COPAKE — The Roeliff Jansen Community Library, 9091 Route 22, Copake, announces the following programs. For information, call 518-325-4101.
On Display: David J. Lesako on display trough Jan. 12. David Lesako taught art for 38 years, with students ranging from kindergarteners through college age.
After retiring as a public school teacher in Pennsylvania, David and his wife relocated to Ghent.
Taking inspiration from both nature and the historic buildings located in the Berkshire and Taconic regions, his luscious pastel landscapes are often created en plein air, a French expression that means “in the open air” and refers to drawing and painting outdoors. He prefers bright late afternoon or early evening light and enjoys documenting the seasonal changes. David lists the French Impressionists and the German Expressionists among his favorite painters.
He currently teaches adult classes at the Art School of Columbia County.
Circle Time with Tia Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m. Preschoolers and their families are invited to join Tia in a circle for stories, fun activities, laughs and more.
Homeschool Wednesdays Wednesdays, 1-2 p.m.. Tia, the Library’s Children’s & Youth Services Associate, will be sharing stories and activities for homeschooled kids in the Children’s Room every Wednesday.
Lego Club. Join us every Thursday for an afternoon filled with Legos and fun in our Children’s Room. Check with us on social media for our weekly themes!
Homework Help Thursdays, 5-7 p.m. Need a quiet place to get your homework done? Having trouble with an assignment? K-12 homework help is available at the library for English and Spanish speakers. Se habla español. Volunteer tutors are welcome to apply.
Questions? Visit the library or call for more information.
English-Language Tutoring by Appointment Thursdays, 6–7:30 p.m. Free English-language tutoring will be available between 6:00 and 7:30 p.m. by appointment on Thursday evenings.
This tutoring program is intended primarily for adults. Instruction will be one-on-one or in small groups with Yvonne Acevedo and will be geared toward everyday conversational needs. Free childcare will be provided for children ages 3 and older. Email director@roejanlibrary.org or call 518-325-4101 to schedule an appointment.
Storytime with Tia Saturdays, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Tia, the Library’s Children’s & Youth Services Associate, will share stories and related activities for kids in the Children’s Room every Saturday starting at 10:30 a.m. We hope to see you there.
Roe Jan Writers Series 5:30-6:30 p.m. Dec. 14: David Nasaw & Dinitia Smith. Taghkanic residents David Nasaw and Dinitia Smith will read from and discuss their most recent works.
David Nasaw’s The Last Million: Europe’s Displaced Persons from World War to Cold War is the story of the refugees left behind in Germany at war’s end: Jews who had survived the Holocaust, Eastern European forced and slave laborers deported against their will to Germany, and collaborators and war criminals who had fled their homelands in advance of the Red Army.
We too easily and wrongly assume that once the war was over, the nations of the world, including the United States, opened their hearts and their doors to the Holocaust survivors, but it was far easier for former Nazi collaborators and war criminals, now self-proclaimed anti-Soviet, anti-Communists, to resettle outside Germany in the immediate postwar period than it was for the Jewish survivors.
Board of Trustees Budget Meeting 6-7 p.m. Dec. 15. The Board will review the proposed 2023 budget.
Decorate a Gingerbread House 1 and 2:30 p.m. Dec. 17.
Get ready for the holidays by making your very own gingerbread house! We provide the housing material and decoration supplies, you bring the craftsmanship. Feel free to bring any extra special supplies like gumdrops, candy canes, etc.
All ages welcome. We will have two different time slots, the first at 1 p.m. and the second at 2:30 p.m. Registration is required. Email director@roejanlibrary.org to reserve your gingerbread house and request your preferred time. You may also call the library at 518-325-4101.
The library will be closed Dec. 24.
Homeschool Wednesday with Babe, the Golden Retriever therapy dog, 1-2 p.m. Dec. 28.
Babe, a Golden Retriever, will be visiting the library to hang out with the kids attending our Homeschool program at the library. Babe is trained and very gentle. A new study suggests that spending time with therapy dogs may help lower children’s stress levels even more than relaxation exercises. Let’s all share our New Year wishes with our furry friend. Come over and visit with Babe! Her owner, Nora Hayes, is a certified evaluator for Bright and Beautiful Therapy dogs.
The Library will be closed New Year’s Eve.
David Lesako Live Art Demo 11 a.m. Jan. 7. Meet current featured artist David Lesako and watch as he does a demonstration on drawing with pastels.
He will be at the library working from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. drawing our view of Roe Jan Kill.
Roe Jan Writers Series: Maryann Proper Barto 5:30 p.m. Jan. 11.
Maryann Barto grew up in West Taghkanic with her basket-making mother, which gave her the inspiration to write A Story from a Basket Maker’s Daughter: The Hill.
Her family’s stories have been living history and enhanced her love for researching forgotten history to include in her writing. Maryann will read from and discuss her new novel, set in a rustic village known as The Hill, whose members have depended upon one another for survival, fearing the consequences of their secrets and the changes around them.
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