Literacy, numeracy and fun the focus at Camp Lift Off
July 19, 2018
GUELPH, Ontario – Young students in Guelph and Shelburne have spent part of their summer working on literacy and numeracy skills, while making friends and having great experiences, at the Upper Grand District School Board’s Camp Lift Off.
Now in its fourth year, Camp Lift Off runs for three weeks in July and is free for the students to attend.
This year, 40 campers from Centennial Hylands ES, Hyland Heights ES, Glenbrook ES, Primrose ES and Grand Valley & District PS attended camp at CHES, and 40 students from Brant Avenue PS, June Avenue PS, Ottawa Crescent PS, John Galt PS and Waverley Drive PS attended the Brant Ave camp.
From Monday to Friday for those three weeks, students participated in a program that focused on literacy, numeracy, well-being and more.
Literacy activities in the morning included whole group reading and writing, and small group or one-on-one learning. The children’s activities were often based on their camp trips or experiences and took a variety of forms including writing thank you notes or instructions, creating a class book based on shared experiences, or reading aloud. Small group learning included students working with staff on a skill building activity or game, guided or shared reading, and challenges based on the children’s interests. For example, if a student was excited to share that they flew a kite on the weekend, staff would help the student participate in numerous learning activities related to that experience. For example, they could go to the library and read a book about kites, write down instructions for how to make their own kite, write a song about their experience, or build a kite from construction paper.
After recess, the focus switched to numeracy with campers participating in a variety of activities including number talks and playing with puzzles, blocks and Play-Doh to improve spatial reasoning and solve math challenges. New this year was an increased focus on robotics and coding, with local secondary students leading small groups of campers through various coding activities.
The afternoons at Camp Lift Off were all about well-being, healthy living and providing the kids with great experiences. Indoors, students engaged in sensory play, creating in the schools’ makerspaces, and games in the gym. Outdoors, they ran through obstacle courses and explored nature through scavenger hunts.
The camp also featured several guests and field trips including visits from Scientists in Schools and Movin’ and Groovin’. The campers are took trips to local destinations like the Evergreen Centre, Crawford Lake Conservation Area and Terra Cotta Conservation Area.
Thank you to all the UGDSB staff who helped make Camp Lift Off a fun and engaging experience for all our campers!