Mariposa Skateboarding

 

Above is our latest little skate video followed by a slideshow of some of our other Mariposa Activities.  

As you can see, we have a ton of fun with it and allow our students to explore and learn at their own pace.  As a skater I may be a little biased, but I really believe that there is nothing like skateboarding to build self-esteem, inspire creativity and break down social barriers.

A Mariposa Leader wrote last year, "The magic is kids pushing themselves- and believing in themselves, that and the fact that skating seems to break down any social barriers to friendship. It doesn't matter if one is  6-year-old and one is pushing the double digits or is a Mariposa Leader.   A good session is a good session."

"Not enough can be said about the Mariposa Leaders spearheading this project. They don't teach in the traditional sense because that would not fit the context of skating, but everyday they build relationships with and challenge the kids who are willing to let go, and give it a try."

In the Spring we are planning to host Saturday Morning Skateboard Sessions to give the neighborhood kids the opportunity to use our skate course.  You guys will be invited too, of course.  Help us spread the word!  We plan to kick it off with an Open House on Saturday, February 7th, 2015.

Thanks,

Chris K.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year Mariposa Families and Friends!

It is nice be back and to hear about all of your family adventures over winter break.  I'm very happy that you all had such pleasant times.  At Mariposa we plan to keep the good times rolling with January's theme of Happy New Year and Exploring Cultures.  To help, we are inviting you to attend our Family Potluck on the evening of Thursday, January 22nd at 6pm and to bring a dish that represents your family background or traditions.  Be on the look-out for sign-up sheets soon!

In December we dodged raindrops, did a ton of great indoor projects and practiced giving and being kind to one another.  Check out your kids in action below...

We have since upgraded our ping pong table, but in December this set-up helped get us through some rainy days.

Finger knitting was super popular last month with all grade levels. 

Quiet time reading and sharing.

On one "Fun Friday" we attempted several Trust Challenges as suggested by our Kid's Council.

Some indoor fun here and below.

Yes it rained a lot and we even had a cancelled day.  There sure was some excitement in the air that day!

Basketball has been popular and here under stormy skies boys and girls get some great exercise playing full-court ball.

Some earthworm science fun!

Some inside fun and party prep.  Students cut-out snowflakes, made crafts, beads and more.

More science!  Here and below students use a chemical reaction to create ice crystal looking snowflakes.

More quiet time reading.  Here a 5th grader reads to some younger students.  This photo makes me happy!

We forgot our list one day at Precita so we took a picture to know who left early.  Turns out it was a good one so here it is on the Blog.

Oatmeal Cookies!

And party time!  Here Amelia and her children are welcomed into our little holiday party that we had on the last Friday before break. 

Blurry photo but we had to use it to show off the hand-blended smoothies as suggested by Kid's Council once again.

More party fun!

Mariposa Families also took to the theme of giving in December and thanks to your kind and generous donations towards the staff holiday bonuses, we raised over $2,000!  Everyone was in shock when they received their gifts!  I would also like to thank the families that donated supplies such as garden tools, skate helmets, art supplies and more to the program as well.  You make Mariposa thrive and we are very grateful!

Please share this with other Mariposa Families!  Thank you!