email:summercamp@marinhorizon.org MARINHORIZON.ORG/SUMMER 415-388-8408 ext. 253 14 FASTFORWARD

MARCH 2022

MARIN JCC CAMP KEHILLAH: Offers a variety of camps for TK-10th graders, June 13-August 12. Campers have traditional camp options which include art, water play, music, cooking, science, field trips & overnights! Campers may also choose from a variety of Specialty Camps & Travel Camps (Stafford Lake, Six Flags, Great America, WaterWorld and more). Each group will have limit of 14 campers, maintaining a 2:14 ratio with two counselors per group. Marin JCC Camp Kehillah will make every effort to maintain social distancing between campers and will be working with campers to learn and teach about personal space and boundaries. Osher Marin JCC, 200 N.San Pedro Rd, San Rafael.

MARINJCC.ORG/CAMP 415.444.8055 MARIN SHAKESPEARE COMPANY: We make Shakespeare fun! For ages 8-12, we offer four different 3-week camp sessions starting June 13, July 5 and July 25. They’ll explore Shakespeare’s exciting characters, language and stories, culminating in a performance.

Campers ages 12-19 will work with a professional director July 5-27 to rehearse and perform Twelfth Night.

MARINSHAKESPEARE.ORG /SUMMER-CAMPS

415-499-4487 MARIN WAVES TRACK CLUB MARIN WAVES TRACK CLUB a USATF Member Club since 2007: 6 National Champion Awards; 8 National Runner-Up Awards; 29 Total JO Youth All-American Awards. 20 AAU National Indoor/Outdoor Top 8 Awards; 10 AAU West Coast Nationals Champions. Track & Field, Speed & Agility Training for All Sports, Cross Country, and Road Racing. Sessions include cardio work, dynamics, speed development, individualized workouts, strength building & flexibility training. Spring Track: MARCH 21 - JUNE 5 Summer Track: JUNE 6 - AUGUST 7 Age Groups: Youth (6-14), High School & Above. All ability levels: Beginners - Elite. Group Training sessions avail. 3-4 p/wk. All-Comers & USATF Meets.

Contact: David Hay, Club Founder/Head Coach Phone: 415-272-1225 MARINWAVESTRACK.COM 415-272-1225 MILL VALLEY RECREATION — SUMMER CAMP PROGRAMS: Kids Preschool—Teens have lots to choose from: Preschool-5th graders, Cool off with Splash Camp: Swim lessons & all types of indoor and outdoor activities and recreational swim for 1 week sessions or drop-in for the day, Extended Care is available for specific camps, contact us for more information. Preschool Splash & Afternoon Camps AM & PM offer half-day options for the younger set. Sports & Specialty Camps: Camp Creative, Camp PAASS, Legos, Theater, Tennis, Soccer, Flag Football, Spanish Immersion; Technology, Yoga, Mindfulness, Art, & more. Teen Opportunities include our CIT Program and Performing Arts. View our Spring/Summer Activity Guide at MILLVALLEYRECREATION.ORG for additional activities, special events and classes. Questions? Call us at (415) 383-1370.

MILLVALLEYRECREATION.ORG 415-383-1370 MORNING STAR FARM HORSE CAMPS: Offering English/Western horse camps for ages 5-14 years, June 13-August 12. Camps divided by age groups & riding styles: Full Day (9AM-4PM) or Half Day (9AM12:30PM). Focus on riding instruction, horse care,

vaulting and trail riding. Mini Camp for ages 5-7 yrs., geared for younger set to learn about horse care & basic riding skills in a safe & fun environment. Also: Western/Rodeo Camp & Jumping Camp. Winter and Spring break camps are also offered.

MORNINGSTARFARM.INFO 415-897-1633 PERFORMING ARTS ACADEMY OF MARIN: PAAM offers a full summer schedule to fill your days with the performing arts! Weekly programs in Theater Arts and Dance are available throughout the summer. Students gain superior training from seasoned professionals in a supportive and fun environment.

Programs are grouped by age for students Ages 4 & up! Our Theater Arts camps culminate with a performance for the family. June 13-August 12.

PAAMARTS.COM 415-380-0887 POEKIE NOOK: Hand-sewing, beginning to advanced, beading, and other arts and crafts, for children age 6 - 12. What makes us unique is nurturing a child’s creative world through sewing one-of-a -kind plush animals along with their accessories and habitats. Please visit our studio in Mill Valley for a free trial, if your child has never experienced the joy of making a “ Poekie”. Memberships: $115 for 5hr/month, $215 for 15hr/month Email: PoekieNook.millvalley@poekienook.com POEKIENOOK.COM 415-326-5202 ROSS ACADEMY MONTESSORI SCHOOL’S SUMMER MINI CAMP 2022: Continuing Montessori environment with regular staff the entire summer & lots of outdoor fun! Guest Appearances & Special Events.

AGES: Toddler Program 2-3 years. Primary Program 3-5 years. Held at Ross Academy Montessori School, 7 Thomas Drive, Mill Valley. June 21-August 12. 9AM2:30PM (Full Day) 9AM-Noon (Half Day) Extended daycare available 7AM-6:15PM. 2,4,6 & 8 week programs available (Minimum 2 consecutive weeks). 3 Day programs (Toddlers only).

Email: rams@rossacademymontessori.com ROSSACADEMYMONTESSORISCHOOLS.COM 415-383-5777 ROSS RECREATION SUMMER CAMPS 2022: Summer Fun for Everyone! We have camps for all ages ~ there is something for every kind of kid! From themed weekly on-site activity camps, travel, exploration and adventure or sports camps, dance, art and more – your camper is sure to be impressed. Check out some of our previous camps: Creative Art Camp, Gone Fishin’! as well as Enrichment Camps.

ROSSRECREATION.ORG 415-453-6020 SAN DOMENICO SCHOOL’S SUMMER PROGRAM: With camps for makers, scientists, creators, and more! From academic enrichment to co-curriculars, you can build your own summer of fun and learning.

Academic readiness including Math, Science, Mandarin, and Creative Writing! Digital Music, Band, Filmmaking, Dance, Fashion Design, and Theatre Arts!

Adventure and Technology camps! Nike Sports camps plus Tennis, Basketball, Soccer, Water Polo, Ultimate Frisbee, and more. Camps will fill up even more quickly this year. Ages 5 -17 | June 20–July 29. Contact us at: SANDOMENICO.ORG/about/summer-programs-2022

415-258-1944 SUMMERCREST: An academic camp for students entering grades K-6, held at Lucas Valley Elementary School in San Rafael. Two 3-week sessions: June 13-

July 1; July 5 July - July 22. SummerCrest offers a unique program: hands-on academic classes and broadening enrichment activities interwoven during the day.

Classes such as Maker’s Science, Rainforest Exploration, Safari Adventure, art, team building, outdoor games, beginning coding, & more. See you website for complete information on classes and registration. Respect, fun, and sense of community are fostered by the well-trained, credentialed staff.

SUMMERCREST.ORG 415-457-6672 VILDA NATURE CAMPS: Vilda’s beloved nature camps are a 100% awesome summer experience in the hills, lakes and bays of Marin, Petaluma and Tahoe.

With wilderness skills, nature connection and ecological stewardship wrapped in lots of adventure and play, campers learn about animal tracking, wild edible plants, primitive skills, ecological crafts, kayaking, carpentry, backpacking and much more. Ages 4-13. Sessions available June 13 - August 19.

Info@vildanature.org VILDANATURE.ORG 415-747-4840

www.farmcampca.com 844.84 7 .3494

RESIDENT CAMPS GOLD ARROW CAMP: Since 1933, Gold Arrow Camp has provided three generations of campers with a supportive community, enriching lives through relationships and outdoor experiences. In our beautiful setting on the shore of Huntington Lake, in the heart of the Sierra National Forest, campers have a chance to enjoy a traditional outdoor camp, complete with rustic living, nightly campfires and getting “unplugged.” Campers gain valuable life skills while at camp – independence, perseverance, and confidence – that will benefit them beyond camp in all areas of their lives. Our vision is to equip young people to bring positive changes to the world by teaching and modeling positive values and character traits. Gold Arrow Camp is accredited by the American Camp Association and is a member of the Western Association of Independent Camps. For more information, visit the camp website at: GOLDARROWCAMP.COM 800-554-2267 MOUNTAIN CAMP: A traditional, coed camp for kids ages 7-16, providing a magical outdoor setting where campers unplug, make friends, try new activities and make memories that last. Located on a beautiful high sierra lake in the El Dorado National Forest, near Lake Tahoe. Sailing, Wakeboarding, Water Skiing, Ropes Course, Arts and Crafts, Photography, Video Production, Mountain Biking, Drama, Dance, Kayaking, Fort-building & more. Offering 1, 2, 3 and 4 week sessions.

ACA accredited.

MOUNTAINCAMP.COM 415-351-CAMP (2267)

Camp Funderblast A local, lo ving day camp that Supports Ki ds in being their be st!!!

•Active Games •Nature Exploration •Arts & Crafts •Tie-Dye Friday •Swimming •Dress-Up Days •New Friends •Root Beer Floats •Storytelling •Cooking Projects •Louie the Lightning Bolt of Love!

J u n e 1 3 t h - Au g u s t 2 6 t h i n M i l l Va l l e y & Fa i r f a x ww w . f u n d e r b l a st.c o m • 4 1 5 - 8 4 3 - 1 7 3 0 FASTFORWARD

MARCH 2022 15

It started with a story — the story of John Garbarino, an Italian immigrant seeking to help his community. Today, Marin Sanitary Service is a major recycling center, managing our waste and trash, helping our community, our environment and our world.

It’s time for us to step up and do our part.

by Sarah Goody & Maxine Flasher-Düzgüneş

BY SARAH GOODY and MAXINE FLASHER-DUZGUNES JUNIOR, REDWOOD HIGH SCHOOL

I’m here, I’m here, I’m here.

ON THE INTERNET, I had encountered photos of a place like this before. I already knew this. But I had not touched it. I had not felt, seen, smelled it. It was like being launched into a Mary Poppins chalk drawing, but it was farthest from fantasy on the inside. I remember summer afternoons at camp when we’d wait for the director to bring out the snack bin – colorful chip bags we had to squeeze and pop to open, cookie packets with plastic flaps we’d struggle with, our appetites making us monsters. By the end of the day, the trash bin was overflowing with leftovers, tiny triangular pieces escaping with the wind, disposable forks sticking their broken tines up to the sky and half-full water bottles still crinkling. It was so easy to forget about what we consumed, to let it go like blowing a wish on a dandelion. But there are places that do not forget – decades of summer camp snack bins piling up, pool noodles, bubble gum wrappers, tricycle tires, crushed cartons of milk and tide detergent, salad containers, coffee filters, dollhouse furniture, muffin trays, Mercedes hood ornaments – 450 tons of not forgetting.

Tucked away beside U.S. Highway 101 in San Rafael lies Marin Sanitary Service (MSS), a waste management and recycling facility founded in 1948. Amongst the picturesque green hills and Oak trees, pickup trucks come in and out cycling through the center dumping waste from neighboring cities. Plastic, aluminum, and glass come pouring from the truck doors onto the concrete pavement. A deeply unpretty miscellaneous buildup of years

Marin Sanitary Service CONSERVATION — OUR EARTH, OUR MISSION, OUR JOB

EDUCATE YOURSELF...SAVE THE PLANET 18 FASTFORWARD

MARCH 2022

It’s clear that climate change is no longer an issue of the future, but of the present day. And with this understanding we must all look to play a part in a solution.

The making of plastics themselves contributes to climate change from the very start of their manufacturing process.

of our lives: a coke can, a plastic bag, a takeout pizza box.

Who would have thought that the mundanity of such remnants might one day amalgamate into something sickening in its smelly emptiness?

MSS started with a story — the story of John Garbarino, an Italian immigrant seeking to help his community. Garbarino and his brother immigrated to America in 1920 and formed a group called “Scavengers Protective Association.” Through this program they collected and disposed of waste from the community. While lugging garbage bags up and down the streets of San Francisco, Garbarino made a realization: we throw away a lot of trash in the Bay Area. MSS has been serving the community of Marin for over seven decades, and today works with 33,000 residential and commercial facilities.

MSS values the recycling of materials like paper, glass, and aluminum, which after processing go back into the community, some up to multiple times. Paper, for instance, can be recycled up to seven times, and does save trees from being used for new paper. And glass can be recycled infinitely, which means it can come back in as little as 30 days in the form of new food and beverage containers. Recycled aluminum is still in high use and can also be back on the shelves in less than eight weeks. The ease of separating aluminum cans, glass bottles, and mixed paper after use can reduce what goes into our oceans.

Some of the most massive bodies of water like the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans are some of the major indicators that the planet is changing faster than we realize. Plastics are the biggest problem.

For the first time since 2013, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a major comprehensive review of the climate crisis: what it is, why it is occurring, and the impacts it will have on our planet. According to the National Ocean Service, gyres, or large circulating ocean currents, have the tendency to transport our trash into the open ocean. The most famous is the Great Pacific Garbage patch, and more recently discovered are “soups” of plastic debris in the South Pacific Ocean and the North Atlantic. Trash can circulate within these gyres for years, posing an extreme threat to marine wildlife and further, the seafood industry and world health.

It’s clear that climate change is no longer an issue of the future, but of the present day. And with this understanding we must all look to play a part in a solution.

But here’s the cliched question: How can I help? There are lots of ways to contribute to a solution and help the planet, but after visiting The Marin Sanitary Recycling Center, one in particular stands out to me: rethinking the way we recycle.

Marin Sanitary’s recycling program now separates cardboard and paper from glass bottles and containers, which ensures that the paper will remain dry and uncontaminated if it is resold. After traveling through a “star screen” where the cardboard rolls over and the paper falls through, paper recycling is further divided into three streams: cardboard, mixed paper, and newsprint.

There is a pre-sorting process for container recycling where a magnet pulls off iron-containing metals, a vacuum removes small glass pieces, and a machine sorts out denser materials. Further down the line, sorters then select what plastic and aluminum materials will be kept, specifically plastic bottles made of #1 PET (polyethylene terephthalate), and clear jugs and colored jugs made of #2 HPDE (high-density polyethylene.) ...continued on Page 19

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MARCH 2022 19

DON’T WASTE A CHANCE TO EDUCATE Check out our Free Educational Programs!

EDUCATE STUDENTS HELP YOUR SCHOOL SAVE THE PLANET

4R Planet Educational Programs help districts, schools, and classrooms to develop comprehensive waste reduction and recycling programs with virtual and in-person resources.

We can provide you with the tools you need, free of charge, to implement successful school recycling programs and comply with California state law!

• Virtual and In-Person Training for Staff and Students • Virtual and In-Person Tours of our Recycling Center led by a Recycling Coordinator • Lessons for your Classroom • Compiled lists of articles, games, and lessons that can be done in the Classroom or at Home • Guides, instructions, and worksheets for Waste Activities

LEARN MORE AT WWW.MARINSANITARYSERVICE.COM/SCHOOLS

Currently, MSS is only reselling #1 PET bottles and #2 HDPE jugs, compared with other plastics whose markets are failing. If kept free of dust, glue, and food residue, then PET can be sent to be recycled in California and Georgia and included in new plastic bottles.

But it has become increasingly difficult and expensive to recycle PET into new bottles because of the demand to meet the Food & Drug Administration’s food safety standards regarding cleanliness. For example, under 10% of all Coca-Cola bottles contain recycled plastic; more often, PET can be converted into synthetic fibers found in clothes and carpets and HPDE into plastic lumber, recycling bins, and toys. But most of these downcycled plastics are not even recyclable. The making of plastics themselves contributes to climate change from the very start of their manufacturing process. In 2015, 24 ethylene plants in the United States emitted the equivalent CO2 as 3.8 million passenger vehicles.

The guilt was overwhelming, and in the presence of it, my memory began to blur. Was that the bag of Doritos I had just shared with my friends the week before? But it didn’t look so lustrous anymore, like a discarded token of the extravagant lifestyle paraded by every teenager around. I found myself looking away. Even the magnificent peacocks who roamed between the yard and parking lot were only there to protect the trash piles from swarms of other birds. Being here, was now subtly threatening.

In a place as beautiful as Marin it was hard to see this ugliness. People often say that living in Marin is like living in a bubble, but I felt this bubble burst as I walked into the center. For me at end…my uncomfortableness revealed just how much we take for granted, how the misshapen wealth of this community takes frequent, convenient dumps on others.

After China implemented its National Sword Policy in January 2018 – a policy which strictly limits the amount of contamination in plastic bales – recycling centers in the United States have been forced to send their plastics

to countries like Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Turkey, which unfortunately do not properly recycle 70% of their own plastic waste. This diversion in the recycling process has saturated these countries with insurmountable levels of dangerous plastic pollution. Poor, developing countries have turned into dumpsites, claimed the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (Gaia).

I have heard the sentence “your actions add up” so many times over the past year. But to see how one plastic bottle quickly turned to sixty then 500 was mind bending. According to The Guardian, the United States did not sign a treaty that would give nations the power to block the import of contaminated, un-recyclable plastics. Beautiful islands in the Pacific are now overrun with plastics without the fair means of removing them.

Workers in countries like Bangladesh, Laos, Ethiopia and Senegal are paid next to nothing for sorting recycling.

And after examining rainbows of plastics present in the guts of dead albatross, researchers for National Geographic have now proven that plastic particles small enough can be ingested, they can be found within us! The more plastics land in places where they can’t be properly handled, the more likely they are to drift back into oceans and even into our own digestive systems.

There is this large disconnect in our community between our daily actions and the way those actions impact others. We often don’t see the repercussions of our actions; we don’t see the dirty crumpled coke can, we see the refreshing drink. And when we don’t see these repercussions it’s easy to turn a blind eye to the situation. I won’t lie, the minute I left MSS I didn’t want to come back. I didn’t want to come back and face the reality that my waste habits were toxic and unsustainable. I didn’t want to leave the comfort of ignorance. I wanted to shut out the experience and continue the way I had before. But I realized with time that it’s this awareness of what we need to change that makes

us stronger, more resilient, and overall better community members. So, I challenge you to stop ignoring our community’s waste problem, and start embracing the changes you can make.

According to the World Wildlife Fund’s initiative, Plastic Smart Cities, plastic waste can be prevented small and large scale in the form of green infrastructure plans, landfill taxes, youth-led initiatives, single-use plastic bans, natural branding, plastic credit systems, and more.

Here are some simple, tangible ways you can get started -Plastic-free cleaning supplies and custodial services help cities develop greener practices. Try products from Blueland, Oceansaver, Smol, and Tru Earth.

-Disposable and edible sachets made from seaweed can replace plastic sachet products (i.e. sachets are single-use plastics sold in the form of condiments and soaps). Try products from Evoware.

-Plastic-free dental hygiene products like tubeless toothpaste and bamboo toothbrushes help reduce the plastic waste stream and dangerous chemical residues. Try Unpaste, DentTabs, and Crush & Brush.

-Download the app, My Little Plastic Footprint, which helps individuals reduce their plastic consumption using the Plastic Mass Index (PMI).

-Join Plastic Free July, which helps millions of people reduce their consumption of single-use drink bottles, coffee cups, packaging, straws and plastic bags.

-Join #breakfreefromplastic, a global movement consisting of organizations and individual supporters envisioning a massive reduction of single-use plastics.

PROUD TO SUPPORT ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION..

Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District l Central Marin Sanitation District l Novato Sanitary District Sewerage Agency of Southern Marin l Sausalito-Marin City Sanitary District l Tiburon Sanitary District

To report a polluter call 1-800-SAV-R-BAY

SHINING A LIGHT

Longtime Bay Area reporter has seen a lot on his beats. But he’s still all in on journalism and a bit of a boy scout at heart

BY CHLOE CRAFT and GILLIAN REYNOLDS JUNIORS, REDWOOD HIGH SCHOOL

22 FASTFORWARD

MARCH 2022

“I like writing stories that help make the world a better place.

I like talking to people and having adventures, and I want to make a difference. And when you’re doing journalism — whether it’s internet, newspapers, TV, radio — WE’RE THE GOOD GUYS.”

K

evin Fagan has been one of the good guys for four decades, working his way up from small newspapers to the Oakland Tribune and then the San Francisco Chronicle, where he’s been a prize-winning reporter since 1992. His journalistic career really began, though, at Livermore High School’s student newspaper, The Torch (“the most amazing thing I’d ever experienced”), so it’s only fitting that Fagan met with FastForward recently to discuss his career and the craft of reporting.

KEVIN FAGAN HAS BEEN ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS FOR FOUR DECADES

He worked his way up from small newspapers to the Oakland Tribune and later the San Francisco Chronicle, where he’s been a prize-winning reporter since 1992. His journalistic career really began, though, at Livermore High School’s student newspaper, The Torch (“the most amazing thing I’d ever experienced”), so it’s fitting that Fagan met with Fast Forward recently via zoom to discuss his career and the craft of reporting.

After earning his journalism degree from San Jose State, “I did the usual thing with a backpack and a guitar and went to Europe and worked at the BBC doing radio news in London, went over to Ireland, covered some of the troubles over there, and came back here.” At the Chronicle “I started out as a crime reporter, then I was a feature reporter, a homeless reporter, a disaster reporter, and then I covered City Hall politics. I just tried to do a little of everything.”

Although natural disasters and serial killers have been among Fagan’s specialties — he’s covered the Zodiac Killer for 25 years, and his eight-part podcast on the Doodler has garnered wide attention here and abroad — “homelessness is the thing that really captures my heart.”

From 2003 to 2006, he became the only beat reporter in the United States covering homelessness full time. “I spent six months sleeping on the streets of San Francisco with a photographer named Brant Ward. We didn’t want to just do stories about sad homeless people, we wanted

to try to figure out what worked. And at the end of it, we did a five-day series that showed the depth of the problem, how we got there, and how to fix it, as far as we could tell.” Fagan spent the next four years traveling the country, covering the story on a national scale, and for the past five years he’s headed up the Chronicle’s big picture “San Francisco Homeless Project.”

Working on such an involved and personal story gave Fagan insight into the concept of journalistic detachment from his subject. “You’re a human being. You can allow yourself to show some empathy, to feel empathy. And homeless people can tell if you’re being sincere or not. If you don’t care about the people you’re writing about, you don’t have much business writing about them. You want someone to be honest with you — and revealing — and to trust you to take the part of their life that they’re giving to you, and trust that you will handle it responsibly, and be sensitive, and be honest.” But “keep a boundary.

Because if you get too close, you get sucked into their world, and you don’t want to be in their world. You want to be reporting on their world.”

Several homeless programs have been created based on Fagan’s reportage.

“Homeward Bound, the program that sends people home on buses because they want to reunite with family and friends, was based on a story I wrote years ago.

There’s also more street outreach, and supportive housing has been increased.”

But homelessness is a complicated prob-

lem “that’s about a lot more than people sitting around in tents. It goes deeply into poverty, minimum wage, the way we create a split between rich and poor in this country.”

One changing factor in modern journalism is art and photography. “When I started out in the Pleistocene era, shooting your own photos was an indicator that you were on a penny press paper that couldn’t afford photographers. Now it’s what everyone does. It’s better to have a professional photographer, but sometimes all you’re going to get are the photos that some schlub like me shoots. So, shoot a lot.”

The pandemic has been another gamechanger. “For a while I couldn’t even go out. Doing everything by phone is not good. We were using stock photos for some of the stories. But Covid will go away at some point, and we’ll all be able to get back to doing real things again, like more photos and videos. I’m a word guy, I really don’t like shooting photos and videos, but I have to for my work, because that’s the modern era.”

In a career of covering everything from 9/11 and the Columbine massacre to the Ghost Ship and Wine Country fires, Fagan hasn’t lost his lifelong love for the newspaper business. “The thing that’s really made me unhappy in recent years is this trope about us being fake news. I was a Boy Scout when I was a kid, and I consider journalism to be a bit of an extension of that. You tell the truth. And you try to shine a light on things that need lights shone on them.”

An Amazing Twist Can one person change the world?

The life’s work of Lynne Twist,

environmentalist, social activist and critically acclaimed author of The Soul of Money, suggests that with passion and determination, the answer is yes.

“A hungry child doesn’t cry out as an Ethiopian, a hungry child doesn’t cry out as an Italian, a hungry child cries out as a human being in the space of our lives as human beings.”

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BY MINNA HIBBITTS SENIOR, MARIN ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL

As a tireless advocate for the planet’s downtrodden and for the planet itself, she’s spent the past four decades tackling some of our greatest challenges head on, writing, speaking and working with the likes of Mother Teresa, Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama. Though we only had an hour to talk with her, her downto-earth modesty as she discussed her groundbreaking accomplishments blew us all away.

As an Illinois high school student in the early 1960s, Lynne was deeply engaged in social and global issues — “way more than most of the young people in my time.” Growing up in a politically active family, she developed a social consciousness that played a critical role in shaping her and informing her life’s work. When she graduated from high school in 1963, the Civil Rights Movement was in full force. Lynne quickly became involved, drawing inspiration from young, dynamic President John F. Kennedy and the “sense of possibility about the world” he aroused. Kennedy’s death was a deeply traumatic experience for Lynne and the many other members of her generation who felt that Kennedy was “their president.” Youth across the country were outraged by his murder, which Lynne believes unleashed the hurricane of unrest that followed — the escalation of the Civil Rights Movement, the feminist movement, environmentalism, and the anti-Vietnam War protests — all of which Lynne was very much a part of.

As a young adult, Lynne was inspired

by Buckminster Fuller, the humanist designer and architect Lynne considered “the grandfather of the future.” Fuller became her mentor and role model, demonstrating that the difference one makes as an individual can have an impact on all of humanity. She adopted this belief and made a commitment to effect as much positive change as she could during her lifetime; her 40-plus years of global activism testify to her dedication.

When she introduced Fuller to anoth26

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er one of her personal heroes, Werner Erhard, founder of EST (Erhard Seminars Training), the Hunger Project was born.

When it was founded in 1977, the audacious goal of this global grassroots organization was to end world hunger. Despite the demands of raising three children, Lynne acted as the project’s fundraiser, requiring her to travel to Ethiopia, India, and Bangladesh. She described the experience as “somewhat inconvenient”: “Fundraising for the end of world hunger was a big job.” When the Hunger Project was established, a quarter of the Earth’s population was hungry. Most were children under the age of 5 — “That were a billion hungry children.” Though Lynne didn’t know the first thing about fundraising, her deep sense of purpose made up for it.

The project’s objective was to find ways to move financial resources that would give more people the chance to live healthy and productive lives. But an economic solution wasn’t enough. Lynne wanted to promote the realization that “a hungry child doesn’t cry out as an Ethiopian, a hungry child doesn’t cry out as an Italian, a hungry child cries out as a human being in the space of our lives as human beings.” She wanted people to see beyond the statistics — to see that these children were their children too — and that it was everyone’s responsibility to help in any way they could. She developed a fundraising methodology that reflected the principles she believed in: love, integrity, and dignity. She didn’t want to exploit the “pornography of hunger and poverty,” vowing never to use the faces of starving children to guilt people into donating, which was contrary to the values and aims of the project. Instead, she focused on the strength, resilience, and commitment of people living with hunger to destigmatize the issue. She wanted the more privileged to understand that these are their fellow humans, their equals, and victims of circumstance, not “a billion hungry people they needed to help” but co-equal partners in improving the human condition. She’s honored to partner with the men, women, and children on the frontlines of hunger because they’re the most committed to ending this global affliction.

Her work with the project helped Lynne see “the front and back sides of the hand of hunger. The front side of the hand of hunger is starvation, malnutrition — people with physical hunger, it’s

devastating, painful, heartbreaking. The back side of the hand of hunger is the hunger in our world, the hunger of the affluent, the hunger of the privileged to make a difference. That’s a different kind of hunger.” She realized that to truly effect change, the two sides had to be treated as one.

To address the “back side” of hunger and to harness the willpower of the more privileged who wanted to make a difference, Lynne created the Soul of Money Institute in 2003. It was and remains today a center for exploring and sharing the best practices, theories, and attitudes surrounding money. Its goal is to transform people’s relationship with money, to help them recognize that money is fluid and doesn’t belong to any one person, and to recognize opportunities to move it to the highest good, no matter where you are on the economic spectrum. Lynne had seen firsthand “how dysfunctional our relationship with money is, how much suffering there is around money, how people make money the point of life.” Moving money toward the highest good became the institute’s central fundraising goal.

This approach was phenomenally successful, bringing in “hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars from people on all levels of the economic spectrum.”

The institute received donations “from people at all levels, from people who could barely put $15 a month away ... to those who gave a million dollars … and everybody in between, mostly normal, regular people who realized that ‘I have a responsibility.’” The funds the Institute raised provided financial resources for the Hunger Project.

A story from the early days of the Hunger Project is a testament to just how impactful and universal Lynne’s message has been. She was asked to deliver a speech to an audience of CEOs and executives from the most prominent organizations working to combat hunger and poverty, like UNICEF, Save the Children, Feed the Hungry, and Oxfam. There was a belief then that “a pie of resources” existed that was finite and shrinking, and Lynne remembers standing in front of the 200 or so heads of these “giant multimillion-dollar organizations” and sensing palpable resistance to another organization taking up the cause of ending world hunger. Though she didn’t know the first thing about business, marketing, or accounting, “what I could

Lynne Twist in a Bangladeshi village.

talk about was the heart and soul of humanity. I knew about the human heart. I knew about the resilience of the human spirit.” So she vowed that the Hunger Project would expand the pie of financial resources by generating more donors for everybody and would raise consciousness about ending world hunger. By the end of her speech, Lynne was in tears and the audience was giving her a standing ovation.

Lynne and her Hunger Project partners kept their word, bringing millions and millions of people to the cause to fund the organization of their choice.

“That was our fundraising methodology,” Lynne explained, “to be so generous as to invite everyone to get involved in financing the end of world hunger.”

Today the Hunger Project and the Soul of Money Institute are thriving organizations that have transformed the lives of hundreds of millions of people

around the world.

So how can we effectively fight for the issues we believe in?

That was our final question for Lynne, and her answer was full of wisdom and hope: that we must move energy and time “away from overconsumption, away from defense, away from argument, away from conflict, and toward what we love: the health and well-being of our communities, the health and well-being of our families, the health and well-being of our world, the health and well-being of our democracy, and the health and well-being of all children of all species for all time.” She believes it’s crucial to be aware that our actions are significant and will affect future generations, and by fostering and nourishing each other and our world, we can overcome many of the world’s problems.

Lynne is also inspired by the youth generation, believing we carry the po-

tential, power, smarts, savvy, capacity, and depth to meet any of the issues we face, and are well-equipped to face them head on. By coming together to overcome these obstacles, Lynne believes “we will be stronger, more resilient, wiser and more loving. That is the future. That is the future that I know is there for you.”

The Marin County Free Library’s Mission is to provide welcoming, equitable and inclusive opportunities for all to connect, learn and explore. A core strategy to achieve our Mission is providing resources and information that will help our community learn about and more deeply engage in racial equity.

Visit: marinlibrary.org

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SMALL SCHOOL

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SPONSORING SAN PEDRO SCHOOL GARDEN Each month Sloat Garden Center offers a $250 garden grant to a new Marin County school.

The Farm at San Pedro School provides fresh produce for the SRCS school meal program.

When COVID hit the farm became an emergency food distribution site with over 60,000 pounds of organic produce delivered to Covid positive families doorsteps throughout Marin County.

Our School Garden - The Farm Lori Davis, Garden Teacher Our favorite thing about the garden is there are lots of butterflies and it’s pretty seeing all the flowers. We also plant food because it goes into our school lunches. — Brianna and Nancy, 4th Grade We like to plant seeds and see the plants grow.

Then we like to eat the food!

— Louie and Angel, 4th Grade I like walking into the garden and seeing all the flowers. They smell so good— Lemny, 4th Grade Our school lunch has the vegetables we grow in the garden. — Rosmery, 4th Grade We love our garden teacher, Ms. Davis.

— Christian and Michael, 4th Grade I love the flowers in the garden.

— Yenifer, 4th Grade I like to watch everything grow in the garden.

— Rolfi, 4th Grade To learn more about our work with Bay Area school gardens, visit www.sloatgardens.com

Mill Valley: 401 Miller Ave. 415-388-0365 & 657 E. Blithedale Ave. 415-388-0102 Kentfield: 700 Sir Francis Drake Blvd. 415-454-0262 Novato: 2000 Novato Blvd. 415-897-2169

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29

Strawberry Point School

Anya Esmail, 5th Grade

Fede Tellez Patterson, 5th Grade

Casey Clemons, 5th Grade

FastForward visited Danny Gasparini’s and Rachel Quek’s 5th Grade students to conduct a writing workshop.

Skiing Adrian Hale My heart is pounding in my chest, I stare down at the mountain as if I am on top of the Burj Khalifa. I hear a plane flying just above my head because. I’m not afraid— yeah, I am. I drop in and I feel the wind brushing against my face as if I am going 100 mph. The sweet scent of cinnamon buns is waiting for me at the bottom of the run. The snow feels like a pillow in my hand. I taste the sweet crisp pine whooshing through the air. I pick up a lot of speed and ...... SHOOF! I feel as if I am Superman flying through the air. I quickly do an unnatural double cork 1260 ... and I land it. “That is the hardest trick in skiing,” someone shouts. “If you try hard enough you can accomplish anything.”

Volleyball Izzy Rupp Shoes squeaking on the hardwood floor.

The ball is coming down over my head ... smack I hit it over right where I wanted it. That was the best hit I’ve ever had.

My family signals me a thumbs up. I can see their smiles under their mask. My team was cheering for me, I felt warm and fuzzy inside. I felt like I found myself right there in that moment. I belonged.

That was the first game my team has ever won.

Lacrosse Tashi Perkins Your teammate crosses the sideline, and you dash to the field like a cheetah chasing its prey. Adrenaline rushes through your veins and you feel your heart pounding with bravery. The ball shoots in the 30 FASTFORWARD

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air. Flying to another person’s net. You race to the ball and before you can even say, “Holy Guacamole” you catch the ball right in time. Now you are the target as if you are adventuring in the Amazon rainforest. Every single animal has their eyes on you. A pack of lions chasing a meerkat.

my room. There I opened the box where I had put my little bird friend I found in the nearby stream. My friend hatched a few days before we arrived in Alaska.

When I found her, there was no nest and no mother. I looked at her fluffy feathers, then quickly closed the box and ran to the door, sliding down the hill to the stream.

Hawaii Ramzi Bryson The volcano is gurgling, palm trees swaying in the wind, waves crashing on the shore, and coral reefs teeming with fish. I jump off the boat into the secret reef. That was so fun. Waves crashing against super sharp giant rocks. The water is spraying so high. With a thunderous crash gravity pulls it back to earth.

Crabby Surprise Simon Peled Thousands of little orange creatures with nasty claws entering my driveway and storming my pool.”Moooommmm!!l!”

The warm sun was up against my face.

My heart was racing and the hot tub mist was fluttering in the air like majestic butterflies, but what was in my driveway was NOT majestic, it was terrifying.

I slowly stuttered, “Mom, come to the driveway, please.” Her jaw dropped. We all screamed, “CRAAABS!”

Activism Sasha Luzato I don’t play by the rules. I don’t listen.

Somebody asks me to do a writing assignment I consider running out of the classroom and take a plane to Mexico. I try to make my world better and stand up for what’s right, but it is a lot harder than it looks. I am a child activist. That’s who I am.

Alaska Adventure Emily Gore I gazed out at the bay and bolted past the cabin on my dad’s three-wheeler.

I slammed my foot on the pedal and we jerked forward, the many logs and branches dragged behind me. I climbed up the rope to our old, abandoned cabin.

I yanked off my shoes and sprinted into

Chocolate Anya Esmail Chocolate is the satisfying SNAP when you break it in half. The warm sensation of chocolate in your mouth is like heaven with a cherry on top. Imagine a creamy, warm, and delicious flavor with a hint of caramel or mint. Each flavor melts in my mouth with a new story, a new adventure.

Cheese Mason McCrea You might be interested in the most expensive cheese on the planet. The Pule cheese is a circular greenish white cheese. Pule cheese is worth $600 per pound. Why is this cheese so expensive?

Pule cheese is so expensive because of its

me. Buzz and a flicker. I collect retro stuff.

Rollercoasters Hudson Martin Going so fast through the endless void of space my face is as flat as a pancake and my stomach feels like it’s behind me. I’m bobsledding with a Yeti and I see him through the ice ready to chase me all across the mountain.

Ode to Doughnuts Sabrina McEntee Doughnuts are circles from heaven. You take a bite and a burst of flavor coats your tongue. So many types to eat, so many flavors to smell! When I sleep I dream of doughnuts.

Micah Berguig, 5th Grade rarity, only 100 donkeys are milked for this specific cheese and it takes six and 1/2 gallons of milk to make two pounds of Pule cheese. While you were reading that you may have been thinking, “Did he say donkeys?” Yes, I did say donkeys. Donkeys, cows, goats and sheep give milk for cheese. I bet you didn’t know that. With all that said, I gotta’ go eat some cheese.

Painting Bellamy Herndon The color explodes on the paper. Greens and blues. The texture of a wet, smooth paint brush brings me joy. Paint fills the air around me. When I finish a painting, I’m inspired to make more paintings.

Basketball Skylar Duffy Sweat drips down my face like a wet slobbery kiss from an excited puppy. I hear the squeaking sound from my shoes. There are 15 seconds left in the game. I hear heavy breathing. The buzzer goes off. Will it go in? The ball circles around the hoop a few times and finally goes in! We won!! This was the moment we were the top girls’ basketball team.

My Retro Collection Rourke Blignaut Clunk! And then there’s a hiss and black and white dots dance on the screen, clunk, clunk, clunk, click and it turns off. Piles and piles of retro stuff is stacked behind

Baseball Alexander Ting Bang crash something almost ended my life. I was getting ready for the fight of my life and we were facing off against the nine and zero baseball team in the travel ball championship.

I was put into center field and in one split second something hit me.

I could barely feel the hard fake grass and I could hear the people yelling my name, when my team was rushing over, time started to slow down. I could barely sit up. At noon I could see the stars of my galaxy. The adults carried me to the bench.

When I fell on the bench it felt like I passed out. When I woke up I could smell the crisp frying of our victory donuts.

Basketball Ronin Wong I feel the pressure. 5 seconds on the clock, you inbound the ball, sprint only to get double teamed, then crossover and you see the opponent fall like you pushed him. Now you take the shot for the buzzer and the net goes swish! That’s what it feels like to be in the moment of basketball. You taste victory before the game even starts like you can predict the future. You hear the crowd roar your name. You feel the glass shatter as you do a slam dunk over the seven-foot opponent’s head. When I play basketball, I feel my anger disappear as if it was never there. I feel like I am in my dreamland destination in Staples Center in game 7 of the NBA finals against the rival Celtics. I feel the energy from the 40,000 people coming to do the same thing.

Things We Know to be True

Mr. Gasparini’s and Mrs. Quek’s students

School is about learning, making friends, and playing.

Writing is AMAZING. Hard work pays off.

Learning to never give up and always give my all helps me.

All that glitters is not gold.

Fishing makes me happy and brightens my day.

Family is everything.

Belonging is feeling like it’s home.

Actions speak louder than words.

School helps me make friends.

Belonging can be very difficult.

You cannot always win.

Positivity makes life better.

Adding two numbers together gives you a sum and that’s called math.

To be a good friend you need to be kind and empathetic.

A good deed is helping your parents do a chore.

The severed head of a sea slug can grow a whole new body.

To be a friend you have to be understanding and respectful.

Everyone deserves to be treated kindly.

To save the environment you need to sort your trash and you need to also to re-use re-use and reduce.

Kindness, thoughtfulness, and caring for others = friendship.

Covid ruined school because we couldn’t socialize.

Some sea snakes can breathe through their skin.

My friends are always there to be funny.

Trying your best will benefit you.

Hard work leads to success.

Playing sports helps you create bonds with friends.

The higher the grades, the harder the homework.

When you challenge yourself, you’re always getting better.

It’s important to treat people fairly.

Friendship is an unbreakable bond.

Dolphins sleep with one eye open.

Being creative inspires others.

Determination is always going to pay off.

Let paint dry.

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Strawberry Point School Continued from Page 29...

Soccer by Logan Eisenbud Flashing lights fill my startled head. Cheers and boos distract my mind from what needs to be done. I patiently wait for the game to start; not knowing what will unfold. My hands start to rapidly shake, sweat slowly drips down my four head, flashing lights, I feel like I’m about to burst… silence. Everything starts to slow down as I shut my eyes.

I take a few deep breaths. The soothing air fills my nervous lungs and calm my body. My cleats clap across the ground. I get into position, wait for the whistle.

Art by Valentina Portillo Paper scrunching. I am watching a pencil move side to side, up and down. There is a smell of sharp pencils and wet paint brushes, dripping. The beautiful art pieces comes to life. A big furry creature jumps up and down looking around. I am in a big colorful world with pink, teal, and green everywhere. I can’t stop smiling.

Soccer by Kai Angeles Picture this: 90th minute, one minute of overtime left, champions league final. You hear the fans chanting. You feel the air from the ball in your face with sweat drip-

ping down. You jump up, turn backwards, and then… PING! It hits the post and goes in the top corner. One. More. Kick. Then, the whistle blows. The crowd goes crazy and the coach and everyone on the bench rushes out to you. Best. Day. Ever. Soccer connects people in the best way.

Swimming by Nathalie Anglen 3, 2, 1…BEEP! My heart raced. I pushed off the diving block into the cold deep water. I had to win this race, had to! With the butterfly stroke, I pushed my arms in circles through the water over and over again. As I breathed, I’d hear screaming for a moment and then it would fade away as the water sucked my head back in. For the last lap I flip-turned and sprinted into my freestyle. I saw the wall a few feet from me, and as I touched it, I immediately looked at the board. I wasn’t first, but I was happy.

Tennis by Ireland Cameron The coach smiled as she put the medal around my neck! I admired the bright red and orange sheen. There was a tennis ball picture on the medal. I love the competition of playing tennis, the hot burning sun on my face, playing with friends, meeting new people.

Drawing by Sae Tsutsui My hands move more quickly than ever and outline the characters perfectly. I draw light-

ly, so there will be no marks of the outline left when I erase it. I draw the details and see the characters moving in my head. I see them smiling at me.

Baking by Charlie Howe When I bake a big cake, I feel the slimy whites of the eggs and taste the sweet sugar. I hear the flower pouring into the bowl and watch the cake rise in the oven. When it is done, it smells like lavender Dirt Biking by Clark Collman As the wind brushed against my face a smile appeared on it. I was a dirt biking up at Wheelers in Modesto CA. My hands on the handlebars controlling my speed. As I looked at the ground below, I saw the dusty road. I saw Rachel coming up ahead and with a blink of an eye I zoomed faster. It turns out that the hill was a jump and now I was 50 feet up in the air.

Basketball by Dean Jabbar As I walked back onto the court, I felt sweat coming down my face at every angle. I told myself, let’s go win this game! I heard the sound of sneakers and got into my position. It was my time to shine my teammate past the ball to me. I pull up for three and… SWISH! I shot the game-winner. The crowd was jumping up and down. It felt like the whole stadium shook.

Celebrating the Beauty of Organic

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Art HeadSpace Mill Valley Middle School ART TEACHER Kim Tran

Nico Brand, 8th Grade

Fiona Bailey, 8th Grade Sonia Manshouri, 8th Grade

Amy Le, 8th Grade

Amelia Green, 8th Grade

PROUD TO SPONSOR STUDENT ART MON—SAT 10AM - 6PM Sun 11AM - 4PM 415-457-2787

1138 FOURTH STREET SAN RAFAEL WWW.RILEYSTREET.COM

San Rafael High School Theatre “Into the Woods” by Stephen Sondheim

Front, left to right: Front Row: Amanda Chang, Leyla Winton, Luca Fondnazio, Serena Killlingsworth, Ophyra Martin and Jennifer Jackson Middle Row, l to r: Cristy Lopez , Miranda Maldonado, Liliana Peixotto, Sidney Labovich, Nicole Wasserman, Alex Balistreri and Kevin Allen (Teacher) Back Row: Gabriela Finell, Olivya Arens, Olivia Genolio, Penelope Sonnet, Cole Morris, Cooper Burdick, Zander Mercer, Ryan Gundersen, Ms. Deamer (Teacher & Producer), Angeline Phan and Vechara Ly

In this Sondheim masterpiece, Fairy tale characters meet in the woods as they search for meaning in their lives whether it’s a child, a prince, gold or a parent.

San Rafael High School’s Hayes Theatre - March 24, 25, 26 at 7:30 pm; Sunday March 27 at 2:00.

Students say: I remember joining theatre my first year of high school, and ever since I fell in love with the performing arts. Joining led me to self-confidence, speaking clearly, and having the best time of my life!

I meet people who instantly become family and we create remarkable memories. — CRISTY LOPEZ Theatre gave me a new sense of belonging and new found confidence. — LUCA FONDNAZIO I joined this program because I love Into the Woods. I was nervous during auditions but everyone was really accepting and cheered me on. I now know everyone’s names and there is a strong sense of community.

We all got a role, and we’re working hard to nail our performance. — SERENA KILLINGSWORTH I like doing things that are challenges and appreciate being part of something on a stage that normally is out of people’s comfort zone; and, you’re free to do whatever pleases you. — RYAN GUNDERSEN It is very fun to be in the play as I get to be with my friends and create something special alongside a bunch of very talented people. No one judges you, and you feel “free, to do whatever pleases you! — ALEXANDER MERCER I get a chance to perform, meet new friends and learn the ropes of being on stage, and have fun doing it. — COLE MORRIS The play was a different experience for me. After being silenced by my own condition, I finally got to breathe and be on the stage with the cool set and actors. It felt so alive! It almost felt like a dream that was too good to be true. I would never forget being in this play and forever hold it close to me. — JOVANI RODRIGUEZ Into the Woods is a very emotional and intense show. It allows each cast member to express a variety of feelings in a given moment. It also brings together a group of passionate young actors. — OLIVIA RUBIN This musical has given me a chance to challenge myself vocally, as an alato-mezzo cast and as a soprano; it’s a very fun and interesting experience. — LEYLA WINTON

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