Field Trip May Help Stitch a Bond Between Library, Schools

At , part of the fourth-grade curriculum teaches the kids about geography and social studies.

Kaida Watts' class made a quilt. Each of her 26 students was assigned two states. They had to research the states, find out the state nicknames, the scapitals, even the shape, and create a square representing their states for the quilt that is now hanging in the .

The squares designed by Watts' fourth-graders were then sewn together by Board of Education member Nancy Kerr-Mueller's mother. Kerr-Mueller's son, Connor, is in Watts' class.

On Monday, Watts took her kids on a field trip to the library.

"A project like this engaged the kids in their own learning and gives them ownership over that learning," Watts said.

Kerr-Mueller, who said she volunteers all the time in her son's class, organized the field trip. She said she hopes this is the beginning of collaboration between the Ferndale Public Schools and the city's library.

"I'm a huge library supporter," she said. "When I found out some of the students (in Watts' class) had never been to the library – with all of this done and not taking advantage of it – it's just a shame."

Kerr-Mueller is hoping that the field trip to the library Monday, and the subsequent tour of the children's section by assistant children's librarian Emily Trousdale, will spark the students to use the resource more.

Additionally, it is her hope that this will spark the growth of the schools and library working together.

"The relations between the schools and the library isn't as strong as it should be," she said. "I would be remiss of me if I didn't address it."

Kerr-Mueller said  the library is newly renovated and programs are being set up by children's librarian Jillean McCommons, so the time is now to strengthen the bond between the schools and the library. "I feel like this is a perfect time, right now, to strike while the iron is hot," Kerr-Mueller said.

Last summer the library underwent a $4.5 million renovation that saw its square footage expand and incorporated many greening and sustainable aspects, including a partial green roof and a water recycling system.

The Ferndale Public Library is currently without a permanent director. On Tuesday, at 7 p.m..

On May 31 and June 1, the . It decided to look at one of the candidates a little more closely, but hasn't ruled anyone out of the position.