The Summer Mini Camp, held from March 25th to March 29th, 2024, was a lively center of activity and learning. With sessions in morning and evenings, children immersed themselves in a variety of enriching experiences designed to spark curiosity, foster growth, and create lasting memories.
Exploring Awareness through the Body (ATB):
One of the highlights of the camp was the engaging sessions on Awareness through the Body (ATB). This innovative program aimed to enhance concentration, relaxation, and self-knowledge in children and adults alike. Through a series of fun activities and mindfulness exercises, students started a journey of self-discovery, learning more about themselves while feeling peaceful and thoughtful.
A Glimpse into the Class Overview:
Day 1: We started our day with a warm-up session, stretching to get rid of any stiffness and preparing for some fun. We closed our eyes, feeling the energy moving through our bodies. Then came the best part – tail-tag! Each of us had a cloth tail attached to our pants, and the aim was to grab others’ tails while protecting our own. It was so much fun with lots of laughter and activity! After the game, we took a moment to lay down quietly, thinking about the mix of feelings and experiences from playing.
Day 2: We started the day with a relaxing exercise, concentrating on the feeling between our hands. With soft music playing, we gently brought our palms together, sensing warmth and tingling. Next, we played the balloon game, imagining our balloons had voices.We closed our eyes and attempted to guess the colors relying on the facilitator’s descriptions! Then, we paired up and walked around with balloons pressed between our hips and backs, focusing hard to keep them in place. The best part was when we were showered with balloons, feeling like we were surrounded by a rainbow cloud, filled with energy and joy!
Day 3: Closing our eyes, we took deep breaths and moved our hands with the rhythm. Walking in circles, we picked up the pace, freezing when the facilitator called out. Then came the fun part – pretending to be animals! From hopping like frogs to creeping like cats, we unleashed our inner creatures. After all the excitement, we settled down with our eyes closed, feeling the calm wash over us.
Day 4: Today was about keeping our balance in check. We split into teams and tackled a cushion bridge together, making sure nobody slipped or fell. It was tough, but when we finally crossed to the other side, it felt amazing to know we did it as a team. The teamwork and support made all the difference!
Day 5: We started the day by making sure we were paying attention. We had a great time playing musical chairs, splitting into fruity teams and rushing to get seats when our names were called. It was really exciting trying to stay sharp and quick on our feet! Later, we took a moment to relax and enjoy the peaceful vibe, closing our eyes and soaking it all in.
Words from the Students:
Anushka: I really enjoyed today’s session. It brought me so much joy and relaxation.
Elaikiyan: I’m looking forward to more ATB sessions. It’s exciting to think about all the growth and learning ahead.
Arshini: Today was a great experience for me. I had a lot of fun learning new games and trying new things.
Learning Outcomes for Awareness through the Body (ATB):
1. Better Focus: We learned how to pay attention to things more easily by doing fun activities that helped us stay focused.
2. Feeling Calmer: We practiced relaxing exercises that made us feel less stressed and more peaceful.
3. Knowing Ourselves: Through different activities, we discovered more about ourselves – like what makes us happy or calm.
4. Being Mindful: We learned how to be more aware of what’s happening around us, which helps us make better choices.
5. Making Friends: By working together in the ATB sessions, we got better at talking and listening to each other, and we made some new friends too!
Overall, the ATB program at the Summer Mini Camp helped us feel happier, calmer, and more connected with ourselves and others.
“Seeing how much everyone enjoyed the ATB sessions, we’ve decided to continue them beyond the camp. Going forward, we’ll be arranging weekly sessions for students. Additionally, beginning this May, we’ll also be introducing sessions for adults.”
Discovering Math: Our Adventures in Mathogram with Thamarai and Stemland
For the Mathogram session, Thamarai collaborated with Stemland facilitators to teach Math to the students. We were thrilled to welcome them to our school and delighted to work with the Stemland team. The students were enthusiastic and eager to learn new things. They focused with full attention, listening to the facilitator and solving problems. They wanted more sums once they were done. They were filled with joy when they did all the sums correctly, jumping up and down with joy and eager to learn more as time went on. Understanding concepts that simplify math for them was very helpful for their quick learning and grasping of concepts. During the Mathogram that happened in the morning all week,
we were able to teach and explain below fundamental principles to the students:
- Fractions
- Easy methods to learn Multiplication Tables
- Decimal division
- Solving algebraic equations
- Decimal multiplication
- Division using Dienes blocks
- Repeated addition is multiplication and repeated subtraction is division
- Multiplication using graph sheet
- Learning division by Dienes Block
- Algebra
- Decimal multiplication
- Herance formula
- Pythagoras theorem
During the session, the students connected really well with the facilitators. The facilitators had a great time interacting with them and made sure to encourage them every step of the way. They wanted the students to feel comfortable asking questions, and it was awesome to see them enjoying math like it’s a fun game.
Mathogram Learning Experience Summary:
1. Engaging with Dienes Blocks: The students found the use of blocks highly engaging. It provided them with an easier understanding of math concepts, making learning more accessible and enjoyable.
2. Utilizing Colorful Pens: Using colorful pens to represent numbers made it effective for the students to understand. It simplified complex numerical concepts, fostering better comprehension and making math more approachable.
3. Benefiting from Stemland Assistance: Collaborating with Stemland facilitators proved to be beneficial. They offered individualized attention, ensuring every student had the support they needed to succeed.
4. Learning from Mistakes: The practice of analyzing mistakes and implementing effective teaching strategies, facilitated by multiple facilitators, enriched the learning experience. It empowered students to learn from errors and adopt better approaches to problem-solving.
5. Enjoying Math Challenges: The students thoroughly enjoyed tackling math problems and demonstrated sustained interest and attentiveness throughout the session. Math became a source of enjoyment and excitement for all involved.
“Overall, we plan to continue the Mathogram session in continuity with the methods from their school to ensure students’ progress is consistent and they perform better in school.”
Here are a few letters written by Thamarai students to Stemland facilitators, expressing their gratitude for making it easier for them to learn Math using simpler methods.
