Define360 Summer Camp Newsletter
Week 4 & 5 (July 1-11)
As-Salamu Alaykum
Dear Summer Camp Families, welcome to the latest update! This week has been an enriching journey themed around "Scarcity to Abundance (Gratitude)" and "Rising with Patience - Humility towards Allah (SWT)." We are thrilled to share with you the incredible experiences and learning moments your children have had this week.
Students use ziplock bags, sharpie markers, and cardstock to create underwater scenes to draw and light their artwork with flashlights, exploring how gratitude transforms perception.
A glimpse of this week's activities!
Prophetic Heart Track
Reframing Gratitude & Exploring the STAR Method & Practicing Patience
In our Prophetic Hearts sessions for week four, students delved into the essence of gratitude, shifting their perspectives from scarcity to abundance. They learned that true goodness comes from Allah (SWT) and internalizing this leads to a profound sense of gratitude. Memorizing the dua "Allahumma A’inni Ala dhikrika wa shukrika wa husni ibadatika" strengthened their connection with gratitude.
Moreover, the RRR meditation (Refocus, Release, Reframe) helped them center their thoughts and appreciate blessings. Crafting Gratitude Jars was a heartfelt activity where they acknowledged and celebrated the blessings in their lives.
In week five, students delved into the concept of Sabr (patience) through interactive and reflective activities:
- Introduction to the STAR Method: Students learned a practical approach to cultivating patience:
- S: Stop, Breathe, and Be Aware: Through mindfulness exercises, students practiced deep breathing and awareness.
- T: Think, Notice, and Choose: They explored thoughtful decision-making and the impact of their choices on their reactions.
- A: Act: Emphasizing patience as an active choice to respond calmly and kindly.
- R: Reflect: Engaging in self-reflection to evaluate actions and strive for improvement. To reinforce these teachings, students created origami stars as tangible reminders of the STAR method's principles. They also practiced weaving to practice patience.
First grade shows off their gratitude jars.
Middle school girls make their gratitude jars.
Divine Stories
Lessons from Al-Baqarah and Maryam (AS) & Prophet Yusuf (AS)
In the Divine Stories track for week four, learners explored the theme of scarcity turning into abundance through verse 216 of Al-Baqarah. The Lemons to Lemonade activity encouraged students to reflect on their blessings and derive lessons from the story of Maryam (as). They concluded that gratitude in times of trials is pivotal and recognized that being grateful can lead to personal growth and bring us closer to Jannah.
In the Divine Stories track for week five, students drew inspiration from the compelling life of Prophet Yusuf (As) and explored its profound lessons in patience:
Three Categories of Patience by Ibnul Qayyim: Students discussed and related these categories to real-life challenges:
Patience in fulfilling Allah's orders.
Patience in abstaining from prohibitions.
Patience with the decree of Allah.
Managing Anger: Through role-playing activities, students practiced applying the STAR method to manage anger effectively.
Reflection on Allah's Attribute of As-Sabur: Students contemplated on the virtue of patience and its significance in their lives.
They also memorized the dua: "Allahumma Innaka ‘Afuw, Tuhibbul ‘Afwa Fa’fu Anni" (O Allah, You are Most Forgiving, You love to forgive, so forgive me).
4th grade gratitude tree
Middle School
For Middle School Campers, last week's theme was gratitude. We learned to appreciate our ability to hear, speak, and see through a fun activity. We discussed how privileged we are to have two hands and feet and our necessities. We also made gratitude jars to appreciate the things we have in our everyday lives.
This week's theme is Patience, the kids learned what Sabr is, and the 3 categories of patience. Patience with the decree of Allah (SWT), patience while fulfilling the orders of Allah (SWT), and patience while staying away from what Allah has made impermissible.” Lastly, we learned how to control our emotions and practice patience using the acronym S.T.A.R.
Middle School Girls also made charm bracelets while they talked about adornment in Islam, explaining how the Quran encourages modesty and inner beauty through good deeds and faith.
They also reflected on the idea that while physical adornment can be beautiful, the most important adornment is that of good character and faith.
Middle School girls make charm bracelets
Middle School girls participate in a weekly Martial Arts class
MAD SCIENCE
This week’s enrichment activity was a special treat for our campers! MadScience hosted their “Fire 🔥& Ice 🧊” show where campers learned about testing a hypothesis, how water & slush powder makes fake snow, how hot air pushes upward, and much more! The science show ties into our weekly theme of Patience - campers experienced how science experiments require patience to test their hypotheses.
FITNESS
ART
This week, Inspired by The Art of Stained Glass, we reflected on Prophet Yusuf's belief in Allah during his life's darkest times. We created stencils from black paper and covered them in colorful cellophane to make a stained glass effect, illuminating the light that shines through it.
STEAM
Density Column Layers Experiment and Life Lessons
After creating underwater scenes and learning how to draw and light their artwork with flashlights, the Campers explored how gratitude transforms perception. Reflecting on their creations, students learned that gratitude illuminates life's beauty. Just as their scenes appeared dull until lit, gratitude reveals blessings often overlooked.
The overarching lesson was clear: gratitude is essential for our happiness in both this world and in the afterlife. Sometimes, we need assistance to recognize Allah’s blessings around us and truly appreciate them. This is a major objective of our lesson as we discover Allah’s Name-Ash-Shakur, The Most Appreciative.
The lesson emphasized gratitude's role in happiness and spiritual growth. By recognizing Allah’s blessings, students deepen their appreciation of life’s richness. Stay tuned for more inspiring STEM and spiritual education updates!
In the STEM track for week five, students engaged in hands-on learning through the Density Column Layers experiment:
Experiment Overview: Students actively observed and compared the densities of different liquids, discovering practical applications of patience in scientific exploration.
Life Lessons: The experiment underscored the importance of patience and perseverance in achieving goals, both in scientific endeavors and everyday challenges.
Kindergarten observing the density experiment
Note from Leadership
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all Define Summer Camp families for your continuous support in your child's educational journey. Your involvement plays a pivotal role in creating a nurturing environment for our campers.
As we look forward to the upcoming weeks of our summer camp, we encourage you to reflect on the virtues of patience and continue practicing the STAR method together at home. Remember, every challenge is an opportunity to strengthen our faith and grow closer to Allah (swt), as stated in Surah Al-'Alaq, Verse 6: "Indeed, with hardship [will be] ease."
Wishing you all a relaxing and rejuvenating weekend ahead!
Reminders!
School Timings:
- The arrival time for camp begins at 10:15 AM and ends at 10:30 AM. Drop-off is from the CARPOOL LANE ONLY. We do not allow students to be dropped off early as the teachers are not available to watch them before 10:15 AM.
- After 10:30 AM, parents must park their car and walk their children to the doors.
- Please pick up your Car Tag from the front office after morning drop-off if you haven't already!
- Dismissal begins at 2:15 PM and ends at 2:30 PM. Effective next week, we will enforce a late fee if you arrive after 2:30 PM.
- Frequent tardiness and early dismissal interfere with the learning process and can be a distraction for other students, so we ask that it is kept to a minimum and communicated with the leadership team in advance at summer@define360.online
- Camp takes place from Monday to Thursday. We are closed on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
Lunch:
- Please send your students with a healthy lunch, snack, and water bottle. Please do not send food that needs to be heated up, as we do not have microwaves available for students.
- Because of allergies, there is strictly no sharing of food permitted between students.
ClassDojo & Communication:
- All parents were sent invitations to join their ClassDojo section, which is our online platform utilized for daily updates and secure communication between our teaching staff and parents.
- Please click on the link sent to your email and register as a guardian for your child as soon as possible, as we will only be sending camp updates weekly via email.
- For any questions/issues with ClassDojo, please email summer@define360.online.
Camp Gallery
3rd grade shows discipline and neatness by placing their backpacks in an orderly manner