The Buel library was a hub of activity last Thursday during its weekly open hours. From June 18 through August 13, the library is open every Thursday from noon until 2 p.m. Wascher Elementary is open on Wednesdays, from noon until 2 p.m. during the same weeks.
Sue Buel, the school’s namesake, was at the door, greeting students as they arrived. “It’s the last chance I have to see some of the fifth graders,” she said. “They’ll be in middle school next year.”
In addition to browsing the stacks and checking out books, each week has a themed activity scheduled. Thursday’s topic was “Nature Investigations,” featuring Neyssa Hays of the Greater Yamhill Watershed Council.
Hays set up three hands-on stations ranging from a table of owl pellets for kids to dissect and examine, an array of skulls labeled by animal that were available for handling, and a row of microscopes to examine aquatic insects that were scooped out of a soupy mix.
“They like to spend time here, playing games and checking out books, too,” said Buel first grade teacher Ali Taylor, who launched the summer library program in 2010. “It’s so important for children to self-select books,” she said, noting that students are more likely to read a book they’ve chosen themselves.
Click for a list of upcoming summer library events scheduled for Wascher Elementary and Buel Elementary.
13 July, 2015