News From The Gilmanton Year Round Library Children’s Room
Wow! What a busy summer we had! We kicked off our Summer
Reading Program, “Dream Big, Read!” with a mesmerizing performance
by Robert Rivest, comic mime. Robert took us on a journey
through his childhood daydreams and included the children in his
act, teaching them introductory miming skills. We all (adults
included) giggled ourselves silly! Robert’s performance was made
possible by a grant from Kids, Books and the Arts whose funding is
provided by the Byrne Foundation, CHILIS, the Cogswell Benevolent
Trust, the New Hampshire Library Association and the New Hampshire
State Library as well as a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum
and Library Services.
On Tuesday evenings, families were treated to special activities
relating to that week’s theme. We made dream catchers, listened to
Native American night sky lore around the “campfire”, had a PJ story
time complete with smoothies and bedtime yoga and went on a
scavenger hunt to learn more about what the Library Barn has to
offer.
We held story time and made crafts on Wednesdays. Thank you to
everyone who so kindly donated their recyclable items and made our
craft time possible!
It was all about science experiments on Thursdays. We learned
more about the moon, nocturnal animals and what makes things glow in
the dark. The crowds favorite was definitely Marshmallow
Science Day when we experimented with different methods of melting
marshmallows, made solar s’mores and marshmallow shooters.
On Fridays, our young patrons had the opportunity to complete puzzle
pages relating to the week’s theme and answer the Question of the
Week, using library resources. We wrapped up our program with
an Out of This World Ice Cream Sundae Party. All 48
participants received a complimentary ticket generously donated by
Water Country in Portsmouth and a coupon for a free ice cream cone
generously donated by the Tilton McDonalds.
Throughout the program, children had the opportunity to earn
“shooting stars” for participation which earned them entries into a
raffle for prizes donated by New Hampshire businesses, including
Canobie Lake Park, Cranmore Mountain Adventure Park, Daytona Fun
Park and Logs of Fun Arcade, Funspot, Krazy Kids of Concord,
Storyland and the Toy Box and Kids Corner in Pittsfield. The
Gilmanton Year Round Library staff and the children who received the
prizes thank you for these kind gifts! Our young patrons also
received small glow in the dark prizes for each book they read, up
to a total of 5, this summer.
A heartfelt thank you to all those who volunteered their time and
energy to make our summer reading program possible. We truly
couldn’t have done it without you.
Well, after all that activity, Miss Pam needed a vacation, and she
took one without ever leaving the Library Barn! During the
first four weeks of August, she visited a different state each week.
On Wednesdays we held story time and made a craft and on Thursdays
we read even more stories and sampled a “taste of the state.”
Our first stop was New York where we made apple paper weights and
snacked on rainbow jello. Then we were off to Colorado for burritos
and Celestial Seasonings iced tea. The children also made ski and
ski pole ornaments to celebrate our shared beloved winter sport.
During the third week of August we traveled to Missouri, home of the
waffle cone. Yum! As Missouri’s state tree is the black walnut, we
made lake worthy walnut shell sail boats. Our last stop was the
Rainbow State - Hawaii. The children (and some adults!)
crafted colorful leis and sampled coconut pudding and fresh
pineapple.
Our young patrons had fun guessing what state we were in by the
clues gleaned from the stories we read, crafts we created and food
we sampled. Look for this program to make a reappearance next
August!
Story time resumed on September 12th, with a party to celebrate the
Gilmanton Year Round Library’s 3rd birthday. Join us
Wednesdays at 10:30 and Thursdays at 1:30 for our “Chicka Chicka
Boom Boom” Alphabet Adventure. We will showcase a different alphabet
letter each week through stories, crafts and activities.
Children are encouraged to bring in an item that begins with the
letter of the week for show and tell, starting with the letter “A”
on Wednesday, September 19th. All ages are welcome.
Other programs beginning in October include an after school story
time for kindergarten and first graders, a Magic Tree House book
club for 2nd, 3rd and 4th graders, a book club for 5th - 8th
graders, a duct tape “crafternoon” and Lego Club. Stay tuned
for more information!
We hope to see you soon at the Gilmanton Year Round Library Barn!
Gilmanton Community Pot Luck Dinner
The Lower Gilmanton Community Club and the Friends of the Kelley
Schoolhouse are hosting a Pot Luck Dinner. It will be on Saturday,
September 29th at 6:00 at the Kelley Schoolhouse on Route 129 in
Lower Gilmanton. Please bring a favorite family dish to pass.
All are welcome. Come and meet old and new friends alike.
Letter
The Gilmanton Education Association would like to thank the
residents who took the time to vote at the polls on September 11th
in support of the two year contract negotiated with the School Board
and supported by the Gilmanton Budget Committee. The GEA recognizes
the economic and political times all of us are facing and appreciate
the acknowledgement of the many hours and hard work that the
Gilmanton teachers and staff have continued to put in on behalf of
the children of our community.
Sincerely,
The Gilmanton Education Association
Welcome The Fall Season With Gilmanton’s Greatest Views
Enjoy this view from the top of Frisky Hill on Route 107 in
Gilmanton, Saturday, September 22, at a reception to support the
campaign to save Gilmanton’s Greatest Views.
Tickets are still available for the gala event on September 22. Come
to the top of Frisky Hill between 2:30 and 7 pm on Saturday
afternoon to enjoy the view, visit Doug Towle’s 17th century house,
and the beautiful grounds. Take a journey back in time at the Loon
Pond school house, moved to the Towle property and refurbished to
remind us of what a one-room school was like a century ago.
The cocktail and hors d’oeuvres reception includes a
slide show, view-gazing and guided tours by Doug Towle of his 17th
century Farley Garrison House. Tickets to the
reception are $20. A $50 ticket entitles you to a guided tour of the
17th century house led by Doug Towle or other experts. All proceeds
go to support the campaign to save Gilmanton’s Greatest Views. For
tickets, contact Barbara Morris at 603-293-8338 or
[email protected].
Make a day of it and visit the site on Meetinghouse Road where Geno
Gephardt returns to demonstrate the process of making linen from
flax. She’ll be there between 11 am and 3 pm. The demonstration is
free and you can also tour the unique flax “retting” pond and stone
structure, built for this purpose some 200 years ago. It is
the only such structure known to exist in New Hampshire.
For information about Gilmanton Land Trust, the
campaign to save Gilmanton’s Greatest Views, and the events of
September 22, check the website:
www.gilmantonlandtrust.org.
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