Day 31- 8/12/10

Last Day of SBOS 2010!

After breakfasting at the Condon and signing yearbooks, we hopped on the T to spend our final day of camp at Alewife pool for swimming, playing cards and board games, enjoying the great outdoors, and eating pizza.

Day 30-Final Show

"I Wanna Stay in Group Four"

As a part of our final performance for Final Show, we created our own lyrics as a class to reflect our summer experiences to present to friends, family and community members on the stage of the Condon!

Final Show Song: “Group 4”

To the tune of Travie McCoy’s “Billionaire”

I wanna stay in Group 4 so, so bad,

Go on all the field trips I never had

I wanna be on the cover of Campers Magazine

Smiling next to Nadia and Jemmie

[Chorus]

Oh every time I close my eyes

I see the Condon in shining lights (yeahhhh)

A different city at RYI, oh my

Our counselors better be here

When I’m in Group 5 next year

Yeah I would run Southie like Menino

Make Boston green, oh, every day summer

Pool time on my wish list

I’d be cool like Edwin and Becca

And both are so ill I can’t pick my favorite directa

Give away a few tickets like, hey camper, have this

And last but not list grant Bebo his last wish

It’s been a few months since I’ve been in this camp so

This place is sweet and I really don’t wanna go

Get it, I clean up Broadway where theres litter

And put bottles in recycling to make the streets glitter

Yeah can’t forget about who’s Boss

Everywhere I go imma rap for SBOS

[Chorus]

Oh every time I close my eyes

I see the Condon in shining lights (oh yeah)

A different city at RYI, oh my

Our counselors better be here

When I’m in Group 5 next year

Oh, ohhh, oh, ohhh, when I’m in Group 5 next year

Oh, ohhh, oh, ohhh

I’d be playing math basketball with my team

Swishing shots like Kareem

Then I’ll show you my gardening at the police station

Inspire community service across the nation

And keep Summer Civics and Science comin Harmony too, that’s what I’ll be strummin

Have a paradise pizza party for supporting each other

And for treating a fellow camper like sister or brother

So everybody I care for can feel respect

Values of safety and diversity are what I protect

Having smores going camping

I know we all have love for Southie

Go in your heart and pull out the thing

That makes you love SBOS and sing

[Chorus]

Days 28 and 29- 8/9/10

Roll On America!

After a morning wrapping up our final Summer Science and Summer Harmony lessons, we prepared for our Collaboration field trip with RYI to Roll On America, a place where we roller skated, jumped into games of laser tag, played arcade games, enjoyed snacks and pizza, and watched movies on a jumbo screen. We even participated in some dance games and relays!

The following morning, we were treated to a breakfast of orange juice and French toast, and spent the rest of the day swimming, playing in the park, making sand castles, eating lunch, and searching for crabs at Castle Island in Southie.

Mark and campers from Groups 3 and 4 caught crabs in a bucket!

Day 27- 8/6/10

Exploring the Museum of Science

Campers adopted identities as scientists, traveling from an exhibit featuring the human body to an indoor park describing the physics of playground equipment to a room with dinosaurs and fossils.

"I was picked to be a volunteer in the lightning show." - Mark, who demonstrated how positive and negative charges are involved in the creation of electric charge

Day 26- 8/5/10

Blast into Newton's Historic Past: Field Trip to the Jackson Homestead and Museum

Group 4 toured a mansion formerly home to the Jackson family that served as a stop on the Underground Railroad to lead to slave's freedom. We discovered what life was life for New England's early settlers, including what utensils they used and what songs they listened to. We learned about the abolition movement in Newton and how the Jackson family used their home as a sanctuary for slaves. We also examined the photographs, clothing, artifacts and other primary sources in the Jackson residence of the 1800s, and had the opportunity to guess what some of the utensils were.

"I went into Henry Box Brown's [a 19th century slave] box which he traveled in to get from Virginia to Philadelphia. I can fit in easily, but he was more than 6 feet tall!" -Miranda

Campers were able to get a sense of the danger of slave escape by volunteering to crawl into a reproduction of a box used by a man (Henry Box Brown) to mail himself to freedom, and try on a collar made to punish a man for trying to escape from slavery.

Day 25- 8/4/10

Love to Learn and Family Fun Night #2

After a day filled with a Math Vocabulary Flyswatter Game (in which two teams used flyswatters to slap the correct math vocabulary word answer on the chalkboard to accumulate points), swimmingin the pool, practicing our song for the Final Show, and discussing environmental justice and its role in the Southie community, we enjoyed spending time with each other playing games and eating dinner in the Condon cafeteria at our second Family Fun Night. We enjoyed Italian food, board games, and football!

Day 24- 8/3/10

RYI-SBOS Collaboration

Our friends from Roxbury Youth Initiative Camp joined us outside the Condon School for our Field Day. We traveled from station to station, playing waterballoon toss, getting face painted, shooting hoops, participating in "Red Light, Green Light," partnering up to compete in the three-legged race, and more!

"I like field day events. You get to play outside and make friends with new people. I painted Nadia!" -Miranda

Day 23- 8/2/10

Memorable Monday

Summer Science graced us with their presence to teach us how to make ice cream with a plastic bag, cream, ice, and other ingredients. Summer Harmony joined our classroom shortly thereafter, presenting a lesson on how to read musical notes. We were allowed to play songs together as a class on bells once we mastered the notes!

Today was also celebratory! By demonstrating respectful behavior, working cooperatively, and following class rules and directions, we won ourselves a Paradise Pizza Party by collecting 60 marbles, each given for being a positive contributor to camp in one of the ways described above. YUM!

"I didn't know you could make ice cream like this. I think I'm going to try this at home, and put Oreos and M&M's in mine." -Jonathan

"I play a musical instrument, so some of Harmony's lesson was review to me. I could help the other campers learn." -Justin

Day 22- 7/30/10

Under the Sea

Group 4 explored the New England Aquarium, stamping their adventure booklets at various stations to learn more about aquatic habitats, overfishing, endangered sepcies, and global warming. In class we studied what it means to "go green," but here at the aquarium we thought about what it means to "live blue" by reducing water use and pollution. The featured exhibit showcased more than 80 penguins, and we enjoyed traveling through the different rooms to see different forms of aquatic life, from catfish to jellyfish!

"Myrtle is the oldest turtle here. She's eighty-something years old! And she's one of the biggest turtles!"- Mark

"There are macaroni penguins here. They tend to be leaders." - Michael

Day 21- 7/29/10

All the Way to Alewife

Taking the T from Broadway to Alewife, Southie's groups 3, 4, and 5 went on a field trip to Alewife pool and park. Campers swam, splashed, and spent time in the sun in each other's company!

"I love the T! I enjoy swimming, too." - Hernan

"When are we going to Alewife next?" - Kaia

Day 20- 7/28/10

Group 4 Reflection on the Giving Tree

We read Shel Silverstein's book The Giving Tree and discussed what giving and sacrifice mean to us. Some likened the Giving Tree (who allows a little boy to swing on her branches, eat her apples, and use her bark) to a selfless mother. Some shared that the boy was greedy, while others considered him resourceful.

We then created our own giving trees on construction paper, writing on apples, leaves, or branches things we would like to give to the world. Each camper presented his or her tree to the class, and all were displayed at Family Fun Night for campers and family members to browse through for inspiration.

Day 19- 7/27/10

Love for the Library

Groups 2, 3, and 4 hopped on the bus to go to the local library to read for one hour together. Campers also checked out fascinating books to read at home, ranging from Goosebumps to a book on the Dominican Republic.

"I got a bag that says 'Go Green' from a librarian." - Miranda

"I read a book on beetles, and I drew one!" - Justin

Day 18- 7/26/10

Green Persuasion

How do Nike and iPod commercials make people interested in their products? What strategies do environmental organizations use to encourage resource conservation? How do you target a particular audience? What are strong ways to convince people to act? How do logos and branding play a part in attracting people into stores? In what ways can influential people support a particular cause?

We discussed the questions above in an open class conversation, and then, we discussed three rhetorical strategies that Greek philosopher Aristotle said are used in persuasive writing:

• ethos- ethical/moral/righteous appeal or credibility/character of the speaker; reputation is important (ex. “recycling is the right thing to do to save our planet” OR “President Barack Obama says we should have recycle bins in every classroom in America”).
• logos- logical, rational, reason-based argument “makes sense,” often supported by numbers evidence (ex. “carbon dioxide in the atmosphere leads to global warming” or “we could save $2,000 on our energy bill if we unplug our cell phone chargers when we aren't using them")
• pathos- emotional (ex. “the kids of the future will be able to breathe clean air if we reduce, reuse and recycle and support clean energy businesses”

After learning about ethos, pathos, and logos, we developed our own recycling posters to persuade people to take action on an environmental issue in the community, ranging from using less water by taking shorter showers to changing lightbulbs in the house to be more energy efficient. Each group presented their poster to the class, describing strategies used and explaining the illustrations they chose.

"I put up a sticker on a light in my house to remind my family to turn off the lights." - Mark

"My poster convinces people to buy locally grown food." - Michael

"I drew a lightbulb with green recycling signs around it so people will think of the environment when they use electricity." -Sean

Day 17- 7/23

Friday's Field Trip

The Esplanade Association (TEA) is a nonprofit collaboration of citizens working to protect, restore, and beautify Boston’s historic Charles River Esplanade, and it is among the oldest and most frequented urban parks in the country, comprising three miles of parkland.

Here, "two million people a year walk, bird watch, play tennis, jog, bicycle, rollerblade, swing, walk their dogs, sunbathe, meditate, play chess, learn to sail, view fireworks, picnic, admire the scenery, read, hear concerts, play baseball, study, watch movies, and host family reunions."

After learning about the aims of this space, campers participated in team-building exercises, played games, and enjoyed the opportunity to swim!

Day 15- 7/21

What's for Wednesday?

* Reading Buddies with Group 1

* Recycling lesson and Condon School pick-up facilitated by the South Boston Action Center

* Math Word problems: white board team relays

* Journal: Where I See Myself in 10 Years

* Pool time and lunch

* Read Aloud: Choose Your Own Adventure Series

* Park play

Day 14- 7/20

Tuesday's Treat

Heather and Colin of the Harvard Office for Sustainability kindly visited the classroom to meet with us and provide an insightful lesson covering environmental issues, ranging from sharing strategies about how to conserve energy in the home to ways to save water on a daily basis. Campers learned about Harvard initiatives to promote environmental justice, from turning down the thermostat to recycling.

Here's what some campers had to say about the presentation, including lessons they learned:

"What I like about that presentation was the energy. I will save energy. I will take my [Nintendo] DS charger out to save energy. I learned about not using a lot of energy." - Miranda (age 10)

"I learned that to reduce, reuse, and recycle is good to do and turning things that you're not using is saving energy and money and also instead of bottles going in the trash, why not put them in the recycle bin, and I have more to share." - Hernan (age 10)

"I learned about how to save energy. And I want to save energy by using less AC." - Justin (age 10)

"I learned that Americans wasted 100,000 gallons of water each day. I will help by using less water." - Michael (age 10)

"Thank you for telling us how to save light." - Jonathan (age 11) who placed a sticker next to the light switch in the classroom to serve as a reminder to turn off the lights when no one is occupying the room

"Share the love and recycle!" - Sean (age 10)

"What I learned was when [Colin and Heather] talked about saving power. Spread the word by telling other people." - Jaydon (age 10)

"I learned what sustainable lmeans and I will help use less energy and water and use the front and back of every piece of paper. Also, use solar panels for energy." - Kaia (age 9)

"Jazztopia is a land that has no cars. But we use bikes." - Jazzmyne (age 10)

Day 13-7/19

Make-a-Change Monday

Teaming up with Bill and Paul, recipients of Mayor Menino's gardening award and active community members invested in "greening" Boston, we went to the police station in Southie to spruce up its weed-infested sidewalk garden. Using cow manure, peet moss, humus, healthy soil and woodchips for water retention, we transformed a dry land plot to a vibrant garden after introducing nutrients and plants. We also eliminated weeds and watered.

"In the morning the soil was like it was from the Sahara desert, but now we are feeding it rich soil, like a gourmet meal for the plants!" - Hernan

"I pass by this police station every day on my way to school, and now I can say that my campers contributed to make it this beautiful." - Jemmie (JC)

Community Cousins Family Luau

Community Cousins is a program that strives for social harmony by connecting families from various racial and ethnic backgrounds. Families are linked into "cousin" groups, and throughout the summer, they come together to meet at events and engage in meaningful exchanges. Below are snapshots from our Hawaiian-inspired gathering at Castle Island in South Boston!