New Year--New Skills, New Possibilities for Kids and Families…at the Bridgewater Library, Around the Area, and Across the Net

 

Somerset County Library System’s New Year, New Skills, New You initiative has several suggestions for families:

• Read and sing with your child every day. How we can help: All 10 SCLSNJ library branches regularly offer story time and sing along programs. Click here to view the calendar.
  
• Learn a new language. How we can help: Learning a new language has never been easier. As an SCLSNJ library cardholder, you have free access to online language and culture learning software. Adults can learn over 60 different languages, including Spanish, Mandarin, and even Pirate, using Mango Languages. Kids can learn new languages with us too! – links coming soon!
  
• Keep connected. How we can help: World happenings are at your fingertips with free access to 70 magazines (including some for kids through teens) through Flipster and free onsite access to The New York Times online. Learn how to use social media in an SCLSNJ tech class - and then connect with us at facebook.com/SCLSNJ and twitter.com/SCLSNJ.
  
• Explore your family tree. How we can help: With an SCLSNJ library card, you can access Ancestry.com onsite at any SCLSNJ library branch for free. You also have free onsite and offsite access to such databases as Heritage Quest and America's Obituaries. SCLSNJ’s local history collection is here to help you find answers to your questions.
  

Going beyond the library walls, check out our MUSEUM PASSES

Looking to explore more cultural opportunities with your kids?  The library offers free Museum Passes to these Museums:

• Grounds For Sculpture
• Guggenheim Museum
• Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
• Morris Museum
• Museum of Arts and Design

 

LEGO and Model Trains at the Morris Museum:

VISIT SUPPORT EXHIBITIONS THEATRE ART CLASSES

Brick by Brick

This invitational exhibition features innovative works created by LEGO® artists, architects, and engineers who use LEGO brand building bricks to create some incredible art and architecture.  You will be amazed by awesome sculptures of famous buildings, favorite snacks, and memorable masterpieces. The exhibition also includes a large-scale working LEGO model train. Brick by Brick features work by artists Mike Doyle, Blake Foster, David Haliski, and Jonathan Lopes, among others. The Museum will host a series of hands-on programs and events for the whole family. Visit www.morrismuseum.org to learn more. 

Mega Model Trains   Train enthusiasts will marvel at the spectacular 288-square foot model that includes more than forty-five interactive accessories. 

 

Chairs of Inclusion  Ten life sized chairs have been commissioned from professional artists, each of whom has worked with the Center's member artists to create a chair as an art/sculpture object.  The chairs represent the commitment/belief that every person is entitled to a "seat at the table"- in our community and our family lives. 

Morris Museum | 6 Normandy Heights Road | Morristown | NJ | 07960

If you are a Bank of America cardholder, you can visit area museums free the first weekend of each month.  Details here.

bwlibys.blogspot.com also lists events at area museums.  Scroll down the right side  to view “Useful Links for Families” Events – museum name.

Check out our January Programs for Children & Teens at the Bridgewater Library here.

 

Talk, Sing, Read, Write, Play: How Libraries Reach Kids Before They Can Read – check out this National Public Radio story about the kind of thing we are doing in our storytime programs to help prepare your kids to read successfully in school.

Let Your Fingers do More Walking:

What Students Can Learn from Giving TEDx Talks

By Linda Flanagan

When Kate Griffith brought a huge batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies into an 8th grade class, she was doing more than sharing her culinary talents with hungry kids. An 8th grader herself, Griffith was conducting an experiment as part of the background research for her upcoming TEDx presentation. The test was simple: anyone willing and able to wait an hour would be rewarded with three cookies. “One by one, the kids left,” Griffith says, until finally only five of the original 20 kids remained to claim their prize. “My research told me that we didn’t have enough capacity to delay gratification, and we weren’t striving for it.”  Read More.

“My mind is more open to different ideas, and I have the ability to look at things in a different way than I did before.”

Happy New Year from Bridgewater Youth Services Department–Lots of January Programs Coming Up!

 

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The Bridgewater Library will be open New Year’s Eve 9-5 and closed New Year’s Day.

 

Upcoming Programs for Kids at Bridgewater Library:

Singalong "All About Me" Saturday, January 03, 2015  10:00 AM Join us for a rollicking celebration of ourselves and our possibilities! No registration is required. 

Singalong "All About Me" (Sensory Friendly)Saturday, January 03, 2015 11:00 AM   Sensory-Friendly performance for children who would do better in a smaller, slower-paced program. Please register for this program.

Our weekly storytimes resume January 5th:

Storytime (For Ages 3-6, siblings welcome) Tuesdays  10:00 a.m. Second session at 1:30pm.

  

Toddler Time (For Ages 18 months-36 months) Wednesdays, 10:00 a.m., repeats at 11:00 a.m.  Also Thursdays and Fridays at 10:30 a.m.
 

Baby Time (For ages birth - 18 months) Thursdays  9:30 a.m. No Registration Required for any of these.  Join us for stories, songs, movement and fun!  Please come to the program most age-appropriate for your child.

Tail Waggin' Tutors (Ages 4+) Tuesday, January 5th repeats Tuesday January 13th 4-5pm Registration in-person or by phone only. Children will have the opportunity to practice their reading skills by reading a story to Xena the Therapy Dog, a friendly, eight-year-old chocolate labradoodle.  Each child will have 10 minutes to read a favorite story to his or her new, canine friend.

Lego Club (For grades K - 6) Saturday January 10th. 10:00 - 11:00 am. Repeats Thursday January 22nd from 4:30-5:30 Registration is required. 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: We are sorry, but no siblings between 6 months and 5 years are allowed to join us. Parents should plan to stay in the Lego room if their child is 5 years old.

Play Group (Birth to 3 years) Monday January 12th.  10am. No registration required. Come and play with toys, dance to music, and make new friends! Repeats Monday December 29th.

Toddler Dance Party (ages 2-6) Monday January 12th, 4:30-5:15 PM  No registration required. Read, rock and roll at the library!  Toddlers, ages 2-6, and their caregivers are invited to get their groove on at the library.  Shimmy and shake to your favorite toddler tunes!

Picture Book Contest Celebration (all ages) Thursday, January 15th
6:00-7:00 PMA celebration of all the participants in the picture book contest! We will announce the winners and celebrate with refreshments. Winners and runners-up will have their work on display in the lobby throughout January. This event is open to participants' families and friends, as well as anyone who wants to stop by to congratulate the participants! No registration is required. Contest entries were due December 1st.

Nappy's Puppets (ages 2-7) Friends of the Bridgewater Library Concert Series Saturday January 17, 2015 10:30 AM-11:30 AM Ages 2-7 No registration is required. Snow Date: Saturday January 24, 2014 10:30 AM-11:30 AM
Jim Napolitano blends shadow puppetry with storytelling for a stimulating and interactive experience, including a family sing along! Napolitano, or Uncle Nappy, has worked on a variety of programs for PBS, Scholastic Home Video, and HBO Pictures.

Rocket Readers (for grades 1 – 2)  Tuesday, January 20  From 4:30 – 5:30.  Henry and Mudge and the Snowman Plan By Cynthia Rylant  Join Henry, his dog Mudge, and his father as they enter a snowman building contest at the local park. Will they be able to build a snowman worthy of winning a prize? Registration required. 

Music & Movement (Ages birth-3 years) Monday January 26th 9:45 am. Repeats at 10:30. Registration required and begins January 12. Clap your hands, stomp your feet, and feel the beat of a fun, lively music class!  Led by Beth Stone of Kids' MusicRound.

Toddler Art Class (ages 2-6) Monday, January 26th 4:30-5:15 PM
Enjoy the tactile wonders of paint, glitter, glue and more! Registration is required and begins on January 12.

Mock Caldecott Committee: "You Be the Judge!" (Grades K-6)Tuesday, January 27th 4:30 PM-5:30 PM Registration is required and begins January 13th. Become a member of our 2015 Mock Caldecott Committee -- vote for which book you think should win the Caldecott Award for the most notable illustrations. When the official Caldecott Award selections are released on February 2nd, we'll see if ours won!

Upcoming Programs for Tweens & Teens at Bridgewater Library:

Tween Volunteers (Grades 4-6)  Monday, January 05, 2015 from 7:00 - 8:00 pm. Registration is required. Make a difference by volunteering at the library! Help out with special projects and earn community service hours.

Open Mic Night (For ages 13+) Thursday Night January 8th From 6:45-8:30pm. Registration is required to perform, all are welcome to attend. 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 minute slots to play music or recite poetry. Sign ups will be on a first-come, first-served basis.  *Note: As ages of audience members range from children to adults, please consider the content of your performance. You will be asked to leave should your set contain indecent speech.

Melted Crayon Art: An Expression of You Thursday, January 22, 7pm-8pm, grades 7-12. Registration is required. Make dazzling, colorful art by melting crayons. The theme is ‘all about me,’ so make sure your picture represents you!

Filmmaking: News Clips on the New Year Saturday, January 24, 12pm-4:30pm, ages 13-18. Registration is required and begins on January 2. Learn the basics of filmmaking and editing video. Ask patrons about their new year’s resolutions for the year 2015. After shooting video, we’ll compile the video clips! Community service hours will be awarded for your time helping the library. We will break midway, so bring a snack!

Tween Book Club: Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made (Grades 4-6) Monday, January 26  7:00 pm-8:00 pm. Registration is required. Come to our very first Tween Book Club! This month we’ll discuss: Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made by Stephan Pastis. Stop by the Youth Services desk beginning December 15 to pick up a copy!

Teen Advisory Board (For students in grades 7-12) Tuesday January 27th from 7:00 - 8:00 pm. Registration required. Teens, your opinion matters! Do you have suggestions for programs, new books, movies, or video games? If so, then come to one of our TAB meetings. Community service hours will be awarded for attendance and snacks will be served!

Tween Craft: Puffy Paint Friendship Bracelets (Grades 4-6)Wednesday, January 28 7:00 pm-8:00 pm. Registration is required and begins January 7. What do you get when you mix friendship bracelets and puffy paint? The coolest bracelets ever! Come make some for you and your friends! All supplies will be provided by the library.

Teen Lock-In: Summer in the Winter Friday, January 30, 7pm-10pm, grades 7-12. Registration is required and begins on January 9.  Get locked in the library after hours! We’ll watch movies, play games, eat snacks, make crafts, and much more! Wear your pajamas (if you’d like) and be prepared to experience the library like never before! PLEASE NOTE: No admittance after 7:15pm, Advance notice required if a teen must leave program early (please call us at 908-526-4016 x126).

 

AROUND THE COMMUNITY:

10 Things To Do with Kids on New Year's Eve

Throughout NJ

From traditional fireworks displays to water park celebrations, check out some picks for the best family-friendly New Year's Eve celebrations in New Jersey.

www.morrisparks.net

LET YOUR FINGERS DO MORE WALKING:

8 Things I Know for Sure about Middle School Kids | MiddleWeb  www.middleweb.com

Middle school students are a unique breed, says consultant Jennifer Gonzalez, who offers teachers new to the middle eight helpful tips for teaching adolescents.

Last Chance to Submit Your Picture Book to Our Contest at the Library & to Donate a Book to a Child plus Ponies, Legos, Music and Fun at the Bridgewater Library this Month.

 

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Have you ever wanted to make your very own book – and have it in the library? 

Enter Yours in Our Picture Book Contest!

Picture Book Contest Grades K-5 Entries due by Saturday December 6th.  

Calling all aspiring authors and illustrators! If you picked up a blank spiral-bound book from the Youth Services Department during the month of November, we are eager to see what you did with your creativity to write and illustrate your own picture book. We’ll select two winners (one from grades K-2 and one from grades 3-5) to become part of the library’s picture book collection for you and your friends to check out! All entries must be submitted to the Youth Services Desk by Saturday, December 6 to be considered. Winners and runners-up will be on display in the lobby in January. Books that are not selected will be able to be picked up in February.  (Blank books are still available if you haven’t picked up one yet.) 

 

Last Chance to Donate a Book for Books for Kids:

"This Holiday Season, Open Up a World of Possibilities..."
The Bridgewater Library will be accepting donations of new (and like new) books which will be distributed to children and teens throughout New Jersey who have limited access to books. Book donations can be placed in the container at the entrance to the Youth Services room of the Bridgewater Library.  We thank you for taking the time to help give New Jersey's children a chance to explore the world of books.

Upcoming Programs for Kids at Bridgewater Library:

Storytimes resume December 2nd and run through December 18th.

Storytime (For Ages 3-6, siblings welcome) Tuesdays  10:00 a.m. Second session at 1:30pm.  

Toddler Time (For Ages 18 months-36 months) Wednesdays, 10:00 a.m., repeats at 11:00 a.m.  Also Thursdays, 10:30 a.m.

Baby Time (For ages birth - 18 months) Thursdays  9:30 a.m. No Registration Required for any of these.  Join us for stories, songs, movement and fun!  Please come to the program most age-appropriate for your child.

Toddler Dance Party (Ages 2-6)  Saturday, December 6 at 10:30 am No registration required. Read, rock and roll at the library!  Toddlers, ages 2-6, and their caregivers are invited to get their groove on at the library.  Shimmy and shake to your favorite toddler tunes!

Jingle Bells: A Pony's Holiday Tale! (Ages 5-12)  Monday, December 8^th from 4-5pm. Registration is required and begins November 24th.  Animal lovers! Join us for a magical tale about a very special pony, Jingle Bells! Our special guest will be Miss Margie from the Lord Stirling Stable. Bring all your questions about horses and ponies and stay to create a beautiful holiday craft!

Tail Waggin' Tutors (Ages 4+) Tuesday, December 9th repeats December 11th 4-5pm Registration in-person or by phone only. Children will have the opportunity to practice their reading skills by reading a story to Xena the Therapy Dog, a friendly, eight-year-old chocolate labradoodle.  Each child will have 10 minutes to read a favorite story to his or her new, canine friend.

 

Lego Club on the Rug (for ages 5-12) Wednesday, December 10 From 4:30 - 5:30 pm. Registration required. Join us for a table free Lego experience: A smaller group, smaller space, and a whole lot of fun!

Lego Club (Ages 5-12) Saturday, December 20 From 10:00 am – 11:00 am. Registration required and begins on December 5.  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.

 
 

Play Group (Birth to 3 years) Monday December 15th.  10am. No registration required. Come and play with toys, dance to music, and make new friends! Repeats Monday December 29th.

Rocket Readers (Grades 1-2) Tuesday, December 16 From 4:30-5:30  Registration required.  The Best Chef in Second GradeBy Katharine Kenah. A famous chef is coming to visit Mr. Hopper's  second grade class, and everyone is excited about bringing in their family's favorite dish to share except Ollie, who loves to cook but cannot find a dish his whole family likes.


Advocacy: Transition from Early Intervention to Preschool Special Education  Thursday, December 18  from 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm.  Registration required. Presented by Shakira Linzey, MPH, Regional Family Support Manager Mid-Jersey CARES Regional Early Intervention Collaborative. This presentation will assist and prepare families for transitioning out of the NJEIS. The transition process is designed to help families plan for services or programs a child may receive once he or she turns three years old. This workshop will focus on children who are leaving early intervention at age three, who may be eligible for preschool special education services from their local school district.  The workshop is free and open to the public. 1 ½ professional development hours will be awarded to attendees.

Family Holiday Singalong (All ages) Monday December 22nd  10-11 a.m.  No Registration Required.  We'll celebrate the holidays with seasonal tunes create a cacophonous chorus with our musical instruments!

Check out our schedule of “make it yourself” programs here.

Programs for Tweens & Teens at the Library:

Tween Volunteers (Grades 4-6) Monday, December 1. 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm. Registration required.  TWEENS: Make a difference by volunteering at the library! We need your help with special projects including creating bookmarks for young children, organizing and tidying up the Children’s Room, and much more!

Tween Advisory Board (Grades 4-6)Tuesday, December 9  6:00 pm - 7:00 pm  Registration required.  Make the library a better place for you and your fellow Tweens! We’ll talk about the books you’re reading now, and your favorite movies and video games. You’ll even get a chance to talk about what programs you’d like at the library! Community service hours will be awarded for attendance.

Teen Advisory Board (Grades 7-12)Tuesday, December 9  7:00 pm - 8:00 pm. Registration required. TEENS: YOUR OPINION MATTERS! Do you have suggestions for programs, new books, movies, or video games? Then come to one of our TAB meetings! Community service hours will be awarded for attendance and snacks will be served!

Practice SAT - Presented by Kaplan (Students in Grades 7-12)Saturday, December 13  9:00 am - 2:00 pm. Registration required .
Are you taking the SAT this spring? 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.

Around the Community:

 

Through December 21, 2014  Fridays:  7:30pm
Saturday & Sunday:  4:00pm

Book by Stephen L. Fredericks & Perry Arthur Kroeger; Music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Adapted from the ballet created by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

The Growing Stage’s original adaptation transforms the classic holiday ballet into a fully formed theatrical production laced with the music of Tchaikovsky.  The mysterious Uncle Drosselmeir brings his niece, Clara, a very special gift, a Nutcracker.  After the family has gone to bed, Clara sneaks downstairs to see her gift.  As the clock chimes twelve, the adventure begins!  Clara and the Nutcracker, who is really a prince, journey through the Land of Sweets, battle an army of mice, sail on the Lemonade Sea, rescue the Sugar Plum Fairie and finally reclaim the Prince’s crown from the Dowager Mouse Queen and her inept son.  It’s a delicious holiday treat for the entire family! Running time: 90 minutes with a 15 minute intermission.  Purchase Tickets

   

 

Free Museum Passes to Morris Museum available at the library.

 

 

thetheaterproject.org

 

EXPERIENCE A CIVIL WAR CHRISTMAS @ HISTORIC SPEEDWELL

www.morrisparks.net

 

Let Your Fingers Do More Walking:

Reading Harry Potter Gives Clues to Brain Activity

WASHINGTON — Nov 26, 2014, By LAURAN NEERGAARD AP Medical Writer

Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter in a scene from "Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone."  Peter Mountain/Getty Images

Reading about Harry Potter's adventures learning to fly his broomstick activates some of the same regions in the brain we use to perceive real people's actions and intentions.

In a unique study, scientists who peeked into the brains of people caught up in a good book emerged with maps of what a healthy brain does as it reads.

The research reported Wednesday has implications for studying reading disorders or recovery from a stroke. The team from Carnegie Mellon University was pleasantly surprised that the experiment actually worked. Read more.