THE TOXIC TOYBOX -- A COMMUNITY READ

Copies of this book are free for borrowing -- there is a copy in front of Corie's room and 2 more on the table in front of Jame's office... gives an overview of why we should care about these issues and some interesting expose's about where toxic chemicals are hiding in our households. I'm trying to collect some good links for the sidebar -- please use the comments to share sites you check as you pursue health and well being and all that!

Wolfe's Neck Update

Currently almost 40 FSP children and parents have signed up to come to the Wolfe's Neck field trip on Friday October 9th. All are welcome -- please feel free to join in at the last minute (we just had sign ups because the staff wanted an estimate count).

The program will begin promptly at 10:00am -- since it involves a hayride, it can be tricky to catch up (although there might be 2 shifts) and they can't hold it too long because they have afternoon groups. The official program ends between 11:30 12 but we're welcome to stay and play...

The cost is $5.00 per person (including adults) -- all children will receive a pumpkin and everyone gets an apple.

The weather currently looks beautiful -- I will post here if the weather changes and we need to cancel, but that is unlikely. Bring a picnic and hiking shoes if you'd like -- there are beautiful trails here and at the nearby Wolfe's Neck State Park.

Directions are here (note : there used to be 2 ways in, but now I think there is only 1) : http://www.wolfesneckfarm.org/map_and_directions.php

Paul Solman at Bates College (tonight and Wednesday)

THE ANDREWS LECTURE IN ETHICS AND EDUCATION

Paul Solman
Economics Correspondent
The News Hour with Jim Lehrer



The Divided Self: Money, God and Neighbor

Lecture I
Monday, October 5, 7 p.m., Chase Hall Lounge
Spending Beyond Our Means And Are We Screwed If We Don't?

Lecture II
Wednesday, October 7, 7 p.m., Chase Hall Lounge
IS Money The Root Of All Evil?

Sponsored by the Multifaith Chaplaincy and the Department of Economics

--  The Rev. Bill Blaine-Wallace, Ph.D.  Multifaith Chaplain Bates College 161 Wood Street Lewiston, ME. wblainew@bates.edu 207.753.6906 Fax: 207.786.8282  "A mosaic is a conversation between what is broken." Terry Tempest Williams

FW: [Maine_Science] An Evening for Middle School & High School Girls to dream BIG and meet a scientist

______________________________________________________________________________ Join Us and Dream Big!
Explore Science Writing & Science Career Opportunities
An Evening For: middle and high school girls*

 . Tuesday October 6, 2009, 6:00-8:00pm
 Freeport Community Center, 53 Depot St., Freeport, ME
 RSVP requested, light Refreshments served

Coastal Studies for Girls and Cornerstones of Science offer an evening
designed to intrigue, inspire
and inform middle and high school girls about exciting science related
careers, projects and
educational opportunities.
. Introduction to Coastal Studies for Girls, a Science & Leadership
School--the nation's first
residential semester school that's just for 10th grade girls, opening Spring
2010 in Freeport
. Learn about science opportunities for girls at Cornerstones of Science, an award-winning
national science literacy initiative, located in Brunswick
. Featured guest speakers include Catherine Schmitt, author of local natural
history guide, A
Coastal Companion, and Beth Bisson, from Maine Sea Grant
. Explore science writing and other science careers opportunities at Maine
Sea Grant
. Design your own creative arts project and have a chance to win your own
copy of A Coastal
Companion
. Discover connections between science, nature art and science career
choices

*This event is open to all Maine middle school and high school girls, and
their parents/guardians
and is made possible, in part, through the support of a grant from the Maine
Girls Collaborative Project, an NSF
funded effort

RSVP to Margaret Martin at Coastal Studies for Girls: 865-9700 or
info@coastalstudiesforgirls.org

www.coastalstudiesforgirls.org
www.cornerstonesofscience.org/
www.seagrant.umaine.edu/
www.catherineschmitt.com/

Bates screening of 'Food, Inc.' with Stonyfield Farm chairman

Food safety seems to be one of the most challenging parenting issues we face, as a generation of parents that can't trust the FDA or big business that feeds us, but we can't all homestead either.  I saw 2/3 of this movie (a childcare emergency pulled me out before the hopeful part) and it has changed some of my eating habits, and also revealed places for collective action.   Plus, how fun to see it with energetic college students (who eat the most amazing food around)... 

 All are invited...

Stonyfield Farm chairman to speak at Bates screening of 'Food, Inc.'
Saturday, Oct. 3 at 7:00 p.m.
Olin Arts Concert Hall

MORE INFO: http://home.bates.edu/views/2009/09/29/food-inc/

A Bates College screening of the food-industry exposé Food, Inc. will be followed by a question-and-answer session with the director of Bates Dining Services and with Gary Hirshberg P'13, head of organic yogurt producer Stonyfield Farm.

The screening begins at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, in Olin Arts Concert Hall, 75 Russell St. The film is 90 minutes long.

Hirshberg appears in the film, which scrutinizes the food we eat and how it is produced. He'll be joined in the Bates event by college Dining Services Director Christine Schwartz. The event is open to the public at no cost. For more information, please call 207-786-6476.

For Your October Calendar - Detox Your Toy Box, FREE Panel Discussion, Oct 20th, 7pm. USM's Abromson Center

 

Contact: James Grumbach Friends School of  Portland 1 Mackworth Island Falmouth, ME  04105 Phone 207 781-6321 Fax 207 781-6320

 

 

 --FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE--

 

FRIENDS SCHOOL OF PORTLAND TO HOST PARENTING FOR PEACE EVENT "DETOX YOUR TOY BOX"

The School has assembled a panel of experts to discuss hopeful and concrete actions for maintaining the health of families and stewardship for the Earth

Portland, Maine September 22, 2009 – Friends School of Portland (FSP), an independent Quaker day school for grades preschool-8, today announces its fall, 2009 Parenting for Peace event, "Detox Your Toy Box."

This event will be held on Tuesday, October 20, 2009, from 7-8:30 PM at the University of Southern Maine, Hannaford Hall, in the Abromson Community Education Center in partnership with the Maine chapter of Physician's for Social Responsibility.

Taking a proactive approach, "Detox Your Toy Box" will explore current research linking environmental toxins to children's health. We will learn about the most urgent problems we face and opportunities for personal and collective action.   The panel will also share strategies for engaging children in making healthy choices for themselves and their planet. This event is free and open to the public.

Experts from diverse, yet connected fields come together as a panel and include:

·     David Bellinger, PhD, Professor, Harvard Medical School—will inform the audience of the latest scientific research linking environmental toxins to children's developmental health.

·     Nicole Borrasso, Teacher and Seasoned Outdoor Educator, FSP—will help us consider the best way to engage children in caring for the environment and their own bodies without scaring them (or the parents!).

·     Kristine Jenkins, Environmental Health Organizer, Environmental Health Strategy Center—will share stories of successful community clean-ups / social change and engage us in a conversation about public policy initiatives on the horizon.

The panel will be moderated by local pediatrician, parent and FSP Board member, Jeff Peterson.  A question and answer period will follow the panel presentation. Resource tables will be available in the lobby.

 

FSP is pleased and proud to offer Parenting for Peace as a community service to the Greater Portland community.

 

About FSP

The Friends School of Portland challenges and empowers students to develop their intellectual, physical, emotional, creative and spiritual potential. We honor our students' natural gifts as they learn to enter the world with confidence, competence, joy and a sense of purpose. We are guided by the Quaker values of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality, stewardship, and truth.

 

For Middle School Girls

Join Cornerstones of Science and Dream Big!
Explore Science Writing & Science Career Opportunities
An evening for middle and high school girls
Tuesday October 6, 2009, 6:00-8:00pm
Freeport Community Center, 53 Depot St., Freeport, ME
RSVP requested

Click here for more information

Portland Public Library is a member of the Cornerstones of Science Partnership.

Cumberland Fair & Picture Books

The Cumberland Fair is open -- buy a bracelet for $15.00 and ride all you want... Monday (today), Wednesday or Thursday... We've also found a couple of great picture books about the fair.  Our favorite is A Net of Stars by Maine author Jennifer Jacobson.   Also by a Maine Author, Mary Train, is Time for the Fair. 

More generally for fall, I adore Lynn Plourde's book Wild Child, and am always inspired by Pumpkins by Mary Lyn Ray.  The Center for Children's Books offers bibliographies on Autumn and Art, Leaves are Falling, Native American Fiction and Non-Fiction. 

What books do you go back to, as the air chills? 

CURIOUS CITY DOINGS : Minli's Journey, Not Grace's Journey

Kim Simmons has sent you a link to a blog:

Kristin, from Curious City, is children's book event planner extraordinaire. She helped with some of our garden-stories and is filled with incredible enthusiasm for kids and books. Grace Lin is an amazing author and I can't wait to explore what they've put together, together.

Blog: CURIOUS CITY DOINGS
Post: Minli's Journey, Not Grace's Journey
Link: http://curiouscitydoings.blogspot.com/2009/08/minlis-journey-not-graces-journey.html

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MojoMom : HOW to raise a Free-Range Kid

Kim has sent you a link to a blog:

I'm curious how others feel about this -- are things different for us here in Maine? How is it to be on an island? Do you feel like your kids are more constrained than you were, and for the better or the worse?

Blog: MojoMom
Post: HOW to raise a Free-Range Kid
Link: http://mojomom.blogspot.com/2009/09/how-to-raise-free-range-kid.html

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