It has been a busy month in The Family Room here at Turning the Page! Throughout October, Turning the Page hosted a variety of virtual Family Room events for our families in both D.C. and Chicago. As the challenges brought on by COVID-19 remain, Turning the Page stays committed to providing families with new experiences, interactive workshops, and specialized resources for this unprecedented school year. Check out what we have been up to this month in The Family Room.
The Lincoln Park Zoo
On October 21st, we took a virtual field trip to the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. Lincoln Park Zoo educators Emma Martel and Jaeda Branch guided us through a behind the scenes look at the cichlids, an aardvark, and giraffes! We learned tons of fun facts about these zoo creatures and our families asked some interesting questions about what animal life at a zoo looks like. Since many of the zoo’s indoor exhibits remain closed to the public, it was a pleasure to have the opportunity to see these animals up close and virtually.
The Spectacular Tentacular Word and Picture Play Hour
On October 27th, we hosted the second of a series of interactive events with author and illustrator duo, Candace and Eric! This month’s event focused on illustration and how to tell stories through pictures. Eric guided us step by step through his process of drawing. We followed along with Eric as he drew a picture of pig using only a few simple lines and shapes. Families were proud to show off their creations and excited to learn how to become even better storytellers through art.
The Family Room Workshop
In addition to our family-oriented virtual experiences, Turning the Page offers school specific, Family Room Workshops made exclusively for parents. October’s Family Room Workshop focused on how parents can start this school year on the right foot, even in this new virtual learning environment. This workshop gave parents an opportunity to join an online community of parents to discuss this year’s successes and challenges. We provided parents with several educational resources and tips to assist students with at-home learning. We also encouraged parents to focus on their own self care and regulation in order to best support their families during these difficult times. These workshops are a great opportunity for Turning the Page staff to provide parents with more individualized support and foster a sense of community within each school we partner with.
We are looking forward to hosting even more events in the Family Room with our community partners across the world. We plan to continue to adapt to the needs of families and engage both parents and their students in a virtual world. For more information on the Family Room and to watch our past events click here.
Want to support The Family Room events? There are three ways you can help: order a grab-bag of #CuratedByCarpeLibrum books to be delivered to your home; purchase a gift card to use at a future Carpe Librum pop-up or store; make a donation through our website