Category Archives: Kids, Parents, Educators

Fun, Educational Resources for 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics

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If you’re looking for game schedules, freebies, athletes that tweet, and other details about this year’s Winter Games, check out my other blog post, 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.  As I was writing that post I ran into incredible education resources and fun stuff for kids…I wanted to keep it separate and figure out which was worth investigating.

This post is dedicated to the educational opportunities for teachers and kids being offered online!  I have found links to online games, printable worksheets and coloring pages, and also information that I definitely didn’t expect to find preschool aged children through the 12th grade!  Emotionally connect your family and students to the 21st Winter Olympics with these resources!

Meeting the 2010 Olympic Mascots

2010 Olympic Mascots

From left to right, meet snowboarding Miga, Quatchi who loves playing hockey, and Sumi.

***Find out when you can meet them LIVE!

Mascot

Meaning Behind Choice
Quatchi the SasquatchQuatchi the Sasquatch The sea bear is inspired by the legends of the Pacific Northwest First Nations, tales of orca whales that transform into bears when they arrive on land.The Kermode bear is a rare white or cream-coloured sub-species of the black bear that is unique to the central West Coast of British Columbia.
Sumi the Animal SpiritSumi the Animal Spirit Transformation is a common theme in the art and legend of West Coast First Nations. Transformation represents the connection and kinship between the human, animal and spirit world.The bear often represents strength and friendship. And the thunderbird — which creates thunder by flapping its wings — is one of the most powerful of the supernatural creatures.
Miga the Young Sea BearMiga the young sea bear The sasquatch is a popular figure in local native legends of the Pacific West Coast.The sasquatch reminds us of the mystery and wonder that exist in the natural world, igniting our imagination about the possibility of undiscovered creatures in the great Canadian wilderness.

Online 2010 Olympic Games & Activities for Kids

Game

Details
Miga Moves Mascot Rockband, match the letters V/B/N/M in time to falling starfish!Difficulty:  MediumThis one takes some keyboard coordination…older kids (and adults) will really enjoy!
Soaring SumiVancouver winter Olympic online games: Soaring Sumi Keep Sumi flying across Canada by hitting the spacebar to move up!  Fly up or down to avoid obstacles and hit health points!Difficulty:  EasyEasier than most games, simple hit spacebar without worrying about other keys/mouse.
Shootout ShutoutVancouver winter Olympic online games: shootout shutout Face off against Miga and Sumi in some fast-paced one-on-one hockey!Difficulty:  HardThis game takes the MOST coordination, not only do you have to use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to move back and forth as the goalie, you also have to use the 1-3 number keys that correspond with colored pucks.  Definitely for older kids.
Operation RecycleVancouver winter Olympic online games: operation recycle Help Miga, Quatchi, and Sumi with their neighborhood recycling program!Difficulty:  Easy/MediumAlthough it does not require a lot of coordination it does require some thought.  Complete rounds by successfully finishing 5 levels.  Includes a little physics, test your trajectory skills by holding the mouse button down and dragging to aim towards target!

*My 6 year old daugher enjoyed this game the most!
Which Mascot Are You LikeVancouver winter Olympic online games: which mascot are you like Take this quiz to see which mascot you’re most like…your child’s first personality test…next stop Meyer-Briggs! :)

Other Fun Activities:

Send E-cardssend 2010 winter olympics ecards Select 1 of 4 mascot scenes, decorate VERY easily, add verbage, and send to family and friends!
Crafts and Color Printables2010 winter olympics crafts and color printables Download and print craft activities (make 3-d mascots!!) and get printable coloring sheets
Download Desktops & Wallpapersdownload 2010 winter olympics desktops and wallpapers Download (for Windows only…) an interactive desktop to decorate with stickers, information about the ceremony, add an Olympics countdown, and much more…Download static Wallpapers for those that desires less interactivity.  :)

Paralympic Games

Sumi is officially the mascot of the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Game…check out this printable passport activity book to track his and your journeys!  After printing out those, print out this printable coloring sheet to color your own Sumi!

Featured Programs

Check out these fun facts about the Paralympic Winter Games (pdf).  Although Paralympic School Week in School has already passed officially (November 2-6, 2009) you can still support the Paralympic Games any time.  Resources for educators found on the official games website here.  Here’s the link to the “Guide for Educators” to celebrating in your skills with informative details, activities, and other helpful stuff.

Educational Resources

The Canadian Olympic School program seeks to inspire young students through Olympian stories, activities, projects, activities and more and offers:

  • Teacher Resources for educators with printable PDFs, videos, pictures, and more!
  • Student Lounge geared towards school aged kids
  • Playground for Younger Kids means you don’t have to be in school to catch the spirit with additional games, puzzles, and contests.
  • Library section to answer all your kids’ questions

School-Aged Kids: Additionally there are these printable Olympic Games Project Packs pdf.  Includes additional resources for teachers or your kids:

Passing the Torch Activities:

Topic

Details
Math & Science Grades 4-7Discover the math and science behind the Olympic Torch and the Olympic Torch Relay Route.
Social Studies Grades K-3, 4-7, and 8-10Learn more about your community and Canadian heritage through Olympic Torch Relay themed lesson plans.
Language Arts Grades 1-7 and 8-10Explore how the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay will bring Canadians together in the spirit of peace, unity and friendship.
Physical Activity Grades 1-7 and 8-10Get your students active in the spirit of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay.


Make Your Own Peace

This is a wonderful opportunity to teach kids about practicing peaceful behaviors and making peace in their home and communities.  Starting on February 4, 2010, check out “Sharing the Dream” webcasts inspired by the Olympic Truce and led by children.




Halloween Tailgating Events

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Haven’t caught the fall spirit yet this year?  Have to much stuff to do already?  Kids can’t stop talking about the big day?  This post includes all kinds of Halloween tailgating events to get you and your family psyched for the big day!  Fun things to do and entertain through the upcoming weeks!

This Halloween series of posts will include:

  • Halloween WoW – Holiday special, this website of the week is a real treat!
  • Halloween Tailgating – Tailgating events to get you psyched for game day!  Get Halloween to “go green” and find friend and family fun!
  • Trick or Treating – Check out my ideas to breathe new life into an age old tradition!  Great ideas for individuals, families, neighbors, and friends.

Go Green!!  …and not from candy…

Go green, win big!! ChicoBag and Green Halloween’s® 2nd ANNUAL TRICK-OR-TREAT BAG DESIGN CONTEST – “Children ages 1-13 are encouraged to enter the contest by submitting an original drawing best depicting the spirit of a Green Halloween.”

Who: Ghosts and Goblins ages 1-13

What: An original design depicting the “spirit” of a Green Halloween

When: Images due October 24, 2009 by 5:00 PM Pacific Time. (Winner will be notified no later than 11/5/09.)

Ghouly Girls and Bootiful Boys Boys can create the 2010 Green Halloween ChicoBag™ and win a bag of green goodies!

Monster Mashup – Oriental Trading Company came up with a great website to easily make mashup video with up to 5 of your closet friends with an awesome Halloween backdrop!  I made one with my daughter of her and her friends and she almost died laughing! Easily share with your friends through email, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Check out the one I did of San Antonio Social Media super stars @ColleenPence, @Nanpalmero, @1337wine, @ashleypalmero, and @anaflores!

Bonus:  Upload your pictures or use existing pictures from Facebook!  Using FacebookConnect, you can select from your existing photo albums or use friends!  It was super simple to do!  Don’t forget you can also resize the area around the face to select – for optimal mashup potential!

Halloween Tailgating

There are a lot of fun events going on before Halloween even gets here!  Don’t wait until the end of the month; check your newspaper for local events!

1 – Bass Pro Shop! You heard me right!  I have been more and more impressed with the activities offered here!  Oct. 24/25 and Oct. 30/31, get there early and stay for different crafts and activities offered throughout the day and store!  Make a leather craft, rope a bronco, partake in kid costume parades, paint a craft pumpkin, roast marshmallows, and lots of other GREAT events!

2 – Lakeshore Learning Store! Enjoy making a different Halloween themed craft each Saturday during the month of October.  Crafts include silly scarecrows, countdown calendars, and other things to drive you batty while your child has a lot of fun!  All locations from 11am-3pm.

3 – Pumpkin Patches! This was one of my favorite October traditions!  Find a local pumpkin patch, maybe as cool as this one – South Texas Maize!  Right outside of San Antonio, TX…it even has a corn maze (one kid friendly and one more difficult!)  Help you kids select their own pumpkins, snack on fall snacks, take a hayride, and automatically have the picture backdrop for Halloween pictures.

I’ll also continue to update this post as I find more family friendly events as well!  Check back for that and my next post on alternatives to trick or treating or ways to spice it up!

Top 8: Kid Websites

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As a geeky mommy, my daughter has safely been playing on the computer since she was two.  She has great fine-motor skills, able to open Windows, and typing her name.  (I even taught her select all because she wanted to delete quickly.)

She also spends a lot of time (healthy amounts of time, of course) play on different online games.  She was an excellent critic as I was refining this list…as there were several sites we’re not mentioning for a reason.  These sites were fun, educational, and most important easy for her to use.  She had no problems navigating around the site and finding activities she was interested in doing.  They were challenging and age appropriate.  Some of the sites below are also for kids through middle school.  Take advantage of all the free websites out there for our children.

1. National Geographic for Kids – “A Parents’ Choice Recommended Winner” in 2008, this site has games, videos, interactive activities, printable suggestions and crafts.

  • My Page – personalize your child’s page, easily find favorite activities,
  • Get the full list of activities here.  (It goes on for FOREVER!)

2. PBS KIds - One of my daughter’s favorite sites, these site has tons of resources for parents and resources.  (Almost all these sites have resources for parents too.)

  • Games – games that corresponds with all the kid’s favorites.
  • Music – get up and dance with your child!
  • Coloring – print out the pages and take them with you in the car to entertain them on errands.
  • PBS Go! – watch different clips from shows, shows not shown on TV and also create an account and save scores as your child plays!

3. Nick –The main Nickelodeon site, not only does it link you to the other sites it provides games, videos, events, deals, and tons of other activities!

  • Sign up for the newsletter.
  • Games – all the regular Nickelodeon shows for the slightly older aged crowd.
  • Neopets – Quickly create an account for your child and let them pick a Neopet to play, choosing colors, names, and powers.  An online, reality village for kids.  The pre-WoW game, earn points, buy things for your pet.  Feed and dress your Neopet too.  18 different lands for your child to explore!

Nick Jr. – There are tons of games and activities that can be played WITHOUT playing.  Shows are targeted from young preschool through 6 year olds.  Another Nick site for preschool shows, Noggin offers even more games and activities.

  • Sign up for the newsletter.
  • Videos unseen on TV.

4. Kids.gov – Two different age groups (K-5 and 6-8), the website includes government links and external sites.

  • Sections include: Arts, Careers, Computer and Technology, Fun Stuff, Government, Health/Fitness/Safety, Math, Money, Science, Social Studies, and State websites
  • Check out everything here.

5. Disney – Tons of different activities, printables, games, videos, and clips from preschool through tween shows.  Find out information about visiting Disney, upcoming local events,

  • Text MOBILE to DISNEY (347639) to get new text alerts and other alerts from Disney.
  • My Page – personalize your child’s page so they see the same activities each time.

6. Discovery Kids – Fun and games, videos to watch, upcoming TV shows, and regularly syndicated shows.

  • Ready, Set, Learn – A lot of activities younger kids, games include Magic School Bus and other popular shows.
  • Educational activities, learn about mummies, and other age appropriate, scientific activities!
  • Beyond – Education videos that will take your child all over the world.
  • Games – games for younger and older kids, everything from the mindless to the mindful.  Lots of challenging quizzes.

7. Character Sites – Through the years my daughters tastes in shows has matures from Thomas the Train to Olivia the Pig.  A lot of times shows will have games and printables on the TV website it’s currently playing on…but the author/creator will often have their own website as well.  Don’t just stop at the normal channels, make use of Google and make sure you’ve found all the time consuming activities available.  :-)

8. Scholastic Kids – Offers spotlights on different authors for school aged kids.

  • Videos with clips of special events, meet the authors/celebrities, and information on your favorite series.
  • Their blog includes random book recommendations, unknown facts, and contests.
  • Games include online, puzzle, and downloadable games.
  • You can also send out cute e-cards.
  • Play different writing games.
  • Choose your own adventures fun for you AND your child

I didn’t go into a lot of detail of any of these sites.  I wanted to point out a couple unknown sites and if they were already popular I hoped to point activities that have been well broadcasted yet.

Please help your children explore these sites safely and enjoy the time you’re given back while they’re lost in the other kind of online entertainment.

University Bowl 101…

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At University Bowl, take advantage of the free student bowling program.  Students bowl their first game free, Monday through Friday, 9am-12pm.  Make sure you print out the consent form first.  Shoes are required but available for a discounted rate – $2.25 per pass holder.

Also make sure you join them on Aug. 5th for Customer Appreciation Day!  From 5pm-7pm, bowl for FREE!  First come, first served, limit to 2 games per person!  Shoe rentals for only $1.79!

Want to hear about all the specials in the future?  Become a fan on FB and join their mailing lists.

If you give a mouse a cookie…

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The Magik Theater located in downtown San Antonio only produces plays based on children books.  I know they visited my daughter’s public elementary school to preform “School House Rock” and they also visited her private summer school program to give another theatrical performance.

Seating 600 parents and children, the list of performances are rich and fun.  They recently announced the return of the production, “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie”, which we were wait listed for when we waltzed up, expecting to get a ticket to the show on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.  They did find us a seat but suggested in the future either purchasing the tickets online or coming on a slower day (weekday or night).  Times normally range from Mon/Tue-Friday from 9:45 and 11:30, with additional showings on Friday at 7pm and Saturday at 2pm.  Plenty of options for everyone.

Up-coming shows include “The Kid who Ran for President” and “The Nutcracker: A Holiday Comedy.”  After the show, kids have a chance to buy souvenirs and get their programs signed by the enthusiastic cast members.  We normally buy the shirt from the show to support the theater and then ask the cast members to sign it.  (They’ve always had sharpie markers – bring a camera though, GREAT Kodak moment.)

They also have a small snack bar and you can eat during the performance.  There’s a balcony but don’t sit up there if your kid is the kind to want to jump…

Especially if you’re looking for a place to entertain the kiddos, out of the heat, head to the Magik Theater while its showing from July 29 – August 15!

There’s also a very nice park, right outside the theater, covered with a lot of trees.  It has swings, slides, and many forts, a very clean, large, and comfortable downtown playground and picnic area.

Follow on FB and Twitter to get the most up to date news, their mailing list also includes summer camp information!  Look for the “Buy one, get one FREE” coupon in your Entertainment book (buy 2009′s for ONLY $7.99, normally $25!!!), every school’s favorite fundraiser!

***Final note:  Is your child’s birthday coming up and you’ve already done the Chuck E. Cheese thing?  Create a magical time and bring the party to the theater!  With 3 options, your child will enjoy the play with their friends and have everything set up with the supplies you bring when the show concludes.  Pay a little extra and even get costumed cast mates to make cameos!

Cow Appreciation Day

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***We all need a little humor in our lives…

At Chick-fil-a, the second Friday of July is Cow Appreciation Day.  If you dress like a cow you will get a FREE combo meal, if your child is dressed like a cow, they will also get a free kid’s meal.

Don’t have a cow costume?!  No problem!  Print out this cow mask.

NOTE:  Chick-fil-a does differentiate between full cow and partial cow costumes:

Full cow == head to toe effort     => FREE Combo meal
Partial cow == wearing the mask    => FREE Entrée

Maybe you could wear all white and be an albino cow?

Passport to Adventure!

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Those of you familar with the uber-outdoors retailer, REI, knows how important being outside is.  Did you also know what an interactive website they have?!  Got kids?  Download this Passport to Adventure geared towards kids 5-12.  After they complete the journal they can send in for their free own special prize – “binoculars or a whistle that turn into other cool tools including a compass, magnifying glass and more!” The website also offers numerous other printable activities, great for exploring outside.  You can also click on their interactive map to find family friendly activities, across the US.

6 kid-activities for the 6th day of the week…

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Throughout the year, not just during the summer, join the following places for kid-friendly events:

  1. Lakeshore Learning – store offers a Saturday arts and craft activity.  Not only are the crafts cleverly designed but also very intricate and interesting.  We normally go for about an hour or so, doing the craft and then going around the store and playing with all the toys laid out on display.  We sometimes bring a friend or meet someone there.  On holidays they offer multiple things to do, perfect gifts for all the grandparents, aunts and uncles.
  2. Lowe’s – signup because supplies and slots go by for this bi-monthly clinic for kids…make a putting green, pirate ship, and many more fun things, again FREE!  Activities are from 10-11 and you get the Lowe’s apron on the first visit to collect pins for each craft.
  3. Home Depot – on the first Saturday of every month, visit here for another hammer and nails activity.  They’ll also get a kid-size apron and activity pin, FREE!
  4. Michael’s – Called the Knack, this Michael’s website is for kids and educators.  Check out the calendar event for different crafts scheduled…as well as joining the club!  Receive special offers, birthday specials, and event news!
  5. San Antonio Audubon Society – 2nd Saturdays have gone to the birds!  Join the society for a junior walk, everyone welcomed…binoculars available!
  6. Houston Street Fair – the last Saturday of every month, from 12pm-6pm, come down for this FREE family event with a different theme each month.  Bring a lawn chair and enjoy local crafts and foods…

Kid-approved* summer activities…

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*Based on the approval of one 6 year old girl…but I think you’ll agree.

The only ones who look forward to the summertime are educational professionals…everyone else knows that for 2 and a half months, everything entertaining you can do with your children will be done within the first week.  After that, creative juices stop flowing as freely.

This summer, instead of dreading the summer schedule, use this post as a guide to family-fun, found in San Antonio (and wherever chain establishments exist.)  Use it also as suggestions for searching local places in your city!

Check here for the best valued Chuck E. Cheese coupons (click on the link with the “Best Daily Deal” sticker).  100 tokens for $10 (normally you’d pay $25 for that many…)  You’ll also get this coupon the first time you register on Chuck E. Cheese’s website, also print out reward calendars and certificates worth more FREE tokens.  During my last visit I asked about weekly programs and they didn’t know of any…

The City of San Antonio’s Park and Recreation Department offers cost-effective summer programs to keep your kids engaged and outdoors.  More information on the San Antonio Youth Sports – this website has Boys & Girls Club, YMCA, and other kid organization game schedules…also has information about golf camps and other clinics.

Weekly summer activities throughout the week:

Family Summer Film Festivals:

  1. Regal Entertainment Group – Family Festival Film Festival at 10am on Tuesday s and Wednesdays take your kids to the movies, for FREE!
  2. AMC Theaters – Summer Movie Camp $1 admission…all proceeds go to charity!  Shows start at 10am on Wednesday.  During this time you can also get the AMC KidsPack (drink, popcorn, candy) for only $3!

Peter Piper Pizza is celebrating schools out with Summer Kid’s Days, every Tuesday from 11-1pm…$3.49 gets you 2 slices of pizza, a drink, dessert, and fun activities, different themes each week.

Incredible Pizza offers a different deal every day…check out their website (sign up for their mailing list too – they’re pretty good coupons!)

*This place gets CRAZY busy…go earlier in the day or during the school year for the most enjoyable days…

Bet you wouldn’t have guess this!  Bass Pro Shop has an entire summer calendar of fun activities – every Saturday and Sunday from 12-6pm!  Different crafts every weekend, you and your child can make a lure, birdhouse and leather keychain!  Free s’mores cookout!  Free casting pond to learn fishing skills, workshops (offered Tues/Thur/Sat/Sun, free pin for each 30 minute workshop you attend…different workshops from 3-7pm, check schedule), laser shooting, photographs – everything is FREE!!  They even have a kid’s website!  While in-store don’t forget to pick up your FREE summer guide, 48 pages of everything you need to know while outdoors.

Check back for new posts – I’ll keep the activities coming!

Top 8 ways to get free stuff by just reading to your kids…

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I was one of the lucky ones.  Whenever I wasn’t reading my dad asked me why not.  I read all the time now, I cannot wait to get to the library and read more.  Over the summer, while you’re trying to entertain your child who was recently release from school…without spending too much money…consider these 8 great options:

1.       Half-Price Books offers Feed Your Brain – kids 12 and under can earn $3 gift certificates a week (June 1st through July 31st) by reading (or being read to) 5 times a week, 15 minutes each time…download the English/Spanish reading logs.

2.       HEB – HEB Buddy 2009 Reading Program read 10 books over the summer and mail in the reward form by August 9th to get your FREE kids t-shirt.

3.       San Antonio Public Library -here’s another reason the public library system is so good – Deep in the Heart of Texas.  The SAPL summer reading program allows you to sign-up and keep a reading log – for every 15 books checked out and read you’ll get a FREE paperback book of your choice.

4.       Border’s - Reading Challenge asks you read 8 books to get a FREE coupon for 50% off selected awesome items your child will love!  Here’s the website with more information!

5.       Pizza Hut – Book It! website (sponsored by Pizza Hut) offers a FREE parents’ guide for summer reading fun.  Includes links to printable calendars, the top 10 books your kid should read this summer, and other games and resources to help the summer fly by.

6.       SAPL - library FREE events that your kids will love!  Performances from the Magik Theater onsite (“If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” – great time!!!), plenty of summer reading kickoff parties, and activities for all kinds of ages.

7.       Barnes & Nobles - Summer Reading with Percy Jackson & Olympians works like this…read 8 books, and keep the summer journal.  Once you’re done, bring it into any Barnes & Noble between May 26th and September 7th for a coupon for a FREE kids book!

8.       SAWS – the San Antonio Water System offers H20 Heroes a section of their website committed to educating kids up through high school about water conservation and how important water is to our society.  H20 University offers tools for parents and educators for different age levels.  Meet the heroes.  Download FREE printable activities.  Get a FREE bookmark just by asking your librarian about water. Q&A from the H20 Heroes.

Not only will these 8 reading activities get you free stuff ($24 bucks from Half-Priced Books alone!!!) but it’ll keep you and your kid(s) busy for hours and hours!

Gimmie a N-I-S-D…

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Northside school district (NISD) offers Adult and Community a diverse range of classes including the following categories:

  • Profit & IT – computers, business solutions, minding money
  • The Arts - dance, fine arts, jewelry making, make-it-yourself, music, languages
  • Mind & Body - Body/Mind/Health, defensive driving, leisure, personal growth, study skills, etc.
  • Fun & Play - kid summer camps, animals, clowning, D-I-Y, home/garden, sports, travel, etc.
  • Online Computers - basics, networking, programming, web design, etc.
  • Online Mind-Body - accounting, cert preps,
  • Online Personal Interest - everything under the sun…

I have enjoyed taking several different classes through NISD including a sushi class, advanced French class, a first-time homebuyers  session, and a financial planning class for women.  Although my daughter will be out of town during the week they’re offering this awesome class  - Robotics using Legos – I contacted the coordinators and they graciously setup another class for a different time (the response was QUICK!)

Some classes I haven’t tried yet but want to include:

Get the FREE course catalog by mail if you don’t already – if you do stop throwing it away and check out the awesome offers!

Have a workshop in mind?  Teach it!  They’re always looking!

Some other cool links on the NISD website:

  • Raise Your Hand Texas - “a non-profit, bi-partisan advocacy organization made up of business and community leaders, parents, taxpayers and concerned citizens, all with a single focus: supporting the more than 4.5 million students in the Texas public education system.” Support them on Facebook too!
  • Volunteers/Mentors - everything you need to know and fill out in order to volunteer in the NISD. (Parents – fill this out before you try to help out in the classroom – go to your child’s school prepared!) Opportunities for parents and friends in the community – be a positive role-model for a child today!
  • NISD Weekly Newsletter - find out where your taxes are going and how NISD is contributing to the community! (Signup for e-mail or txt alerts here – get alerted with emergency notices, academic notices, and event reminders!)
  • NISD News - NISD details making the news…voting, information about new schools and the school boards…anything and everything else you wanted to know about the Northside school district.
  • Facility Rentals – Hosting an event like an HOA meeting? Rent the neighborhood school in the evening instead of inviting strangers into your home…
  • Reunion Announcements - did you graduate from a NISD high school? Have a reunion coming up?
  • School Menus - if you can’t remember what’s for lunch check out this site.

It’s in a book, just take a look…

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Remember the days of Reading Rainbow?

It’s a book, just take a look…

For a while I was going crazy at Half-Priced Books:

  • Joining their mailing list, getting e-mails for printable coupons
  • Using their FREE in-store calendar with monthly coupons (25% off entire purchase…)
  • Becoming their friend on Facebook

…but with the recession (and a general desire to save some of my hard-earned money…) I decided to go back to the library. (Not a novel concept, one reason I didn’t return earlier was a pending $50 fine…)

Housed off the City of San Antonio’s website, the San Antonio Public Library system (SAPL) is surprisingly user-friendly and functional. It lacks creative, modern interfaces (no Flash can be a good thing…) but you can do almost everything you want to do.

San Antonio Public library information SAPL@mysapl tweets!

Getting the Card:

Physically go to the SAPL nearest you with the following:

  1. Who are you? (I.e. driver’s license or photo ID)
  2. Proof of Residency (lease, utility statement, checkbook, etc.) <=free to all Bexar County residents…

Bits about Online Features

What’s missing, how long do I have?!

After you go to the library and create an account you can register online. Not only can you see what’s been checked out and when it’s due but you can also register for e-mail reminders (3 days out) to return which books/movies. You’ll also be notified when books/movies placed on hold are ready.

I’m still looking for the stupid book!! Help?!?!

Relax, just renew it. They even have a nice, “Renew All” button (although if you prefer you can put a checkmark next to individual titles too.)

Movies checked out for a week can be renewed once. Books, twice (potentially keeping a book for 9 weeks!)

Byte: If someone else wants the book, you can’t renew books that already have holds.

Browse/search the catalog, across SAPL branches, and find what I want!

Let’s say I moved, my old branch has a book my new branch does. No worries, I can place it on hold, either at the library or online, within my account. By finding what you want and placing it “on hold”, you’ll get a nice email letting you know everything is ready and waiting for you at the branch of your choice. You can waltz into the library, head straight to the holds shelf and find all the books you wanted, with your name on it, bundled with a little rubber band. And you’re done! (This is especially nice for parents with children who don’t feel like going or on the way home from work…)

You can place 20 items (movies and books) on hold at any time and once they’re received, they’ll keep it for 10 days.

Little Bits (LBs)

A SAPL branch by any other name is still as sweet…

You don’t have to return the book to the same location you got the book from! As long as it’s in the SAPL system you can drop it off!

It might not be too late…

As long as you drop it off before the library opens, the morning after it’s due, it’s NOT late! For example, I thought I was a day late (because my book was due Saturday) and was expecting a fine – I didn’t make it before the library closed that same Saturday. But because it was in the book slot before the library opened on Sunday I had a get out of jail card and no 10 cent fine. (This to me says, “We really want you to come and read!”)

Reserve books from across the country (or another country)…

The library doesn’t even have to have your book, if your book can be checked out from a library in Texas, the US, Canada (or other countries, as needed); they’ll ship your book to the SAPL branch of your choice in 2-12 weeks!

For example, I want to get into iPhone programming but SAPL only has a couple resources. However, by going to the Interlibrary Loan website and creating an account, you know have millions of books at your finger tips (more bits here).

One man’s old magazine is another man’s reading material…

Before you enter the library, there’s a plastic bin where you can swap your old magazines for someone else’s. Let someone else enjoy magazines you’ve finished while finding some new periodicals to peruse.

Better late than never…

Finally, don’t forget to return the books. When you have reached your renewal limits, bring the books (and especially movies!!) back to avoid the following fines:

Books: $.35/day (adult-aged, $10.00 maximum), $.15/day (kids, young adult, $6.00 maximum)

Movies: $2.00/day ($10.00 max)

Maps

Don’t forget to check out the maps to find the nearest library location AND to find out where the SAPL Bookmobile stops!

SAPL Locations on Google Maps

View San Antonio Public Library Locations in a larger map

SAPL Bookmobile Locations on Google Maps

View SAPL Bookmobile Locations in a larger map