What, who? The Sligo Rags! Now, that was a lot of fun! I heard a lot of “wow, they’re really good!” And yes, they are! Really good…and Logan our Irish dancing entertainer…was great! Thanks Logan!

The band sounded great, Logan danced, the kids danced, we ate tacos. There is talk of another show, sometime in June. For those of you unable to attend, keep your eyes peeled for the “save the date” card. You won’t want to miss them the next time they roll through the auditorium!

Thanks to Kyle Becker, Kids Theater Director. He is signed up, on board, primed and ready to teach acting workshops, and direct a theater company at our school in the fall. The process can be truly remarkable for the child. We (my progeny) went from a 2 to a 4 in speaking skills after one production…he teaches the craft…but more on that subject later!

Thank you Karen and Leslie for the homemade horchata and hamicha, delicious! Bonnie must have baked for three days! The 5th grade bake sale had little nests, cupcakes that were too cute, and my son spent $5 on danish! I think that was dinner, danish.

Ogg Studio was a huge hit! The pictures came out great, what a treat to get a family portrait. The photo booth pix with your buddies are priceless. Everyone should encourage their kids to drop in next time…Vangie, as always, you were awesome! Thanks for coming out and setting up!

Brite Spot was a highlight! They had quite a set up, the aroma was amazing and there was a (short) line for tacos all night…look for them at the carnival! This getting together for a party is good stuff. Everyone agreed we should do it more often. Family night, pot lucks, or concerts at the school are always one of the best nights of the year…what next? Maybe a movie night! Now that would be fun!! Anybody know how to do that? Project on the wall, get out the bbq, bring the lawn chairs…

Also, please keep in mind, you can still participate and help make the Sligo Rags night a rousing success. It’s not too late! It’s never too late! Please click on the shamrock and make your donation to support the Arts in our school. Email LosCerritos@mac.com if you are interested in getting involved. Thank you!

As it turns out, our big Spring Fling is on Good Friday!  First time in 100 years?  Won’t happen again for 150 years?  Who knew Good Friday could be so close to St. Patrick’s Day!!  So, we understand if you can’t make it…BUT…you can still show your support for the first Los Cerritos Concert for the Arts by sending your donation.

Don’t forget, there will be a Brite Spot Taco Stand, Sacramento Boosters Beverage Station, 5th grade Bake Sale, Girl Scout Cookies, and the photo booth with Ogg Studios!  Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to have a nice family night out in the neighborhood!!!

Click on the shamrock and look around in the shopping cart for something you can’t live without!  Bookmark us, because there will be new items, upcoming events, and  a whole series of useful information.  Farmers  Market Watch, Field Trips, Health & Wellness, Reading  & Writing, Giving, Ecoist and of course Art, Theater and Music!!  We are looking for a few good editors with a passion for these subjects…contact LosCerritos@Mac.com

Happy St. Patty’s Day! The countdown is on…the Sligo Rags are here THIS friday…you can still get tickets for the show. Don’t be shy! Right now we have sold more tickets for the 7pm show, so plan ahead if this is the show you plan to attend.

Tickets are still available and are $10 for adults, $5 for kids and family packages for $25. If you can’t make it you can still donate to the Arts!

There are many ways to purchase your tickets…click on the shamrock and buy from the online store…stop by the office, fill out the form on the counter and throw your check in the box, or you can buy at the door. See you there!

Now’s the time! Get up there to the Point Vicente Interpretive Center and look for some gray whales. There are a bunch of places to stop, have a picnic, see who’s out there migrating north to their feeding grounds in the Arctic. There is a great site called Fins and Flukes with tons of information on whales and California Coastal spots to view them. There are docents and volunteers who keep a look out for the whales, keeping track of how many they can spot. You can track the numbers along with the experts! There are scopes and lots of benches to hang out.

The Trump Golf Course is a great stop along the way on the left side past Portugese Bend…down the driveway the parking lot to the left is free and the huge grassy area, benches and beach access are all open to the public. Sometimes, there is a barbecue going and you can buy burgers…if you don’t see the grill, there is usually a little cart with sandwiches and water too! The beach below is well worth the easy hike down…lots of beach glass and beautiful stones. Eat lunch in the park and walk down to the beach - it is a treasure!

It’s peak citrus time! The Pixie Tangerine is the highly prized tangerine grown locally in Ojai. Check out the site and find a grower to visit one weekend. They are sold at several local farmer’s markets…because of their thin skins the tangerine is always better if you buy it from a farmer’s market! Eat citrus!

Okay, if you haven’t already heard, the ‘Rags have offered to play for you, us, the kids…Los Cerritos. They are an awesome local Celtic Band headed up by a Los Cerritos parent. A Los Cerritos parent who volunteered his band to raise some cash for The Arts. There is a shopping cart right here on this site, where you can purchase tickets, donate to the cause and please buy a CD!

“I slid in to my pace, and I felt the water below me shudder. It wasn’t a rogue wave or a current. It felt like something else. It was moving closer. The water was shaking harder and buckling below me. All at once I felt very small and very alone in the deep dark sea. Then I heard a sound.” -Excerpt from Lynne Cox’s “Grayson”

I have heard for some time that Grayson is a great read-aloud book to share with your kids. So when I picked up the paper and saw it was the choice for the Long Beach Reads One Book event, I was excited! There are several events taking place and the entire schedule can be found on the LB Public Library Foundation web site. On her website the book description is as follows: In this inspiring memoir, the acclaimed author of Swimming to Antarctica: Tales of a Long Distance Swimmer recalls an amazing encounter from her 17th summer. Early one morning, at the end of a training session some 200 yards off the California shore, Cox realized she was being followed by a baby gray whale that had lost its mother. Despite her fatigue, Cox stayed with the stray until the mother returned, in what turned out to be — as this book proves — an unforgettable, life-altering choice.

The quote, description and local setting have moved Grayson up to the top of the pile of books waiting their turn on the bedside table. Does anyone want to read this book after school? Could we meet one day a week in the library? Maybe the whole school can participate…Long Beach Reads One Book…and Los Cerritos Reads One Book!

Welcome to the Los Cerritos Elementary School Weblog. This is a volunteer, parent run site to promote and support the arts, enrichment programs and enhance our neighborhood experience. The mission of this site is to make it easy and enjoyable to participate and communicate with other parents, teachers and community members on the subject of our local schools.

Art, music, reading, chess, garden, sports & recreation are all things that enrich our lives and the lives of our children. We all want them to have those things before, during and after school. Sometimes we just want them to brush their teeth and get their shoes on, but we want them to do those things fully engaged and excited to be going to school. The little things like walking to school, knowing all the street names in order and where all your friends live is what matters to the kids and is the reason we love our neighborhoods. Laying the ground work for the future by thinking small to create the space for thinking big is our job as parents, educators and members of the community.

Sharing information, supporting events and creating a bond within our community will make it a better place to grow up, live, learn and work. Let’s plan a big wheel race on Del Mar, sponsor the Los Cerritos Concert Series for the Arts, have a spaghetti dinner the whole length of the playground! We can get it done with a little focus and a place to meet and share information. Make this that place.