Tag Archive for: Jacquetta Owen

Vacation Bible School was great success with thirty students attending

  • Dates: June 27 – July 1
  • Time: 6 pm to 8:15pm each night
  • Place: Stephens City UM Church on Main Street
  • Theme: Wilderness Escape – Moses leads the Israelite’s through the desert
  • Ages: 4 years old through 12 years old
  • Activities: singing, stories, crafts, snacks, games!

Stephens City Vacation Bible School (VBS) on Main Street just completed an exciting adventure through the wilderness as kids walked through the parted seas, ate manna and learned to trust God. Wilderness Escape is where God guides and provides. Kids grabbed their tunics and got prepared for an exciting journey with God’s people, the Israelites as each evening brought God’s Word to life. Kids joined a caravan with Moses and the Israelites as they escaped Egypt. They discovered the truth straight from Moses—one of history’s greatest God-followers. Everyone experienced what it might have been like to live in the Bible-times wilderness! Moses was obedient to God in his faith and the Red Sea parted for the Hebrews to escape from slavery in Egypt!

The biblical content built into the curriculum taught foundational truths that helped kids understand who Jesus is and why they need a personal Savior. The relationships established with kids and their families provided many opportunities which reflected the love of Jesus and revealed the truth of the Gospel.

The five-day Vacation Bible School (VBS) ministers’ children in the church and establishes outreach to the surrounding communities. VBS is supported by a creative theme of Bible study, game activities, worship and even time for some delicious snacks.

VBS offers an opportunity to provide a child with an unforgettable experience and lasting recollections. This phenomenal event generates memories that help lock Bible truths in a child’s heart and mind for a lifetime.

Participants experienced stories from the Bible, met new children, had a good time with friends and learned new and exciting activities. They learned Bible verses, acted out Bible stories, shared the Gospel, sang fun educational songs, watched and participated in skits, created crafts, participated in recreation, took part in hands-on mission projects, made discoveries and enjoyed a meal together.

And that’s a wrap! Vacation Bible School was a great success! Fun, friends, food and learning for over 30 kids this week!

A special thank you to Garber’s Ice Cream for donating the awesome creamy treats for a great party on our last night!

Stephens City UMC Summer Art Camp

According to retired school teacher Jacquetta Owen, “the educator in me just won’t quit.” Jacquetta is so energized by working with kids, teaching new skills and seeing their “ah-ha” moments. Jacquetta had several reasons for leading the week-long STEAM Art Camp, August 10-14. First, the educational part – working with individual students to problem solve and create. Second, share our Stephens City United Methodist Church (SCUMC) family and opportunities with families with elementary school age children to gainfully involve them in the church activities. Third, bring in “helpers”, visiting teachers, for their expertise in various fields, again to let them know we are a loving and active church. Fourth, generate additional funds to the daycare and church, although about half of the registration fee supports procurement of art supplies. All the support personnel are volunteers and graciously share their gifts.

In recent years, STEAM education—the teaching and learning of science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics—has become a national priority. This focus has been driven by concerns over international competitiveness, dating back to the early days of the space race. The focus is also fueled by data reflecting our youth are not graduating with the skills necessary to succeed in a rapidly-evolving, technologically-driven workforce. A third reason for the focus—one that is particularly important when considering the education of younger children—is the role of STEAM in shaping our state-of-the-art lifestyles.

The STEAM Art Camp is organized through the SCUMC daycare program which maintains a license to care for students from age 5 through age 11. Jacquetta also recognized that the art camp was most conducive (in a COVID-19 environment) to working outside with safe social distancing and keeping supplies available for each individual (no sharing). Art was the only subject that did not involve functioning in groups and sharing materials. All 10 student slots were quickly filled.

During the five day, three-hour classes, students enjoyed multi-sensory experiences, strengthening fine motor skills, enhancing color and shape awareness, improving resourcefulness and problem solving abilities while completing various art projects. The students learned new vocabulary (aurora borealis and symmetry), explored using measuring techniques and found joy in experimenting with new materials. The week-long activities also involved stained glass pictures, 3-D chalk pictures, pop-up card making, shaving cream art and creating mandalas.

“STEAM understanding can no longer be provided just to elite students; all children need the underlying thinking personalities and understanding to succeed in a STEAM-driven economy and world,” Jacquetta said. For more information on future SCUMC STEAM classes, contact Jacquetta Owen at [email protected].

See Northern Virginia Daily summer camp article