BWL Book sale and a Slew of Educational Community Events for Parents & Children

@ the Library:


PLEASE NOTE: On Friday February 11th and Monday February 21st, Bridgewater Library will be open 9-5.  The other libraries in the system will be CLOSED those days.


Teen Advisory Board Meeting (For students in grades 6 - 12) Registration Required   Tuesday February 8, 2011  6:30 PM to 7:30 PM.  Do you want to make a difference in your library?  Do you have suggestions for programs, books and movies? Come to our T.A.B. meeting and share your thoughts!Community service hours will be awarded for your attendance.


Evening Storytime (For families with children 3 and up) Tuesday February 8, 2011 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM. "Soup's On!"  Join us for fun family drop-in storytime with stories, puppets, songs and more! No Registration Required



Friends of the Library Book sale  February 9 - 13, 2011
Book sale prices are as follows:
Adult hardcover books $ 2.00/ea.
Children’s hardcover books $ 0.50/ea.
All other softcovers $ 0.50/ea.
Pocket Size softcovers $ 0.25/ea.
CD audio books, music CDs and DVDs $ 1.00/ea.
Videos and Cassettes $ 0.25/ea.
LPs $ 0.10/ea.
The Friends of the Library accept only cash for purchases and payment of entry fees.  Book sales are held at the Bridgewater Library, 1 Vogt Drive, Bridgewater, NJ. 
HOURS: Wed. Feb. 9, 4-8:30 p.m. –$20 Pre-Admission.                                   Thurs. 9:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m., Fri. & Sat: 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.                        Sun. BAG SALE: 1:30-4:30 p.m.
Representatives of non-profits & educational institutions may come to take leftovers starting at 3:30 on Sunday.


Family Story Time continues on Tuesdays at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. (NOT at 1 p.m. – there is an error in our printed calendar) through February 22nd, Toddler Time is on Wednesdays at 10 & 11 a.m. and Thursday at 10:30 a.m. and Baby Lap Sit is on Thursdays at 9:30 through February 17th.  For full details on this and other programs, see the Bridgewater Library Online Calendar.
A reminder: the full month’s library events were listed in last week’s blog “Hopping into February.”



Around the Community: Some Special Events for Parents


“RACE TO NOWHERE”-7:00pm–For middle & high school students and parents.  Ridge High School Performing Arts Center, Basking Ridge, NJ
Basking Ridge PTO is sponsoring the film “Race to Nowhere” --  made by a concerned mother turned filmmaker about the high-stakes, high-pressure culture in our schools and our children’s lives, creating unhealthy, disengaged, unprepared and stressed-out youth. For more information or to order tickets, click here


“CHALLENGING CHILD?-CHALLENGING NO MORE!” a workshop for Parents (and educators, clinicians, case managers, everyone!)
Collaborative Problem Solving – Sponsored by the Somerset County Office of Youth Services. 7:00pm Thursday February 17, 2011    Somerset County Vo-Tech  D Bldg, Performing Arts Center Bridgewater, NJ
This presentation will show why traditional methods of intervention don’t work for so many challenging kids and what does work - from the perspective of a parent who’s been there.
“Collaborative Problem Solving” is a model designed by highly-regarded authority, Ross Greene, PhD, Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and  author of “The Explosive Child” and “Lost at School”.   This  revolutionary and innovative model is  compassionate, effective, respectful and is gaining widespread, international attention!
featured speaker:  Alicia Stevenson Certified CPS mentor, NAMI Basics National Trainer NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness)  Alicia is the proud parent of a child with early-onset mental illness and learning disabilities.

“KIDS IN THE SYNDROME MIX”
Do you feel your child’s behavior is more extreme than others? Sponsored by the Somerset County Office of Youth Services and ARC of Somerset County. 7:00-8:30pm. Registration Required.
 
 





Around the Community: Things to Do with Kids


THE CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY ART –in Bedminster offers  Winter Classes for children, teens & adults.
 
 
 
 




  Below are some local community events courtesy of

Hillsborough Branchburg Somerville.  Check out their calendar for more events – you can sign up for weekly updates.  Macaroni Kid also has a Warren version. Between them, they cover our area pretty well.  Both are listed on the “useful websites for families” section of our blog.

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Family Fun Day on February 21st at the State Theatre

February 21st is Family Day at the State Theatre. Families can spend the holiday enjoying dozens of performances, workshops, and hands-on activities—many of them free—plus costumed characters, the Philadelphia Zoo’s Zoo on Wheels, face painting, balloon animals, a live deejay, food, and more.
The main stage event at the State Theatre for Family Day is The Very Hungry Caterpillar and other Eric Carle Favorites, a delightful black-light puppetry performance by Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia.  Performances are at 10:30am, 1:00pm and 3:30pm.


Programs at the Environmental Education Center (complete schedule available through the“useful websites for families” section of this blog) at 190 Lord Stirling Rd, Basking Ridge, NJ • 908 766-2489
Snowy Day (Ages 4-6)
Come to the Environmental Education Center for a snow day! Through the course of this program you will learn how animals use the snow to their advantage while hiking, make animals in the snow, and create some neat snowy crafts! Note: even if it is not a snowy day, the program will still take place.  $9 per person  Course Code: 51640  EEC-1  Thursday, February 10  4:00pm-5:30pm
Captivating Critters! (Ages 7-9)
Come and see some truly cool critters and learn what helps them to survive in nature. Our guest list includes magnificent millipedes, Rosie the red rump tarantula, a gorgeous gecko named Gil, hissing cockroaches from Madagascar, and a special surprise guest. Join a Naturalist to learn what makes each animal special and important. $9 per person Course Code: 51009 EEC-9 Thursday, February 10  4:00pm-5:30pm
Sleeping Trees (Ages 4-6)
There are no leaves on our trees! Are the trees dead? Are they asleep? Trees may appear to be dull and boring this time of year, but there is a lot going on inside the tree! Find out what dormancy means and get to know your winter trees!  $9 per person  Course Code: 51638  EEC-1  Tuesday, February 15 4:00pm-5:30pm 
Backyard Birding for Beginners  (Ages 7-9)
Ever wonder about the birds in your backyard? Join a Naturalist and spend some time learning the basics of backyard bird watching. You will learn how to find birds with binoculars, basic identification skills, what to feed backyard birds, and where to place their feeders in your yard. $9 per person Course Code: 51573 EEC-4  Tuesday, February 15  4:00pm-5:30pm

 

The Velveteen Rabbit - Friday, February 18 through Sunday, March 6 -

Families will enjoy this rendition of the classic tale of a child's love for a toy and how it cannot be broken.  Friday evening performances begin at 8pm.  Saturday and Sunday performances at 2pm.

Where: Somerset Valley Players, 689 Amwell Road, Hillsborough  Cost: $12/ticket

Saturday, February 19 through Saturday, March 12 - Cabin Fever Kids

Cabin Fever Kids is a 4 week program that meets on Saturdays in Duke Island Park.  Kids will explore arts and nature. Ages 6-12  Visit http://www.somersetcountyparks.org/ to download application form. Cost: $45 for the 4 week series or $15 for individual sessions.
 
Let Your Fingers Do More Walking – courtesy of Macaroni Kid:

Go Red for Women in February! Heart Disease Awareness Month

Did you know...
That heart disease is still the No. 1 killer of women, taking the life of 1 in 3 women each year?
Did you know…
That heart disease claims the lives of over 433,000 American women each year?
The American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women^® works every day to fund research and fight this killer so that more women can be saved. If you would like more information on how you can become more heart healthy, or to find out how you can make a donation to this cause, please visit GoRedforWomen.org.

Black History Month

Black History Month celebrates contributions made by African Americans. It was started by a man named Dr. Carter G. Woodson in 1926.  Then, it was called Negro History Week and was celebrated the second week of February.  It is now celebrated for the entire month of February in the United States and Canada, and the month of October in the United Kingdom.
Black history month is the ideal time to recall and reflect upon the contributions and sacrifices that African Americans have made to our society.
Check out our online book lists African-American Historical Fiction Picture Books and Chapter Books and our Black History Month display in the bookshelves behind the Youth Services Reference Desk.  Many children don’t realize that equal rights for Black Americans were only achieved (relatively) recently when their parents (or grandparents) were children and get confused between the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement.  Stories are a great way to help kids understand and develop empathy.  Not at the library? -- Here are some links recommended by Macaroni Kid that you can also share with your children!
Nick Jr.
TIME for kids
Fact Monster

Finally, an interesting story from National Public Radio suggesting  we may be keeping our girls TOO clean!  Why Keeping Little Girls Squeaky clean could make them sick.