Events
Thanks a Bunch!
Tuesday, January 4, 4-5 pm
Children in grades 2 – 5 are invited to come and learn the art of writing thank you notes. Each child will have the opportunity to begin writing thank you letters to their family and friends for all of the holiday gifts they received. This is an excellent skill that will carry kids from childhood through adulthood. Grades 2 – 5 with caregivers in the building. Registration required; no fee. Sponsored by the Coyle Family Young Readers Fund.
WINRs Circle Voting Party
Saturday, January 8 , 3-4 pm
Join the library for this annual reading celebration! All children who have read the Nutmeg nominated books for 2011 are invited to join us for voting, cake, pizza, and discussion of the collective nominees. Each child will have a chance to cast their vote for their favorite 2011 Nutmeg nominee at our Children’s Library voting booth! Pizza donated by Wilton Pizza. Grades 4-6 with a caregiver in the building. Registration required.
How To Use Your New Camera!
Sunday, January 9, 2011, 2-3:30 pm
Bought or received a new camera? What do I do with it? Do I need more memory? How do I turn it on! Michael Franco highlights the basic bells and whistles of digital cameras, where to find them, and what they are used for in this demonstration-style class. Advance registration suggested.
Howard and Matthew Greene:
College Grad Seeks Future
Tuesday, January 11, 7-8:30 pm
Nationally-recognized education consultants Howard and Matthew Greene address this talk to current college students and recent graduates who are finding it more difficult than ever to enter the job market. The Greenes discuss finding a true calling, pursuing fields that best fit talents and passions and utilizing unique skills to build a career efficiently and effectively. Discussions based on their new book, College Grad Seeks Future: Turning Your Talents, Strengths and Passions into the Perfect Career. Books will be available for purchase and signing. Parents are welcome to attend. Registration encouraged. Snow date: Wednesday, January 12.
Lego Club
Wednesday, January 12, 4-5 pm
Kids in grades 3 and up learn about themes through stories and non-fiction books and then create a Lego® masterpiece from the library’s Lego collection. Registration required. Sponsored by the Coyle Family Young Readers Fund.
PTA Council’s Reflections Reception
Thursday, January 13, 6-8 pm
A reception for the Wilton PTA Council’s Reflections program will be held in the Children’s Library. Screenings from the categories of dance/choreography, musical composition, and film/video production from Wilton students in grades K – 12 will be shown continuously on a large screen. Entries in photography and the visual arts (which includes art forms such as drawing, painting, print making, and collage) are on display in the Children’s Library through Tuesday, January 25. Refreshments provided.
Author Talk: Mary Jane Clark
To Have and To Kill
Thursday, January 13, 7-8:30 pm
Best selling mystery author Mary Jane Clark introduces her new character, Piper Donovan, in To Have and To Kill, the first in a new series: The Wedding Cake Mysteries. The daughter of an FBI agent and mother of two, she lives in New Jersey and Florida. Q&A following the talk. Books available for purchase and signing. Book sales benefit Wilton Library. Registration recommended.
Art Reception for “Mixed Talent”
Friday, January 14, 6-7:30 pm
Select works by six Wilton artists feature myriad styles, subject matter and media. The artists are Sandra Bacher, Lisa Burns, Katya Lebrija, Rama Ramaswami, Dick Rauh and Jen Shelley. A portion of the proceeds benefit the library. Exhibition runs through Thursday, January 27. Reception open to the public.
Basic Word 2007
Tuesday, January 18, 6:30 pm-8 pm
Mary Anne Franco shows how to create and format a basic document in Word 2007 in this free class. Basic computer skills, including mouse proficiency, required. Advance registration required. Class limited to 10 students. PLEASE NOTE: When class is full, additional registrants will be added to a wait list. If any original registrants drop out, people from the wait list will be moved up to take the vacated spot. ALSO: To insure the best learning experience for all, latecomers will not be seated ten minutes past the posted start time. The door to the Training Lab will be closed at that time.
ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages)
Class Registration and Placement Testing
Wednesday, January 19 , 9:30-11 am
Registration and placement testing for ESOL classes will take place at Wilton Library on Wednesday, January 19 from 9:30AM – 11:00AM and also at Staples High School, 70 North Ave, Westport on Tuesday, January 18 or Wednesday, January 19 from 6:30PM-8:30PM. Please note that the ESOL class is for the intermediate to advanced level student. Class size is limited and will be determined by Placement Testing. Classes are open to Wilton, Westport, and Weston residents. Class testing and registration will be conducted by Westport Continuing Education. No registration for test; just walk in. Classes will be held twice weekly, Mondays and Wednesdays, January 26-April 25, 9:30-11:30 am
Basic Word 2007
Thursday, January 20, 12:30 pm-2 pm
Mary Anne Franco shows how to create and format a basic document in Word 2007 in this free class. Basic computer skills, including mouse proficiency, required. Advance registration required. Class limited to 10 students. PLEASE NOTE: When class is full, additional registrants will be added to a wait list. If any original registrants drop out, people from the wait list will be moved up to take the vacated spot. ALSO: To insure the best learning experience for all, latecomers will not be seated ten minutes past the posted start time. The door to the Training Lab will be closed at that time.
Have Your Cake and Read it Too!
Child/Adult Book Discussion
Thursday, January 20, 6:30-7:30 pm
Join Wilton Library’s kids’ book club for children in grades 3 and up; dessert will be served and adults will be included. Children and their adults will read the book selection and then join the discussion. This month selection is The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood. Registration is required. Made possible by the Coyle Family Young Readers Fund.
New Perspectives Documentary Film Series:
My Kid Could Paint That!
Thursday, January 20, 7-8:30 pm
This documentary by Amir Bar-Lev, an award-winning director, chronicles the meteoric rise and fall of a 4-year-old child prodigy painter. Marla Olmstead was championed as a “budding Picasso,” and lauded in the press, until it was later suspected that her father actually created the paintings. The parents were faulted for first exposing their daughter to the glare of the media and then were later barraged with hate mail. Megan Smith-Harris will host the Q&A following the film. Registration recommended.
AMERICA’S CIVIL WAR-150 YEARS LATER:
Why Did the Civil War Last So Long? with Eugenia Kiesling
Sunday January 23 , 2-3:30 pm
The Wilton Historical Society and the Wilton Library are collaborating for the fourth year with America’s Civil War-150 Years Later, a four-part scholarly series of lectures planned January through March, alternating between the two venues. Receptions follow each of the talks with books available for purchase and signing. Q & A sessions are planned for each of the lectures. The scholarly series is being underwritten by the Wilton Bank. There is no charge for the series; donations are always welcomed. Registration is essential due to the popularity of these series in the past. In this first session, the talk will evaluate several explanations for the war’s duration and examine the ways in the practice of war changed as the difficulty of winning became more apparent. Guest speaker Professor Kiesling earned her BA in History at Yale University 1978, her MA in Ancient History and Philosophy at Wadham College, Oxford University, and her Ph.D. in Modern European Military History at Stanford University in 1988. She has taught at the United States Military Academy at West Point, reaching the rank of Professor of History in 2002. Her publications include Arming Against Hitler: France and The Limits of Military Planning. This program is sponsored by Wilson Properties, LLC. Additional dates in the series: February 13 at the Wilton Historical Society – Why the Civil War Mattered—Steven Hahn, program sponsor: Ellen and Tom Mann; February 27 at the Wilton Library – Confederate Reckoning: Power and Politics in the Civil War—Stephanie McCurry, program sponsor: Drs. Betsy and Ron Kahan; March 13 at the Wilton Historical Society – Mediating the Civil War—James Lundberg, program sponsor: Kathleen and Bill Brennan. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR ANY OF THE FOUR DATES IN THIS SERIES. YOU MUST REGISTER FOR EACH SESSION YOU WISH TO ATTEND.
Twitter
Monday, January 24, 10:30 am-12:00 noon
Mary Anne Franco of the Wilton Library will show you how to tweet to let your followers know what’s happening with you – your ideas and whatever’s interesting – in this demonstration-style class. Learn how to follow businesses and people you care about, world and local events.
Literary Littles
Mondays, January 24 through Monday, March 14 , 2:15-3 pm
For independent listeners ages 4-6 years. Story time that provides children with experiences that enrich early literacy with stories, short films, songs and crafts. No registration. No session on Monday, February 21.
Good Reads, Great Kids
Monday, January 24, 6:15-7 pm
Children in grades 1 and 2 and their parents will have the opportunity to meet and discuss books as a group. For this first meeting children are invited to bring a book that they have read recently to talk about in this group setting. In addition to personal selections, the group will discuss the book Farewell to Shady Glade by Bill Peet. Snacks will be provided and a craft will be made. Grades 1 and 2. Parents and guardians must be present. Sponsored by the Sherman Family Fund. Registration required.
Wonderful Ones and Twos with Caregivers
Tuesday, January 25 through Tuesday, March 15 , 10:15-10:45 am
This program is a sharing time for 1 and 2 year olds and their caregivers. The emphasis is on books,
with some songs and puzzles. No registration. 8-week program.
Look, Listen and Learn
Tuesday, January 25 through Tuesday, March 15, 11-11:30 am
For 3 and 4 years olds with parent/caregiver. By interacting with stories, singing songs and acting out finger plays and rhymes, children in this program gain pre-reading skills and learn how to participate in a group setting. No registration; no fee. 8-week program.
Literary Littles
Tuesdays, January 25 through Tuesday, March 15, 2:15–3 pm
For independent listeners ages 4-6 years. Story time that provides children with experiences that enrich early literacy with stories, short films, songs and crafts. No registration. 8-week program.
Film: Race to Nowhere
The Dark Side of America’s Achievement Culture:
Tuesday January 25
DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND, WE NOW HAVE THREE SHOWINGS:
10:30 am-noon; 1:30-3 pm; and 7-9 pm
Vicki Abeles, first-time filmmaker, was inspired to make Race to Nowhere out of concern for her children. A mother of three and former Wall Street attorney, Abeles awakened to this crisis as her 12-year old daughter was being treated for stress-related illness. She saw personally how the pressures were overwhelming not only to her own kids, but to students everywhere – in every kind of school environment and community. “I felt compelled to speak out about this crisis by making a film and giving voice to the students, teachers, and parents. I wanted to expose a deeper truth about our education system. We are graduating a generation of robo-students, unable to think and work independently, creatively and collaboratively” states Abeles. Race to Nowhere is a call to action to challenge current assumptions on how to best prepare the youth of America to become healthy, bright, contributing and leading citizens.
A panel discussion moderated by Megan Smith-Harris will follow the third showing of the film (7-9 pm) with panelists:
- Heather Wilcauskas – Wilton PTA Council
- Matthew Greene – Educational Director of Howard Greene & Associates
Registration highly recommended. Click below to register for the showing you wish to attend:
ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) Class
Wednesday, January 26 through Monday, May 11, 9:30-11:30 am
Twice-weekly intermediate and advanced level classes in English for Speakers of Other Languages will begin on Wednesday, January 26th and will continue on Mondays and Wednesdays until April 25th at Wilton Library by Westport Continuing Education. Testing and registration required.
Wonderful Ones and Twos with Caregivers
Wednesday, January 26 through Wednesday, March 16, 10:15-10:45 am
This program is a sharing time for 1 and 2 year olds and their caregivers. The emphasis is on books, with some songs and puzzles. No registration; no fee. 8-week program.
Terrific Tales for Twos and Threes
Wednesday, January 26 through Wednesday, March 16 , 11-11:30 am
Join Wilton Library for 2 and 3-year old story time. Children and their caregivers will sing songs, listen to stories, and enjoy playtime together while building literacy and social skills. No registration. 8-week program.
Lego Club
Wednesday, January 26, 4-5 pm
Kids in grades 3 and up learn about themes through stories and non-fiction books and then create a Lego® masterpiece from the library’s Lego collection. Registration required. Sponsored by the Coyle Family Young Readers Fund.
Aspects of the Short Story with Bill Ziegler
Thursday, January 27, 10:30-noon
Bill Ziegler will again lead his popular five-part series of short stories on January 27, and February 3, 10, 17, and 24 with snow makeup date of March 3. Participants read and discuss a variety of short stories that illustrate the characteristics of the genre and provide a basis for critical evaluation. The stories will be available at the circulation desk before the seminar begins. Advance registration is required.
Weir Farm Artist-in-Residence Exhibition/Reception:
Cheryl Molnar
Thursday, January 27, 6-7:30 pm
January brings Cheryl Molnar to the Weir Farm artist-in-residency program. The eclectic Brooklyn section of Greenpoint, gives her inspiration. Cheryl states that “collage, in both its two-dimensional and three-dimensional forms, allows me to construct layered landscapes that visually explore pattern, structure and time, as well as nostalgia and other sensibilities created by urban and suburban migration.” Cheryl holds a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design and an MFA from Pratt Institute.Co-sponsored by Weir Farm Art Center and Weir Farm National Historic Site and presented by Wilton Library. Registration suggested.
Connecticut’s Own
Kevin Briody
Sunday, January 30, 4–5 pm
Connecticut songwriter and guitarist Kevin Briody shares his inspiring music. No charge. Advance registration is suggested and pre-registrants must arrive by 3:50 p.m. to be guaranteed a seat. After 3:50 p.m., and if space is available, waitlisted and walk-in registrants will be admitted.
Healthy Choices Comedy Show for Kids!
Monday, January 31 , 3-4 pm
Kids in grades K-5 are invited to spend their day off from school laughing out loud at this hilarious program. Robert Rivest joins us and shares some ideas for staying healthy by eating the right foods and exercising. This is a hands-on program where kids are invited to participate and get involved in the show. Robert Rivest’s humorous insights connect deeply with children, teens, and adults, moving them to make mindful choices about food, exercise, entertainment, and safety. Mr. Rivest will immediately captivate the audience with engaging mime stories of choices kids face every day. Grade K-5 with a caregiver. Registration required. Sponsored by the Sherman Family Fund.
