Dance and drum

Dance the Samba, and drum with RhythmJoy in the Strawberry Festival Parade.

A four-week Afro-Brazilian dance class session will meet from 7:30 to 9 p.m. starting Wednesday, June 18.

A four-week Afro-Brazilian drumming and percussion class session starts at 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 18.

Learn to play the hottest rhythms from Vashon master drummer Geoff Johns.

No experience is necessary for either class; beginners are welcome, and instruments are provided. The cost is $64 for the four-week sessions.

For more information on the drumming class, contact Geoff Johns at geoff@rhythmjoy.com or call 567-5822.

For information on the dance class, contact Carol Lutra-Johns at carol@rhythmjoy.com, or call her at 567-5822.

Both classes are at Havurat Ee Shalom at 15401 Westside Highway.

Cheesemaking

Kelsey Kozak will offer her class, “Cheesemaking: From Cow to Curd,” at 10 a.m. Sunday, June 22.

Students will hand-milk a Jersey cow and make yogurt, butter, mozzarella, cheddar and other cheeses. Each participant will take home butter and cheese samples and enjoy a dairy feast for lunch.

The class will last five to six hours.

Call Kozak at 463-1317 for more information. The class is limited to six students and is $95. This will be the last class Kozak will offer; she is attending the Culinary Institute of America in New York this fall.

Eat for health

Inflammation is a big factor in most chronic conditions including hypertension, arthritis and diabetes. Diet can effectively reduce inflammation and the problems it causes. Eating to quiet inflammation provides significant benefits that include a relatively effortless weight loss (if needed), improved sleep and reduced aches and pains.

A new class begins from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, June 22, and runs for five consecutive Sundays. Participants will learn why some foods quiet inflammation while others increase it. Advance registration at the Vashon Island Roasterie is required. The cost is $75.

Contact Kathy Abascal at 463-9211 or anemopsis@yahoo.com for more information.

Helping seniors

A one-hour free workshop to teach neighbors and customer-contact employees how to be key players in the health and wellbeing of Vashon’s elderly people will be held at the Penny Farcy Memorial Training Center from 1 to 2 p.m. Monday, June 23.

Facilitated by Senior Services Information and Assistance in Seattle, the workshop will touch on recognizing changes in an elderly person’s ability to function independently, assessing the need for intervention, referring elderly people to supportive services for basic needs such as medical care, food and transportation, confidentiality issues and the community resources available for them on Vashon Island.

The class is open to everyone, and preregistration is requested at the Vashon Senior Center on Bank Road; call 463-5173.

Build rock walls

Dig Floral & Garden will host the free class “Rock Walls” at 1 p.m. Sunday, June 29.

This class is for those who have ever fantasized about building a stone wall. Participants will explore the wide variety of uses for natural stone — from rock walls to pathways. Hands-on techniques, tips and tools will be discussed and demonstrated.

Call Dig to register at 463-5096.

Permaculture

“What is Permaculture?” will meet at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 29, at the Vashon Library and will be presented by Julianne Jaz.

Jaz will discuss the basis of permaculture, which is to design environments to become more self-sufficient and to reduce human consumption. It is a holistic approach to creating a household that supports natural ecosystems.

No registration is required. Call the library at 463-2069.

Dinosaur camp

A new dinosaur-themed summer camp is opening this summer on Vashon and will be run by “Dino Lady,” Sharia Des Jardins. Week-long sessions will run throughout July and August from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Paradise Ridge area.

The camp is interactive, with lots of hands-on exploration and fossil digs and dinosaur music, too. Each day focuses on history, science and prehistoric life.

The cost of the camp is $180 with a $20 discount for a second sibling.

For more information please visit dinolady.com. Or call 984-7525.