Día de los Niños/Día de los Libros
April 25, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
 It's time once again for "Día!" - the annual celebration connecting children and families with books, languages and cultures. Join us for entertainment and activity for the whole family, and an appearance by Arthur Dorres, the author of 24 books, including Parent's Choice Award winner Abuela. Click here to learn more about this year's festival. |
Earth Day in the Bags!
 If you went shopping at Reid's Fine Foods on April 22, you may have gotten an extra treat! Groceries were presented to customers in bags decorated by kids and teens at ImaginOn in honor of Earth Day. ImaginOn participated in the sixteenth annual Earth Day Groceries Project this year, decorating paper grocery bags on loan from Reid's with environmental messages. On Earth Day, the bags were returned to Reid's and used to bag customers'  groceries. This international educational effort is one of the oldest and the largest coordinated on the Internet. Check out www.earthdaybags.org for more information.
|
Tea and a Tour with the Mad Hatter
 Participants in the latest "Behind the Scenes" program on April 19th got a sneak peek behind the curtain on the Children's Theatre production Alice in Concert. Kids and families met actors and crew, and learned some special effects secrets. Following the tour, they had their own Mad Hatter's Tea Party. |
Thank a Volunteer
 The next time you're at ImaginOn, look around at all the people working - odds are, at least a few of them are volunteers! Both the Library and the Children's Theatre rely on the support of hundreds of volunteers, and we appreciate them every day of the year. National Volunteer Appreciation Week was the week of April 19-24, and volunteers were recognized with bookplates in their honor and a display in the lobby. If you are interested in volunteering at ImaginOn, we'd love to have you! Current opportunities and an online application can be found here. |
New Faces at ImaginOn
ImaginOn is one of 24 branches of the Public Library system. Occasionally, library staff move around the system - and a few just did! ImaginOn said goodbye to two long-time staff members this month, and warmly welcomed two new ones. Claudia Williams, our Circulation Manager, has moved to Main Library, and Beth Hutchison, our Children's Services Manager, has moved to the Mint Hill branch. Both will be missed, and we wish them well in their new posts.
 And we warmly welcome new managers Kevin Bittle and Geri Sponaas. Kevin comes to ImaginOn's circulation department from the Freedom Regional Branch. In addition to working with young people in the library system, Kevin referees basketball and volleyball for CMS, and keeps up with a 10-month-old baby girl at home.
 Geri comes to Spangler Library from the Mint Hill branch, and she literally grew up in libraries. Her mother was the Youth Services Director for the Greenville County Library system in South Carolina, and Geri was her constant volunteer and companion at professional conferences.
The next time you visit, stop by Spangler and Circ to welcome Kevin and Geri to the ImaginOn team! |
|
Children's Theatre of Charlotte Spring Shows!
 Now through May 3, Children's Theatre of Charlotte presents Alice in Concert, a spectacular musical retelling of the beloved stories of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass like you have never seen them before! Follow Alice down the rabbit hole and into the magical world of Wonderland where she encounters the time-challenged White Rabbit, the tea-loving Mad Hatter and the mysterious Cheshire Cat. With catchy tunes, witty lyrics and a remarkable cast of Carroll's creatures, this whimsical treat will delight Alice fans. For Ages 6+/Grades 1+.
 And Children's Theatre of Charlotte's Tarradiddle Players end the 2008-09 season with The Commedia Aladdin (May 1-10), a hilarious new take on a classic tale. Hop on a magic carpet with Aladdin as he summons the powerful Genie and changes his fortunes forever. The Commedia Aladdin is fresh, fast-paced and full of slapstick hijinks that will leave audiences helpless with laughter. For Ages 5+/Grades K+.
|
OnStage Student Performance Project
Students from Children's Theatre of Charlotte's School of Theatre Training will put on four different plays in one jam-packed weekend of theatre, as OnStage 2009 takes over ImaginOn from May 15-17. Over 100 students in grades 4-12 will perform with technical support from Children's Theatre's artistic and educational staff. OnStage 2009 productions will include the fairytale-inspired musical Into the Woods, the mystical fable ¡Boćon!, Shakespeare's enchanting comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream and the adventurous folk tale Seagirl.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.ctcharlotte.org, by calling the box office at (704) 973-2828, or by visiting us at ImaginOn (M-F, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.).
|
Register Now for Summer Camp!
 Registration for Children's Theatre's popular week-long summer camp programs opened on February 11, and camps are filling fast! Don't miss out on the fun going on in classroom spaces at ImaginOn and convenient satellite locations in Ballantyne, South Charlotte and Davidson. Visit www.ctcharlotte.org for more information or to register online.
|
Conquering the world, one game at a time! On April 16, 2009, 10 teens set out to conquer the world...starting at ImaginOn! These ambitious teens were the first to participate in the Teen Loft's newest program, "Conquer the World", a program that enables teens to conquer the world while playing Civilization IV (a strategy and simulation computer game). Using a bank of networked gaming laptops, participating teens competed with one another to expand their empire while dealing with rival nations, using geography, developing infrastructure, and encouraging scientific and cultural progress for the people of their empire. Throughout the game, the teens had to ask themselves questions world leaders ask everyday in the real world: Would they support peace and ally with other nations? Would they develop sophisticated technology to sell to others? Would they build a media-driven corporate superpower or become a tyrant causing war to break out? With every decision they made, each player learned that every choice has a consequence. If you're a teen interested in conquering the world, join us next month for more Civilization IV. Call or e-mail us for more information, including the date and time for next month's program: (704) 973-2728; theloft@plcmc.org. |
Staying Safe Online
On April 8, ImaginOn's Technology Education department and the Loft hosted a rousing discussion for parents and teens about cyberbullying - a new form of bullying that occurs not in the schoolyard, but on the Web, in chat rooms, in IM's, email, or online gaming. Following concurrent parent and teen sessions, the two groups merged to discuss bullying in general and actions teens and parents can take to keep themselves safe online. The program coincided with the Children's Theatre of Charlotte's production, The Secret Life of Girls, about the same topic.
|
|
