Telling Room Workshops

Friends, Mainers, Good Folks, lend us your ears: You never need an excuse to stop by, but if you're looking for a reason to send your students or children or your friends' students or children to The Telling Room, here are two great upcoming workshops and one ongoing opportunity. Here are the workshops, the first taught by Portland's first-ever Poet Laureate and the second by a local artist and comic book writer. Seeing with the Heart's Ear Grades 4 – 6 Mondays, November 3rd, 10th, 17th and December 1st and 8th 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. Lead Teacher: Martin Steingesser "We will be looking for how wind soughing among spruce and hemlock, the lap of waves, the migrating geese, conversation over dinner, in hallways, and weather ruffle the heart’s fur, reflect and carry our stories. This is, hopefully, a vision-shifting workshop to help with writing more expressive, stronger and clearer poetry. Finding and making images that resonate with our reflective and feeling life is one of its loving concerns." This from the workshop's teacher, a wonderful Maine writer who teaches poetry to children through the Maine Arts Commission and likes to dance on stilts. Comics: Start with a Dot Grades 5 –8 Wednesdays, November 5th, 12th, 19th and December 3rd 3:30 – 4:45 p.m. Lead Teacher: Henry Wolyniec Sometimes, a comic says it best. Find out why, and how to lose yourself in the alternative universe of the page. What is a picture, really? How do you know what words to use? Find out how to combine images and words to tell the kind of story that can only happen in the comics. More workshops, including comics for younger writers and visual journaling, to come later this year. Head to www.tellingroom.org to find out more and to register. As always, our workshop and tutoring programs are free. Also, don't forget that every Tuesday and Thursday we offer after-school tutoring anytime from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. College essays, school projects, or new screenplays, we've got it covered. Send any students you know who are 8 to 18 and can use homework help or writing mentoring our way. All best, The Telling Room Crew

Movie night @ FSP

FSP's first movie night is this coming Friday. The cost is $3.00 and will include snacks. There will be 2 movie choices -- Wallace & Grommit and Beethoven. The movies were selected by a group of kids who worked with the Quaker decision making process, clerked by Lise. It was quite wonderful to witness. Waterville offers a kids film festival with ideas for some alternative and international films... and Kid's First offers a film festival and list of ideas. Where else do you get media ideas for your family?

Happiness Blog

This is a pretty cool blog about using the science of happiness to inform parenting.

Info about families / ask a debate question

I am teaching a course on the family, and have found myself fascinated and horrified by some of the info. I thought some of the links might be of interest to others: Jody Heymann MD, PhD wrote a heartbreaking book about families living in global poverty (Forgotten Families) and issued a report last year about how the USA measures up. Sadly, we fall behind many countries in the world in terms of public policy designed to help parents balance work and family. UNICEF issues a similar report, but focused on the well-being of children. They separate out a report of the well being of children in the world's richest countries, and found that the U.S. ranks 20th out of 21 countries. The full report is here. Finally, the World Economic Forum ranks us 31st out of 128 countries in the world with regard to the Global Gender Gap. All this leads to a chance to suggest a question for the next presidential debate, around support for families. The link is here, questions need to be posed today!

Pollen to speak at Bates College

Food has been a topic of interest at FSP, and I think some people may even have read some of Michael Pollen's book The Omnivore's Dilemma last year as part of the middle school food project. Pollen will be speaking on October 27th at the Bates College Chappel, at 7:30 pm.

Steve Songs

I have never heard of him, but this was posted on the Cumberland Family Network Steve Songs is a wonderful children's musician. His shows are wonderful. Check it out!! Sun, Oct 12, 1:00PM Marvelous Adventures DVD Release Concert One Longfellow Square Corner of Congress & State Streets, Portland, ME This will be a band show family concert! Tickets: $10 in advance/$12 at the door. To purchase tickets call 207-761-1757, visit the Box Office (181 State St, Suite 304, Portland, ME), or click this link: One Longfellow Square http://www.stevesongs.com/index.php

Election Resources for Kids

There are some great books and web sites that help kids (and adults) demystify the electoral process. PBS has several, including the democracy project which has a few kids games about voting, and government. The show "Zoom" also sponsors a page of games and activities, with a focus on GOTV. The Children's Book Council has a bibliography of election books for kids Older kids might be interested in the Youth Voting Project (policy issues for teens, really, I think)

Free pass for 2 weeks to the Y

The CascoBay YMCA (Pineland, Portland and Freeport Branches) are offering passes for 2 week trial periods from Sept 29 to October 12th (I think). I think you can just go to any of the Ys to sign up...

Kaleidescope Art offerings

Halloween Harvest Saturday October 18 10 to noon $15 per person 790 Stevens Avenue This popular workshop is back again! - it will be a fun morning for adults and children (ages 6 and up) We'll create Halloween triptychs, spooky trolls, black cat pocket-bags, jack-o-lantern cookies, owl garlands, and other autumn decorations and delights. email us to sign up or ask questions (or call 773-2255) Thanks! Hope to see you there! Carolyn and Phyllis Kaleidoscope Arts and Crafts School

Spanish Story time

The Prince Memorial Library (on Route 9 in Cumberland) is offering a story time in Spanish on October 3, at 3pm.