Joan Bauk St. Marys County Library Need for the Program: In 1963, President John F.

Kennedy met with the National Council of Senior Citizens and together established the month of May as Senior Citizens Month. The goal was to designate a time to acknowledge the contributions of past and current older persons to our country. Every President since JFK has issued a formal proclamation during or before the month of May asking that the entire nation pay tribute in some way to older persons in their communities. President Jimmy Carter changed the name to Older Americans Month in 1980 and it continues to be celebrated each year. In recognition of Older Americans Month I am proposing that we host a Stories That Span the Ages Day at the St. Marys Nursing Center sometime during the month of May. Our library currently provides book deposit collections to 2 senior centers and 1 assisted living center, and the books for one local senior center book discussion group. However, we do not have any outreach programs with the nursing home. I would like to hold a story hour there to honor the seniors. Children and seniors will share songs, crafts, and stories. Potential Community Partners: Little Seedlings Christian Preschool and Kindergarten. This school is located close the Nursing Center and the Leonardtown Library. The Preschool and Kindergarten follow the State of Maryland, Department of Education State Curriculum which requires that teachers follow the guidelines set forth in the Maryland Model of School Readiness. Under this training pre-school teachers are required to plan a trip for their students, along with their parents, to a local place in the community. St. Marys Nursing Center. This is a long-term care, short-term rehabilitation, and respite care facility located less than one mile from the Leonardtown Library. The facility has 180 beds which means there are a good number of people there at any given time who would benefit from a library program. The facility is a not-for-profit organization, operating a Comprehensive Nursing Care Facility under the Maryland Department of Health & Mental Hygiene. A full-time Activities Director and staff offer activities for the residents. Steps Necessary for Setting up the Program: I have been contacted by the teacher of the three and four year olds from Little Seedlings Christian Preschool. She is looking into the possibility of planning a trip for her class of four year olds. I will need to contact the Activities Director at the St. Marys Nursing Ce nter and either set up a meeting in person with her, or speak to her over the phone. If she agrees to the program, we will need to choose a time that is best for the residents of the Nursing Center. I will need to go over a series of questions with her about the number of people who could participate, liability, choosing a meeting room, and assistance from the staff at the Nursing Center with room set up and with residents. I will then need to contact the preschool teacher. She will draft an email letter to the parents of her students with directions, the time, and the place for the program. The students parents will be responsible for bringing their children to the program. The preschool teacher and I will work together to choose an appropriate book, song and craft. As far as advertising, I could create a poster announcing the event. The Nursing Center could display the announcement in their newsletter or on a bulletin board that is in a visible location at the center. The Activities Director could let residents know about the event in the same manner that regular activities are advertised. She may have a monthly calendar that she posts on each floor. The preschool teacher could attach the same poster to the email that she sends out to the parents of her students. The program will probably cost less than $15.00, which would be the cost of the craft supplies. The program would be evaluated based on student attendance and resident attendance. I could ask the Activities Director and the preschool teacher to complete a questionnaire on the event, asking them how they felt about the program and whether or not they would be willing to participate in a program like this in May of the following year. Mission Statement:

One of our librarys mission statements is that the library is an active member of the community through collaboration and participation in community events and organizations . Under that statement are two goals. One is to engage with members of the community to determine the needs of the co untys diverse populations. Two is to develop and maintain partnerships so the power of the library can reach more people. With this project the library would be partnering with a local preschool to assist them in meeting the state standards for school readiness, and also reaching out to a portion our countys senior population through a new partnership with a local nursing center. Media Release: Immediate Date: April 18, 2014 Contact: Joan Bauk, Library Associate St. Marys County Library 301-475-2846 Ext. 4 301-884-4415 (FAX) Stories That Span the Ages Representatives from the Leonardtown Library will be joining Mrs. Reese Bergens 4 year old preschool class at the St. Marys Nursing Center on Thursday, May 9th at 10:30am. The group will be meeting at the center in celebration of Older Americans Month. The children will take part in a Stories That Span the Ages program with a group of the Centers residents. They will sing songs and complete a craft together, and then listen to stories read by Leonardtown Library staff members. Mrs. Bergen is a teacher at the Little Seedlings Christian Preschool in Leonardtown, Md. As her school follows the guidelines set forth by the Maryland Model for School Readiness, Mrs. Bergen feels that honoring the seniors with her class in celebration of Older Americans Month would be a wonderful way to nurture the childrens social development skills. The program is free. Crafts will be provided by the St. Marys County Library. This Older Americans Month celebration is sponsored by the St. Marys County Library, St. Marys Nursing Center, and Little Seedlings Christian Preschool.