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Dream big this summer!
Library programs offer something for everyone |
 Registration for this year's Summer Reading Program is coming up soon (stay tuned for the exact dates), and readers big and small will want to be a part of it! Dream Big and Read is the program's theme, and the library wants everyone to do just that. We'll offer book clubs for every age group and make keeping track of what you've read easier than ever with our online lists! The Little Farm Show will perform at the June 26 kick-off event and country fair, which will also feature a Brownie Baking Contest for those who want to dream big and bake. Once the Summer Reading Program is underway, participants can look forward to a costume party, Super Hero and Pinkalicious PJ Story Time, drop-in crafts, Lego building, and much more! A four-week drawing workshop for ages 11 and up will focus on the basics of cartooning, including Anime and sketch. A five-day Lego Camp will offer two different age groups tips on how to power up their engineering skills. The Kids' Chess Club will wage a battle of wits each Friday afternoon. A Getting Ready for Kindergarten Story Time will be added to the mix, along with our usual Mommy and Me, Toddler Story Time, and Book Buddies.  All this and much more will be available for the kids, but this year there's plenty for the adults to do, too. Acclaimed authors Lynn Austin and Jennifer Probst will be part of the library's summer author series; an Adult Chess Club is in the works; and groups such as the Fiction Book Club, Quilters' Circle, and Knit/Crochet Club will be meeting throughout the summer. This year the library's also offering a scavenger hunt for adults (because why should the kids get all the prizes?)! Signups for summer reading events will take place June 13, 14, 20, and 21. As always, call the library with any questions - 895-3707. |
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Coming up at the Wallkill Public Library
 Today: Art Club meets at 4 p.m.
Tomorrow: Spruce Up the Library Day starts at 10 a.m. Contact Christi Crowley at 895-9440 if you're interested in helping us tidy the place up a bit. Planters, painters, and weeders are wanted!
The Quilters' Circle will be meeting at 10 a.m. in the Community Room of the Town Hall tomorrow, as well. Drop in if you'd like to visit or help the group - they'll be basting a vintage quilt!
Tuesday: Please note the Computer Class has been cancelled! Those interested in participating in a future class should ask at the front desk. Mommy and Me meets at 10:30 a.m., followed by Book Buddies at 11:30 a.m. Ages 5 and up can come in and Read to Millie the Tail-Waggin' Tutor at 4 p.m.
Wednesday: Toddler Story Time takes place at 10:30 a.m., Book Buddies at 1 p.m. Art Club meets at 4 p.m. The Quilters' Circle meets at 6:30 p.m.
Thursday: The Knit/Crochet Club meets at 6:30 p.m.
Ongoing:
Lego Camp registration continues. Ages 5-7 can attend Pre-Engineering with Lego from 9 a.m. to noon from July 9-July 13. Ages 7-12 are welcome on those dates to join Engineering FUNdamentals with Lego from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The camp fee is $120 for the five days. All payments go directly to Play-Well Teknologies.
Two people have won raffle tickets to Geek the Library Night with the Renegades! Tickets are still on sale for the June 30 event at Dutchess Stadium - for just $15, you get general admission to the game, a team hat, and a pass for the post-game fireworks! And remember, if the game gets rained out and you've already bought your tickets, they'll be honored at another game. Ask at the circulation desk for more information.
 Those interested in participating in an Adult Chess Club can sign up at the circulation desk. Ages 16 and up are welcome. You can also email mlcarolan@rcls.org and let Mary Lou know you'd like to take part.
Our online survey continues through May. Log on and tell us what you think! Forms are also available on the long table in the fiction room. |
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Common Core Standards up the bar
 A May 11 meeting was held at Ostrander Elementary regarding the upcoming implementation of Common Core Standards.
The common standards describe what students should learn in English and math each year from kindergarten through high school. Two years in the making and first adopted by New York back in 2010, the standards are an effort to replace the current mishmash of state policies. The wild fluctuations of state standards has become a serious issue in recent years, as certain states have lowered the academic bar to avoid being penalized under the federal No Child Left Behind law.
This time around, it was up to the states - not the federal government - to develop the standards. In 2009, the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers gathered English and math experts to formulate benchmarks for each grade.
The purpose of the standards is to provide a clear and consistent understanding of what students are expected to learn. They're more rigorous than current standards, but also relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills needed down the line for success in both college and the job market.
Ostrander principal Maureen Dart said another meeting regarding the standards may be scheduled in the future.
Because part of the Common Core Standards involves an emphasis on research, certain assignments will rely more heavily on the use of nonfiction books as resources. Wallkill Public Library is happy to support this effort by incorporating nonfiction titles into our various book clubs this summer and, as usual, supplying all our patrons with the most current nonfiction material throughout the year.
For more information on Common Core Standards, visit www.corestandards.org.
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Share your thanks with service members
 This year the library is once again participating in Operation Gratitude, a way to show our military we appreciate their sacrifices!
You and your family can show your appreciation by writing a letter or drawing a picture and bringing it into the library - we're collecting them in a box that we'll ship off to Operation Gratitude's headquarters. The letters and drawings will then be sent off with care packages to deployed troops and wounded servicemen and women.
For more information, visit www.OperationGratitude.com.
And remember you can celebrate Memorial Day here at the library - the American Legion will be offering an 11 a.m. ceremony on the library lawn the 28th, and the library will be open that day from 10 a.m. to noon to showcase the local veterans' display and continue collecting letters and artwork for the soldiers. |
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New warm weather hours for book store  Starting Monday, the Friends' Used Book Shop is expanding its hours!
The store will now be open from noon to 6 p.m. Monday and Friday, from 3-7 p.m. Thursday, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Keep yourself and the kids set up with cool reads for the hot weather - the shop has thousands of titles from which to choose! |
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Hilderbrand serves up another hot read  What would summer be without an Elin Hilderbrand book to bring out to the pool? The beach-read queen seems to release a blockbuster every summer, and this season's no different.
Summerland, due for release June 26, takes place on a warm June evening itself, when the students of Nantucket High have gathered for their traditional bonfire on the beach. But what begins as a graduation night celebration ends in tragedy after a horrible car crash leaves the driver of the car, Penny Alistair, dead, and her twin brother in a coma. The other passengers, Penny's boyfriend Jake and her friend Demeter, are physically unhurt - but the emotional damage is overwhelming, and questions linger about what happened before Penny took the wheel.
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Your dream vacation may be a click away!
 HomeAway.com makes finding and booking accommodations around the country (or the world, if that's how you roll) a breeze!
The vacation rental marketplace connects property managers with travelers interested in renting their homes. It's like having an online realtor - you choose the destination you want to visit, fill out the criteria you want your rental to meet (i.e., how many beds and baths you need, whether you want a house on the beach or in town, etc.), and pick from a generally large assortment of places that fit your description.
It's fun, free, and easy - just what vacation planning should be!
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The big deal about summer at the library  Summer is our library's time to shine! From the end of June through August, we are going to "Dream Big!" as we offer our community a variety of top-caliber professional performances, free or reasonably priced programs, workshops and events for kids, teens and adults. With the price of gas and the high cost of vacations - we want you to think of the library as a destination this summer! Make this summer a meaningful and restful one for you and your family. You don't have to travel far or shell out a lot of cash to experience wonder, magic, fantasy and creativity together. Plus, our focus is learning through fun so the kids are encouraged to read what they want for pleasure, in whatever format, and they are motivated through our offering of great incentives for achievement. Plus it's a safe place to meet up with their friends and meet new ones too! You have heard of the studies that emphasize the importance of keeping your child's reading skills up through the summer months and you know how it is connected to their success in school in the fall. So here is a break for you - "You don't have to be the heavy." Let us entertain, educate and motivate your child all summer long - get involved as a family and discover or rediscover the joy of reading, learning and exploring new worlds this summer at the Wallkill Public Library. Our summer calendar will be out next week so please stop by and pick one up or view it online via www.wallkillpubliclibrary.org. |
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