On August 4th, the 2023 West Springfield Public Library Summer Reading program, “Find Your Voice,” came to a close. Over 513 kids, from preschoolers through grade 8 participated either in-person or through the on-line READSquared program. The library was a very busy place with kids checking in reading time and checking out books and other reading materials. This year’s theme emphasized being curious and exploring new programs and ideas.
That theme was on full display with our summer reading performer series, funded by a grant from the West Springfield Arts Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Each week the library offered a creative outlet to participate in, including: David Bates: storyteller, Caravan Puppets, Kate O’Connor and a Beautiful Futures Band, Ed the Wizard’s Balloon Twisting Workshop, Joy of Nature animal program, Tim Kane Drum Circle and Rick Hamelin’s pottery workshop. We were thrilled to have the West Springfield Summer School program join us for the drum program.
The library offered a variety of both in-person and Take it and Make it craft programs, LEGO Club and LEGO Robotics, Family Movie Matinees, Science programs for both older and younger kids, and summer and pajama story times. The librarians also enjoyed offering outreach storytime programming to the West Springfield Boys and Girls Club, the West Springfield Park and Recreations Tiny Tot program as well as offering a Take it and Make it craft program for the West Springfield Summer School Program.
Participants were given the opportunity to earn weekly raffle tickets for every two hours they read. To complete the program, they needed to complete at least 10 hours of reading. As always, the amazing Friends of the West Springfield Library made the summer reading program possible by funding everything from room décor to craft materials and Summer Reading prizes. All our Summer Reading completers were invited to an end of the Summer Ice Cream party on August 18th at the library thanks to a special collaboration with Gooseberry Farms. We would also like to thank P.E.R.T., Professionals Enjoying Retirement Time; a group of retired teachers from West Springfield Public Schools, for a generous reading program prize donation. As well as individual Summer Reading prize donations from Heather Lapinski, Debbie Sypek and the Sypek family, Cori Bishop, and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners and the Boston Bruins. The library staff proudly congratulates the following young people who met their reading goal:
PRESCHOOLERS AND KINDERGARTENERS:
Maria AlQaisy, Rosalee Arabian, Aubrey Auld, Timothy Cote, Amarah Barker, Emma Bilodeau, Ava Brazee, Jonathan Breard, Kenzie Burns, Robert Burns, Jack Deslauriers, Tripp Dunbar, Maveyn Fenton, Beckett Freeman, Charlie Freeman, Sybil Fritz, Mackenzie Gawle, Eliana Gurt, Evie Hill, Aubrey Hogan, Umar Iddrisu, Rex Knowles, Ava Lang, Macklin Larrivee, Ryan Leahy, Makenna Lopes, Phoenix Lynch, Isabelle Mack, Rosie Martin, Cameron Milligan, Brooklyn Messer, Maya Moskey, Trenten Moynihan, Dominic Nadeau, Alexander Nester, Diana Nester, Aleksandra Olberg, Olivia Palermo, Theo Palermo, Luke Ranstrom, Noah Sabin, Evangeline Saxer, Serena Serrano, O’Mari Shakeel, Emmeline Shute, Maggie Spitzer, Emma Stockhaus, Jeslynn Sylvester, Nava Rastegar, Shayan Rastegar, Addison Rzeszutek, Cole Rzeszutek, Cora Ulasewich, Vanshika Vats, Autumn Wright, Travis Wright
INDEPENDENT READERS:
Rimas Alsalamat, Emma Albro, Amaya Allen, Hajer AlQaisy, Rima Alsari, Vinny Anderson, Aria Antoine, Irene Ballway, Kylie Belson, Lyndsay Belson, Prayas Bhujel, Silas Bhujel. Parker Bilodeau, Kosmas Bitzas, Stefanos Bitzas, Audrey Boutet, Emmet Boutet, Daphne Bouyea, Alissa Brkic, Morgan Brogden, Lucas Brown, Devin Burke, Patrick Burns, Peyton Carr, Alexis Castro, Ethan Chaisson, Julius Champagne, Eva Clark, Thomas Clark, Paul Cleavall, Leo Collins, Teddy Collins, Paige Comrie, Catherine Corey, Laurelin Corey, Aiden Contant, Luke Cote, Shaina Cote, Bodie Craven, Leah Crespo, Vansh Desai, Noah Desorcy, Joey Deslauriers, Sophia Deslauriers, Dylan DiCarlo, Mason DiCarlo, Addison Dooley, Lawren Dunbar, Aidan Fernandes, Temperance Freeman, Delilah Freeman, Nathan Fritz, Abigail Francisco, Zeliah Francisco, Sage Gawle, Miasol Gazillo, Gabriella Goddard, Amelia Goodrow, Benjamin Gurt, Taylor Hall, Hannah Hall, Kaylee Hettrick, Kavya Jawale, Brynn Kelleher, Emmet Krok, Addison LaBarre, Liliana LaBorde, Skylar LaBorde, Emily Latham, Parker Leahy, Theodor LeDoux, Owen LeDuc, Connor LeDuc, Lowell Leigner, Morgan Leone, Sam Leone, Liam Livingstone, Vanessa Lopez, Beatrice Lujan, Nora Lyons, Myles Maldonado, Evie Martin, Nolan Masiak, Caroline McCarthy, Cleo McNulty, Kylee Messier, Mike Milligan, Camryn Morrissey, Luke Moskey, Matthew Murdzia, Sophia Murdzia, Veronica Nester, Sylvia Neville, Ella Niemiec, Collin O’Brien, Mackenzie Oleksak, Christian Osei Bonsu, Samantha Osei Bonsu, Sophia Peabody, Miley Polastry, Kelsey Popp, Paige Provost, Evelyn Putnam, Grace Ranstrom, Sadie Ranstrom, Tobias Rivard, Liam Rivera, Henry Rivest, William Rivest, Alexander Robinson, Abigail Russell, Isabella Russell, Na’Tori Shakeel, Sofia Shibley, Aidan Sweet, Nora Sweet, Isaac Sylvester, Sebastian Sylvester, Ermina Taksilova, Teddy Tarantino, Sebastian Teodorescu, Alexander Ulasewich, Leonardo Valenti, Kristina Villaruel, Kristopher Villaruel, Lucas Webb, Raelynn Winkler, Alyssa Woytowicz, Josephine Xavier.
MIDDLE SCHOOL:
Nicholas Albro, Mackenzie Atkins, Sayida Ballard-Thakore, Aastha Basnet, Jocelyn Chaisson, Luciana Clark, Ian Corey, Siobhan Cote, Olivia Fitzgerald, Micah Heald, Aidan Hettrick, Brynn Kennedy, Alexander Latham, Elliot Latham, Lylah Leigner, Lily Maldonado, Lucy Martin, Amira Maytham, Dylan Morrissey, Dora Mouawad, Hadley Olko, Timophey Petrov, Kalleigh Popp, Lola Privedenyuk, Lily Provost, Breighlyn O’Brien, Olivia Rivera, Malehki Santiago, Ra’mel Santiago, Isabella Teodorescu, Jaiyanna Vazquez, Gianna Webb, Dennery Winkler, Emily Woytowicz, Nathaniel Xavier, Jawad Zaitoun, Zeiad Zaitoun.
