The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Campers hone reading skills and produce play
PORTLAND — Children enrolled in Portland Parks & Recreation’s Summer Quest program has achieved — and surpassed — the group’s lofty reading goal challenge of 500 books.
“The local library provided us with a diverse collection of topics that motivated our camp participants when reading may not be on top of their priority list. Some of the topics ranged from nature to cooking and all the way to the bones in the human body. Without such a wide variety of books that suited the likes of all our campers, we wouldn’t have been able to sustain interest throughout summer vacation,” Karen Kelley, Summer Quest specialty director, said in a prepared statement.
Youth kept their eye on the goal — a pizza party — as they reaped the rewards of learning and growing over the course of their book reading challenge.
“After years of working with kids, if food doesn’t have a positive impact on them, it’s hard to find something that will,” Kelley said.
Once they accomplished their literary goal, the campers continued to practice reading, speaking and memorization skills as they prepared for the annual Summer Quest theater week performance Aug. 2.
Members of the Summer Quest Playground performed the children’s classic “101 Dalmatians” at the high school cafeteria. The campers built the sets, memorized lines, made costumes, and created their own props in an energetic four days, according to Abigail Dillon of Portland Parks & Recreation.
Auditions were held the first day. Out of campers that auditioned, 25, ages of 5 to 12, were selected to be actors and actresses, Dillon said.
The majority of actors were dressed in dalmatians costumes they made themselves. Children not acting in the play eagerly worked backstage, she said.
“During these four days, the kids learned how to work collaboratively with others, gained an understanding of group dynamics, and learned the stages of play creations. The campers gradually gained confidence and overcame their fears of performing in front of an audience,” she said.