Park Ave kindergarteners check out Albert Wisner Public Library for library card sign-up month

On a beautiful fall afternoon, Park Avenue kindergarteners embarked on their annual trip to the Albert Wisner Public Library (AWPL). The visit aligns with Library Card Sign-Up Month, which the American Library Association celebrates – and encourages schools to celebrate – every September.

See a gallery from Tuesday’s library walk below this story!

The kindergarteners lined up and departed for Albert Wisner just after lunch on Tuesday and, after their short trek, were welcomed by Teresa Vela-Hayes, AWPL Youth Services Manager, and Michele Meek, who is also part of the library’s Youth Services team. The two library staffers took the eager kindergarten students inside, where they learned all about the resources and programs the library has to offer, and the benefits of having their very own library card!

Literacy is a critical component of the Warwick Valley Elementary Program. The district’s balanced approach relies in part on the Readers & Writers Workshop from the Teachers College at Columbia University, and includes independent reading, read-alouds, and shared reading, which nurtures student growth and eventual independence. The annual library trip really gets students excited about reading! In fact, their visit on Tuesday began with an interactive read-along of the picture book We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury.

After the reading, the students met another AWPL Youth Services team member, Jeff Straub, who led them through a fun sing-along before entering the AWPL Children’s Room. The students were amazed by the number of titles on the shelves in the Children’s Room, and were excited to browse the stacks to find a book they could check out and take home using their new library cards.

See a gallery from Tuesday’s library walk below this story!

“I really enjoyed the We’re Going on a Bear Hunt reading,” said Maeve Loftus, a student in Lori Ingber’s class who also said she’s looking forward to reading the book she chose to take home. “I got the book Pinkalicious (Victoria Kann). I love that book because she’s so funny!”

Matthew Spicehandler, Park Avenue’s Library Media Specialist, shared that libraries are not only important to students’ education, but they help reinforce a sense of community. Visiting AWPL lets the children know that their own public library is not too far from home and has a lot of fun and helpful resources to offer in a safe and inspiring space.

“Making sure that we introduce all the kids in this school community to the public library and what the library has to offer is really important,” said Mr. Spicehandler. “That’s why we do this trip every year. We want every incoming kindergarten class to have this really valuable experience.”

THANK YOU to the folks at Albert Wisner Public Library for their hospitality and their endlessly enthusiastic support of reading! We encourage students and their families to pay the library a visit, and you can even plan ahead by checking out the seasonal programs going on at AWPL on our Community Ebulletin Page.

Here’s a look at Tuesday’s fun…