The Grand Canyon

  Raphael House led 7 teens on a trip to the Grand Canyon for five days. These teens have been part of our Saturday Tutoring Program and have made great strides in the past year to advance themselves academically, personally and professionally in some cases.

  

 We traveled 800-miles to see one of the most spectacular geological formations our country has to offer. See below for our first view of the Grand Canyon, which shows only part of the 277-mile expanse. On day 3, the group took a hike on Cedar Ridge Trail down into the canyon, which can get up to 1-mile deep—that’s 6,000-feet! We didn’t get that far down, but we did get far enough to see the many different rock layers that make the canyon’s walls . We saw compressed layers of shale, limestone, and other iron-rich rock that gives the canyon its distinctive horizontal striations that you can see clearly in the picture below. These rocks are also responsible for the rich reds and blues that become most vibrant later in the day when the sun is beginning to set. It’s taken 17-million years for the Grand Canyon to become the formation that we know today, and it is ever changing.

   Some highlights of the trip were seeing a California Condor, an endangered bird with a  10-foot wingspan, two peregrine falcons, and last but not least our visit to the Hualapai reservation on the West Rim of the Grand Canyon. There, we ironically learned how to be cowboys; we practiced lassoing, (fake) gun-slinging, and archery.

Student perspectives of this trip will be posted in two weeks.

Independence Day Celebration

Food, games, and plenty of sun—there was no better way to spend the Saturday after the Fourth of July than at Raphael House. Numerous AfterCare and Residential families joined Raphael House staff and volunteers for an afternoon on the roof to celebrate our nation’s independence.

          

The many games were a big hit with children young and older. There were balloon darts, giant tic-tac-toe, sack races, three-legged races, and more. Winners received some very festive prizes, from red, white, and blue pinwheels to rubber duckies dressed up as US presidents. There was also face paining for anyone interested. Everyone could see the work of the skilled volunteer face painters as butterflies, princesses, and even spidermen walked around the roof with their families.

 

As often happens after some fun in the sun, hungry guests could choose from hamburgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob, potato salad,  fruit, cupcakes, apple pie, and popcorn to eat, all delicious!

 

If a family wanted to take a picture to remember the day by, they certainly could at a photo shop area decked out for the Fourth. Many families took time out to say cheese or to make a funny face at the camera.

 

Thank you to all of those who joined Raphael House for such a fun picnic celebration!

On the Bay for a Day

 

Last weekend, ChildReach took a tour around the Bay in a boat called the Dauntless. We started our sea-trek at historic Pier 45. As we embarked and pulled away from shore we heard the deep, grumbling horn of the SS Jeremiah O'Brien, one of two surviving and fully functioning WWII Liberty Ships. They start up the engines and sound the horn only once a month, our Captain Page informed us, and we were lucky enough to witness it. We took a closer look at the USS Pampanito, another historic WWII sea-vessel. The submarine looked menacing up close, mainly because none of us even saw it until it was looming 50 feet from our boat; the camouflage was incredible. 

As our journey continued, we moved away from war history and closer to natural history. We spied sea lions playing in the bay, and more exciting than anything, DOLPHINS! Well, technically, they are harbor porpoises. We were only able to see them for brief moments; while it was a beautiful day, none of them seemed to want to play outside of the water. They came to the surface for two quick breath-fulls of air at a time. Here is a link to the Bay Nature Institute's article about Harbor Porpoises: http://baynature.org/articles/jul-sep-2011/safe-harbor. The article explains that which we are extremely lucky to see these creatures as they have returned to the Bay within only the last 30 years.

ChildReach and the families of Raphael House had yet another beautiful day in our beautiful City By The Bay.

Kayaking with ETC

    Kayaking on Richardson Bay is always a great experience. Six ladies, all new to kayaking, joined ChildReach on a 5-hour sea-kayaking voyage. 

   The folks at Environmental Traveling Companions, most of them teen-aged leaders and volunteers, have an uncanny ability to make first time water sporters feel confident, safe, and capable.

    Our trip leader, Cheyenne, took us through avenues of house-boats. All of them were so curiously shaped and colored. We saw red houseboats, green house-boats, tall boats, triangular house-boats, long house-boats, and crooked house-boats. It was an absolute wonder that people lived in these houses that float serenely on water. They looked like something out of a Dr. Seuss book. 

   Our second special treat of the day was seeing harbor seals; we were witness to a baby seal nursing on his mother. It was such a beautiful and touching sight. 

   I hope that other first-timers will join us on a field trip in the future.

Play Time!

On Saturday, Feb. 11th, ChildReach had the wonderful opportunity thanks to Alice Allick to coordinate with the Residential Program and have a family field trip to see a play about this classic fairy tale at the Legion of Honor. We all met at the Legion, where someone read the story of Rumpelstiltskin to the kids as we waited to take our seats. There was much excitement in the air as we entered the theatre and shortly after everyone was settled, the show began.

As the kids were laughing and following along, they learned about the man with the funny name who could turn straw into gold. The audience even got to interact with the actors and help them guess this man’s name: Rumpelstiltskin of course!

After the show, the actors were available for autographs; I think we got every single signature by the time we were done!

Then, we got to walk around the museum for free. The kids especially wanted to see the exhibit of a sculpture of the Medusa’s head. We read about the Greek mythology of Medusa and admired the artwork, entitled The Medusa, that was on loan to Legion of Honor from a museum in Rome, Italy. When we were ready to leave, we also saw some of Lincoln Park on our walk to the bus.

We were a little tired as we road the bus back to Raphael House, but it was worth it—we had so much fun and learned some new things too!

Picture taken from: http://legionofhonor.famsf.org/legion/calendar/childrens-theater-performance-rumpelstiltskin-2

March (Birthday) Madness!

On March 17th, Raphael House celebrated with kids with March birthdays and their families. We all met in Raphael House’s dining room for a Saturday afternoon filled with fun, food, beads, and paint!

In honor of St. Patrick’s day, we had a bead project that was enjoyed by boys and girls alike. Kids could make bracelets and/or necklaces of all sizes and colors, but especially in green, gold, and white. Most kids chose to make jewelry for their moms, and some even for a staff member.

We also had a skilled face painter who decorated the face of any child who asked. There were kids bopping around with shamrocks, pots of gold, and even cars on their smiling faces. Then it was time to eat!

The Raphael House kitchen made a delicious deli platter, along with crackers, pasta salad, salad greens, and fruit galore. Still, everyone knew to save some room for birthday cake. The birthday kids gathered round to blow out the candles as we sang.

The cake, provided by the generous organization, Children of Shelters (COS), was delicious and beautifully decorated—we ate almost the whole thing! Finally, it was time for presents, and along with the fast ripping of paper, there seemed to be excitement in the air about the new surprises, such as books, games, and art supplies. A great way to end the day!

An Afternoon at the Movies...

To start off the month of February, ChildReach invited movie lovers young and old to come to Raphael House on Saturday afternoon to watch the movie Hook, an adventurous twist on the classic story of Peter Pan starring Robin Williams and Julia Roberts (rated PG). Before starting the feature film, we stopped in the AfterCare Building to get the snack no movie would be complete without – popcorn! The kids really enjoyed watching the popcorn crackle, jump, and pop in Raphael House’s old fashioned popcorn making machine. After everyone had their own bag full of popcorn, some pizza, carrots, and juice were handed out and we were ready for the show. The kids thought the projector used to show the movie was so cool, almost like watching on big screen even! We all watched attentively from the comfy big red couches of the Teen Room as the story unfolded. There was laughter from all members of the audience, from the mother and grandmother who came to watch with their children, from the kids themselves, and even once or twice from the baby who shared the afternoon with us. We were not afraid to ask questions about the film if we did not understand something or to repeat a joke we thought was especially funny. If you have never seen Hook, those of us who got the chance to see it with ChildReach this past weekend can assure you that it is a movie worth seeing, one for the whole family. We had a lot of fun watching it together and so who knows, there may be more afternoon movies coming to Raphael House, stay tuned!

 Picture taken from: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102057/

Fire Engines Not Just For Fightin' Fires

Over the Labor Day holiday weekend, ChildReach decided to spend it riding a shiny big red fire engine. We took the San Francisco Fire Engine Tour from Fisherman's Warf over the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito and back.  We definitely rode in style on a 1955 open top Mac fire engine.  There were no doors, no windows and no roof so we really had to hang on (don't worry, we all wore our seatbelts).  We even got to wear authentic fire jackets!  We got a lot of attention as we drove through town, and we all made sure to wave and holler to let everyone know we were having a good time.  Going over the Golden Gate was certainly an experience our families will not soon forget.  Riding up above the cars with no top gave us an incredible view of the city and the bridge. Man, those columns are HUGE!  As soon as we got over the bridge, the fog lifted and we were enjoying more beautiful bay views, but this time in the sun.  We drove down the Sausalito strip, waving to everyone as we passed.  Then we stopped for an ever important photo opportunity.  Unfortunately, the fun had to come to end, and we had to bundle back up to cross the bridge back into the fog.  Good thing we had our red caps to protect us from the wind!  We had a great time, and look forward to chance to ride the big red fire engine again!

Back To School In Style

Can you believe it is time for school again?  Well, ChildReach kicked off the Back-To-School season with an incredible school supply give-away.  It all started the week before, when volunteers generously gave their time and support to Raphael House through the stuffing of bags filled with school supplies.  Pens, pencils, notebooks, crayons, and much more were stacked high and ready for the new students who will be using them throughout the coming school year.  All told, our NCL (National Charity League) volunteers stuffed over 200 bags for children either living in shelter, or those that have previously.  What a gift!  Then the big day arrived, and we were ready for the families.  They came through the doors ready for the first days of school.  The work crew for the day actually consisted of former residents and receipients of these school supplies, who had come back to lend a helping hand and give back to others for all that they themselves have received.  We had so much fun handing out supplies, that we almost even forgot we were working!  Serving over 200 children is hard work though, and I couldn't have done any of it without the wonderful support of our donors and volunteers.  Thanks to everyone, and we will see you again this time next year for another successful event.  

So Far This Summer...

This summer in ChildReach has been a busy one!  We've been out and about doing cool things and enjoying the warm weather (well, trying to at least!) Here are few of the highlights from our summer around the Bay.

We've celebrated Birthdays:

Every month ChildReach hosts a birthday party for any kids who have a birthday that month.  It's a great way for families and friends to connect over good food, games and of course, cake and presents.  This summer the parties were no exception to this.  The families had a great time and we look forward to continuing this special tradition.

We had fun and ate sweets:

One of our favorite field trips has become the Jelly Belly factory tour.  Located just a short distance North of the city in Fairfield, the Jelly Belly factory is full of fun jelly bean facts and history, a working factory tour, and of course FREE SAMPLES!  We had so much fun this summer at the Jelly Belly factory that I'm sure it won't be long until we return.

Play Time for Toddlers:

Habitot in Berkely is a children's museum designed with your little guy in mind.  There was so much to do, we could hardly pull the kids away for lunch.  There was a fire engine the kids could crawl inside, a veterinary and pet washing station, a place to practice walking and tumbling, a working car wash, and much more... Both kids and parents enjoyed getting down and dirty and using their imaginations.  We staff enjoying kicking  back and watching all the action.

Live Theater:
Another Raphael House tradition is the Mountain Play.  Every year we bus up nearly 50 people to the top of Mount Tamalpais to watch a live production in their beautiful outdoor ampitheater.  This year's production was Hairspray, and it was a great hit.  The families got a chance to explore the area before the show, and watch a puppet show or take a hike, and I am still hearing stories about both...  The show itself was full of singing, dancing and fantastic costumes and hairstyles.  It was a great chance for folks to get outside, enjoy the mountain and some amazing live theater.

Art Education:

Our kids have such amazing creativity and are great artists!  We thought we'd celebrate this by partnering with JellyFish Art Gallery to participate in their Storytelling exhibit.  Families traveled to JellyFish, which is located here in San Francisco, and were able to sit with real artists and create their own amazing stories and artwork.  They were also able to experience the exhibit and discuss what the art around them meant to each of them.  Both the kids and parents had many wonderful interpretations and were able to share some great art and creativity with the entire group.

Indepence Day:

As anyone who knows Raphael House knows, we have a 4th of July picnic in Golden Gate Park every year.  Well, this year we thought we'd try something a little different.  We had an independence day celebration on our very own roof deck.  The party was a great hit, there was BBQ, games, prizes, and even our friend Uncle Sam.  We even had a family photo booth and everyone got to take home their own souvenier to remember the day by.  The day was perfect, the food was delicious, and we are all eager to do it again next year!

Overnight and Environmental Education:

Lake Tahoe:

Our annual Lake Tahoe trip is a great way for kids to connect with nature, get some sun, and enjoy being kids.  This year we were joined by a group of amazing elementary kids.  We swam and hiked during the day, cooked together in the evening, played games, and even had a talent show.  The kids had a great time out of the city and enjoying true summer weather.  All the children are waiting patiently until they can go again in the winter to see the snow. 

Teen Whitewater Rafting:

This summer we also headed to the South Fork of the American River to raft down the river.  Over the years, ChildReach has developed a great relationship with ETC (Environmental Traveling Companions) an environmental guide group who led us down the river safely.  We camped for two nights and spent three days on the river, taking nature hikes, swimming, rafting and cooking together.  This trip was a wonderful way for the group to learn new skills, challenge their fears and learn to work together as a team to reach a common goal. 

Family Kayaking:
ETC also led us on a family kayaking trip this summer in Sausalito.  That trip was another great opportunity for parents and kids to learn to better work together, communicate and appreciate nature.  We paddled out along the bay, some of us using muscles we didn't know we had, but everyone pushed themselves to make it to our destination, and all felt great afterward.  It was a lot of fun to get out on the water and also experience how connecting with nature can change your perspective on how we live our lives and what is truly important. 

Rock Climbing in the Presidio

Last weekend a group of kids ages 6-12 headed into the Presidio to do some indoor rock climbing at Planet Granite.  From the first minute the kids were having a great time.  They got into their harnesses and our team leaders prepared them to climb the many levels of rock walls the facility has to offer.

It was a great experience for the student's some of whom had tried indoor climbing before, but most of whom hadn't.  The kids were eager to get started, and some of them made it to the top on their first tries.

Rock climbing is an excellent activity for gaining physical strength as well as developing problem solving skills.  A climber must evaluate where to move, and how to use their bodies to stay secure and reach new heights.  The kids all seemed to pick it up quickly and spent the entire afternoon at Planet Granite climbing all the different levels of walls.  Some of the kids even tried bouldering, where you can climb low rock walls without ropes. 

After climbing we headed to the beach for a beach picnic in January!  The sun was shining, the wind wasn't blowing, and it was so warm that some of the kids even made their way into the water.  They made sand castles, new friends, and had a wonderful time being outside in nature and learning new skills. 

Spring into Action!

ChildReach has hosted a series of family fieldtrips in the past few weeks that have promoted activities such as exercising, eating healthy, arts and crafts and reading together. Making these activities into a family affair strengthens parent/child and sibling relationships, builds teamwork and other social skills in children, and also works toward creating stronger minds and bodies for every member of the family.

Exercise

Five families joined us in Golden Gate Park for an afternoon bike ride. Many parents were nervous about riding a bicycle in a congested area like the Park but were pleasantly surprised to find the roads closed to cars and a team of pedal-carriages to ride. (A portion of Golden Gate Park, along JFK Dr near the museums, is closed to cars every weekend) Entire families piled into these 4-6-seater carriages and worked together to pedal through the park. We raced up and down hills and all had a great time.

Another weekend, parent and child pairs joined us in Sausalito for a day of kayaking on Richardson Bay. I mentioned that parents were nervous about biking; that was nothing compared to how nervous parents were to strap themselves in a kayak. However nervous they were, parents kept a straight face and remembered that this was a first for both them and their children and that no matter what, they were excited about trying something new. Some of our participants couldn’t even swim. It was very courageous of them to come out and give it their all. We rowed for 4 hours, stopped on a beach mid-way, ate lunch and played games together. It was nice to be able to laugh and play on a deserted island; we could see the city from where we were but couldn’t hear it or feel the bustle. We all took advantage of this mini vacation, appreciated each other’s company, soaked up a little sun, and learned a little bit about marine life and the ecosystem of the Bay.

Healthy Eating

Diana Moscowitz, a trained dietitian, visited Raphael House and spoke to 5 families about the importance of eating good food, and of knowing what you’re putting in your body. She stressed that we look at labels before purchasing. We learned that nutritional facts can be deceiving depending on the serving size. For instance, we found that generally twice the recommended serving size is served in the morning. Parents and children joined this really important discussion on food, learned lots and asked for follow-up workshops.

Arts and Crafts

Our kite decorating activity was a fantastic success. 33 people joined us in the After Care Building to enjoy lunch and paint kites. Children enjoyed using sea animal stickers to decorate, parents liked the painting portion, and everybody loved stapling all sorts of shapes and materials on their kite-tails. Many parents mentioned that they had forgotten how relaxing and therapeutic art projects were, and how much they enjoyed working with their children.

Celebration and Education

In an effort to celebrate the changing of the seasons and the joy of learning, we held a Spring Carnival at the end of April. We set up games on the roof, including an egg hunt, had a barbeque lunch and set up a library where parents and children could sit, read, and take home as many books as they wished.

This Carnival was a chance for parents to get some great literature in the house for kids to read, learn, and build their language skills. It was also a welcome opportunity for people to gather, visit old friends and make new friends. It was one of those rare, beautiful days in San Francisco, on which 80 people came out to enjoy this event and celebrate with Raphael House.

In an effort to celebrate each other, ChildReach has been hosting monthly birthday parties for children, which involve an art activity or game and a family-style dinner with members of the Raphael House community.

A South American Journey in Music & Stories

Last weekend, we enjoyed the music of the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra and the Trio Chaskinakuy. The trio plays traditional South American instruments, and they even took the time to explain them to our group.
On our journey we listened to the flute, bassoon, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, upright bass, charango, pan pipes, trumpets, drums, and the beautiful voice of Francy Vidal.

The performance was brilliant and the conductor was delightful! He was playful, ran around the stage acting out his music, let the audience clap and dance in the aisles. During the performance, we learned about lots of different instruments, including:

The CHARANGA, little brother of the Spanish guitar, which is traditionally made out of the back-shell of an armadillo:

Four different trumpets, two that were made out of cow horns, segmented and bound together with cow hide:

One trumpet made out of a shell that is most commonly known as a CONCH.

And the last was a 10-foot long trumpet traditionally used on farms where it is played on a hill into a valley to send messages to workers. The sound echoes against the surrounding mountains or hills and becomes so loud that it stretches across the field, and every worker knows at the same when to stop working or come in for lunch.

The last type of instrument we encountered was Pan Pipes. We had never seen such a diverse collection of pipes before. They are the quintessential community instrument, made with two rows of pipes so that they can be split and shared between two friends. The trio played pan pipes that were 4-feet long; these are known as “grandma” pan pipes and are known for making “the sound of the Earth breathing.” We also saw smaller pan pipes that were traditionally made out of the feathers of condors. Since condors are now endangered animals, the Trio had ones with feathers from a different large bird. These made the sound of the bird themselves, such a high-pitched sweet tune.

This concert taught us all much about the evolution of music and instruments; we learned that you can make music out of just about anything, and that music from around the world is delightful.