Karen Konnerth returns to our library for a second time this summer to present a Teen and Tween workshop to young artists on Thursday, June 30 at 11:30 a.m. as part of the library’s Summer with the Arts Teen/Tween series.
Photos Courtesy of St. Bernard Parish Library
Contributed by St. Bernard Parish Library
You know that feeling you get when you are at the beach and the sun is sinking further and further down in the sky and you realize one more vacation day is almost over? That’s where we are in our 2022 Oceans of Possibilities Summer Reading Program at the St. Bernard Parish Library. We are about to start our fifth and second-to-last week of activities. Luckily for our library friends, we are not ready to pack up and go home just yet!
Week 5 has some awesome things for summer readers to enjoy starting Tuesday, June 28 at 11 a.m. when Tanee Janusz of Nature to Geaux comes to St. Bernard for a program that is sure to have everyone talking for months to come.
Tanee has been an environmental educator and skilled animal keeper for over 25 years and is also a certified Louisiana Master Naturalist. After working at the Audubon Zoo, Audubon Aquarium, Infinity Science Center, and Louisiana Nature Center, Tanee decided she wanted to make environmental education opportunities more accessible for children and adults. As a result, she created Nature to Geaux to connect people with nature and science through fun and hands-on programming that she brings to communities throughout the area.
On Wednesday, June 29 at 11 a.m. St. Bernard Ecotourism’s Monty and Cheri Montelongo will be guest readers at our weekly story craft program bringing some of what they offer on their airboat and pontoon boat swamp tours to share with library friends. St. Bernard Parish is rich with wildlife and natural resources and the Montelongo’s are working to raise awareness of those things as well as the environmental issues we face.
Since they started St. Bernard EcoTourism, Monty and Cheri have been providing the public, local students, and educators from both our region and around the country and beyond informative and scenic tours where they educate others on wetlands, conservation, sustainable wildlife, levee protection systems, coastal erosion and restoration, the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet and the impact of climate change. Following the story portion of our program, participants will make a paper boat craft and simulate their own coastal erosion. All materials will be provided for this free event.
Karen Konnerth returns to our library for a second time this summer to present a Teen and Tween workshop to young artists on Thursday, June 30 at 11:30 a.m. as part of the library’s Summer with the Arts Teen/Tween series. Konnerth will demonstrate collage illustrations techniques to summer readers ages nine and up. All materials will be provided and participants will be able to take their creations home with them. Interested teens and tweens are asked to register by visiting the library at 2600 Palmisano Blvd., in Chalmette or by calling 504-279-0448. Registration is for a materials count only. There are no limits on how many can participate.
Ringing in the July 4th holiday and bringing our Summer with the Arts season to a close will be Acting Jen on Friday, July 1 at 3 p.m. Local storyteller and theatrical artist, Jennifer Patterson will lead us in an interactive theater experience when we celebrate our Oceans of Possibilities theme through a show full of song, dance, and audience participation. Jen will have us rocking to some awesome songs, learning dances, both old and new, and teaching some old fish new tricks.
All of our Summer with the Arts programs have been made possible by funding received from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council, as administered by the St. Tammany Commission on Cultural Affairs.
Funding has also been provided by the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional funding for our summer activities comes from a generous donation by local residents, Arlette and Wayne Nunez. Their donation is matched by Shell Oil Foundation’s Matching Gifts program.
Pre-readers through 12th graders are encouraged to work on their game sheets in order to complete them by the July 7 deadline. Readers who bring in their completed activity sheets will receive a McDonald’s coupon and have their name entered into the library’s Grand Finale Prize Drawing set for Friday July 8 at 3 p.m. for Pre-readers through 5th grade and Saturday, July 9th at 12 noon for 6th through 12th graders. Readers must be present at the prize drawing in order to win.
Adults have until Friday, July 30 to complete their activity sheets and turn them in for their McDonald’s coupons and to be entered into their prize drawing set for Wednesday, Aug. 3. Adult winners will be notified by phone.
Our prize drawings are quite popular thanks to the many community sponsors who have stepped up to show their support of the library’s summer activities by donating coupons, gift certificates, services, museum passes, and special programming. Sponsors include the Audubon Institute, Coffee House, Crave, Facials by Skin Diva, Gulf Coast Bank, Infinity Science Center, Japan Society of New Orleans, Kiwanis of St. Bernard-Arabi, Louisiana Children’s Museum, Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, McDonald’s of St. Bernard, National WWII Museum, Nature to Geaux, New Orleans Paddlewheels, P.J.’s Coffee, Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, Simply Marvelous Nutrition, St. Bernard EcoTourism, St. Bernard Parish Fire Department, and WOW Café and Wingery.
The St. Bernard Parish Library is very grateful for the support these businesses have shown the library. Our summer readers are richly rewarded by the generosity of all of our sponsors.
All events scheduled will take place at the library’s main location at 2600 Palmisano Blvd., in Chalmette. Programming is free and the public is welcome to attend. Grab & Go registration bags are available for summer readers and updates on programming can be found on the library’s website at mysbpl.org and on the library’s Facebook page. For more info, please call the library at 504-279-0448.
Ringing in the July 4th holiday and bringing our Summer with the Arts season to a close will be Acting Jen on Friday, July 1 at 3 p.m.
