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Florida Catholic August 2020
YOUR MIAMI COMMUNITY
CRISTINA CABRERA JARRO
Florida Catholic correspondent
HOMESTEAD It involved a lot of stress, cleaning and enforc- ing of rules but the small staff of the La Salle Educational Center managed to open its doors for in- person summer camp despite the COVID-19 pandemic. For parents who live in the South Dade Labor Camp, most of whom work in agriculture or con- struction, the summer camp was their only option for keeping their children safe and cared for during summer vacation. We told families, 'Hey, we know this isn't ideal, but this is what we have to deal with right now.' And everybody seemed to say, 'It's bet- ter than nothing,'" said Monica Lauzurique, the center's director. The camp ran from June 15 through Aug. 7, 2020, with no child or faculty member reporting posi- tive for COVID-19. Lauzurique said her teachers, Yancy Velasquez and Dulce Olvera Rivera, were key. They made sure to clean and en- force the rules "and that is what is keeping people healthy. That's what's keeping us going." Daily precautions included the wearing of masks, the use of hand sanitizer and frequent handwash- ing, and daily temperature checks and health inquiries. Most parents were on board, but one pushed back, saying the La Salle Center was being too strict. Keeping people safe doesn't mean we're doing it right; it just means we're trying hard," Lau- zurique said. In keeping with social distanc- ing measures, the center had 30 spots available for the summer camp, 20 less than their usual ca- pacity. Kids were supervised, edu- cated, entertained and nourished (breakfast, lunch and snack in- cluded) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mon- day through Friday - a schedule that benefited parents who, Lau- zurique said, have not stopped working since the start of the pan- demic. The 30 campers were split into two groups of 15, each group in a separate classroom, with no cross- overs allowed. Siblings were kept in the same classroom to prevent cross contamination at home. Classrooms were cleaned twice a day. Had a student gotten sick, that group's classroom would have shut down for 14 days. I don't think there is a perfect way to do this and there are a lot of outside factors that I don't control," Lauzurique said. "When they step outside of our bubble, we can't con- trol that. That's where the tough part comes in." This year's camp had a time traveler theme that gave kids the opportunity to explore American history. They revisited each decade since the 1930s by experiencing its music, inventions, and sports. Ac- tivities included learning how to swing dance (1930s), making com- ics (1950s), and making sand art (1990s). We did the '60s the other day and tie-dyed shirts and masks. Tie-dye is a thing with my kids," said Lauzurique, noting that the activity is always a camp favorite.
It's fun, but 'it's not the same'
The campers also got a "taste" of the decades with snacks like Twinkies (1930s), popcorn balls (1950s), and Hot Pockets (1980s). And no summer camp is com- plete without some outdoor, watery fun. This year, instead of backyard slip-and-slides, the La Salle Center rented a giant waterslide for camp- ers to play on. We still want them to have ex- periences outside of their own re- alities at home," said Lauzurique, and we're having fun, but it's not the same."
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Above, peace and love all around: Inspired by the1970s, campers from La Salle Educational Center show off a giant tissue paper peace sign they made to celebrate the decade. At right, after learning about the American iconic animated show The Flintstones, summer campers colored in their own Fred and Wilma. (COURTESY PHOTOS) At left, a camper at La Salle Educational Center shows off the homemade lava lamp she made with friends to celebrate the 1960s. At right, a summer camper shows off the bottled sand art she made, an iconic craft of the 1990s.
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