There were s’mores, a campfire, and owls howling inside the DeMello Elementary School cafeteria for a camping-themed literacy night on October 23.

The event for first graders is designed to provide a fun night for kids while at the same time reinforcing skills students are learning in the classroom, explained reading specialist Lisa Maucione.

“It gives the students something fun to do and gives families an understanding of what we’re doing in the school,” Maucione said.

Students moved between various stations during the literacy night, all with a camping theme. Students made s’mores by following step-by-step written instructions, caught plastic fish in a kiddie pool with key vocabulary words written on them, listened to teacher-led reading under a tent, and discovered sentences in the sky with flashlights.

Camille RIght enjoyed eating her s’mores, which she easily assembled by following the instructions.

“I had to follow all the steps,” Right noted.

It was also a learning experience for parents. As kids moved between stations, parents met with Maucione and the grade’s literacy coaches to learn about how students learn in the classroom.

Following the event, Maucione raffled off books for eager readers to take home.