Summer Fun

Well, the time has finally arrived for our Summer Reading Club, and our kick-off party on June 12th was a complete success. We had over 250 children sign up for summer reading, and countless others for the weekly programs. I'd like to thank all of you that helped make it so much fun, and I hope that you all enjoyed yourselves, as well! You can check out tons of pictures from the event, and other programs by going to http://www.missmeganisreading.pbworks.com/ and requesting access to the wiki! We have started this summer off with some super-cool programs, including a Spongebob Squarepants party which found elementary students crafting their own Spongebob's, as well as having a sponge race out on the back patio. Our first Stories & Songs program with the 2's and 3's went very well, with lots of songs and fun for Father's Day. We still have room for some of our Family Programs, as well as spots open, as of right now, for the Lego Clubs. And, as always, you can stop in and sign up for the Summer REading Club and get entered for lots of prizes and fun!

If you haven't had a chance to come in lately, please do! Thanks to numerous staff and volunteers, we've transformed our Children's Department into a Water Wonderland!

Net Surfin' Newbies

In the land of Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and countless other social networking sites, we've noticed an increase in the concern over privacy issues. This concern will no doubt deepen if your children are eager to have a page of their own. Most sites require a minimum age, but with the way kids are with computers these days, it's likely they will find a way around that. There is a new social site called "Togetherville," which offers your kids the opportunity to have their own network page and communicate with friends in a safe and monitored environment. This website features privacy controls which allow the adult to be in complete control (as a parent, I like that!). It combines some of the same features we see on Facebook, such as games, videos and connecting with others. The site is actually able to be linked to your Facebook page, yet all of the friends the child has are pre-approved by the parent, and the child can only friend friends of the parent or children of the parents' friends. Oh, and your kid cannot access your FB page from their Togetherville account. The site is not affiliated with Facebook, and was actually created by a dad of three.

I think kids would love this, and it's definately worth checking out. Let me know what you think!