More great writing from Rotary Summer Literacy!

Kyla's Story:

     Once upon a time there was a beautiful girl named Josie. She had the finest clothes. One day she was going to the mall when she saw some teens push a senior and made her drop her groceries. Josie ran over to help her. The kind lady thanked Josie and she was on her way. Josie was on her way to the nail salon... when an alien ship came to Earth and landed right in front of her. Aliens came out it was the aliens from People Eater Planet! Josie tried to run but then the leader Mr. Blunsdon ordered that aliens Nancy and Nathan grab Josie so they did as they were told. They covered her mouth so she couldn't scream. Josie tried screaming as loud as she could but it was so quiet that she thought no one could hear her so she stopped. Then the older lady was watching and she called her friend's dog's cousin's neighbour's daughter Taylor to come quick. She snapped her fingers and Taylor appeared. Taylor snuck onto the alien ship to rescue Josie. When Taylor got in to where Josie was she saw an alien coming and she hid. Once the alien passed she could hear the aliens talking to Josie. They had a translator on them so Josie could understand them but really it helped Taylor. They said to her, "You will be our Queen." Josie tried to argue but it was no use the aliens didn't understand her and they started flying. That's when Taylor karate chopped the aliens and she saved Josie! She controlled the ship and it brought her back to Earth.

To be continued...

A Few More Camper's "CAMP ROCKS" Stories...

Selena, Age 8:

       Once upon a time, a baby could not stay with his mom because it was time to leave. Once he was with his stepmom, who was the Queen, the mom died on the stairs. The baby jumped out of the Queen’s hands and ran over to his mom. The baby did not have a name, so the Queen called him Soler and put him inside. Soler was sad, but as he grew big and strong, he recognized that he had to do the housework. So, when he went out to go to town on his horse, he saw a woman who looked so sweet. Instead of going to town, he followed her to her house. Then, she recognized him and told him her name. “My name is Solo,” and Soler said, “My name is Soler.” So then they were about to ask each other if they want to kiss, but the Queen came and had a rope and tied him to it and dragged him back. She put him in a cage and then she left the key inside the dungeon and she died. Soler had to choose to unlock himself and be with the one he truly loved. Soler did what he wanted to do and went with Solo. Once he got to her, he married her and they had a happily ever after.

Connor, Age 10:

Once upon a time, there was a boy named Connor. He was a prince. He lived in a kingdom made of candy. Then, of course, there was a princess named Alexis. She lived in a palace made of ice. They loved each other, so they planned a wedding secretly. First, they chose the cake: real velvet with blue icing and roses. Next were the outfits and music. Soon, they were done. They revealed their secret and had the wedding. They soon kissed, rode away in their frozen candy carriage, and lived happily ever after. The end!

A Camper's "CAMP ROCKS" Story

In the middle of a forest... DUN DUN DUN

     Once upon a time there was a knight and his name was Sir Malakhi. He had a pet horse and the horse's name was Snow because it was white. One day Sir Malahki and Snow were in a forest when Snow saw a rabbit. Sit Malahki fell off of Snow's back! Snow ran away and left Sit Malakhi all by himself in the forest.

     Sir Malahki followed Snow's foot prints until he came into a kingdom. He saw this tower and climbed up it. When he got in he saw this girl with long hair he asked her what her name was and then she hit him in the head with a frying pan! 10 minutes later he woke up to find himself on the ground of the forest once again. When he finally got to his palace again he asked for some ice to heal his poor head. Then, he went off on a search for Snow. He found her lying in a grassy area and she was wounded badly. He called his men to come help him save Snow.

     When they got to the vet, the vet said that Snow had been bitten by a fox and she was very ill. The vet came out with horrible news, "Snow was bitten and she lost so much blood, I'm afraid we're going to have to put her down." Sir Malahki was so upset that his beloved horse had died. But, the vet had good news... "Snow has died but she had a baby horse and we were able to rescue the baby." Sir Malahki was extremely happy. He said thank you to the vet and they carried the horse back to the stable where it's mom's stable had been.

     The horse was white with brown spots and he decided to name it Hot Chocolate, because of her colour and they lived happily ever after...

The End!

Another Camper's Story!

      Once upon a time there was a super hero named Dr. Blunsdon. He loved to fight villains and as always he made sure that he stopped pollution and to recycle and not litter because who doesn't want to live? So, Dr. Blunsdon stopped that. But, people still littered and did not recycle. But there was a villain named Prof. Literex he always littered and never used the back of paper, he never recycled. He brain washed the whole city of Hamilton to litter, not recycle. So Dr. Blunsdon had enough wanna know what he did about it? He challenged him for a fight, whoever won had to leave town. (Who do you think won?)

20 hours after...

     Dr. Blunsdon won but Prof Literex, wasn't done completely he took one of his weapons and bashed and bashed, but Dr. Blunsdon wasn't finished he took out his coat of armour (it was an actual coat) but he never gave up. He knew he could fight Prof. Literex. Once he did, he was defeated (Prof. Literex) (So this is going to be another corky ending) Dr. Blunsdon was so happy! Dr. Blunsdon saved the planet!

The End

An Eco-Story by Beatrice!

            Once upon a time there was a slug named Envy, she loved to help the environment (so she was basically a little Miss Environmental). She loved to discover new things. Once, while she was discovering the villages, she found a slug stone (just read the story to figure it out). She didn't know what it was meant for so she asked around what is was and everybody said they didn't know what it was so she asked Slops (which is a shop for slugs). But, no one knew so she knocked on the door of Wiz. Wiz knew basically about everything: recycling, comic books, the future, and much more. Envy knocked on Wiz's door. She showed Wiz the slug stone. Wiz said that "a long time ago there was a very strong girl who took the stone out of the sword so she was pronounced queen". "The slug stone represented the slug village. After the queen died, they lost the stone, they threw it into the forest so whoever won it would win it fair and square!" Envy didn't know what to do with the slug stone but she remembered there was a new queen. So, she went to the castle to show them the slug stone. Queen Megan and her royal throne followed her. Envy knocked on the draw bridge they answered but no one heard about the legend so they brought her in quickly. They knew she deserved the throne but she said she didn't want to be a queen so she said she wanted to be declared Royal Earth Speaker (she spoke for Mother Nature) and Queen Megan could then keep her crown. Queen Megan asked the servant to call every single slug for assignment to becoming an earth tracer. Envy helped around and slug village reduced, reused, and recycled. Now, the slug stone was safe and sound.

Rockstar Writing @ Rotary Summer Literacy!

Writing time at Rotary Summer Literacy is heating up this week! Session 2 features mystical creatures, and fairytales. Our campers have been using their brilliant imaginations to come up with some very creative writing pieces - here are two that really stood out this morning! 

Hans Point of View 

Love is an open blah blah blah blah! That is sooo annoying! That whole story is useless! Because I'm the bad guy!

Here is the case, I was walking, minding my own business, and Anna this little Rudehead, I mean Redhead girl, says very rudely, "Hey!" And I ask: "Im so sorry are you hurt?" So I helped her up and she didn't even say thank you! Sooo rude. Oh, and that Elsa girl is a real party pooper! She ruined my plan! 

At the end, Anna PUNCHED ME IN THE FACE! Right off the boat! It was like I was a jerk or something. 

Well, there you have it. My side. 

I got throne in jail. 

The End. 

Hans 

The Little Red Story

Hi I'm the wolf in "Little Red Riding Hood". Everyone thinks I'm the bad guy who ate a grandmother. How mean is that! I'm here to tell you the TRUE STORY! 

So one day I was taking a walk in the forest when I smelled cookies! I love cookies, my grandmother used to make them, my favourite, so I followed the smell and came upon a little house. I saw a little girl with a red hood. The cookies smelled closer, so I followed her. Not in a creepy way but I did. I hid behind a bush. She heard me so I revealed myself. I said "Hi, what's in the basket?" She said, "None of your business." I felt upset, so I asked her if I could see. She slapped me and walked away, without saying sorry! So I ran after her and heard her say she was going to her grandmothers. So I ran to her grandmothers cottage and laid in the bed. I didn't see her grandmother so I waited. I heard her come. She asked if I wanted a cookie and I said yes please, I really wanted a cookie. So I stopped and said grandma what big eyes you have, I said better to see you dear. She said, grandma what a big nose you have. I said better to smell the cookies my dear. Then she said, GRANDMA WHAT BIG TEETH  YOU HAVE! I jumped out of the bed and said, the better to eat your cookies. She screamed and yelled HELP! I chased her around to get the cookies. Then you wouldn't believe it a woodcutter heard her and came. He cut off a piece of my tail and I yelled and ran away. 

So that's the true story. I moved from the forest and went to the big city! 

The End.

Waiting List

Good morning, 

We would like to announce that we are now accepting waiting list registrations only. We have reached maximum capacity and will now offer spaces as they become available on a first come, first serve basis only. 

Yours, 

The Rotary Summer Literacy Staff 

Updates & Facts

We are only 2 work days away from our WEVER TAKEOVER!

Our ARTS & CRAFTS supplies arrived yesterday!

We CAN'T WAIT for camp to begin!

It's going to be a full house at Summer Literacy this year!

We have nearly 480 campers on our mass registration and nearly 300 children per session registered at Rotary Summer Literacy this summer! We also had a record setting number of registrations overnight last night as the last minute forms begin to pour in. That means more friends, more memories, and more fun than ever before await you! 

Less than 2 weeks to go, are you ready? If you haven't registered yet, send in your forms soon... before spaces fill! 

"There are big ships and small ships. But the best ship of all is friendship." ~Author Unknown

ROTARY IS A GREEN TEAM!

Going green is easy to do as a team! 

This summer Rotary Summer Literacy is going SO green we will be COMPLETELY paperless after this week! You heard that correctly, no more paper. We printed off the last hard-copy registration forms that will be available for the summer yesterday (there are 200 don't worry) and from now on everything will be electronic. 

Session reminders, daily attendance lists, master lists, even some activities at camp that we used to complete on paper will now be electronic! Only the arts & crafts, and animation paper will be coming along with us to Wever!

Reusable water bottles and recycling (and don't forget that new green space) will be highlights to look out for this summer!

Keep your eyes peeled and your conservationist thoughts turning, and let us know if you think up any other ways we can all GO GREEN @ SUMMER LITERACY!

CAMP COUNTDOWN: 2 WEEKS

That's right Rotary Summer Literacy Families, we are only 2 weeks away from the start of Rotary Summer Literacy 2014! 

Additionally, we are only one week away from the start of staff training! That's right even though we won't see you for another week following, we take over Wever for the summer on Monday! Our master list has hit 450 registrations and our sessions are filling quicker than ever. 

We sure are excited and hope you are too! 

Are You Ready ?

Another weekend has arrived! 

That means we have one more week of school, one week of staff training, and then the most amazing camp summer begins! Supplies have been ordered, bins are packed, and books are pulled. We are almost ready for you Rotary Summer Literacy! 

Can you handle your excitement? We hope not!

Our countdown is heating up !

Less than 20 days until another, epic, Rotary summer begins! Keep working hard at school boys & girls, only 6 more days to attend!

Community Circle Time!

As we have mentioned before, at Summer Literacy we love to think, pair and share community circle style! A community circle is a safe environment where all members have a right to participate in a discussion and share, or pass. 

Today, we would like to talk about school... What are you doing at school in the next week that you are most excited for? Any fun "play days" or trips planned? Let us know! We want to know how you're starting off your summer before camp! 

Summer Lit. Updates - 20 DAYS AND COUNTING

Good morning Rotary Summer Literacy Families, 

We are sorry there was no blog post yesterday, things around here have been getting mighty busy! Therefore, today our post is full of updates:

- Our master list is growing towards 450 campers 

- Our session counts are all over 250 campers per session

- We are putting together our Rotary Staff List (and are excited to provide you with some familiar and new staff friends this summer!)

- And we've been down to Wever at least once a week because we continue to need to pick up more and more forms! 

We can't believe we are only 20 days away from the best summer ever! Get your registration forms in if you haven't already... spaces are filling quickly! 

 Stay cool and safe in this fresh pre-summer sun friends! 

The Rotary Summer Literacy Staff

Weekend Time!

Another week over, and another weekend awaits! During the school year all you look forward to are those days "off", during camp season you get to look forward to all those days "on"... 3 weeks stand between us, and the best summer ever! Enjoy your weekend friends, and be safe.

Master List: 400... Min. Session Count: 240+

Good morning Rotary Summer Literacy Families, 

We are pleased to announce that our master list broke 400 campers this morning. Additionally, our smallest session count currently rests at 240 campers. That means 239 new friends to make every week this summer at camp, minimum! Be sure to get your forms in before sessions fill... we want to see your smiling face this summer! 

“We'll be Friends Forever, won't we, Pooh?' asked Piglet.
Even longer,' Pooh answered.” ― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh 

26 Days and Counting!

That's right, only 26 days until the start of our most epic Rotary Summer Literacy summer ever! We have so many games, stories, and activities in store for you all to enjoy. Books are being pulled, art supplies counted, and registration is filling up. Get pumped boys & girls, we sure are!

Learning & Literacy

When we read we can learn a lot about ourselves and life itself! We know that here at Rotary Summer Literacy, we have. For example, let's take a peak at some life lessons offered to us from a familiar author Dr. Seuss...

“I'm afraid that sometimes you'll play lonely games too. Games you can't win 'cause you'll play against you.” 
― Dr. Seuss

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...” 
― Dr. Seuss, Oh, The Places You'll Go!

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” 
― Dr. Seuss, Happy Birthday to You!

We want to share a community circle experience with you this morning - what is a lesson you have learned from a book you read? How did it change your outlook on life or a situation you were immersed in?

The Fast 400

The Fast 400 are filling in quickly. It's only the first week of June and our master list is already approaching the 400 camper mark! If you haven't registered yet, get your forms in soon... we don't want anyone missing out. Every child deserves a great camp experience!

The Power of Literacy

At Rotary Summer Literacy we believe every child deserves to enjoy an unforgettable camp experience. We believe in the power of literacy and the knowledge it can convey. We believe that by partaking in our program your children will not only have an amazing summer, but will also improve, and if not, then maintain, their literacy skills over the summer months! 

Come see us at Rotary Summer Literacy this summer... because your great experience makes our summer better!

“Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.” 
― Margaret Fuller

Morning Glory

This time of day, July 7th we will be gearing up for our first sing along and read aloud of the summer. Thinking about that, we want to know: what is your favourite camp song/story? Share with a partner, your  caring adult, even us! Who knows, we might pick your favourites to kick off the summer...

UPDATE: 200 CAMPERS PER SESSION

We are only a few registrations away from all five sessions having 200+ campers in them! Spaces are filling quickly so if you haven't submit your forms yet... HURRY! We want YOU at camp!

5 to 5

Today marks the start of a  five week countdown to Rotary Summer Literacy 2014. That's right, only 5 weeks until we take part in five super fun, literacy-based sessions together at Cathy Wever School! 

Read alouds, community circles, writing workshops, program options, sing alongs and more are on the horizon. 

We can't wait and hope you're excitement matches ours... if you haven't yet filled out a registration form please do! Our master list has surpassed 300 registrations and some of our sessions have surpassed the 200 camper mark! 

Here is the link to the online registration form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1UOwJcY7OzJy9dts442xW7dYIrDtrlbW7tlQApWsGzpM/viewform?usp=send_form

We can't wait to see you this summer! 

Master List: 300 Campers!

We are one registration away from 300 campers on our master list... Get those forms in soon, we don't want anyone missing out! Lots of room in sessions still so hurry, hurry, hurry but don't worry, worry, worry!

What's your favourite book?

Like yesterday, tomorrow, and the rest of the summer, today is all about you! Each day at camp we participate in community circles. These are safe spaces to speak where each participant has the right to comment or pass on a given topic free of fear. Today, we'd like to pose the questions 1) What is your favourite book? and 2) What do you like about it?

Maybe you like Dr. Seuss, maybe Roald Dahl, perhaps J.K. Rowling? We want to know! We learn and open new doors through sharing! 

All About You Post

Today is all about you, the Rotary Summer Literacy Families...

We want you to share your favourite camp experience or memory. We hope this will intrigue new friends to join us at camp this summer. If you're new to camp this summer, we want to know what you are most excited about based on what you've heard and read!

Everyone is welcome to join in the conversation. Let's talk about literacy! Let's talk about fun!

It's getting hot out... Summer is coming!

Good morning Rotary Summer Literacy Families, 

We hope that the weather over the past few days has  you all excited for the fun summer ahead of us. Lots of sunshine and beautiful days are headed our way. Even though we do a lot of literacy practice at Summer Literacy, we also get to spend some time outside!

This weather has us excited...

What are you most excited for at Rotary Summer Literacy?

We've Surpassed 250 Registrations!

We have great news to share with you on this lovely Monday morning...

We've surpassed 250 registrations for Rotary Summer Literacy! With that many registrations... the possibilities for new friendships to blossom over the summer break are endless! 

We are so excited to see all of your faces, new and old, at camp this summer so if you haven't registered yet, don't wait! Spaces are filling quickly! 

Ready, Set, Rock!

As is customary at Rotary Summer Literacy we will close out the summer with Session #5: Camp Rocks. During this session we will walk the red carpet as rock stars, divas, athletes, actors, and authors - to name a few! Additionally, on August 8th the most epic final jam to date will take place! For those who have come to Summer Literacy in the past you know how exciting this session can be, for those who are thinking about coming to Summer Literacy this year, take it from us this is a week you don't want to miss! 

Get those registration forms in soon... we are only a few forms away from the 250 camper mark on our master list! 

Confirmation Calls are Coming Your Way!

For those without an email address, stick close to your phones the next couple days! Confirmation phone calls signifying successful registration have begun! 

We can not wait to see everyone at camp this summer... 6 weeks to go! 

The Tenacious Two Hundred!

We are proud to announce that today we broke the 200 camper mark and are quickly approaching our 250th registration! If you haven't submit your forms already get them in soon! We want to ensure everyone can attend camp this summer, YOU make OUR summer better! 

Rotary Summer Literacy Tours the World with a Roar This Summer!

In the past we have toured the world each summer at Rotary Summer Literacy. This year, our travels will have a new twist. Instead of investigating the people and cultures of the world we will embark on a series of eco-adventures in varying countries, climates, and continents! We will learn about the wildlife and their respective habitats, and also about the interactions these ecosystems share with one another! 

We hope you're ready for a jungle, arctic, or grassland adventure, because you never know what might come your way! 

Join our safari team and register for Rotary Summer Literacy today! 

Here is the link to the online registration form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1UOwJcY7OzJy9dts442xW7dYIrDtrlbW7tlQApWsGzpM/viewform?usp=send_form

If you are unable to complete the online form please email rotarysummerlit@gmail.com and we will forward you a PDF! 

Hope to receive your forms soon! We are excited for a great summer and hope you are too. 

Hakuna Matata!

Good Morning!

Good mornin', good mornin'!
We've danced the whole night through,
good mornin', good mornin' to you.
 - Judy Garland 

Do you recognize those lyrics? If not, you better get familiar soon so you are prepared for morning sing along at camp! Another great summer filled with mysteries, fairytales, mystical creatures, eco adventures, and rock performances awaits us at Rotary Summer Literacy... approximately 150 campers have registered already, have you? If not, visit the link below and fill out an online form! If you are unable to fill out the online form email rotarysummerlit@gmail.com and we will forward you a PDF. Don't miss out, we can't wait to see you! 

The Rotary Summer Literacy Team 

Here is the link to the online form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1UOwJcY7OzJy9dts442xW7dYIrDtrlbW7tlQApWsGzpM/viewform?usp=send_form