Fast Forward | January - February 2021

FastForward Vol. 30 #3 January-February 2021

education. advocacy. amplification.

A group of Gen Z students initiate a call to action The Reclamation Project Awareness with committment to action, a dream for a whole new world

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CONTENTS

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021

For our cover story, we interviewed Ellie Twohey, Alicia G and Amy Nam, the Founders of The Reclamation Project. As Gen-Z students, they have united to promote awareness on issues such as racism and mental health. We were inspired as we talked with them about biases and microaggressions and how to take action to heal and help create a new world. We interviewed journalist and news anchor Kristen Sze, gaining understanding of how to sort through facts from fiction. We talked with actress Beth Behrs who grew up locally in Marin County, learning how persevering through failures can lead to success. We also spoke with author Shannon Messenger whose books such as “Keeper of the Lost Cities”” (and more) are treasured.

FASTFORWARD PUBLISHER: Winifred MacLeod winifred@fastforwardweb.com 415-272-3569 775 E.Blithedale Ave #388 Mill Valley, CA 94941 Published by KidSpeak, Inc., Vol 30 #3 www.fastforwardweb.com EDITORS: Zadie Winthrop (High School) + Emerson Swift (Middle School) CONTRIBUTING INTERVIEWERS/WRITERS: Jackie Chin, Jack Callaway, Max Goldman, Patrick HeliosLenihan, Eliza Gould, Anna Palfy, Zadie Winthrop, Lily Leone, Hugo Leinbach, Marguerite WaldmanKaufman, Angela Tsai, Lilah Richman, Semira Robinson, Kimberly DeLeon, Jacob Taichman-Bernstein, Lyla Tipton-Pepper, Wesley Slavin, Simone Harper, Elena Basso, Kayla Burr, Ryan Gamblin, Samantha Ariyoshi, Sydney Ryssemus, Oliver Jenkins CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS: Luke Osborn, Grace Davis, Corrine Dunlavey, Emily Ferron, Judy Gonzalez, Graclyn Hang, Laila Hochschild, Sophia Lumen, Eliotte Mathieson, Charlotte McClatchy, Genevieve Mellberg, Kevin Thacher, Vikram Tyagi, Alamara Varughese

LEARN, EXPAND...

P. 4 THE RECLAMATION PROJECT— COMMITTIING TO CHANGE P. 8 MARIN ACADEMY STUDENT ARTISTS P. 10 KRISTEN SZE — THE LIFE OF A REPORTER P. 12 SHANNON MESSENGER— AN AUTHOR WE LOVE P. 14 BETH BEHRS — A LOCAL GIRL’S SUCCESS STORY IN LA P. 18 ARTIST SPOTLIGHT — LUKE OSBORN P. 20 ST. ISABELLA SCHOOL — FEATURED SCHOOL P. 22 ENVIRONMENTAL PAGE — SHOP LOCAL! P. 25 ART PAGE— EDNA MAGUIRE SCHOOL

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THE RECLAMATION

PROJECT

WRITERS/REPORTERS: Jackie Chin, Jacob Taichman-Bernstein, Jack Callaway, Kimberly DeLeon, Eliza Gould, Simone Harper, Marguerite Walden-Kaufman, Patrick Helios-Lenihan, Lyla Tipton-Pepper, Semira Robinson and Zadie Winthrop FROM: Branson, Marin Academy, Marin School of the Arts, Davidson Middle, Phillips Academy Andover, San Rafael High, Sacred Heart Preparatory, Sidwell Friends High, Tamalpais High, Urban School of San Francisco

ALICIA G CO-DIRECTOR

ELLIE TWOHEY MANAGING EDITOR

AMY NAM C0FOUNDER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The Reclamation Project is a youth-led international non-profit organization that empowers marginalized communities by addressing the lack of diversity in the media and in educational curricula.

WHO WE ARE and HOW IT ALL BEGAN:

AMY: As the Co-Founder of the Reclamation Project, my dream is focused on helping others and educating and empowering people. I got interested in social activism and starting The Reclamation Project after watching a documentary a few months ago, called “Miss Representation.” It changed the way I perceive the media and the way I perceived my education. It showed about how the media influences us, and how the media can perpetuate all of these issues, such as sexism and racism, and how I had formed all of these biases against myself and my identity because of what I saw in the media. It inspired and empowered me to do something to combat this issue of misrepresentation, and under-representation in the media.

I researched a bunch of ideas on Google 4 FASTFORWARD JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021

and got the idea of a magazine. I was really excited about it. I was in a writing program and told people I was starting a magazine, and if they were interested to contact me. We started a social media account and got people together to form our team. Some of us are from Canada, some from the States, and we even have some people from Australia, Hong Kong and India.

THE MAGAZINE: MANY STORIES AND MANY POINTS OF VIEW — Poetry, prose, artwork, photography: How did you learn to curate such a wide variety of content?

ELLIE: Our goal with this magazine is to raise awareness for important issues we care about and issues we believe

are important for others to care about.

With our audience, and with our executive, writing, creative and editorial teams, it’s important to publish sub-

“[Activism] can’t be limited to social media, because it’s one thing to just like and share a post.

But it’s another thing to actively commit yourself to doing that work every day, outside of social media. It’s like signing petitions, it’s going to a protest, its lobbying government officials and putting other people in power.” ~ Amy Nam

We want people to be able to identify with the stories that our generation sees.

When we began, we were all minors — high school students running a magazine; and then it turned into this bigger organization.

At the moment, our entire exact team is made up of Gen Z individuals. We have a really interesting perspective on the world that differs greatly from a lot of the older generations because of things like social media and the Internet that have created this whole new world.

~ Ellie Twohey

missions that people can identify with. We’re not looking for just interesting, beautiful pieces of writing, but hope a reader might think, “I see myself in this piece of writing.” Even if it’s just one person who can identify with one piece, it makes all the difference, and it’s really why we do what we do. It’s because we want to have a genuine impact on people and bring awareness to issues at the same time.

COLLECTIVE LEADERSHIP — WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

ALICIA: It’s really important that our overall team can have different perspectives and various ways we can relate to each other and learn from one another. We want to educate ourselves about the experiences that our closest friends are experiencing. There is no single story to one’s experience with things like anti-racism, or problems relating to social justice.

It’s really valuable for us to have a team that can have a diverse point of view and can bring a lot to what our organization will stand for and will continue to stand for. That’s probably the biggest value that we have in both our executive teams and our overall writing, creative, and editorial teams for The Reclamation Project.

SOCIAL MEDIA — How do you use it, and how do you see activism expanding beyond social media?

AMY: Our first activism post was about the Black Lives Matter movement — how people can help and how people can keep the momentum going. It blew up, we got over 200,000 likes, and we thought “This is crazy.” People got involved with our organization. Activism through social media is quite important because social media is such a good way to share information really quickly. You can spread awareness incredibly fast.

But activism can’t be limited to social media, because it’s one thing to like and share a post. It’s another thing to actively commit yourself to doing that work every day, outside of social media. It’s signing petitions, going to protests, lobbying government officials and putting other people in power.

@thereclaimproject

DIRECTION OF THE MAGAZINE:

AMY: It’s nice to see the impact that the magazine has on people and how people feel represented when reading about the issues in our magazine, and how they feel empowered and educated.

Once we realized this, we thought, ‘why just stop at a magazine?’ We wanted to expand our organization and increase its scope. We have revised our mission and vision. And we have been delving more into youth education and empowerment. We have a lot of new initiatives planned. It mostly relates to actually going into schools and educating students on important issues.

INITIATIVES OF THE ORGANIZATION?

AMY: We are in the process of creating educational resources, which includes recommended reading lists, lesson plans, workshop plans for students. It’s mainly for students in elementary and kindergarten schools, because we feel like this type of education is never too early to start, in efforts to prevent any biases from forming with students. That is one initiative. We’re also hoping to get chapters. We’ve created numerous chapter resources and are currently marketing our application forms.

We are looking to have future events like open mics because it’s such a good way to build community amongst our audience.

60 posts 22.5k followers 1,506 following HOW TO HOLD SCHOOLS ACCOUNTABLE:

ELLIE: A lot of people have been sharing and coming forward with experiences of prejudice and racism. Some schools don’t respond at all. They ignore issues such as racism or bullying.

Some have a particular response — but it doesn’t really go anywhere. For issues of racism, there needs to be a standard consistent approach that schools take to address these issues head on. At the same time, this has to extend into their education system, into their curriculum. Schools are very powerful — they must recognize they have a responsibility to students and to their parents. Schools must keep people educated and weave in diversity, anti-prejudice, and anti-racist ideals into their teaching.

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THE APPROACH — What should it be?

ALICIA: Facing it head-on and accepting that each school and organization has its own magnitude of the problem of racism. Schools have to do something to allow students to feel safe while getting their education — so that this can be the main focus. They must eliminate distractions such as social justice related problems that could affect students and their education as well. Our organization commits to an action plan that gives our audience resources and motivation to help them create change in their communities. And I think that’s probably the most important part of sharing our social media posts with a call to action, in order to make our message more effective.

TACTICS TO COUNTER WHITE NATIONALIST HATE GROUPS OR OTHER EXTREMIST CONTENT — As social media disseminates vital

information to those in support of racial and gender equity, it can also cause harm by fueling white nationalist hate groups and other races or extremist content. What are some tactics to counter this online?

ELLIE: You’re going to face aaggression and hateful comments from people who don’t follow you and/or take offense.

Sometimes you will have people who say things that are completely untrue. We are here to provide resources and a platform for people to amplify their voices. We do not answer hateful comments or address them, because we know that they’re untrue. And if there are people making actual posts about white nationalism and white supremacy, these posts should be reported and taken down because they’re extremely hateful, and they just should not be on the internet.

CANCEL-CULTURE — HOW DO YOU EDUCATE YOUR FOLLOWERS? — Social media

really fuels Cancel culture, which is a trend that is about canceling problematic people. How do you educate your followers about Cancel culture?

ELLIE: We want to give people the opportunity to learn and grow from mistakes, especially if those mistakes occur one time, or something is going on in a person’s life that causes them to act out of character. If they said something they shouldn’t have, then apologize while recognizing the hurtful impact of their words and actions, they should not be bullied or harrassed. In other instances, you may see a pattern that’s gone on for years with various public figures. There are patterns of behavior. If someone is having a bad impact on the world, and you are following them, then this person doesn’t necessarily deserve a platform. This should never be done through anything mean or hateful. I say, “Okay, I’m not going to support this person, I’m going to unfollow them, I’m not going to give them money.” That’s where it should end.

TRIGGER WARNINGS — Their importance?

When posting content on social media, how does this action spread mental health awareness.

AMY: The act of putting trigger warnings on our posts helps to ensure that our platform and art community are safe spaces that don’tt intentionally or unintentionally harm people, and it helps us to build trust with our audience. As an organization with a fairly large platform, we want to be mindful of the people who read our content. How does this spread mental health awareness? It lets people with mental illnesses know we see them, we hear them, and we respect them.

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WHITE ALLYSHIP — What is it?

AMY& ALICIA: Allyship won’t end racism. By design, white allyship is conditional and optional. Sometimes people feel like they don’t have to engage in anti-racism work and call themselves an ally. That’s it, and they’re done for the day. But the true work for dismantling racism and white supremacy comes from being proactive about your anti-racism and committing yourself to become antiracist. You can’t just engage yourself in that work whenever it’s convenient for you, you really have to do it every day. The term ‘ally’ can be used to be passive and to say, “I don’t have to do this, because I’m an ally, like, I’m one of the good ones.” But that’s just not enough. Because saying you’re one of the good ones will not end racism.

GAPS: EDUCATING THE OLDER GENERATION about systemic inequities?

ELLIE: You can’t change the fact that older generations may not have had the same access to technology that we have right now, which gives us a really important tool in combating issues of racism. We have completely unlimited access to any story that we want to hear if we want to. If we see ourselves a certain way, and we want to find someone who we identify with, we can just do a Google search, and we can find 10,000 different people with a similar experience. It’s not something we can change. We can’t go back in time. Our generation is surrounded by the Internet. We have that privilege to see people’s stories.

But sometimes with older generations, they may have grown up in smaller, very homogeneous environments.

They haven’t necessarily had a lot of exposure from a young age to different groups. It can be a little hard to get past those preliminary biases that they may have; they may not know that something is problematic, because they didn’t grow up that way. That’s why it’s so important to continue doing the work. As long as you reach out to one more person and educate them, you’re making a big difference.

YOUNGER GENERATIONS — CAN WE LEARN FROM PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT POLITICAL BELIEFS? AMY: Political beliefs especially in this very politically and socially charged climate that we live in have sadly become intertwined with human rights. Some political beliefs and ideologies go against human rights and invalidate people’s identities. I don’t think you can learn anything from those political ideologies, because they’re all fueled from hatred. In terms of things that are unrelated to those, it’s just important to not be stubborn in your thoughts, and to open your mind to different ideas, to promote positive productive discussions instead of just saying, “No, you’re wrong.” But ultimately, you can’t disagree on the basis of human rights.

POSTS THAT GO VIRAL — HOW TO REACH THE LARGEST AUDIENCE?

ELLIE: The call to action is pretty popular. We have a post called “Stop Romanticizing Mental Illness;” it’s a very bold title. People feel called out when they read that, they want to read more. Our most liked post was the “Do Not Ignore This” #blacklivesmatter post. That was another call to action. We feel call-to-actions are very effective in grabbing people’s attention.

FAVORITE MOMENT IN THE ORGANIZATION:

ALICIA: My favorite moment of being at the organization was the sense of community that we have with our team. It is an organization that is mostly online, because we are all in different places. And during this time, the sense of community that we have with each other is wonderful. We’ve bonded so much that I feel I’ve known these people for my whole life, when in reality, I only met some of them a couple months ago. This is also something that encourages us to keep moving forward with the organization.

AN AGENT OF CHANGE IN A PANDEMIC:

AMY: Conversations around making change should start in your own home. If everybody makes the effort to talk about these important issues with their family, siblings, etc., this can make a big difference, especially now when we’re all socially isolated. Raising awareness through social media is big. Right now, a lot of people do little posts on their stories to spread awareness about certain topics. Everyone needs to have a certain level of self-awareness that doesn’t just come down to sharing posts or doing things in public to show your support. They can also call their representatives, they can sign petitions, they can donate to organizations that need help. Little bits of action make a big difference and decide what kind of person you want to be and what your values are and how you can express those values in your community.

WHAT DO WE SAY TO OUR LEADERS IN GOVERNMENT?

ELLIE: It’s important to acknowledge it head on. What are you waiting for?

People are demanding change. People are rallying and lobbying and protesting. We have so many resources at our disposal. There are no more excuses for not taking serious action about these issues. We all can really learn something from the youth who are at the forefront of all this. I believe we will be able to make a lot more change than we imagine, if we start taking more proactive steps from the get-go.

THE PRINCIPLE:

RESTORATIVE JUSTICE: Restorative Justice is the commitment toRestorative building a loving Justice community is the commitment that is sustainable to buildingand a loving growing. community If someone that is in sustainable the community and hurts growing. someone If someone else, weinfocus the community on communicating hurts someone and solvelse, ing we the focus problem on communicating instead of punishing and solvpeople. ing the problem instead of punishing people.

- BLM Guiding Principles - BLM Guiding Principles Thus, our major task is to learn from people so we can connect with them and their experiences.

Below are five things that we can practice individually.

1.) Practice empathy.

2.) Acknowledge, respect, and celebrate all the ways we’re different and everything we have in common.

3.) Believe that all people, regardless of age, show up with the ability to lead and learn.

4.) Commit to practice justice, liberation, and peace.

5.) Black Lives Matter because if some of us aren’t free, then none of us are free.

An excerpt from a post @bipoc.of.marin:

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.

When I was a junior, a group of seniors yelled, “white power” at a rally in front of the entire student body and staff.

Our school did nothing.

The boys were not suspended or expelled.

For more info, Visit: marinlibrary.org FASTFORWARD

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Art Gallery

Katharine Boyd’s and Peter Walker’s art students — Marin Academy

Graclyn Hang

Senior, Marin Academy

Corrine Dunlavey, Senior, Marin Academy

Judy Gonzalez, Senior, Marin Academy

PROUD TO SUPPORT ART

BY STUDENTS OF MARIN 24 Bellam Blvd. San Rafael, CA 94901 415 454-1983 www.bellamstorage.com 8 FASTFORWARD JANUARY-FEBRUARY

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Take part in our photo contest — Page 3

Alamara Varughese, Junior, Marin Academy

Eliotte Mathieson, Senior, Marin Academy Genevieve Mellberg, Senior, Marin Academy Emily Ferron, Senior, Marin Academy

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KRISTEN SZE In today’s political climate, it can be difficult to know what to trust when it comes to getting the most reliable and unbiased information. With the ever-increasing political polarization of the United States, it can feel nearly impossible to find any sort of neutrality when it comes to the news. The need to separate fact from fiction has never been more important than it is today, and we often have no choice but to put our faith into newscasters, trusting that they will do an honest job at aiming for accuracy and removing their personal biases from their reports. Kristen Sze, co-anchor of ABC7 News, is a reporter for the people; she believes it is her duty to deliver truthful, important news each time she is on the air, and works tirelessly to make that happen.

WRITERS/REPORTERS: Max Goldman, Jacob TaichmanBernstein, Jackie Chin, Lily Leone, Marguerite Walden-Kaufman, Hugo Leinbach, Lilah Richman, Semira Robinson, Zadie Winthrop, Ashley Grady, Patrick HeliosLenihan, Kimberly DeLeon, Ana Palfy, Wesley Slavin, Eliza Gould, Jack Callahan SCHOOLS: Branson, Marin Academy, Marin School of the Arts, Davidson Middle, Phillips Academy Andover, San Rafael High, Sacred Heart Preparatory, Sidwell Friends High, Sir Francis Drake High, Tamalpais High, The Menlo School, Urban School of San Francisco

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When Sze arrived in America from Taiwan at the age of nine, she didn’t speak any English. She was shy and didn’t fully master the language until high school - a fact that many find surprising, considering how she has made a career out of speaking.

Joining her school’s newspaper, she says, was a big turning point for her. “I didn’t really have a lot of friends and I wasn’t that confident,” she told us. “And getting into the newspaper was a way for me to really dive into my community; it gave me a license to really reach out to people and got me out of my shell.” It was through this newspaper that she discovered her passion for journalism, and it was through school 2021

musicals that she found her love of performing. TV news seemed to be the perfect union between these two passions. “I enjoyed both the reporting part of the news - the asking questions part - and I also liked performing, so I discovered TV news was a great way to kind of combine all those things — my love for asking questions and writing and also my love for being on stage and challenging myself to try to be a good performer,” she explained. The rest was history, and today she has been with ABC7 News for twenty-two years.

Her favorite part of the job, she told us, is the interesting people she gets to meet.

“I’ve met the coolest people, from the ac-

tors in Hamilton, to John Travolta, who’s a great actor. I’ve met great chefs. I’ve met politicians; I get to interview people like Andrew Yang, who ran for president, Adam Schiff, and Nancy Pelosi - a lot of political leaders.” With each person she interviews, she learns something new, and she emphasized how grateful she is for the diverse nature of her job. “I’m constantly learning,” she explained. “It’s like going to school all the time. All you have to do is just learn and ask questions and discover and talk to people. And that’s what I get to do my job, and I get paid for it. It’s pretty cool.”

However, Sze’s job is much more than just interviewing celebrities and politicians. She faces her fair share of challenges as well, the most difficult of which being the need to maintain an unbiased approach to reporting, especially in today’s polarizing political climate. “You’re always taught that being a journalist means you are neutral. And that means you present the opposing perspectives and views,” she explained.

“But these days, due to the way the news and politics are changing, it’s all evolved.

portant for us as a nation to be able to engage in thoughtful debate. I think we share a lot of similar goals, not everyone, but we have different solutions or different approaches to how we would achieve those goals.” She also described how disheartening she finds it when people are unwilling to engage in conversation with those whose views and opinions differ from their own and explained how she always makes an effort not to immediately dismiss those who have different perspectives from her own. “I feel like I get criticized because I try not to shut people down. I try to listen to why they feel that way, and I try really hard to put myself in their shoes and go ‘is it possible that I could look at this differently?’

And I feel like that’s really important.”

She did, however, make a point to add that there are some topics she doesn’t feel should be up for debate, specifically mentioning matters of science. “I feel as though you can reasonably disagree on politics, but sometimes I don’t understand how science is political.” She feels as if there is a strong dichotomy in the U.S. between our scientific progress and

“People are telling us - especially young people - that they don’t necessarily want the entertaining, salacious stuff that we’ve been trending towards a little bit,” she told us. “We want to focus on what matters to you.”

A veteran in the news field, Sze has plenty of advice for aspiring journalists.

Most importantly, she stressed the significance of expanding your perspective and attempting to see the world outside the lens of your own personal upbringing. “I think so much of what our problem is today as a society is that people cannot see past their own perspective, and they’re unwilling to put themselves in somebody else’s shoes and go, “Hmm, if I grew up in their shoes, and I experienced what their experience was, I would look at this very differently.’ And I think that lack of willingness hurts us as a society.” She encourages young journalists to stop themselves from putting labels on others, and instead strive to understand perspectives outside of their own. “If you can do that, you will be able to help bring about more nuanced, richer, and fuller angles to your

“We have an obligation to sort through facts from fiction and truth from lies and put it in a framework that helps people understand what is true and what is not.” — Kristen Sze I think being neutral these days is not necessarily just saying ‘he said this’, and ‘she said that.’ We have an obligation to sort through facts from fiction and truth from lies and put it in a framework that helps people understand what is true and what is not.” Sze emphasized that social media in particular has led to an increase in the circulation of falsehoods, and mentioned that she, like most newscasters, often receives criticism for calling out these falsities. “I will always get criticized,” she told us. “In fact, that’s almost how you know you’re doing a good job - when both sides criticize you.

Every day, I will get people both on the right and the left of the political spectrum saying that I’m a tool for the other side. It’s really hard to avoid personal attacks on your motivation.” This, she explained, is the hardest part of her job, but she remains determined to not let these criticisms prevent her from delivering trustworthy news.

Sze appreciates political discussion and the differing viewpoints it can bring to the table and emphasized how much she values debate. “I think it’s so im-

our embrace of such progress, noting how many people still reject the notion of climate change, even though it’s been proven time and time again to exist.

Sze believes that now, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for trustworthy news is more important than ever. “People need accurate, unbiased, instant information because that information guides us in terms of what we choose to do,” she explained. In times of such uncertainty and uneasiness, it’s easy to get lost in fear and anxiety, and having the latest and most accurate information is crucial for quelling those worries. That is why Sze added a new afternoon show called Getting Answers, during which she interviews experts about the latest news, taking questions from viewers and asking those that are most relevant to the general public. She also mentioned that the pandemic is making the news industry reanalyze the definition of news itself, and challenging television stations to collect and disseminate the information that will best help their viewers lead more productive, healthier, and more rewarding lives.

reports, and you’ll be a better journalist and you’ll help other people see better.” In the future, Sze hopes to see a new generation of passionate journalists who are determined to bring people the most truthful information possible, as well as a society of people willing to engage in meaningful conversation. To her, it all starts with education. In order to foster open-minded and informed debate about any subject, all parties involved must be reasonably educated, and she believes that the system is failing plenty of people and creating unnecessary division in this country. “I think our job is to make sure that quality education, quality social services, and quality curriculum is available to all American children,” she explained. “Because that way you will raise more informed citizens, and you’ll have a fairer society.” Above all, Kristen Sze wants to see more empathy in the world. While political division is inevitable, she hopes to see more respectful conversation and debate in the future, and she will continue to work towards creating a more informed society, one news report at a time.

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SHANNON MESSENGER

WRITERS/REPORTERS: Introduction by Marguerite Walden-Kaufman, San Rafael High School, 9th Grade.

Interview conducted by Jacob Taichman-Bernstein, Luca Cendolin, Maya Donalds, Alice Leiden, Marguerite Walden-Kaufman, Lila Nicholson, Semira Robinson, Emerson Swift, Mhairi Scobie, Ellison Stiltwell, Caroline Yelverton. From: Mount Tamalpais School, Marin Horizon, Mill Valley Middle, San Rafael High, St. Hilary and Tamalpais High Schools

The thrilling glow emanating from the pages of the “Keeper” series engulfs us in a warm welcoming feeling of home. We’re immersed into the world of Sophie’s adventures, diving deep into the roots of who she is, her powers and what she wants to become. The cities are a beautiful blend of all kinds of life — from ogres to alicorns, but also filled with a tangled mess of leaders and rebels. The blended swirls of excitement and happiness intertwined with the struggles, bring to light that nothing comes easy. Watching a new world rise and fall with the characters does more than make us root for a brighter future world. It encourages us to not be afraid to face the journey, to be willing to give all we can to get to the other side.

Q: How did you get into writing?

I got to college and I was an art major. I couldn’t draw what was in my head and have it come out as cool as what I was imagining.

This frustrated me. I felt like there was a barrier. So, I signed up for a writing class on a whim. I discovered that for the first time, if I used words, I could get what was in my head to come out on the page. It would be clear to people, I could get them to feel what I wanted them to feel, I could get them to laugh when I wanted them to laugh. It was what I had been looking for with art but realized I couldn’t do it with lines and sketches. I could do it with words. For me, that was the most liberating thing in the world.

Q: What is your process of world-building for the “Keeper” series?

At first, it was very overwhelming. I had thought it would be incredibly exciting to build my own world, and then I discovered how complicated that really is. Because it’s not just locations, it’s their clothing and their food, their politics and their culture, their art, their sports, their games, their everything. I decided that I wanted the Keeper world to feel global. Because of that, I realized that means they have to have some sort of transportation system that would allow them to get from one place to the other without having to jump on a seventeen-hour plane flight in order to get to school. I had to figure out how they got around. And when I figured this out, it was one of those moments that I called a touchstone. I realized, it’s okay that this world isn’t perfect, that it actually has flaws, it has problems and things because, that’s where my story is. This is where Sophie is going to be working — to fix some of these big problems in the world. It was a process of finding those touchstones and then letting them guide me.

Q: What moments within the story do you base on your own life?

Obviously, Sophie and I both have an Ella. So anytime there’s a scene where Sophie is seeking comfort in her Ella, those are moments that I definitely have had in my own life of needing to hug my Ella and feel less alone. Anything big, anything where there’s villains and things like that, that’s all just made up. But the little emotional nuances reflect the losses I’ve experienced in my life.

When I go to write a scene where a character’s grieving some sort of loss, I think about the losses that I’ve had, and whatever I can do to shape it that way. So it’s subtle, but it’s there.

Q: What is your schedule as an author?

I tend to write at night, mostly because I write very visually, in the sense that I really can’t write a scene until the scene is playing out in my head like a movie. And then I’m trying to find words to capture that on the page, as I’m writing. I think my brain just kind of sharpens at night, too. I seem to get my best writing done from about nine o’clock at night to about two in the morning. I keep trying to get away from that, because that gets exhausting.

But it just seems to be this is the peak of my productivity for now.

And, things change. So maybe one of these days, I’ll get to sleep.

Q: Do you base your characters on people you know?

I actually try really hard not to do that, especially with people that I know. If I based a character off of somebody that I know, then they’re going to get quite mad at me when that character gets horribly injured or something of that sort. I realized it was better to let the characters become who they are. Honestly, characterization is the one thing that comes pretty naturally to me.

And really the only question that I ever make sure I ask myself before I write a character is: “What is this character hiding from me?” Because I feel like if I know their secrets, I own them. And I feel like as the writer, I need to know that about my character, I need to know what is the one thing that they really don’t want anyone to find out about them. It’s amazing how that simple question can shed so much light on the character and really make them snap together.

Q: How do you name your characters?

I actually just read baby-name books and baby-name websites, because I like the meaning to match the character, since my characters come to me fully formed. So like for Fitz, his name comes from the name Fitzroy, which means “son of the king.” And since

his family is the closest thing that the last cities have to royalty, it just felt fitting to him, it would be something that would be defining of him. Sophie means “wisdom,” which is something I felt she gives to the lost cities. Because she has this dual perspective of having been raised with humans and then having lived in “The Lost Cities,” she comes at their world with a different insight and gives them a different kind of wisdom. There’re a few names that I just made up because I have so many characters.

And there’s this weird rule with publishing that you don’t want to have too many characters that start with the same letter for their name, because it can start getting really confusing to readers. But for the most part, the names always say something to me about the character.

Q: What motivates you to keep writing Sophie’s story, and why in third person?

What motivates me to keep writing Sophie’s story is just that it’s not done yet. For it to be something that a 12-year-old could swoop in and fix in one book was just not believable. I knew that this was going to be something that was going to take quite a few books for her to be able to do, and it was going to take friendships, and it was going to take time, and it was going to take quite an involved process.

Have you ever woken up from a really cool dream? And you’re just kind of sad that you don’t get to see how that dream ends? That’s kind of when I first got the idea for “Keeper of The Lost Cities.” I just wanted to keep thinking about it.

What would happen to this girl and why? As for why I wrote in third person, it mostly just came down to the fact that she’s a telepath. And I tried very early-on, playing with writing it in first person, but it made it too jarring being in her head and hearing the other thoughts and her own thoughts…

With third person, I can still show her thoughts whenever I want. But it doesn’t need to be as immediate.

And so I can sort of have that little bit of distance. It just made it so much cleaner for being able to tell the story.

Q: What was your favorite book growing up?

It’s funny because the books that I really wanted when I was growing up didn’t really exist. And I grew up just barely before “Harry Potter” came in and changed ev-

“

Want to be an author?

Writers are readers and...if you want to be a writer, you need to be reading as widely and diversely as you possibly can….Remember, that

being a writer means writing.

Most of the time when kids come up to me, the first question they ask is, “How do I get a book published?”

And usually my first question back to them is, “Okay, well, have you written

that book yet?” And they haven’t. It’s so easy to get caught up in that because the dream is to get published.

But that’s the last step, the first step is writing the book.

”

Keep reading — and writing!

erything and all of these great series now like “Sisters Grimm” and “Artemis Fowl,” and “Percy Jackson” and “Heroes of Olympus.” “Harry Potter” opened that door and showed publishing that fantasy was something that can be successful. When I grew up, there was “Narnia.” And I loved “Narnia.” I think I’ve checked every wardrobe since I was a kid to see if there’s somehow a secret passage into “Narnia,” because who doesn’t want to go there? But for the most part, there really weren’t as many of those kind of stories that I wanted to find.

Q: What character do you most relate to?

The character that I have the most in common with is probably Silveny. Just because I have a lot of energy. And I’m kind of bubbly. And I like to use exclamation marks.

She’s definitely one of the ones that I have the most fun writing, which, by the way, is one of the best parts of my job. I mean, I get paid to sit around and imagine what it’s like to be in the head of a sparkly flying unicorn. Like, best job ever.

Q: Do you ever get writer’s block?

I don’t like to think of something as writer’s block, because I feel like that term just feels huge. It almost sounds like a disease. I try instead, to just think that I got stuck. And the way that I’ll get unstuck is I just kind of play the “what-if?” game, because usually it’s either that there’s something I did wrong, or something that I haven’t done. And usually after a few hours of just stepping away from the computer and letting my brain go through that, I’ll get enough of a spark to get unstuck and just keep going from there.

Q: Do you base each book around a central plot twist?

I definitely need to know where I’m driving the book — they’re eight hundred pages. If I didn’t have some idea of where I was going, it would just go all over the place and we’d never get anywhere. So, I usually do know the cliffhanger. And then I usually know two or three of the other huge plot elements that are going to happen. And then I just kind of let the story go.

If I’m meandering and not really sure where the story is going to take me, it ends up having a more natural twist to it. And it ends up surprising me even. And it’ll throw in moments that I never planned.

And those are usually everyone’s favorite moments.

BETH BEHRS

Beth Behrs is an American actress and author who grew up in Marin where she attended Tamalpais High School. Beth is known for her role as Caroline Channing in the comedy series 2 Broke Girls, and has been in films such as “American Pie Presents: The Book of Love,” “Monsters University,” and “Hello, My Name is Doris,” among others, and is currently starring in CBS’s sitcom “The Neighborhood.”

WRITERS/REPORTERS: Max Goldman, Jacob TaichmanBernstein, Jackie Chin, Lily Leone, Marguerite Walden-Kaufman, Hugo Leinbach, Lilah Richman, Semira Robinson, Zadie Winthrop, Ashley Grady, Patrick Helios-Lenihan, Kimberly DeLeon, Ana Palfy, Wesley Slavin, Eliza Gould, Jack Callahan SCHOOLS: Branson, Marin Academy, Marin School of the Arts, Davidson Middle, Phillips Academy Andover, San Rafael High, Sacred Heart Preparatory, Sidwell Friends High, Sir Francis Drake High, Tamalpais High, The Menlo School, Urban School of San Francisco

B

eth Behrs radiated a calm and joyful energy, her smile lighting up the virtual room and quelling the typical chaos of a Zoom call. Behind her, a gorgeous stallion painting complemented her seafoam walls, and beside her sat a comfy couch with a colorful pillow perched against its arm. A small golden heart glimmered against her high collared goldpatterned blouse. Each detail pulled us deeper into her reality — one of hard work and patience, coupled with rejections and ultimately success.

While many people are unsure of their paths in life until adulthood, Behrs knew that she wanted to be an actor from the age of four. She laughed while she described how, at the age of five, she spent her time enthusiastically reenacting movies for her family members. Her dreams have since come true, and Behrs now has a flourishing career in the film and television industry. However, as many aspiring actors painfully come to understand, it can be extraordinarily difficult to achieve success in Hollywood, and Behrs has contended with her fair share of rejection. As an aspiring actress, she worked three jobs while auditioning for roles in shows and movies, relying on her family for support - a “real-life broke girl” as she explains it, referencing her breakthrough role in “2 Broke Girls.” However, she loved acting

too much to give up on her dreams, explaining that “the joy of acting outweighed the pain of rejection.” But luck and success are not lost on Behrs. “I feel so lucky that I get to be able to do this and make it my job… I would have done it for free!” she says with a laugh.

While she works hard to connect with her characters, Behrs acknowledges that it can be difficult when she doesn’t relate to a character. In “2 Broke Girls,” Behrs found that her character, Caroline, had a much more “girly” personality than her true self. She recalls wearing cowboy boots to her first few auditions, and how the producer had to pull her aside and ask her to purchase a pair of heels - just one instance of people expecting her to be similar to her on-screen persona. “Throughout the years of playing Caroline, people will meet me and they’ll be like, where are your pearls? I’m like, girl, I’ve never worn pearls in my life. That is so not me. You can usually find me in cowboy boots and sandals and a NorCal Patagonia — you know, tomboy outdoorsy.” That’s not to say that Behrs doesn’t try to relate to and learn from characters that differ from herself — she certainly does. In the CBS sitcom “The Neighborhood,” Behrs plays Gemma, a tough and assertive woman who “fights for what she believes is right.”

In real life, Behrs describes herself as a “people pleaser” who sometimes compromises her own needs in order to help others, and she says playing Gemma has been a valuable experience for her. “One of the things I’ve learned from Gemma is not to compromise, and it can be done with grace and calm, clear intentions. And if it’s done in that way, then it’s always right. And you’re allowed to assert boundaries and you’re allowed to demand that you be treated with respect, both in your industry and in your life.”

As Behrs gained fame, she began to realize that she has a responsibility to use her voice to help others. Throughout her career, she has dealt with stress, anxiety, and panic attacks, and she has developed various

coping techniques that she felt would benefit others as well. In 2017, she wrote a self-help book, entitled “The Total Me-Tox,” in hopes that it would help others improve their lives and achieve physical and mental health.

In the book, she gives detailed advice about self-care, fitness, health, and overall wellbeing.

“I wanted to write the book because what I discovered was there were certain ways that I could change my lifestyle to help me combat stress that were super simple, and I thought that it would be nice to share that with other people, especially younger followers.”

Behrs hopes that “The Total Me-Tox” will empower young people, especially women, to participate in self-care and to create healthy, fulfilling lives for themselves.

Behrs has also made use of her large following on social media to be politically active and bring awareness to causes she is passionate about. She regularly posts her political opinions on Twitter, where she has amassed over 300 thousand followers. Recently, she has advocated for social distancing and an end to police brutality, amplifying black voices through her tweets and retweets. She also encourages her followers to vote, raising awareness for programs that ensure people have transportation to voting booths. Behrs is gracious that she’s been given a platform to advocate for these issues, and feels as if it’s her responsibility to use such a platform for the greater good. She also feels that it’s in the hands of the younger generation to make change and create a brighter future, and she ended her interview with a call to action: “We’re counting on you in the future, to help make a more loving, kind, inclusive, and compassionate world. I know you guys are all so smart, and you’re going to be so powerful and make the world so much better than my generation or generations before me.” Her words resonated, reminding us of our responsibility to mold the world into a better place.

“So please, please do that,” she spoke, with pleading eyes and a sincere tone. “Please keep at it.”

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Spotlight

PORTRAIT Q&A OF AN ARTIST

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dream...

Osborn: To go to art school. For sure I’m going for a Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.). My top choice is Rhode Island School of Design (RIZDI)— then there’s Pratt. Parsons.

CELEBRATING YOUTH ARTISTS capturing moments in time....

Q: What inspires you as an artist?

Q: What are your techniques as an artist?

Osborn: I believe in divine inspiration and that the Muse rewards people who are dedicated and consistent with their work.

Osborn: I do a lot of film photography. So I’ll take my own photos and kind of mesh them together. It’s 35 millimeter photography. (not digital). I can do a lot more with film just by using expired film, or pushing and pulling the film. And recently, I’ve been taking photos at my friend’s music concerts.

And then I’ll have them printed on Fine Art paper and paint over them.

Q: Why is art so important to you?

Osborn: I love Zio Ziegler. I would go to a studio after school and do art with him.

That was a big inspiration for me when I was young. And my mom has always made it a point to take me to art galleries.

LUKE OSBORN

Tamalpais High School Grade 12

18 FASTFORWARD JANUARY-FEBRUARY

2021

latest project...

Osborn: I have been doing more conceptual work recently. I just finished a piece of this car that had crashed into this building. And you see these two police officers arguing out in front of the car, because this person had just died. And then there’s a news reporter in front... the stereotypical news reporter you see on TV, like really huge blonde hair with an over-exaggerated smile. And then it says at the top, “Up next: Froot Loops lower cholesterol.” We have these like really odd juxtapositions...It also has something to do with when I hear news of people dying. Even if it’s masses of people, it’s hard for me to feel bad about it because I’m seeing it through the television.

FASTFORWARD JANUARY-FEBRUARY

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ST. ISABELLA SCHOOL Elena Basso, 6th Grade

Gymnastics Vault, bars, beam, and floor. Gymnastics, competition.

When I’m competing it’s silent in my head and loud outside. Mentally preparing. Then it’s my turn. Floor first.

Tumbling. All I think is ‘don’t mess it up.’ At least it’s kind of quiet because of the people on beam. Time for the next tumbling pass. Finish. Next is bars. All I think about on bars is ‘make the pike and then jump. Finish.

Then beam.’ Beam takes a lot of focus. I just try my hardest not to fall or wobble. When my turn comes, I focus on every detail of every skill. Discover. Up next is vault.

Vault is my favorite event. Two vaults. Run, jump, land.

Then again. Focusing on speed, technique, and landing.

Finished with all four events, time for awards.

Sydney Ryssemus, 6th Grade

Drawing

Our Passions + Issues We Care About — Ann Lakose’s Students Samantha Ariyoshi , 6th Grade

Writing The tap, tap, tap of my fingers hitting the keyboard of the Chromebook fill the air, stark against the still silence in the air. The blankets and mattress of my bed are comfortable beneath me, and sunlight filters through the windows. Thoughts run in my head, fleeting and fast, overwhelming as I picture each in turn and decide how to use them. The screen glows softly, and I stare hard at it, thinking, focused on it and nothing else. Cultures, languages, clothing styles, chapter names, and ideas seem to pop in and out of existence. My fingers stop typing. I close my eyes so I can picture in vivid color the scenes, my fingers not typing but tapping the space bar key in a nervous pattern. Sometimes, stories come easy and as natural as breathing, other times it’s like trying to ride a stubborn donkey. But my favorite part of writing stories is creating characters. What do they look, sound, and act like? Put yourself in their shoes — what would they do?

After finishing up the chapter I’m typing, I shut off the Chromebook, sit back on my pillows and close my eyes, not sleeping, but thinking. Putting myself in the story by closing my eyes and imagining things helps. My biggest passion is writing stories of my own, and being an author is one of my future careers. “If you want to write, WRITE!” This is my life motto.

“Urg…ekk…ekk” went my eraser as I erased the dark heavy lines of drawing. I had been working on this picture for at least a couple weeks. I was trying hard to make my drawing look spectacular. Then, out of nowhere my mom told me that dinner was ready, so I rushed downstairs to eat. I smelled the delicious scent of tacos and went to get a plate as fast as I could. As I was eating, my mother was asking me some questions like, ‘How was your day? Did you finish your homework?’ and ‘What were you doing Sophia Lumen, 7th Grade, St. Isabella School upstairs?’ I was enjoying my amazing taco when I realized she was asking me (not my dad or older brothers), so I simply replied with ‘good, yes’ and that I was drawing. She asked me what I was drawing and I said that it was a secret. The reason was because the drawing was for her. It was her birthday in one day and I was still erasing and trying to make every-

CLOVER SONOMA

HONORED TO SUPPORT FASTFORWARD, JOURNALISM AND EDUCATION

TEN THINGS WE KNOW TO BE TRUE

Compiled from 6th & 7th Grade Students

I know that the Sun will always rise.

I know that it takes a while to trust someone.

I know that nothing is forever.

I know that I’m Hispanic and I speak Spanish with my family.

I know that the world will heal.

I know that gold is soft not hard.

I know that tomorrow is a new day.

I know that I can do anything if I try hard enough.

I know that today the sunset is going to be beautiful.

I know that the world will heal. thing look perfect for her. After I finished the tacos, I went back upstairs to my room to finish the drawing. “Ekk” went the eraser, “swoosh” went the pencil as I redrew the line and “ughhh” went my frustration that I couldn’t get the line right. After two hours of ughing and ekking I finally finished just in time for my mom’s birthday the next day.

We had double chocolate cake and my present was first to give. I saw my mom’s reaction as she opened the rose drawing.

She was crying in tears of joy. She told me she loved it and gave me a hug. After, I felt better about my drawing.

Ryan Gamblin, 6th Grade

Baseball Crack, whoosh, pop, all the sounds of baseball. When I play, the lights are shining, and I’m up to bat in the bottom of the ninth. We are down by a run but if I get a hit, our team will win the game. I stop in the box and get ready to hit. The pitch comes and I swing. It is 0-1 and I’m behind in the count, so now I have to battle back. The count is over so for the next pitch. I swing with all my might. The ball and bat connect. I drop the bat and start running around the bases. The winning run scores and then the outfielder makes a great throw to the catcher and the second runner is thrown out of home. So, I go back into the dugout.

My coach tells me I’m pitching and that I have to shut the other team down. I pitch to the first batter and the catcher gives me a fastball sign, so I throw a fastball. The batter makes contact to deep center field and the outfielder makes a great catch. Now two more outs to win. The catcher calls for a curve, I throw it and he swings and misses! Then I throw the next two pitches for strikes, andstrike him out! Now we only need one more out to win. The best hitter hit a hard line and our shortstop catches it. Now we’ve won the game. I go home and dream about what I just did.

Oliver Jenkins, 6th Grade

Art When I was about three years old, I had a very bad anxiety issue. I had to go to the therapist every day. But I found a creative process to do every day that helped out with stress. My main passion is art. My dad went to art school and now he’s an author and illustrates. He even taught me how to use Photoshop and InDesign, and I love it!

The thought of having a pencil in your hand is one of the most amazing things. You can do whatever you want with it when you start thinking about something to do that expresses yourself.

When you draw, you feel the creative energy inside you coming out. Drawing or painting or even making a piece digitally helps you think outside the box.

Sophia Lumen, 7th Grade, St. Isabella School

Kayla Burr, Sixth Grade

Risk There were five minutes until we had to walk out on stage. I was terrified. Four minutes, 3, 2, 1, the time passed so quickly yet each minute was excruciatingly long. It was time to walk out. I wasn’t so nervous about the first few minutes because there were two songs with my small group before I had to sing in front of everybody. The first two songs went as usual, not awful but not great — barely anybody sang. Afterward, it was my small group’s turn. I was frozen in fear. I had been practicing this song for weeks but singing in front of everybody seemed very scary. I climbed down the steps from the top of the stage and made it to the bottom where the microphones and ukuleles were. As we quickly set it up, I realized that there was no shoulder strap on the ukulele I was to be playing — I would have to stand with one leg up to hold it. When we were in class choosing what song to sing, I suggested something by Grace Vanderwaal, and almost half the class sighed, but the teacher actually picked a song by her. She chose “Hideaway” (not my favorite song by her, but it was the most “kid appropriate”). We started singing and playing the instruments. My mom told me to smile at least five times while I was singing, but I was just not able to in the moment. We finished the song. I was so happy to be done but realized that I actually didn’t hate singing in front of people as much as I thought I did. I realized that I enjoy playing music with other people. I just have to be comfortable around them first. The feeling I got while singing in front of people was so different than just singing to myself, it was like reaching into someone’s head and changing their thoughts through music.

FASTFORWARD

JANUARY-FEBRUARY

2021

21

SHOP LOCAL

By Angela Tsai, MSEL, Senior

My family and I have a tradition of going to the Farmer’s Market every Sunday. I always look forward to seeing the colorful array of fresh produce, interacting with local vendors, and of course, eating from the food trucks. During the pandemic, the Farmer’s Market has done an incredible job adapting to guidelines and ensuring a safe environment for shoppers and vendors alike. The Farmer’s Market is just one example of a Bay Area local business.

A local business sells products or services to nearby community members. They include restaurants, grocery stores, health clinics, and cosmetics.

Compared to their corporate counterparts, local businesses are smaller, more sustainable, and have a heavier emphasis on people over profits. Shopping local has various benefits for the economy, environment, and community.

In an interview with Forbes Magazine, Amy Hartzler, director of communications for the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, explained how small businesses have a more significant impact on the local economy compared to chain stores. For every $100 profit in local shops, $68 are generated for the community, whereas only $30 are generated from a chain store. Hartzler believes that there is a “direct correlation between supporting local independent businesses and having your dollars recirculate to create a multiplier effect.” Shopping from local businesses generates jobs for local community members and also benefits the neighborhood economy.

Additionally, local goods, especially produce, promote sustainability. Take the Farmer’s Market for example. All of the fruits and vegetables are grown in California, so the food travels a significantly shorter distance compared to berries imported from another country. This saves greenhouse gas emissions and the energy needed to refrigerate produce. Additionally, Farmer’s Market produce typically requires less plastic packaging, as a consumer can bring their own bag to carry their goods. Therefore, many local grocery stores and fruit stands have a significantly lower carbon footprint compared to national brands.

Finally, shopping locally builds a greater sense of community. Not only can you establish more intimate relationships with business owners, but you can also meet the vendor that made the goods you’re buying. You can’t say this for chain store products, which are typically mass-produced in factories.

Shopping from local artisans and farmers builds strong community connections and helps unite a neighborhood.

Right now, it is more important than

ever before to shop locally. The pandemic has disproportionately affected local businesses more than large corporations. By spending your money at a smaller, neighborhood store, you are investing in a more unified and sustainable community.

The Marin County Farmer’s Market is held at the Marin Civic Center on Thursday morning at the Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium Parking Lot, San Rafael and Saturday mornings at Civic Center Drive/ Peter Behr Drive, San Rafael. Both markets run from 8:00 am-1:00 pm.

Mill Valley Farmers' Market CVS Parking Lot 759 E. Blithedale Ave. @ Alto Shopping Center, Mill Valley Friday - 9:30 am - 2:30 pm www.marincommunityfarmersmarkets.org Downtown San Rafael Farmers’ Market Fourth St. between B & Cijos, San Rafael Thursday - 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm http://www.sanrafaelmarket.org Corte Madera Farmers’ Market Corte Madera Town Center, Corte Madera Wednesday - 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm www.marincommunityfarmersmarkets.org Fairfax Community Farmers’ Market Peri Park, 124 Bolinas Rd., Fairfax Wednesday – 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm http://ilovefarmersmarkets.org/index.html Larkspur— Marin Country Mart, Larkspur Landing Circle, Larkspur Saturday – 9:00 am – 2:00 pm https://www.marincountrymart.com/farmers-market

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 36

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Good earth To Go Order Your Groceries Online

Curbside Pick Up & Delivery Available

Order At :

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Preserve your childĘťs art

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 To schedule a personalized tour, please contact us at 415-479-3727 x112 or admissions@stisabellaschool.org 1 Trinity Way Terra Linda – San Rafael www.stisabellaschool.org

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

Here’s what’s happening in the Lynwood school garden while students are remote learning: My favorite thing about the garden is eating the tomatoes. — Lucas Gonzalez, Kindergarten My favorite thing about the garden is the beautiful flowers. — Naomi Gonzalez, Pre-K I like watering the plants because it’s fun. — Zack Barrett, 1st Grade I like making friends at the garden. — Griffin Slattery, Kindergarten I like that we work together in the garden. — Declan Slattery, 3rd We grow food that we can eat and can sometimes go to our school lunches. — Jacob Barrett, 3rd Grade I like watering the plants in the garden and eating the tomatoes.

— Adelina Vargas King, 1st Grade

Lucas & Naomi

Emilio

To learn more about our work with Bay Area school gardens, visit www.sloatgardens.com 24

FASTFORWARD JANUARY-FEBRUARY

Ashley

Grayson

Mill Valley: 401 Miller Ave. 415-388-0365 & 657 E. Blithedale Ave. 415-388-0102 Kentfield: 700 Sir Francis Drake Blvd. 415-454-0262 San Rafael: 1580 Lincoln Ave. 415-453-3977 Novato: 2000 Novato Blvd. 415-897-2169 2021

Art Gallery

Jackie LaLanne’s and Nance Miller’s art students create at Edna Maguire School

Charlotte McClatchy, 3rd Grade Grace Davis, 4th Grade

Laila Hochschild, 6th Grade

Vikram Tyagi, 4th Grade

Kevin Thacher, 4th Grade

PROUD TO SPONSOR STUDENT ART ...P ROUD TO SPONSOR STUDENT ART MON—SAT -6- PM AM AM -- 4 MON-SAT10 10AM 6 PM Sun SUN 11 11AM 4PM 415-457-2787 PM 415-457-2787 1138 WWW.RILEYSTREET.COM 1138FOURTH FOURTH SSTREET TREET • SSAN AN RRAFAEL AFAEL • WWW .RILEYSTREET .COM APRIL 2017 FASTFORWARD

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If the State of California says it is safe for camps to run this summer, these camps will be ready!

A proud partner of the National Park Service

COASTAL CAMP 2021

www.farmcampca.com 844.84 7 .3494

The ultimate setting for nature-based exploration, outdoor adventures and fun for grades K–9.

Weeklong sessions from June –August

REGISTER TODAY: coastalcamp.org 26

FASTFORWARD JANUARY-FEBRUARY

2021

Need For Speed?

MARIN WAVES TRACK CLUB PRIVATE & SMALL GROUP SESSIONS WINTER & SPRING XC/Track & Field

OPEN REGISTRATION Sign Up Today marinwavestrack.com

SUMMER CAMPS

CAMP

BOW WINNARA7IN14 TO UN WA F RD THE

2021 Shakespeare’s Stories (ages 5-7) Young Company (ages 8-12) Teen Performance (ages 13-18) https://www.marinshakespeare.org/summer-camps/

education@marinshakespeare.org

WE MAKE SHAKESPEARE FUN!

ts camp

rforming ar circus and pe A residential to for kids age

✓ Stilts ✓ Trapeze ✓ Silks ✓ Drama ✓ Clowning

✓ Juggling ✓ Unicycle ✓ Swimming ✓ Song Writing ✓ Dance

Check us out and register today at:

www.campwinnarainbow.org

510.525.4304

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

RICHARDSON BAY GIRL SCOUTS TROOP

Leaders: Susan Flint & Lynn Frazier

SPONSORED BY:

Stella & Charlotte

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

Our Girl Scout troop has been meeting virtually since the pandemic.

We received a go-ahead from the GS Council to meet as a troop in outdoor settings. On Veterans Day we got together to earn our Art Badge.

Last month we did a hike for a fundraiser for our school. We collected food for the Food Bank and baked desserts to donate to Thanksgiving baskets for local families. We try to have fun and make the world a better place. The spirit of giving and kindness is so important.

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

Hazel, Maude & Eliana

12 Corte Madera Avenue Mill Valley 415-388-3222

FASTFORWARD JANUARY-FEBRUARY

2021

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Davidson Middle School Band

Top row, l to r: Jack Ruder, Emmett Grossman and Lucas Nitta. Second row, l to r: Bradley Ajiataz, Branson Rodriguez, Charles Bussi and Eduardo Reynoso.

Third row, l to r: Franshely Garcia, Harlan Haveman, Izayah Jagow and Jack Charlesworth. Fourth row, l to r: Jackson Eisner, Kishnor Shah, Larry Calderon and Leif Coleman. Fifth row: Maximilian Moran, Mike Morales, Mischa Wells and Nayeli Mazariegos. Bottom row, l to r: Sebastian Chick, Sydney Lewis and Nikash Shah.

The Davidson Band students are still making music during distance learning! Students are mostly working on solo pieces and have just finished working on fun songs for Halloween, including The Scooby Doo theme,The Pink Panther, Ghostbusters, and In the Hall of the Mountain KIng. Students use online programs like Smart Music and the Interactive Practice System to help learn new material and submit playing tests as videos through Flipgrid.

Last February the Davidson Marching Band and Colorguard performed in a parade through Disneyland. That performance was a memorable experience and luckily they completed the trip before the Lock Down. The Band hopes to return to public performances in the Spring and/or next year!

The Band is blessed to have strong administrative support, parent involvement, and above average kids! Heads Up and the Davidson PTO are the band’s ardent supporters, a testament to the hard work of the Davidson students, support of the school’s staff, and the ‘buy-in’ by their parents and community.

Since I started playing trumpet, I have enjoyed every song I’ve played— it’s very fun to learn. Mr. Trillo is very supportive and always willing to help. — Adan Gomez I like being able to practice my instrument every day and I love learning new songs to play. — Jace Adams I like playing my saxophone because it is a powerful and strong way for me to get my feelings out. —Nico Moore I like how we are able to play our instruments and how doing so brings everyone together. — Danielle Mondesir I like playing the drums because it is fun to play beats and fills. — Sebastian Chick

DEDICATED TO SERVING THE COMMUNITY WE LIVE IN Two Convenient Locations For Your Shopping Needs

San Rafael 515 3rd Street • 415-454-8912

www.unitedmarkets.com

San Anselmo 100 Redhill Ave. • 415-456-1271