Saturday, April 30, 2011

Cool Kingdom Party



























































































































































































































































































































































































































































“Cool Kingdom Party”
Sun.Star Davao, April 30, 2011

The 1st Summer Catholic Kids Day Camp with the theme “Cool Kingdom Party: Mary Leads Me Close to Jesus” was held recently at the Stella Maris Academy of Davao City.

Kids aged 4-11 years old attended the action-packed 5-day camp which was a collaborative 
effort by the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, the Stella Maris Academy of Davao (SMAD) and the Filipino Chinese Catholic Youth (FCCY)-Davao Chapter as a response to provide kids with a summer program that had distinctively Catholic lessons.

“The materials came from a Canadian company called Cat.Chat (www.catchat.ca), which produces Catholic audio shows and vacation bible school (VBS) kits”, shares the dynamic FCCY-Davao chapter moderator Lafayette Lim.

During the daily opening assembly, the kids learned the song, virtue and verse of the day. This was followed by the virtue demonstration and virtue skit performed by the camp crew. Afterwards, the participants would break into groups to take turns in the different stations.

The five different stations (Faith, Arts & Crafts, Music, Fun & Games, and Snacks) each focused on the day's virtue, namely:

Day 1 – Mary said 'Yes' to God: “Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” - Luke 1:38; “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.” – Colossians 3:20; Virtue: Obedience

Day 2 -Mary remained pure her whole life: “...Most blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” – Luke 1:42; “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see God.” – Matthew 5:8; Virtue: Purity

Day 3 – Mary is the Queen of Heaven and Earth: “A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.” – Revelation 12:1; “We live by faith, not by sight.” - 2 Corinthians 5:7; Virtue: Faith

Day 4 – Jesus is the King and Lord of our lives: “For he is Lord of lords and king of kings, and those with him are called, chosen, and faithful.” – Revelation 17:14; “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind and... love your neighbor as yourself.” – Matthew 22:37-39; Virtue: Love

Day 5 – Build the Kingdom of God on Earth: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.” - Matthew 6:32; “This is the 
day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” – Psalm 118:24; Virtue: Joy

“At the daily closing assembly, the participants reviewed the day's activities and the songs they've learned. They brought home with them their daily take-home sheet outlining their day's activities and lessons, as well as suggested interactions between parents and their kids to further enhance the child's learnings for the day”, explains Lafayette.

As their culminating activity, campers, parents, and crew had a Cool Kingdom Party where the campers performed all the action songs, while the crew gave surprise dance numbers.

Afterwards, everybody had a grand time feasting on pizza and juice. Before the party ended, the campers exchanged their Cool Kingdom Cards for prizes. This was their well-deserved reward for their participation and good behavior during the camp.

“Due to the success of the 5-day event, parents and campers alike agreed to a weekly meeting to continue the learnings of the day camp. This gave birth to Thank God It's Saturday! (TGIS), a weekly 1-hour afternoon class from 2:00-3:00pm at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish”, enthuses Lafayette.

“Campers and non-campers alike are invited to join so that their faith will be nourished while having fun learning with friends”, Lafayette warmly concludes.

The TGIS started last April 16, 2011. For more information, please contact Olive Te at cellphone number (0922)8033222.

E-mail the author at mom.about.town.dvo@gmail.com. Visit www.momabouttowndavao.blogspot.com.