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CHILDREN'S DEPARTMENT NEWS

                                                                                     February 2013

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Frederick County Public Libraries

Greetings!

 

Are your cooped-up kids eager to blow off some energy and have fun? Are you eager to find thoughtful, entertaining free programs for your kids? Winter is a great time to visit your library with your children. 

 

Where else can you provide your child with a world of  opportunities? From book clubs to Valentine's Day celebrations and so much more, your child will want to spend all season with us.

In the event that this newsletter was forwarded to you by a friend and you would like to continue to receive information about library programs, services, and events, we invite you to sign up here for our email newsletter.

 

We look forward to seeing you soon!

 

Sincerely,
Darrell Batson, Director
Frederick County Public Libraries

 

In This Issue
But My Teacher Said I Can't Use the Internet!
Break a World Record
Books That Support Self Esteem
Valentine's Day Celebrations
What is STEM?
Straight to the Moon
Frosty Fun
Frederick County Spelling Bee Championship
Keep in Touch
Special
Event
Take Your Child
to the Library Day
 
Saturday, February 2,
All Day
 
C. Burr Artz Public LIbrary
Urbana Regional Library
 
For details of activities for the day, click on the branch above.
BUT MY TEACHER SAID I CAN'T USE THE INTERNET!
The library is a fantastic place for caregivers and children to spend the afternoon. However, sometimes library resources are needed at times when the library is closed! Well, breathe a sigh of relief because a quick trip to the Frederick County Public Libraries website will offer you a plethora of databases that can help you find the information you need. Using online databases provided through the library is not the same as gathering information off the internet.

 

The library pays a subscription fee to companies called database vendors and this allows our patrons to obtain online access to magazine articles, chapters from reference books, and audiovisual media that are not published on the internet. When searching a database available from fcpl.org you are not searching the internet, you are using the internet to access and search a database that the library has subscribed to so that you will have access to those materials!

 

One of the most fantastic databases available from fcpl.org is Grolier Online. This is a reference resource for students of all ages. Once you have entered the database, tabs are featured at the top that allow you to choose the grade level information you are seeking. A subject search can be narrowed by subtopics and also by desired type of reference materials: pictures, video, articles, or chapters from reference books. Not sure how to cite a source when writing your paper? Grolier Online makes citing sources a snap! At the bottom of each article is a segment labeled How to Cite This Article and three options are given: MLA (Modern Language Association) style, Chicago Manual of Style, and APA (American Psychological Association) style. Check with your teacher to verify which style you are expected to use.

 

Not sure how to access the online database? Librarians at the service desks at any of the FCPL branches are delighted to show you how to access the online databases from home!

 

Submitted by Stephanie Duncombe

Walkersville Public Library

BREAK A WORLD RECORD
C. Burr Artz Public Library
Did you know that the tallest living man is 8 feet 3 inches? Or that the world's largest pizza was baked in South Africa and weighed over 26,000 pounds? Ask children who frequent the library and you will find that many of them have been captivated time and time again by the extraordinary and occasionally bizarre records featured in the Guinness Book of World Records.

 

We are happy to announce that the 2013 edition has arrived at the library! Check it out this month to help get your child excited for our Guinness Book of World Records program next month!

 

On Thursday, February 21 at 4 pm, the C. Burr Artz Library will invite children ages 8 to 12 to learn about some of the coolest world records and the process of becoming a world record holder. Afterwards, children will be given the chance to try to beat several world records on their own! Registration is required. To register for this program, click here or call 301-600-3780.

 

Carly Reighard

C. Burr Artz Public Library
BOOKS THAT SUPPORT SELF ESTEEM
Remember singing this song when you were a kid?
"Nobody likes me, everybody hates me, 
Think I'll go eat worms."

Yes, it was a silly song we giggled about in our youth, but sadly, it may be close to reality for children who suffer from low self esteem. Can books help? Well, no book is likely to single-handedly cure a child of low self esteem, but the right book at the right time could certainly be a powerful tool in helping a child to cope with feelings of inadequacy. Below we are listing just a few of the many titles available at the library that can help children to like and appreciate the special people that they are.

 

Preschool:

I Like Myself by Karen Beaumont

My Brave Year of Firsts: Tries, Sighs, and High Fives 

by Jamie Lee Curtis

Today I Feel Silly by Jamie Lee Curtis

Crouching Tiger by Ying Chang Compestine

Clink by Kelly DiPucchio

 

Elementary:

A Smart Girl's Guide to Liking Herself--Even on Bad Days

by Laurie Zelinger

Olivia Bean Trivia Queen by Donna Gephart

May B. by Caroline Starr Rose

About Average by Andrew Clements

Big Nate: In a Class by Himself by Lincoln Peirce

 

Submitted by Lesa Zuke

Thurmont Regional Library
VALENTINE'S DAY CELEBRATIONS

Let the celebrating begin a little early! Bring the one you love, dress up, dance, sing songs, make a craft, and have a ball. Be sure to register in advance when required so we can plan on having enough supplies and food for the number attending. For a complete list of FCPL Valentine's Day programs click here.

 

Saturday, February 9

Bring the One You Love Dance (ages 3 & up, with an adult)

10:30 am - Urbana Regional Library - Registration required

 

Love Bug Ball (all ages, with an adult)

11 am - Emmitsburg Library - Registration required

 

Tuesday, February 12

Bring the One You Love Dance (all ages, with an adult)

6:30 pm - C. Burr Artz Public Library

 

Happy Valentine's Day Party (ages 2-5, with an adult)

11 am - Middletown Branch Library

 

Wednesday, February 13

Valentine's Day Celebration (ages 2-8, with an adult)

4-5 pm - Thurmont Regional Library - Registration required

 

Be My Valentine (all ages - under 8, with an adult)

6 pm - Edward F. Fry Memorial Library at Point of Rocks

 

Thursday, February 14

Valentine's Day Sweetheart Dance

6:30 pm - Brunswick Public Library
  
Thanks to Shelba Bollinger, Thurmont Regional Library for her help with this article.
WHAT IS STEM?

With so many acronyms in education, it can be easy to confuse them all. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. STEM education is a relatively new acronym for subjects that have been around for a long time. Unfortunately, however, these subjects are the ones in which U.S. students have fallen behind. It is generally believed that in order to stay competitive in the global market, the U.S. needs to improve students' skills and increase interest in these areas. STEM education is an initiative which tries to create a sense of energy and excitement around science, technology, engineering, and math. As Senator Barbara Mikulski said, "Students with STEM backgrounds are in demand today, so they can fill the jobs of tomorrow. Every student deserves a chance to excel in those fields."

 

Here are some resources with more information:

 

·         STEM and the Maryland State Department of Education

·         STEM Education Coalition

·         State-by-state STEM report cards

 

Free and exciting STEM projects will abound in the Children's Departments of certain branches of Frederick County Public Libraries this spring. We plan to offer these activities to help our young patrons understand concepts, practice new skills, and engage in authentic learning experiences in these four key disciplines. Look for the STEM-related programs at your local library or in FCPL's spring publication of BookMarks.

 

Tara Lebherz

Thurmont Regional Library
STRAIGHT TO THE MOON

Join us for this STEM program at the Thurmont Library on Monday, February 18 at 6:30 pm as we do some lunar explorations! Spend the evening sharing stories and learning facts about the moon.

 

Visit active "hands-on" lunar stations. Reproduce the phases of the moon using Oreos. Weather-permitting, we will go outside to observe our planet's only natural satellite. Registration is required. Please register here or call 301-600-7214.

 

Marlene Bordner

Thurmont Regional Library
Saturday, February 16 at 11 am
Emmitsburg Branch Library Community Room

You may shiver and shake as winter winds blow, but not everyone does. Animals living in the Arctic and Antarctic thrive in cold and icy conditions. Join us as we explore these regions of the globe and learn about the animals that live there. Participate in some icy experiments that explore global warming and the blubber factor. Learn fun facts, play games, and make a fun craft to take home. Registration required. Register here or at the Emmitsburg Branch Library.

 

The Polar Bear Never Makes His Bed 

"The Polar Bear never makes his bed;
He sleeps on a cake of ice instead.
He has no blanket, no quilt, no sheet

Except the rain and snow and sleet.

 

He drifts about on a white ice floe
While cold winds howl and blizzards blow

Where Do Polar Bears Live?

And the temperature drops to forty below.

The Polar Bear never makes his bed;

The blanket he pulls up over his head

Is lined with solf and feathery snow.

If ever he rose and turned on the light,
He would find a world of bathtub white,
And icebergs floating through the night."

 

(Poem by William Jay Smith)

 

Submitted by Cheryl Dillman

Emmitsburg Branch
2013 FREDERICK COUNTY
SPELLING BEE CHAMPIONSHIP 

On February 23 at 1:30 pm, 33 Frederick County students will compete in the Frederick County Spelling Bee Championship at Governor Thomas Johnson High School. This is the sixth year for the Bee but the first year that the winner will advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. from May 26-June 1, 2013.

 

Participants in the Frederick County Bee have been chosen to represent their elementary and middle schools at the event. These students represent 31 area public and private schools. There are also two home school students competing.

 

The Bee is free and open to the public so come out and cheer on your classmates and friends! The Frederick County Spelling Bee is sponsored by the Frederick County Public Libraries and The Frederick News-Post.

 

Caroline O'Connell

Brunswick Public Library

Spelling Bee Committee
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Thanks, See you around the library!


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