Let’s Sing About It, a CD Release Performance by the Sunny Side Children’s Chorus
Published: 2008-09-23
On Saturday, October 11, kids ages three - eight and their grown-ups will jump into a special multimedia Family Music Time at Eugene Public Library. Jessie Marquez and the Sunny Side Children's Chorus will perform two free shows at 10:15 and 11:00 at the Downtown Library, with plenty of fun audience participation.
At noon, the developer of the Sunny Side of the Street program for parents, Laura Backen Jones, Ph.D. of IRIS Media, will lead a free professional informational session for social workers, parent mentors and educators.
The live show will feature songs, stories and images from the new DVD/CD program, Sunny Side of the Street, which helps parents teach preschoolers healthy habits and school readiness skills. With support from the National Institutes of Health, IRIS Media of Eugene created this tool to promote young childrens' self-care, social, emotional and literacy development. The package includes a DVD with five episodes, a CD of the songs from the DVD, a deck of cards covering the content, and materials for social service providers. Rooted in child development research, Sunny Side shares practical ideas with upbeat energy, creativity and engaging hands-on activities.
Sunny Side of the Street was created by an IRIS Media team led by Dr.
Jones, who specializes in designing effective intervention and prevention programs for families and schools. She has taught parenting classes for more than 15 years and worked as a middle school family consultant. Jessie Marquez contributed as a writer and musician. Local adults who are fans of Marquez' singing may be surprised to learn she also has 10 years experience developing and leading bilingual music and dance workshops in schools and libraries statewide. Completing the project team were Nell Caraway, producer and IRIS Media CEO, and Diane Cissel, graphic artist and illustrator.
The program's story line centers on the Sunny Side School, where Miss Jessie introduces ideas to her students and their families using songs, stories, pictures and games. The episodes show families creating routines that help children get ready for school, get along with others, develop early reading skills, play together and prepare for bed. Each segment presents realistic models of parents and children facing common challenges and learning new skills.
A special component of the Sunny Side program is available to professionals who work with at-risk parents, including parents with intellectual disabilities. While helpful for all families with children ages three - six, the Sunny Side program is noteworthy for its accessibility to parents with intellectual disabilities, due to its emphasis on non-literary communication such as rhythm, music, oral repetition and visuals.
For more information, contact Eugene Public Library: 682-8316.
Co-sponsored by Eugene Public Library and IRIS Media.
www.eugene-or.gov/library
Author: Laura Philips
