Hop Hop Hop! Our Egg Hunt is Back!

March 2016 News and Events
from the Near West Family Network!

March 2016

February, a short month, was packed full of fun - The "Learn to Knit" workshop SOLD OUT! (Watch for another opportunity to learn!) and Neighborhood Family Practice organized a FANTASTIC Ice Skating event at Halloran Ice Rink- including a visit from Elsa and Ana!

And now there are lots of exciting things to talk about this month, so I'll get right to it!

Near West Family Network is excited to announce a new board member!
Katherine Readey joined the board in January after being incredibly involved and supportive since we launched in 2012. Welcome Katherine! As a reminder, if you have any ideas or input to give us - or if you are interested in getting more involved (in any number of ways) don't hesitate to get in touch with ANY of the board members:
Steve Kachmyers
Amy Kulisheck
Ann McCarthy-Garland
Norma Polanco-Boyd
Katherine Readey
Sarah Ryzner
Katie Zucca
Easter is coming so our Annual Egg Hunt at Fairview Park is back!
Saturday, March 19th at Fairview Park - come early to enjoy hot cocoa and donuts (hopefully, some sunshine, too!) The little ones will fill their baskets at 10am. The older kids will be released on the larger field right around 10:15 - Eggs go fast, don't be late! As usual, the hunt is made possible with support from Ohio City Inc, and hands-on help from our members. There are two main ways you can help:
- As much a tradition as the hunt itself, the Annual Egg-Filling Party will be on Tuesday, March 15th from 7:30 - 9:30 pm. Email Ann at amgarland@nearwestfamilynetwork.org for location and details.
- If you are able, take a walk through the park on Friday at your convience - help out by picking up any mess you might find, many hands make light work!!
Superstar Member Sasha is starting a Friday complement to our Tuesday Gym Days!
Sasha has organized to host indoor play dates at Calvary Reformed Church (1918 W. 65th) on select Fridays. This month the group will meet on Friday, March 11 & Friday, March 25. A $1 suggested donation per child goes to the church if you are able.

School Quality Fair is Saturday, March 5 at Public Auditorium
500 Lakeside Ave.9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Click here for the event info

The Transformation Alliance and PRE4CLE have organized this education event so you can meet with the highest-qualify preschools and the highest-performing K-8 publich schools, both district and charter, in Cleveland. School staff will be present so you can start registration ON THE SPOT! (if you do plan to register, be sure to bring ID, proof of residence, your child's immunization records, and birth certificate)

All invited preschools meet PRE4CLE's star-rating criteria, while invted K-8 schools meet standards set by the Transformation Alliance. Pre-register here if you want your child to receive a free physical or vaccination at the Fair.

Lead screening will be available, along with workshops and activities for kids! Entertainment includes DJ Hazz Matt of 93.1 WZAK and the Cleveland Cavaliers' Scream Team! Dave's Supermarket gift cards for participants who visit school booths and attend workships, while supplies last.

Cleveland Public Theatre's STEP Auditions are Coming Soon!
Jobs for Teens!

Teens ages 14-19 interested in the arts can work at Cleveland Public Theatre this summer through CPT’s Student Theatre Enrichment Program STEP

STEP STEP runs June 20th - Aug 12th, 4pm-9pm Monday-Friday at Cleveland Public Theatre. Teens will work with professional theatre artist-mentors in the following areas: acting, singing, dance, writing, set construction, marketing, performance creation and touring. Teens receive bus tickets and healthy snacks. Those who successfully complete the program will earn a stipend ($300) and will perform in city parks all over Cleveland.

Teens must call Education Coordinator, Adam Seeholzer, to set up an audition appointment (216.631.2727 x219). Be sure to leave your name, phone number and date you wish to audition. All auditions will take place at Cleveland Public Theatre (6415 Detroit Ave, Cleve 44102.) .

Audition Workshops (1-4 pm each day):
Saturday, March 12th
Sunday, March 13th
Saturday, March 26th

TO AUDITION YOU MUST

Call 216-631-2727 x 219, leave your name, phone number and audition date
On audition day, be on time and stay the entire 3 hours
Prepare 1 minute of a song, dance, monologue, poem, or your own writing
Wear gym shoes and clothes appropriate for lots of movement
Work well with the whole group for the entire 3 hours
No previous experience is needed, just the desire to work hard and learn

Evertyhing we are able to accomplish is due to the dedication and financial and hand-on support from our volunteer board, members, and partners. This past month we would like to thank the following individuals and organizations:

Steve Kachmyers and our friends at Near West Rec and Franklin Circle Church. Without them, we would not have our weekly Gym Days! (Tuesdays 9:30-1130 am)

The Learn to Knit Workshop was a huge success thanks to the hard work and organization of Emily Blaser and Norma Polanco Boyd, and the needles-on assistance and expertise of Jen O'Leary, Carol Nesper, Katie Zucca, and Ann McCarthy Garland! And of course, we owe a great shout-out to the staff at Carnegie West Library who are always so welcoming and supportive!

The Skating Meet-Up at Halloran Rink was also a huge success. A lot of members who we hadn't seen in a while joined us for fun, games, snacks, Elsa, Ana, and SKATING! All thanks to the hard work of Megan Meister and the staff at Neighborhood Family Practice, our fantastic and enthusiastic health partner. Halloran Rec Center is a year-round gem in our community, anyone who wasn't able to make it out that evening, should definitely check it out!

Full details for these and other events are found on our website

NWFN Annual Easter Egg Hunt!
- Egg Filling Party, Tuesday, March 15 7:30 - 9:30 pm
- Park Clean Up - Friday, March 18, anytime that works for you!
- EGG HUNT! Saturday, March 19 10 am (hunt begins, come early)
Les Delices Ohio City Residency
- March 17-20 Locations throughout Ohio City
Playdates for kids!
- Tuesday Gym Days at Franklin Circle Church: Every Tuesday 9:30 - 11:30 am
- Friday Playdates at Cavalry Reformed Church: Select Fridays 10 am - Noon (March 11 & 25th)
At The Carnegie West Library
- Kids Cafe: M-F, 3:30- 4:30 pm
- America Reads Tutors: M-Th, 3:00 - 6:00 pm
- Chidren's Muesum at the Library: Select Fridays at 4pm (March 11 & 25th)
- Tail Waggin' Tutors: Saturday, March 12, 11:00 am - Noon.
Education
- Open Houses at Near West Intergenerational School:
  --Wednesday March 2, 5:30-6:30
  --Thursday, March 10 8:45 am, 1:15 pm & 5:30-6:30 pm
- Quality School Fair by Transformation Alliance and PRE4CLE, Saturday, March 5, 9:00 am-1:00 pm

On the Horizon

Cooking with Kids
Spring Clothes Swap
Spring Kids Dance Party!
Upcyle Crafting Meet Up

All these events are still in the works. If you have ideas and energy to help us move these events forward, please contact Amy at akulisheck@nearwestfamilynetwork.org)

New events are added to our calendar as we learn about them. Also be sure to watch for announcements via Facebook page and Twitter throughout the month!

If you have an upcoming event you'd like us to include, please email all the pertinent infomraiton (title, date, time, location, description) to information@nearwestfamilynetwork.org

March 2015

SCALE DOWN YOUR PORTION

How can you deal with oversized servings?
It can be hard to stop eating when there is tons of delicious food to enjoy. A common answer to this problem is to ignore the rest of the food and only eat proper portions of each item. Sadly, that is easier said than done.

Studies indicate that when people are offered larger portions of food, they tend
to eat more of it. In one study, participants ate 30% more calories when offered the largest portion of an entrée, compared to what they ate when they were offered the smallest portion (Am J Clin Nutr 2002; 76(6): 1207-1213). When there is lots of food on your plate, it can skew your perception of what you’ve eaten and make it hard to stop eating It turns out that the best way to deal with portions is to scale them down. There are a bunch of different ways to scale down your portions -- which will you try first?

Scale Down Tip #1: Read the Facts!!
The Nutrition Facts labels on foods are treasure troves of information. You may be surprised at what constitutes a single serving, especially in things like bottled sodas and bags of chips. Get familiar with actual serving sizes and use the Nutrition Facts to calculate how many servings are in each container. When you can, pick up single-serving packs or use the Nutrition Facts label as a guide and make your own snack packs by portioning out proper servings into zip-lock bags and reusable bottles.

Scale Down Tip #2: Get Online!!
Lots of restaurants and coffee shops have made their nutrition information available online. Check out the calorie, sodium, and fat content of your order before you head out the door and make sure that the portion size is reasonable. If it’s not, look for healthful alternatives. This will help you find healthful, balanced portions and skip servings that are way too big.

Scale Down Tip #3: Share!!
If you want to get or make something that only comes in a large portion, share it!
Whether you're at a restaurant or a backyard barbecue, it can be easier than you think to share a large portion of food. And, after all, sharing is caring.

Scale Down Tip #4: Think Before You Drink!
Beverages with added sugar or fat need special attention when it comes to portion control. We found that small bottles of soda, tea, and juice drinks still contained more than 2 servings per bottle. So follow the first few tips and research exactly what is in that beverage that you’re about to enjoy. Then think twice before getting a jumbo size.

(c) Food and Health Communications, Inc www.foodandhealth.com

Stay Well,
Cheryl Sara
Wellness Program
Neighborhood Family Practice
216.281.8945
www.nfpmedcenter.org

As always, please forward this newsletter to anyone who is interested. We encourage everyone who shares our commitment to making the near west neighborhoods more family-friendly to become a member. Membership is open to everyone - download a membership form and mail it in, or you can also join online today!