“Wouldn’t it be cool if Camp Read-a-lot was real?“ is the message that appeared at the top of a colorful mega screen in the front of the “cafe-torium”, near the end of the program at South Olive Elementary. A one-liner expressing gratitude to those who made “this reading room dream a reality” ran along the screen’s lower edge. This was so fitting after all the weeks of planning, collaboration, and creativity by the dedicated team members that had merged into a tangible result with a huge impact!!

The program opened with a warm welcome from Principal Saara Saarela-Venin, quickly followed by one of the ‘pillars’ of camp life…story time!

The school mascot, Oliver the Tiger, joined Mrs. Dunlap, the educational reading specialist, who after a “snap, crackle, pop” of her hands to quiet the students’ chatter, related a lively story with body motions including high 5’s and jumping! Once the “wiggles” were out, she explained how ‘the camp’ is a “place for imagination, learning, knowledge and growth” as well as a place where all can escape into other ‘worlds’! As she presented the schedule for classes to visit the room, she reassured all that by the end of the next week, everyone would have an opportunity to visit and enjoy the wonders of the room!

And what would be a better “taste of camp” to follow the ‘story-time’ one, than a campfire sing-along! Music teacher Ms. Collin brought a 4-legged oak stool from backstage, took her seat and started strumming her guitar as she led the assembly in the rousing ‘song of echoes’, ‘Down by the Bay’!

A poetic presentation by Assistant Principal Mrs. Hamerling entitled I Met a Dragon Face to Face. This work was composed by prolific American poet, Jack Prelutsky, who wrote more than 50 poetry collections, and won many awards, including the Poetry Foundation’s Children’s Poet Laureate award, of which he was the inaugural recipient.

A highly competitive grant from the local Kravis Center and Disney was awarded to South Olive Elementary through Principal Vening’s efforts, shortly after she became principal of the school! The grant is to develop theatrical skills for students at Title 1 schools. This year, it enabled the school to put on a school production of the popular animated movie, “Nemo”. Several students shared a musical scene from the movie, with a chorus as well as several impressive soloists!

The Koenig family, who donated the special reading haven to the school, was represented by Patrick Koenig whose wife, Debbie, attended the school as a youngster. She and their son, Brad, were present and another alumni of the school, Mr. Koenig’s business partner Richard Johnson Jr.,  was there in support as well. Mr. Koenig’s words were spot on with encouragement to the students to do their best and read, read, read!!!

The whole student body stood up to sing South Olive Elementary’s school song of a ‘home away from home’. The children couldn’t help but be encouraged as the lyrics say it “is a place where I can be myself…to learn, and laugh, and grow!”

Dr. Ben Carson’s motivational video relating his rise from a struggling student to world-renowned neurosurgeon was played next, ending with a charge to the students to read actively, and to always “THINK BIG”!

The power of the brain message that Mrs. Candy Carson shared included facts she had heard in her husband’s speeches, as well as how each can take charge of their own life and develop themselves to the utmost by reading!

Like many school campuses in Florida, South Olive’s campus is composed of several buildings joined by shaded outdoor walkways. As the guests neared the building housing the reading room, just past the blue ribbon for the cutting was a chain-link fence that caught everyone’s attention.

The colorful blue and yellow inserts (school colors) turned out to be weather-proof plastic cups. These “ornaments” poking through the chain-link openings relay this message of challenge: Think BIG READ!

So to the students: How will you fill your cup? …with knowledge and adventure…with science and creativity…with new imaginings? It’s your choice!!

Camp Read-A-Lot

As one enters the campground (reading room), the center spot is basically a comfy campfire. Circular pillows that look like stumps are arranged around a forest-floor rug with a campfire in the center. And breath-taking vistas are all there, as you look around! You can see mountains…a lake for fishing, an inflated life raft….waterfalls…a tent for shelter, and even a bear cave!

And no one need despair if all seats are occupied around the central campfire, because the organizers placed inflatable smaller fires in a nearby shelving unit, so a student can pick his own cozy fire as well as an adventure!! And between the fires on the shelving unit are reading-buddy teddy bears so no one needs to be alone!

Near the foot of the mountain range are substantial-sized bean bag seats that resemble mountains themselves! Note in one of the photos that a girl perched on the blue bean bag seat looks like a cherry on top of a blue ice cream cone! All students can be ‘the cherry on top’…by reading and developing themselves to be the best they can be!

Protecting the bear cave is a ferocious-looking bear-head rug but looks are deceiving as he actually welcomes visitors to his hideaway with a smile!

Green seats for fishing at the lake, Adirondack chairs, more reading buddies, and colorful couches make this camp even better than the real thing….and there are no bugs!!

Another thoughtful touch-

One completely empty bookcase is near the door…for students to leave their unfinished book with a bookmark, so when they return, they can pick up where they left off!!

View more photos of the opening HERE.

Thank you to all who contributed to the reading room:

Special thank you to Dr. Saara Saarela-Vening, Mrs. Dunlap, & the Ben Carson Reading Room Committee for creating the reading room.

Written By Candy Carson