So it was not surprising to his best friend that he devoted himself Friday to unscrewing bottle caps, peering into plastic containers and opening bags and purses, all the while munching on oatmeal.
And the children sitting on the floor of the Hanlon School gymnasium watched in rapt awe.
Simon, a 14 year-old capuchin monkey, came to school for a presentation by Helping Hands, a nonprofit organization that teaches the primates to assist the disabled.
"Monkeys are curious, they want to know what's in the bag and what's in the purse," Helping Hands instructor and Simon's best friend Lisa Brown told the kids. "He's demonstrating how curious he can be."
As Brown told the students about Helping Hands, Simon demonstrated the helpful tasks he had mastered by pushing Brown's glasses back up her nose after they had slipped and retrieving items that she identified with a laser pointer.
As much as the monkeys help from a utilitarian standpoint, they also act as friends.
"A large part of what the monkeys do is provide affection or companionship to someone who might not have a lot of that in their lives," Brown told the students.
Helping Hands has existed since 1979, partnering over 100 monkeys with people in need. Based in Boston, it breeds and trains the capuchin monkeys to eventually live with the disabled, typically people who have suffered a spinal cord injury and become paraplegic or quadriplegic.
Scott Wade, office manager for Helping Hands, said it costs approximately $35,000 to train and maintain each monkey over its life, which can last for 30 years.
After watching a video about the program and meeting Simon, the students spent the rest of the presentation showering Brown with questions about the creature.
"What's it like to train the monkeys?" asked Bryce Parazin, a kindergartner.
Brown told him that it's a process of positive reinforcement, teaching the monkeys to do tasks and rewarding them with praise and treats.
Early in the presentation Brown told students that each monkey has a different personality, and Helping Hands works to match monkeys and their owners based on character.
"What is Simon's personality?" second-grader Camille Cummings asked.
"He's curious. He likes to play, but he likes to cuddle," Brown responded, also revealing that the primate enjoyed watching television, but disliked dogs.
So it was not surprising to his best friend that he devoted himself Friday to unscrewing bottle caps, peering into plastic containers and opening bags and purses, all the while munching on oatmeal.
And the children sitting on the floor of the Hanlon School gymnasium watched in rapt awe.
Simon, a 14 year-old capuchin monkey, came to school for a presentation by Helping Hands, a nonprofit organization that teaches the primates to assist the disabled.
"Monkeys are curious, they want to know what's in the bag and what's in the purse," Helping Hands instructor and Simon's best friend Lisa Brown told the kids. "He's demonstrating how curious he can be."
As Brown told the students about Helping Hands, Simon demonstrated the helpful tasks he had mastered by pushing Brown's glasses back up her nose after they had slipped and retrieving items that she identified with a laser pointer.
As much as the monkeys help from a utilitarian standpoint, they also act as friends.
"A large part of what the monkeys do is provide affection or companionship to someone who might not have a lot of that in their lives," Brown told the students.
Helping Hands has existed since 1979, partnering over 100 monkeys with people in need. Based in Boston, it breeds and trains the capuchin monkeys to eventually live with the disabled, typically people who have suffered a spinal cord injury and become paraplegic or quadriplegic.
Scott Wade, office manager for Helping Hands, said it costs approximately $35,000 to train and maintain each monkey over its life, which can last for 30 years.
After watching a video about the program and meeting Simon, the students spent the rest of the presentation showering Brown with questions about the creature.
"What's it like to train the monkeys?" asked Bryce Parazin, a kindergartner.
Brown told him that it's a process of positive reinforcement, teaching the monkeys to do tasks and rewarding them with praise and treats.
Early in the presentation Brown told students that each monkey has a different personality, and Helping Hands works to match monkeys and their owners based on character.
"What is Simon's personality?" second-grader Camille Cummings asked.
"He's curious. He likes to play, but he likes to cuddle," Brown responded, also revealing that the primate enjoyed watching television, but disliked dogs.
The PTO paid $1,000 to bring the presentation to the Hanlon School, and Brown told the students the money would go towards training and placing a monkey.
"I thought it was an important program to help them (kids) understand how lucky they are to have arms and legs," said Julianne Walsh, a PTO member and pediatric nurse who worked to set up the visit.
By the time Simon went back into his cage at the end of the presentation, he had won over the students.
"Bye, Simon," the children said, waving to the monkey.
Daily News staff writer Greg Duggan can be reached at 781-433-8355 or by e-mail at gduggan@cnc.com.
