Front Page News
August 27, 2014
Josiah Carpenter Library News
Reading Rock Stars
The Josiah Carpenter Library nearly doubled its numbers for the 2014
Sumer Reading Program which began with a loud, literal “BANG!”
featuring Allison and Hunt Smith’s Sound Science program held at the
Pittsfield Elementary School. This program held the attention of 41
children ranging in ages from a year old up through two middle
school aged children by introducing basic musical concepts of pitch
and the three types of sound made by string, acoustic and percussion
instruments using examples of traditional instruments as well as
ones easily made at home. The Josiah Carpenter Library, the Board of
Library Trustees and the Friends of the Library would like to thank
and credit the New Hampshire Council on the Arts for supporting the
Kids Books and the Arts grant which made out first program possible
and such a success.
The library continued to carry strong programs throughout the summer
following the Fizz, Boom, Read theme. Our children’s Librarian,
Carol Grainger, entertained the children with stories, an activity
and then a creative craft. Starting out with making airplanes and
then volcanoes made with vinegar and baking soda the children
explored scientific themes such as chemistry and physics. Later we
read stories about and discussed the environment at a program held
at the Veteran’s Park, made flowers, transplanted begonias and
learned how to sort recycled materials. The children made robots
during the Technology themed week and the staff had a very
successful ending of the summer reading program talking about and
making ants and bugs!
A total of 26 reading logs were collected and each of those children
received an application for a $10.00 saving passbook at TD Bank.
Each week a basket prepared by Paula Belliveau, President of the
Friends of the Library, featuring activities related to the week’s
theme was raffled off for free. But the “ice cream” on the cake was
the much appreciated vouchers for an ice cream from Appleview
Orchard on Upper City Road in Pittsfield.
The library would like to thank Rosalie Sweat for all her volunteer
hours helping Mrs. Grainger prepare the craft activities. We would
also like to our circulation assistant, Shayla Locke for all her
assistance with preparations and with setting up and helping the
children. With collaboration of our staff, Friends and Trustees this
year’s program reached out to a total 137 children of Pittsfield,
all participants of the Library Summer Reading Program. It was a
wonderful summer and many of these children are looking forward to
attending the fall Pre-school story hour which will resume on
Thursday mornings at 10:00 am on September 11th.
The library will also begin hosting two after school programs on
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30-4:30 for children from kindergarten
through sixth grade once the children’s room is re-opened. These
programs will be limited to eight children and will require
registration. They will include a small reading group for beginning
readers, a story time, a craft and homework help. The staff at the
library is eager and looking forward to continuing to provide
quality literacy support and programming to the citizens of
Pittsfield.
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