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Kids

Kids

Teachers & Parents

 

Educators

To support educators, the Santa Cruz Public Libraries’ K-12 Outreach librarians can help you find materials and resources for your classroom.

If you are interested, please contact us to provide us with details on your class, including your goals and any specific resources or information you are interested in.

Some of the services we can provide are:

  • A specialized bibliography from our collection of materials and e-resources
  • A list of age/grade appropriate titles that are available in class sets
  • Tech help with library resources
  • Virtual class visits
  • In person class visits (you can bring your class to us or we will come to your classroom).

To request an appointment or if you have any questions, please email k12@santacruzpl.org or contact us on our home page. 

Once submitted, you should receive a response within two business days. While we will do our best to accommodate a virtual class visit, we may not be able to fulfill your request due to a number of factors, including staff limitations and scheduling conflicts.

Self Conducted Virtual Class Visits

Library staff have created some self-guided virtual class visits. Please use these as a guide to all of our e-Resources for both yourself and your students.

Grades K-3

Grades 4 & 5

Middle School

High School

 

The following resources are free.

For Parents

Wide Open School  Find tips and resources for distance learning for parents/caregivers and teachers.

KQED At Home Learning  This response includes a new educational schedule for broadcast on KQED Plus in the Bay Area as well as free corresponding digital learning media and activities for at-home learning

Encantos  Bilingual at home learning resources to enrich your child’s home instruction

Scholastic for Families Here are some additional Scholastic resources for keeping the learning going from home. They will be adding more each day

Duolingo Learn a language for free

Sesame Street Here you’ll find tons of multi-media tools and printables in both English and Spanish designed for children from birth to six

Common Sense Media Resources for families during the coronavirus pandemic

Stay at Home with Candlewick Press Activities, discussion guides, educational materials, videos, and more!


For Teachers

PBS Classroom Learning media for teachers in California

Scholastic for Teachers Teaching remotely for grades K-12: Free resources and strategies

Exploring Nature Life Science, Earth Science, and Physical Science Resources for K-12

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Free resources to support continue learning during school closures

Khan Academy offers free lessons in math, science and humanities from kindergarten through the early years of college. 

Smithsonian Learning Lab gives teachers have access to millions of digital resources from across the Smithsonian's museums, research centers, libraries, archives, and more. You will also find pre-packaged collections that contain lessons, activities, and recommended resources made by Smithsonian museum educators as well as thousands of classroom teachers like you.

Colorin Colorado A bilingual site for ELL students and parents. 


 

A listing of local child care resources from SCPL's Community Information Database

Cabrillo College Children's Center

The Cabrillo College Children's Center offers child care services on campus for children 5 month old to five years of age and in our own network of family child care homes for children zero to three years of age located in both mid and south county. The California Department of Educati...[Full Record in CID]

6500 Soquel Drive, Building 1500-B
Aptos,  CA  95003
831-479-6352
http://www.cabrillo.edu/services/childrenscenter/

Campus Kids Connection, Inc.

Campus Kids Connection, Inc. offers programs designed to provide a safe and secure environment for children before and after school. We also provide a winter, spring and summer camp. We work directly with Soquel and Santa Cruz City school districts. Our non-profit agency was founded in 197...[Full Record in CID]

820 Bay Avenue, Suite 109
Capitola,  CA  95010
831-462-9822
http://www.campuskidsconnection.com

Child Development Resource Center

The CDRC enriches the overall health and vitality of our community by sharing expertise and resources with a child's first teachers - families and the providers who care for and educate children outside the home. CDRC is one of the major sources of information regarding supply, demand and ...[Full Record in CID]

400 Encinal Street
Santa Cruz,  CA  95062
831-466-5820
http://www.cdrc4info.org

Community Bridges Child Development Division

The first five years of a child’s life are critical to their health and success. Our six centers provide nurturing and affordable early education. Child Development Division is part of the Community Bridges family of programs. Our Six Early Education Centers: Fairgrounds Child Dev...[Full Record in CID]

236 Santa Cruz Avenue
Aptos,  CA  95003
831-335-3222
http://communitybridges.org/cdd/

Hearts and Hands Christian Childcare & Preschool Centers

Hours: Monday-Friday, 6:30am-6:15pm. Working with children as individuals and helping them develop all the skills that will help them in their journey of the following developmental areas: spiritual development, family/parent education, physical development, social development. emotion...[Full Record in CID]

40 Blanca Lane
Watsonville,  CA  95076
831-724-0175
http://hhpreschool.com

Rose Blossom Nursery School

Rose Blossom Nursery School offers a preschool and Kindergarten program for children two and a half years through entry to the First grade. At Rose Blossom, the maximum enrollment is twenty children daily. The ages are mixed and our learning groups are kept small. We offer full and p...[Full Record in CID]

6401 Freedom Boulevard
Aptos,  CA  95003
831-662-8458
http://www.roseblossom.org/

Santa Cruz County Centralized Eligibility List (CEL)

Santa Cruz County CEL is here to support families in need of subsidized child development services countywide. A change in State funding means that now a CEL is no longer mandatory in each county and that contractors may now keep their own waiting lists. Our local Santa Cruz County Centra...[Full Record in CID]

9047 Soquel Drive, Ste. D
Aptos,  CA  95003
831-688-2152

Santa Cruz County Parents Association, Voucher Project

The SCCPA is a private nonprofit organization incorporated in 1976 to assist in addressing the needs of parents and children in Santa Cruz County. The SCCPA actively manage the Voucher Project and the Pegasus Project....[Full Record in CID]

9047 Soquel Drive Suite D
Aptos,  CA  95003
831-688-2152

Santa Cruz Toddler Care Center

The Toddler Care Center was established as a non-profit in 1976 by two working women who were concerned about the lack of quality care for very young children. The first of its kind in the Western States, the Toddler Care Center bases its philosophy and methods on the model of the Resource...[Full Record in CID]

1738 16th Avenue
Santa Cruz,  CA  95062
831-476-4120
http://www.sctcc.org

Scotts Valley Parks and Recreation

Parks and Recreation provides a variety of public parks, recreation facilities and recreation programming for the community. The beautiful facilities include large parks with playgrounds, BBQ areas and athletic fields, smaller neighborhood parks, a 49 acre open space area with a hiking tra...[Full Record in CID]

361 Kings Village Road
Scotts Valley,  CA  95066
831-438-3251
http://www.scottsvalley.org/188/Parks-Recreation

Simcha Preschool

Conveniently located next to Cabrillo College, Simcha Preschool has a long history as one of only a few early childhood programs in Santa Cruz County, accredited by NAEYC (The National Association for the Education of young Children) continually since 1995. We offer a stimulating play bas...[Full Record in CID]

3055 Porter Gulch Road
Aptos,  CA  95003
831-479-3449
https://www.tbeaptos.org/simcha-preschool.html

The Secret Garden Preschool

Offers a child-centered program involving children's literature as a focal point. Philosophy of the program celebrates childhood and concentrates on the whole child. Children are provided with experiences which serve to peak their curiosity and sense of wonder. Pre-kindergarten program off...[Full Record in CID]

26 Florido Ave.
La Selva Beach,  CA  95076
831-688-7790
http://www.thesecretgardenpreschool.org

Toadal Fitness 4 Kids

Toadal Fitness-4- Kids offers the most extensive and unique family fitness program in all of Santa Cruz County. Our program is here to help children and parents understand the importance of living a healthy and physically active lifestyle all while having a great time. From 3 months to 14 ...[Full Record in CID]

1200 17th Ave.
Santa Cruz,  CA  95062
831-464-3764
http://www.toadalfitness.com

Walnut Avenue Family & Women's Center Early Childhood Education

Our Early Education centers provide a child-centered emergent curriculum with a focus on learning through play and exploration. The curriculum encompasses activities that support the child's growth in the following domains: social, emotional, physical and intellectual. The staff of the ce...[Full Record in CID]

303 Walnut Avenue
Santa Cruz,  CA  95060
831-429-3050
http://www.wafwc.org

Watsonville Family YMCA

Since 1898, the Watsonville YMCA Family Center has offered programs to the community which deepen positive values, increase commitment to service, build stronger family bonds and create greater work/life balance. Our modern facility provides opportunities to strengthen spiritual, mental...[Full Record in CID]

27 Sudden Street
Watsonville,  CA  95076
831-728-9622
http://www.centralcoastymca.org/locations/watsonville-family/watsonville-family-ymca/

YWCA of Watsonville

Established in 1858 as a voice for women's issues, we opened the first employment bureau for women several years later. That was only the beginning of more than 150 years of active advocacy and programming for women's rights and civil rights. We continue to evolve to meet today's challe...[Full Record in CID]

340 E. Beach Street
Watsonville,  CA  95076
831-724-6078
http://www.ywcawatsonville.org

Search Full CID

This collection, housed at the Scotts Valley Branch, includes: reference and other non-fiction books, legal manuals, and DVD's. The collection addresses many Special Needs groups including: Autism, ADD, ADHD, Tourette's syndrome, Asperger's syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Down syndrome, depression, and many others. Some of the issues addressed include: legal rights for those with disabilities, obtaining appropriate educational placement, dealing with siblings of a special needs child and much more. It is the only collection of its kind in Santa Cruz County, and all materials can be requested from any branch.

For more details see the Scotts Valley Friends' website.

ASSIGNMENT ALERT

 

Let Us Help You!  And Your Students!

 

Let us know when you assign reports or projects that require library work. 

We can help your students more effectively when we know what YOU want.

 

Requested Information:

 

Teacher’s Name

Grade

School

Phone

Email

Assignment Title

Date Assigned

Date Due

Description of  Assignment

 

*Copy and paste this information into an email and send it to k12@santacruzpl.org.  Attach a copy of the assignment if possible. 

 

Thank you!

 

Educator Cards

The Santa Cruz Public Libraries offers special cards for teachers and school librarians who teach at a school or preschool in Santa Cruz County. These special "Educator Cards" will allow extended borrowing privileges and will not be subject to overdue fines. Educators can check out up to five items from the same Dewey subject and have up to 100 items out on the card, which will be due 6 weeks from checkout.

Educators who are employed by an educational institution (religious, public and private schools, preschools, licensed child-care providers, etc.) in Santa Cruz County may have Educator Card borrowing privileges.

Applicants will need to present one of the following items as confirmation of eligibility, and once per year upon renewal:

  • school ID badge
  • copy of a contract or letter confirming employment
  • pay stub
  • printout of online pay information
  • copy of current childcare license

 

If you are interested in applying for an Educator Card, contact the library by email at k12@santacrzupl.org.

 

CHILDREN IN TRAUMA BIBLIOGRAPHY

Need

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) such as poverty, parental imprisonment, encounters with violence, or a family member’s death can negatively affect a child’s long term development and health. The amount of adverse childhood experiences which occur in the United States should be understood to be significant and traumatically impacts the well-being of our nation’s children. According to Bethell, Simpson, and Solloway (2017) 48% of children in a 2011-12 National Survey of Children’s Health experienced at least one traumatic event during their life.

Purpose

This project aims to provide a bibliography resource for teachers, parents, counselors, and others interacting with children that had ACEs. As statistics indicate, there is a need for assistance in the area of resources to help children cope with the impact of tragedy. Books are one means of having children feel connected to others, and experience another individual’s process of coping with a traumatic event. Reading can connect children emotional with characters which is the primary goal of this grant, though reading will also provide children with other additional affective benefits of readings such as active civic engagement, healthier lifestyle, examples of empathy.

See the bibliography and find out more

 

 

Educators

To support educators, the Santa Cruz Public Libraries’ K-12 Outreach librarians can help you find materials and resources for your classroom.

If you are interested, please contact us to provide us with details on your class, including your goals and any specific resources or information you are interested in.

Some of the services we can provide are:

  • A specialized bibliography from our collection of materials and e-resources
  • A list of age/grade appropriate titles that are available in class sets
  • Tech help with library resources
  • Virtual class visits
  • In person class visits (you can bring your class to us or we will come to your classroom).

To request an appointment or if you have any questions, please email k12@santacruzpl.org or contact us on our home page. 

Once submitted, you should receive a response within two business days. While we will do our best to accommodate a virtual class visit, we may not be able to fulfill your request due to a number of factors, including staff limitations and scheduling conflicts.

Self Conducted Virtual Class Visits

Library staff have created some self-guided virtual class visits. Please use these as a guide to all of our e-Resources for both yourself and your students.

Grades K-3

Grades 4 & 5

Middle School

High School

 

The following resources are free.

For Parents

Wide Open School  Find tips and resources for distance learning for parents/caregivers and teachers.

KQED At Home Learning  This response includes a new educational schedule for broadcast on KQED Plus in the Bay Area as well as free corresponding digital learning media and activities for at-home learning

Encantos  Bilingual at home learning resources to enrich your child’s home instruction

Scholastic for Families Here are some additional Scholastic resources for keeping the learning going from home. They will be adding more each day

Duolingo Learn a language for free

Sesame Street Here you’ll find tons of multi-media tools and printables in both English and Spanish designed for children from birth to six

Common Sense Media Resources for families during the coronavirus pandemic

Stay at Home with Candlewick Press Activities, discussion guides, educational materials, videos, and more!


For Teachers

PBS Classroom Learning media for teachers in California

Scholastic for Teachers Teaching remotely for grades K-12: Free resources and strategies

Exploring Nature Life Science, Earth Science, and Physical Science Resources for K-12

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Free resources to support continue learning during school closures

Khan Academy offers free lessons in math, science and humanities from kindergarten through the early years of college. 

Smithsonian Learning Lab gives teachers have access to millions of digital resources from across the Smithsonian's museums, research centers, libraries, archives, and more. You will also find pre-packaged collections that contain lessons, activities, and recommended resources made by Smithsonian museum educators as well as thousands of classroom teachers like you.

Colorin Colorado A bilingual site for ELL students and parents. 


 

A listing of local child care resources from SCPL's Community Information Database

Cabrillo College Children's Center

The Cabrillo College Children's Center offers child care services on campus for children 5 month old to five years of age and in our own network of family child care homes for children zero to three years of age located in both mid and south county. The California Department of Educati...[Full Record in CID]

6500 Soquel Drive, Building 1500-B
Aptos,  CA  95003
831-479-6352
http://www.cabrillo.edu/services/childrenscenter/

Campus Kids Connection, Inc.

Campus Kids Connection, Inc. offers programs designed to provide a safe and secure environment for children before and after school. We also provide a winter, spring and summer camp. We work directly with Soquel and Santa Cruz City school districts. Our non-profit agency was founded in 197...[Full Record in CID]

820 Bay Avenue, Suite 109
Capitola,  CA  95010
831-462-9822
http://www.campuskidsconnection.com

Child Development Resource Center

The CDRC enriches the overall health and vitality of our community by sharing expertise and resources with a child's first teachers - families and the providers who care for and educate children outside the home. CDRC is one of the major sources of information regarding supply, demand and ...[Full Record in CID]

400 Encinal Street
Santa Cruz,  CA  95062
831-466-5820
http://www.cdrc4info.org

Community Bridges Child Development Division

The first five years of a child’s life are critical to their health and success. Our six centers provide nurturing and affordable early education. Child Development Division is part of the Community Bridges family of programs. Our Six Early Education Centers: Fairgrounds Child Dev...[Full Record in CID]

236 Santa Cruz Avenue
Aptos,  CA  95003
831-335-3222
http://communitybridges.org/cdd/

Hearts and Hands Christian Childcare & Preschool Centers

Hours: Monday-Friday, 6:30am-6:15pm. Working with children as individuals and helping them develop all the skills that will help them in their journey of the following developmental areas: spiritual development, family/parent education, physical development, social development. emotion...[Full Record in CID]

40 Blanca Lane
Watsonville,  CA  95076
831-724-0175
http://hhpreschool.com

Rose Blossom Nursery School

Rose Blossom Nursery School offers a preschool and Kindergarten program for children two and a half years through entry to the First grade. At Rose Blossom, the maximum enrollment is twenty children daily. The ages are mixed and our learning groups are kept small. We offer full and p...[Full Record in CID]

6401 Freedom Boulevard
Aptos,  CA  95003
831-662-8458
http://www.roseblossom.org/

Santa Cruz County Centralized Eligibility List (CEL)

Santa Cruz County CEL is here to support families in need of subsidized child development services countywide. A change in State funding means that now a CEL is no longer mandatory in each county and that contractors may now keep their own waiting lists. Our local Santa Cruz County Centra...[Full Record in CID]

9047 Soquel Drive, Ste. D
Aptos,  CA  95003
831-688-2152

Santa Cruz County Parents Association, Voucher Project

The SCCPA is a private nonprofit organization incorporated in 1976 to assist in addressing the needs of parents and children in Santa Cruz County. The SCCPA actively manage the Voucher Project and the Pegasus Project....[Full Record in CID]

9047 Soquel Drive Suite D
Aptos,  CA  95003
831-688-2152

Santa Cruz Toddler Care Center

The Toddler Care Center was established as a non-profit in 1976 by two working women who were concerned about the lack of quality care for very young children. The first of its kind in the Western States, the Toddler Care Center bases its philosophy and methods on the model of the Resource...[Full Record in CID]

1738 16th Avenue
Santa Cruz,  CA  95062
831-476-4120
http://www.sctcc.org

Scotts Valley Parks and Recreation

Parks and Recreation provides a variety of public parks, recreation facilities and recreation programming for the community. The beautiful facilities include large parks with playgrounds, BBQ areas and athletic fields, smaller neighborhood parks, a 49 acre open space area with a hiking tra...[Full Record in CID]

361 Kings Village Road
Scotts Valley,  CA  95066
831-438-3251
http://www.scottsvalley.org/188/Parks-Recreation

Simcha Preschool

Conveniently located next to Cabrillo College, Simcha Preschool has a long history as one of only a few early childhood programs in Santa Cruz County, accredited by NAEYC (The National Association for the Education of young Children) continually since 1995. We offer a stimulating play bas...[Full Record in CID]

3055 Porter Gulch Road
Aptos,  CA  95003
831-479-3449
https://www.tbeaptos.org/simcha-preschool.html

The Secret Garden Preschool

Offers a child-centered program involving children's literature as a focal point. Philosophy of the program celebrates childhood and concentrates on the whole child. Children are provided with experiences which serve to peak their curiosity and sense of wonder. Pre-kindergarten program off...[Full Record in CID]

26 Florido Ave.
La Selva Beach,  CA  95076
831-688-7790
http://www.thesecretgardenpreschool.org

Toadal Fitness 4 Kids

Toadal Fitness-4- Kids offers the most extensive and unique family fitness program in all of Santa Cruz County. Our program is here to help children and parents understand the importance of living a healthy and physically active lifestyle all while having a great time. From 3 months to 14 ...[Full Record in CID]

1200 17th Ave.
Santa Cruz,  CA  95062
831-464-3764
http://www.toadalfitness.com

Walnut Avenue Family & Women's Center Early Childhood Education

Our Early Education centers provide a child-centered emergent curriculum with a focus on learning through play and exploration. The curriculum encompasses activities that support the child's growth in the following domains: social, emotional, physical and intellectual. The staff of the ce...[Full Record in CID]

303 Walnut Avenue
Santa Cruz,  CA  95060
831-429-3050
http://www.wafwc.org

Watsonville Family YMCA

Since 1898, the Watsonville YMCA Family Center has offered programs to the community which deepen positive values, increase commitment to service, build stronger family bonds and create greater work/life balance. Our modern facility provides opportunities to strengthen spiritual, mental...[Full Record in CID]

27 Sudden Street
Watsonville,  CA  95076
831-728-9622
http://www.centralcoastymca.org/locations/watsonville-family/watsonville-family-ymca/

YWCA of Watsonville

Established in 1858 as a voice for women's issues, we opened the first employment bureau for women several years later. That was only the beginning of more than 150 years of active advocacy and programming for women's rights and civil rights. We continue to evolve to meet today's challe...[Full Record in CID]

340 E. Beach Street
Watsonville,  CA  95076
831-724-6078
http://www.ywcawatsonville.org

Search Full CID

This collection, housed at the Scotts Valley Branch, includes: reference and other non-fiction books, legal manuals, and DVD's. The collection addresses many Special Needs groups including: Autism, ADD, ADHD, Tourette's syndrome, Asperger's syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Down syndrome, depression, and many others. Some of the issues addressed include: legal rights for those with disabilities, obtaining appropriate educational placement, dealing with siblings of a special needs child and much more. It is the only collection of its kind in Santa Cruz County, and all materials can be requested from any branch.

For more details see the Scotts Valley Friends' website.

ASSIGNMENT ALERT

 

Let Us Help You!  And Your Students!

 

Let us know when you assign reports or projects that require library work. 

We can help your students more effectively when we know what YOU want.

 

Requested Information:

 

Teacher’s Name

Grade

School

Phone

Email

Assignment Title

Date Assigned

Date Due

Description of  Assignment

 

*Copy and paste this information into an email and send it to k12@santacruzpl.org.  Attach a copy of the assignment if possible. 

 

Thank you!

 

Educator Cards

The Santa Cruz Public Libraries offers special cards for teachers and school librarians who teach at a school or preschool in Santa Cruz County. These special "Educator Cards" will allow extended borrowing privileges and will not be subject to overdue fines. Educators can check out up to five items from the same Dewey subject and have up to 100 items out on the card, which will be due 6 weeks from checkout.

Educators who are employed by an educational institution (religious, public and private schools, preschools, licensed child-care providers, etc.) in Santa Cruz County may have Educator Card borrowing privileges.

Applicants will need to present one of the following items as confirmation of eligibility, and once per year upon renewal:

  • school ID badge
  • copy of a contract or letter confirming employment
  • pay stub
  • printout of online pay information
  • copy of current childcare license

 

If you are interested in applying for an Educator Card, contact the library by email at k12@santacrzupl.org.

 

CHILDREN IN TRAUMA BIBLIOGRAPHY

Need

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) such as poverty, parental imprisonment, encounters with violence, or a family member’s death can negatively affect a child’s long term development and health. The amount of adverse childhood experiences which occur in the United States should be understood to be significant and traumatically impacts the well-being of our nation’s children. According to Bethell, Simpson, and Solloway (2017) 48% of children in a 2011-12 National Survey of Children’s Health experienced at least one traumatic event during their life.

Purpose

This project aims to provide a bibliography resource for teachers, parents, counselors, and others interacting with children that had ACEs. As statistics indicate, there is a need for assistance in the area of resources to help children cope with the impact of tragedy. Books are one means of having children feel connected to others, and experience another individual’s process of coping with a traumatic event. Reading can connect children emotional with characters which is the primary goal of this grant, though reading will also provide children with other additional affective benefits of readings such as active civic engagement, healthier lifestyle, examples of empathy.

See the bibliography and find out more