SMART Students Prepare For The Jungle

By Eliza Hallabeck

Students in the Summer Music and Arts Program, called SMART and which is presented by Continuing Education, are preparing to perform a musical this Friday called Welcome To The Jungle.

Students from kindergarten through sixth grade will be acting out parts for which they have nine days to prepare. According to Micah Smith, an instructor for the program, the students have been working together on different aspects of the performance.

“They designed the set,” he said, “and they designed the trees and flowers [which are on the set].”

Mr Smith said the students are broken into two separate groups to learn the musical, but they will be performing it together. The kindergarten through third grade students are preparing the chorus part of the musical, and the fourth through sixth grade students are preparing more of the singing, speaking, and solo parts.

This is Mr Smith’s first summer with Continuing Education, and he said he is enjoying the program so far.

“It’s wonderful. It really is,” said Mr Smith. “These kids are just ready to sing, and they are super motivated.”

Julia Faxon, who is going into her fifth grade year at Reed Intermediate School, said she has been enjoying the program so far.

Julia said she started going to the SMART program this year “because I have never done it before, and it was a new experience for me.” Her mother had received a flyer for the program, and she asked Julia if she would like to participate in it.

Another member of the SMART program, Charles Romano, who will be a fourth grade student at Hawley this fall, said he was in the program last year also. “It was pretty fun,” he said.

Charles said the students are entertained with many different activities like hopscotch and making dream catchers in the artwork part of the camp.

“The fun thing about this camp is you never know what you are going to do,” he said. “It’s like a surprise everyday.”

Mr Smith said Meagan Preis, an intern with Continuing Education for the summer, has been really helpful with the students.

“I used to go here when I was little,” said Meagan, “and I loved it.”

Meagan, who will be a sophomore at Newtown High School this fall, said this has been helping with the choreography for Welcome To The Jungle, and she said she helps the students with other activities.

“I love being able to teach the kids activities that I’m really interested in myself,” said Meagan.