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Sunday, August 25, 2013

End of Summer Edition–Come by the Bridgewater Library to Record Your Minutes and Get in your Entries for Prizes! Teens, Don’t Forget our End of Summer Party!!!

banner - Somerset County Library

Dig Into Reading – Don’t forget to enter your minutes in the Summer Reading Club.  It is not too late to come on into the library and sign up for fun and prizes!  (And don’t forget to record your minutes!!)  We have clubs for preschoolers, teens, and adults as well.

A reminder for people looking for end of the summer fun ideasthere is still time to visit a museum this summer for FREE using library museum passes.  Check out the details HERE.  There are also 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!

@ Bridgewater Library for Children

End of Summer Programs:

School Bus by schoolfreeware - Mini School BusSing-along: Back to School (All ages) Monday, August 26 10:00 am
No registration required. 
Say 'sayonara' to summer and get ready for the bright yellow bus with these super school-time songs!

Family Night Storytime (All Ages) Tuesday, August 27 at 7:00 pm. No registration required.  Wear your pjs to our all ages nighttime storytime with Miss Gretchen.

 

Library will be Closed on Monday Sept. 2nd in honor of Labor Day.

Back to School Programs:

Music and Movement (Birth to 3 Years) Monday September 9 –10:00 AM to 10:30 AM  Story Well No registration required.
Clap your hands, stomp your feet, and feel the beat of a fun, lively music class! Led by Beth Stone of Kids’ MusicRound.

Storytime (For Ages 2-6) No Registration Required.  Tuesdays September 10 - October 15th,  10:30 a.m. Second session at 1:30pm. Story Well.  Join us for stories and songs for the whole family! 

Toddler Time (For Ages 18 months-36 months) No Registration Required.  Wednesdays September 11-October 16th, 10:00 a.m., repeats at 11:00 a.m.  Also Thursdays September 12-October 17th 10:30 a.m.  Story Well.   Clapping and singing and listening to books...introduce your toddler to the beginnings of storytime!

Baby Time (For ages birth - 18 months) No Registration Required.

Thursdays September 12th – October 17th, 9:30 a.m. Story Well.  An interactive lap-sit program of songs, rhymes and a story designed to introduce your baby to language and promote early literacy.

**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 September 12, 2013 4:30 - 5:30 p.m.  Meeting Room. Registration required and begins August 29. 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.

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Storytime Yoga (Ages 2-6) Friday, September 13
from 10:00  - 10:30 am  Registration begins August 30.
Animal characters come to life as stories are read and acted out with yoga poses. Through the use of songs, puppets, and fun, animated poses, children will learn what it’s like to hop like a frog, slither like a snake and roar like a lion!  Please note: If you have not participated in this program before, you must print out and sign a copy of our Program Release form, located here:http://www.sclsnj.org/PDFs/SCLSrlsformchild.pdf.

 

Play Group (ages Birth to 3 years) Monday September 16, 2013  10:00 AM to 10:30.  No registration required. Come and play with toys, dance to music, and make new friends! Repeats Sept. 23rd & 3oth.

Rocket Readers: ''Dixie Loves School Pet Day' (Grades 1-2)  Monday September 16, 2013, 4:30  to 5:30 PM. Registration required and begins August 20. An exciting program for brand new readers!  At each program we will discuss a book, play some games, or create a story related craft.  This month's book: 'Dixie Loves School Pet Day' by Grace Gilman
When Dixie gets to join Emma at school for Pet Day, she can
hardly stop wagging her tail with excitement! Emma's classmates have all kinds of pets--hamsters, birds, goldfish--even lizards! Dixie tries her best to sit still, but with all the new friends to make, she may not be able to stay calm for long.

Tail Waggin' Tutors: Children Reading to Dogs (For Children of All Ages)  Thursday, September 19th, 4-5pm.  Phone or In-Person Registration Only. Repeats Thursday, Sept. 26th.  Did you know that dogs like listening to stories as much as kids do?  Come to the Bridgewater Library for Tail Waggin’ Tutors, our new program where children will have the opportunity to practice their reading skills by reading a story to Xena the Therapy Dog, a friendly, six-year-old chocolate labradoodle. Each child will have 10 minutes to read a favorite story to his or her new, canine friend.  Sign-ups will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Kickoff to Hispanic Heritage Month with Jesse Rivera (All Ages) Friday, September 20th,   10am-3pm. No registration required.
Join us for a unique Hispanic Heritage Celebration with live music from award-winning musician Jesse Rivera as he plays captivating songs from different Latin countries on his Spanish Nylon guitar.  Audience participation is encouraged!

Family Movie Under the Stars: 'Coraline' (All ages) Friday September 20, 2013,  7:00 (or sunset) to 9:00 PM (For all ages – families welcome!)  Registration required and begins September 6. Bring the whole family to the Bridgewater Library for our very first outdoor movie under the stars!  The movie will be taking place on the library lawn, so please bring your own blankets, chairs, and snacks! In case of inclement weather, we will show the movie indoors. Coraline  Rated: PG for thematic elements, scary images, some language and  suggestive humor. Run time: 100 minutes (1 hour, 40 minutes).  Coraline is a curious young girl who unlocks a mysterious door in her family's new home and enters into an adventure in a parallel reality. On the surface, this 'Other World' eerily mimics her own life - though it is much more fantastical. While encountering different versions of her own life ultimately, Coraline must rely on her resourcefulness, determination and bravery to get back home.

(or sunset)

Circus Place: Let's Join the Circus (Grades 2+) Saturday, September 21  from 11:00 am - 12:00 pm  Registration required and begins September 6.  Join us as The Circus Place brings its unique circus training program to the library.  Sit back in amazement as you watch a talented troupe perform some of the most exciting circus skills you've ever seen.  Then, pull the curtains back and learn how to juggle, balance on a tight rope, pin plates, and much, much more. You will walk out ready to perform your very own circus for your friends and families!

Snack Attack (Grades 3-4) Monday, September 23  at 4:00 pm. Registration required and begins September 9. Do you have the best taste in books, movies, video games, and music? Then you need to be part of our Club! We’ll make an awesome display of our reviews that will help other kids know what to check out of the library. And of course, there will be snacks to munch on! Come prepared to tell us about at least one of your favorite books.

Advocacy: Transition from Early Intervention to Preschool Special Education Thursday, September 26,  7:00 pm - 8:30 pm. Registration is required.  Presented by Shakira Linzey, MPH, Regional Manager of Family Support  (Mid-Jersey CARES Regional Early Intervention Collaborative) A program of Central NJ Maternal & Child Health Consortium Understanding the joint responsibilities of Early Intervention, families and school district personnel,  and child study teams when transitioning out of NJ’s Early Intervention System will be the focus of this presentation.  The program is free and open to the public.

Dream Something Big: The Story of the Watts Towers (Grades K-5)Monday, September 30, 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm. Registration required and begins September 16. Can you imagine working on a art project for 34 years?  A man named Simon Rodia did just that, using cement, broken tiles, shells, and other found items to build towering spires, some almost a hundred feet tall, decorated with mosaic designs.  Come to the library and hear his story then create your own mosaic towers from pipe cleaners, magazine clippings, and found objects.  Have small objects you’d like to include in your tower, bring them along!

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 October? -- 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 Tweens and Teens:

Open Mic Night: Goodbye to Summer (Ages 13+) Wednesday, August 28th  6:45-8:45pm Registration is now open.

Another summer comes to a close, as does another successful season of our ever-popular Open Mic Night.  Join us on Wednesday, August 28th for a special end of summer edition of Open Mic Night, and have your voice heard!

Teen End of Summer Party (Grades 6-12)  Monday, September 9, 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm. Registration required. Come celebrate the end of summer! Ice cream sundaes will be served and our teen volunteers will be honored for all their hard work over the summer. We’ll also be raffling off special prizes!

5th & 6th Grade Volunteers Tuesday September 10, 2013  7:00 PM to 8:00 PM  Story Well  Registration required.  ATTENTION STUDENTS IN GRADES 5 AND 6: Here is your chance to make a difference by volunteering at the library! You can help the library with special projects cluding creating bookmarks for young children, organizing and tidying up the Children’s Room, and much more!

Open Mic Cafe Night (Ages 13+) Thursday September 12, 2013  6:45 PM to 8:30 PM.   Registration required and begins August 29.  Think you’ve got what it takes to get up on stage in front of your peers with nothing but your voice and guitar?  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!**

Everything You Need to Know NOW About the College Application Process (For students in grades 9 - 12 and parents/guardians)  Thursday, September 12,  from 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm.  Registration required for both students and parents. This informative session presented by Susan Alaimo will cover how to choose your colleges, strategies to best increase your chances for acceptance, PSAT/SAT preparation, scholarships and financial aid, and an open-ended question and answer session.
Susan Alaimo is the founder and director of S.A.T. SMART and a college counselor and S.A.T. teacher at a private high school in Princeton, NJ.  She has a masters degree from Columbia University, a bachelors degree from Fordham University, and is a member of the New Jersey Association for College Admission Counseling. For more information, please go to satsmartonline.com.

Make It, Take It - Awesome Locker Accessories (Grades 6-12) Monday, September 16, 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm. Registration required. Come make awesome mirrors and magnets to personalize your locker this school year! All supplies will be provided—just show up with your imagination and creativity!

Keys to Unlocking Financial Aid (Grades 9-12) Monday, September 23, 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm. Registration required for both students and parents and begins September 3.  College is one of the largest investments a family makes.  In the “Keys to Unlocking Financial Aid,” families of high school students will learn the basics of need-based and merit-based financial aid, as well as valuable tips on how to reduce college costs, increase funds, and get a better financial aid package.
This session will be presented by Rana Slosberg, who earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the Polytechnic Institute of NYU, a Master of Arts degree from Queens College, a Certificate in Independent Educational Consulting from the University of California Irvine Extension, and visits colleges regularly. She is a member of the Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA), the New Jersey Association of College Admissions Counselors (NJACAC), and the Somerset County Business Partnership (SCBP). For more information, please go to slosbergcollegesolutions.com.

TAB Meeting (Grades 6-8)  Tuesday September 24, 2013, 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM. TAB Meeting (Grades 9-12) 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM  Story Well. 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!   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!

Practice PSAT (Grades 7-11) Saturday, September 28, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm. Registration required and begins September 6. Taking the PSAT on October 16th or 19th? Here’s your last chance to practice before the real thing! Even if you’re not taking the real test this year, a free practice test is one of the best ways to get ready for the real thing.  By taking this practice test, you will learn exactly what to expect on test day and receive a complete individual analysis of your results (which will be mailed to you 7-10 business days following the test). Don't forget a #2 pencil and calculator. **PLEASE NOTE: No admittance after 9:15 am.

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

Around our Community:

Lots to do at the RVCC Planetarium

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Click HERE for info. and reservations.

PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE ANNOUNCES A CHILDREN’S OPEN CALL AUDITION FOR “OLIVER!”

Paper Mill Playhouse seeks boys (or girls who can play boys) who look ages 10–14 to play “Orphans” in the opening number and the role of “Oliver.”

WHEN: Saturday, September 7, beginning at 9 AM.
WHERE:
Paper Mill Playhouse, 22 Brookside Drive, Millburn

Audition signup will take place in the theater’s lobby on a first-come, first-served basis on Saturday, September 7, beginning at 9:00AM. Children and their guardian should join the line in front of the theater and enter through the front doors of the theater only. Every child should bring a picture andresume stapled together.

Children will be taught a short piece of music from the show and should wearappropriate footwear as they may be asked to dance. Callbacks will be held on the same day. Depending on the number of children auditioning, there is no guarantee everyone will be seen.

Oliver! will run from November 21 to December 29 (Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day off). Rehearsals begin Monday, October 28 in New York City.

Click here for more information.

YOUNG ACTORS INVITED TO AUDITION FOR ORIGINAL CHILDREN’S THEATER PRODUCTION

Audition NoticeThe Theater League of Clifton, in conjunction with the Clifton Arts Center, will present a children’s theater production:

Aladdin Visits the 20th Century Written and directed by Kirk Woodward

WHEN: Saturday, September 7th and Sunday, September 8th from 1-4 PM
WHERE:
Clifton Arts Center located at Clifton City Hall Complex, 900 Clifton Ave., Clifton

PERFORMANCE DATES: Saturday October 5th and Sunday October 6th at 1:00 PM & 3:30 PM

There are 6 roles with an age range of teen to adult.Excerpts from the play will be provided at the auditions.

THE SHAKESPEARE THEATRE ACADEMY FOR YOUTH & ADULTS RETURNS FOR THE FALL

Pictured: Andrew Weems and Seamus Mulcahy as the Player King and the Player Queen in the Main Stage production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, 2006. Photo credit: Gerry Goodstein

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey Sponsors

classes@ShakespeareNJ.org
ShakespeareNJ.org/Classes

Thanks to Ruth Ross, NJARTSMAVEN.COM for some of these listings.

Let Your Fingers Do More Walking….

Kindergartners' Soda Intake Linked To Aggression In Study

HealthDay News
by By Amy Norton  HealthDay Reporter Updated: Aug 16th 2013

new article illustration

FRIDAY, Aug. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Five-year-olds who drink soda every day may have more behavior problems than kids with soda-free diets, a new study of U.S. children suggests.

After looking at nearly 3,000 urban families, the researchers found that 5-year-olds' scores on a standard measure of aggression tended to climb along with their soft drink intake.

Kindergartners who downed four or more servings per day were particularly aggressive, based on mothers' reports. They were twice as likely as other kids to get into fights or destroy property, and also displayed more attention problems than children who didn't drink soda.

The findings were reported Aug. 16 in the Journal of Pediatrics.

Experts were quick to stress that none of this proves that soda, itself, is at fault.

"This is a correlation. We're not saying soda causes aggression," said lead researcher Shakira Suglia, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health in New York City.  Read MORE.

Related:

Maggie Murphy and Lynn Sherr

By MAGGIE MURPHY AND LYNN SHERR

Ben Baker(Ben Baker)

America’s most famous mom takes her fight against childhood obesity to the next level… Read MORE.

 

Don’t wait for the school year to begin…take a look at these great websites for stimulating year-round learning:

http://wonderopolis.org/

Wonderopolis

http://bedtimemath.org/

Want more great websites for kids?  Check out the American Library Association’s Great Websites For Kids: http://gws.ala.org/

Home

There are also lots more links 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!

 

And just in time for Back-to-School:

AP-NORC Poll: Often criticized by teachers, standardized tests have support from parents

By Associated Press, August 17, 2013

FILE - In this April 18, 2013, file photo, Burgess-Peterson Elementary School principal Robin Robbins, center, meets with students during an after-school study program in Atlanta, in preparation for state standardized testing, soon to begin. A new poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds parents of school-age children view standardized tests as a useful way to track student progress and school quality. Most parents say their own children are given about the right number of standardized tests, according to the AP-NORC poll. And almost three quarters say they favor changes that would make it easier for schools to fire poorly performing teachers.

FILE - In this April 18, 2013, file photo, Burgess-Peterson Elementary… (David Goldman/Associated…)

WASHINGTON — Often criticized as too prescriptive and all-consuming, standardized tests have support among parents, who view them as a useful way to measure both students’ and schools’ performances, according to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll.

Most parents also say their own children are given about the right number of standardized tests, according to the AP-NORC poll. …

Then, what to do with those test results?  Read MORE.

Other articles about testing HERE.

Enjoy the rest of the summer vacation – and see you at the library!!