Trains!

King Street Staff members love the new train set:But, the kids love it even more!

Another fun day in the Afterschool Excellence program.

12 Days of Giving

Fo every burrito, wrap, or salad sold at Boloco on December 16th, Boloco will donate 50 cents to King Street!

Fairpoint Article in Vermont Business Magazine

Check it out here.

Thanks so much, Fairpoint! We've seen heightened need for services over the past year, and your gift will help us to meet that need.

2010 Dodgeball Tournament

King Street's Annual Holiday Dinner

A few images from Monday night's holiday dinner, sponsored by the Windjammer Restaurant.




Thanks so much to the Windjammer, the Glades team members, and to all the guests!

Annual Holiday Dinner

King Street Center families, youth, staff, volunteers, mentors, tutors, and board members are invited to our Annual Holiday Dinner, sponsored by the Windjammer (so you know the food's delicious!). The dinner is on Monday, December 6th, starting at 5:15.

All children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

Fan Vermont Housing Finanace Agency!

For every new fan on VHFA's Facebook page, VHFA will donate a pair of mittens to a King Street Kid! Find the Free Press Article here.

While you're at it, why not become a fan of King Street Center, too? That page is here.

Okay, Preschoolers are Just Plain Awesome

Because dramatic play is so much fun . . .

Thank You, Tracia!

The staff at King Street extend a big thank you to Tracia for the delicious lunch she brought in yesterday!

Jasper's Birthday Post

Today is my birthday and this is it. Tonight I am having a sleepover with my aunts. I am going to get presents from Mom and Sarah. I am turning six today.

Josue's Post about Meeting with His Tutor

Kids should know when they meet with tutors to be good. That means listen to the teacher. The teacher might say, "Let's play a game," or "Will you read that to me?"

Hassan's Story

Ahmed's story

Once there was a weird octopus that saved a rain forest. Once the octopus smelled some fire and then he went to the ocean. He filled himself up with water and then he went back in the rainforest and sprayed the water out onto the trees, and saved them from burning.

The Two Foxes

There were once two foxes walking and there was another fox named Dan and then they played around the playground and they became best friends and the girl fox was nice. The end.

An invitation for Tutors, Volunteers, and Staff

Planning for Life After High School

Hey there, KSC students - check out this widget from VSAC. Remember, planning for life after high school should start EARLY.

Congratulations, Carrie!

Carrie Jacques, King Street Center's Afterschool Excellence Coordinator, was recently named Afterschool Professional of the Year by the Vermont School Age Care Network. Carrie has been director of King Street's Afterschool Excellance Program for more than a decade, and in that time has ensured quality, enriching care for hundreds of Burlington families. We're so proud and lucky to have benefited from the work and care she's put into the King Street neighborhood. Want to leave her a message? Check out our Facebook page!

Halloween

Just one of the many fun activities that King Street Kids get to do with mentors: pumpkin carving!

Because we love dinner parties . . .

(and because we love to support our community, and our friends, and our families, too!)

Calling all Parents

The Vermont Child Development Division is looking for feedback from parents of young children and schoolage children using or seeking childcare. Please take a few minutes to fill out their survey.

Halloween

Every October, the kids at King Street make HUNDREDS of spooky pictures.

Crown

A tagxedo made from our web page!

Found on Computer Room Floor

Important lesson at King Street:  don't leave stuff around if you don't want me to post it on the blog!

Here are some great doodles found on the Computer Room floor this afternoon:

Mentor Lunch

King Street mentors are invited to a Mentor Support Lunch on Wednesday at noon at King Street Center. The Mentor Support Lunch is an opportunity for mentors to come together to meet other mentors, problem-solve, and to get advice and support from each other. Please contact Gabriella to RSVP.

More about our Hometown Hero

The Shelburne News published a story about Nancy Zahniser and her Hometown Hero award yesterday. Check it out!

King Street Family

At the beginning of every school year, we gather all the King Street Programs together to make sure everyone at KSC knows everyone else. Everyone was especially excited about the cider and donuts.

Kids' Cafe

The teens were so lucky to have Muslimo come in and make samboos (that's a phonetic spelling rather than a correct spelling!) with them at Kids' Cafe last week. We have a lot of pictures, and there should be a recipe posted on the teen blog sometime this week. Stay tuned!

Tennis in the News

Take a look at King Street's Kids on the Move tennis program (which, by the way, is now TEN years old!) in the Burlington Free Press. Jake Agna and Kids on the Move have had an immense impact on the King Street youth.  Thanks to Jake Agna and Kathy Davis for all their hard work along the way!

Mentor Cards Available

King Street Center Mentors: the new Mobius Mentor Cards are available. Use your mentor card while on outings with your mentee and receive great discounts at local restaurants and businesses. To pick up your card, email Gabriella and she will either send it to you or you can get it when you pick up your mentee at King Street. Thanks, Mobius!

A Homework Time Doodle

On this, the first day of fall, I wanted to share with you a note found in the computer room. In case you have trouble reading the (very phonological) writing, it says: "I'm so happy. I'm so happy. The snow is coming."

Opportunity for Burlington Fathers

King Street Families: the Fathers and Children Together (FACT) Group through the VNA is looking for more referrals. For more information, check out the VNA's Website.

Yo Gabba Gabba! at the Flynn

King Street families: a donor has made available some tickets to Yo Gabba Gabba! at the Flynn. If you're interested in some tickets for your familiy, contact Jordan at King Street.

People Can Like Each Other by Odreille

I wish everyone could treat each other nicely. People should not fight and not say bad words to each other. Be friends, be nice and listen to what your friends and family say, especially your mom and grandma. If something bad happens to someone, help them and bring them to the dentist or the doctor.

Don’t yell on the bus, say bad words, or fight.

The End

(This is a blog post by Odreille, a King Street Afterschooler. Some of the afterschoolers decided to write newspaper articles today)

Dolphin News by Nikkiah and Misky and Ahmed

King Street News

Today’s breaking news is that today we have outside, technology, and inside. In outside we do a lot of playing, and lots of kids go in outside. In inside, you play whatever you want. You can play house and you can play games. In technology, you can do Wii, typing, and play games on the computer.

In meeting, the Dolphins talked about rules. Like, if you need to say something, you need to raise your hand; you can’t just shout it out. And, do your best work. And, be respectful.

Some people at King Street are new here, and some people are being respectful. Like, if someone drops their pencil, you can help them, and if someone breaks their pencil, you can get them a new one. If you fall in a puddle, you can help a friend get up, and you can go on the bus with them.

And that’s today’s news.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Enhanced Food Program

King Street Families: we still have some food left to give away (thanks to Vermont Foodbank). You must have a child who attends King Street and be an active current 3SquaresVT participant. For more information, see Jordan at King Street.

Crowning Moments

Have you read the August issue of Crowning Moments yet? It's all about the grown-ups who affect the lives of the people at King Street -- there's even an article about recent Hometown Hero award-winner, Nancy Zahniser. Plus, there's an excellent photo of Teen Futures program director, James Young, dressed up in the Kids' Lemonade lemon suit.

Apple Picking

Mentors and Mentees: You're invited to an Apple Picking Party at Adams Orchard in Williston on Sunday, September 19 from 1-3pm. Join Gabe and other mentoring pairs from the community for apple picking, along with free cider and cider donuts. Please contact Gabe at King Street to RSVP.

Evening Computer Lab

The Teen Drop-In program is open for the school year. Here are some photos of teens working on the computers.

It's hard to get a teen to make a straight face when you're taking photos!

Live United Celebration Breakfast

Congratulations to all the Hometown Hero nominees celebrated at today's Live United Celebration Breakfast, presented by the United Way of Chittenden County.

King Street Center nominated two of our long-time volunteers:  Nancy Zahniser and Mark Johnson.

Nancy Zahniser, former principal at Champlain Elementary School, has run Supper and Science at King Street Center for the past two years.  Through this program, King Street Teens learn through hands on exploration about the many careers available in the science field.  Nancy also raises money to help local youths attend local overnight summer camps so that all kids can have a summer outdoors experience. 

Read more about Nancy's work at King Street in our 2009 summer newsletter.

Mark Johnson volunteers in King Street Center's Afterschool Excellence Program each week, assisting with homework completion and engaging in creative games.  He has developed a following of children 

who clamor to play seriously intellectual (and sophisticated) board and card games each week.  Mark is also a long-time mentor to one of the youths in our teen program.

Gardens for Learning Recipe Book!

Here are a few of the recipes from the Castle Camp's Gardens for Learning program, made possible by a grant from Food Works at Two Rivers Center.

Interested in the rest of the recipes (After all, they're all kid-approved!)? Find them on King Street Center's Facebook page.

King Street Kids Meet their Senator

At this year's Kids' Day, the King Street kids had the chance to meet Senator Bernie Sanders!

Dark Side of the Moooooooon

Our cow is painted and looking beautiful thanks to our artist in residence, Henry.  Look for it downtown later this week.

Meanwhile, what would YOU name the cow?  Puns appreciated.

Pre-school Art Show at the Firehouse Gallery

On Monday, May 3, the King Street Preschoolers participated in an art show at the Firehouse Gallery.

2010 Hoopapalooza!

King Street's Super Hoopers rocked the Burlington Rotary Club's Hoopapalooza last weekend!

Teen Futures Photography Project

Yesterday, Teen Futures members met for their second photography class with intern Meghan Giroux, teen staff Laura Howland, and former KSC attendee Amy Downs. Already, the photos are amazing!

A little Quickstart Tennis in the Gym . . .

The courts at Sports and Fitness Edge are being redone, so Jake came to King Street this week for some quickstart tennis.  Here are few images from Wednesday's group.  He'll be here again tomorrow, so there should be some more images coming.

Selective Colorization

Today's challenge in Teen Technology Workshop:  selective colorization using GIMP, the GNU image manipulation program.  Check the teen blog later today to see what they come up with.  Here's the example photo (by the way -- when this picture was taken, I had NO idea that there was a child standing behind me, giving me rabbit ears):

Image Manipulation Lessons

The teens have been learning about GIMP, an open source program similar to photoshop, and this is a quick example of the photo they'll be manipulating today.  This is Jim, the Teen Futures Coordinator, preparing to attack from the top of the playground.  Check back on the Teens' blog, www.kingstreetteens.blogspot.com, later on today to see what they do with the image.