<p class="ql-block">Every morning, a wave of cheerful energy washes over our camp as children head through the gates, ready for another day of adventure. It’s the best part of our day—seeing their bright smiles and eager faces, knowing they are happy to be here.</p> Basketball <p class="ql-block">Basketball lessons always help us refresh and start our camp day. In the lessons, we work on fundamentals—dribbling, passing, and shooting—but the real win is the energy. By the time we break a sweat and run a few scrimmages, we're fully awake, laughing, and locked in as a team. It sets the tone: active, positive, and ready for whatever the day brings.</p> Chinese <p class="ql-block">This week, our campers "traveled" to Chengdu, one of China's most beloved cities, through stories, informational reading, games, music, crafts, and hands-on cultural activities. Students learned about Chengdu's location, famous landmarks, and local traditions while building Mandarin vocabulary related to animals, food, transportation, nature, and daily life. We explored the characteristics of China's giant pandas through informational texts and created adorable panda origami. Students also learned the famous Tang Dynasty poem "Jué Jù (绝句)" by Du Fu, which beautifully describes the scenery of Chengdu. Inspired by the poem, they created artwork and origami projects that brought the poem's beautiful imagery to life.</p><p class="ql-block">Students also explored the fascinating tradition of Sichuan Opera and its famous face-changing performance (变脸). They learned about the meanings behind the colorful opera masks and worked together to perform an exciting face-changing routine as a class. To experience Chengdu's famous cuisine, students learned about Sichuan hot pot, smelled real Sichuan peppercorns and chili peppers, and created colorful clay hot pots filled with a variety of meats and vegetables. We also discovered the traditional folk art of Blown Sugar Figurines (吹糖人), a Chinese Intangible Cultural Heritage. We wrapped up the week with a travel poster exhibition and student presentations, giving every camper the opportunity to proudly share what they learned about Chengdu's culture, language, and traditions.</p> <p class="ql-block" style="text-align:center;"><b style="font-size:20px;">Presentations or Interpersonal Meetings with He Laoshi</b></p> English <p class="ql-block">This week we intensified our work with COMPONENTS OF LITERATURE. Throughout all our activities we studied and practiced:</p><p class="ql-block"> - Setting</p><p class="ql-block"> -Characters</p><p class="ql-block"> -Who’s telling the story?</p><p class="ql-block"> -Plot (sequence of events in the story)</p><p class="ql-block"> -Conflict and conflict resolution</p><p class="ql-block"> </p><p class="ql-block">All the students spent considerable time writing, focusing on vocabulary development, creative writing, comprehension, and answering questions from books and reading passages. The older students worked on more in-depth writing, such as opinion writing and letter writing.</p><p class="ql-block"> </p><p class="ql-block">The younger students continue to develop more self confidence in writing. They are moving away from asking questions such as, “How do you spell this word,” to learning and using spelling strategies they can use on their own. This eliminates the habit that many children fall into where they only use simpler vocabulary because it’s easier to spell. It leads to more confident readers, too. They share what they write. Some are shy at first but soon get comfortable in speaking in front of others.</p><p class="ql-block"> </p><p class="ql-block">We do a lot of reading and discuss what we read. We make sure that every child is heard and understood. We want them to know that what they have to say is important.</p><p class="ql-block"> </p><p class="ql-block">Through reading, writing, and discussions students develop their critical thinking skills.</p><p class="ql-block"> </p><p class="ql-block">Many student volunteers help throughout the week. Their help allowed us to more fully address the needs and interests of the students and to better differentiate instruction for the students under our care; and the students love them! We are grateful to them. They do outstanding work!</p> <p class="ql-block" style="text-align:center;"><b style="font-size:20px;">Spelling </b></p> <p class="ql-block" style="text-align:center;"><b style="font-size:20px;">Reading</b></p> <p class="ql-block" style="text-align:center;"><b style="font-size:20px;">Writing </b></p> <p class="ql-block" style="text-align:center;"><b style="font-size:20px;">Games </b></p> Music <p class="ql-block">This week, our music classroom was filled with energy, creativity, and joyful learning! In addition to moving and keeping the beat through music and rhythm activities, students practiced a variety of fundamental musical skills, including breathing techniques, rhythm exercises, body percussion, vocal warm-ups, and scale practice. They also continued learning and reinforcing solfège hand signs, which help develop pitch awareness, accurate intonation, and confident singing.</p><p class="ql-block">Beyond vocal training, students had the opportunity to explore Chinese traditional music by creating and trying several traditional wind and percussion instruments, including a whistle, hand drum, flute, and pellet drum (bo-lang-gu). Through these hands-on activities, students not only enjoyed the fun of making their own instruments but also gained a deeper appreciation for the beauty and richness of Chinese musical traditions.</p> Chess Friday Fun <p class="ql-block" style="text-align:center;"><b style="font-size:20px;">Water Fun</b></p> <p class="ql-block" style="text-align:center;"><b style="font-size:20px;">Popsicles </b></p> <p class="ql-block" style="text-align:center;"><b style="font-size:20px;">Balloon Animals </b></p> Lunch Break Volunteers <p class="ql-block">As the end of this week approaches, our students bring a new chance to grow, connect, and create memories for the summer. Every day offers fresh opportunities to try something new and build friendships. We are looking forward to celebrating another wonderful week together.</p>