Story Pirates sail into Verona

The Story Pirates plundered the creative sides of Verona students for ideas to inspire a show.

The traveling production group picked selections from several local elementary school students and acted them out for the kids. The Story Pirates visited each elementary school, including F.N. Brown, on Wednesday, May 24.

On Wednesday, the troop performed five stories developed by F.N. Brown students.

“It was amazing,” Educational Media Specialist Corisa Walker said of the show. “I loved seeing the kids' ideas come to life, and I think it’s just really powerful for children to see what they create performed in front of their peers and their teachers. It’s awesome.”

AROUND TOWN: Verona Green Fair

The stories came from Catherine Orsini’s kindergarten class, first-grader Charlie Crinion, second-graders Julia Hromoko and Cece Manis, third-grader Olivia Baureis and fourth-grader Jaye Auriemana.

The Story Pirates also crowdsourced an improvisational story asking the students in the audience for ideas. The plot resulted in an elephant named Sewer Sack who lives in the swamp trying to land a part-time job at McDonald’s. Sewer Sack ultimately was not hired but sung a song about the experience at the conclusion.

The story came as the culmination of the One District, One Book program. In March the student body embarked on reading “Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles” by Julia Andrews. 

“The theme of that story was imagination, so we wanted kids to use their imagination to create characters and stories that don’t exist anywhere else except their mind,” Walker said. 

SCHOOLS: Verona parents ask for VHS swim team

This was the fifth year of the One District, One Book program in Verona.

Each student who submitted a story to the Story Pirates received feedback. Walker said the students seemed to enjoy the performance and it was a high-energy affair.

The Verona Foundation for Educational Excellence funded the performance, and F.N. Brown Principal Dr. Anthony Lanzo said they were thrilled to have the Story Pirates there.

“We thank VFEE for funding,” Lanzo said, “and most importantly thanking Mrs. Walker for always bringing innovate or creative new ideas to Verona public schools.”

Email: jongsma@northjersey.com