VSA-Huckleberry Camp Week 1 Wins!

VSA FUTURE-HUCKLEBERRY CAMP: WHERE KIDS LEARN, PLAY, AND GROW

The VSA Future-Huckleberry Fun & Educational Summer Camp kicked off on Monday, June 26. Your child will join peers in an academic summer camp environment that fosters school success and social growth. In the afternoons, they will emerge in Huckleberry, a new children’s amusement center in Morris County.

“This is the best camp I ever had!” was a common refrain from campers at the end of the first week. They left with happy and joyful faces, eager to return for more fun and learning.

The camp offers a variety of activities that are both educational and entertaining. Campers can participate in academic enrichment programs, arts and crafts, sports, games, and more. They will also have the opportunity to explore Huckleberry, which features a playground, rides, and other attractions.

The camp is staffed by experienced and qualified teachers and counselors who are dedicated to providing a safe and fun environment for all campers. Parents can rest assured that their children are in good hands.

SUNSHINE CAMPERS THRIVE IN WEEK 1 

Pre-K to 2nd grade campers are having a fantastic time at Sunshine Camp, engaging in diverse learning experiences across various subjects. They are mastering initial sounds, practicing C-V-C word formation, exploring basic arithmetic, and participating in group reading sessions with comprehension in mind.

Meanwhile, older campers are forming multisyllabic words, solving two-step addition and subtraction word problems, and demonstrating their comprehension by asking and answering essential questions. In writing, they are developing their skills by planning, revising, editing, and rewriting activities.

CRAFTING PERSUASIVE ESSAYS 

Our Yellow campers have embraced their Reading and Writing adventures enthusiastically! We began this week by discussing opinion essays and their key features and by analyzing our mentor text. Our young campers examined their resource texts to learn about the delectable subject of pizza before drafting and revising formal opinion essays arguing their stance on schools serving pizza.

Our Blue campers also tackled persuasive writing this week, and they took an environmental focus to the topic. By analyzing mentor and resource texts about the environmental impact of overdevelopment on wildlife populations, our middle school writers formulated their own claims and evidence. They wrote and edited comprehensive essays that offered original thesis statements and well-supported claims with evidence.

Over the week, campers studied essay structure, effective hooks, and thesis statement development. They developed a solid grasp of basic paragraph structure. Moving forward, our focus will be on further refining the students’ writing skills and fostering their ability to construct thoughtful responses to texts.

MATH THAT MATTERS 

In Yellow Math this week, students explored the properties of multiplication. They memorized multiples of two and three, and learned how to create arrays and groups to show multiplication. The most impressive part of the week was seeing elementary students solve challenging word problems involving multiple steps of multiplication.

Blue Math students focused on a variety of topics relating to their grade level. They participated in topics such as decimal division and multiplication, order of operations, or algebraic expressions. The wonderful thing about the math program is that it is tailored to each student’s learning level. This allows students to work at their own pace while also receiving content-focused lessons from their teacher.

CONFIDENCE, CLARITY, AND CONNECTION: PUBLIC SPEAKING AT CAMP 

This week at VSA Camp, campers learned how to give confident, clear, and engaging speeches. They started by learning the basics of speech structure, including how to write an engaging introduction, a coherent body, and a compelling conclusion. With a good structure, students can maximize the impact of their speech.

Elementary school campers practiced the art of introducing themselves, laying the foundation for confident self-expression. Meanwhile, older students tackled thought-provoking topics, such as the elimination of grounding rules, to help them explore their perspectives and sharpen their persuasive abilities. By our Thursday presentation, campers had improved in their clarity and confidence, connecting authentically with their audience!

CAMPERS LEARN ABOUT THE WATER CYCLE AND THE HATCHING OF CHICKS 

This week in science, campers learned about two major topics: the water cycle and the hatching of chicks.

First, campers learned about the water cycle. Ms. Alyssa taught campers about salt and freshwater sources, as well as where exactly our water is in the world. Campers then transformed into water droplets and went through the water cycle using dice and prompts. Depending on what a camper rolled, they would go to a new part of the water cycle. Campers quickly learned that there were some “traps,” where water was held the most! To show their journey, campers created colorful paper chains that represent the cyclical process happening in the water cycle.

Second, campers were excited to welcome a new batch of eggs to the incubator. Over the next few weeks, campers will be able to watch the eggs hatch and see the chicks grow. This is a great opportunity for campers to learn about the process of hatching and the development of chicks.

Both of these science lessons were engaging and informative. Campers learned a lot about important scientific concepts and had fun doing it.

GLOBAL SPEECH: ATTORNEY FENG INSPIRES VSA CAMPERS 

Campers at VSA Camp are exposed to real-world issues through compelling talks. From global warming to a scientist’s daily life, campers learn about a variety of topics that help them understand the world around them. Our impressive panel of speakers—from scientists to artists, finance experts, and more—inspire campers to grow as learners and empathetic citizens of the world.

This week, students at VSA Camp were lucky enough to meet Attorney Feng, a practicing lawyer. Attorney Feng shared a presentation with students about how laws come about, what law she practices, as well as what it takes to be a lawyer. She highlighted the importance of Compassion, A Good Listener, Assertiveness, Creativeness, and Perseverance as key traits for lawyers.

The presentation was followed up by a meaningful question and answer session that allowed students to ask questions about law and what Attorney Feng’s job looks like day-to-day. Students were engaged and interested in the presentation, and they learned a lot about the law and the legal profession.

We are so grateful to Attorney Feng for taking the time to speak to our students. Her insights and experiences were invaluable, and they will help students as they continue to learn about the law and consider their future careers.

NEW FRIENDS AND CREATIVE DELIGHTS AT HUCKLEBERRY! 

Campers at Huckleberry had a fun-filled week full of new friends, creative activities, and delicious treats. They explored a fantastic play place, immersed themselves in camping-themed books, crafted friendship bracelets, and even tried their hand at weaving. They also personalized homemade “camping” lanterns, enjoyed their indoor tent, and engaged in collaborative art activities to decorate their new space.

The week was capped off with a visit from the ice cream truck, which provided the perfect refreshment after all the fun. Campers are eagerly looking forward to their take-home s’more kits, which they can use to create their own delicious treats at home.

Huckleberry is all about fostering friendships, nurturing creativity, and encouraging adventure. This week was filled with wonderful memories that celebrate the joy of camp and the bond that campers share. As the summer goes on, campers can look forward to more exciting experiences and the chance to create lasting moments at Camp.

NINE MORE WEEKS OF CAMP! 

All campers can’t wait the following weeks of the camp. Sign up at bit.ly/vsacamp23, for 18% off by July 15, 2023.