Recap of Recaps: January 2–8, 2025

Submitted by Joanne Garrett

Check out these highlights from some of the unique offerings patrons enjoyed systemwide January 2-8, 2025. 

Card Making and Cursive at Cumming Library (1/02)

26 children, 19 adults

"For our card making and cursive program, Kaity and I began with a presentation about when to send a thank you card, how to structure a thank you note, how to address an envelope, and how to write in cursive. We had a range of ages in attendance. Attendance exceeded our expectations, as we had people joining us throughout the duration of the program. Everyone was very creative with the thank you cards they made, using beautiful decorations, and listing a variety of things to be thankful for, including one note thanking the librarians who had to clean up the mess afterward! " - hosted by Melissa Gunter

The art of writing a thank you note in cursive drew patrons of all ages.

Build-a-Palooza at Post Road Library (1/03)

54 children, 36 adults

"Build-a-Palooza was a building blast! We had nine different stations for the kids to work through and complete different building tasks. One of my personal favorites was the marble run where kids could build different marble tracks to see which would let the marble travel to the bottom the fastest. For craft activities, the kids had one station where they could use large strips of paper to twist and turn to create their own roller coaster. In the other craft station, they were provided with popsicle sticks, rubber bands, glue, and bottle caps to build catapults. They then used pom poms to test to see how successful their catapults were. While these were difficult to build, I almost ran out of materials because the kids loved them and had fun with the challenge. Much fun was had by all as we built the day away. " – hosted by Jaime Adams

Cultivating the Top Leadership Skill in Your Teen  at Sharon Forks Library (1/05)

5 children, 14 adults

"Alpana Shitole, who presented at Staff Day 2024, gave her presentation on the importance of emotional intelligence (EQ) to patrons. Her presentation was targeted towards parents of teenagers, and she gives tips on how to grow your child's EQ as you're raising them. The patrons (both parents and teens) were very interested in her information and in her company Frolific, which teaches leadership skills to teens. There was a display of books on Emotional Intelligence and Leadership, and every single book  got checked out!" - hosted by Brooke Rose

Incredible Journey at Cumming Library (1/07)

21 children, 11 adults

“Nishat from the Forsyth County Water Department came this afternoon and taught the attendees about the water cycle. She began with a slideshow teaching kids the basics about the water on our planet. Most were very surprised to learn that only 1% is fresh and drinkable. She taught about the water cycle, then had the kids play a game where they collected beads as they randomly rotated to various stations simultaneously. The program exceeded my expectations with great attendance. Many of the kids are learning about water in school, and there was great discussion. Nishat was very patient and super sweet with all of the children.” - hosted by Julie Boyd

Golden Hour at Villas at Canterfield  (Outreach) (1/07)

15 adults

“As we rocked through the 1950's, we sang along with Ricky Nelson, Eddie Fisher, and of course, Elvis! The patrons who were able to get up danced, and others moved and clapped from their seats. After we did our sing-along, we discussed cars from the 1950's, including the '57 Chevy Bel Air, Cadillacs, and Ford Thunderbirds! We also discussed houses from the 50s. Many of the patrons commented on the turquoise color they had in the kitchen, or the fact that they had several people in a small living space with one bathroom. They also enjoyed discussing fashion and hairstyles and how much time everyone spent "setting" their hair with pin curls. As always, it was a great time!” - hosted by Jeanine Thompson