Firefighters!

Presented to Miss Jenny's and Miss Amy's Head Start classes at Golden Hills Elementary School on Monday, September 30, 2013.


Wesley the Turtle and I - and my puppet friend Fred the Firefighter - enjoyed seeing all the wonderful students at Golden Hills Head Start this week! 




The children each received a new book of his/her
choice as a gift from the Bellevue Public Library. 
I hope the children enjoy reading their books
with their parents and other caregivers!

Books:

Fire Fighter Piggy Wiggy by Christyan and Diane Fox

(Even though Piggy Wiggy is not a real firefighter, he sure likes to pretend he is! 
And he also knows that, if there is a fire, the real firefighters will be there to do their job!)

My Mom is a Firefighter by Lois G. Grambling, illustrated by Jane Manning

(Billy knows alot about what to do if there is a fire. He has learned from an expert - his mom!  It can be very exhausting work battling a fire, and even though he can't help with the fire, he can do something to help the firefighters!)
 

 

Songs:

Everybody Say Hello!
(tune: "London Bridge")

Everybody say hello, say hello, say hello,
Everybody say hello, hello Wesley!

(Wesley is my turtle puppet who pops out of my apron pocket whenever we sing this song.  Then he sits quietly on his rock and listens to the stories and sings along with us.  At the end of storytime he says goodbye to the children, gives them high fives, eats pretend food from their hands, blows kisses, and plays hide and seek!)

Hurry, Hurry, Drive the Fire Truck!
(tune: "One Little, Two Little...")

Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck!
Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck!
Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck!
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

Additional verses:
Hurry, hurry, turn the corner...
Hurry, hurry, climb the ladder...
Hurry, hurry, squirt the water...

Final verse:
Slowly, slowly, back to the station.
Slowly, slowly, back to the station.
Slowly, slowly, back to the station.
Now our work is done!
 
One young student named Cameron pretended to feed Wesley a piece of cake, announcing, "Today is Wesley's birthday!"  As I have never established a birthday for my puppet, I figured that September 30 is as good a day as any!  Thanks, Cameron, for pointing out this important date!  And..."Happy Birthday, Wesley!"

My next visit to Golden Hills Head Start will be on Thursday, October 24 for Miss Amy's afternoon class, and Monday, October 28, 2013 for the morning classes!

Each Outreach Storytime includes activities that support one or more of the five early literacy practices identified as essential in helping your child develop the skills they need before they can learn to read. The five practices – singing, talking, reading, playing and writing –were developed for Every Child Ready to Read®, an initiative of the Association for Library Services for Children (ALSC) and the Public Library Association (PLA).

Every Child Ready to Read^® @ your library^®, PLA and ALSC logos are registered trademarks of the American Library Association and are used with permission.

Welcome School

Presented at Welcome School on Friday, September 27, 2013.

Books:

The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers

(Gray Crayon is tired of coloring so many large animals, such as elephants and whales.  Orange Crayon and  Yellow Crayon are arguing over which color should be used to draw the sun.  Peach Crayon had his wrapper torn completely off and now he's NAKED!  Caution: There are some very unhappy crayons in this story.)

Prairie Chicken Little by Jackie Mims Hopkins, illustrated by Henry Cole

(Oh, no!  Prairie Chicken Little hears a rumblin' and a grumblin' and a tumblin'.  It must be a stampede!!)

 

Song:

If You're Happy And You Know It

If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!
If you're happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it!
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!


Additional verses:
...stomp your feet!
...shout hooray!
...be a crayon! (stand up straight and tall and motionless!)



It was so very good to be back at Welcome School today!  As I told the students and teachers, I woke up this morning with a smile on my face, knowing that today was the day I would visit Welcome School!
Wesley enjoyed meeting some new students, as well as seeing some of his "old" friends again!  He especially loved receiving the picture that was drawn by Tessa!

I have developed a sort of tradition during my visits to Welcome School.  Each month I ask the children and teachers to share with me a song they have been learning in their classroom.  This way, I can learn the song too, and take it back to share with other children at the library.  Today they surprised me with a very silly song about chewy, chewy, chewy, chewy, chewy, bubble gum!  My next visit to Welcome School will be on Friday, October 25, 2013!  
~Mrs. B.




Each Outreach Storytime includes activities that support one or more of the five early literacy practices identified as essential in helping your child develop the skills they need before they can learn to read. The five practices – singing, talking, reading, playing and writing –were developed for Every Child Ready to Read®, an initiative of the Association for Library Services for Children (ALSC) and the Public Library Association (PLA).

Every Child Ready to Read^® @ your library^®, PLA and ALSC logos are registered trademarks of the American Library Association and are used with permission

Tree Planting at Haworth Park, Part III

Today was the second day of planting at Haworth Park.  Several Green Bellevue members were on hand, along with another group of stalwart volunteers from Mutual of Omaha.  The group was given the task of planting the 50 or so trees that remained after yesterday's marathon planting session.  Dave Anson and Horticulturalist Graham Herbst spent some time educating the group on the proper technique for planting trees.  As Graham said, "It's not hard to plant trees, you just need to do it correctly!"

Also taking part in today's planting event were library patrons Phillip and Tarese and their children Hannah and William.  They were interested in "adopting" a tree, so they came with their shovels and rakes, ready to work!

Here are some photos and videos from today's event:

Ruth Richter of Green Bellevue produced this great video slideshow!

Don Preister (holding the clipboard) spoke to the group about the importance of trees, and how the trees planted today will be enjoyed by campers and other park visitors for years and years to come.  He acknowledged the cooperation of several groups whose donations of time, talent and money allowed Haworth Park to receive these 150 new trees!

 

Phillip and Tarese and their children Hannah and William watch and listen carefully as Dave Anson explains the proper steps in planting a tree.

Horticulturalist Graham Herbst showed everyone what can happen

when a tree is not planted properly.  The small trunk he held for everyone to see had been choked off by roots that grew around the trunk, rather than out from it.

Dave Anson showed us how to measure so that the hole was the

correct depth to ensure a healthy start for this tree!

"Okay!  Enough talking!"  Now it's time for Hannah and William to get their hands (and their shoes, and their socks...) dirty! 

"Hmmm... this hole seems a little too deep."

"Let's put those shovels to work and scoop some dirt

back into the hole."

 

 

 

It's looking better already!

 

 

 

"We need to make sure the soil is packed down and ready to support the tree.  Who can we find to help stomp down the ground??? 

The WHOLE FAMILY!"

 

 

Here's a daddy who knows how to have fun with his kids!

Way to go, Phillip!

Graham holds the tree steady while the family pitches in

to fill the hole with dirt.  The tree selected for this area of the park is a Northern Pecan tree.

"Phew!  This is hard work!  It's time for a drink of water!"

 

After planting THREE trees, Phillip and Tarese took a break to listen to Graham explain how trees are grouped together and classified: not by the shape of their leaves, but by the fruit and flowers they produce.

 

 

 

Phillip and Tarese and the kids have adopted a veritable grove of pecan trees.  Graham told them the trees would start producing pecans about the time the kids are getting their driver's licenses!

 

 

"One last picture with our new friend, Graham.  This has been lots of fun, but it's windy and sunny, and past our naptime!"

 

(Yes... Hannah and William took a nap, too!)

 

                         ~ Mrs. B.

Tree Planting in Haworth Park, Part II *Updated!*

Members of Green Bellevue, volunteers from Mutual of Omaha, and other interested citizens met today, Wednesday, September 25,  for the first of two days of planting trees at Haworth Park.  This effort is in response to the flood of 2011 that left the City park under massive amounts of water.  This beautification project will introduce around 150 new trees, representing about 2 dozen species, to the campground area.  The park reportedly lost around 500 trees as a result of the flood.

Here are photos from today's planting:

Volunteers listen as Don Preister talks about the damage incurred around the park, and how their efforts will help to beautify and revitalize the area.

Horticulturalist Graham Herbst from the Nebraska Forest Service

was responsible for choosing the varieties of trees to be planted

 as well as designing the layout for their placement.

The campground area looked as though it had been overrun with moles!  City workers came in ahead of time to dig the holes and place the right tree by each hole.

Employees from Mutual of Omaha volunteered their time and effort in helping to plant the trees.  They also gave a financial donation to help with the expense of this project!

Library patrons Sammy and her mom, Shilo,
were on hand to "adopt" a tree!

Dave Anson showed the proper steps involved in planting a tree.

Laying a garden rake across the surface of the hole helped to ensure

 the tree would be placed correctly at ground level.

Horticulturalist Graham Herbst showed the group
what can happen to the root system of a tree
if it is not planted correctly.

Dave Anson and Don Preister make sure the root ball is level

before filling in the hole with dirt.

Raking up some loose dirt and they're done! 

Just 149 more trees to go!

Now it's time for Sammy and her mom to be introduced to their
Tulip Poplar tree!  Graham showed the interesting
shape of the leaves and told us that this type of tree
was likely around during the time of the dinosaurs! 

Do those leaves look good enough to eat??!

  Graham told Sammy about the pretty yellow-red flowers

that will bloom on the tree.

Here is a photo of what the tree might look like in the future.

Can you guess why someone decided to call it a Tulip Tree??

Here is Sammy getting her picture taken next to "her tree"!

Sammy's feet were just the right size for getting the

bottom of the hole just the right depth!

The hardest part was getting the bag off the root ball!

Graham showed us places where the roots actually grow
through the bag and why that was ok!

The tree is sitting at the right depth, it's standing straight and tall,

and now it's time for some dirt!

The hole has been filled in, the ground tamped down
(using Sammy's feet!) and now the last thing to do is to
place the white flag that identifies the tree as a Tulip Poplar.

Oops!  THIS is the last thing to do!  Hug your tree!

UPDATE!***UPDATE!***UPDATE!***UPDATE!***UPDATE! 

I recently received a photo of Miss Sammy that was taken last fall (Sept. 2014) when Sammy and her mom, Shilo, visited the tree they had planted!  I think the plan is to take a photo each year near the anniversary of its planting!  Thanks for the update, Shilo!

Let's Go To The Zoo!

Presented at Bellevue Public Library on Wednesday, September  25, 2013.

Today begins our first of many (virtual) trips to the zoo!  Our library mascot, Buzz, and I went to the Henry Doorly Zoo recently and had a great time visiting the various animals and taking pictures!  I will be sharing Buzz's photos throughout the school year as we focus on different animals and attractions at the Zoo!

Here are the photos I shared from Buzz's photo album:

This is Andrea, a zoo employee, who walked along with us at the zoo.  She also drove us around in a golf cart!  Whew!  Those hills are hard to climb!

Books:

Bouncing Time by Patricia Hubbell, illustrated by Melissa Sweet

  ~ Do you sometimes have trouble getting your child to "sit still for stories"?  Well, then this book is just for you!  You and your child can BOUNCE! during this story, as the title suggests, but there are also many animals you can imitate throughout the book!  Can you stretch your neck like a giraffe?  Slither like a snake?  This is definitely NOT a book for couch potatoes!

 Zoo Borns!: Zoo Babies From Around the World by Andrew Bleiman and Chris Eastland

Children's nonfiction books are usually overlooked when planning storytimes.  Often the text is too wordy and the concepts are too complex for children this age.  And sometimes the photos are just too small to be enjoyed in a group setting.  I will be including more nonfiction this year whenever I find a book that I feel will enhance the storytime experience.  Zoo Borns is a great book to use with Story Walking!  The photos are large and clear, just right for Storytime.  I like to show the children the photos - sometimes not even all the photos - and hold a conversation with them about what they are seeing.  Children love chiming in with their own story of seeing a tiger at the zoo...with very LARGE teeth, or watching the penguins dip and dive through the water.  These are great opportunities to enhance your child's vocabulary by following up on their comments. 
For example:
(child):  "I saw penguins in the water."

(adult)  "You saw penguins in the water?  What do you think the water felt like?  Was it warm like your bath?"

(child)  "No, there was lots of snow around them, so I think it is cold."

(adult):  "You are right!  The water is icy cool.  Brrrr!"



Songs:

Good Morning!
(tune: "Frere Jacques")

Good morning! (echo)
How are you? (echo)
I'm so glad to see you! (echo)
Wesley is too! (echo)



If You're Ready For a Story
(tune: "If You're Happy and You Know It")

If you're ready for a story, take a seat.
If you're ready for a story, take a seat.
Clap your hands and stomp your feet,
Make your hands all nice and neat.
If you're ready for a story, take a seat.



Let's All Go to the Zoo Tomorrow
(words adapted slightly from "Mommy's Taking Us to the Zoo Tomorrow" by Raffi)

Let's all go to the zoo tomorrow,
Zoo tomorrow, zoo tomorrow.
Let's all go to the zoo tomorrow,
And we can stay all day! 

We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo!
How about you, you, you?
You can come too, too, too!
We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo!


Playtime Activities:

Puppets:
Since we had so much fun playing with them last week, I thought I'd bring them out again...and they go great with our Zoo theme!

Books about zoos and zoo animals:

Animal Go Fish:

Animal Concentration:
Turn over two cards at a time to see if they match.  If they do, you get another turn!  If not, you turn them back over and let your partner have a try!

Zoo Flannel Story:

It's great, creative fun to use flannel pieces to tell your own story about a trip to the zoo!




Here are some photos from today's event!:

 

Next week's Toddler Storytime theme: New Books!
I plan to devote the first Toddler Storytime of each month to sharing some of my favorite new books that have recently been added to the library's collection.

Library News: We have a very busy October planned.  I hope one or more of the events will be of interest to you and your family! 

October 1st is Runza's Great Books for Great Kids Day!  Fifteen percent of the revenue from the Galvin Road location will be given to the library to purchase children's books!  We are so thankful to be a beneficiary of this annual fundraiser!

Our October Momaha Storytime will be held on Thursday, October 3 at 7 PM.  The theme will be apples!  For those who can stay, we will be making applesauce at the conclusion of storytime!  Yum!!!

Pajama Storytime will be held on Tuesday, October 8 at 7 PM in the Children's area. 
 

Our next "Zoo"-themed storytime will be on Wednesday, October 16.  I showed the children and adults a few photos so that they could guess what our next zoo theme will be.  Can you guess too??:

 

Each Toddler Storytime includes activities that support one or more of the five early literacy practices identified as essential in helping your child develop the skills they need before they can learn to read. The five practices – singing, talking, reading, playing and writing –were developed for Every Child Ready to Read®, an initiative of the Association for Library Services for Children (ALSC) and the Public Library Association (PLA).

Every Child Ready to Read^® @ your library^®, PLA and ALSC logos are registered trademarks of the American Library Association and are used with permission.