Did You Know?

Upper Noe is offering drop-in volleyball and women's futsal? See story.

Sat
9a-4:30p

New Classes for Fall
Soccer, Inside and Out
Singin' and Dancin' with the Tots
Celebrate Cinco de Noe
Chef John at K9 Scrub Club
Take a Whack at Ping Pong
Canine Corner
So Much to Drop In On
Regular Hours Resume
Volunteer Opportunities

New Classes for Fall

Skateboarding for tweens, more tot tennis and an extra boot camp class on Saturday mornings are among the new classes at Upper Noe this fall.

Registration starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday, August 3. Fall term is divided into two segments, with most classes running for both Fall I and Fall II. See our Daily Schedule for a complete list, including class descriptions and instructions on how to register.

Simply Fun is back Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m., when children ages 10 months to three years practice motor skills by climbing, singing and making crafts. (Adult participation is required.)

Indoor soccer for children as young as 30 months and up to 12 years old will happen Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Four- to five-year-olds will be able to learn tennis basics like how to hold a racket and proper stance, thanks to three 30-minute tot tennis classes that will run back-to-back Wednesdays starting at 10:30 a.m.

Older kids can now choose from beginning or intermediate martial arts (Friday and Tuesday afternoons, respectively), Shred & Butter, the department’s skateboarding class for ages 6 to 13 (Fridays at 4:30 p.m.) and theater for ages 8 to 11 (Fridays at 3:30 p.m.).

For the adults, pastry chef John Rutheford will teach Food in Jars for Fall I and Pastry Arts for Fall II. He will also continue to teach Bow Wow Baking on Saturday mornings at 10 a.m.

Finally, for those looking to shed pounds rather than gain them, a Saturday morning boot camp will now start at 9:30 a.m.

Soccer, Indoors and Out

Upper Noe has both indoor and outdoor soccer classes, thanks to programming through the Recreation and Parks Department and through a private company, SoccerTots. (Please see our Daily Schedule for the former.)

SoccerTots offers 10-week classes for children ages 18 months to six years old. The kids meet once a week and focus on improving motor development and cognitive skills while increasing self-confidence by playing soccer- and basketball-themed games.

“We tap into their imaginations,” said Brian Phelps, one of the owners. For example, children pretend they’re monkeys, going into the jungle and kicking over obstacles (cones, in real life), which develops their legs for soccer.

The five-year-old company has 10 locations across the city, including classes at Upper Noe. Though the exact times of each age group are still being determined, there will be soccer offered between 9 a.m. and noon on Thursdays and Sundays.

The same company also runs HoopsterTots, and there will be basketball classes offered between 1 and 4 p.m. on Sundays. Weekday classes cost $185 for the term, and weekend classes cost $234.

Fall registration starts August 15th, and classes fill quickly. Register online at www.sftots.com/registration. For more information, call 415-762-5123. 

Singin' and Dancin' with the Tots

Let your baby boogie woogie at our free Saturday tot concert August 17 from 10 a.m. to noon when duo Kirby Lee Hammel and Jake Alexander of Clangin’ & Bangin’ pull out the drums and piano.

To get a taste of this upbeat music influenced by pre-jazz era Chicago and New Orleans music and honky-tonk from Texas, visit the band’s website.

Celebrate Cinco de Noe

Upper Noe Rec Center will celebrate the fifth anniversary of its grand re-opening with another blow-out party Saturday, September 7, from noon to 4 p.m.

Live music, kids crafts, neighborhood nonprofits, demonstrations from rec and park staff—-it’s all free.

Local comedian Michael Capozzolla will MC a day that includes bluegrass sensation Nobody from Nashville (pictured below), singer and songwriter Lara Manzanares, and Lunarville, a trio that covers swing, country, blues and rock songs.

When they’re not tapping their toes, kids can put their fingers to work. The Recreation and Parks Department and Sparks Creativity will have tables of crafts and Bricks4Kidz will have a table featuring Lego building challenges.

Watch and learn: Rec and Park instructors will offer interactive yoga, pilates and improv acting demonstrations. There will also be an Imagination Playground—large foam blocks ready to become anything a child’s mind can create. (Pictured below.)

Events are free, but please bring cash or checks to help Friends of Noe Valley Recreation Center raise the money that supports the park. Buy a $5 raffle ticket (or 5 for $20) and try your luck at winning a signed Giants baseball and game tickets. The Warriors and local merchants like Cafe XO, Curator, Henry’s Hunan, K9 Scrub Club, More Mojo, Noe Valley Pet Co., Pomelo, and Purple Iris Healing Center will be donating other great prizes as well.

Fundraising tiles are back, too, but in a different form: $35 buys your child a tile to decorate on site, and we’ll fire it for you. The sweetly generous John Rutheford, who teaches Food in Jars and Pastry Arts, will sell apricot syrup to boost the coffers.

(Hungry park lovers will also want a few bucks for food available for purchase on site, including pizza by the slice from Twin Peaks Pizza.)

Support is more than just money, of course. Representatives of local non-profits like Upper Noe Neighbors and FUNDOG will be on hand to talk about neighborhood involvement and hear your input.

District 8 Supervisor Scott Wiener and Recreation and Park Department General Manager Phil Ginsburg will make remarks, and Marty Halloran, president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association, will take us back to his childhood days spent at Upper Noe.

Cinco de Noe is sponsored by Friends of Noe Valley Recreation Center, the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department and the Upper Noe Community Recreation Council. The San Francisco Police Officers Association and K9 Scrub Club are gold sponsors, and La Ciccia, Laurel Realty, Noe Valley Pet Company, Omnivore Books, Pomelo, Toast and Twin Peaks Pizza are silver sponsors.

Chef John at K9 Scrub Club
 
Pastry chef John Rutheford will pop up at K9 Scrub Club, 1734 Church Street, on Friday, August 1, from 6 to 7 p.m. to demonstrate how to bake healthy treats for your dog using supplements. Free instruction, free samples!

Take a Whack at Ping Pong
 
Upper Noe’s ping pong (paddle tennis) table has been fixed.

Borrow rackets and a ball at the office by leaving your keys or identification as collateral and have at it.

Canine Corner
by Friends' Chris Faust
 
Bow Wow Baking is back on Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to noon from August 31 to October 19. Don’t miss out – register now at www.sfreconline.org, course #31368.

Learn from chef John Rutherford how to bake your own delicious and healthy canine treats and meals. Also, learn about dog nutrition and supplements for your happy and healthy pooch!

Dogs cannot come to class but they will enjoy the yummy treats and dinners you will be creating and taking home for them each week.

So Much to Drop In On
 
You wanted it, you got it: Upper Noe’s gymnasium will host drop-in volleyball on Wednesdays and drop-in women’s futsal on Fridays, both from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

When space is available, Yoga, Pilates, Boot Camp, Core Balance and Stability, Bow Wow Baking, Simply Fun and Baby and Me classes are open to drop-in as well.

Fees apply. Please check at the office for more details.

Regular Hours Resume
 
Summer is nearly over, which means rec centers across the city will again be closed on Mondays. New open gym and auditorium hours start August 20. Please see our website for the latest hours.

Volunteers Needed

• Help advise the city on what classes should be offered at the Upper Noe Rec Center. Serve a term on the Upper Noe Recreation Center’s Community Recreation Council and help shape programming at the Center. A teen member is still needed! Please contact Cheryl Woltjen at 970-8061. The form is available on our website and at the center. Please either drop it off or mail it to: Cheryl Woltjen, UNRC, 295 Day Street, SF, 94131.

• Distribute our new Friends of NVRC postcard. This newsletter is distributed to nearly 1,000 “friends.” Make sure interested neighbors know about our group by helping distribute our informational postcard around the neighborhood. Please email molly (at) noevalleyreccenter.com if you know of a good shop or cafe to distribute the postcards. Or you could help put them somewhere frequented by park users.

• Lead a new event. Are you interested in organizing a new event at the Center? Maybe a game night or movie night? Please contact us at info (at) noevalleyreccenter.com.

• Garden at the Park. Help keep the park beautiful by volunteering with the Ladybug Gardeners on the second Saturday of each quarter. Upcoming dates in 2013 are September 14 and December 14. All ages welcome, no experience necessary, community service hours credited. Even an hour would be a big help! Please contact us at info (at) noevalleyreccenter.com.

Community Events

August 21
Community Recreation Council
6:30 p.m.
Recreation Center kitchen

Help shape programming and priorities at Upper Noe

September 7
Cinco de Noe
noon-4 p.m.
Recreation Center grounds

Free live music, crafts and recreation to celebrate the success of the new Upper Noe.

Outside the Center

August 22
3rd Annual Noe Valley Wine Walk
4-8 p.m.
24th Street from Diamond to Chattanooga

Buy a Tasting Wristband ($20 online or $25 on the day of the event) and stop in on 24th merchants offering wine samples, finger foods and special treats. Pick up your glass and map at one of the street's two public parking lots. For more information, visit www.sresproductions.com/noe_valley_wine_walk.html.

Thanks for your interest and support of your park! Please contact us with any questions or suggestions. Let us know about any community events you are planning at the park so we can promote them. Please forward this newsletter to your friends and neighbors who use the Noe Valley Recreation Center. We want this newsletter to help build the park community — please help us connect with members of the community.

Enjoy your Park!

Molly Sterkel (molly@noevalleyreccenter.com)
Friends of the Noe Valley Recreation Center
www.NoeValleyRecCenter.com