(Chelsea Update would like to thank Karen Persello for the information in this story and Burrill Strong for the photos.)
Where can you meet some real community heroes, learn to code with the Scratch programming language, visit a portable planetarium, see a magic bunny, celebrate the Heroes of Olympus, and read to a Library Dog—all while earning free prizes and books?
At the Chelsea District Library’s children’s Summer Reading/Summer Learning Program, “Every Hero Has a Story.”
On June 10, “Every Hero Has a Story” will kick-off with a Superhero Party on the library lawn from noon to 2 p.m. Children will have fun doing Superhero Training activities with games, crafts, a bounce house, martial arts, and even a Superhero Conditioning Climbing Wall.
Parents will be able to register their children for Summer Reading at this event, and register themselves for the adult reading game.
The Superhero Party will be followed by a visit from the Howell Nature Center’s “Lords of the Sky: Birds of Prey.” Learn about the different types of birds of prey and see live hawks, vultures, falcons, and owls in a safe environment from 2-3 p.m. in the McKune Room.
Also, at the kickoff, the Chelsea Masons will be providing free child identification packages through their Michigan Child ID Program. The package provides parents and guardians with a completed Child ID Package containing all the information necessary to expedite law enforcement efforts to locate a missing child.
This program also helps to educate families about abduction prevention and safety. Come to KidSpot between noon and 2 p.m. to pick up your kit.
The Chelsea Lions Club will be providing free vision screening for your preschool child. Project Kidsight helps identify the presence of eye disorders including far and nearsightedness, astigmatism, and more, for children ages 9 months to 5 years old. No physical contact is made with your child and the screening is over 90-percent effective in detecting vision problems.
The Lions Club will also have free vision screening for older kids and adults. Come to the Sightmobile parked on Main Street between noon-2 p.m. for the screening.
This year the library is partnering with the Chelsea School District to make Summer Reading a part of every Chelsea elementary school student’s summer activities. Librarian Karen Persello, head of Youth and Teen Services, said that Summer Reading can make a big difference in preventing the “summer slide.”
“We sent Summer Reading registration cards and reading logs home with over 1000 students in order to raise awareness about how important it is for kids to keep reading and learning over the summer,” she said. According to a report from the National Summer Learning Association, many teachers spend time each fall re-teaching things their students forget over the summer.
“Participating in Summer Reading and the enriching programs we’ve planned can keep kids reading and engaged all summer, and keeps them from sliding back,” said Persello.
Summer slide doesn’t just affect student reading skills, so the Summer Reading/Summer Learning Program will also include a weekly Discovery Station featuring science projects, and take-home Challenge Cards that will involve family participation and problem solving. The Science Lab and Math Station will also be back for younger patrons to take part in.
This summer’s Learn to Code with Scratch, American Astronauts Planetarium Show, and the Game Design Camp connect directly with the STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) initiatives happening in schools and libraries across the country.
Jessica Schmidt, youth and teen librarian, said that this year the youth department has chosen to emphasize these concepts because, “We know kids love to explore. They’re always asking for electricity books, animal books, and we regularly help parents looking for early math skills books for their children.”
The Summer Reading Program couldn’t happen without help from the many teen volunteers who take part in the “Youth Service Group” at the library. Edith Donnell, youth and teen librarian and coordinator of the Youth Service Group, said that she loves the opportunities the teens get over the summer.
“Between running our new Discovery Center and helping us with Summer Reading events, our teen volunteers are learning leadership skills and giving back to their community in a meaningful way,” she said.
“Last year we had over 40 teen volunteers,” Donnell said.
Many thanks go to Rick Taylor of Charles Reinhart Company and the Friends of the Chelsea District Library for being major sponsors of the Summer Reading/Summer Learning Program this year.
For more information about how the Summer Reading Program works and summer events at the library, check out the library’s new Summer Reading website here or call the Youth Information desk at 734-475-8732, ext. 4.
