Announcements
See you at Student Led Conferences on Wednesday. I will send out an email with reminders of what to expect early next week.
Calendar
May 21: All Library books are due
May 22: Student Led Conferences- Here is the sign-up for reference.
May 27: Memorial Day: No School
May 31: Elephant & Piggie Plays 8:45-9:45am
June 7: Last Day of Kindergarten! Dismissal at 12:45
Camp Elim Report:
You could feel the buzz of excitment as our Crew came in Wednesday morning!
Our 4th grade buddies made a tunnel to cheer us on, as we made our way to the bus.
Video Credit: Ms. Trena. Thank you!
Our fancy charter bus
Getting everyone buckled in
We made it!
Welcome to Camp Elim!
Students carried their own gear to the cabins.
Lunch time!
The playground is always a favorite!
And then we were off to our first activity:
The "lake hike" around Manitou Lake.
We had our rain gear on, just in case, but it was not needed during our hike.
We went over our hiking agreements.
And we were off!
Whose tracks are these? :)
Learning about willows
Pikes Peak look absolutely magnificent!
Learning about and spreading seeds of cattails
Happy hikers!
Our adventure ed facilitator, Mr. Cody, taught us all kinds of new things as we made our way around the lake.
Did you know that Ponderosa Pines smell sweet like vanilla or butterscotch?
He taught us a game to play with pine needles (pulling them apart like a wishbone to see who gets the larger piece). This was also a Crew favorite!
Our chaperones commented that our Crew had no problem carrying their daypacks and did not hear any complaints as we hiked. Bravo Crew! So much growth since the beginning of the year!
I loved seeing how our Crew supported each other with words of encouragement and acts of kindness.
We saw 4 pelicans, red winged blackbirds, a blue heron, and Canadian Geese with 3 fuzzy goslings.
I tried to get picures of everyone as they passed by.
Hooray for your kindergarten teachers and our outdoor classroom for these two days!
Students enjoyed looking at the water dam.
Gears! What a fun connection to our learning about simple machines.
What a wonderful hike!
Snack time!
A debrief circle to celebrate our hikers, share highlights, and favorite learning.
After we returned to camp, we did some solo time to do personal reflection with words and pictures.
Their depictions of our hike together were really sweet.
These can be shared at conferences.
Sharing our pictures and words.
Next, we went inside a Ute Teepee.
We learned all about how the Ute Native Americans were a migratory tribe.
Then we gathered around the campfire.
Ms. Robyn from Camp Elim read us a story which told more about the culture of the Utes and we tasted fry bread- Yum!
Teambuilding with Mr. Cody was a blast. It started to rain, but with all the running, I don't think the students even noticed. Hooray for being well prepared for the weather!
They played an integrity game, "Where's My Waterbottle?" and tractor tag.
We had a family style dinner in the cafeteria.
Alfredo chicken pasta, salad, broccoli, garlic bread, and chocolate covered cookies.
After such a full day, everyone was starving!
A thunderstorm was rolling in, so we did campfire songs and stories indoors.
Our Crew did the "Button Factory" which had everyone in giggles by the end.
You will have to ask your child about the "Berfel Hunt" and the "Purple Gorilla" stories by Mr. Cody.
They were a Crew favorite!
After our campfire circle and closing circle, we said goodnight.
No tears and no rolling off the bed- hooray!
Most cabins did great with following our cabin agreements and were able to get some sleep.
But I'm sure everyone slept hard the night after!
Lining up for breakfast
Hungry campers!
Breakfast options included pancakes, sausage, potatos, cheerios cereal, oatmeal, hard boiled eggs, and yogurt.
Students tried to take a little food at a time to prevent food waste, and they scraped their plates at the end.
Next up: Obstacle Course
I tried to get action shots of everyone.
I am so sorry if I missed anyone!
And then we were off for the forest hike.
The sun was out with only a few clouds. It was beautiful day to be outside!
We played a fun game where students got to act out the parts of a tree: roots, trunk, bark, branches, leaves, and seeds/flowers.
Photo opp with Pikes Peak in the background.
A HUGE shoutout to our amazing chaperones!
Always gotta have a silly picture!
Our forest hike continued down the hill to some neat rock formations.
Snack time!
Our Crew loved exploring the area.
Then we did a texture scavenger hunt.
Students explored the area with a new lens, of thinking about all the textures of the area.
Back up the hill. Some students sprinted all the way up!
The clouds and the trees made every picture look like it was out of a magazine.
What a beautiful state we live in!
Back to camp!
Lunch included mac & cheese, chicken nuggets, salad, and watermelon.
The brownies went fast! Haha!
More play time before we left.
The tire swing was a hit!
Cabin Groups
(Oh no! I missed one!)
Feeling a little emotional that this is my last Kindie voyage with Ms. Bethany and Mr. Cody.
Goodbye Camp Elim!
Thank you for an amazing voyage!
Loading up and heading back to Renaissance.
Our final debrief circle.
Oh Crew, I am SO PROUD of every single one of you! It was such a celebration to see the growth of each kindergartner during our time at Camp Elim. Students embraced all of our Crew Values- perseverance, courage, intergrity, stewardship, passion for learning about nature, and service of taking care of each other. Beforehand, we had a lot of conversations about pushing outside comfort zones and having a growth mindset- which was evident in all of our activities. Our Crew was remarkably kind, positive, and upbeat. Even Camp Elim staff shared what a delight it was to have our group come and how impressed they were that this was a KINDERGARTEN group. Our chaperones were truly the best! Thank you for being so helpful and supportive to make this a successful trip for everyone. We could not have asked for a better voyage! I am so thrilled that this was our Crew's first experience with Renaissance voyages, and it sets the tone for all the voyages to come. What a strong foundation of personal growth, friendship, and learning the true meaning of CREW! Our final debrief circle was a true highlight of the whole trip. It is one thing to experience a voyage, but it is just as important to take some time of reflection to think about one's own journey, highlights, and celebrations. Students and chaperones shared heartfelt anecdotes that spoke so highly of our time together throughout the voyage and in comparing the growth of our Crew since the beginning of the year. I am humbled to have been your kindergarten teacher this year and to be part of your child's journey. Celebrating all of our Crew and such an incredible kindergarten voyage.
We Are CREW!
Enjoy the abundance of photos!
(Check back after Satuday for chaperone photos)
Rest up and I will see you at Student Led Conferences on Wednesday to share our academic celebrations from this year! Hooray for ALL the growth!
With gratitude,
~Ms. Lauren
