Summer learning: They had a blast at recreation program

NORTH CANAAN — There was learning going on during most of July, but don’t tell the kids.

North Canaan’s summer recreation program gives students heading into kindergarten through fourth grade some real summer camp fun — and, thanks to the endless enthusiasm of director Linda Peppe —  a (painless) dose of education.

Peppe, a longtime first-grade teacher at North Canaan Elementary School, does her own research so she can write a flexible curriculum that her staff of five takes on — with enthusiasm of their own. Students are split into multi-age groups and begin each morning with a  “campfireâ€� circle.

Peppe said one of her favorite parts of directing the program (which she has done for eight years) is watching how the older campers help the younger ones.

The camp was offered in three sessions, with as many as 50 youngsters coming to one, two or all three one-week segments. One week was spent playing traditional summer camp sports and doing old-fashioned crafts. The youngsters also explored Colonial America by practicing skills such as candle dipping and butter churning, and by taking a field trip to the Colonel Ashley House in Ashley Falls, Mass., where they ground their own corn, using stones, for cornbread. The latter turned out to be a good lesson in how hard life was for early settlers.

“About 40 kids worked at it and we only had about half a cup of cornmeal by the end,� Peppe said. “We thought it was going to be easy, but we had to resort to store-bought to make our cornbread. We learned something about how hard the colonists worked to survive.�

For the third summer now, a grant from the Region One Arts Fund has made possible a week-long Artist-in-Residence program. Liz Allen said she was having a great time acquainting the children with famed artists whose styles can be explored on many levels.

Hunks of clay were turned into stylized human forms in the style of sculptor Henry Moore. Theodore Seuss Geisel’s work (under the name Dr. Seuss) was, of course, joyful and familiar. Pablo Picasso’s cubism was fun to mimic. Andy Warhol’s crossover pop art made the students think about what they perceive as art.

“We talk about things like how Dr. Seuss was not trained as an illustrator, but started out as a doodler. The point is you don’t have to be an artist to be an artist,� Allen aid.

Through it all there are those classic moments of summer camp: reminders to keep hydrated on hot days, whiling away the time inside on rainy days and an overall sense of belonging to a summer “family.�

The only downside this year has turned into a positive. The program is funded by the North Canaan Recreation Commission, which revamped its budget this year to hire a recreation director. With some of the summer rec funding redirected, the modest tuition at the camp had to be increased.

But then the Canaan Foundation, Canaan Community Trust and Becton-Dickinson stepped up with substantial donations.

Unfortunately, by that time, school was out and it was too late to spread the word that tuition was back to $30 per week. Peppe estimated 10 children did not attend because of the situation.

“It couldn’t be helped, but I think it’s wonderful that we finally have a recreation director. That should be a priority for the Recreation Commission. We still get a good amount of money from them and hope to get continued support from others, and we are still able to offer scholarships so every child who wants to attend can do so.�