Gish Picks: Week of January 14, 2009


Welcome to this week's "Gish Picks", where I highlight family-oriented cultural events, products or services. Please note that I "highlight" these events, but I don't know if they are appropriate for your particular children, so choose wisely based on age, maturity and interests. I know many of you go to events based on GISH PICKS recommendations; PLEASE remember to tell the organization that you are there because of us. Word-of-mouth like yours helps our business to grow. In the same spirit, please also feel free to share GISH PICKS with friends and families. Do you have something you would like to promote on Gish Picks? Advertisers can promote family-friendly events, products or services to Houstonians all over the city and the surrounding area who are active parents, involved citizens and great shoppers. We love doing this community service and want to keep it free for our readers but in order to justify the hours spent researching, writing and designing this newsletter, we need advertising support. If you'd like to learn more, please click below. Now, GO FIND FUN!

JOIN THE HOUSTON ARBORETUM AS THEY CELEBRATE TREES.

If it’s January, it’s time for “Arbor Day”! Bring the whole family to celebrate this special day for trees at the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center this Saturday, January 17 from 10am-4pm. Tree seedlings will be given away while supplies last and native trees will be available for sale. Arboretum staff will demonstrate proper tree planting and experts will be on site to answer tree care questions. Family-friendly activities will include papermaking, constructing paper pots, recycling newspapers into hats, story time, face painting and a puzzle hike on a forest trail. Children can meet Johnny Appleseed, HANC the Owl and a special surprise guest and the Gulf Coast Wood Turners Association will be on hand demonstrating their talents.

Arbor Day began in the United States in 1872 in Nebraska. J. Sterling Morton, a newspaperman, knew how important trees were to the land so he created the day and the state offered prizes to the groups and people who planted the most trees. On that first Arbor Day, the people of Nebraska planted more than one million trees – and it’s since grown to be a national event.

THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE ARE IN TOWN.

Christian Youth Theatre (CYT) presents the classic children’s tale, “Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe” this weekend and next in several matinee and evening shows as well as two school performances this Friday, January 16. The timeless story is based on the 1950 book of the same name by C.S. Lewis and has been adapted for this show with original music, creative choreography and colorful costumes. The musical follows Lucy, her sister Susan and her brothers Peter and Edmund as they enter the magical kingdom of Narnia through the back of an old wardrobe. After a series of lessons and tests, the children assist Aslan the Lion in saving Narnia from destruction by the evil White Witch. CYT is a nonprofit, after-school theater arts training program for students ages 6-18. Since its founding in 1981 in San Diego, California, CYT has grown to be the largest youth theater in the nation with branches across the country training thousands of students a year. Because CYT does not own facilities for classes or productions, the organization works through the local community, utilizing classrooms and stages in churches, schools and local theaters. CYT is not affiliated with a church body and people of all faiths are welcome.

“Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” will be onstage at the Nancy Bock Center for the Performing Arts located at 3800 S. Panther Creek Drive in The Woodlands (McCullough Junior High School). Tickets are $10-$12 and $9/each on “Family Day Matinee” at 2pm on Saturday, January 17.

THE JCC HOSTS "DANCE MONTH" AND A FAMILY MATINEE.

The Jewish Community Center presents "Discover Tap!" this Sunday, January 18 at 3pm. Follow Acia Gray, Dianne Walker, and Derick Grant on a playful exploration of rhythm and time that takes an audience of all ages on a journey through tap history, music and “spreadin’ some rhythm around!”

The concert will take place in the Kaplan Theatre, I.W. Marks Theatre Center of the Jewish Community Center at 5601 South Braeswood. Tickets are $8/JCC members and $12/general public. Advanced ticket purchase is recommended; tickets can be purchased online, in person or by calling 713.551.7255.

BEGIN THE NEW YEAR WITH MUSIC LESSONS AT THE MOORES SCHOOL OF MUSIC.

Send your children (or yourself) to the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music! The Preparatory and Continuing Studies Department offers a variety of private lessons and group classes for students of all ages and abilities to the greater Houston community. Classes include The Suzuki String Program, The Piano Program, and Private Instruction [voice, piano, violin, viola, cello, saxophone, flute, guitar (classical & jazz), theory/composition, trumpet, French horn, organ, and most orchestral instruments]. Price per lesson varies.

CHILDREN ARE TRANSPORTED TO THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF MUSIC AND MOVEMENT AT THE CLAIRE SCHOOL OF DANCE.

The Claire School of Dance, with 2 locations in the Heights, offers diverse programs ranging from weekly classes to summer camps. Their early childhood program provides creative movement and pre-ballet for children 2½ through 6, while children 7 and up take classes in ballet, tap and modern. Their "Fairy Magic Dance Camp" is a summer experience full of movement and magic. Claire School of Dance specializes in stimulating a child's imagination and encouraging individual creativity.

Sign-ups for the next semester of classes are being taken through January 31.

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My goal is to serve as an information resource for Houston parents through my various endeavors, including:

GISH PICKS, which is online (www.thesummerbook.com/gishpicks_archive.html) and in the Houston Community Newspaper group (www.hcnonline.com);

THE SUMMER BOOK®: A GUIDE TO HOUSTON DAY CAMPS AND CLASSES FOR KIDS AND TEENS (www.thesummerbook.com) which comes out annually on March 1 and is sold at bookstores all over Houston, including Barnes and Noble and Borders; and

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS, INTERACTIVE WORKSHOPS, PRIVATE CONSULTATIONS, AND ART PROGRAMS that cover topics such as summertime fun, passion-finding (for adults, children, and parents helping their children), marketing, historic preservation, art classes, and activism. All of these services can be tailored for any audience and budget.

The purpose of GISH PICKS is to help parents become aware of all the fun things they can do with their children in Houston and the surrounding area, so HAPPY TRAVELS! Please do give me feedback and ideas, as you are out there in the trenches also looking for interesting things for your family and I want to hear what you find. If you are having trouble getting to a website listed here, try hitting the “Ctrl” button and left-clicking on the web address, which should make it “live”.


Sarah Gish Gish Creative 1940-A Fountainview, PMB 116 Houston, Texas 77057 phone/fax: 713.532.1173 email: sarah@gishcreative.com web: www.gishcreative.com and: www.thesummerbook.com and: www.saveourlandmarks.org © 2009 Sarah Gish Designed by West of the World