Bethlehem Area School District partnered with Bethlehem Library to celebrate Earth Day April 22. The family friendly early evening event invited members from the community to listen to an Earth Day themed book reading, with children’s books read in both English and Spanish by BASD teachers. Families participated in making environmentally friendly art projects and enjoyed an Earth Day snack. The craft consisted of creating a mosaic of the earth, using recycled paper and bits of cardboard.

“The library has partnered with Bethlehem Area Spanish teachers previously on numerous efforts,” said Edana Hoy, head of Youth Services at the Bethlehem Area Library.

“We did a gingerbread themed craft for the winter holiday season,” Hoysaid. “We usually have a game, a craft, and the school district usually takes care of any language presentation.”

The event was held inside on the second floor of the Children’s Library.

“We have a great view up here and you can see everything from miles around the South ide, which is home to a large Spanish speaking population in the Lehigh Valley,” Hoy said.

“I love doing stuff in the community,” said Cecile Thibaud, who has been teaching Spanish in the Bethlehem Area School District for 10 years. “It’s always really fun to see our kids outside of school, and we get to see them with their parents.”

“It’s nice to be a part of the community and to have a voice for my culture,” says Ana Arzuaga, another Spanish speaking teacher at BASD who helped to translate the stories from English to Spanish during the reading, “Earth Day is international because we are all in the same world!”

Arzuaga said teachers do a lot of outreach throughout the community including a Spanish Heritage event in the fall, complete with art and science activities.

The Bethlehem library offers a variety of community events including story times for children from birth through the toddler years, with school-aged events all the way through high school.

Upcoming events at the library include a Pokémon Party June 18 from 6:30-7:30 p.m., Read to Dogs, June 19 at 11 a.m. (must call library to sign up but all other events are walk-in friendly), and storytime with the police June 21 at 10 a.m.