Evening Spanish/English Conversation Group
Every Tuesday at noon for the past several years, the Judy B. McDonald Public Library has offered an opportunity to bring together Spanish-speakers who want to practice their English with English-speakers who want to practice their Spanish. The library will now offer a second Spanish/English Conversation Group on Thursday nights at 5:30 pm.
“We have heard from many people who are interested in the conversation group but have not been able to come to the Tuesday group because of time constraints so we have decided to have two groups. Participants can choose to come to either or both groups. This is a fun opportunity to meet new people and practice conversing with speakers of another language. We play games, go on scavenger hunts and do ice-breakers. There is no formal structure; we just let the conversation flow freely,” said Mercedes Franks, library director.
The conversation groups will meet Tuesdays at noon and Thursdays at 5:30 pm. The sessions are free and no registration is required.
Basic Computer Classes at the Public Library
This fall, the Judy B. McDonald Public Library will offer afternoon and evening computer classes to accommodate more people’s schedules. For the month of September, the library will offer: Meet the Computer on September 6th; Navigating the Web on September 13th and Microsoft Word on September 20th.
All classes will be held at 5:30 pm. The classes are free, but registration is required. Call 559-2970 for more information about this or other library events.
STEAM 4 KIDS: Playing with Code at the Public Library
The Judy B. McDonald Public Library invites children ages 7 to 11 to participate in a STEAM 4 KIDS program on Thursday, September 8th at 5:30 p.m. This program is designed to teach children how to think like computer programmers. They will learn that they must employ logical reasoning and be precise when telling a computer what to do, or else the computer may do the unexpected! Please call 559-2970 to register.
The Judy B. McDonald Public Library is excited to offer STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) programs for children ages 7-11 this Fall. By offering such programming, the public library strives to provide an informal environment where children can become engaged in fun, hands-on learning activities in the STEAM disciplines. STEAM programs will be offered every Thursday from 5:30 – 6:30pm. All programming is free to the public, but we ask that you register ahead of time so we will be prepared with adequate materials.
Tabletop Games at the Public Library
The Judy B. McDonald Public Library invites community members of all ages to join in Tabletop Games with the next meet-up on Monday, September 12th at 5:30 p.m. Tabletop Gaming is an age-old communal and family activity, and there are many new and exciting games to challenge all skill levels.
Join old friends or new for a gaming evening with such favorites as Forbidden Island, Ticket to Ride, King of Tokyo, Munchkin, Settlers of Catan and more for teens and adults. Younger kids can play Apples to Apples, Clue, Monopoly or any of the other games the library provides. If you have a game, but you’d like to find new challengers, feel free to bring it along. “We’ve had whole families come to play, as well as small groups and individuals,” says Crystal Hicks, assistant library director. “Groups have played Dungeons & Dragons, Guillotine, Bananagrams, you name it. We’ve worked on expanding our selection, so there’s a lot of choices.” Gamers will meet on the first Monday of each month. The event is free and there is no registration required.
Pajama Story Time at the Public Library
With the start of the school year comes another great season of Pajama Story Time events at the Judy B. McDonald Public Library. Once again, Junior Forum volunteers will host these special story times that feature stories, games and crafts. The first event is September 15th at 6:00pm.
The event is free and open to all children and their families. Children may come dressed in their pajamas or other bedtime attire. Call 559-2970 for more information about this or other library events.
A La Noche Cenamos (Dinner Tonight Series) at the Public Library
The Judy B. McDonald Public Library is pleased to announce the first class in a series of free cooking classes to be taught by Claudann Jones of the Texas A&M Agriculture Extension Office. The series called, A La Noche Cenamos (Dinner Tonight) will be a series of healthy-eating bilingual cooking classes. Each hands-on class will feature a different cuisine and will be taught in English and Spanish.
The first class will feature Mexican cooking and will be held on Mexican Independence Day, September 16th at 6:30 pm. The program is free and is open to all persons ages 12 years and up. No matter which language you speak, be it English or Spanish, this class will be a lot of fun as we all learn new cooking techniques and new vocabulary words! Registration deadline for this free class is September 13th. Call 559-2970 for more information.
Winter Gardening Workshop at the Public Library
The Judy B. McDonald Public Library invites community members to the next installment in a series on gardening and wellness, Winter Gardening, on Saturday, September 17th at 2:30 p.m. Even though the weather is cooling down, a garden can still be in full swing. Local gardeners will discuss different plants and techniques to extend your harvest throughout the colder months in this mild Southern climate, with and without the help of a greenhouse. Please call 936-559-2970 to register. Lego Club will be going on in the next room, so kids can play while parents learn.
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