Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Week Four Campers of the Week!

Congratulations to those honored with an honorable mention or Camper of the Week for week number 4. The theme was "religious," which is where we built up our faith and belief in ourselves that we could get the job done no matter how difficult something may seem.

Honorable Mentions: Angel Robles, Oscar Animas, Eduardo Gomez, Givanny Perez, Ralphy Gomez, Justin Santiago, Raquawn Tillman, and Devin Santiago

Camper of the Week: Christian Rodriguez

It's difficult to believe the summer is almost over, but there is still work to be done. The last week is themed "Committed to Doing Justice."

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Going to see Bombino

The day was going well until my cabin got a 7.5 in inspection. After that the day started going fine again. what really woke me up was when Mr. Arte announced thatt there were people that donated tickets for us to go to a concert. The counselors had to pick four people in their cabin who are leaders. My counselors picked the four leaders and they were: me, Joshua, Gustavo, and Kenneth A.

During dinner, Mr. Arte told us to go change, but we were all worrying about if we got dessert or not. When we were done getting dressed, we were ordered to go to the school bus. The artist's name was Bombino and he is an African singer. He is very talented, even though I didn't understand what he was saying. At the concert, we danced a lot, took pictures, and some of the kids went to Bombino to get his autograph. Sadly at the end of the day, we didn't get dessert.

By Alex

Copperas Pond

It had all started in the bus drive to Copperas Pond and we were all excited about the big rock. We were also talking about how many times we were going to jump. I said about 40 times. Then we got to the trail and we al got out and started the small hike of about 0.5 miles. We went up, but we accidentally went up the wrong trail and we did a mile instead of half, which had wasted about 10 more minutes. After we all got up we went to the lean-to so we could unpack. Then we all went to the rock. I was so nervous even though I did jump it like 100 times before. So Genaro, my counselor, went first he came he came up out of the water in about 5 seconds. Then, I was next, I jumped and BAM! I hit the water with so much force and a lot of water went up my nose and mouth, but I didn’t really care because I did it again. In the end I counted all my jumps and I literally jumped off 80 times. The sight of the pond was pretty amazing to me. I felt was really happy to be back. The water to me smelled like a smell of a jungle. So to be more specific it smelled like nature. The sound was cool and I like the splash after each and every person jumped. The taste of the water was really weird it tasted disgusting to me. I was sweating so much so the feeling was like mixing hot water with cold water and it felt really refreshing. I was upset when I was leaving, but a least I had fun for my last year.

By Christian R.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

The Viper
by San Miguel Oquendo Jr

Once there lived an old lady, who stayed by herself in an apartment. She was watching the news as usual one night when a bulletin was flashed: "Alert! There is a man on the loose who goes by the name of the viper. He likes to go after rich old ladies."

Hearing this, the lady SCREAMS: "I am an old rich lady. What if he’s coming here!" So saying, she runs to the door and locks it. Just then, the phone rings. "AH!" The lady’s hands begin to shake as she picks up the receiver. "Hello," a man’s voice says at the other end, "I’m the viper you called for and I’m going to be there wery soon!"

The lady almost faints. "AH! He is coming after me! I must call the cops," she tells herself. With trembling hands she somehow makes the call. "We’ll be there in 20 minutes," the cops tell her.

Just then, the phone rings again, and this time the old lady’s legs are shaking as she picks up the phone: "Hello?" "Yes, it’s me, the Viper, and I am almost there."


Hearing this, the old lady screams even louder! "AAHHH!!!" Once more she tries the cops but they are not answering. She panics. Someone knocks on the door. Praying and hoping that it’s the cops, she opens the door. A small man holding a bag in his hand is standing there. "Hello," he says. "I am the Viper…" The lady does not hear the rest of the sentence. Clutching her chest she sinks to the floor. She has had a heart attack from sheer fright!

The small man looks at her in shock. "… And I had come to vish and vash your vindows," he finally completes his sentence. Not knowing what to do, and not wanting to get into trouble, he simply walks away.

The next morning, the milkman found the old lady dead on her doorstep.

"She died from heart attack," the doctor was to say later, but no one quite understood how or why.

A few days later, the same small man who had called upon the old lady and announced himself as the 'viper', was walking in the streets with his dog. One of his neighbors saw him and asked him where he was going. "I am taking my dog to the wet," he replied with a smile. "He vas out in the rain last night and has got fewer."


(with inputs from his ELA teacher)

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Week Three Campers of the Week

Week three was all about being loving. Loving camp, loving your cabinmates and friends, loving life. We were fighting the hate with love.

Honorable Mentions: Tyler Garcia, Oscar Carrasco, Ariel Torres, Joshua Carrion, and Steven Mena

Campers of the Week: Cristian Martinez, Marcellous Valentin, and Kenneth Asamoah

Congratulations to all these campers who had a great week!


Monday, July 18, 2011

The Olympians’ Fredom
by Daniel Tejeda

Once upon a time, a god named Mars went to war against the Titans. He was the general of a mighty jet called the M16 hydro active jet. While Mars was in the jet , one of the Titans shot the jet’s wing off with a trident. The jet went out of control, and crashed onto the ground. When the Titans went forward to check if Mars was there , they could not find him. The Titans then went back to their cargo plane and headed home. While they headed home a bloody hand came out from the smashed plane. All of a sudden a body showed up: it was MARS!

Mars got out of the wreck and went along the path which the Titans had taken. Mars had no mercy. So, he followed the path to get REVENGE for what the Titans had done . But the path soon disappeared.

Several days past, but there was still no sign of Mars. Jupiter sent some gods to find him. While the gods were looking for Mars, Mars had meanwhile stumbled across a castle, after which he turned back. Before long the other gods met Mars, and together they all went to mount Olympia to talk to Jupiter.

When they got to the top, Zeus’ wife Hera welcomed them and invited them to a feast. Mars told Jupiter to send an army to defeat the Titans, but Jupiter asked, “Where is your jet ?” Mars replied “I don’t know. It is stranded .” On hearing this, Jupiter thought for a little while and then told them of his plan. The gods would all attack the castle.

While all the gods were approaching the castle, they were all stopped by a Cyclops that was on guard. Then they began to fight each other. Jupiter led the way. He picked his thunder bolt and sliced the Cyclops up! Jupiter went into the castle with the others. While they walked in, they saw millions of titans working in harmony, as if there were a program controlling them.

Then up came the god of the sea, Neptune. He picked his trident up in his hand and swamped the millions of titans under a huge mass of water.

When those titans were killed there weren’t any enemies of the gods left; only the biggest and the strongest Cyclops the gods had seen. It gave out the biggest roar they had ever heard and charged at them. The gods were running out of time. They huddled together and thought hard. Venus said that if all the gods combined their powers, they would defeat this monster. Hearing this, the gods combined their powers and directed it at the monster, under which the monster vaporized.

So now the gods are without enemies and they shall always be alive as long as their myths are told.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Phones

Hi Everyone,

The camp phone in the dining hall was not working this morning. So, if you tried to call during breakfast and it just rang, I apologize we did not pick up but we did not hear it ringing.

I think we have solved the problem and you should be able to get through during lunch from 1pm to 2pm.

Everyone is doing fine and we are welcoming over 15 alumni of camp back up for a weekend. They bring a lot of excitement and fresh faces to camp. It should be a fun weekend.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns feel free to call camp at any time to talk to me. Or, call during meals to talk to your sons.

Mr. Arte

Thursday, July 14, 2011

THE HAUNTED MANSION
by Luis Tejada (Grade 6)

One day a boy named Christian and his family moved into a mansion. They did not know that it was haunted by a man named Pfetzer who was evil and who had died there around the 1980s.

The day after moving in they all went shopping, with only the dog left behind to guard the mansion. When the family came back from shopping the dog was nowhere to be found. Only the dog’s blood was to be seen on the floor. Fearing the worst, the family called the cops. But the cops did not find evidence of who had killed the dog.

The next morning when the family woke up, they saw blood all over the walls. A message was written in red letters. “I’m going to kill you all”, it said. They once again called the cops, but when the cops got to the mansion the blood and the writing were all gone.

That night when they went to sleep the family heard frightful screams. Terrified, they tried to get out of the house but the doors were locked. Then knives started flying around. Christian was so scared that he tried to run away but one of the knives went through him and he slumped, all bloody, onto the floor. The knives followed all the other members too, and killed them all.

To this day no one has gathered enough courage to go into that mansion again.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Week Two Camper's of the Week

Sorry for the late notice, but here are your honorable mentions and campers of the week for week two. The campers were working on being "intellectually competent," which meant doing the right thing and knowing why they were doing the right thing.

Honorable Mentions: Eduardo Gomez, Branden Ruiz, Jordan Ledgister, Cristian Martinez, Adrian Cruz, and Marcellous Valentin.

Campers of the Week: Gerardo Arriaza and Brandon Aguayo!

Look at the pictures to the right in the album titled "Second Sunday Talk and Mass."

This week's theme is LOVING. We look forward to honoring students again for all their hard work this coming Sunday.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Singing for Inspiration

My favorite two singers are Michael Jackson and Drake. These two singers inspire me to wake up in the morning. They also inspire me to follow my dreams. I always hear these songs everytime I am happy and also sad to get me to dance and to make me be active. I always wanted to sing, so everytime I want to write a song I always listen to a song of theirs for ideas.
Anthony P.

Super Powers

If I could have any super power at camp I would have teleconsis. I would want this because then I can move things to scare the campers. Also I could be able to take stuff from camp that is cool, like CJ'S G-Shocks. I can also do work without moving a muscle. In inspection I would make all the dust go into other cabins and I would make everything better. I could go to places without moving because I would use my powers to lift me up and take me to a different place. If I really had this power I would most likely be home. That is the power I would have.
Jaun G.

Monday, July 11, 2011

The Rain At Camp

The rain storms at camp are crazy because it rains and it gets very windy. Last night we were going to chapel for night talk and it started pouring. We had to have night talk in the main hall. We also had to run to the cabin. If any thing but water would come down, I'd like it to be Brownie sundaes. The sundaes have to have vanilla ice cream, whip cream, hot fudge, and a cherry on top. If Brownies sundaes fell from the sky I won't eat any meal but dessert. I would also make a house out of it. It would not be hot and it would not melt. It would also erupt from a volcano while it is raining.
Giovanny P.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Beaver's At Camp

Camp Monserrate's pond has been taken over by beavers building their dam. Here are a few free writes campers made imagining themselves as a beaver and what they might think once the camp moved in for the summer.

Hi, I'm Pimentel the beaver. I would think of Camp Monserrate as a good place. I would think this because it's full of trees I can cut down. It's full of wood to make houses. I also think this because in the night, I can sneak into the dining hall and eat food. I would think of Camp Monserrate as a jolly place.

Chris Pimentel

If I were a beaver, I would think that Camp Monserrate is a weird place with a bunch of humans. I would go around camp biting all of the campers and counselors. I'd bite CJ the most because he's big, which would make him a threat. Then I would go back home (the pond) and continue to make my wall until it's huge. Then I'd break it down so that the camp will flood and my house would expand. Plus no more humans playing around my house.

Christian Mendez

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

The Pool

When you first enter the pool, the water is ice cold and your nostrils are full of chlorine. When you get out your limbs are numb. After you get out there is always a breeze that makes you feel like you’re trapped in an iceberg. It is like walking into a blizzard with wet shorts on. Yet the colder you are when you get in the pool the warmer you are. The only thing that keeps you motivated are CJ’s chants. There are some funny moments too.

Cameron P.

Most people think the pool is cold, but it is not, it is only the wind that blows when you’re not inside. I hear chatter from people I see them at the corner of the pool. When CJ asks, "Is it cold?" we say "Heck no it ain't cold, we won't fold, we want some more, we want some more.” The funniest part of swimming in the pool is when Kenneth Cherry got thrown in to the pool for his birthday. It was funny because he was all dry and dressed. Everyone was laughing so hard and Cherry really didn't care. He thought it was really fun and cool. I can't wait to play water pol0.

Christian C.

Monday, July 4, 2011

Rest Periods

During Rest Period, which is after lunch, the campers go to their cabins. When there, they can read a book, write a letter, or rest (hence the name "Rest Period."). Should a camper's bed/shelf be disorganized, a counselor will help that camper clean it. Some kids show that they don't have integrity (the camp theme) by talking and fooling around. Rest Period is where most campers go after lunch. Others, however, have jobs such as Sanitation, in which one cleans the bathrooms (wiping toilets, plunging them, etc.)

Samuel N.


Hola as todos los mama y papa. Hello to all the mothers and fathers. I want to talk to you about my secound favorite thing to do at camp. After my favorite time of the day, we have Rest Period. After lunch we go to our cabin and sleep for an hour. During that hour time frame, we can read, sleep, or write a letter to our family, but we have to be quiet. I love to sleep or write letters to my family.

Marcellous V.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Week One Campers of the Week

Congratulations to those honored for having a good first week at camp. The theme for the summer is: "Whenever we walk, the report will go around." This means that we are trying to build our integrity and act correctly no matter who is watching us. The theme for the week was "open to growth."

Here were your runner's up, your honorable mentions to camper of the week: Patrick Romero, Daniel Tejeda, Tyler Garcia, Gerardo Arriazo, Rodrigo Avila, Christian Castro, and Tony Muentes.

The campes of the week were two sixth graders. Two guys new to camp and the schools and still very open to growth. They showed a lot of leadership and are off to a great start to the summer. Congratulations to the Week One Campers of the Week Sagonie Urdaz and Kenneth Hurtado.

We all look forward to seeing how the campers put their best foot forward in week two. It has been a great start to the summer thus far!

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Our Camp Goals

My first impression was that we would have a fun five weeks. That this was a safe space, where people treated each other with respect. And guess what, I was...right! I'm having fun at the pool,(it's coold as snow, literally) and fun even in classes. I have the best counselors here.

At the pool, I swim, teach, and learn a lot. I like silent reading time. It's really silent. I love it here.

My goal for the summer, is to be a kind hearted, respected, strong, open to growth, and a camper with integrity. I hope that comes to happen. I want to say hello to whoever is reading this, also to say that us campers are fine! P.S. Dad I hope my family is doing good back at home. I love you!

Rodrigo A.


Based on our first impressions at camp I see me doing well in all areas. I also think since we have a lot of maturity, our cabin will defiantly be earning other people's respect. I think later in the camp session it will all be the same. The only thing that might be different is a greater respect for the bathrooms. But overall the camp session so far is a good one because I figured out that I have two goals for the rest of the camp session. The first is to help with what needs help at camp. The second is to be a counselor on Camper's Day and be a Camper of the Week if it's possible. P.S. Mom hope the family is doing good at home, including Nemo and my turtles.

Christian M.

Thursday, June 30, 2011

First Thoughts About Camp

I see that this summer is going to be fun. It is going to be fun because I'm out of the city. Another thing is that I get to meet new people. I have met Matthew, Joshua, and Bryan. Sometimes you may get homesick and miss people but you will get over it. In the future, I think that camp will be more fun because we will be the future counselors of camp. If I was a counselor, I would spend more time with my cabin playing games. This year, I want to pass my swimming test at camp because it is more fun and you get to show people that you are able to swim.

Oscar C.

I think that camp is fun. It's goood because I'm making good friends and I have fun playing in free time with them. And I am trying new things in camp. If you get to know everyone it will be better because you will have more friends. In the future it will be better because you will know what to do in camp if you were a counselor. I can help people learn how to swim, and to make camp fun.

Jose R.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Back Up

Camp Monserrate did not have phones or internet until this afternoon.

If you have been having trouble getting through, please keep on trying during meal times. Your sons will start phone calls home today (Wednesday).

Check back soon for blog posts written by your son during writing class!

Click on the 2011 Camp Photos link on the right for pictures soon too!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Camp Monserrate 2011

In order to prepare for Camp Monserrate 2011, the old posts have been taken down. They are still available to right in the archived section. Old pictures from the past camps are also still available.

Come back at the end of June to see what the boys from NMC and SIS are up to at Camp Monserrate this year! They will be giving you daily updates written during their camp writing class.