Stay tuned for information regarding Registering for the 2010-11 School year.

Wednesday, February 28 through April 14
Kindergarten Registration
To be eligible for kindergarten your child must have been born on or before September 1, 2002. More info.

Monday, March 5 through Friday, March 9
Elementary Open Schools Week
Elementary schools will welcome families during this week to tour schools, speak with the principal and visit classrooms. More info.

Monday, March 5 through Friday, March 30
Grade 1 Registration
Registration is for students entering grade 1 in September 2007, and it is only for new incoming students to the District that qualify for choice.

Monday, May 7
Grades 2 through 12
Registration is for new incoming students for September 2007.

Thursday, May 17
Elementary School Choice Lottery
Kindergarten and Grade 1

more info
Providence Schools website
Parent Information & Student Registration Center
650 Prairie Avenue, Providence, RI 02905
(401) 456-9297

What you need to register:
• Child’s immunization records from doctor.
• Child’s birth certificate.
• Proof of parents’ residence (e.g. utility bill).

Directions: The Center is difficult to find. Follow these directions.
From the North:
• 95 South, Exit 18 – Thurbers Ave.
• Go right towards Eddy Street.
• Take left onto Eddy Street. (Burger King and Shell Station on corner)
• Take 3rd right onto Pavilion Street.
• Take right onto Ocean Street.
• Take 1st left into the Parent Info Center.

Sign says: Parent Information and Registration Department.
Building is straight ahead, (a school is attached to the right side).

Soon after sunset on Saturday evening, March 3, skywatchers here in eastern North America can watch the rising full moon undergoing its first total eclipse in nearly 2 ½ years. Wikipedia says a lunar eclipse occurs whenever the moon passes through some portion of the Earth’s shadow. This can occur only when the Moon is full, and when the Sun, Earth and Moon are exactly on a line, or very closely so. The type and length of a lunar eclipse depends upon the Moon’s location relative to its orbital nodes.

Skyscrapers, Inc. (the local Astronomy Society) will set up at Tasca Soccer Field in North Scituate, adjacent to the McDonald’s restaurant on Route 6 where there is an unobstructed view of the horizon. The club will operate from 5-8pm. Moonrise time is 5:30. Club members will provide advice and a selection of telescopes. Afterwards, viewers are invited to the Seagrave Observatory, on Peep Toad Road, off Rte 116 and near Rte 6. The observatory will remain open until 10pm.

If the weather is favorable make every effort to observe this beautiful celestial show. The next one in August is less favorable for us in New England, for it occurs at moonset! Good luck, keep your eyes to the skies.- Skyscrapers, Inc.

Make it fun for kids. Eat moon shaped food or make a great Galactic Mobile from NASA Space Place. Find great ready-made toys at Fat Brain Toys and read with your kids about the moon.

• Where Does the Moon Go? by Sidney Rosen

• The Moon Seems to Change by Franklyn M. Branley (Author), Barbara & Ed Emberley (Illustrator)

• The Moon by Seymour Simon

• Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown (Author), Clement Hurd (Illustrator)

more info
Seagrave Observatory, North Scituate, RI
open every Saturday night for your viewing pleasure, weather permitting.
Ladd Observatory, Hope Street, Providence, RI
open to the public, free of charge, Tuesday evenings, from 7 pm to 9 pm, weather permitting.
Lunar Eclipses for Beginners
NASA
Space.com

Free-for-all Saturday | RISD Museum

Be sure to come dressed in red, the traditional color for Chinese New Year celebrations. Quest for “Chinese treasures” old and new, or make your own in workshops that focus on dragons and good-luck messages. In the RISD Auditorium at 3pm, enjoy Figures of Speech Theatre’s acclaimed production of The Nightingale, inspired by Hans Christian Anderson’s tale of a little bird that entrances the Emperor of China. NOTE: Crafts usually end promptly at 2pm.

info
RISD Museum, Saturday, February 24
Email Marianne Ruggiero or call (401) 454-6674

Location: College Hill | Providence

Come make music with your kids. My boys and I took Music Together classes when they were 3. One of the things they liked was that the class was not just about singing – it’s about making music. There was a lot of hands-on use of instruments and the kids were encouraged to get up and move around. This class is also great if you have kids of different ages. It works for kids on different levels. Check it out.

Spring Classes | Tambourine Collection
March 26 – June 13
more info
See schedule. Register online or email or call Jennifer (401) 497-4002.
New family registration begins March 3. Classes can fill up fast.

Location: Providence – Temple Beth-El. 70 Orchard Avenue.

JUMP! will perform three dance sets: VALLEY OF THE DOLLZ and two dances from Paula Hunter’s sold-out show from last fall, PAULA HUNTER AT HOME

info
March 3 at 7pm,
March 4 at 2pm and 7pm,
Carriage House Theatre, 7 Duncan Ave,
Tickets: $10 (Call ahead for tickets 401-529-4391 or purchase at the door).

Register now for The Philharmonic Music School.

For Kids Session III – Early Childhood classes and Classes for Kids at the Philharmonic Music School will begin the week of March 5 at the Central Branch in Providence. Register now through February 28.

more info
The Music School
401-248-7042

While your kids listen to some great stories at Books on the Square, you can peruse the bookstore uninterrupted. This bookstore has a great selection of both kids and adult books. If you can’t find what you want, the friendly staff will be happy to order it for you.

Before or after the storytime, grab a coffee across the street at Starbucks or around the corner at The Edge.

info
Lazy Sunday Schedule
2 p.m. all winter long – Always Free, Always Fun, Always Popcorn, Always for Kids.
Feb. 18: A Frog Thing by Eric Drachman, and other froggy fables.
Feb. 25: Owl Moon by Jane Yolen, and other Caldecott Medal Winners!

Location: Providence | Wayland Square

Bill Harley won the Grammy for Best Spoken Word Recording for Children: Blah, Blah, Blah: Stories about clams, swamp monsters, pirates and dogs. Listen to it here.

Bill is one of our favorite kids singers and storytellers. He also happens to be local – used to live in Providence, but now resides in Seekonk, MA – so my boys and I have had the chance to see him in person a number of times. He is very entertaining – telling funny stories about everyday life, mixed with fantasy, adventure and wishful thinking.

When my boys stopped taking naps and moved on to quiet time – they would eagerly listen to Bill’s story CDs up in their room. Now they listen to them anytime – quiet time or not. Find out more about Bill Harley’s songs and stories in the Bill Harley store. To see when Bill is performing near you, check out his calendar of events.

more
Bill Harley was interviewed on NPR’s All Things Considered in September 2006. Listen to it here.

For Kids! The Providence Performing Arts Center’s Community Outreach Committee is requesting applications to the 2007 ARTS Scholarships program. This program, sponsored by Textron Inc. and PPAC’s Annual Fund donors, awards up to $500 in financial assistance to each of 25 winning Rhode Island students for summer arts education programs. Applications are due on March 2, 2007. More information here.

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

What is it?
A method for communicating summarized information (”RSS feed”), which is linked to more detailed information. It’s like skimming the headlines of a newspaper.

Why use it?
RSS allows information to flow directly to you from multiple sources without having to manually revisit all the websites. Every time a website is updated, the information flows into your “feed reader”. It’s FREE.

How to use it?
1. Try clicking on Kidoinfo’s RSS link and see what happens. Your browser (such as Firefox, Safari or Internet Explorer) may have built-in support for viewing RSS feeds. Or you might see a mess of XML code – go to step 2.
2. Get free software and follow their instructions for subscribing to RSS feeds.
Try: Bloglines, Feedreader, Googler Reader, or NewsGator

What do you think?
Click comments below and tell us which RSS software you use and if Kidoinfo’s RSS feed works for you.

MORE
• RSS history and details from Wikipedia
• Look up technology terms in Webopedia