Archive for the ‘Parenting’ Category
I know it reopened in February, but we just finally took the kids by Hal Brown Park (formerly Creekside Park), across from Marin General, and the renovation is impressive. It has great play structures, a large grassy area for playing soccer, an awesome loop for kids to ride their bikes around, and really sweet views of the lagoon and Mt. Tam. Great spot to picnic or have a kids birthday party. If you haven’t made it by it’s worth checking out while the weather is still nice.
If you’re looking for a good place to get some friends together for a picnic in Marin, then look no further than the Lake Lagunitas Picnic Area, just eight minutes from downtown Fairfax. The kids can go fishing, play in the creek, or ride their bikes around in the parking lot. We like to bring our mt. bikes and ride around the lake with the whole family. We also like this spot because it’s set in a redwood grove with lots of shade, and has good sized picnic tables with large bbq/grill areas.
We usually reserve the large tables and grills when we know it’s a large group, but if you’re just going with a couple of families you might not need to reserve in advance as there are almost always enough tables to go around. A good hike is to make a loop with the kids around the lake…it takes about 30 minutes. In the summer when it gets hot this is the perfect place to hang out in the shade and be with friends. I have to say it’s one of the most beautiful places in Marin.
The picnic area is at the end of the road adjacent to the parking lot. You’ll find directions and info on reservations here.
Here’s a chance to have some tasty food while supporting a great cause. Have a meal at one of the participating restaurants on Tuesday April 12th and a percentage of your check will go to support the fantastic work of Marin County School Volunteers, a group that matches volunteer tutors with Marin school kids. The list includes popular eateries such as Jason’s in Greenbrae and Pacific Catch in Corte Madera. For a full list visit the MCSV website. And if you’re looking for a regular way to give back to the community consider volunteering as a tutor!
Reservations are suggested and be sure to mention Marin County School Volunteers to make sure your meal will be counted as part of the event.
In order to accommodate rising elementary school enrollment in Fairfax and San Anselmo the Ross Vally School District Board is in the process of redrawing the boundaries that determine which school goes with which neighborhood. It’s part of a process that will also split the two Brookside Elementary campuses into separate K-5 schools.
According to the RSVD website the aim of the changes will be to:
- Create and maintain four, independent “k-5” schools of similar size
- Prioritize enrollment for residents who live closest to a school site and within its boundary – taking into consideration natural geographic boundaries – to:
- enable and encourage walking and biking to school, and
- minimize the number of people traveling by car.
- Align with Safe Routes to School for students who walk or bike to school.
- Maintain accessibility to District-wide programs (e.g., MAP and the Learning Center).
- Minimize the number of current students who must change schools during the transition phase as a result of these boundary adjustments.
Jack Schreder & Associates, the consulting firm the board hired, has come up with four scenarios for redrawing the boundaries. They say that they’re now going to look at more tax assessor and census data, get input from the Board of Trustees, district staff, and the community, and then do some recalculating before presenting a final scenario.
There’s a special board meeting tomorrow night at White Hill Middle School to discuss the process. The Powerpoint presentation outlining the four enrollment boundary options is available here. For more info visit the RVSD website or contact the district office at 415.454.2162.
It’s still February, we saw snow on Mt. Tam in the last week and yes, it is also summer camp registration time! The choices for summer camps for kids in Marin can be overwhelming and some great programs fill up very early. We registered for a coveted horseback riding camp in early January after being declined two years in a row!
Last year I wrote this post on Marin County Summer Camps and the individuals who commented have given some great information. Feel free to add your thoughts here or on that post.
Thanks to one of the commenters for letting me know about the upcoming Marin Camp Fair where over 50 day camps in Marin and other resident summer camps throughout California will be present to answer questions about the camps.
The summer camp fair takes place on Thursday, March 31, 2011 at Dominican University in San Rafael. Don’t worry about finding a babysitter, the fair is kid friendly and will feature free pizza, a jumpy house and more.
- What: Marin County Summer Camp Fair
- When: Thursday, March 31, 4:30-7:30pm
- Where: Conlan Gym, Dominican University (map)
- More Details
This sounds like a great event to help evaluate your choices- I’ll see you there!
To beat the heat this summer try heading out to Heart’s Desire Beach at Tomales Bay State Park, just North of Inverness. It’s about 40 minutes from San Anselmo and well worth the drive, which in itself is quite relaxing and beautiful. Since it’s located on Tomales Bay and sheltered from the ocean the water is usually calm, making it one of the best beaches in Marin for families with small children. We also found that the shallow water in the summer is fairly warm, so swimming is much more pleasant than most beaches in the Bay Area. Bring your buckets and build a sand castle or bring your favorite book and just relax.
We went on a weekend and found a great place to set up our blanket and umbrella and stayed for more than three hours. It’s a good idea to bring a picnic and just make a day of it, with BBQ areas and a nice bathroom facility with showers, perfect to wash off the sand before you leave. The lower parking lot is really close to the beach so you don’t have to trek too far, but if it gets full there’s another overflow lot which is a bit more of a trek.
To get there just head out Sir Francis Drake past the town of Inverness and hang a right on Pierce Point Road until you see the sign for Tomales Bay State Park. Turn right into the park, pay the $6 fee and head down the hill to the parking lot. This is a great place to bring friends or have a playdate for the kids. We brought an extra layer of clothes just in case the fogged rolled in, which turned out to be a good idea.
Well this is good news… According to the Marin IJ, Marin County has the lowest high school drop out rate in the State of California. The state average is 24.2 percent compared to Marin’s 6.9 percent. I firmly believe the strong school systems in Marin are a key factor for the relative stability in the Marin County housing market.
We often hear a lot about the quality of education in Marin elementary schools and Marin middle schools, but it is nice to know it continues on through high school!
Marin County makes the list of “America’s Best Places to Raise A Family” according to a June 30, 2008 article on www.forbes.com. Marin ranked #15 on the list of 20 best places.
Forbes used 10 data points for their ranking. Among the areas under consideration were education, housing, cost of living, crime, air quality and commute time.
As indicated in the article, the “rankings are skewed toward counties with good school districts.” This move certainly worked in Marin’s favor given the strong performance of our school system. The consideration of low crime, air quality (this summer excluded) and commute times were also likely favorable considerations for Marin.
Not in Marin’s favor was the cost of housing / living. The article cited a median home price of $901,900 as the most expensive on the list.
In case you needed it, the Forbes article is further confirmation of why people continue to move here. Despite the high cost of housing, people find value in the school system and quality of life. It is for these reasons that Marin’s home prices have held up so well in these difficult times for our nation’s housing market.
If you have children, you have probably heard about St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. For the second year, I am honored to sit on the event committee for Miracles on the Bay, a benefit for St. Jude. When I tell people I am involved with St. Jude, I often get looks of confusion.
“The hospital is in Tennessee, right?”
Yes, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is located in Memphis Tennessee, but many Bay Area children are treated by the hospital, and all families benefit from the incredible research developed at this hospital.
St. Jude is the world’s leading research center for pediatric cancer and catastrophic disease. The hospital treats children from the Bay Area, across the U.S. and from more than 70 countries around the world at no cost to their families. All patients accepted for treatment at St. Jude are treated without regard for the families ability to pay. Research developed at St. Jude is shared freely worldwide with anyone who can benefit from it and since 1962, that research has been a driving force behind raising childhood cancer survival rates from less than twenty percent to more than seventy percent overall.
Miracles on the Bay will feature tastings from more than fifteen top San Francisco Bay Area restaurants and chefs including Dry Creek Kitchen, Il Fornaio, Lark Creek Inn, Masa’s, Orson, Fish & Farm, and more.
- What: Second Annual Miracles on the Bay benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
- When: Thursday, May 1, 2008 , 6 p.m.
- Where: Galleria at the San Francisco Design Center
- Tickets: $125 in advance. Purchase Tickets
This event was phenomenal last year, and is set to be even better this year. Join me for a fun and fabulous event, but more importantly- join me in saving the lives of children in the Bay Area, in California, and throughout the world.
The much anticipated Marin IJ Marin summer camps guide has been released! Check it out for updated details on summer camps for Marin kids.
Related Posts:
Marin County Summer Camps for Kids