Chinese New Year Fun

January 23rd will mark the start of the Year of the Dragon and here at the library we’re getting pretty excited about it. To get into the Chinese New Year spirit we’ve hung lots of lanterns and there might even be some dragons around over the next couple of weeks.

If you’re after some school holiday fun, why not come and help us celebrate the New Year with the Chinese New Year Storytime on Monday 16, Tuesday 17, and Friday 20 January from 10:15am to 11:00am. Join our Library family in a session of enchanting stories, songs, activities and rhymes. Create your own Chinese Lantern to take home.

Start the year with a roar and let your imagination run free! Join in the Design-a-Dragon Workshop and create your own colourful dragon to take home. The workshop is on Wednesday 11 January from 10:30am to 11:30am. Bookings essential. For booking details check out the School Holiday brochure.

For the adults, qualified Tai Chi instructor Brenda Hum will be providing two free Tai Chi sessions, one on Monday 23rd at 11.00am and again on Tuesday 24th at 11.00am. Bookings are essential for these as well.

 

Did You Know…About New Years?

Did you know that not all cultures and countries celebrate the New Year as beginning on January 1? In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the civil New Year falls on 14 January on the modern Gregorian calendar,  which is January 1 on the older Julian calendar.

Chinese New Year occurs on the new moon of the first lunar month, which could fall anywhere between January 21 and February 21 on the Gregorian calendar. Iranian New Year (called Nowruz) is the day of the vernal or spring equinox, typically 20-21 March.

The Ancient Babylonians celebrated the first new moon following the spring equinox as the beginning of the new year. Rosh Hashanah is a Jewish holiday occurring in July on the Gregorian calendar, commemorating the culmination of the seven days of Creation, and marking God’s yearly renewal of His world.

There are many, many more…

Did you know…About Christmas Trees?

The CTTG Library Christmas Tree

Did you know the first accounts of decorating an evergreen tree for Christmas were recorded in Germany, during the 16^th Century?

In Denmark, the first recorded Christmas tree was lit in 1808 by Countess Wilhemine of Holsteinborg. Many years later, the elderly countess told the story of the first Danish Christmas tree to the writer Hans Christian Andersen. He had already published a fairy-tale called The Fir-Tree in 1844, recounting the fate of a fir-tree being used as a Christmas tree.

Lights have long been part of the tradition with candles and lanterns, both in holders and glued with melted wax directly to the tree. The electric Christmas tree light is attributed to Edward H. Johnson, an associate of Thomas Edison, and was first displayed on December 22, 1882. US President, Grover Cleveland sponsored the first electrically lit tree in the White House in 1895. Electrically lit trees would gain popularity during the first decades of the 20th Centrury, but due to their expense, remained beyond the reach of the average person until the 1930s.

Check out some of these books on the history and traditions of Christmas …

Summer Reading Club finale

Check out the photos (see the Flickr box, left) of the Summer Reading Club Scare up a good book finale, where over 60 children and their parents celebrated the books that have been read over the school holidays. Highlights were the fantastic scary costumes worn by the kids (and staff), and the Monsters Aren’t Real puppet show by Sue Harris.  I think the Pin-the-Spider-on-the-Web game was a hit, as well as the face painting, witches brew trail and craft activities.

The top three readers from the Summer Reading Club are about to be determined, and they will be invited to a special afternoon tea with Mayor Miriam Smith, and receive their book voucher prizes from www.TheNile.com.

Well done to all participants, and thanks for joining in our party!

Tea Tree Teens LOUD lock-in these school holidays

It’s time for teenagers to take over the Library…well, for one night at least. This Thursday night (20 Jan) from 6pm to 9pm there will be music and games and run of the Library for 13-18 year olds. Choose a CD from the collection to play on the stereo, then challenge your friends to a game on Wii Sports or Playstation.

Have some laughs with Twister or Celebrity Head, check out your favourite sites or do some random net surfing. It’s up to you! To book in, give us a call (8397 7333) and have your Library card handy. I promise no one will ‘Shhhh!’

When is the Library open over Christmas?

The staff of the City of Tea Tree Gully Library would like to wish all our patrons a very happy and safe holiday season!
Here are the complete details of our holiday opening hours.

If you need to return any items when we’re closed, the chutes on the Eastern wall of the Library next to the carpark will be open 24/7.

Bedtime Storytime – Pyjamas at the Library!

Say Hello Rhyme

Last night we had a fabulous time when over 35 children and their families came to the library for a special Classic Tales Bedtime Storytime.

Everyone wore their pyjamas and brought their teddies to share lots of stories. We read some classic tales aswell as some modern family stories.

Along the way there was lots of  dancing and singing too. Luckily, we all had enough energy left to make a magical star wand, which everyone took home.

Sharing Stories

If you were here and shared the fun, let us know what you thought and if you have any ideas for the future.

Watch out for the next school holidays for more fun events at the library!

April School Holiday program fun

A snapshot of the activities that children and young people around Tea Tree Gully participated in during April School Holidays:

• 14 teenagers participated in the Autumn School of Rock, building on their Summer school experience.
• Ever popular rock pet painting in the new Jublilee Community Centre
• 30 children and carers visiting a farm at Littlehampton
• Over 50 kids playing netball and basketball, and 70 learning circus skills at the Recreation Centres!
• Library trails and self guided crafts very popular
• Family painting workshop great fun!
• Golden Grove Arts Centre hosted several shows with over 1200 attendees.

Some of the paintings from the Family Painting Workshop

Autumn School of Rock

What happened during school holidays?

Well, October school holidays have been and gone, and here’s some of the pics taken during the activities the Children’s and Youth Services team had on offer. See our mock Victorian Funeral procession, vampire themed art and craft, the staff dressed in black for the day, and Slinky Malinky Storytime.  Thanks to Hayley, Belinda and Bethany for posing with their Medieval goblets and nameplates.

New Recreation Equipment for summer!

You may be aware of the bats, balls, frisbees and racquets that are available for loan from the Library. We have been on a shopping spree and purchased some more recreation equipment for summer, including a range of things to play with in the pool. From noodles to dive sticks, hoola hoops and skipping ropes, there’s lots of fun and healthy (and free!) entertainment available for the whole family at the Library. Or to help you with your post-Christmas fitness kick, you could borrow a pedometer and some hand weights.