Author, Sarah Addison Allen, said “June is a time when new possibilities unfold, paving the way for personal growth and achievement”, and I completely agree. June was such a busy and fun month here at the Patrick Branch. From summer reading to art classes for the young and old, there was something here for everyone.
Cindy Howe’s Fantasy Flower painting class was a hit and students learned some important techniques on creating two toned flowers. The one-hour class was just not enough, so plans have been made for a follow up class for August, diving deeper into that aspect of painting. We are so thankful for Cindy and all she does for our library. Her talent and compassion are deeply appreciated.
Leandio’s Ice Cream Workshop was delicious! The meeting room smelled like sugar and vanilla for hours after all was said and done. We had ten attendees for this event and luckily, Leandio prepared too much and Kaye and I were able to enjoy a homemade ice cream waffle creation ourselves. Thank you for all your efforts, Leandio. You are amazing and we appreciate you.
Due to summer reading, I have suspended the Homeschool Bookworms programs and everyone understands because they are participating in our Summer Reading Programs, which has been so much fun, not only for the kids but for the staff here as well. Stay tuned for Miss Lisa’s part of the report.
Not Your Mother’s Book Club met this month and chose Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher for our next read. I have yet to read a bad T. Kingfisher book, so I am looking forward to the next meeting for sure. Also on June 11th, the Quilting Crew came back for a second time and there were several people in attendance. Sewing machines were set up and the meeting room was filled with conversation and activity. I think the Patrick County Library is a fitting place for this group.
The Retired Teachers Book Club met and had chosen a theme this month. They were queens for the day, each having their own crowns to wear. Their book discussion was on the book titled, The Queen of Sugar Hill by Reshonda Tate, which is the story about actress Hattie McDaniel. One of our beloved and regular patrons, Joanne Hill, led the meeting and showed a YouTube short with Hattie playing the character Mammy in “Gone with the Wind.” At the end of the program, Joanne donated all the crowns to the library, which will come in handy for our next castle party. I am so thankful for such thoughtful and creative patrons.
Trivia Night was a huge success. Twenty people made up five teams for the Nature and Animals themed game. Questions like, name ALL the states that have the Appalachian Trail in them, and what is the only marsupial to inhabit the United States and Canada? Team names are always part of the fun and this month was no different. Team names included Roadkill, the Critters, the Rhodos, short for rhododendrons, classic “Team #4”, and the Khaotic Kritters. Team Roadkill ended up winning drawstring bags filled with hiking appropriate gear and of course an animal book. They were super excited about their first win.
On Friday, June 26th, Terri Alt from the Virginia Cooperative Extension office, came by and taught several seniors about healthy snacking options that were both easy to create and affordable. There were peanut butter and oatmeal balls, mini mozzarella, tomato and basil “kabobs”, and yogurt parfaits for everyone in attendance. She also brought a reusable lunch bag filled with valuable health information to give to those in attendance. Thank you, Terri, for your continued support to our library. Due to scheduling conflicts, I have rescheduled Mahjong 101 for July 10th, so that will be something exciting and new here at the Patrick County Library. I apologize to those who were inconvenienced by having to reschedule.
June was a blast and I can only anticipate that July will be just as cool, even though the July summer temps could be in the three digits. Thank you to my staff who come to work each day, ready to plow through our to-do list and are so kind and compassionate to our patrons. You are all rock stars.
Patrick County Children Summer Reading with Miss Lisa
June was the start of summer reading and it’s been filled with lots of fun. In the beginning of June Preschool Storytime, we explored ocean creatures and got the jellyfish vibes. They created their own jellyfish to hang in their rooms and drew ocean creatures with sidewalk chalk outside on the sidewalks. The next week we discovered dinosaurs and created 3D pictures of dinosaurs to frame. The preschoolers then enjoyed a dinosaur carnival with lots of dinosaur games and prizes to choose from. A surprise guest showed up at the carnival that day as well. Pinkie, the Reading Dinosaur, made an appearance and was welcomed by most. Storytime for June ended at the Farmers’ Market with a camping experience. A flameless fire was created, along with a teepee and quilts were thrown around the fire for story time all about camping. The children then made their own lanterns to use at night and smores kits were handed out to each child. It was a fun story time with many gathered around the campfire.
The school age summer reading has been very exciting as well. The first week of summer reading the school aged kids were introduced to Unearth a Story and they did a scavenger hunt to learn about the library. When they completed their scavenger hunt, they were given a dinosaur themed gift bag filled with goodies. Then they ventured to the patio area to do sidewalk chalk drawings for all to enjoy. The next week, they did a dinosaur dig and they enjoyed chipping away at the dinosaur egg until they found a small dinosaur inside. After they found their dinosaur, they were able to get a trading card that told facts about their dinosaur. They then played outside with dinosaur games, blew bubbles with Pinkie and got dinosaur tattoos. We finished off June with the Virginia Museum of Natural History. Ms. Annabelle Sechrist did a great program on erosion and how the weather effects the geology of our communities. Each child was given a dinosaur pencil and paper pad to document their findings. They enjoyed doing the experiments and documenting their results.
The teens have enjoyed summer reading as well. They had a tie dye class the first week, taught by one of our patrons, Alyssa Knowles. They created some awesome t-shirts and Alyssa explained the chemistry of the baking soda soak and the dye to create wonderful colors and designs. Each teen was given a dinosaur goodie bag to enjoy. The next week the teens and Pinkie created beautiful suncatchers in a class led by Shavonda Teague. The last week of June, teen participants had a drawing and shading art class with Karen Sigmon. They all did an excellent job and Karen provided each teen with a bag of supplies to practice with at home. After the drawing class, the teens then had a tie dye t-shirt reveal party with ice cream and dinosaur tattoos. All of their tie dye t-shirts turned out awesome! They all are looking forward to a fun filled July with summer reading.
The Lego club met twice in the month of June with a great turnout. They created some really cool Lego creations such as a snow cone cart, a Lady of the Sea, a shark’s home, a fish tank and many more sea related items. The Youth Art Program was on June 3rd with Karen Sigmon. The youth created some 3D geometric Henry Moore sculptures. On the second and fourth Mondays in June the Patrick Library Cinema showed Lego: Jurassic World and Alpha and Omega: Dino Digs. Popcorn and water were provided and the kids brought their blankets from home and they really had a fun, chill time. We are so looking forward to our July programs and making lots of library memories.
As always, thank you for your continue support and happy reading!
Somer Ojodeagua,
Patrick County Library Branch Manager
