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Category Archives: Family

Help your child to get ready for kindergarten

Posted on August 15, 2020 by Web Manager Posted in Concordia News, Family, Schools

By Marsha Sandman | CNA Media Team

boy holding sign for first day of kindergarten
Dashel Money was enthusiastic about his first day of kindergarten
a couple of years ago. A local teacher offers tips on how to help your child prepare.

Ready or not, it’s almost time to think about starting school. With the current pandemic, the great unknown exists. Will your little one will be in a classroom or learning at home? Perhaps it will be a little of both. Regardless, you can help your child prepare for the kindergarten experience now.

Christina Gay – known as Mrs. Gay to her kindergarteners and their parents at Faubion School – explained there are steps parents can take now to prioritize what’s most important to focus on in preparing your kiddo for a successful learning adventure.

She suggested the student should be prepared with some basic skills. They should understand the concept of time while developing and establishing routines.

Whether at home or in the classroom, routines will help your kindergartener to know what to expect daily. A home school day should be one to two hours with “brain breaks” depending on the child.

Mrs. Gay advises each activity should be no more than 15 to 20 minutes. In between reading, writing, science and math, the students in school experience four special classes, each once a week: art, physical education, dance and library.

Everyone’s favorite – recess – is about 15 minutes twice daily.

“I love it all. It’s so fun to see them learn and see their emotional and social growth,” she said. “It’s a special joy to watch them support each other.”

Focus on responsibility, independence, self-help and social skills. The child should be able to express himself or herself, spend time in a group and practice listening.

Consider dressing the student in clothing that’s easy to manipulate. Little hands should be able to zip, tie and button. Hungry little ones should know how to get into their own lunches.

According to Mrs. Gay, before kindergarten starts, your pint-sized sweetie should be able to read and write his or her name and know shapes, colors and numbers.

Read to your youngster and engage in meaningful literary activities. The student should know how to hold a pencil or marker with enough pressure to go from scribbles to words. Work on small and large skills with encouragement.

Practice saying goodbye before the first day of school so your kiddo is familiar with the process and knows you will come back at the end of the school day.

If you teach at home, practice patience, use a timer and employ learning skills available through your school’s online videos.

School reportedly opens Sept. 8. Visit PPS.net/kinderenroll for registration forms. They are also at school food pick-up sites.

After living east, south, north and west, Marsha Sandman is home at last. And she wants to hear your story. Contact her at MarshaJSandman@gmail.com.

Concordia Neighborhood Holiday Party

Posted on December 6, 2019 by Gordon Riggs Posted in CNA, Events, Family

HOLIDAYS AROUND THE WORLD

Concordia Neighborhood Holiday Party

You Are Invited!

Wednesday, Dec. 11, 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Cerimon House, 5131 N.E. 23rd Ave.

Featured!

  • Vernon School Band
  • Faubion School Choir
  • Grupo Latitudes Band featuring South American and Andean music
  • Craft table and activities for kids

Step into our International Food Terrace and enjoy taste samples from around the world, featuring a variety of ethnic bites presented by some of your favorite local restaurants!

Nonalcoholic beverages and scrumptious dessert table!

Food drive and raffle to benefit Northeast Emergency Food Program

Suggested donations:

Men’s & women’s clothing • Soups, canned meat, rice, pasta, cereal and oats • Canned fruits and vegetables • Staples (salt, pepper, cooking oil, etc.) • Snacks and treats • Personal hygiene items (toilet paper, feminine hygiene, soap, shampoo, etc.) • Household supplies (laundry and dish detergent, cleaning supplies) • Pet food

Raffle tickets: $2 each or six for $10

Great Raffle prizes graciously donated by Concordia neighborhood businesses. All businesses will be announced from the stage!

2019 National Night Out Family Fun Day

Posted on July 28, 2019 by Gordon Riggs Posted in CNA, Events, Family

Friday, Aug. 2, 6 – 8:30 p.m. at Fernhill Park

Music by THE LARKS pdx (6:15 – 8:15 p.m.)

Pack up your blanket, chairs and your picnic and come to the park!

There will be:

  • Face painting
  • Games
  • Balloon art
  • Henna tatoo artist
  • Portland Police Canine Unit
  • Firetruck
  • Free ice cream for kids
  • Craft table
  • and much more! 

Join us to celebrate our community and to get to know your neighbors.

Concordia Neighborhood Holiday Party — You Are Invited!

Posted on November 21, 2017 by Gordon Riggs Posted in CNA, Events, Family

Tuesday, December 12, 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Cerimon House, 5131 NE 23rd Ave.

  • Light eats and nonalcoholic beverages
  • Activities for kids
  • Live music

Pizza generously donated by Hot Lips Pizza, Pizza Jerk and Red Sauce Pizza.
Coffee generously donated by Caffe Vita.

Featured!

  • Performance by Vernon School Choir at 7 p.m.
  • Community Sing led by Susan Riggs, director of FEAST Community Choir at 8 p.m.

Food & Clothing Drive and Raffle to benefit Northeast Emergency Food Program

Suggested donations:

  • Men’s & women’s clothing
  • Soups
  • Canned meat
  • Rice
  • Pasta
  • Cereal and oats
  • Staples (salt, pepper, cooking oil, etc.)
  • Snacks and treats
  • Personal hygiene items (toilet paper, feminine hygiene, soap, shampoo, etc.)
  • Household supplies (laundry and dish detergent, cleaning supplies)
  • Canned fruits and vegetables
  • Pet food

Raffle tickets: $2 each or six for $10

Raffle prizes generously donated by Basics, a Pacific Foods store; Dekum Street Doorway; Cottage Pantry; Frock; Grand Central Bakery; Hot Lips Pizza; Just Bob; Amelie Marian – Hasson Company Realtors; Red Sauce Pizza; Sarah Miller – Portraits in Prose, ink; Seastar Bakery; and Verum Ultimum Art Gallery.

Unload some of those Halloween treats

Posted on October 31, 2017 by Gordon Riggs Posted in CNA, Family, Health and Wellness
Clio, Killian and Crosby plan to participate in the 2017 Halloween Candy Buy Back program. They’ll deliver some of what they collect to a local dentistry office – which will reward them with cash or toys – to send the candy to troops stationed overseas. Photo by Chris Baker

Three dentistry offices in northeast and north Portland will exchange some of the candy stash your trick or treaters collected this year – some for cash, others for toys.

The dentists are participating in the 2017 Halloween Buy Back program and partnering with local veterans organizations to send the candy to military troops stationed overseas. Since 2015, the program has collected more than 130 tons of candy nationwide.

Children have benefited by reducing their sugar intake, dentists seize the opportunity to contribute to their community and military personnel appreciate being remembered.

Local dentistry offices are:

Hollywood Children’s Dentistry 3839 N.E. Tillamook St., 503.288.5891
Email:Info@hcdpdx.com
Wednesday – Friday, Nov. 1 – 3, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Exchange: $1 per pound of candy

North Portland Orthodontics
3332 N. Lombard St., 503.289.1992
Nov. 1, 8 – 4 p.m.
Exchange: $1 per pound of candy (five pound limit)

World Of Smiles Pediatric Dentistry North
4548 N. Albina Ave., 503.626.9711
Wednesday, Nov. 1 – Friday, Nov. 10, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Mondays – Thursdays, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. Fridays
Exchange: toys for candy, children are encouraged to write notes of appreciation to the troops

UPDATED: National Night Out – Friday, Aug. 4

Posted on August 1, 2017 by Gordon Riggs Posted in CNA, Events, Family

CNA’S BICYCLE & PED PARADE ON AUGUST 4th is CANCELLED but THE NNO CELEBRATION WILL GO ON THAT EVENING WITH A FREE CONCERT & MOVIE IN FERNHILL PARK! 

CNA’s National Night Out Parade has been cancelled due to the extreme heat, but as the temperatures start declining on the evening of August 4th, please join us at FERNHILL PARK for a night of traditional Afro-Mexican folk music, song, and zapateado (percussive dance) by COLECTIVO SON JAROCHO DE PORTLAND from 6:30 to 8:15 PM. 

Then stay at the park and beat the heat with a cool nighttime showing of THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE (Subtítulos en Español) at SUNDOWN sponsored by ROSE CITY MORTGAGE & your CNA!

There will be fun activities at the park, including:

  • Children’s Art Activities by COLLAGE
  • Balloon Animals & Hats
  • Henna Tattoos
  • Firetruck to Explore with Local Firefighters

There will be FREE popcorn, popsicles, and water for all! Bring a picnic dinner or buy a meal from one of our 4 food vendors!

Bring a blanket, or low-back concert chair, relax in the hopefully cool breeze and enjoy the show!

Ties That Bind – Grandparent Focus Group

Posted on October 26, 2016 by Web Manager Posted in Events, Family

These free, one-time-focus groups are for grandparents of all ages who have found themselves acting as primary caregiver for a grandchild or another child. This will be an open discussion about resources and support needed by grandparents and the children they are raising. Light refreshments will be served.

A one-time $20 Fred Meyer gift card will be given to all grandparents for their participation in a focus group.

Choose a date and reserve your spot
North Portland
Friday, October 28
10:30am – 12:00pm
Bridge Meadows Community Room
502 N. Wayland Ave. 97203

NE Portland
Monday, November 7th
6:00pm – 7:30pm
North Portland Killingsworth Library
512 N. Killingsworth St. 97217

RSVP to focus group facilitator / program coordinator Tiffany Kirkpatrick
Phone: 503.515.5905
Email: grandparents@jfrfoundation.org

Ties That Bind is a grandparents raising grandchildren program by the Jessie F. Richardson Foundation, a 501(c)3 charitable organization licensed by the state of Oregon.

You can help your children transition back to school

Posted on September 17, 2016 by Web Manager Posted in Concordia News, Family

By Jennifer Allison

Summer seems to slip away so quickly, the air gets cooler, plants go to seed and school beckons our children. I’ve found a few things that have helped ease the transition back to school for my family.

Set up your rhythm: Design a routine that works around what is important in your day. It is easier for children, especially the younger ones, if there is a consistent rhythm to the day. When do you need to get up so there is enough time to get ready? Try to eat breakfast at the same time every school day, and after school be ready with a snack and activities to allow your child to relax and refresh before they take care of other responsibilities. Keeping it the same most days will help a child stay grounded.

Seek sustainable sleep: This is so important for your child. Sleep allows children to process what they take in during the day and integrate it, and it’s essential for a healthy immune system. Give your child a calming, consistent bedtime ritual, like brushing teeth, reading a story and lightly rubbing their feet or backs. This can bring children back into their bodies and get ready for sleep. Keep to a regular bedtime.

Support the transition: An anxious child who does not want to leave your side will do well knowing what to expect when they get to school. You can say something like, “Mommy will walk you to your classroom, and then I am going to give you a hug and I will see you at the end of the day.” Keep is short and sweet. Lingering only makes the parting harder for your little ones.

Jennifer is an early childhood educator at Gnome’s Home. Please visit  GnomesHome.org for more information on classes for children and adults. 

Stop! Look! Listen!You could save a life

Posted on September 2, 2016 by Web Manager Posted in Concordia News, Family

By Karen Wells

It’s back to school time. You can feel the excitement, the anticipation in the air. The shopping trips to get the new school clothes, gear and electronics – the stuff that makes it all possible.

If you do the traditional, round robin of shopping malls and outlets, you drive there and back, right? If you’re lucky, the ideal parking space awaits, right?

Remember to Stop! Look! Listen! Check for your children or other kids around your car before you park, after parking and before pulling out.

Kids are short. Parents are distracted. Kids are excited and curious. Parents are in a hurry. Cars have blind spots. Kids are oblivious to cars, both parked and moving. Parking lots and driveways are dangerous places, ripe for tragedy.

Stop! Look! Listen! Check where children might be before getting into your car. It takes seconds and could save a life.

According to KidsandCars.org, about 114 children younger than age five were killed in 2015 from backovers – cars that backed over unseen children – and frontovers – cars that moved slowly forward over unseen children.

Don’t leave a child younger than five unattended in a car, even for a minute. Heatstroke or another medical emergency can occur in moments. If the outside temperature is 70 and the windows are closed, it’s 125 inside that car.

We’re good parents. Let’s do our best to keep our children safe. Stop! Look! Listen!

karen-wells-100x100Karen is a master trainer in early childhood education at Oregon Center for Career Development in Childhood Care and Education. She provides health and safety training to parents and childcare staff via Child Care Resource and Referral of Multnomah County. Reach her at 5CornersFamily@gmail.com and 619.244.7892.

Aquifer Adventure September 17

Posted on September 2, 2016 by Web Manager Posted in Events, Family, Volunteer Opportunities

Free family event - Aquifer Adventure - Sept 17 NE 166 and Airport Way

Saturday September 17, 12:00pm – 4:00pm

Big and little pirates alike are welcome to join us for a family festival all about groundwater! Play fun games and go on a scavenger hunt in search of hidden treasure – not gold, but groundwater, a precious resource that flows beneath your feet! Come dressed in yer finest pirate togs, or else the Cap’n might make ye walk the plank! Free kids T-shirts to the first 300 kids!

Location

Portland Water Bureau Launch
16650 NE Airport Way
Portland, OR 97230

Admisssion: Free

Learn more about the Aquifer Adventure

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Concordia Neighborhood Association will abstain from publishing anything that could be construed as libel.

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