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Friday, June 28, 2013

Bridgewater Library Newsletter–a few late-breaking items that missed getting included in our regular blog: teen laser tag openings, model train shows, film about schools around the world.

 

Was your teen closed out of the Bridgewater Laser Tag Program? – there are spaces still available next week in Somerville, AND BRIDGEWATER TEENS ARE WELCOME TO REGISTER.

Laser Tag: Y.A. Summer Reading Kick Off Saturday July 6, 2013  1:00 PM to 2:00 PM  Exchange Field IN SOMERVILLE.
Sign up for Summer Reading and play a game or two of laser tag at Exchange Field on Green Street!   Our summer reading club gives you the chance to win all kinds of prizes, such as gift cards, books and more!

The raindate is Friday, July 12 from 1PM-2PM!  We hope to see you there!   Visit Games 2 U for more information! http://www.g2u.com/  A release form is required to participate in this program and can be downloaded here:  http://www.sclsnj.org/PDFs/SCLSrlsformchild.pdf

IMPORTANT FILM BEING SHOWN AT BRIDGEWATER LIBRARY ON MONDAY.

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ACTIVITIES AROUND THE AREA:

4H Train Show

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AND MODEL TRAINS ARE RETURNING TO MORRIS MUSEUM:

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Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Summer Book Clubs and Programs Galore for Kids, Teens, and Adults at Bridgewater Library

 

banner - Somerset County Library

A reminder for people looking for summer fun ideas…there are lots of links to area activities under events in the  “great websites for families” section of the blog.  If you are receiving this as an email, click on the headline and bring up this newsletter between the virtual bookshelves to see them!

June 17th – Dig Into Reading – Summer Reading Club registration will begin June 17th  (and continues all summer).  Come on into the library and sign up for fun and prizes!

Dig It: Sterling Mining Museum (Ages 4-8)Saturday, June 29
from 10:30 am - 11:30 am. Registration is required and begins June 14. 
Celebrate this year’s Summer Reading Theme by joining staff from the Sterling Mining Museum as they present an exciting program on the world of mining,  minerals, and their importance in our everyday lives!

Ninjago Training Camp (Grades K-5) Monday, July 1 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm  Registration required and begins June 17.
Attention Ninjago Fans!!
Prepare for your ninja skills to be tested! Get ready for an afternoon of adventurous challenges, games, and activities. Dressing up as your favorite character is encouraged. Unlock your true potential.

Hot-Diggity-Dog: Dig It! Let's Rock! (Ages 3-6) Tuesday, July 2nd   10-11am  Repeats at 11:30. Registration required. Rock your way into summer with lively music, stories and activities (and take home your very own pet rocks!)

Family Night Storytime (All Ages) No Registration Required Tuesday, July 2 at 7:00 pm.  Repeats on July 30th. Wear your pjs to our all ages nighttime storytime with Miss Gretchen.

 

  Drop-In Activity Day (All ages) Wednesday July 3, 2013 All Day.  Repeats Friday July 5th, 12th, 19th, and August 9th No registration required. Throughout the summer we'll be offering mornings and afternoons where you can drop in to play you favorite board game, put together a craft, or watch one of your favorite movies.
Check back with a librarian at the desk to see what we'll be doing this week!

Sing-along: Fourth of July! (All ages) Wednesday, July 3 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm  No registration required
Just in time for the 4th of July -- Tap your toes and tickle your funny bones with these all-American tunes!

Mariah's Puppets - The Giving Tree (All ages) Saturday, July 6. 10:00 am. Registration requiredThrough the escapades of the Selfish Litterbug Giant, students learn about the problems caused by litter. With their help during the puppet show, he is finally encouraged to stop littering and reduce, reuse and recycle. 'The Giving Tree' teaches a powerful message about the gift of nature and how we can give back and make a difference.

Play Group (ages Birth to 3 years) Monday, July 8-Aug 5th, 2013  10am.  No registration required. Come and play with toys, dance to music, and make new friends!

 

Hot-Diggity-Dog: Dig Into Adventure! (Ages 3-6) Tuesday, July 9th 10-11am  Repeats at 11:30. Registration required.
Come treasure hunting with pirate stories and crafts!

 

Snack Attack (Grades 3-4) Tuesday, July 9  4:00 - 5:00 pm. Registration is required. Join us as we talk about our favorite snacks, find out about popular snacks around the world and then we will create our own snack masterpiece. Food will be served.

Talk It Up: 'Powerless' by Matthew Cody (Grades 5-8) Tuesday, July 9th 7-8pm   Registration required.  If you love to read and talk about books, you are cordially invited to an hour of book talk and friendly company. Parents and parent substitutes are welcome to join the discussion.    This month's book:  'Powerless' by Matthew Cody
Soon after moving to Noble's Green, Pennsylvania, twelve year-old Daniel learns that his new friends have super powers that they will lose when they turn thirteen, unless he can use his brain power to protect them.

Baby Time (For ages birth - 18 months) Wednesdays July 10-July 30, 2013  Also repeats Thursday July 11th-Aug 1st., 9:30 AM to 10:00 AM. No Registration Required.    Clap your hands, stomp your feet, and let your baby feel the beat of stories, songs, and nursery rhymes.  **Due to the popularity of our early childhood programs, we appreciate your cooperation in attending only one storytime program per week.**

Dig Into the Earth (Grades 1-5) Wednesday, July 10th  3:00 pm. Registration is required and begins June 26. Why did dinosaurs go extinct?  We’ll read about the prehistoric creatures and excavate fossils from sandstone blocks.

5th & 6th Grade Volunteers Wednesday, July 10th  7-8pm. Repeats July 17th, July 24th, July 31st, and August 7th. Registration required.  ATTENTION STUDENTS ENTERING GRADES 5 AND 6:  Here is your chance to make a difference by volunteering at the library! This summer, you can help the library with special projects including preparations for our carnival in August, organizing and tidying up the Children’s Room, and much more!

Toddler Time (For Ages 18 months-36 months)  Thursdays July 11 –Aug. 1st, 2013  10:30 AM to 11:00 AM.  Second session at 11:30 am. No Registration Required. Clapping and singing and listening to books...introduce your toddler to the beginnings of storytime!  **Due to the popularity of our early childhood programs, we appreciate your cooperation in attending only one storytime program per week.**

Lego Club (Grades K-6) Thursday, July 11 4:30 pm. Registration required and begins June 27. Hey LEGO fans, here's a club just for you! Get together with other LEGO-maniacs, share ideas and tips on building, and have a great time!  Library LEGOS will be available for building, so you do not need to bring your own. Please Note: Parents are welcome to stay; however, younger siblings cannot be permitted.

Sciencetellers (Ages 5+) Monday July 15, 2013   3:30 PM to 4:15 PM. Registration is required and begins July 1.  Benjamin has a good life living on Blackwood Avenue. However, this would all change the day he was accidentally brought into the house. You see, Benjamin is a bug and now he must be rescued!
Join us as we learn about the science of matter by telling the tale of The Bugs of Blackwood. By using experiments with fire, gas, air pressure, water, chemicals, and much more, see if Benjamin’s friends can save him before all hope is squashed!

Hot-Diggity-Dog: Dig for Dinosaurs! (Ages 3-6) Tuesday July 16, 2013  10:00 AM. Repeats at 11:30 a.m. Registration required and begins July 2.  Stomp on over for some prehistoric fun!

 

Storytime for Special Needs (All ages) Tuesday July 16, 2013  4:00 PM to 4:30 PM.  Registration required and begins July 2.
Enjoy stories, songs, crafts, and movement activities specially designed for children with special needs.

Dig In the Dirt (Grades 1-5) Wednesday, July 17th  3:00 pm  Registration is required and begins July 3. What does it take to make a flower grow out of a tiny seed?  We’ll decorate flower pots and learn how to care for the seeds we plant.

Book Buddies (Ages 3-8) Thursday, July 18  from 4:00 pm- 5:00 pm. No registration required.  Repeats Thursday July 25th and Thursday August 1stCome met up with a buddy…a Book Buddy! Children can choose a book to have read to them or that they can read with one of our teen volunteers. This is a fun way to have a shared reading experience outside the family routine which helps support and encourage reading as a lifelong activity.

Kurt Gallagher (Ages 3+) Monday, July 22  4:30 pm. Registration required and begins July 8.  Join Kurt Gallagher’s “Songs for Playful Children” for an interactive music appreciation program with lots of silly songs like “Rocket to Chocolate” & “Twinkle Twinkle Broken Down Car.” The kids will have so much fun dancing, singing and giggling they won’t realize they’re actually learning about melody and rhythm. Everyone at Kurt’s show is encouraged to sing and play along – plus, they’ll get to pop lots and lots of bubbles!

Hot-Diggity-Dog: Dig In at the Beach (Ages 3-6) Tuesday July 23, 2013 10:00 AM.  Repeats at 11:30.  Registration required and begins July 9. Look what fun we can have with water and mud!

Dig In the Sand (Grades 1-5) Wednesday, July 24th  3:00 pm. Registration is required and begins July 10. What kinds of creatures live in the depths of the oceans? We’ll explore the deep seas and capture “jellyfish” in a bottle.

 

 

Rainbow Magic Party (for ages 5-10) Monday, July 29  2:00 pm - 3:00 pm. Registration required and begins July 15.   Sparkles and wings are encouraged for all fairies attending our magical afternoon filled with games, crafts and magic!

Hot-Diggity-Dog: Dig In the Garden (Ages 3-6) Tuesday, July 30th  10-11am. Repeats at 11:30 a.m.   Registration required and begins July 16. Celebrate gardens growing things big and small.

 

Dig Up the Past (Grades 1-5) Wednesday, July 31st  3:00 pm. Registration is required and begins July 17. Mummies: creepy or cool? We’ll learn the truth about Ancient Egyptian burials and make our own mummies and tombs.

There are ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS at other system libraries for children & teens…find their online calendars under the “events/programs” tab on our home page. Planning ahead for August? -- Check out our library calendar.

If you register for a program and realize that you won’t be able to come, please call (908 526-4016x126) or email us(bwljuv@sclibnj.org) as early as possible so we can make someone on the waitlist very happy. Next time that waitlisted participant might be your child!


@ Bridgewater Library for Teens:

 

Teen Summer Reading Kick-Off  Games 2 U: Laser Tag Wednesday, June 26th  Evening (exact time TBD)  Raindate July 1st. Registration required and begins June 5.  We’re starting off the summer with an exciting game of laser tag on the lawn behind the library! Players compete in teams to find and tag their opponents using high-tech lasers. Obstacles on the battlefield create opportunities to hide and ambush opponents. With a little bit of strategy, some quick wits (and even quicker reflexes) your team will emerge victorious! A release form is required to participate in this program.  We will have two half hour sessions to accommodate more teens. More details to come!

Teen Movie & a Sundae (Entering Grades 6-12): Oz: The Great and Powerful (PG)  Monday, July 8th  6:00pm - 8:30pm  Registration required. Come cool off at the library! Make your own ice cream sundae and watch a good movie! This week we'll be watching: Oz: The Great and Powerful   Runtime: 130 min (2 hours 10 minutes)Rated: PG for sequences of action and scary images, and brief mild language

 

Talk It Up: 'Powerless' by Matthew Cody (Grades 5-8) Tuesday, July 9th 7-8pm   Registration required and begins June 25. If you love to read and talk about books, you are cordially invited to an hour of book talk and friendly company. Parents and parent substitutes are welcome to join the discussion.    This month's book:  'Powerless' by Matthew Cody
Soon after moving to Noble's Green, Pennsylvania, twelveyear-old Daniel learns that his new friends have super powers that they will lose when they turn thirteen, unlesshe can use his brain power to protect them.

5th & 6th Grade Volunteers Wednesday, July 10th  7-8pm. Repeats July 17th, July 24th, July 31st, and August 7th. Registration required.  ATTENTION STUDENTS ENTERING GRADES 5 AND 6:  Here is your chance to make a difference by volunteering at the library! This summer, you can help the library with special projects including preparations for our carnival in August, organizing and tidying up the Children’s Room, and much more!

image_thumb8_thumb_thumb_thumb2_thum[1]Open Mic Cafe Night (Ages 13+) Thursday July 11th from 7-8:30pm. REGISTRATION REQUIRED TO PERFORM. Want to share your poetry, comedy, or original music? Not an artist, but would like to witness some of the most inspiring artists Somerset County has to offer? Then join us for this one of a kind experience, and help local musicians and writers have their voices heard. Depending on registration, artists will receive 10-15 minute slots to play music or recite poetry. Sign ups will be on a first-come, first-served basis. **Please help support local artists and musicians – you don’t need to be an artist to enjoy our Open Mic Night!**

Robodyssey (Entering Grades 6-12) Monday, July 15  6:00 pm - 8:30 pm.  Registration required and begins June 24. In the first half of this program, you will work in pairs to learn basic robot programming. Once you’ve got the basics down, test your knowledge by programming your robot to make it through a series of mazes that are complete with robot swallowing holes!

Teen Lock-In (Entering Grades 7-11) Friday, July 19  7:00pm - 12:00am. Registration required and begins June 28  Get locked in the library after hours! We’ll watch movies, play games (including video games and a scavenger hunt in the empty library!), eat snacks, make crafts, and much more! Wear your pajamas, if you’d like, and be prepared to experience the library like never before!  No admittance after 7:20 pm. Advance notice required if a teen must leave the program early.

Retro Game Day (All Ages) (For all ages—families welcome!)  Saturday, July 20  1:00 pm - 4:00 pm. No registration required. It’s a blast from the past! Come to our Retro Game Day and play video games from the past 30 years! Snacks will be served and we will raffle off gift cards to Game Stop!

Teen Movie & a Sundae (Entering Grades 6-12): The Perks of Being a Wallflower (PG-13) Monday, July 22nd. 6:00pm - 8:30pm. Registration required and begins July 1.
Come cool off at the library! Make your own ice cream sundae and watch a good movie! This week we'll be watching:The Perks of Being a Wallflower Runtime: 102 minutes (1 hour 42 minutes) Rated: PG-13 on appeal for mature thematic material, drug and alcohol use, sexual content including references, and a fight - all involving teens.

TAB Meeting (Grades 6-8 Tuesday July 23, 2013 5:30-6:30pm TAB Meeting (Grades 9-12)Tuesday, June 25th 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM Registration required.  Do you want to make a difference at your library? Do you have suggestions for programs, new books, movies, or video games? Then come to one of our upcoming T.A.B. meetings! Community service hours will be awarded for attendance and snacks will be served!

GAME ON! (Entering Grades 6-12) Monday, July 29  6:30 pm - 8:00 pm. Registration required and begins July 8. Release form required.  We’re combining obstacles from your favorite game shows to create the ultimate competition! Work with team members to complete challenges inspired by Minute to Win it, Silent Library, and more! PRIZES will be awarded to the winning team!
A release form is required to participate in this program and can be downloaded here:http://www.sclsnj.org/PDFs/SCLSrlsformchild.pdf.

Make It, Take it - Teen Crafts! (Entering Grades 6-12) Tuesday, July 30   2:00 pm - 3:30 pm. Registration required and begins July 9.  Join us for an afternoon of teen crafts! We’ll make terrariums, scratchboard art, duct tape projects, and more! Check our website for more information as the program date gets closer!

Want more info about upcoming programs? Check out more August teen calendar here.


Around the Community:

Paper Mill Playhouse Delivers Performance of Disney’s The Little Mermaid for Children with AUTISM this Wednesday

AutismRibbon

This is the first ‘main stage’ production designed especially for children with autism from the theater that pioneered sensory-friendly performances!

When: Wednesday, June 26, 2013, 4:00 pm  at Paper Mill Playhouse, 22 Brookside Drive, Millburn, NJ 07041.
Tickets here.

This performance, designed specifically for children on the autism spectrum or with other developmental disabilities, and planned in cooperation with Autism New Jersey and Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center at Rutgers, will be held on Wednesday, June 26, 2013, at 4:00 PM at Paper Mill Playhouse.

This is the first time Paper Mill Playhouse has expanded its Autism-Friendly performances to a main stage production. The theater environment will be altered for this performance, providing a sensory-friendly, comfortable and judgment-free space that is welcoming to all families. The performance itself will be adjusted with special attention paid to lighting and sound. Paper Mill Playhouse has long provided a Theater for Everyone model and in its 2010-2011 season the theater began offering a groundbreaking program, Sensory-Friendly, live-theater performances for children with autism and other developmental disabilities, which won the Cultural Access Network of New Jersey’s 2011 Innovator’s Award.
“I am thrilled that we are expanding our Sensory-Friendly performances to include a main stage production,” remarked Lisa Cooney, Paper Mill Playhouse’s Director of Education. “Everyone should have the opportunity to experience world-class, live theater, and Disney’s THE LITTLE MERMAID is the perfect show for all families to experience together.”
Autism-Friendly performances are supported, in part, by grants from The Merck Company Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

STATE THEATRE OFFERS PATRIOTIC MUSICAL AND FIREWORKS ON JULY 7TH

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www.morrisparks.net  Please add the address to your contact address book to ensure your spam filters do not block our E-mails.

Centennial Image Updated

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Child with Dinosaur

Camp for a Day returns to the Morris Museum! Each activity is led by our enthusiastic Education staff. Pick and choose the dates that work for your schedule.

Wednesday, July 10: Creatology and Bubbleology  Create goo, do a liquid density experiment, and enjoy a performance of Bubbleology in the Bickford Theatre.

Thursday, July 11: Dinomania  Time travel to prehistoric New Jersey, Make an imprint fossil, and then enjoy a performance of Dino Man in the Bickford Theatre.

Tuesday, July 23: Lego Challenge Participate in LEGO® build challenges, make a free form 3D sculpture, and learn how to plot out a LEGO® mosaic.  A materials list will be provided with registration.

And so many more! All camps meet from 10:00am-1:00pm and are appropriate for children entering grades 1-4. Please call 973.971.3718 or email programs@morrismuseum.org to reserve your child's space.  Reservations must be made at least one week prior to the camp date. $30  Members $40  Non-members Camp dates and descriptions >

Morris Museum | publicrelations@morrismuseum.org | http://www.morrismuseum.org 6 Normandy Heights Road Morristown, NJ

2013 CHILDREN’S SUMMER CAMP BEGINS @ HUNTERDON ART MUSEUM: REGISTER NOW

Hunterdon Art Museum

"Follow Your Art" To Our

Our summer arts camp for children ages 4 to 15 begins June 24 with week-long classes running Monday through Friday until Aug. 23. Morning sessions are from 9 am to noon; afternoon classes from 1 to 4 pm. Some camps run a full day with a supervised lunch available. Our faculty includes new and returning artists and educators, professional storytellers, book and fiber artists, and classroom and enrichment teachers. We offer more than 60 hands-on enrichment classes! Here are just a few of the highlights:

Pinhole Photography

Week 1: June 24 - 28

Ages 13 – 15 (9 AM -- noon)
Ages 10 – 12; (1 PM – 4 PM)

Explore the art and science of pinhole photography! Make your own camera from everyday household objects. Take black and white photographs and develop them on location in our own darkroom. Bring an oatmeal container or coffee can. Taught by Tricia Hurley. 

Spun By The Sun: Sculpture That Moves

Week 1: June 24 – 28 (9 AM to NOON)
Ages 10 – 12

Science, math and design collide in this fun-filled class that lets kids use mixed media and re-purposed materials to create their own kinetic sculptures. In this class, taught by Donna Lish, students will discuss artists such as Duchamp and Calder, and explore the uses of sun and wind power to ultimately build a balanced, sturdy and unique scultpure.

Intro To Film And Video

Week 3: July 8 - 12 (9 AM to 4 PM)
Ages 12 - 15

Learn the art of film and video from producer Jim Pruznick and artist Noah Klersfeld, whose work is currently on exhibition at the Museum. This course introduces students to the basic elements of film and video including lighting, framing, composition, camera movement, editing and sound. Students will view finished productions by Pruznick and Klersfeld. Through discussion, demonstration and hands-on camera work, students will learn multiple perspectives on technique, artistic considerations and creative point of view. Each student will work individually and in teams to complete at least one finished production by the end of the week.

Don't forget, we feature classes in everything from 3D animation, LEGO robotics, fiber arts, jewelry making and more. Visit our website for our online brochure with information about all our summer camp sessions. Classes are filling up*, so call 908-735-8415 or visit our website to register!

(*Please note: Our "Draw, Paint, Sculpt" class for July 1-5 is now full. Sorry for any inconvenience.)

Programs are made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, and by funds from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the Hunterdon County Cultural & Heritage Commission, New Jersey Cultural Trust and corporations, foundations, and individuals. The Hunterdon Art Museum is a wheelchair accessible space. Publications are available in large print. Patrons who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired may contact the Museum through the New Jersey  Relay Service at (TYY) 1 (800) 852-7899.

TEVYE THE MILKMAN COMES TO CHESTER THEATRE GROUP

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FIDDLER ON THE ROOF
Music by Jerry Bock
Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick
Book by Joseph Stein

WHEN: June 28-July 14; Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sunday matinees at 2 PM; two special performances on Wednesday, July 3, at 8 PM and Thursday, July 11, at 8 PM
WHERE:
Chester Theatre Group, Black River Playhouse, 54 Grove Street, Chester at the corner of Grove Street and Maple Avenue.
TICKETS: $25 with a $2 discount available for seniors aged 65 and over and students under 18.
Tickets can be reserved by calling the theater box office at 908.879.7304 or by visiting www.chestertheatregroup.org.

CTG anticipates that this will be one of its most popular shows in years, and encourages would-be ticket purchasers to make their reservations early!

The milkman cometh! Tevye, the woeful milkman of the classic musical Fiddler on the Roof, will take center stage at the Chester Theatre Group for eleven performances. For nearly half-a-century, Fiddler has touched, tickled and thrilled audiences from both the stage and the silver screen. It has earned its rightful place among our most beloved musicals with its timeless themes of family, community, heritage and love.

Set in the Russian village of Anatevka in 1905, Fiddler follows the family of the poor Jewish milkman Tevye, his wife Golde, and their five daughters. As this tightly-knit family struggles to survive and preserve their cherished traditions, the threat of ethnic persecution looms increasingly on their horizon. Many of its wonderful songs have become standards, such as “Sunrise, Sunset,” “Matchmaker, Matchmaker” and “If I Were A Rich Man.”

 

Thanks to Ruth Ross at NJARTSMAVEN.COM for some of these listings.
There are lots more things to do around our community. Look at the “Useful Websites for Families” (on the right side of this blog – click the headline if you are reading this as an email) for many more options!

Looking for events around our community? Check out the “Events” links under the “Useful links for families” list on the right side of this blog listing. (If you are getting this as an email, click on the headline title to open it as a webpage and then you’ll see all these useful links!)

Let Your Fingers Do More Walking:

Check out this fascinating article on dyslexia and many more fascinating items at Wonderopolis.org.

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And keep your kids math skills sharp all summer with a daily dose of Bedtime Math at BedtimeMath.org!

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Hear an interview with the NJ mom who founded this site at.