Oneida Public Library

Oneida Public Library invites elementary- and middle-school students on winter break to come in out of the cold to enjoy a wide range of free programs from Tuesday, Feb. 21, through Friday, Feb. 24, including a farewell party for Humphrey the hamster, a snap circuit workshop, a teen coffeehouse and the Utica Zoomobile.

On Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 10:00 a.m., Youth Services Coordinator Megan Gillander and the OPL’s own hamster, Squeakers, host a farewell party for the One District One Book community read, a month-long, multi-generational sharing of the chapter book by Betty Birney, “The World according to Humphrey” sponsored by the Oneida City School District and the OPL. Since the hero of the book is the clever and kind hamster Humphrey, Gillander has planned a party for pre-schoolers and young elementary-school students around all things hamster: puzzles, quizzes about the book, games, refreshments, even songs and dances.

At 1:00 p.m. on Feb. 21, third- to fifth-graders can team up for “Circuits Are a Snap,” a challenging workshop in which they will use Snap Circuits Jr. STEM kits to make devices that can actually power fans or music recordings, among other things.

Teens in ninth to 12th grades can take a break on Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 5:00 p.m. at the OPL’s Teen Coffee House. Its theme is “book faces,” and they will explore the library stacks in search of book covers that best express who they are or what they fancy being. Then in a group they share their “book faces” over coffee or a beverage.

Later on Feb. 22 at 6:30 p.m., Megan Gillander will preside over the Family Story Hour, an hour program for children 2-years old up to second-graders, along with their parents and older family members. Gillander will present stories, games and learning activities to engage the children in the language arts.

Sixth- to 12th-graders can stop in to learn the essentials of computer programming in a two-session workshop led by Gillander on Thursday and Friday afternoons, Feb. 23 and 24, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Students will go beyond theory into practice, actually programming either a photo booth, music or a Star Wars game.

Winter Break week at the OPL concludes with a visit from the Utica Zoomobile. The Zoomobile will be bringing selected animals that will illustrate the adaptability of animals for survival as explained by expert zoologists on the Utica Zoo staff.

All the Winter Break programs are free. For more information, stop by the Oneida Library, 220 Broad St., or contact Megan Gillander at the library, 315-363-3050.

By martha

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