For many children warmer weather means campouts – sleeping under the stars – but the outing is a bit sweeter when it’s in their teacher’s backyard as it was for six students, all entering grade 4. Complete with s’mores, the campout for six boys was a teacher package offered at last year’s 61st annual Harker Family & Alumni Picnic.

This past spring, grade 3 teacher Heather Russell hosted six of her students (Jonathan Chao, Nikhil Gargeya, Ryan Tobin, Chance Hewitt, Brandon Coulter and Nicholas Coulter) and all had a night to remember.

Chao and the Coulter twins were the lucky bidders of “Mrs. Russell’s Backyard Campout” and each invited a friend to share in the overnight experience, the first sleepover away from home for some of the boys.

“They enjoyed swimming, a backyard barbecue, a bubblegum-blowing contest, silly string wars, making s’mores by a fire pit, and watching a movie in their sleeping bags in a tent,” said Russell, noting that the event was made further complete with flashlight tag and a pancake breakfast in the morning.

Plenty of memories were made for both the boys and their innovative teacher. And, rumor has it, the backyard campout will be up again for bid at this coming year’s picnic!