Sarah's Chocolate, Strawberry Cake

Our new Bridge friends, Steve and Kathy, recommend this luscious and easy to make cake created by their daughter, Sarah.

Sarah's Chocolate, Strawberry Cake
1 chocolate or devil's food cakemix, made according to package directions and baked in a Bundt-style pan.
1/3 cup cocoa liquour
Chocolate buttercream frosting
Sliced strawberries
Whipped cream

Slice cooled cake in half and sprinkle both cut surfaces with cocoa liquour. Put cake together and frost with buttercream frosting. Serve with strawberries and whipped cream.

Stuff the bus! for kids

Our Pencil Box Club donated $85 to the 2011-12 LESA Backpacks for Kids project today. Thanks to our members for helping to make that first day of school a happy day for Livingston County kids. We encourage everyone to donate to this wonderful project that distributes free back-to-school supplies to Livingston County students grades K-12. You can Stuff the Bus from 10-2 p.m. on August 5 at the Fowlerville Walmart, and 10-2 p.m. August 13 at the Howell Walmart or drop off your donations at Livingston Educational Service Agency, 1425 West Grand River, Howell, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. The distribution date for free back-to-school supplies will be from 6-8 p.m. August 18 at LESA. Program coordinator Robin Schutz tells all about it here:

Stuff that Bus!

from: Robin Schutz

                LESA Early Childhood Programs

                Phone:  (517) 540-6840

                E-mail: robinschutz@livingstonesa.org

We are pleased to announce TWO locations and TWO days of Stuff the Bus for the Tenth Annual “Fill Backpacks for Kids” Campaign at Livingston Educational Service Agency

An LESA Bus will be in the Fowlerville Wal-Mart Parking Lot on Friday, August 5, 2011, and in the Howell Wal-Mart Parking Lot on Friday, August 13, 2011.  You can Stuff the Bus at either location from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  Families, who are shopping for school supplies can pick up an extra set of pencils, pack of paper, or even a backpack as a contribution to the Tenth Annual “Fill Backpacks for Kids” Campaign.

Last year, over $6,000 in monetary donations and supplies helped us distribute over 1,800 backpacks to students from Preschool through 12^th Grade. The goal this year is to distribute 2,000 backpacks full of basic school supplies for Livingston County students whose families may be experiencing financial difficulties.  Residents, churches and local businesses contribute to this effort through donations, volunteer time, and serving as drop-off sites for supplies and backpacks to make it a success.

Donations for LESA’s 2011 Backpack for Kids Campaign can be dropped off at the Livingston Educational Service Agency, 1425 West Grand River, Howell, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Date of distribution is August 18, 2011, from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at the LESA Education Center.

For additional information call the Hot Line at (517) 540-6833 or visit the website at: www.livingstonesa.org . Click on the Green Tab labeled Community Resources.

2011-12 "LESA Fill a Backpack for Kids" project launched

Thank you note from Rex for his new backpack last year.

We received a letter from Robin Schutz of Great Start Livingston announcing the kick-off of the 2011-12 "LESA Fill a Backpack for Kids" project. This is a great project that the Pencil Box Club supports with donations, and we encourage everyone to help now. Back packs will be distributed to schoolchildren at LESA, 1425 W. Grand River Avenue, Howell MI 48843 from 6-8 p.m. August 18, 2011. Schutz said:

Livingston Educational Service Agency employees are gearing up for our tenth annual "LESA's Fill a Backpack for Kids" project. The goal of this project is to provide Livingston County students with basic school supplies at no cost.

LESA implemented this project in 2002 and, thorugh support of local businesses and families, has distributed over 5,000 backpacks filled with supplies. Our goal is to distribute at least 1,800 backpacks for the 2011-12 school year.

In order for the 'LESA Fill a Backpack for Kids" project to be a success, we need support from the community. There are many opportunities for community members to be involved with this project, including serving as a collection site for donated school supplies, volunteering to fill backpacks with school supplies, and donating school supplies and backpacks. . . . Any assistance you can provide will be appreciated.

Community-wide support will make this project a success and help children have a positive experience . . .. For additional information, call 517 540 6833. We appreciate any support you can provide for this project.

Bridge for kids?

Today's NYT article by Winnie Hu, "For students raised on iPods, lessons in Bridge", tells about efforts to teach Bridge to schoolchildren. Hu said:

The Lakeland district in this northern Westchester County town began teaching bridge this year as a way to both reinforce math and problem-solving skills and to socialize a generation of children raised on solitary pastimes like playing video games and listening to iPods. Now kindergartners here learn to sort suits and high and low numbers, while older students play in bridge clubs and compete online in virtual tournaments.

Maybe we should put cards in those backpacks!

Source:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/25/education/25bridge.html