THIBODAUX, La. — This week, Little Colonels Academy students learned about literacy and the ocean through themed games, songs and readings.
Each summer, Little Colonels Academy puts together themed weeks for the children, and the week of June 7-11 was Ocean Week. For the event, Ellender Memorial Library Director Elizabeth Batte, Research and Instruction Librarian and Outreach Coordinator Dr. Robert Stephens and Cataloging Librarian Brandy Burbante created activities to both enrich the children and provide a good time.
“It was wonderful, everything was absolutely wonderful,” said Patricia Turner, lead teacher for the three-year-old class. “The children were so engaged in all of the activities today. I think they really enjoyed the music and movement, and then the aspects of hands-on learning with the searching in the treasure boxes today. They had a good time.”
Dr. Stephens kicked off the event performing a song all of the children knew and could dance to, “Baby Shark.” After the music, Dr. Stephens read “The Pout-Pout Fish,” and had the children acting out his “blub, blub, blub” line. The children then split into groups for the activities. Both groups had a chance to pass a beach ball after mentioning a creature that lives in the ocean and also dig into a box of water beads to find and name the animals living under the sea.
Burbante then read about “Dottie the Dolphin” and her hide and seek journey. Finally, Dr. Stephens closed the event out with two more songs, one that got the children involved in singing about different creatures that could be found under the sea.
“The kids loved it,” four-year-old class lead teacher Jennifer Gaubert said. “They were excited all the way back to the Little Colonels Academy. I think they especially love Ocean Week because a lot of them go on vacation to the beach over the summer, so they like learning about the animals there.”
The Little Colonels will return to the Ellender Memorial Library in July for America Week and Christmas in July Week, with different activities, costumes, songs and books.
“I’m hoping this program is something we can continue into the future, and LCA teachers and administrators know how grateful we are to have partners in promoting a love for libraries,” Burbante said.
Dr. Stephens added, “The library serves not just Nicholls students and faculty, but also the Nicholls community at large, and LCA is a vital part of that community. They are, after all, ‘Little Colonels,’ and we hope that they continue to be a part of that community. I also think it’s important to give kids positive impressions of reading, singing, and libraries so they embrace literacy later in life. We’re creating little library users!”
OR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, June 17, 2021
CONTACT: Robert Stephens, Research and Instruction Librarian/Outreach Coordinator, rob.stephens@nicholls.edu or 985-448-4633
