Thursday 2019 Camp News

Today we continued wrestling with our theme about HOME through the story of Mother of Theresa, who in following her experiencing of finding a sense of home in the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, used her life to do small things with great love to create homes for others.


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We switched to a new, and our final, art class. Our second of several community service-learning activities which seek to expand our sense of community from ourselves, and our friends, to the city in which we live and the wider world of the common good. We are gifted school supplies and some recess equipment to the learning community of Horace Mann Elementary School here in Oakland - things that they need and have requested. In the flood of need among our OUSD schools they seem to be a overlooked. We talked about their school and how we can help create a sense of home for and with them on their campus, creating a welcome back to school sign for them to hang in their entry. We are using part of our registration fees as a tithe, or financial gift, to enable such other-empowering gifts in our service-learning throughout the week.



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TALK WITH YOUR CAMPER ABOUT TODAY’S CAMP FUN

Here are some questions for talking with you camper(s) about camp today:

1.             What did Home mean for Mother Theresa? for Jesus? How did she live her life trying to make home possible for others?

2.             Did your camper have mac & cheese or coffee today? How much?

3.             What’s been the zaniest thing to happen at camp so far this week?

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Tomorrow is Oakland Pride Day! Wear your Oakland gear - whatever that means for you.

We’ll close the day out with a slip-n-slide time for those who so desire. Your camper can slip and slide in their clothes, or bring a swimsuit to change into. This will be our closing event for the week of camp.


We’re engaging the story of Mother Teresa and notions of home as one we can create for others with our care and actions.


For lunch we’re having a barbecue


Friday we’re doing a public art project, seeking to expand our conversation about home and what that means and who that includes to the larger city. We’ll be creating an art installation to go on the fence of the empty lot at the end of the block, at the intersection of College and Claremont Avenues. An idea curated by some of our church community members and VBS volunteer leaders, the project will include photos of your campers with their statement of what home is. There will be no names or identification with the photos, so that all campers remain anonymous. If you would like your camper to opt out of this activity, and not have their photo in the public installation please contact Monte by phone or email or at drop-off/pick-up by Thursday night. The installation will stay up for at least a week.


You can see photos of today (and every day) on our social media sites as well as on our photo 2019 page on the camp website HERE http://www.recreationvbs.org/2019-photos


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Thursday is our art show from 6-7pm, a chance to show off and celebrate what we’ve been doing as well as to connect among families and friends. You can bring a dish of finger snacks (savory or sweet) to share as we seek to make our celebration like a real art show gallery opening!

Friday we’re doing a public art project, seeking to expand our conversation about home and what that means and who that includes to the larger city. We’ll be creating an art installation to go on the fence of the empty lot at the end of the block, at the intersection of College and Claremont Avenues. An idea curated by some of our church community members and VBS volunteer leaders, the project will include photos of your campers with their statement of what home is. There will be no names or identification with the photos, so that all campers remain anonymous. If you would like your camper to opt out of this activity, and not have their photo in the public installation please contact Monte by phone or email or at drop-off/pick-up by Thursday night.

Wednesday 2019 Camp News

Today we continued wrestling with our theme about HOME through the story of Zaccheus and Jesus and their encounter when the former climbed a tree to see Jesus come into his town. We finished one art class, switching to another one. Our programmatic approach moved us from our strengthened sense of community (from yesterday’s relationally bonding fun) to our first of several community service-learning activities which seek to expand our sense of community from ourselves, and our friends, to the city in which we live and the wider world of the common good. We’re partnering with UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, specifically the Child Life Department to help provide fun crafts and activities for children who are long-term patients there. At their direction we’ll be making as many lanyards, or at least starting them, as we can. They can then be given to hospitalized children as a fun way to occupy them during their hospitalization. We also are making some signs/cards (based on the campers’ vision) to encourage Ms Leonardo who is also hospitalized. She has been an art teacher at nearly every VBS and suffered a stroke in late June. She’s now at a long-term care facility in Vallejo. She has little to no mental impact from the stroke, and is learning to walk again and some other physical tasks. We’ll deliver the cards/signs to her next week.

TALK WITH YOUR CAMPER ABOUT TODAY’S CAMP FUN

Here are some questions for talking with you camper(s) about camp today:

1.             What did Home mean for Zaccheus? for Jesus? How were they different? How do you see that story happening in your life, at your school, or in our world, today? You can read the story for yourself or as a family in Luke 19:1-10 [LINK]

2.             Is your camper collecting bracelets? What’s their plan with them?

3.             Who had the craziest hair at camp? What made it so crazy? 

4.             Some of our kids have been working on the art of coffee, from growing to making it. Has your camper done that yet? What did they learn about coffee?

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Tomorrow is Halloween! Recycle a past costume or make a new one! It’s too much fun to have Halloween only once a year.


We’re engaging the story of Mother Teresa and notions of home as one we can create for others with our care and actions.


For lunch we’re having Mac & Cheese


In our project-based service-learning we’re working OUSD to provide school supplies and much needed recess supplies (balls) to Horace Mann Elementary School in East Oakland. Children’s Hospital [LINK] to We’ll have a visit from Dr. Gary Yee who represents the part of the school district that includes Horace Mann on the OUSD Board of Education.


You can see photos of today (and every day) on our social media sites as well as on our photo 2019 page on the camp website HERE http://www.recreationvbs.org/2019-photos


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Thursday is our art show from 6-7pm, a chance to show off and celebrate what we’ve been doing as well as to connect among families and friends. You can bring a dish of finger snacks (savory or sweet) to share as we seek to make our celebration like a real art show gallery opening!

Friday we’re doing a public art project, seeking to expand our conversation about home and what that means and who that includes to the larger city. We’ll be creating an art installation to go on the fence of the empty lot at the end of the block, at the intersection of College and Claremont Avenues. An idea curated by some of our church community members and VBS volunteer leaders, the project will include photos of your campers with their statement of what home is. There will be no names or identification with the photos, so that all campers remain anonymous. If you would like your camper to opt out of this activity, and not have their photo in the public installation please contact Monte by phone or email or at drop-off/pick-up by Thursday night.

Tuesday 2019 Camp News

Today we continued wrestling with our theme about HOME through the story of the Exodus: Moses leading the Israelites out of slavery in ancient Egypt to a new home - a promised land of freedom. We finished one art class, switching to another one. Our programmatic approach moved us from our strengthened sense of community (from yesterday’s relationally bonding fun) to our first of several community service-learning activities which seek to expand our sense of community from ourselves, and our friends, to the city in which we live and the wider world of the common good. We’re doing a trash and recycling pick-up along College Avenue, seeking to support and participate in the work of the neighborhood, and the Rockridge District Association [web LINK], to beautify our hood and make it safe. And of course, there was ice cream.

TALK WITH YOUR CAMPER ABOUT TODAY’S CAMP FUN

Here are some questions for talking with you camper(s) about camp today:

1.             What does Home mean for you? Where do you feel most at home? Is it a place, a space or related to people? Why would Abraham and Sarah leave their home for a new one that they didn’t even know about simply because God asked them do to so?  

2.             What new art class did your camper begin?

3.             Who were some of the heroes/heroines (real or fictional) that campers dressed up as? 

4.             What was the weirdest thing that your camper, or his her/group, found on the trash-pick up?

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Tomorrow is Crazy Hair Day! Go for whatever you can make happen!

We’re engaging the story of the Zaccheus and notions of home as family with Karl.

For lunch we’re having personal pizzas.

In our project-based service-learning we’re working with the Child Life Department of UCSF Benioff’s Children’s Hospital [LINK] to provide activities for children-patients who are in long term care so that the hospital might feel a little bit more like home. We’re doing this work on the church campus.

You can see photos of today (and every day) on our social media sites as well as on our photo 2019 page on the camp website HERE http://www.recreationvbs.org/2019-photos

TheArtShow.jpg__616x346_q85_subsampling-2.jpg

Thursday is our art show from 6-7pm, a chance to show off and celebrate what we’ve been doing as well as to connect among families and friends. You can bring a dish of finger snacks (savory or sweet) to share as we seek to make our celebration like a real art show gallery opening!

Friday we’re doing a public art project, seeking to expand our conversation about home and what that means and who that includes to the larger city. We’ll be creating an art installation to go on the fence of the empty lot at the end of the block, at the intersection of College and Claremont Avenues. An idea curated by some of our church community members and VBS volunteer leaders, the project will include photos of your campers with their statement of what home is. There will be no names or identification with the photos, so that all campers remain anonymous. If you would like your camper to opt out of this activity, and not have their photo in the public installation please contact Monte by phone or email or at drop-off/pick-up by Thursday night.

Monday 2019 Camp News

We began wrestling with our theme about HOME through the story of Abraham and Sarah, considered the parents, or “first-family” of all humanity in the traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Today we began our art class rotations and hopefully your camper re-discovered some old camper friends or made some new ones. The overall programmatic schedule of the day is focused on building interpersonal relationships among our camp community through games, collaboration, creation and relaxing moments.


TALK WITH YOUR CAMPER ABOUT TODAY’S CAMP FUN

Here are some questions for talking with you camper(s) about camp today:

1.             What does Home mean for you? Where do you feel most at home? Is it a place, a space or related to people? Why would Abraham and Sarah leave their home for a new one that they didn’t even know about simply because God asked them do to so?  

2.             What did your camper do that they’ve never done before in their art class?

3.             What was the best game your camper participated in today? What made it so fun? 

4.             What is your camper looking forward to, or excited about during the week?


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Tomorrow is Hero/Heroine day…come to camp dressed as someone who is a hero for you…real or fictional.

We’re engaging the story of the Exodus with Myrna.

For lunch we’re having pizza and we’re doing our first of several community service-learning projects as we’ll do a trash/recycling pick-up contest in our groups around the church campus along College Avenue. We’ll end the day with a gutter sundae! (after washing our hands of course!!!).

Be sure to have your camper wear sturdy shoes for the trash pick-up which will include significant walking.

You can see photos of today (and every day) on our social media sites as well as on our photo 2019 page on the camp website HERE http://www.recreationvbs.org/2019-photos