Camp 2024: Week Three
Kalimah’s 2024 STEAM Arabic Immersion Summer Camp came to a strong end in the third week. The week started with a dabke workshop led by Zain Abuhatab. After learnng about the history and types of dabke, campers counted in Arabic as they practiced the steps to a basic dabke move that is common in Arab celebrations such as weddings, graduation parties, and casual friend gatherings. Community-building among campers soared to a new level with the dabke dance as well as traditional Arab children’s games such as fattahi ya wardah, taaq taaq taaqeyyeh, and more at our morning circle time and free play times.
Campers continued investigations in Nutrition, STEM, and Souq (Market) stations while preparing for the final show on Friday with repeated rehearsals on songs, dances, and skit performances. They learned about and experimented with spices and herbs used in the Palestinian cuisine and packed sampler gift packs of summac, cumin, chamomile, thyme, zaatar, sage, and more. The aroma of the cumin they got to grind before packing filled up the whole floor—a multi-sensory experience like no other. They made and drank mint tea with manaqeesh zaatar and made enough hummus to pack and sell on Friday. The spice and herbs sampler gift packs were labeled and decorated with Palestinian flags as campers practiced reading and writing, colors and shapes, and more of Kalimah’s integrated, project-based language learning methodology.
Some campers learned sewing with guest speaker Maricelle, who helped them upcycle old shirts into hair scrunchies. Most of the scrunchies were sold at the Souq simulation on Friday among many other creations and inventions they made throughout the three weeks. Sewing was an empowering experience for older campers who wanted to do a lot of things with old fabric, plastic, cardboard, metal, and glass upcycling materials they collected. Reusable shopping bags were made and decorated with Arabic geometric patterns for Souq customers; another STEAM project that integrated multiple stations.
On Friday, energy was high in anticipation for a great showcase, in which campers delivered! Before recieving their graduation certificates and awards, dressed in traditional Arab outfits from multiple countries, campers sang and danced to many camp songs and performed three skits: one about Souq Az-Zawiyah in Gaza, one about Al-Hasan Ibn Al-Haytham (Camera inventor), and one about Maryam Al-Esterlabi (Astrolabe inventor). The sales of the Souq simulation were all donated to a charity that campers picked as part of their community service project for this year.
Recipe Book
Thank you to everyone who helped make this summer camp a success: parents, campers, staff, and volunteers! We look forward to an even better camp in Summer 2025!
2024 Camp Week Two
Week Two has been as fun as ever! Campers participated in lots of fun activities and engaged with guest speakers.
Coding took a fun spin with Arabic alphabets turned into binary bracelets. Decoding and recoding are important STEM skills that are useful in everyday life and language learning specifically.
At the nutrition station, campers started exploring Arab meals and learned to identify healthy and unhealthy foods.
In between songs and dances, campers invented new products for the Souq, worked on their Diorama projects, and learned about and practiced embroidery with guest speaker Miassar Alnabahin.
Campers enjoyed water playtime after making their own tie-dye shirts. Afterward, students continued work on their dances, play, and Souq products.
Trivia Olympics tested campers’ knowledge of what we’ve been learning so far about planting, history, Arab markets, and more. Ending the busy week with making and eating Mjaddarah for lunch followed by work on STEAM project-based learning activities in all four stations: Nutrition, STEM, Souq, and Culture.
We look forward to a strong finish in Week Three!
2024 Camp Week One
Since our last post, campers have done many fun activities!
After our Morning Circle on Tuesday, campers participated in the following activities:
Ms. Leena’s group made Tablahs (Drums)
Ms. Naglaa’s group practiced geography skills
Ms. Mervin’s group continued investigations in planting
On Wednesday, campers had a shorter Morning Circle to make time for fun water activities!
Campers participate in water balloon relay races
After drying off and eating lunch, campers went to their group activities
Ms. Leena’s group began the process of making their own pickles
Ms. Somoud’s group enjoys the fruit salad they took turns helping make
Ms. Mervin’s class learned about plant feeding
Today (Thursday) after the Morning Circle, campers were audience to a presentation about engineering by guest speaker Sarah Sinnokrot.
Sarah describes to campers the Engineering Design Process
After the presentation, Sarah led campers as they put their engineering skills to work for an Egg Drop Challenge, making Oobleck, and making a lava lamp.
Afterward, campers had lunch and then joined their groups for activities.
Ms. Somoud’s group used crafty skills to make 3D Fruits
Ms. Mervin’s group learned about plant care and seed ID.
Ms. Leena’s group began their pickling projects
Ms. Naglaa's class began learning a song and dance.
We look forward to a great rest of the week and a great start to the second week on Monday!
2024 Kalimah Camp Day One
Day One of camp has been incredible so far! After each camper arrived and received their Kalimah shirt, Hat, and Water Bottle we began our day with free play time.
At 10:00, we began our Morning Meeting. Everyone took turns introducing themselves with a fun game, then we played حجرة بقرة and finally ended our Morning Meeting with a game of فتحي يا وردة.
Campers enjoyed a short snack time, before joining their age groups for various activities.
Ms. Mervin’s group played with soil and plants.
Ms. Naglaa’s group watches an informative Arabic video.
Ms. Somoud’s group practices conversational Arabic.
Ms. Leena’s group has a video discussion.
The campers will eat lunch, have recess, then do their 2nd station before wrapping up their day with dances and free time!