August Newsletter 2026

Exciting Updates from the Library!

Wow! The past few months at the library have been quite a whirlwind! We wrapped up our fundraising season with the absolutely AMAZING "Rising Country Stars of Texas" Concert! We couldn’t have pulled off such a fantastic event without the support of the JCLRC Staff, JCLRC Board, Bri Bagwell, Elle Townley, the Williamson County Sheriff's Posse Team—especially Corey Fidler, Crystal, and Chris Mattice—along with all our sponsors, volunteers, vendors, and concert-goers! The evening was delightful, featuring wonderful food, drinks, and treats from the vendors, and the artists filled the night with incredible music! Williamson County Judge, Steve Snell, drew our Hunter's Raffle winners, while Bri and Elle announced the names of the winners for their generous gift donations. We encourage you to follow these two talented women as they make their mark in the country music scene. Thank you, everyone, for coming together to celebrate our community and support our library relocation.

We are excited to share that our new portable building is complete and ready to be installed on the property. Our permits for the land have been approved, and we expect to see curb-cut, utility construction, and driveway work beginning shortly. We appreciate your patience as we prepare throughout August for our future!

We are delighted to announce that the Capital Campaign will officially launch on August 5th. In the upcoming weeks, we invite you to participate in feasibility surveys to share your thoughts on the features you would like to see in our new state-of-the-art library.

On August 11th, I will be leading a Community Conversation as part of our A.L.A. grant funding initiative. The discussion topic will be "Training for Individuals with Disabilities." We welcome you to join us as we explore ways to introduce training activities and services at the library to assist individuals with disabilities in preparing for employment.

Wishing you a smooth and safe return to school, along with a GREAT school year! We hope that all of our Early Literacy classes will resume in September, depending on the timing of our move.

Sincerely,

Susan Gregurek

Aug 3: Mexicano Monday!

August 4: 10:30-11:30am: Brushing Your Teeth Storytime

August 4: 12:00-1:00pm: Oral Health Bingo for Seniors

August11: 4:00 pm: Community Conversation "Training for Individuals with Disabilities"

Magic the Gathering: Mondays at 5:00 pm

Senior Games Group: Tuesdays 1:00 pm

Seniors That Sew: Wednesdays 10:00 am

Crochet Therapy: Wednesdays 5:30 pm

Dungeons and Dragons: Fridays 5:30pm

Wellness Through Music Exploration: 1st Monday of the Month 5:00 pm

Veterans/1st Responder Support Group: 3rd Monday of the Month 6:00 pm

Crafting with Deb: 2nd Tuesday of the Month 4:30pm

Grief Support for Adults: 1st & 3rd Thursdays of the Month 6:00 pm

ASL - American Sign Language Community Coffee Social: 3rd Friday of the Month 6:00 pm

Intro to Mahjong w/Rachel: Mondays at 5:00 pm

Visit the website for updated calendar events: https://jarrellcommunitylibrary.org/

We are excited to share the new Ebook Library App. Download to your device today and begin reading!

Free Community Reading Group Interest

Help your child build confidence and a love for reading in a fun, supportive environment!

Join Jamie Davis, an experienced literacy educator with over 10 years of experience teaching children to read. Jamie is a certified Educational Diagnostician, a trained dyslexia interventionist, and has extensive experience helping young readers develop the foundational skills they need to become successful, confident readers.

This FREE reading group is designed for children ages 5–7 and will focus on early literacy skills through engaging, hands-on activities and evidence-based reading instruction. Sessions will be welcoming, interactive, and tailored to help children strengthen phonics, decoding, fluency, and reading confidence.

We are gathering interest to determine the best day and time to hold the class at the library. Completing this form does not commit you to attending—it simply helps us plan a group that works for the most families.

We can't wait to help your child discover the joy of reading!

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61591432380474

Link to Reading Group Interest form

https://forms.gle/drn6GUyZLjmtedJAA

The beginning of a new school year brings excitement, new opportunities, and sometimes a little anxiety. Whether you're a student, parent, or educator, it's easy to feel like everything has to go perfectly from day one. The good news is that it doesn't.

A fresh start isn't about perfection; it's about possibility. New routines take time to build, and it's normal to have a few bumps along the way. Instead of focusing on doing everything perfectly, celebrate the small victories. Getting through the first week, making a new friend, asking for help, or simply showing up each day are all meaningful accomplishments.

It's also important to make time for conversations about feelings, not just grades or homework. Asking questions like, "What was the best part of your day?" or "Was anything challenging today?" can help children and teens feel supported as they adjust to the new school year.

Remember to give yourself grace. Everyone learns and grows at their own pace, and every day offers a new opportunity to reset and try again.

As this school year begins, focus on progress over perfection. Small steps forward can lead to big growth, and every fresh start is a chance to learn, connect, and thrive.

As we wrap up July and step into August, we enter a natural month of transition. Whether your household is quiet or bustling, this month invites us all to hit pause, assess our personal energy, and intentionally practice wellness across all stages of adult life.

Life-Stage Wellness Guides:

For Single Adults:

Protect your solo time: Schedule non-negotiable rest blocks before autumn activities pick up.

For Couples (No Children):

Check-in intentionally: Dedicate 15 minutes to discuss emotional health, not just logistics.

For Families (With Children):

Hold family huddles: Let kids express their feelings about the upcoming season change.

For Seniors & Older Adults:

Map out social anchors: Schedule regular phone calls, senior center visits, or community coffee dates to combat isolation.

For Veterans & Military Families:

Engage the fire team: Build a small network of fellow veterans who understand your unique service experiences without explanation.

For Deaf & Hard of Hearing Peers:

"August invites us to soften our pace, protect our peace, and embrace the quiet strength of steady growth."
— unknown

JCLR&C offers much more than books, providing free access to tools, technology, and specialized services.

Specialized Kits & Games: Check out board games, puzzles, and specialized Stay Sharp activity kits for children and adults.

Classes & Workshops: Attend support groups & social clubs, financial literacy, enterpreunership 101, Self-Care education, Digital Access and Awareness to Gardening, plant and seed workshops.

Educational & Creative Software: Access to creating art and music, or learn using our language translation reader devices, ADA friendly equipment/devicesw, magnifiers & lamp accessibility, digital media to movies, to include podcast & filming devices (Ring Light).

Technology: Check out laptops, tablets and more.

Thank you for your continuous support! Keep Reading & Supporting as every cent counts towards Sailing our Way to Boatright Boulevard!

As we enter into the end of Summer, August is a time where we will be preparing for our move, we may be halting our in person support groups & activities and slowing down our activities to catch a breather but focus on the journey towards Boatright Boulevard. I can be reached through email or virtual so that we can continue to support the needs of the community without losing focus on our preparations for moving.

The Friends of the Jarrell Library Group is the fundraising branch of the Jarrell Community Library and Resource Center's library system. This group's mission is to engage with the community to gather sponsorships, generate fundraising ideas, and spearhead initiatives to secure the funds necessary for the library's continued operation. If you would like to request a volunteer form, please contact jarrellfriends@gmail.com.

We're calling on passionate and dedicated individuals like YOU to help us create unforgettable events and raise essential funds. Whether you can lend a hand with event logistics, help spread the word through marketing, or bring fresh and exciting ideas for new events, we need your talents!

Every bit of help counts, and your support will directly impact our success. If you're ready to make a real difference, we’d love for you to be part of our amazing team.

Sign up today and help us create something special! 💫