Shadow Lake, MV Library featured in radio podcast

As part of its podcast series, “People, Places and Stories,” KIRO radio recently featured Shadow Lake Elementary and the Maple Valley Library. The piece shares about the partnership between the school and the library, and their joint family night events.

“In Maple Valley, the library has particularly deep connections to local schools,” host Feliks Banel says.

Banel interviews students and parents, along with Shadow Lake Dean of Students Scott Mitchell and Maple Valley Children’s Librarian Sharon Chastain. He tells the story of how the idea for Family Library Night came out of Mitchell’s own childhood visits to the library with his parents (also teachers).

“I think that the biggest thing (about Family Library Night) is that it brought our school community together outside of the school,” Mitchell said.

The Family Library Nights include fun games, scavenger hunts, a photo booth, snacks, stories, crafts, a raffle, information about the library and more. While Shadow Lake’s Family Library Nights are hosted solely for Shadow Lake students and families, there are events that are open to all elementary families such as the Lifting Literacy events that are a partnership between the library and the school district. The next one of those larger events is at the library from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Jan. 26, featuring Steamboat Studio.

To check out the podcast, click here.