LRS Summer Camp: Day 6

8/13/2016

Last Day of Camp

Today was the last day of the camp. Our campers woke up with varying degrees of pain in their thighs and calves as a result of the mountain climbing. Although it was already the last day, we still had plenty of fun activities planned, and the kids were still very excited.

Movie Time

Our campers enjoyed watching a movie together. The teachers picked The Croods because the campers are all different ages, and we wanted all of them to enjoy the movie. We got good feedback, based on their laughter during the movie!

Creativity and Imagination

After breakfast, volunteers Xiao Xiao and Lina split the campers into two groups. Xiao Xiao did an English workshop with the group of younger kids.

Lina did an arts and crafts session with the older group. They worked with construction paper and used their imagination to make one big piece of art.

The campers’ creativity and imagination have improved a lot these past two days, not to mention their ability to cooperate. Since the first day they arrived, we’ve been telling them that although they’re from different areas and they may not know each other well, we’re all one family because we’re here together. We’re a team! Through our activities, everybody has gotten to know each other. We’ve gotten to learn from each other to make one big work of love, like our arts and crafts.

Volunteer Spotlight: Xiao Wen

It’s time for the spotlight to go to our volunteer Xiao Wen. Xiao Wen spent a lot of time working on a poem for his PowerPoint, China’s Youth Says. Because the poem is very long, the teachers printed the words out and gave them to the campers on the first day of camp. Throughout the week, whenever we had time, Xiao Wen would lead us in reciting and memorizing the poem. The last day was a good time for them to perform the poem for us.

Hao Yang and Chen Yang bravely started us off with a martial parts performance. Their performance was great not only in martial arts but in the camp over all. The teachers and other volunteers were very confident in their abilities. Haoyang and Chenyang got awarded “Most Loving Award” and “Best Performer Award” respectively.

Reflective Essays

In the afternoon, we had the older campers (above 3rd grade) write essays on how they felt about the camp. Possibly because mountain climbing was so tiring yesterday, many kids wrote about it in their essays.

We were pleased to see that the kids saw change in themselves and learned lots of life lessons from our activities. We hope they will pass these lessons to their peers and friends and pass the love down.

This phrase was used abundantly in our campers' essays, summing up how they felt: “Time flies when you’re having fun!”

Art Projects

While the older campers were writing their essays, we didn’t want the younger campers to get bored. Watercolor painting is without a doubt their favorite thing to do, so they did that.

These 3 beautiful young ladies each got awards as well. The pretty Jia Ling won the “Most Clever Award.” Xiao Chun won the “Exceptional Painting Award.” Jiang Nan won the “Most Serious Worker Award.”

This is Hung Yi. She won the “Most Energetic Award.”

Haha, I’ll come have some fun as well.

The “Etching Drawing” activity excited the campers’ imaginations. Looking at their drawings. I’m sure you would give them all a thumbs up even if I didn’t say anything. Shy Little Zhen won the “Best Painting Award.”

Communicating Emotions Game

The communicating emotions game tested everybody’s body language skills. Lulu was always very shy and won the “Most Calm Award.” We could always see her smiling brightly during our activities. We know she showed her best side for everybody. Hopefully this camp allowed her to become more confident in herself.

Can you guess what Chen Yang is trying to act out in the photo on the left?

The answer is “toothache.” She did a pretty good job. But after the motion was passed through all her teammates, it had turned into “sleeping” and “hibernation.” Everybody laughed until they had stomachaches.

Newspaper Stepping Game

It was time to test everybody’s teamwork. Under the leadership of Teacher Yun, we played the “Newspaper Stepping” game. Each team had to fit all their members on a very small sheet of newspaper on the ground. They teamed up to think of ways to keep adding more people to the small sheet of newspaper.

When Bao Xia first came, she did not like to talk and would always sit alone. Today, she was a completely different person. Thus, she won the “Best Participant Award.” Cai Man won the “Best Game Award.”

Final Preparations

In the afternoon while the campers were resting, the three teachers started working. Teacher Yun wrote certificates for all the campers. Teacher Wang prepared the next PowerPoint. Teacher Chang started to organize and pack our materials.

Award Ceremony

Then it was time for the most exciting moment—the award ceremony! We awarded them unique awards based on their performance during the camp. Besides the awards we mentioned above, there were also “Best Manners Award” (awarded to Zhuan Zhen), “Best Catwalk Award” (awarded to Xia Yi), “Best Behaved Award” (awarded to Hong Xia), “Best Dance Award” (awarded to Xue Yan), “Most Active Award” (awarded to Jia Ju), “Most Creative Award” (awarded to Li Hua), and “Best Breakthrough Award” (awarded to Xi Hong). We also thanked our volunteers for their hard work. We awarded them “Volunteer Service” certificates.

Do you still remember this little camper? It’s little Hongyan. Didn’t she get taller and prettier? Her biggest change is actually in her personality. She’s no longer scared of talking to strangers. Thus, she actively participated in all the activities.

Her performance surprised all the teachers, so she really deserved the “Most Improved Award.”

Happy for a Summer

Throughout the week, we recorded everything with our cell phone cameras. Teacher Yun made a PowerPoint of our daily moments to share with everyone. This was our last day of camp. Above and below the screen, the campers’ brilliant smiles completed the summer camp's theme: Happy for a Summer. We wish with all our hearts that the kids will grow up happily.

This year's summer camp is over, and the kids will be returning home tomorrow. We hope that this camp left the campers with good memories. Just like one of the songs they sang, “The Sun Always Comes Out After Rain and Wind,” the next page of their lives will definitely be great!

Original article written by LRS staff, translated by Michael Chau, edited by Carolyn D.