Yolo County Conference

Thanks to the parents and other friends who supported Big Friends with fundraising and warm thoughts for our success. Some highlights:

• Luis and Dre for getting up on stage in the music workshop.


• Maria for her meticulous notetaking.


• Katie for her personal sharing in the Communications workshop.


• Jhannette setting our waitress straight at the restaurant.


• Shankar for not leaving that hotel until he found those extra blankets.


• Sky so dedicated to taking a picture of a beautiful tree for Kathleen (who still can't use her phone properly) that he rolled down the muddy hill and almost landed in the river.


• Kathleen and Keith polka down the sidewalk after the two and a half hour live theatrical performance of The Sound of Music. Oh, yeah - we climbed every mountain!

The experiences we shared absolutely met the goals of BASE, Life, and the Youth Act program. There was clear evidence of risk and rigor, and our Big Friends showed up professionally. The content: Keynote = 1 hour Jose-Luis Orozco Early Childhood Educator, author and musician Session #1 = 90 minutes

• Songs and Stories: Bilingual Education - Luis and Dre


• Infant-Toddler: Early Literacy Begins at Home - Katie and Maria


• Emotional Literacy and Social Skills Through Puppetry - Jhannette, Shankar and Keith

Session #2 - 75 minutes

• Environmental Education - Keith and Shankar


• Strategies for a Peaceful Classroom - Katie and Maria


• Mad Feelings - Jhannette, Luis, Dre

Session #3 - 75 minutes

• Music for Children and Families - Keith, Luis, Dre


• Effective Communication with Young Children - Maria and Katie


• Fostering a Sense of Wonder and Curiosity in Children - Shankar and Jhannette

Many, many thanks! And a reminder to all families that our Youth Act performance "Gentle Hands Make Happy Friends" is scheduled for Wednesday, April 13th at 3:30PM in the Big Room. ALL families, children (siblings and friends) are invited to attend. A wonderful opportunity to catch youth learning in action!

Youth Interns

Big Friends dreamed of and created Home Sweet Home an an enterpise for the Alternatives in Action Home Project in February 1998. Their vision and work has developed from a daycare experiment with eight children into the Reggio-inspired, licensed for 30 children preschool we enjoy today. This is the first year that Home Sweet Home is self-sustaining through tuition fees!

The opportunity for Big Friends to engage with children and families supports career development and an understanding of the larger human community. Big Friends report tremendous satisfaction and joy through their direct engagement with children. Children return the compliment! Big Friends contriute to builds, present at parent meetings, provide informal daycare needs for after hours events, serve on hiring panels, and support the staff evaluation process.

Alternatives in Action's Big Friends currently hail from ACLC, Alameda High School, Bay Area School of Enterprise, Encinal High School, and Life Academy. Alternatives in Action's Big Friends must attend training and development through enrollment in the BASE Child Development class or the West Alameda Afterschool Program.

Our exciting Home Sweet Home Big Friend Spring Calendar:
March 25-26 - Yolo County Child Development Conference - aka the Kathleen, Sky and Big Friends Road Trip to Davis, CA!

April 13th - Youth Act performance for NAEYC Week of the Young Child in the BASE Big Room with an audience from Esperanza Head Start, Home Sweet Home, Woodstock and Ruby Bridges! Artensia and Keith coordinators.

April 14th (15th) - Life Academy Senior Defense (12:30-6:00) Artensia and Kathleen will attend, and seek to recruit three HSH parents as judges!

May/June - Job Placement in the field of Early Childhood Education for senior Big Friends. Artensia, Cierra, Kathleen and HSH parents to support interview practice as BASE and Life Academy seniors prepare to attend job placement opportunities!

Spectacular New Year

What an amazing beginning to 2011! Home Sweet Home has greatly benefitted from the strong involvement of parents and Big Friends to enhance our learning community. It is impossible to represent all the success stories, but here are some highlights!

PAC Committees
Build: sandbox; interior fix and clean-up
Dad's Group: tiki fellowship; Bear Hike
Events: Harvest Festival; Joy Through Music
Fundraising: targeted spending; Laptop Lunch campaign; parent donations campaign
Garden: worm compost; garden clean-up
Music: Joy Through Music; Cowboy Jared visits; instrument of the month

Thank you to all our families for your tremendous support.

Our next BUILD is the last Saturday of this month! The PAC Build and Fundraising Committees are collaborating to facilitate the playground shade structure. To tie this in to the Green principles, Home Sweet Home would like to consider an arbor design anchored by large casks and have it be covered with vines. We need designers, carpenters, and can-do people to make it happen! Billy Davidson (Cash's dad) is our Build Committee chair.

Big Friend updates:
HSH will welcome eight additional Life Academy interns next week! These Big Friends will be on site Mondays and Wednesdays afternoons.

West Alameda Community Programs will offer YOUTH ACT, a performing arts group that will craft work for the Early Childhood audience. Youth Act will perform at the NAEYC Week of the Young Child festivities. Artensia will serve as the Adult Coach and Keith will serve as the Youth Coach.

Please support BASE at the next AUSD Board Meetings (flyer in mailbox). Any adult that comes out to represent gets a free t-shirt from an appreciative youth volunteer!

More parenting experiences in the media:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/06/garden/06play.html?src=me&ref=general