Dear Indy,
Our 3-year-old, Lucy, absolutely loves books and picks out a couple for me to read to her every night before bed. Her teachers at day care also read to her, and she’s asked us to bring home some of her favorites. Recent ones include “In the Napping House” and “Goodnight Moon.” So when K-12 education reporter Carley Lanich wrote about a preschool reading program this week to instill a love of reading in children, it really resonated in my family.
Here’s a bit from Carley’s story:
The kids at Little Blessings of Solid Rock Preschool can hardly wait their turn as Lisa Anderson with the Indianapolis Public Library system flips through the pages of “Is There a Dog in this Book?”
With each page, she stops in front of a different child.
“I’m going to go around the circle, and everybody’s going to get a turn helping me turn some pages,” Anderson says in a singsongy voice. “There is a dog in this book, isn’t there?”
Anderson specifically chose the picture book for this group of about 20 young readers. Flaps nested across the pages encourage the kids to engage with the story, waiting their turns and reaching out to touch the book as Anderson approaches. It’s an element of interaction the library outreach associate looks for when crafting her story times … .
Anderson is a part of a team of four with the library’s On the Road to Reading program. Since 2009, the program has crossed Marion County helping emerging early-learning and child-care centers boost their educational offerings.
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In other news
- The Indiana University board of trustees approved a new policy Monday that will effectively shut down a three-month pro-Palestinian encampment at IU Indianapolis. Higher education reporter Claire Rafford reports the encampment is one of the few remaining in the country after pro-Palestinian protests swept college campuses across the country this spring.
- Kids are already heading back to school, believe it or not. While it’s a time of excitement, it also can be stressful trying to purchase new clothes and school supplies. Neighborhood reporter Enrique Saenz put together a list of the financial resources six townships in Marion County offer families who need some help with school clothes.
- You may have noticed work recently at the Julia M. Carson Transit Center on Washington Street. Neighborhood reporter Darian Benson reports that IndyGo is building charging stations for the battery electric buses that will operate on the Purple Line, which will connect Indianapolis and Lawrence and open in October. While work is going on, there’s some changes to local bus routes.
Today’s weather from WTHR
Today will be hot and humid with highs near 90. A few storms are possible with more storms expected on Wednesday and Thursday.
— Angela Buchman, WTHR meteorologist
What’s going on around the city
- Friday, Aug. 2: You are invited! Mirror Indy is having a First Friday Mixer, 6 p.m. at the Schwitzer Gallery in the Circle City Industrial Complex, 1125 E. Brookside Ave. Come enjoy art and music and hear about Play List, our weekly arts and culture newsletter. Along with wine, music and small bites, art by Rebeka Sweetland and Adrian Smith will be on display. Free.
- Friday, Aug. 2: React, a youth theater company, will present “Dreamland: A Climate Catastrophe” at 7 p.m. at The District Theatre, 627 Massachusetts Ave. The play tells the story of a high school student calling for hope in a world that seems doomed. Tickets start at $20.
- Saturday, Aug. 3: Black Owned Business Block Party Vol. 8 starts at 7 p.m. at Flanner House, 2424 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. Find local vendors, live music, food and family-friendly activities throughout the day. Free.
— Breanna Cooper, arts and culture reporter
Looking for other things to do? Check out Mirror Indy’s events calendar.
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What else we’re reading today
- Chalkbeat Indiana: Indianapolis Public Schools is scaling back tutoring programs despite their success. The district has shifted focus as federal pandemic relief money expires and a new state law targeting third-grade learning goes into effect.
- IndyStar: The Naptown African American Theatre Collective is offering six free classes, including costume, set, lighting and wig design, an acting class and a seminar on starting a nonprofit theater.
- WISH-TV: The Indianapolis Public Library will expand its shared library system to several IPS schools, essentially allowing those buildings to function as branches of the library.
Resources
Resources reporter Sophie Young interviewed Nichelle Hayes, who is a former president of the Indiana African American Genealogy Group and former interim director of the Indianapolis Public Library, and Nicole Martinez-LeGrand, who is the Indiana Historical Society’s curator for multicultural collections, for tips on researching family history.
Young came away with excellent advice, including how to take notes, how to interview family members and how to safely store what you’ve found. She also found guidance on where to find records, including databases and government records.
We have more resources on our website. Find them here.
Reflections
Have you ever swum in the canal?
I placed second in my age group Sunday at Tri Indy, which included about 500 meters in the Central Canal, followed by a bike ride up the west side toward the velodrome and then a run through the White River State Park, the zoo trail and the college formerly known as IUPUI.
We’re lucky to have a park like that right in the middle of the city. I can’t say I’d recommend the canal as a year-round place to swim, but it’s definitely a surreal experience in this event to race down the waterway. I’m a masters swimmer (sort of an adult beer league), so that part is fun for me. I was sixth overall out of 322 people on the swim, but after that the fast cyclists and runners came and passed me.
Anyway, I’ll catch you tomorrow.
Chris
P.S. If you liked something about today’s newsletter, or didn’t, let me know at chris.sikich@mirrorindy.org. It helps us serve you better.
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