The annual meeting of the Spruce Hill Community Association will take place Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 7:30 p.m. at the Spruce Hill Christian School (42nd and Baltimore Ave.). All are welcome.

Dr. Lisa Bell-Chiles, the principal of Lea Elementary School, is the featured speaker. You will also hear an update from the parents group Advocates for Great Elementary Education (AGREE), which is dealing with the enrollment cap issue at Penn Alexander.

There also will be reports on the Association’s activities and finances for the year, and election of new officers and 10 board members (all are running unopposed). Ed Halligan will be the new president, succeeding Mark Wagenveld.

The Second Mile Center (215 S. 45th St.) has posted signs to make sure people know it’s not associated with the Second Mile charity, which has been embroiled in the scandal at Penn State.

Spiral Q Puppet Theater is coming to the Lucien E. Blackwell Regional Library Children’s Department (52nd & Sansom) on Tuesday, Nov. 15, from 4-5:30 p.m. to present a Shadow Puppet program. Children will have the opportunity to make their own shadow puppets and put on a play.

Space is limited to the first 20 children. If you have questions please call 215-685-7422.

School lunch in Philadelphia is a social justice issue for many.

This summer the School District of Philadelphia closed the kitchens at several schools, leaving just a handful of schools in the City – mostly high schools – with meals cooked onsite. The vast majority of schools serve pre-packaged lunches trucked in for out of the area. Health concerns surrounding these pre-packaged lunches coupled with the fact that 40 percent of kids are at risk for childhood obesity have sparked concern among parents, teachers and activists.

Those folks and others will gather at the Henry C. Lea School (4700 Locust St.) on Tuesday, Nov. 15 from 6 – 7:30 p.m. to discuss where school food comes from and how to make it healthier. Interested community members are welcome to join the discussion.

Speakers will include:

For more information about the event please contact: Bryan Fenstermaker at 215-895-4020 or by email: bfenstermaker[at]theenterprisecentercdc.org.

On Saturday, Nov. 12, neighbors and friends are welcome to join the Friends of Clark Park, students of the HMS School and the Boy Scouts in honoring those who have served in the Armed Forces. Veterans Day Commemoration will begin at 11:00 a.m. near the Gettysburg Stone in Clark Park (44th and Baltimore Ave.). Everyone is welcome.

If you are a veteran, you will be recognized and honored too. Please call 215-222-2255 and leave your name and phone number.

The Rotunda (4014 Walnut Street) is hosting a few awesome, free events for all ages this weekend.

On Saturday, Nov. 12, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. young children and their parents/guardians are invited to celebrate the joy of reading at the Family Book Festival. Organized by the Parent Infant Center, the festival will feature arts and crafts for ages 7-under, read-aloud stories by WXPN’s Kathy O’Connell (host of Kids’ Corner), a concert by award-winning musical group The Cat’s Pajamas, and presentation by author/illustrator Brian Biggs who will introduce “Everything Goes: On Land,” the first in a series of books for youngsters who love trains, trucks and anything on wheels.

Kids will also have an opportunity to learn how to make a book and there also will be a book swap table. You can bring a slightly used children’s book to take home some new stories to share with your family.

On Sunday, starting at 12 p.m., the Philly Zine Fest 2011 will open its doors. This festival showcases local artists and small press publishers. This is a good chance to connect with local writers and get involved with creating new forms of accessible media. For the full line-up of the participating artists go here.

Finally, also on Sunday at 8:30 p.m. don’t miss an evening with Alash, a Tuvan throat-singing and traditional Tuvan music ensemble. Tuva is a small republic in southern Siberia and the ancient art of throat singing (khoomei) developed among the nomadic herdsmen of this region. Singing in this style gives the impression of wind swirling among rocks.