July 16, 2008
Summer of Discovery
Learning's fun at Randolph camp
BY Vanessa Vera
RandolphRoxbury This Week
Robert Thomson of Randolph is sad this is the last year he can be a part of Camp Discovery, the science-focused summer camp run by Randolph's Community School.
Robert, 13, likes that the camp keeps his brain active in the lazy summer months.
"Overall, it's a great camp to go to," he said. "It doesn't let my mind shut off. I'm constantly solving problems. It challenges my mind."
Mary Tarnacki looks past a plant with monarch butterfly caterpillars in the science
classroom at Camp Discovery in Randolph. Ashley Twiggs/Daily Record
Science teacher, Bob Szuszkowski poses for a photograph with, left to right,
Victoria Pereira, Marty Herc, and Jenna Collins at Camp Discovery in Randolph. Ashley Twiggs/Daily Record
Jenna Collins holds a monarch butterfly at Camp Discovery in Randolph.
Ashley Twiggs/Daily Record
A bucket of monarch butterflies sits on the table in the Science Classroom at Randolph Middle School during Camp Discovery. Children rotate from class to class throughout the day to participate in science demonstrations and experiments, cooking classes, PE classes, arts and crafts and other activities. Ashley Twiggs/Daily Record
Learning environment
Camp Discovery is for students in the fifth through eighth grades and employs a hands-on approach to science and technology.
Approximately 60 to 80 children attend each of the camp's four two-week sessions, which run from the end of June to the middle of August.
The Randolph Community School, governed by the Board of Education, is the organization within the school district providing enrichment activities over the summer, said Elaine Voorhis, director of the school.
In addition to its other programs -- which include driver's education, SAT reviews and before- and after-school programs -- the community school runs three summer camps for children in kindergarten through eighth grade, including Camp Discovery, she said.
Children enrolled in Camp Discovery participate in full days of interactive classes and field trips -- doing things such as building volcanoes, rockets and roller coasters; cooking; arts and crafts; making homemade slime; and visiting such places as the Philadelphia Zoo, Sandy Hook, Liberty Science Center and Dorney Park.
Pete Cervona, 36, site coordinator of the camp and teacher and coach in the Randolph school district for 13 years, said the goal of Camp Discovery is for kids to have fun.
"Along the way, if they pick up some educational things, bonus," Cervona said.
Voorhis said, the goal of Camp Discovery is "to provide them (the children) with a great experience over the summer."
"It's a nice atmosphere ... it's not too structured. It's more relaxed," Voorhis said.
Cervona's favorite part of his job is seeing the children develop through every academic stage.
"It gives me the opportunity to reach every level of student in (the) Randolph School District," he said.
Enjoyable place to work
This connection is especially true for Tyler Micchelli, 18, of Randolph.
Micchelli, a senior counselor at Camp Discovery, said Cervona was his teacher in the third and fifth grades, his football and lacrosse coach, and now his boss.
Micchelli, who came to Camp Discovery as a kid, said his duties don't feel like a job, and he enjoys working with the kids.
"I like playing around with them ... they are like me when I was younger," he said. "It (the job) just feels fun."
Alexi Capsouras, 20, of Randolph, agrees.
Capsouras, now a senior counselor at Camp Discovery, also attended the camp as a child.
"It's just nice to have a job where you can have fun," she said.
Capsouras said one of the greatest benefits to the kids of Camp Discovery is that they can interact with children of different age groups.
Cervona and Voorhis said since students from the four Randolph elementary schools eventually attend Randolph Middle School, Camp Discovery is a good way for the elementary school children to prepare for middle school.
Jennifer Sassaman, 31, of Morris Plains is a program counselor in her 11th year working with Camp Discovery.
Sassaman, who grew up in Randolph, is a fifth-grade teacher in Roxbury.
Sassaman said a benefit of the camp is that the children "make a lot of friends," and that the elementary school kids can meet each other.
Sassaman also said that through the camp, the kids are "having fun but learning things also."
Sassaman has enjoyed being a counselor.
"I've always had a lot of fun. It's a nice difference from the school year," she said.
Program counselor Amy Murillo of Bridgewater is a fifth-grade teacher in Roxbury and has worked with Camp Discovery for six years.
Murillo also enjoys her job at Camp Discovery. "It's just a lot of fun to work here," she said.
It's these staff members, Cervona said, who make Camp Discovery "so successful" -- a staff he described as being loyal, determined, focused and dedicated to make the summer fun.
It isn't just the camp's counselors, however, who are enjoying their time at Camp Discovery -- the kids are, too.
More fun than school
Katiria Lopez, 11, of Randolph attended the camp for the first time and thinks she would return next year.
"I like it a lot. It's really fun ... we get to do a lot of cool activities," she said.
Colin Luken, 11, of Randolph also attended the camp for the first time, and said he came because a friend told him the camp was "cool."
Colin -- who described the camp as "fun," "cool" and "awesome" -- said his favorite part was "probably that we get to go to classes where we learn about stuff."
Olivia Kiss, 11, also of Randolph, was attending Camp Discovery for the second year.
Olivia said she likes the different classes and trips offered through the camp, and that the classes offered through Camp Discovery are more fun than those in school.
"We learn a lot of different stuff that we're not able to in school," she said.
