CARIBOU, Maine — Roughly 240 elementary students skiied, built snowmen, played volleyball, and went sledding during a “3-5 Reads” event at the Caribou High School Ski Building on Friday, March 29.
Teague Park Elementary third-graders, along with Caribou Middle School fourth- and fifth-graders, sled down the hill behind the Caribou High School Ski Building on Friday, March 29, as part of a “3-5 Reads” event, during which students participate in activities based on the plot of a book they read together.
(Chris Bouchard | Aroostook Republican)
3-5 Reads is a program traditionally held at Teague Park Elementary School during which students will all read the same book and then participate in an activity based on the plot. For this year’s event, students read “Snow Treasure” by Marie McSwigan, which is about Norweigan children smuggling gold out of their Nazi-occupied country by transporting it on sleds and hiding it underneath snowmen.
Rachel Bourgeois, who teaches third grade at Teague Park, said the event would not have been possible without the help of staff from Teague Park, Caribou Middle School (where grades four and five are currently located), members of the Parent Teacher Organization, Caribou High School’s Jobs for Maine Graduates Program, and the Caribou Parks and Recreation Department.
“It took the whole community to pull this together,” she said.
About 50 volunteers altogether helped orchestrate the event, and Bourgeois said planning began in January when the PTO ordered 240 copies of “Snow Treasure” for the third-, fourth-, and fifth-graders.
Karin Howe, who teaches fourth grade at the Caribou Middle School, said the schools received their books in January and started reading and doing activities based around its plot “since before February vacation,” adding that her class “loved it.”
Teague Park Elementary third-graders, along with Caribou Middle School fourth- and fifth-graders, sled down the hill behind the Caribou High School Ski Building on Friday, March 29, as part of a “3-5 Reads” event, during which students participate in activities based on the plot of a book they read together.
(Chris Bouchard | Aroostook Republican)
Bourgeois said the snow-related activities are like a “grand finale” for the students, who needed to release some energy and enjoy themselves after taking state MEA tests.
“It was a wonderful book,” said Bourgeois. “The kids were really invested. And it’s nice to find a book that third- through fifth-graders are interested in, and to be able to unite some of the teachers again. Third-graders are seeing the fourth and fifth-graders, and this is helping them gear up for next fall,” when all Caribou PreK-8 students will attend school in a new facility where Teague Park currently stands.
Gary Marquis, superintendent of the Caribou Parks and Recreation Department, said the department has been working with the school to help organize outdoor events, such as the Harvest Hoedown, for several years. For this event, the department provided skis, snowshoes, and materials for an obstacle course.
Matt Bouchard, director of recreation, and Neal Sleeper, program director, came out with Marquis early in the morning to help set up everything for the event, and to work with teachers to make sure everything goes as planned.
“Temperature wise, today is excellent,” Marquis said Friday. “The snow is soft, but if you see the smiles on those kids’ faces, they don’t care if they sink into the snow at all. They’re all playing, drinking hot chocolate, and having a great time.”
Teague Park Elementary third-graders, along with Caribou Middle School fourth- and fifth-graders, sled down the hill behind the Caribou High School Ski Building on Friday, March 29, as part of a “3-5 Reads” event, during which students participate in activities based on the plot of a book they read together.
(Chris Bouchard | Aroostook Republican)
Caribou High School students with the JMG program also helped teachers and students during the event. The JMG students currently visit Caribou Middle School fourth-graders every Friday to teach them how to work through different emergency scenarios as part of a collaboration between the school and the Aroostook Emergency Management Agency.
Caribou High School senior and JMG vice president Amelia Roy said the lessons include establishing a spot to go to if there’s a fire, and providing an emergency bag containing helpful materials.
As for the Friday event, Roy said, “It’s a lot of fun to see them out here doing what they want to, and not stuck in a classroom.”
Monique Nadeau, a CHS senior and JMG secretary, said she and her classmates are “helping out teachers” with all of the available activities, while also making sure the ski building itself is in good condition throughout and that any hot chocolate spills are dealt with promptly.
While the JMG students weren’t expecting the event to have roughly 300 in attendance, Nadeau said their instructor, Dr. Valerie Waldemarson, has done a great job preparing them to deal with pressure.
“We all have jobs assigned to us,” she said, “so it’s not that stressful. We’re just making sure everything goes as planned, and everyone is as safe as possible.”
Teague Park Elementary third-graders, along with Caribou Middle School fourth- and fifth-graders, sled down the hill behind the Caribou High School Ski Building on Friday, March 29, as part of a “3-5 Reads” event, during which students participate in activities based on the plot of a book they read together.
(Chris Bouchard | Aroostook Republican)
JMG treasurer and CHS senior Brant Trombley agreed.
“JMG has definitely prepped us to be ready,” he said, “because if I wasn’t in JMG, I would not be able to handle this situation at all.”
Nadeau said that, while Waldemarson was busy with Winter Carnival events at the high school and was not able to make it out to the ski building, she had been in contact throughout the day giving her students motivation and praise.
Trombley and Nadeau said that their instructor pushes them to do their best and is always available to help.
“I see that woman more than I see my own mother at this point,” said Trombley.
“That’s true,” said Nadeau with a laugh.
Waldemarson said 16 of her students were helping out in the ski building on Friday, and that this is one of many JMG activities in which they “have an opportunity to become leaders.”
“Not every kid is an athlete or in a club,” she said, but they get to be a mentor for a fourth-grader.”
Teague Park Elementary third-graders, along with Caribou Middle School fourth- and fifth-graders, sled down the hill behind the Caribou High School Ski Building on Friday, March 29, as part of “3-5 Reads” event in which students read a book and participate in activities based on the novel’s plot. (Chris Bouchard | Aroostook Republican)
Through the 3-5 Reads event as well as the weekly EMA preparedness lessons her students give at the middle school, Waldemarson said the fourth-grade teachers have been great to work with.
“They remind my students about the importance of leadership,” she said, “and bringing them here is especially good for the fourth-graders because they get to be at a ‘big kids’ school and participate with the high school students in their own school. They all get to see the true spirit of the high school.”
Fifth-grader Charlotte Plourde said she particularly enjoyed sledding, which was “really fun.”
“Sometimes you fall off,” she said. “Sometimes you go really far, and sometimes you just stop on your way down the hill.”
She said that while she’s participated in Winter Fun Day activities through school in the past, this is the first time her class has come to the Caribou Ski Building to sled.
“All I can say is that it’s really fun so far,” she concluded, “and I can’t wait to do more activities.”
Nolan Nattila, also in fifth grade, said he liked the warm, humid weather, as the “melting snow makes the sleds go faster.”
He said his favorite activity is “definitely sledding,” but that he is excited to try out the other offerings.
He also liked how the sledding and activities incorporated the plot of “Snow Treasure” and said he would “love to do this again.”
