A rip-roaring time was had by all at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens last week when about 60 pre-school learners, aged between four and six, together with their teachers from Smart Steps Academy in Athlone, dropped by for a visit.
On Wednesday 28 September, Claremont Library, in collaboration with Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, treated the pre-schoolers to a full programme of learning and entertainment in the garden of the Gold Fields Environmental Education Centre at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens.
Gifted storyteller, Tracy Muir Rix, who also happens to be the senior professional officer: Library and Information Service, started the fun with an edge-of-your-seat book reading followed by nursery rhymes, led by library staff, and a library orientation presentation.
The showstopper, however, was a “puppet show” performed by staff from Claremont library.
Dressed up as the characters from the book I am a Tiger (by Karl Newson), library staff popped out their “animal” heads from the puppet theatre (on loan from Lansdowne Library) to retell the story of Mouse.
The furry critter believes he is a tiger, and he convinces Fox, Raccoon, Snake, and Bird he’s one, too. After all, Mouse can climb a tree like a tiger and hunt for his lunch, too. And not all tigers are big and have stripes.
Attending the event were Merle Collins, head of marketing and communications: Library and Information Service; Gilbert Isaac, Head 13: Area South: Library and Information Services; Alicia Thornton, principal librarian at Claremont Library; Anastashia Mathura, librarian; Gadija Manuel, assistant librarian; Gafieldien Agulhas, assistant librarian; Tracy Leigh Davids, assistant librarian; Noxolo Bonga, assistant librarian; and Nuhaa Portland, assistant librarian. Libee the library mascot was also present to the great delight of the little ones.
Portland explains that the event marked the conclusion of a five-week integrated reading programme held in partnership with Smart Steps Academy.
Called “Little Book Detectives of Claremont Library”, the reading programme comprised of 25 library books divided into five themes – poetry/drama, fairy-tale/fables, spring, flowers/plants and insects. The books were delivered to the school six weeks prior to the event.
Each week, teachers worked through the different books with learners, testing the pre-schoolers’ understanding of the material and providing feedback to the library on their response to each theme.
- Claremont Library will be closed for stocktake from Monday 17 to Saturday 22 October.
