Harry Potter Thanks
Dear Editor: On behalf of Kettleson Memorial Library, a hearty thank you is extended to all who participated and helped make the wonderful Harry Potter Book Night on Feb. 5 a success. The program was part of a global initiative by the UK publisher of the popular series, and schools, libraries, and community groups all around the world joined for a night to share their love for the stories, and also introduce them to a new generation of readers.
Kettleson at Stratton became, for a day, the Hogwarts School thanks to the infinite patience, creativity and tremendous effort of Mike Matiatos. He had incredible support from SEER school student aides Carson and Steven Raffaele, and TAB members Walter Palof and Debbie Yearwood. Kaya Duguay and Naquoia Bautista helped with the disappearing operation of floating candles and golden snitches. We built an owlery, a Leaky Cauldron cafeteria, and a Great Hall, thanks to lots of creativity, agility and effort. Thank you to all, and thanks to Cheryl Vastola for her donations, and Brooke Schafer and Tracy Turner for their magical props.
Although Voldemort tried hard to make us fail, sending over a power outage, he didn’t succeed. Students were welcomed and placed in “houses” by Robb Farmer, Peter Bradley, Greg Mandel and Emily Kwong. Little elves where placed in the Dobby House, where Jolie Murray, Lily Herwald, Marjean Ragsdale, and a kind volunteer that I have never seen before and whose name disappeared from my mind due to a memory charm, welcomed them. Older students were greeted by their house leaders: Ellen Chenoweth (Hufflepuff), Jasmine Shaw (Ravenclaw), Madison Kosma (Gryffindor) and Joshua Houston (Slytherin.)
The night opened with a Care of Magical Creatures lesson, offered in a magisterial manner by Kaylee Burk and Maggie Shields from the Alaska Raptor Center. They brought over the gorgeous Qigiq, a Snowy Owl, and Tootsie, a Northern Saw-whet Owl. After learning about the magical creatures, students listened to readings from different chapters of the seven books in the series, thanks to Ellen Chenoweth, Celia Lubin, Margot O’Connell, Luke A’Bear and Cathryn Klusmeir.
After the readings, the wizarding games began. Bill Giant and his art marked each “classroom.” Kari Sagel, Sandra Rudd, Heather Hanson and Brian Richardson quizzed the students in a Wizard Quick Draw Challenge. Elisabeth Schafer, Chris Wilbur, Aiden Raffaele and Carson Raffaele invited the students to work on potions. Brooke Schafer, Paul Norwood and Kitty LaBounty guided the students through a challenge on local Herbology, and Bethany Goodrich, Luke A’Bear and Ellen Corak welcomed the students to Diagon Alley and challenged them to hunt for magical objects.
A Wizarding Trivia Game, with Marjean Ragsdale and Rachel Waldholz in charge, ended a competition among houses, with the Slytherins winning the Kettleson Wizarding Cup.
The Leaky Cauldron was attended by Jane Eidler, Tiffany Bryner and Tracy Turner. Polyjuice potions made by Madison and Tracy were offered to all the guests, and the students went home with Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans and chocolate frog cards.
Hogwarts at Kettleson also included a very special Old Harbor Books Library, with Rachel Klein and her wand guarding the wonderful books of the magical world of Harry Potter.
To all our wonderful volunteers, thank you. You made the Harry Potter Book Night a possibility. More than 60 children enjoyed a magical evening and went home happy thanks to the power of a book series that lives in the hearts of many readers of all ages.
Thank you, also, to all the Sitka media. Thanks to Raven Radio for airing the great PSA recorded by Brooke and Paul. Thanks to Ken Fate for sharing with us the fact that he belongs to Gryffindor. Thank you to the Sitka Daily Sentinel for all their support.
And of course, thank you to all the readers of Harry Potter who shared the love for the series with us, and to my colleagues for their enthusiasm and energy. Kettleson is as magical as Hogwarts.
Maite Lorente Rial,
Youth Services Librarian,
Kettleson Memorial Library
