Portland Library
20 Freestone Avenue
Portland, CT  06480
860-342-6770

Portland Library's
       2009 Summer
Reading Club
Creativity Makes the Ordinary...Extraordinary!
Let’s all get Back to Basics and
Be Creative @ the Portland Library
during the 2009 summer reading program! The Summer Reading Program is for readers and pre-readers. Participants agree to read or to be read to for at least 15 minutes a day and record their achievements in 7 day blocks.  Incentives will be offered at 7 day intervals, and  themed special events will help keep kids reading all summer!   Registration begins Saturday, June 20th and is ongoing!

Opening Event
Connecticut Concert Ballet
presents:  Sous la Mer (Under the Sea)            Families with children of all ages are invited to join us on Saturday, June 20th at 1:00 p.m. at the Portland High School to help kick off our  2009 summer reading program! The dancers from Connecticut Concert Ballet  will present a  performance of Sous la Mer, a beautiful  fairy tale filled with mermaids, sea-sprites, starfish, and seahorses. After the performance, there will be a question and answer session and photo opportunities with the dancers. No registration is required.
Children and teens will be able to sign up for the Be Creative @ Your Library and Express
Yourself  reading programs at the event.

Mondays
Judy Moody & Stink  Event
Monday, July 20th at 1:00 p.m.

Children going into 2nd grades and up are
invited to celebrate the hilarious Judy Moody and Stink series by award-winning author, Megan McDonald. Let’s get together to talk about our favorite books, make a Judy Moody project, play a Stink game, and  top it all off with an ice cream!
Registration is required.

Freestyle Frisbee
Monday, July 27th from 6:00-7:00 p.m.

World Class Freestyle Champion, Todd Brodeur will be here to share his sport with a program for families with children of all ages. A demonstration of a sampling of simple Frisbee tricks, progressing into harder moves and combinations will be featured. Everyone will get into the act when Todd teaches some Frisbee tricks and games that  anyone can try.
Registration is required.

Tuesdays

Color Your World Story Time
Tuesdays at 11:00 a.m.
June 23, 30,  July 7, 14, 21, 28
An Imaginative Story Time for children ages 0-5 years old with a parent or caregiver. Don’t forget to bring a bag lunch. No registration required.

Hartford Stage
Tuesdays at 1:00 p.m.
Session 2: July 21, 28, August 4,

Students going into grades 4 and up have an unique opportunity this summer to work with the staff of the Hartford Stage. Students may sign up for one, three week session. Participants must commit to all three dates in the session. Sessions will cover the basics of script reading, costuming, and stage make-up. Each session will culminate in a public performance at the Library.
Registration is required.

***Free public performance
will take place on
 Tuesdays, August 4th in the Mary Flood Room at the Library.
No registration is required for the performance.
All ages are welcome to attend.

Wednesdays

Arts Alive!
Wednesdays, July 1, 8, 15, 22, 29,
from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m.
Children going into grades K and up are invited to join us as we welcome weekly
special guests to come and share their
own individual creativity and, in turn, teach us to think creatively and find our own special spark. Registration is required.

 Schedule of Events:
July 1: Make Something Wednesday!
Get creative with local artists!

July 8: Hartford Symphony Petting Zoo
Students are invited to bang, blow, pluck and strike real instruments with the help of the HSO "Zoo Keepers."

July 15: Vinny’s Jump ‘n Jive
Staff from Vinny’s Jump ‘n Jive will be here for a  Hip Hop dance exhibition and
workshop.

July 22: Children’s Museum Visit
Museum Staff, and some of it’s rather unique residents, will be here today to help spread awareness of an important issue, Endangered Species. They will talk about some of the creative ways people are saving these animals, and we will get the opportunity to meet some of them.

July 29: Vinny’s Jump ‘n Jive
Once again, the talented staff from Vinny’s Jump ‘n Jive will be here, this time for a Break Dancing  exhibition
and workshop.  

Thursdays

Nia Dance
Thursdays at 2:00 p.m.
July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 August 6

Children ages 4 and up will meet Miss Kim, from Kimnetics Nia, for a weekly, afternoon of enlightenment. These classes will expose your child to Nia’s  wonderful eclectic music and nine different movement forms from dance from  arts, martial arts, and yoga traditions. Registration is required and will be done on a
weekly basis. Limit: 2 sessions per person. 

Camp Half-Blood:
Thursday, July  30th from 4:00-5:00 p.m.
Fans of Rick Riordan’s The Lightning Thief series rejoice! Children going into 4th grade and up are invited to join us at Camp Half Blood for an afternoon adventure like none you have ever witnessed before! Students are asked to read one, or all of the books in the Percy Jackson series in preparation for this event.
Multiple copies of the books are available for loan at the Library.
Registration is required.

Final Event
Playtivity: Tuesday, August 11th at 6:30 p.m. at the Portland Library

Husband and wife team, Craig and Virginia Norton will be bringing their Playtivity workshop to the Library to help us top off our summer of creativity!
Combining the spirit of play, with music, and a variety of creative arts, Playtivity workshops are pure enrichment- interactive, musical, creative, expressive and, most of all, fun. Music and multi-cultural themes will be infused throughout the program, bringing all participants together in a creative community adventure. Registration is Required.

Quick Note: Registrations for all events requiring advance registration will begin on June 20th and be on-going all summer. Register on-line, or call the Library, and a staff member will help you.

Summer Reading Volunteers
Students going into grades 5 and up are eligible to volunteer this summer at the Library. An informational meeting for potential volunteers will be held on Tuesday, June 16th from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the Library. Parents are encouraged to attend.

If you cannot attend this meeting but wish to help out at the Library, stop by the Youth Services’ Desk at your earliest convenience and pick up an
application, click here, or email Gail Pititto at gpititto@portlandct.org for more information. The last day to turn in volunteer forms will be June 17th.

In addition… for every hour that you volunteer your service at the Library, we will give you one
raffle ticket for a chance to win WEEKLY prizes! The more you volunteer every week, the better your chances are to win free movie tickets, passes to mini-golf, free day passes to the quarries, and more!

Volunteering at the Library looks REALLY good  on future job applications.

Last updated 07/01/2009!