LPS and Arts for all partner to deliver free arts camp students enjoy

When parents called Lesa Sparks to tell her their kids were crying, she knew her goal had been accomplished.

Sparks, executive elementary director at Lawton Public Schools, got the calls after a storm last week knocked out power at one of the elementary schools hosting LPS’ summer camp program. Sparks had joined with others including Ronda Norrell, a board member at Arts for All, to give summer school a fresh reputation.

“We really looked at how we had done summer school in the past and we wanted to encourage kids to come and not think it was another extension of school,” Sparks said. “We changed the name to summer camp and we revamped it to do more activities. We still have academics, but we wanted more activities that we could get kids involved in so that they would think this is fun.”

When children were downcast to miss a day, it proved the program with a heavy arts emphasis was a success.

“I like to dance a lot,” second-grader Shamya Harris said. “Plus I like to read. (The camp) is really fun. You do a lot of activities. You can look at lots of books in the library. You can learn a lot of stuff here.”

Four Lawton elementary schools — Edison, Ridgecrest, Sullivan and Freedom — host about 650 grade-school-aged children. The camp is four weeks long and runs Monday through Thursday. It is put on by LPS and Arts for All and free for children enrolled in the LPS system.

Children construct crafts, sing, dance and learn theater throughout the morning.

Norrell said exposing children to art at an early age is critical to their education. The goal of the camp is to do that in an engaging manner.

“This exposure, it’s trying to rejuvenate a little bit of love for school…It’s fun. They’re all having fun,” Norrell said

First-grade teacher Krystal Hays was involved in last year’s summer school effort and now helps out with summer camp. She said the new approach is a significant change.

“Last year was more trying to help them out with academics,” Hays said. “This year it is more hands on. Last week we did music. They got to learn about that. And this week we’re doing art. They’ve done gliders. They made puzzles on Monday. Today we’re working on cubes. We also have dance, so the kids really, really enjoyed that.”

Star Spradley is a camper who just completed fifth grade. She said arts and crafts was her favorite activity. She also appreciated the opportunity to make friends from other schools.

“We made jellyfish out of cups,” Spradley said. “You put thread into a cup and glue it on there. Then hot glue googly eyes on there to make a jellyfish.”

Martha McCartney is a volunteer from the Lawton Community Theater. She taught kids how to annunciate and perform scripts from Aesop’s fables.

“There is something for everybody in the theater,” McCartney said. “Whether it is working on the dark side with the backstage crew pulling curtains, or helping with sets and props. There is something for everybody to do. Box office, directing. There is something for everybody.”

After theater class, kids got two tickets to Lawton Community Theatre’s production of “Matilda the Musical.”

Dancing was a popular activity. Elena Manning, who is majoring in dance at UCO, taught campers in the Sullivan Village gymnasium.

“It’s been so fun,” Manning said. “I like getting to see how at the beginning it was new for them but now they’re kind of getting used to it. I feel like a lot of them are starting to like it a little more. It’s nice. It’s really fun to see little kids get inspired.”

Children danced to upbeat music and played games such as freeze dance and duck duck goose.

“We’ve played a lot of games, so that’s been fun,” Manning said. “Since it is kind of new to them, I tried to introduce a lot of games at first so dance is fun for their first experience and not hard.”

Event organizers said they consider the camp a success and want to bring it back next year.

“Everybody inside themselves has a little bit of an artist,” Norrell said. “It’s finding which form, which medium, is you. Whether you’re a journalist or a writer, or you do painting or theater. It’s proven that exposure helps to make kids more happy. They can self express and have fun doing it.”