The Graniteville School once again upheld its credo – “Where playing is learning and learning is fun” – last Friday night inside the Nicholas A. Ferri Middle School cafeteria in Johnston.

The active pre-K school offered many interesting lessons during Family Movie Night, which was presented by The Graniteville Parent-Teacher Organization and coordinated by volunteers Karlie Sandberg and Aracelis Sical.

For starters, the children and their families were invited to a night out at the movies. Attendees enjoyed popcorn and pizza as they watched “Smallfoot,” a 2018 animated film.

“Smallfoot,” Graniteville Principal Maria Petronio-McAfee explained, is based on the unpublished children’s book “Yeti Tracks” by Sergio Pablos, and the film was co-written and directed by Karey Kirkpatrick. It stars the voices of Channing Tatum, James Corden and Zendaya, among several others.

The plot centers on a friendly Yeti who comes across a human – each having thought the other species was a myth.

Movie Night involved more than just the film, however. During the event, the Ferri Middle School cafeteria resembled a drive-in movie theater.

Sandberg and Aracelia were creative in their planning. The students were encouraged to decorate a box like a car and bring it to they could get a taste of the drive-in movie experience.

“The children loved designing their boxes,” Petronio-McAfee said. “And they were quite clever and came up with some colorful creations that impressed their fellow students and parents as well.”