Office of Enrichment June 28, 2019 Week 5 Recap This week's newsletter is brought to you by a few our amazing counselors and volunteers! They all work so hard each week preparing our campus for campers and instructors, putting up signs and tents, filling water coolers, and sorting lunch groups. They prepare snack, guide campers to classes and the dining hall, and generally make sure campers are having a great camp experience. We could not run camp without them, so I thought it would be fun to get their perspective on each camp happening this week. They split up the 35 morning and afternoon camps and I so appreciate their willingness to go the extra mile this week! I genuinely enjoyed reading their observations and I know you will too.
Cell Biology, Geom-Art-ry, Reading Roundup, Tween Scene, and Pokecamp as observed by Ben This week, I hung out with kids in these classes and was blown away by the intellect, enthusiasm, and creativity I saw in all of our campers. Across campus, I saw how learning doesn't end when the school year is over - from DNA coding and protein synthesis in Cell Bio, to origami and tessagons in Geom-ART-ry, to word families and word searches in Reading Roundup. More impressive that the campers brain power, however, was their creativity! This was especially apparent in Tween Scene. From making slime and bouncy balls, to playing "Minute to Win It" games, these tweens showed me that camp isn't just for little kids. My final camp to observe in the afternoon was Pokemon, and if you thought these campers would be exhausted from an exciting morning and a filling lunch, you'd be wrong! From old school Nintendo tournament play to Detective Pikachu-themed scavenger hunts, these kids take Pokemon to the next level. Across all camps, what astounded me the most was the kids' camaraderie. I saw cooperation in Cell Bio labs and fierce but sportsman-like battles in Pokémon. They made new friends and enjoyed their time with old ones as they lived the Saint Mary's Hall motto, delighting in simple things.
Miniature Battles, The Greatest Showman, Open Art, Storybook Art, Chess as observed by Sydney In Miniature Battles – Beyond the Gates of Anatares, the campers explored the world of Anatares which is a fantasy world existing 10,000 to 30,000 years in the future. It was really cool to see the colorful game board with squad miniatures, all with different characteristics, painted by the campers themselves. In The Greatest Showman, campers practiced songs from the popular movie, but Stella R. told me her favorite part of camp was playing music games! I saw campers in both Open Art and Storybook Art make some awesome pieces. I love seeing how the campers watch and encourage each other as they create. The Chess campers love to use the Clever Touch at the front of the class to test out strategy and play games. I also watched a part of their chess tournament. I'm so happy I got to see these camps this week!
Sew Fun, French Cuisine, Crafts & Conversation, Fun with Phonics, Computer Coding, Cars, Art & Slime as observed by Emily This week, I saw everything from making decorative messenger totes to designing unique computer games using Scratch 2.0. The coders let me play one of their games – so fun! I also saw so many campers making new friends while they did crafts in both Fun with Phonics and Cars, Art & Slime. I was so impressed by how friendly and welcoming all of the campers were, and I can't wait to see them throughout the summer!
Lego Bricks – Trains, Music Makers Mini Day Camp, Summer Ballerina Camp, Archery, Gaga Ball, and Garden With Bling as observed by Corina This week, it was amazing to see so many campers helping each other in different situations. In Lego Trains, Hudson S. needed a five block high bridge to fit his tall train, and Hunter B. was more than happy to help him! Music makers were busy this week making straw flutes and tambourines. Bryson B. said that his favorite instrument is the drum. The little summer ballerinas have their costumes and exercise down this week! Campers in Archery really enjoyed aiming for money placed on the targets. Kai P. and Gabriel S. told me that trying to shoot for the dollar bills was definitely their favorite activity. In Gaga Ball, there was always some sort of action. It was fun to see how proud Jacob H. was of his highest ever finish of 3rd place! Garden with Bling campers are learning how to grow their own plants and will even be taking them home at the end of the week. As you can see this week has been filled with fun and adventures. I can't wait to see what awaits next week! Coming Up
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Week 5 Photos Coming Next Week Intermediate/Advanced Ballet Technique, Dolls, Cooking & Crafts, Ninja Warrior Training, and Soccer ABCs as observed by Madison This week, I really enjoyed seeing how dedicated the campers were in the ballet class. These dancers practice as if they are performing in a recital. They come back to camp each summer, eager to fulfill their desire to keep up their skills and just dance. Soccer ABCs and Ninja Warrior campers were out in the heat, but so filled with energy and having so much fun! Campers in Dolls, Cooking and Crafts were very creative with the colors they chose for their art and how imaginative they were when they made food. They made spider-man strawberries, grape worms, and bears from toast! In every camp, I was surprised at the awesome work these campers did and I had an amazing time seeing them have so much fun!
Study Skills and Strategies for Success, Drama Detectives, Lego Bricks – Build a City, Headstart Band as observed by Josh I started my class observation with Mr. Marshall's Study Skills class, which was fun as his former student. He taught students to generate their own questions from texts, rather than relying on the teachers. This method of studying will teach them to predict future questions on a quiz or test. In Drama Detectives, Mrs. Underwood used creative expressions and sounds of Disney World such as riding roller coasters, eating ice cream, and wearing princess costumes to teacher her students how to be detectives. It was as if I was entering a whole new world. There was so much joy and laughter everywhere! In Legos I observed campers so heavily focused in on their own work, yet when all of their works came together, it made a whole city that came to life. It was breath taking! I felt as if I was in a behind the scenes Lego Movie. Every corner of the city had a story to tell. There were two entrepreneurs having lunch at a café, students learning in a class, a plane coming in for a landing, and so much more! Being a former member of the Jazz Band Program at Saint Mary's Hall, observing from an audience perspective of Mr. Docwra teaching his students, really gave me a new appreciation for what he does. Not only does every musician have to play the correct notes, but they also have to play in unison and balance their dynamic levels. I observed that each student helping the other when they made a mistake and encouraged them to improve. After everyone worked together to achieve the right sound, the students were able to play the piece in unison and their sound really improved from when I first walked in. In Learn to Roller Skate, campers started skating in circles, trying not to fall, and then towards the end of the class, they were all skating backwards. All it takes is a little forward balance and being aware of your surroundings. They all made it look so easy! When I walked into Mrs. Troutwine's class, beautiful music consumed the room. It was as if the campers have been preparing for this song, their entire lives. Mrs. Troutwine played the piano while her students played the ukuleles. They even added a triangle! Albert Einstein said, "it is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge." Based on what I observed this week, our teachers definitely used this supreme art!
Tennis, Reading is Radical. Lego Bricks – Colors, Letters, Numbers, and Shapes, Creative Crafting as observed by Kindell This week at Summer at Saint Mary's Hall, I visited several camps and each one had its own unique features and all stood out on creativity and fun! Creative Crafting, Chemistry in the Kitchen, and Lego – Build a City all required intense imagination, from creating a marble maze out of straws to using everyday kitchen food to create chemical reactions, and even building towers to the ceiling with moving trains, these summer camps had it all. Tennis, Reading is Radical, and Lego – Colors, Numbers, and Shapes allowed campers to express their knowledge and learning. Whether it was practicing backhands and serves in preparation for the end-of-week tennis tournament or using a handcrafted piggy puppet to gain an understanding of "ig" words, or even using Legos to create numbers and letters, each camp encouraged the students to express themselves freely.
Sincerely, Laura Baker and the Summer at Saint Mary's Hall Staff
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