Currier Memorial School (CMS) custodian David Champine looked out proudly at what he had done. For one evening, the gymnasium had been turned into a jungle campsite with tents, animals, palm trees, electric campfires, and stars illuminated on the ceiling. “Without a doubt,” said Champine, “this night is the coolest part of my job.”
“Our annual Camp Read-a-Lot is something our kids look forward to each year,” said CMS Principal Carolyn Parillo. “Reading and the telling of stories becomes a shared experience that brings our Currier families together.”
The program was divided into three parts. First students and families gathered at six tents and were given flashlights for reading their own books. Campers of all ages then convened around a central fire pit, where Currier instructor Michael Luzador regaled the audience with an animated story featuring mischievous monkeys on a banana plantation. All listeners participated in the story when cued to provide sound effects to drive the yarn forward.
At the end of the monkey adventure, the campers young and old returned to their tents to sit in a circle and create their own “pass-the-story” tall tale. One person sets up the start of a story with a few sentences before passing the narrative to the next person who puts their own twist on the tale.
The results were a dizzying expression of imagination. The storylines included hippos and crabs that performed synchronized swimming, flying giraffes, a person waking up one morning the size of an ant, fish leaving the water and developing legs that allowed them live near a beaver pond, and a student hitting the winning home run for the Red Sox in a game against the Yankees — and then going out with the team to celebrate with ice cream.
“We had a great time,” offered one student. “We made stories and read books with friends, I loved it!"
The theme for this year’s Currier night under the stars was centered around the all-school reading of Katherine Applegate’s children novel, “The One and Only Ivan.” The book’s lead character is a caged gorilla who is moved by the arrival of a baby elephant to seek a better life for others. It’s a universal story about friendship, hope, compassion for all living things, perseverance, and second chances.
The book inspired the Currier community to take real-life action to help animals in need. In the weeks leading up to up to the camp, students gathered donations of everything from biscuits to dog beds that will ultimately be taken to the Second Chance Animal Center, in Arlington.
“Blankets, treats, cat litter, toys, dry and canned food, cat scratching posts and dog chews are just a few examples of what is needed,” said Parillo. “Our Currier families have been generous, but we also reached out on social media to allow the broader community to contribute and they have delivered. We are running ahead of schedule to meet our goal, but we still are accepting donations.”
One parent aptly summed up the Camp Read-a-Lot evening. "Thank you for making learning fun. We know it's hard work. It means a lot!"
(Photo above: Currier paraeducator Tamara Niles (hat) helps the students create their own pass-the-story tall tale.)
Currier instructor Michael Luzador regaled the audience with an animated story featuring mischievous monkeys on a banana plantation.
These children are excited to spend an evening at school participating in Camp Read-a-Lot.
Students, families, and staff settle in to enjoy an evening in the gymnasium transformed into a jungle campsite.
Currier instructor Laura King sits with students as they read by the campfire.
These boys use flashlights to read inside their tent at Camp Read-a-Lot.
For one evening the Currier gymnasium was turned into a jungle campsite with tents, animals, palm trees, electric campfires, and stars illuminated on the ceiling.