School For You

How's the school year going? Here's my report:

• Kate, as a fourth grader, is now mostly on her own (with only a little nagging) when it comes to getting homework done. But somehow she always magically finds a way to milk a 20-minute "Report About Me" into a three-hour trip to the salt mines. Last night, she decided the 50-word assignment needed to be done in cursive. She doesn't know cursive. I think next time she feels the need to jazz up assignments, I will suggest she use only her feet to write the report.

• Jack, a fresh-faced kindergartener, does not understand the concept of homework just yet. He never – ever, ever, ever – remembers to turn in his "yellow things glued to paper" assignment. Isn't the teacher asking for it?, I plead. [insert blank stare here]

• Jack's first day of school was actually a "mixer" of sorts. Parents hung around, chatted with the teacher, met Fred the bearded dragon and got to know each other. Before I set foot in his classroom, I had no knowledge that it was not a regular school day. How was it that I was the only one who didn't get the memo? I sweated profusely throughout the morning until the 11 a.m. dismissal time (nope, didn't know about that either).

Why am I regaling you with these tales? Because I am often the victim, like so many other parents of school-age kids, of information UNDER-load. This year, in an attempt to be "green," the school is not bothering to send out notices, which I wouldn't be getting anyway, apparently.

But I'm sure thousands of you have similar stories about lack of communication, school policy issues, funding questions and just straight-up confusion, which is often my problem. But parent involvement is often what transforms a "D" school into an "A" and keeps parents, like me, just a little more sane and kids a little more engaged. And those "A" schools need parents to continue to ask questions, get involved and be present in the classroom (or playground or library).

California State Senator Gloria Romero (District 24), Chair of the Senate Education Committee, is hoping to empower parents a bit when it comes to speaking up for our children's education in these tough times, when programs are getting tossed out like Jack's homework. To that end she's also hosting a Power to the Parents town hall tonight from 6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. at the Rosemont Elementary School 421 N. Rosemont Ave., Los Angeles.

She also offers these tips on ways parents can get involved this school year (and good luck with the homework!):

1. Go to Back to School night. Get to know your child’s teacher and keep in contact. Learning doesn’t stop when your child walks out of the classroom – reading at home and monitoring homework is especially important.


2. Join parent groups. There are numerous parent groups at both the school and the district level. The school site council and parent-teacher organization advise the school administration, step up when changes need to made and sponsor various events and fundraisers throughout the year. Many districts also get input from parents through one or more parent advisory councils.


3. Meet your school board. As parents, it’s not easy to get to evening meetings, but it can be worthwhile to go and meet the superintendent and elected officials who set policy for your district. You’ll need them on your side when they face tough budget decisions and your favorite program is on the line. Take your children along and the trip becomes a lesson in civic engagement.


4. Volunteer in the classroom. It’s not only fun to dive in on finger-painting or drive kids on a field trip, it’s also important for your child. A number of studies have shown that students do better academically when their parents are involved in the school.


5. Go to school events – it’s your right! By state law, parents and guardians working at companies with 25+ employees on-site are entitled to take up to 40 hours each school year to participate in the school activities of their child, not exceeding eight hours in any calendar month of the school year. When you look ahead at the school calendar, let your boss know about important assemblies and other events in advance.


6. Get the facts. How is your school doing compared to other schools? The easiest way to find out is to request a copy of your school’s School Accountability Report Card (SARC) from the school or the district office or to view it online at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/sa/. The SARC has information on everything from school safety to demographics to teacher training and test scores.


7. Run for your local school board. The idea might never have crossed your mind, but I urge you to think on it. School board members have diverse backgrounds, often drawing on experiences as parents, educators or former students in the district. A passion for education reform is truly the only requirement for the job – like most jobs, you can only learn by doing it.

Parents' Night Out ... Wink, Wink

"Are you a Monty Python fan?"

That was the question posed by a fellow sitting next to me last Thursday, as we waited for the curtain to go up at the Ricardo Montalban Theatre for An Evening With Without Monty Python (A Paeanastic Laudatory Exaltation of the Works of John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin).

What I discovered was that it is easy to be a Monty Python fan – without even knowing it. Those skits and catch phrases (Know what I mean? Know what I mean?) are almost as deeply ingrained into our conversations and culture as Shakespeare and cool French words like deja vu and bon vivante. Therefore, the audience chuckled in unison as we watched this fresh, funny crop of actors (hence the "without" part) relive those great Monty Python moments, such as the Ministry of Silly Walks and the Dead Parrot (or ex-parrot).

Don't question or feel guilty about those uncontrollable giggles; that wry, British humor will catch you when you least expect it, even if you know the punchline is coming (of course, no one expects the Spanish Inquisition).

That's why I can recommend this show as a "sitter-worthy" parents' night out. Tickets are reasonable ($55-$75), the cast is fabulous (Eric Idle himself directed the show, which stars Jeff B. Davis, Jane Leeves, Alan Tudyk, Rick Holmes and Jim Piddock), there's actual parking at the Ricardo Montalban Theatre (around $10), and the hilarity is genuine (and if you're a lumberjack, then you're OK).

So, for something completely different, check out this show, which runs through Oct. 4 – unless you want to argue with that.

Awed By Oz

I used to daydream that I was Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. I'd put a leash on my lazy, fat cockapoo and drag her along as I skipped down the sidewalk, singing, "We're off to see the wizard!"

Tiger, my version of Toto, was definitely less than enthused about the annual showing of The Wizard of Oz, which would bring the whole family into the den for this once-per-year television event. But I was starstruck each and every time. My reactions were always the same. The hurricane would scare me silly, as would the sight of the Wicked Witch of the East's toes curling up and disappearing underneath the house. And the flying monkeys – oh, my. The Wicked Witch of the West would leave me quivering, just like the lion. And then there was the weapy ending, Dorothy all melodramatic with loyal Scarecrow; me, clutching a Kleenex box.

Call me old-fashioned, but sometimes it bums me out that these classic movies are so accessible and therefore, the viewing of them less ceremonial. But the digital technology that makes them so accessible has some HUGE benefits – in the form of some amazing advancements in how we actually see the movie.

The Wizard of Oz has been remastered and reissued several times since it was made in 1939, but this 70th anniversary version, according to the experts at Warner Home Video, has been entirely remastered using the original Technicolor camera negatives, scanned at 8K resolution. When viewed on Blu-ray, the result is a view of Oz that is six times higher resolution than standard DVD.

An original film still (before) and Ultra-Resolution (after) of Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), Dorothy (Judy Garland), Lion (Bert Lahr) and Tin Man (Jack Haley) are prepared to meet the Wizard.

Copyright © 1939 Turner Entertainment Company. A Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.

You will see detail you've never been able to see before. Toto is actually shades of gray and not just a black blob on four feet. The witch's castle has some vibrant details in the set – such as the monkey stand holding up the crystal ball. Look closely, and I guarantee you'll be amazed – and not even a bit wistful for the bad dupe we all watched once a year on our small (non-plasma) "TV sets."

The Blu-ray release of The Wizard of Oz 70th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition hits stores Sept. 29 and retails for $69.92 (DVD) and $84.99 (Blu-ray Hi-Def). The numbered, limited edition includes more than 16 hours of extras, including a sing-along track, a featurette that stars seven of the original Munchkins and a collectible 70th anniversary watch, among other extras.

So pop some corn, fire up the home theater and gather the children for your annual (or more often) escape to somewhere over the rainbow.

Cake Mistakes

It's hard to go wrong with birthday cakes. Well, that's what I used to think until I read Cake Wrecks ($12.99, Andrews McMeel Publishing), a new book by Jen Yates, a blogger who "tastefully" chronicles an ongoing series of offbeat – and real – confections in her hilariously wry blog, CakeWrecks.com.

The book reveals some serious and graphic assaults with frosting, and the images – along with Yates' accompanying commentary – made me laugh, cringe and stare in wonder at some of the book's "but for the grace of god" bakery abominations, including but not limited to:

• the abuse of cupcakes that are made to look like an animal or other inanimate object


• a lesson in how easily chocolate frosting can resemble poop


• spelling errors and misinterpretations = memorable/embarrassing party conversations

Read it ... and learn.

Hawaiian Waves With Dad

Guest blogger Steve Graham offers this report from his surfing excursion in Waikiki, where we spent our summer vacation this past Labor Day:

I had lunch with a guy a couple of weeks ago who was visiting L.A. from Hawaii. He was here on business but had taken a little time for R&R while he was here. He was a surfer and someone asked if he had hit the waves while he was is town.

"Why?" was all he said.

A couple of weeks later, I found myself on a long, smooth ride on a beautiful reef break in Waikiki, and I knew exactly what he meant.

I've been surfing around L.A. for a couple of years, but I'm still a beginner. So while in Hawaii, we opted to take lessons from Errol (pronounced "Earl") Kane at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Our mid-morning class was just three people, including my 9-year-old Kate. All of the instructors were about half my age (and weight) and were totally ripped and overly tan.

We started the lesson on the beach, with Errol explaining the basics. He taught us to go through three positions to stand up, ending in the classic "low and strong" crouch that he swore was the same one Kelly Slater still sported on the covers of all those cool surf magazines.

"If you stay low and strong I swear you will go 100 yards,"  Errol said as he raised his arms in the air. "Touchdown!"

It was easy to picture yourself riding a wave while we were still standing on the flat and non-moving beach. But having done this before, I paid a lot of attention to the instructions on how to fall properly. Kate, on the other hand, was practicing reaching out and touching the face of the wave as she mentally shot through the tube.

My board was as big as an aircraft carrier and was emblazoned with "Laird" in English script lettering. I presumed I was borrowing surfing legend Laird Hamilton's board and made a note to check around the cabana bar for him when we got back. We paddled out through the shallows to where the waves were breaking. It was pretty short ride getting out there, but I swear it was twice as far coming back.

Everyone got their own instructor. Mine "towed" me into the waves with his foot on the nose of my board, spun me around, and pushed me onto a wave. He did all of the hard work, and that let me concentrate on Errol's standing instructions. The wave gurgled gently below me, I leaned forward to my knees, then to one foot, and then up to the Low and Strong. The wave went on forever, and I had time to take in the sites: the tourists on the beach, the fantastic clouds rolling in over Honolulu, and the imposing mass of Diamond Head in the distance. As the wave petered out, I ditched and surfaced to see Errol with his arms up.

'Touchdown," I thought.

I smiled and rolled back onto my board for another go.

After about 10 waves and paddling back out, I was exhausted. But I couldn't get enough of this fantastic break. The waves were small and we were only catching the end of them, but it was a really great ride. As we caught a few more, I learned to read the swells and to paddle in on my own.

Kate was with her own instructor, and was doing well. We were pretty far apart most of the time, but on one wave I paddled in and stood up only to find myself surfing right next to my daughter. We both yipped at yelled for each other and rode side by side toward the beach. What a great way to spend time together.

By the time we decided to call it a morning, my nose was sunburned, my knees were rubbed raw, and my arms were jelly. But my heart was full of aloha spirit. As we slowly paddled back in, I was wishing we had a couple of more days so that I could perfect my Kelly Slater stance – and Kate could learn to shoot the tube.

Read other posts from Waikiki at:

• Blogging From the Grand Waikikian


• Close Quarters In Hawai'i


• Kate's Interview With O'ahu Representatives Rebecca Pang and Sonja Swenson (video!)


• Pearl Harbor