New Telling Room Workshops

The Telling Room has posted new workshops for grades K - 12 Elementary and Middle School Workshops High School Workshops Elementary and Middle School Workshops The Grok, the Sneasal, and Frank: The Encyclopedia of Imaginary Animals Grades 3 –5 Saturdays, February 2, 9, and March 1 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. Lead Teachers: Jefferson Navicky, Kristen Stake Starting with drawing and collage, our expert Imaginary Animal Wranglers will help you imagine an awesometastic new species of animal, who will then become the hero of tales you write. All these tales will be captured in our very own encyclopedia. Who Cares about Harry Potter? Developing Your Own Great Characters Grades 5 –8 Wednesdays, February 6, 13, 27, and March 5 2 – 3:30 p.m. Lead Teacher: Gibson Fay-LeBlanc Whether it’s a mutant from the planet Zeenon or a man named Bob searching for a volcanic rock, in this workshop, you’ll form a living, breathing being on the page. A few of the characters you create will actually come visit us at The Telling Room. We will send you home with a cast of characters to write about. Hidden Portland: Writing and Photography Grades 6 – 8 Saturdays, March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, and April 5 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Lead Teachers: Fran Vita-Taylor, Susan Porter Using The Telling Room’s digital cameras and a notepad, you will explore the Old Port’s nooks and crannies. A photographer and writer will teach you how to frame a picture and a story or poem about that scene. Maximum seven students. Flowers, Clementines, and a Duck: Painting a Picture with Words Grades 1 – 3 Saturday, May 3 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. Lead Teacher: Kathleen Meil What do you see from your chair? What would you see from the chair on the other side of the table? How is drawing different from writing? Come and find out!

Materialism & Self-Esteem

I don't know if this study has solid methods, but the idea resonates with so much of what has happened at FSP (the paper plates made me think about the closing compliments last year) and is interesting in this time of hyper-consumerism... From Dads and Daughters: TEEN MATERIALISM LINKED TO SELF-ESTEEM New research indicates that materialism in children and adolescents is directly connected to their self esteem. The University of Minnesota’s Deborah Roedder John and University of Illinois’s Lan Nguyen Chaplin found that materialism increases from middle childhood (8 and 9 years old) to early adolescence (12 and 13 years old) but then declines by the end of high school (16 to 18 years old). This mirrors patterns in self-esteem, which instead decreases in early adolescence but increases in late adolescence. "The level of materialism in teens is directly driven by self-esteem," said John. "When self-esteem drops as children enter adolescence, materialism peaks. Then by late adolescence, when self-esteem rebounds, their materialism drops." In a second study, John and Chaplin boosted self-esteem by giving children positive information about peer acceptance. In a summer camp setting, children were given paper plates with positive descriptors about them, such as "smart" and "fun," which were provided by their peers. This simple gesture drastically reduced the high levels of materialism found among 12- to 13-year-olds and the moderate levels of materialism found among 16- to 18-year-olds. “By simply increasing self-esteem in teens, we see a decreased focus on material goods that parallels that of young children,” said John. “While peers and marketing can certainly influence teens, materialism is directly connected to self-esteem." Read more

YES PEACE

YES magazine has an online newsletter that provides dozens of resources for teachers and parents interested in Teaching Peace. It is a wonderful and hopeful resource as we enter a New Year.

Martin Luther King Weekend Events

There are several activities happening around Portland to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in January. I'm wondering if others might like to go to the Sunday night concert together? This list comes from the NAACP MLK page and you can get details about all the events there. NAACP Portland Branch Martin Luther King, Jr., Observance 2008 Building on a Legacy: The Construction of Social and Economic Justice Interfaith Dialogue Wed., Jan. 16, 7:00 p.m. USM Glickman Library, 7th floor, Portland Reconsidering Martin Luther King, Jr: A public conference on his role and legacy Organized in partnership with the Maine Humanities Council Sat., Jan. 19, 9:00 a.m. USM Hannaford Hall, Portland 23rd Annual Music & Gospel Concert Sun., Jan. 20, 6:00 p.m. Merrill Auditorium, Portland 27th Annual Breakfast Celebration Mon., Jan. 21, 8:00 a.m. Holiday Inn by the Bay, Portland Eyes on the Prize Screenings and Discussions Mon., Jan. 21, various times starting at 11:30 a.m. Maine Historical Society, Portland Bowdoin offers a wonderful children's event, at 10:00am @ the Bowdoin Library.

Concert Update

Dear Friends, Thank you to all who came to the solstice celebration. It was disappointing that our concert didn't happen. I spoke to Matt this morning and it turned out to be a simple mistake about the date. We both offer sincere apologies and hope that no one was too inconvenienced. I did tell him that the community was remarkable in coming together and having fun and enjoying the beautiful afternoon -- I so appreciate creating rituals and celebrations with you all! Perhaps we could try again for an Earth Day concert and I hope others might have some energy to plan some winter or spring fun events for the community -- even when it doesn't turn out quite as planned, it feels good to come together! Wishing everyone a peaceful solstice! Kim

KaleidoArts Vacation Workshop

On Friday morning December 28 from 10 to noon Kaleidoscope will be offering another *Vacation Creations* workshop for ages 6 and up. Add some magic to your school vacation and join us for a happy-ever-after morning creating Thumbelina flowers, miniature palaces, frog prince pillows and other reminders of favorite fairy stories! Let us know if you can come! $15 per person email us! (or call 773-2255) Carolyn Heasly and Phyllis Wilkins Kaleidoscope Arts and Crafts 790 Stevens Avenue Portland 04103

Painting Competition

If young artists get bored this break, Roots & Shoots also sent word of this contest : International Children's Painting Competition ENTRY DEADLINE: January 15, 2008 Children from across the nation are encouraged to submit a painting to the International Children's Painting Competition. This year's theme is climate change. Started in 1991 and run by the , the Foundation for Global Peace and Environment, Bayer and Nikon Corporation, this competition draws entries from over 100 countries!

Peace Ornament

We made lovely origami peace dove ornaments for the Hat Sale... a different set of instructions was just sent from Roots & Shoots, using empty plastic bottles.

A Place in The Choir

I am loving the wonderful songs that our kids are learning. The latest is called A Place in the Choir and it is delightful. Also, don't forget to start practicing Earth Worm Dance in preparation for the solstice concert.

Webkinz & Advertising

From Campaign for Commerical Free Childhood: Webkinz.com, the most visited virtual world for children in the United States, has quietly begun targeting its users with outside advertising. The site is already commercial - in order to subscribe, children must buy a Webkinz toy that comes with a special code. But apparently using the site to sell millions of Webkinz stuffed animals wasn't enough for Ganz (the makers of Webkinz) and now they're selling their young users to advertisers. To make matters worse, Ganz didn't bother to inform parents, many of whom purchase Webkinz toys for their children expecting that the website will be free of outside advertising and links. By opening the site to advertisers, Ganz is choosing to maximize profits at the expense of parents' trust and children's wellbeing. Tell Webkinz: No More Advertisements The "Parents Area" of Webkinz.com does not mention that the site now includes advertising. Webkinz is currently marketing the film Alvin and the Chipmunks. In addition to banner ads, the site is encouraging young users to actively engage with the movie by purchasing specially designed chipmunk costumes and food for their virtual pets. Bee Movie - a film that partnered with McDonald's, General Mills and Brachs, and has dozens of licensed products - was promoted in a similar way. As children spend more and more time on the web, they are increasingly targeted by Internet marketing. Webkinz' decision to take outside ads is reminiscent of Neopets, another popular online destination for children which went from being ad-free to including product placement on their site for McDonald's and other brands as well as launching their own line of cereal. CCFC is launching a media campaign (including a story in today's New York Times) to inform parents about advertising on Webkinz and to convince Ganz to end it. But we need your help. Please take a moment to tell Ganz: Stop Advertising on Webkinz.