FAIRFIELD—Erin McCurley has been a girl scout since first grade.  She graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas School and, during the winter of her sophomore year at Sacred Heart Academy, began her journey toward the highest honor a Girl Scout can earn, the Gold Award.

Since she wants to be an elementary school teacher, Erin wanted her Gold Award project to involve working with kids.  Over this past summer, she began an acting class at the Caroline House summer program in Bridgeport. Caroline House focuses on the education of immigrant women and their children.

Erin taught third through eighth graders.  Her class involved reading a story, discussing literary and acting terms, turning the story into a play, assigning parts to each child, creating scenery, making costumes, practicing, and performing the plays for family and friends.  Second and third graders performed The Little Red Hen.  The Enormous Carrot was performed by fourth and fifth graders.  The middle school kids performed You Are Special.

“Most children had never been involved in creating a production before,” she says. “The children did a wonderful job!  They enjoyed their theatrical debut and had lots of fun.  My goal was to introduce them to stories they hadn’t heard, build their confidence, show them learning can be fun, and encourage them to stay in school.  I think I accomplished that.”

Erin’s class was such a success that Caroline House plans on making it part of their summer program every year.

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