Vacation Bible Schools/Camps Summer 2024

 

 

We have a new HEART tradition - asking HEART members to share about church-led camps or Vacation Bible Schools this summer. As before, they responded readily!

Northern Peninsula (Millbrae to San Francisco)

Church	City	Dates	Ages	Cost	Notes
Hamilton Square Baptist Church - The Great Jungle Journey	San Francisco	July 22nd - July 26th (9am to 12:30pm)	K5 to 8th grade	Free	Registration
New Covenant OPC - Olympion	South San Francisco	July 15th - July 19th (9am to 12pm)	2 to 12 years	Free	Registration Form
Reality Church	San Francisco	June 25th - July 27th (9am to 12pm)	2 to 12 years	$20/child Financial assistance available	Registration Form

Central Peninsula (Belmont to Burlingame)

Church	City	Dates	Ages	Cost	Notes
Calvary Church - Dive Deep	Belmont	July 15th to July 19th (8:30am - 12pm)	4 to 11 years old	Free	https://calvarysanmateo.org/vbs
Central Peninsula Church - Koinonia Camp	San Mateo (camp is in Santa Cruz Mountains)	July 9th to July 12th	Rising 6th to 12th grade	$500 (scholarships available)	https://cpc.org/2024/03/06/2024-middle-school-and-high-school-summer-camp/
Central Peninsula Church - Summer XP	San Mateo	July 22nd to July 26th (9am-12:45pm)	K to 5th grade	$125	https://cpc.org/2024/02/29/2024-summer-xp/ Volunteer opportunities available.
Fellowship Bible Church - There is S'more to this Life	Belmont	Multiple weeks available (9am to 3pm): June 17th to June 21st June 24th to June 28th July 1st to July 5th (no camp 7/4) July 8th to July 12th	Rising 1st to 7th graders	$200/week, discounts for multiple weeks. Weekly field trip.	Registration Form If you have any questions regarding Day Camp, please contact us at daycamp@fbc-belmont.org.
Waypoint Church - Dive into Adventure	San Mateo	July 8th to July 12th (9am-12:00pm/12:30pm)	4 years to 11 years (rising 6th graders)	$100/child (discounts for multiple registrations)	https://www.waypoint.church/children Several volunteer opportunities available.

South Peninsula (Palo Alto to San Carlos)

Church	City	Dates	Ages	Cost	Notes
Vineyard Church - Breaker Rock Beach	Palo Alto	June 17th to June 20th (1pm-4pm) Optional childcare available	K-5th	$15	https://www.myvbs.org/pavineyard

Field Trip: Cultural Feast (Mexico)

 

Poster for Folkorico Dresses Display 

When we first saw the poster above, we immediately thought of the Cultural Feast book club/field trip series that we have been doing this year. When we called, Redwood City Library was quick to respond and offered to do a special field trip for us! 

Arriving at the library (appropriately enough, right after their bilingual Spanish/English story hour), they had cleared out a space for us near the dresses and were playing catchy folklorico music. 

Armando started us with a list of countries in the Americas and how recently they had gained independence. Maria then read aloud "What Can You Do With a Rebozo?".

When she came to the part where a rebozo can be used as a blindfold when hitting a piñata, she asked if we knew the piñata song. Everyone shook their head, so she promptly played it - though we couldn't follow along, it's definitely catchy. 

Armando then introduced the beautiful dresses and the regions they were from - all were privately owned and had been generously loaned out for the display. Though only a small percentage of regions of Mexico were represented, they were all stunning.

Chiapas - colorful flowers on a dark background represent the jungle and its flora

Oaxaca - color and geometry

Oaxaca - square blouse and wrap skirt

Oaxaca - geometric shapes often resemble animals

Gorgeous embroidery on an Oaxacan blouse

Jalisco - what people most often associate with folklorico dances

Jalisco - extra long skirts, lace and ribbon

San Luis Potosi - colorful ponchos

Colima - Danza de Apaches costume

The variety of the costumes fascinated us - given a map of Mexico's regions, we could guess at some geographical influences but history has also played a role. The Houston Institute of Culture has an interesting writeup - for example, Jalisco shows Spanish influences because of a longer colonization period, and Nuevo Leon shows German influences from the German immigrants living there and neighboring (now) Texas. 

At the end of the session, Armando and Valeria brought out an "Ojo de Dios" craft kit, and taught us how to make one. It is a great craft for all ages - the students brought their own personalities into choosing the yarn and wrapping them. Although it originally represented indigenous beliefs of a god's eye, we can instead see the colors and the central cross as a reminder of God's love for us. 

 

After all that crafting, we were hungry! Librarian Armando had recommended MexCal Taqueria as a personal favorite - it was only five minutes from the library, and has a small parking lot which is handy since that section of Middlefield Rd ("Little Mexico") in Redwood City can be crowded. We didn't get any pictures of the food, but take our word for it, it was delicious! 

Menu is a mix of English and Spanish - try something new!

We would like to thank the librarians of Redwood City for sharing their time and putting together a wonderful field trip just for our homeschool group - we are so blessed! Also, we would like to thank Casa Circulo Cultura - they do important work supporting the local Latino community and although the timing didn't work out, they would gladly have hosted a tour for us as well.

Field Trip: San Mateo County History Museum (People of Many Places)

Photo credit: San Mateo County History Museum

Where: San Mateo County History Museum (1999 Hyde St, San Francisco, CA 94109) 

When: During the school year 

Who: All ages, but recommended for 3rd-6th grades. 

Cost: $110 for a group, max 30 students per group

This year, our group decided to try a Cultural Feast - a book club paired with a series of field trips to a restaurant, store or museum linked to a culture. The San Mateo County History Museum's "Land of Opportunity" exhibit formed the basis for deciding which cultures to explore. 

Photo credit: San Mateo County History Museum

In the entrance to the exhibit, the docent showed us various flags and asked us to guess their countries. Historically, San Mateo County's largest immigrant groups have been Irish, Chinese, Portuguese, Italians, Japanese, Filipinos, Mexicans and African Americans. We were also asked to think of reasons that people might leave their countries (push-pull factors of migration). 

She then brought out a "traveling trunk", divided our group into pairs and gave each team an item from the trunk. Each team was to find that item somewhere in the exhibit and figure out - Where did you find the item? Which country was it from? What was it used for? 

Well, that was enough to send the children scampering around in excitement. The cases were beautifully arranged, and some had interactive elements, e.g. you could hear recordings of Irish songs, or smell dried Italian herbs.

Photo credit: San Mateo County History Museum

When the students had spent enough time matching their items and exploring, we sat down in the "Finding Work" section. The students were asked to imagine what some challenges new immigrants faced: language, skills needed in the new country may not match their own, lack of support from family or community. This naturally led to immigrants grouping together with others from the same country.  Some of the exhibits were a testament to the immigrants' tenacity - the docent pointed to one case holding the tools (including an egg-shaped iron for puffed sleeves) used by a Chinese laundry that had been the oldest, continuously operating laundry in California. There was also a beautiful carved marble which had come from Fontana marble, opened by an Italian immigrant.

Amazing draping marble shawl from Fontana

We then discussed the items the students had found - they showed motifs treasured by each culture. For example, Japan has Boys' Day and Girls' Day holiday, China has Lunar New Year, Portugal has the Holy Ghost Festival to honor queen Isabela, and Mexico has Fiesta Patrias and Dia de los Muertos. Naturally, Italy has food and Ireland has music. 

 

 Close up of Japanese culture case

Photo credit: San Mateo County History Museum

Photo credit: San Mateo County History Museum

We ended up by discussing difficulties that immigrants faced, namely discrimination. Perhaps because of the age of our students, we did not go into much detail but the walls had informative panels, plus the associations and groups formed in response. 

 

Finally, we went downstairs and the children did three crafts - an Italian paper horse marionette, an Irish drum and a Mexican papel picado.  Despite the large age range of our group, every student enjoyed the crafts. Thus we can recommend this field trip for homeschoolers of all ages. 

Notes:

• The field trip starts at 9:30am, before the museum officially opens at 10am. This allows the group to have the museum to themselves before crowds enter. 
• Street parking was available for $1/hour, but the Jefferson Ave garage is also not far. Plan for at least two hours. 

Biology Lab Intensives : A Homeschooling Take

What homeschoolers think of when they hear 'high school science'

Note: Photos below include a dissection specimen which may be distressing. 

Homeschoolers often dread the middle and high school years because the subjects seem too difficult, and they lack funds or equipment. Ironically, Covid partially allayed these fears because classes moved on-line so now an entire year of virtual labs can be found.  However, hands-on experience is still a more effective means of learning for several students, so we hope the following can encourage others to be creative in seeking options.  

Goal: In our case, we had a group of middle school students who would be taking Biology next year and had different levels of exposure to its topics. We designed a four week series of lab intensives, focusing on microscope use and dissection. The goal was to become comfortable with the tools used. 

Where: We opted to meet at a member's house, though a church or community facility rental would also have worked. Note that dissection specimens are well preserved, so although there is some smell while working on it, it does not smell when everything is bagged up at the end of class. 

Who: The LORD provided a alumni homeschool father who is also a doctor and who volunteered to teach our class. Other options would be asking independent teachers, e.g. HEART Academy (not affiliated), recent homeschool grads who are home from college, or the community at large, e.g. BioCurious.  The class was open to middle and high schoolers, as well as parents who wanted to refresh their skills before teaching their younger students.

Equipment: 

• Microscopes: We rented microscopes from HEART Academy (~$15/scope/month), some families borrowed from their charter lending library though they would plan to request months ahead. Families can also purchase them - Home Science Tools and AmScopes both have a section dedicated to high school microscopes.
• Slides, staining reagents: We rented prepared slides from HEART Academy (~$2/month), and purchased Methylene Blue and Eosine Y from Home Science Tools  (~$5/bottle) as well as a box of glass slides (flat and concave) and covers. 
• Pocket Microscope (optional): This was recommended by the teacher as a field microscope for students who want to keep exploring. Also suitable for younger children.
• 7" preserved rat: Since some students might take anatomy in high school, we wanted to cover mammalian systems. To keep the scope manageable, we went with a rat since a mouse might be too small to see the organs or, and a pig too large. 
• Dissection tools: We rented the kits from HEART Academy (included in price above), but the most important tools were the sharp dissecting scissors and forceps (~$5 for both at Home Science Tools). For gloves, we used disposable gloves from Costco.

What:

• Week 1: We learned the parts of a microscope and examined different slides, drawing them. Students were initially unused to squinting (most microscopes were monocular), and not losing focus when moving between their paper and eyepiece.
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• Week 2: We collected pondwater and put it on a concave slide to observe. Students were amazed at the diversity of life when magnified. They also scraped their inner cheek cells and stained them using different dyes to observe (methylene blue highlighted the nucleus, eosine highlighted the cytoplasm).
• Week 3: Our teacher first emphasized that dissection isn't for fun, but a tool to understand God's creation better. We defined terms - remembering that left, right are from the ANIMAL'S point of view (this worksheet is helpful). He provided various models using balloons and pumps on how our circulatory and respiratory systems work. Students then made their first incisions (with much squealing) and realized it is hard work to cut past the fur, epidermal, muscle layer and get to the organs. It is also very easy to cut too far.  At the end of the session, we bagged up our specimens for the next lesson (they don't need to be refrigerated).
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• Week 4: We covered the digestive system, and pulled out the corresponding organs. In the rat, the distinction between small and large intestine isn't as clear as in human's, nevertheless we had several opportunities to point out how finely God had made the systems, e.g. the loops and vilia to help maximize surface area and uptake absorption of nutrients. Our instructor had also bought some cow hearts so he could demonstrate the chambers, and poured water to demonstrate the valves preventing the liquid from flowing backward. 
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Thus we wrapped up our series of intensives. We praise God for providing a knowledgeable teacher - he would have been able and happy to teach to more detail, but we felt the material was enough for the students to feel comfortable when doing their classes next year, and eager to learn more.

We hope this post encourages the homeschooling community at large - equipment and materials cost came to about $45 per family, and students had an entire specimen to themselves (or shared with a sibling). If the LORD has provided a school or co-op near you with facilities, praise God! But if your options seem out of budget, pray and wait on Him - it is amazing what He brings about. 

Field Trip: Swensens Ice Cream

Where: Swensens Ice Cream (1999 Hyde St, San Francisco, CA 94109)

When: All year, by appointment
Who: All ages, but group size limited to ~10 people (bigger groups will have to take turns).
Cost: Free, but you may want to budget for a scoop ($5) at the end of the tour.

Have you ever wondered where homeschoolers get ideas for field trips? (OK, probably not). Standard places like museums, libraries and gardens are great places for homeschoolers, but there are wonderful options to be found just by looking around us. 

In the case of Swensens, it was actually a SFGate article about its 75th anniversary (it was started 1948) that got us thinking. In the Bay Area, there are unfortunately few opportunities for factory tours - 510families has a nice article, but some amount of driving would be required from the Peninsula. On a whim, we emailed Swensens and were delighted when they agreed host our group!

Getting to Swensens was straightforward - because we were visiting mid-morning on a weekday, our families found free street parking on Hyde Street (yet another advantage of homeschooling - enjoying popular places without the crowds). The owners were ready and waiting to give us our tour. 

We were taken to the back kitchen area, where we saw the waffle makers (for the cones), and the array of scents used to make their ice cream.  Those, and the cartons of cream were reassurance that only simple ingredients were used (have you tried reading the label on the ice cream at grocery stores recently?). 

Waffle cones are made in-house
Photo credit:  Jenny L

Even the row of stamps hanging on the wall added to the charm.

A history of flavors
Photo credit: Jenny L

After the owners told us about the store history, a team member showed the machine which mixes the ice cream ingredients. This machine can be seen from the store window, and must be fun to watch and guess which flavor is being made.

Something crunchy and sweet is being made..
Photo credit: Jenny L

The mixture is then brought to the back freezing room. The size and temperature of the room were fascinating to the kids.

The freezer room stays at -10F

We were given samples of the newly mixed ice cream (good!) and Jim and Diane answered our questions:

Q: Who creates new flavors? How often do you make a new flavor? 

A: Mostly Diane. It depends, if an existing flavor isn't doing well, we swap in a new one to try. 

Q: Which flavor is most popular?

A: Hard to say for in-store, but to-go the Swiss Orange Chip sells best.

Q: What is the hardest part of running the business?

A: Employees - we like to hire young people, and train them. It can be challenging to build good habits and discipline, but they are necessary.  

After the tour, most of us opted to stay and purchase a scoop of ice cream. Warning: it can be hard to decide which of their many flavors to go with! They are ready to offer samples though. We were thankful for Diane and Jim for sharing so generously of their time. I suspect more than one of us wishes Swensens had a store on the Peninsula, it looks to be a great place for our teens to work over summer and gain a strong work ethic as well (and. ice cream is always a plus!). 

Local VBS and Church Camps - Summer 2023

 

 

We asked HEART members to share about church-led camps or Vacation Bible Schools this summer, and are glad to share the following!

Northern Peninsula (Millbrae to San Francisco)

Church	City	Dates	Ages	Cost	Notes
Hamilton Square Baptist Church - Five Day Bible Camp	San Francisco	July 24th - July 27th (9am to 12:30pm), July 28th (9am-3:30pm)	K5 to 8th grade	Free	Registration
Hamilton Square Baptist Church - Music Camp	San Francisco	July 10th - July 14th (9am to 4pm)	Rising 1st to 6th graders	$250 per student per week	Email florence@ccmiw.org
New Covenant OPC	South San Francisco	July 24th - July 28th (9am to 12pm)	2 to 10 years		Registration Form
San Francisco Bible Church	San Francisco (14th and Taraval)	June 12th - June 16th (9AM to 4PM) June 19th - June 23rd (9AM to 4PM) June 26th - June 30th (9AM to 4PM)	Rising K to 5th graders	$125 per week, discount for  additional siblings. Optional Extended Care from 4pm-6pm for $20/week.	https://sfbc.breezechms.com/form/e3928c66 If you have any questions please email: daycamp@sfbible.org

Central Peninsula (Belmont to Burlingame)

Church	City	Dates	Ages	Cost	Notes
Calvary Chapel	San Mateo	July 24th to July 28th (8:30am-12pm)	4 to 12 years old	Free	https://calvarysanmateo.org/vbs
Central Peninsula Church	San Mateo	July 17th to July 21st (9am-12:45pm)	Rising 1st to 6th graders		https://cpc.org/event/2023-summer-xp/ Volunteer opportunities available.
Community Baptist Church and Sturge Presbyterian Church	San Mateo	June 26th to June 30th (9am-12:30pm)	Rising 1st to 6th graders	$35/child, aftercare available until 3:00pm for $35 per child.	https://vbspro.events/p/events/stellar2023 Volunteer opportunities for rising 7th graders and up. Questions? Email: vbs.sturge.cbc@gmail.com
Fellowship Bible Church	Belmont	Multiple weeks available (9am to 3pm): June 19th to June 23rd June 26th to June 30th July 3rd to July 7th (no camp 7/4) July 10th to July14th	Rising 1st to 7th graders	$200/week, discounts for multiple weeks. Weekly field trip.	Registration Form If you have any questions regarding Day Camp, please contact us at daycamp@fbc-belmont.org.
Waypoint Church	San Mateo	June 26th to June 30th (9am-12:30pm)	4 years to 11 years (rising 6th graders)	$100/child (discounts for multiple registrations)	https://www.waypoint.church/children We have attended this VBS for several years. Seventh grade and up can join the staff.

South Peninsula (Palo Alto to San Carlos)

Church	City	Dates	Ages	Cost	Notes
Vineyard Church	Palo Alto	June 8th to June 10th (1pm-4pm) June 11th 9:30am	5-11 years	$10	https://www.myvbs.org/pavineyard

Field Trip: Angel Island Immigration Station Museum

Where: Angel Island Immigration Station Museum
When: All year, by appointment
Who: 4th graders and up (recommended for museum, parents can explore with younger children)
Cost: Ferry (roundtrip $9/student, $14/adult, $9/senior) + Museum tour ($3/person) + optional shuttle ($12/person). Prices as of October 2022. 

The Angel Island Immigration Station Museum had been closed throughout the pandemic, and although we appreciated PORTS' virtual tours, we knew an in-person visit would feel entirely different. Hence we planned early for this field trip as it is wildly popular.

Our field trip started at Gate B of the San Francisco Ferry Building (1 Ferry Building, San Francisco) to take the 9:20 AM Golden Gate Ferry service to Angel Island. It was a beautiful morning, and the children immediately made for the upper decks where they could see San Francisco receding in the distance. 

The ferry ride takes 30 minutes, and was calm enough that none of our group felt queasy. The ferry passes by Alcatraz and the western coast of Angel Island before docking at Ayala Cove which is on the northwestern tip of the island.

Since we had prebooked a tour of the Immigration Station,  a ranger met us at the Cove to walk with us to the Immigration Station. Before we started the walk, we also redeemed shuttle tickets we had pre-booked for the members of our party who would ride instead of walk the 1.2 miles to the station. 

Then we were off - the ranger led us up a path with several steps (we lost count). This part of the trail is not accessible or stroller friendly, however, there is a road (which the shuttle takes) that families can opt to walk. As we walked, the ranger told us about the wildlife and history on the island. 

View from halfway up the stairs - Tiburon in distance

As we approached the Immigration Station, the signs and barbed wire were a stark reminder of its past.

At the station, our guide thoughtfully discussed the push/pull forces behind immigration, the history of Pacific immigration and the Chinese Exclusion Act. We recommend pre-reading the excellent curriculum guides by the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation because they set the stage for this discussion, e.g. the economic and political factors leading up to the anti-Chinese policy, the disruption brought by the 1903 earthquake, and the byzantine questions that could lead to immigrants being detained for weeks, months or even years. And yet, in the end, there was as 93% rate of admittance, a testament to perseverance. With those statistics in mind, we went up the stairs and into the barracks. 

The recommended age for touring the museum is 4th grade and up. One of the reasons could be its set up - artifacts are laid out as though the occupants of the barracks had just stepped out for lunch, with unmade beds and open trunks strewn around. We marveled at how closely spaced the bunk beds were -indeed, each room used to house even more, as evinced by the support poles throughout the room. 

It was fascinating to see trunk items and what each nationality brought on the long journey - Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Filipino and South Asian. Looking closely at the walls, we could see some carvings too, though faint, and guess who had written them.

But the most striking example would be in the second room - the guide explained that this carving had probably been behind furniture, so it had not been filled in or repainted as so many others had.

The third room was dedicated to explaining the carvings and poetry. The Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation has documented several examples, including readings in the original Toisanese (Cantonese) dialect. The following, which the guide highlighted, was especially poignant - one could imagine looking out in the moonlight and fog, and feeling lonely even while surrounded by others. 

A student shared the following impression which beautifully captured the voices rising from the past:

Angel Island

Full of deep, dark and mysterious history, Angel Island rises up out of the bay, radiant against the blue water. The ferry ride is a short one, allowing us to see the whole island with its rocky cliffs and tree-covered hills. 

Climbing the stairs hundreds of immigrants have once walked upon, through the worn and dusty doorway of the Immigration Station- lonely and bleak inside and out. Immigrants had no space, crammed into a room filled with beds top to bottom with nowhere to stand. 

Depressing and cold nights were spent here, minds wondering when they might be released to the free country that was so close-but so far. 

Inhumanely and cruelly treated, losing themselves in the poems on the walls, their one refuge amidst the unfairness. Poems and people so beautiful you think you might cry, feeling and not quite understanding each and every story carved into those walls.

Credit: April Anderson, 8th grade

Leaving the barracks, we could see the former hospital, now Immigration Station Museum. These were also preserved like a snapshot in time, starting from the doors marked "White" vs "Non-White". Going up the stairs, one could imagine the smell of carbolic acid while reading about the various tests that immigrants underwent before being landed. 

When we left the museum, it was 12pm. Some of us lingered for picnic lunch at the tables besides the museum, and others took the shuttle or walked back to Ayala Cove where there was a cafe. We had agreed to meet back at the dock half an hour before the return ferry (2:45pm) and there was ample time to explore the docks and museum. 

The boat ride back was as beautiful, and the students were equally excited about going to the deck. But we had a bonus because by God's Providence, we had booked our return the week of Fleet Week, and we got to see the Blue Angels practicing just before their show in San Francisco that weekend. 

What an amazing sight! Coming from the stark reminder on Angel Island of how we had failed to love our neighbor as ourselves, our gazes were riveted at the sky as we marveled at the courage and skill of these pilots, and the Lord who had made us all. 

Tips for field trip organizers: Planning this trip requires a few stages:

1. Emailing Angel Island State Parks - because the trip is so popular, we booked 6 months ahead, even the summer before the new school year. The email address is only checked a couple of times a week, so it can take a few weeks to confirm a good date. 
2. When the tour is confirmed, ask State Parks when they will send your school name to the ferry company. For us in San Mateo county, the Golden Gate Ferry is the most convenient but groups who are concerned about seasickness may want to try the Tiburon/Angel Island ferry which is shorter. 
3. After the ferry company has received your school name, you can call and prepay for your tickets. 
1. The savings from a group rate are substantial, about 50% of regular ticket rate. However, you cannot change your booking afterward, so add-ons to the group will have to pay regular prices (slight discount with Clipper card).
2. The ferry company seems well synchronized to the tour schedule - they automatically gave us the times that would allow us to arrive/leave with comfortable margin around the tour. In the case of Golden Gate Ferry, that meant a 9:20 AM ferry from San Francisco, and a 2:45 PM ferry back (meaning arrival in San Francisco at 3:15 PM+).
3. Optionally, book shuttle tickets and lunches for the group. If packing lunch, note the yellow jackets on the island seem pretty aggressive - find places in the shade.
4. On the day of the trip, print and bring the ferry booking as sign of pre-payment. Golden Gate Ferry gave us an envelope of return ticket stubs - HOLD ON TO THOSE as they are required for boarding and they will count each one.
5. Prepayment is not required for Immigration Station Museum tours, so your group size can vary from your original estimate. 
1. The museum can accept individual payments; however the card reader on the Island doesn't always work so be prepared to pay with cash or check for the group. 
6. Be sure to check out the Immigration Station Foundation's educational material for pre or post visit discussions - there are curriculum guides, media footage, and recommended books.