Philipsburg Jubilee Library, in collaboration with main sponsor, Guardian Group, will be launching their annual book-start campaign “Read to Me” for babies and toddlers starting, Saturday, August 23 to August 28.
This Saturday, will be the official opening ceremony of the four-day Baby & Toddler campaign under the theme “Read Together, Study Together” starting at 10:00am, with a packed schedule of activities, prizes, membership drives and information booths.
“We launched the first campaign in 2010 to motivate parents and caregivers to sign up their child at an early age, as library members and also to read to their baby or toddler as often as possible. Many experts have pointed out how important it is to read to children on a daily basis. Not only is it fun and relaxing to read to your preschooler, it also reinforces the bond between parent and child. It has also been proven that children who are read to, from an early age, have a huge advantage over others when it comes to school results, later in life,” stated Library Director, Monique Alberts.
During the opening event, Dexter the Clown will be paying the library a special visit. Patricia Pantophlet will also be conducting a special “dancing with babies” workshop. Storyteller, Gini van Duivenvoorde, will be reading for attending children and parents. Other activities will include: a gift basket raffle, face painting, bouncing castle, and information booths with representatives of Guardian Group and Manrique Capriles and Sons. Food and drinks will also be available.
Children zero to three years of age, who become a library member, during the campaign, will receive a special backpack with goodies containing: information leaflets, puppets, Johnson and Johnson’s baby items donated by Manrique Capriles and Sons, reading material, color pencils and a color sheet. Parents will also receive a 25 guilder library membership discount only if they sign up during the campaign week, from August 23 to 30.
The main campaign activities will begin next week, on Tuesday, August 26 and end on Thursday, August 28, 2014. The first workshop, on Tuesday, will be conducted by Zahira Marmar, entitled “Rhyme Time”, from 6:00pm – 7:00pm. The following day, Wednesday, Patti Maier will be doing a “Puppet Show and Reading” workshop from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. The final day, Thursday, there will be the “Brunch and Storytelling for Toddlers” ages 2-3 by Gini van Duivenvoorde from 11:00pm – 12:00pm.
Registration is required for the “Brunch and Storytelling for Toddlers” activity, as space is limited. For more information on this activity please contact Children Librarian, Maryland at e-mail address mpowell@stmaartenlibrary.org or call the library at 542-2970.
The public of St. Maarten is invited to participate in this Baby and Toddler Campaign.
