Saturday, March 19, 2011

SWALLOWS RETURN TO SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO -- TODAY


The miracle of the "Swallows" of Capistrano takes place each year at the Mission San Juan Capistano, on March 19th, St. Joseph's Day.

 
As the little birds wing their way back to the most famous Mission in California, the village of San Juan Capistrano takes on a fiesta air and the visitors from all parts of the world, and all walks of life, gather in great numbers to witness the "miracle" of the return of the swallows.
 Each year the "Scout Swallows" precede the main flock by a few days and it seems to be their chief duty to clear the way for the main flock to arrive at the "Old Mission" of Capistrano.

 
With the arrival of early dawn on St. Joseph's Day, the little birds begin to arrive and begin rebuilding their mud nests, which are clinging to the ruins of the old stone church of San Juan Capistrano. The arches of the two story, high vaulted Chapel were left bare and exposed, as the roof collapsed during the earthquake of 1812.

 
This Chapel, said to be the largest and most ornate in any of the missions, now has a more humble destiny--that of housing the birds that St. Francis loved so well.

 
After the summer spent within the sheltered walls of the Old Mission in San Juan Capistrano, the swallows take flight again, and on the Day of San Juan, October 23, they leave after circling the Mission bidding farewell to the "JEWEL OF ALL MISSIONS" San Juan Capistrano, California.

 
[ Information from: www.sanjuancapistrano.net/swallows ]

Saturday, March 12, 2011

JAPAN IS WITH US

Our condolences go out to the people of Japan and those who have been impacted by these recent catastrophic events.

Explaining these types of situations can sometimes be a challenge.  Below are links to a few news sites that are appropriate for children to view and access:



And, don't forget to search the Library Catalog where you can child level information on Japantsunamis and related topics.





Saturday, March 5, 2011

SLIME KIDS WEBSITE

Check out Slime Kids!

Packed with book trailers and language arts-related games, School Library Media Kids is designed to provide an interactive learning experience to get students motivated to learn on their own! Students can choose from exceptional literacy-related resources such as author and book review websites as well as superb educational tools including reference works and search engines.