Since 1998 San Francisco has long honored its deep literary traditions by naming a city poet laureate, and now the search for the next poet laureate is on.
 Nominate your top choice now at sfpl.org/poetlaureate. The deadline to submit is July 31, 2020. As the city’s first poet laureate, Lawrence Ferlinghetti said, “The center of literate culture in cities has always centered in the great libraries.”
Questions? Contact SFPL Public Affairs at publicaffairs@sfpl.org
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SF Mayor London Breed held a press conference on Friday, June 26 to announce the City's next reopening phase, scheduled for Monday, 29, has been postponed.San Francisco is super pricey to live in, but there’s always lots of fun, free or cheap things to do… especially now, you just need to know where to look. Check out these upcoming fun, but affordable events and things to do! This is not all... lots more happening around town and the Bay Area!  List of Upcoming Bay Area Protests, June 28 - July 4
SF’s Only Outdoor Mini Golf Course Reopened this weekend!
No unsupervised kids under 12. Online tickets with tee times are available for purchase on the website now. $5.50 Drive-In Movie Night in Concord and San Jose
West Wind Drive In Locations:
– $8.25 adults, $1.75 kids 5-11 (kids 4 and under free) – Tuesday night “Family Fun Night” is $5.50 per adult – Most screens are double features – 2 movies for price of 1 – Start times for movies are around 8:30pm, but may change per dusktime. Stern Grove's "Best of the Fest" Virtual Concert Series, June 14-Aug 16, 2020
Visit sterngrove.org for each Sunday’s lineup.
San Francisco’s City Hall and its state-of-the-art LED |
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Phase 1 of Reopening:
People will be required to wear face coverings and the Garden will limit the number of visitors to 25% of its normal capacity to ensure social distancing. Only the Main Gate near Lincoln Way and 9th Avenue will be operating, and the Helen Crocker Russel Library of Horticulture, Garden Bookstore, Plant Arbor, and Children’s Garden will remain closed.
People will be required to wear face coverings and the Garden will limit the number of visitors to 25% of its normal capacity to ensure social distancing. Only the Main Gate near Lincoln Way and 9th Avenue will be operating, and the Helen Crocker Russel Library of Horticulture, Garden Bookstore, Plant Arbor, and Children’s Garden will remain closed.
SF Botanical Garden Reservations & Free Entry
Make your reservation – Garden reopens on June 1st.
Admission is FREE for all Members, School Groups, and San Francisco City & County Residents (with proof of residency).
Admission for Non-Residents: Adults ($9 midweek, $12 weekends), Youth 12-17 ($6), Seniors 65+ ($6), Children 5-11 ($2), Toddler 4 and under (Free)
Free Admission (even for non-residents)
Make your reservation – Garden reopens on June 1st.
Admission is FREE for all Members, School Groups, and San Francisco City & County Residents (with proof of residency).
Admission for Non-Residents: Adults ($9 midweek, $12 weekends), Youth 12-17 ($6), Seniors 65+ ($6), Children 5-11 ($2), Toddler 4 and under (Free)
Free Admission (even for non-residents)
- Daily: 7:30–9am (enter via the Main Gate)
- Monthly: Second Tuesday of every month
- Holiday Free Days: Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years Day
Hours:
Open daily, starting at 7:30am. The Garden closes one hour after last entry.Last entry changes seasonally:
Fall & Winter Last Entry:
Spring & Summer Last Entry:
Open daily, starting at 7:30am. The Garden closes one hour after last entry.Last entry changes seasonally:
Fall & Winter Last Entry:
- October – early November: 5pm
- 1st Sunday in November – January: 4pm
- February – 2nd Saturday in March: 5pm
Spring & Summer Last Entry:
- 2nd Sunday in March – September: 6pm
Location:
San Francisco Botanical Garden is located in Golden Gate Park, near the corner of Ninth Avenue and Lincoln Way.
There are two entrances, the Main Gate near Ninth Avenue, just inside the Park, and the Friend (North) Gate on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, just steps from the Japanese Tea Garden, de Young Museum, and California Academy of Sciences.
During phase 1 of the reopening, only the main gate will be open.
Use the Main Gate for early entry. Friend (North) Gate opens at 9am.
San Francisco Botanical Garden is located in Golden Gate Park, near the corner of Ninth Avenue and Lincoln Way.
There are two entrances, the Main Gate near Ninth Avenue, just inside the Park, and the Friend (North) Gate on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, just steps from the Japanese Tea Garden, de Young Museum, and California Academy of Sciences.
During phase 1 of the reopening, only the main gate will be open.
Use the Main Gate for early entry. Friend (North) Gate opens at 9am.
Staying connected and involved during this time of COVID-19 can mean the most to San Francisco seniors.
Community Living Campaign
Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19): You can get updates and resource info. by calling 311 or at sf311.org. Seniors and people with disabilities can also call Disability and Aging Services at (415) 355-6700 for referrals to services, including take-out meals, home-delivered meals and groceries, and more.
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San Francisco's Community Living Campaign brings greater joy, health and connectedness to seniors and people with disabilities in the City through community-building, empowerment and advocacy. Let's make San Francisco a great city to grow older!
To learn more about CLC and its goings-on activities, visit the online events calendar to see all it offers!
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As our shelter-in-place continues, some seniors and people with disabilities still have to travel. Join us on Thursday, May 14 as we share the latest information on transportation options in San Francisco.
During the May 14 session, Cathy DeLuca from Community Living Campaign will share the latest information about all transportation options in San Francisco, including Muni, paratransit, SFMTA's new Essential Trip Card program, driving, taxis and Uber/Lyft. And we'll even talk about how to have fun on your local walks.
Cathy will be joined by Natasha Opfell from SF Paratransit's Mobility Management Center, who can answer your questions about City transportation services for seniors and people with disabilities.
How to Get Around San Francisco (Safely) During COVID-19
Sponsored by the Department of Disability and Aging Services
May 14, 2020 (Thursday)
2:30pm - 3:30pm PST
Participants can participate via phone or online (captioning provided)
Registration Required:
If you plan to join online, register here or call (415) 638-9183 to register.
Connect with the CLC events calendar to register for this event and learn more.
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San Francisco's Community Living Campaign brings greater joy, health and connectedness to seniors and people with disabilities in the City through community-building, empowerment and advocacy. Let's make San Francisco a great city to grow older!
To learn more about CLC and its goings-on activities, visit the online events calendar to see all it offers!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As our shelter-in-place continues, some seniors and people with disabilities still have to travel. Join us on Thursday, May 14 as we share the latest information on transportation options in San Francisco.
During the May 14 session, Cathy DeLuca from Community Living Campaign will share the latest information about all transportation options in San Francisco, including Muni, paratransit, SFMTA's new Essential Trip Card program, driving, taxis and Uber/Lyft. And we'll even talk about how to have fun on your local walks.
Cathy will be joined by Natasha Opfell from SF Paratransit's Mobility Management Center, who can answer your questions about City transportation services for seniors and people with disabilities.
How to Get Around San Francisco (Safely) During COVID-19
Sponsored by the Department of Disability and Aging Services
May 14, 2020 (Thursday)
2:30pm - 3:30pm PST
Participants can participate via phone or online (captioning provided)
Registration Required:
If you plan to join online, register here or call (415) 638-9183 to register.
Connect with the CLC events calendar to register for this event and learn more.
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San Francisco Senior Beat is a great new effort to get the City's senior voices heard and share their experiences, opinions, stories and all they contribute to this city and place called home! Don't we love it?
You may just read about and see someone you know.
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You may just read about and see someone you know.
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No need to feel lonely: when you need someone to talk to or chat with,
stay connected with:
stay connected with:
- the Institute on Aging Friendship Line, 800-971-0016,
- Covia Well Connected (discussion groups and more) 877-797-7299; and
- the Mental Health Association, Peer-Run Warm Line, Toll-Free, 1-855-845-7415, or connect with a Web Chat
And that's not all! For additional resources, check out the Senior and Disability Action website for resources and more information.
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New Restaurant Food Program: Just announced by Gov. Newsom on April 24, the program will deliver three nutritious meals a day from local restaurants to seniors 65+ who meet other eligibility requirements. This program is still in the planning stages in San Francisco and more information should be out by next week. Call 211 for information.
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Connect with FunCheap SF for all-around free and low cost virtual and live goings-on in San Francisco and around the Bay Area, plus updates you want to know.
Upcoming job and career virtual events at the SFPL include, Career Coaching, Resume Writing, and Interviewing Essentials.
The SFPL is thrilled that so many library lovers have become fans of its extensive eResources during this time, discovering streaming media, eBooks and job and career platforms. In order to serve its visitors better, the SFPL has created a Virtual Library — a one-stop spot that houses the virtual events calendar, staff book recommendations, easy-to-find links to its eResources, and much more.
Career Coaching
Tuesdays, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Thursdays, 3-5 p.m.
Beginning the first week of May, work with a career coach who can help you identify goals, find your passion and guide you through the job search.
Each session is 30 minutes and uses the Zoom platform. Your link for the event will be sent the day of your appointment.
Book an appointment now.
Note: If there are no appointments available at this time, please check back regularly as new appointments open up weekly.
Tuesdays, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Thursdays, 3-5 p.m.
Beginning the first week of May, work with a career coach who can help you identify goals, find your passion and guide you through the job search.
Each session is 30 minutes and uses the Zoom platform. Your link for the event will be sent the day of your appointment.
Book an appointment now.
Note: If there are no appointments available at this time, please check back regularly as new appointments open up weekly.
Resume Writing
Thursday, 4/30/20
10-11 a.m.
A representative from the California Employment Development Department covers the essentials to creating a winning resume in today's job market.
This is an online event using the Zoom platform. The link for the event will be sent the day of the event.
Reservations required.
Register now.
Interviewing Essentials
Thursday, 4/30/20
2-3 p.m.
A representative from the California Employment Development Department covers everything you need to know to win the interview and land the job.
This is an online event using the Zoom platform. The link for the event will be sent the day of the event.
Reservations required.
Register now.
See the upcoming events at the SFPL: Events and Exhibits
For the first time in its 40-year history, Restaurant Depot – a restaurant supply store for people in the food service industry, now allows the public to shop and buy bulk goods there.
Restaurant Depot is like a Costco for restaurants, selling cleaning supplies, fresh produce, dry groceries, fresh and frozen meat and tons more.
Restaurant Depot Bay Area Locations are Open 7 days, with no minimum purchase required:
Note: this story is evolving. Hours may change, and future changes to non-members access may be coming, but for now public access is the status.
*See Update message on Covid-19 safety practices
- San Francisco – 20145 Evans Ave.(Bayview) – M-F 6a-6p, Sat 7a-4p, Sun 8a-3p
- Oakland – 400 High St. – M-F 6a-6p, Sat 7a-4p, Sun 8a-3p
- San Jose – 520 Brennan St. – M-F 6a-6p, Sat 7a-4p, Sun 8a-3p
Note: this story is evolving. Hours may change, and future changes to non-members access may be coming, but for now public access is the status.
*See Update message on Covid-19 safety practices
Here's the good news: this opportunity gives people another place to do infrequent, but high quantify shopping to stock up should they want to.
The bad news is that there is already a big backlash of Restaurant Depot’s existing restaurant-owner customer base who now have to compete for goods with the general public, making it harder for them to stock up their restaurants.
As Restaurant Depot becomes more popular with the general public expect some potential limitations on hours should they choose to appease their existing member base.
The bad news is that there is already a big backlash of Restaurant Depot’s existing restaurant-owner customer base who now have to compete for goods with the general public, making it harder for them to stock up their restaurants.
As Restaurant Depot becomes more popular with the general public expect some potential limitations on hours should they choose to appease their existing member base.
Thanks to SF Gate and FuncheapSF
The de Young and Legion of Honor Museums offer learning and activity resources not as prompts to bring parents and young learners joy, wonder, and respite from the everyday routine.
- The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco are the de Young and Legion of Honor Museums. In reflecting on their commitment to cultivating curious and resilient mindsets, the museums have assembled resources around three central skills: Look, Explore, and Create, specifically for children and students in grades K-8.
- The museums hope these material ideas may provide quick and tangible ways to integrate the museum collections into parent lesson plans and activities for their children and students while they shelter in place.
 de Young Museum |  Legion of Honor Museum |
From the museums' information pages:
Look:
All the explorations at the de Young and Legion of Honor begin with close looking. Creating time and space to share our observations and develop interpretations provides an opportunity to consider multiple points of view rather than finding a single correct answer. Our K–3rd-grade Learning to Look materials integrate Visual Thinking Strategies to develop rich vocabulary, student-generated interpretations, and improved writing skills.
You can quickly incorporate these techniques by exploring a work of art using the following questions:
Explore:
The context of an artwork expands the connections students can make to what they are learning in school and to their own lived experiences. In creating our 4th–8th-grade Get Smart with Art curriculum, we developed resources that put the historical context in the hands of our students so that they can analyze, question, and interpret works of art. When exploring the history behind artwork, ask questions that help students analyze the information.
Create:
Discover new artwork via our permanent collection Discovery Guides. These short, open-ended activities spark conversation and invite creativity as you look together.
Here is one to try: choose a window to look out of, paying special attention to the basic shapes you see and the noises you hear. What kinds of lines show these shapes and noises best? Try combining the sights and sounds into a drawing, and reflect on how these change during the day.
View A Discovery Guide
Look:
All the explorations at the de Young and Legion of Honor begin with close looking. Creating time and space to share our observations and develop interpretations provides an opportunity to consider multiple points of view rather than finding a single correct answer. Our K–3rd-grade Learning to Look materials integrate Visual Thinking Strategies to develop rich vocabulary, student-generated interpretations, and improved writing skills.
You can quickly incorporate these techniques by exploring a work of art using the following questions:
- What is happening in this work of art?
- What do you see that makes you say that?
- What more can you find?
Explore:
The context of an artwork expands the connections students can make to what they are learning in school and to their own lived experiences. In creating our 4th–8th-grade Get Smart with Art curriculum, we developed resources that put the historical context in the hands of our students so that they can analyze, question, and interpret works of art. When exploring the history behind artwork, ask questions that help students analyze the information.
- How does the information change the way you look at the work of art?
- What perspective or point of view does the work of art represent?
- What information do you think is most important to share with someone else?
Create:
Discover new artwork via our permanent collection Discovery Guides. These short, open-ended activities spark conversation and invite creativity as you look together.
Here is one to try: choose a window to look out of, paying special attention to the basic shapes you see and the noises you hear. What kinds of lines show these shapes and noises best? Try combining the sights and sounds into a drawing, and reflect on how these change during the day.
View A Discovery Guide
K-12 students across California are out of school due to the coronavirus with little initial guidance on ways to learn at home.
SF Bay Area school resources and California guidelines are now available, with tips for parents on creativity in being proactive.
With schools closed to K-12 students due to the COVID-19 crisis, it's been difficult for some parents to tackle home schooling, initially due to a lack of available resources along with the stressful situation the shelter in place mandate has created. Now that we're resettling into this new reality, there are more learning tools available.
The SFUSD, individual schools, and CA state guidelines now offer a collection of resources for learning.
The SFUSD, individual schools, and CA state guidelines now offer a collection of resources for learning.
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See the resources below. The CA Dept of Education mandates compulsory
free education for all students, including classes at home with online schools approved by the state.
Below are links to helpful information for parents and students. Plus, many Bay Area museums adhere to homeschooling parameters during regular school sessions and now some offer virtual classrooms/lessons for home learning. Also, be sure to check specific school websites as lesson plans and guidance are generally there.
free education for all students, including classes at home with online schools approved by the state.
Below are links to helpful information for parents and students. Plus, many Bay Area museums adhere to homeschooling parameters during regular school sessions and now some offer virtual classrooms/lessons for home learning. Also, be sure to check specific school websites as lesson plans and guidance are generally there.
California Department of Education:
"The CDE does not provide guidance on how to home school; however, a lot of information on all aspects of home schooling is available online to assist those who are educating their children at home. In addition there are other resources such as California homeschool organizations and possibly local homeschool groups or meet-ups."
San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD):
Search this site for information and resources (two linked below)
Education Week, California:
Review this publication for information and resources.
San Francisco Public Library (SFPL):
The newly updated site creates a virtual classroom and resource center for kids, teens, and educators.
Many Bay Area museums adhere to homeschooling parameters during regular school sessions and now some offer virtual classrooms and lessons for home learning. Below are links to museums that have something to offer now, and may have updated resources for extended stay-in-place. Be creative in using what you find here along with additional materials and/or interactive tools.
California Academy of Sciences:
Exploratorium: Explore the Education menu here for resources.
De Young Museum: A range of useful art-centered resources and materials, including set-guided gallery visits for K-12
Red Tricycle: A variety of tools and links to educational, learning, and exploratory adventures around the Bay Area. Spend time looking around this site for the sheer amount of resources, activities, ideas, and links it provides.
Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose: A wonderful discovery-land for the little ones
Oakland Museum of CA: Prepare for an in-person visit when this excellent museum reopens.
"The CDE does not provide guidance on how to home school; however, a lot of information on all aspects of home schooling is available online to assist those who are educating their children at home. In addition there are other resources such as California homeschool organizations and possibly local homeschool groups or meet-ups."
San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD):
Search this site for information and resources (two linked below)
Education Week, California:
Review this publication for information and resources.
- 7 Tips for Remote Teaching (video)
San Francisco Public Library (SFPL):
The newly updated site creates a virtual classroom and resource center for kids, teens, and educators.
- The redesigned Children's Website offers Read, Play, Events, and Learn resources that cover a range of subjects, along with materials that kids and teens will enjoy. There is so much here to view and choose from, and the site is helpful and easy to navigate for parents and students. Teens have their own pages named The Mix that includes Kanopy Thoughtful Entertainment movie streaming, eBooks, music and more. The Mix at the SFPL will resume its teen events when the library reopens, but for now the new site is a good virtual option.
Many Bay Area museums adhere to homeschooling parameters during regular school sessions and now some offer virtual classrooms and lessons for home learning. Below are links to museums that have something to offer now, and may have updated resources for extended stay-in-place. Be creative in using what you find here along with additional materials and/or interactive tools.
California Academy of Sciences:
- Virtual Programs: Click on Resources and Grades for a variety of materials; search though site for additional educational pages.
Exploratorium: Explore the Education menu here for resources.
De Young Museum: A range of useful art-centered resources and materials, including set-guided gallery visits for K-12
- Teen Programs: Teen studio Gallery Guides
Red Tricycle: A variety of tools and links to educational, learning, and exploratory adventures around the Bay Area. Spend time looking around this site for the sheer amount of resources, activities, ideas, and links it provides.
- A Parents Guide to Virtual Classroom Resources, by Subject
Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose: A wonderful discovery-land for the little ones
- Explore the Virtual Purple Museum for a wide assortment of at home activities, educational videos, virtual walks, recipes for cooking fun, and much more.
Oakland Museum of CA: Prepare for an in-person visit when this excellent museum reopens.
- Education, Teacher Resources: Web resources, curriculum, guides + worksheets linked to current and past museum exhibits, with downloadable pdfs to support learning about the people and subjects of the exhibits. Here's an opportunity to be proactive and create your own lessons! Digital images of the exhibits are available at the online collection.
Melanie posts:
SF Bay Area updates on upcoming events and what's happening now around town.
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