SIDNEY — Northwood Intermediate and Shelby County Libraries recently teamed up for a Character Meet & Greet that pitted adults versus kids in a variety of holiday-themed games, piggybacking off “The War With Grandpa,” a book the students read in class by author Robert Kimmel Smith.
Rikki Unterbrink and April Osborne, of Shelby County Libraries, worked with Angie Ross, of Sidney City Schools, to bring this meet-and-greet to life. With challenges pitting the parents against the kids in each of the participating fourth-grade homerooms, they participated in a candy cane relay, a gift wrapping challenge, an ornament tree swap with “The War With Grandpa”-themed tree, and ornament decorating.
“This is the first of many Character Meet and Greets we look to do with Shelby County Libraries,” said Ross, Sidney City Schools Family and Community Engagement coordinator. “It was awesome to see the families interact throughout the challenges, especially with the adults versus kids aspect.”
One of the stations the families visited was an apple cider and cookie station where they could chat and form connections. They could also get signed up for a free library card and learn more about the library’s upcoming activities.
“It was so great to partner with Rikki and April from the library,” added Ross. “A significant priority in my role with the schools is to foster these types of relationships with community organizations and bridge families, school, and community.”
