"And... be at school in 2022" Summer camp in our school "M. Immacolata" in Centocelle

That the school has three months of vacation, for us is over.

It is well known that in our society more and more working parents need a safe place and reliable people to entrust their children to during the summer when the school is closed. So, after the last bell of the school year, the doors of our institute "Maria Immacolata" in Centocelle, remained open for primary school children who for 4 weeks participated in the summer camp "And... be at school in 2022".

Ours is a particular summer camp, led by the school teachers themselves, who try to organize every day recreational activities with the aim of continuing an educational service for each child especially through socialization, confrontation, sharing, getting involved, new friendships and new experiences.

Every morning, with animated songs, reflections, dances, opening on the needs of the world around us, we began the day by addressing God in prayer, a child-friendly prayer but that certainly tried to give the right note to the day.

The summer camp was not an opportunity for growth only for children, we can say that even teachers had to reinvent themselves and get involved, wearing the guise of educator-animator; this has fostered a better knowledge of their pupils, and therefore greater openness and awareness of the needs and potential of each.

The teachers were joined by special "helpers": some children of our 3 year old and 4 year old liceum who, in the program of PCTO (the work placement for school-work alternation), have lived the experience of animators, starting to deal with their abilities, resources and responsibilities. For us Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart it was a great opportunity to offer these young people a proposal that, as part of their studies, made them involved, but also question themselves and orient themselves for their future work, but not only that, also motivational on broader aspects of life, even vocational orientation.

We are happy and ever more eager to carry out our educational mission, to reach with our simple witness all the people we meet in our educational-pastoral activity.

Here are some considerations that young people have expressed looking at the experience:

"In these weeks I had the opportunity to try myself at the role of animator, I learned a lot of things both from teachers, but also from children"

"It was an engaging and interesting experience: two full weeks but above all formative for my person"

"I had fun and I learned a lot. It was nice to enter the world of children in these weeks"

"It was definitely a growth experience, it helped me a lot to test myself. I realized that my limits are more 'beyond' than I thought"

"Every child has taught me and left something new and this has helped me more to understand their world and way of thinking, enriching my experience"

"I learned the art of patience, of relating to many different characters"