SFkids October Newsletter
This month we bring you a variety of holiday events, tips and resources in the school search process. Fun for the weekend can be found on the right column and don't miss our Teen Scoop section below.
 Family Festival Saturday, October 18,
Yerba Buena Gardens
San Francisco families with children enjoy a celebration of all families featuring live entertainment, carousel rides, jump houses, and a climbing wall; roving balloon artists, clowns, and stilt walkers; hands-on activities for children of all ages; and a community resource fair featuring more than 100 exhibitors. It's ALL free. It's ALL fun! Get a preview by viewing the Family Festival 2007 Video. Kids ride MUNI free! SFkids.org staff will be at Family Fest so make sure to stop by and say hi!
SFUSD School Fair
The San Francisco Unified School District School Fair, Saturday November 8, 9am 2:30pm, FREE. Location: Concourse Exhibition Center East Hall, 635 Eighth Street. For more information call SFUSD Educational Placement Office (415) 241-6058.
Other Enrollment Events
If you would like to talk to a parent currently at a particular public or charter school, contact SF Parents for Public Schools which has parent ambassadors at most schools. Contact www.ppssf.org or (415) 861-7077..jpg "teacher1")
PPS is also offering several free workshops for parents to learn to navigate the enrollment process. See the www.ppssf.org website for more specific dates and times.
See our Education Pages for more tips and resources.
Our Family Coalition San Francisco Elementary School Forum: LGBTQ Welcoming & Inclusive Schools. Sat., Nov. 15, 11am2pm. Location: Alvarado Elementary School, 625 Douglass Street, San Francisco. Lunch will be provided at 11am, the forum will start promptly at 11:30am. The Forum will allow parents, teachers, and principals to engage in dialogue about creating, maintaining, and strengthening a safe and inclusive environment for all children. Click here to see a list of schools that were at last year's Forum.
Go Public: Parents Talk About Choosing and Improving Public Schools at Marina Library on Thursday, October 23 at 7pm. Field-tested moms talk about the schools they've chosen, including how and why, plus the things they're doing to make these schools great.
SFkids Advice for Middle and High School Searches
Two San Francisco parents give us great tips for the Middle and High School Searches.
 The High School Search by Caroline Grannan
Choosing a high school is an important decision parents and teens need to make together. The following are some resources and tips to make the process a little easier. (read more)
Finding a Middle School: a Few New Things to Think About by Lisa Schiff
Fifth grade and the end of elementary school seem to arrive almost as a surprise for many of us parents of younger students. By this time, we and our children are more than well-established at our elementary schools and it may (read more)
Be Sure to Vote!
This election has many important issues and offices to decide on. Make sure to get to the polls on November 4th.
Jennie Rose give us 11 Top Reasons to Vote
Halloween & Dia de los Muertos 2008
 Halloween and Dia de los Muertos are always great San Francisco events. Our calendar is chock full of Halloween events. Also see our Halloween Happenings 2008 flyer that you can print, copy, and pass it around.
Halloween Safety: Review these Halloween Safety Tips from the American Red Cross or our article on Halloween Candy and Safety.
Costume Adventures
Parent Jennie Rose gives us insight into her Costume Adventures.
Also read about a dad's first costume purchase in Halloween for Beginners from Todd Pinsky
Still Searching for the Perfect Costume?
The One Stop Party Shop: This small neighborhood party store pulls out all stops for Halloween!
Costumes on Haight: Don't forget the jewels you can pull from our local thrift stores.
Goodwill Industries saves up their funky clothes for display at Halloween.
Thrift Town, on Mission street at 17th Street, is another favorite!
Spirit Halloween Superstore has a three locations in the city: 901 Market Street, Stonestown Galleria, and Serramonte Center.
Dia de los Muertos at Crissy Field
Dia de los Muertos Procession in the Mission
Mission Cultural Center
SomArts Cultural Center
Great Kids Books about San Francisco
 So many great books have been written about San Francisco we've decided to break up our list.
Read Laure Latham's article San Francisco in Childrens Books, Part 1: Board Books and Picture Books
"Ever since Amanda Douglas described a childs San Francisco in her 1905 book, A Little Girl in Old San Francisco, writers have tried to capture the identity of the city in books for children. With roller-coaster streets, old-fashioned cable cars and barking sea lions, San Francisco is the picture-perfect setting for a good story. (read more)
 Take me out the to ball game?
We're all disappointed that the Giants are out of world series contention, but we thought you might enjoy Owen Baker-Flynn's heartwarming account of his experiences as a Little League umpireI was a Little League Umpire!
Spring Little League registration will be starting soon, see our Little League listing and watch out for reminders to sign up.
 Looking for Something?
We have over 1000 things to do, classes, camps, and places to go.
Adventures Pages - Visit a museum, playgrounds, and more.
Activities Pages - Family entertainment, kid celebration ideas, and more. 
Out of the City Pages - Take a trip out of the City for a break.
City Sights Pages - Cool ideas for playing tourist.
Transportation and Getting Around Pages - A great day trip can be had just riding the rails while you spare the air!
Plus tons of resources for family support, education, health, and safety.
SFK Crisis Page
SFF Health Pages - Environmental Health, Maternal Health, Medical, Vision & Dental
SFK Parent Resources Pages- Geen Families, Safety, Housing, Legal, Food, and more.
Education Pages - Public, Private & Preschools
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Hot Picks This Week:
Our Family Events Calendar contains hundreds of listings of local family-friendly events; here are just a few highlights:
October
Thursday 10/16:
Lights On Afterschool is a national event celebrated by afterschool providers to call attention to the importance of afterschool programs. See the SFkids Afterschool page for San Francisco programs. FREE
Friday 10/17:
Breastfeeding Mothers Group at Newborn Connections at 10am. FREE
Fantastic Fridays at Crissy Field Center, $10 per child.
Presidio YMCA Kids' Night Out for ages 28, $25 per child.
Saturday 10/18:
Family Festival at Yerba Buena Gardens at 11am3pm. FREE
Soap Box Race at Dolores Park at 11am. FREE
Goblin Jamboree at the Bay Area Discovery Museum.
Lands End Celebration: Full Steam Ahead at 11am. FREE
Saturdays are Special at the Randall Museum: Rubber stamp prints, workshops are $3 per child, $5 per parent/child combo.
Our Family Coalition Halloween Bash at LGBT Community Center. FREE
Family Harvest Campfire at Crissy Field, $8 per person, pre-registration recommended; call (415) 561-7765.
Grattan Elementary School Film Night featuring Everyone's Hero (G) will be held on the Grattan athletic field. Donations accepted.
Sunday 10/19:
Fiesta on the Hill in Bernal Heights. FREE
Potrero Hill Festival and pancake breakfast $7.
Target Family Day at Five San Francisco Museums FREE
Hula for Families at the Palace of Fine Arts, $12.50.
Icer Air event at AT&T Park, $28 or family 4 pack $88.
See all the fun Holiday events on our calendar!
Save the Dates
10/20-24: SFUSD Parent Teacher Conference Week check with your child's teacher for details. See the NEA website for tips. FREE
10/21: Shake Up SF a citywide earthquake drill at noon. FREE
10/25: Great Lawn of Treasure Island Fall Festival featuring live music, food and drinks, sports and recreational activities, childrens activities, sailing demonstrations, arts and crafts, raffles, and more. 11am3pm. FREE
10th Anniversary Halloween Birthday Bash at Zeum, 11am5pm FREE
10/30: Pumpkin Carving Contest Deadline at Farley's Cafe FREE
11/8: Kids Only Club: Wilderness Survival Skills at Crissy Field Center. Saturdays, November 8, 15, 22, 9:30am to 2pm. Grades: 36, $45 per child per day.
11/2: Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration.
Daylight Saving Time ends turn back your clock one hour.
1/11: SF Family Appreciation Day select local attractions are free for SF families.
SFkids Hot Tips
New FREE Changes:
First Wednesday of each month is free admission to the Bay Area Discovery Museum, Sausalito.
The third Wednesday of the month is the free admission day at California Academy of Sciences.
Teen Scoop
10/18: Knit Happens! Teen Knitting and Crochet Club at the Main Library 2pm. FREE
10/25: Teen Cine Club reviews Apocalypse Now (1979)
Club 18 a social club for middle- and high-school kids with activities during afterschool hours and weekends. Kids can go bowling, attend a dance or join a club.
SAT test prep through the SF Public Libraries. FREE
Youth Funding Youth Ideas (YFYI) is a youth-led program that seeks to foster young San Franciscans with the opportunities to expand on their leadership goals by funding their project ideas. We bring the tools and support; you bring the ideas. Download the application due January 1, 2008 at 8 PM. FREE
Don't forget to tell them you saw it on SFkids.org!
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Dia de los Muertos Events