Shiver me timbers! Pirate School Comes to Crowell Library

Thursday, September 13, 2012, 3:30 p.m.

Yo-ho, mateys! Kids (pre-school and up) are invited to Crowell Public Library dressed in their best pirate or pirate princess uniform for the complex curriculum known as Pirate School at Crowell Public Library Thursday, September 13, at 3:30 p.m. Although not on the AP list, this course prepares children for the many unexpected twists and turns life at sea might throw them, such as walking the plank, talking to parrots and dancing with a pegleg. Furthermore, this course is not offered at Stanford, CalTech or Yale. And, it is an absolute prerequisite for September 19, the official International Talk Like A Pirate Day.

Captain Kidds-in-training will hear several hair-raising tales of high seas adventures and learn to sing sea shanties from a real accordion-playing pirate, “Cupcake” (yes, he will explain the origin of that name). Pirate apprentices will work to finesse their "pirattitude" and play classic pirate games such as “Walk the Plank” and “Pin the Eye-Patch On the Pirate.” They will make their own Blackbeard-approved craft to take home, and keep whatever booty they may pilfer during the course. Every gem of piratology is buried treasure for these future Captain Hooks and Anne Bonneys!

Don’t be a bilge rat and miss this amazing course which will never be offered online! Arrrrgh!

Sponsored by the Friends of the Crowell Public Library.

LA OPERA TALK: Mozart’s Don Giovanni

SUNDAY, September 16th 2:00 p.m.

No woman is safe from his advances! No man is safe from his dastardly schemes. Don Giovanni is coming to LA Opera September 22 through October 14th. Can’t make it to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion? Come to Crowell Public Library and learn all about the legendary seducer for FREE. In the Library’s Barth Community Room, there is no nose-bleed section: all seats are “orchestra,” enhanced by great acoustics, air conditioning, and the grand company of fellow opera aficionados.

Lotharios, Casanovas, Don Juans: see your fate come to life in vibrant operatic form! Hear the highlights of this wonderful piece through the eyes and ears of DIANE BELTOYA, our favorite Community Educator from LA Opera. She will focus her talk on Don Giovanni and the Age of Enlightenment and show excerpts from the opera. Considered by many to be the greatest opera ever written, Mozart’s Don Giovanni deftly balances comedy and tragedy with unforgettable music.
Opera is not just magnificent music, dance and theater with astounding sets on a beautiful stage. An opera can sweep you away to foreign lands, take you back in time, dazzle you with pageantry and bring history to life. It is literature, social studies, cultural diversity, multiple languages and most of all, it is exciting! Come explore the world of opera through LA Opera’s education programs.

Opera has something for everyone.

How to Reduce Test Stress and Raise Test Scores

Thursday Sept 20th at 7:00pm

Someone utters the word “test” and a common reaction might be hyperventilation and sweaty palms. All those facts, figures and logic can fly right out the window at the sight of a blank answer sheet. Get a handle on the stress by attending this free lecture by BEN BERNSTEIN, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and the author of the recently released, Test Success! How to be Calm, Confident and Focused on Any Test. Dr. Bernstein will teach techniques that improve test performance and reduce anxiety on Sept 20th at Crowell Public Library.

Ben Bernstein specializes as a performance coach. His clients include individuals in high stress, high performance occupations: athletes, actors, business executives and healthcare professionals. As a teacher over the last 43 years, Dr. Bernstein has worked at every level of the educational system. His training model is receiving widespread attention and use. He is a national speaker on the subject of stress and performance, regularly speaking in schools, prisons, programs for under-served youth, and to healthcare professionals.

Registration is not required for this event, but space is limited. This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Crowell Public Library.