News from the club house
By Aliatte Michele
What a wonderful summer!
The Turks and Caicos National Museum Children’s Club wanted to use local artist here on Grand Turk to help out with Children’s Club this year. Our theme for this year was LOCAL ARTISTS, after all.
This week we are doing plein air water color painting. After the program started we found out all of the local artist that we thought about using were off island all summer.
But, luckily Shalomar Forbes who was a past Museum employee, came home from design school for the summer and she has dedicated four weeks to work at the Museum as a design intern.
The Museum Children’s Club was fortunate enough to have her on board as a local Artist. This helps me out so much I can’t believe it. I thought I was going to have to lead the painting class and I am no ARTIST!
- Published in Children's Club News
Today Tuesday the 13 of July as we usually have the museum kids program we started at 1:00pm as we usually do. We came to the national museum and we were sitting in the shade behind the museum. We were sitting in chairs under a tent. There Dr. Neal Hitch gave a little talk about the sea glass and he told it was shipped to the TCI from the states as drinks for the US Navy, and after they have finished drinking the drink they would throw the bottles into the ocean.
The most rare of them all was the Heineken bottle which is a very light green colour bottle. Dr. Hitch gave us a little talk on how the bottle got there shape. He told us how the bottles came and how it was for them to get the way it is and why it was shipped to the TCI. And after we heard from Dr. Neal hitch we heard from Mrs. Hitch who gave us an example of the type of glass we need to make the jewelry with. And Mrs. Deneen Hitch gives us a demonstration on how to make a necklace with sea glass. After the talk and everything we had a snack and everyone was fed. Then we took the chairs upstairs and there the counselors were given a group of 2-4 students to watch over. After every group had gone in the workshop they were given a chance to choose what type of jewelry they wanted to put on their necklaces.
The sea glass that was used was from the sea when we went to the Oasis Divers Dive Shop. We had a great time today. The kids had so much fun with making the jewelry. While we were making the jewelry Mrs. Hitch said who ever needed help in tying their jewelry could come to her. Each group had help from their leader and if the leader did not know what to do then Mrs. Hitch helped them with what was given them a problem. It was very easy to make after making the necklace we gave a little post card to each of the kids and they painted them until it was time to go.
- Published in Children's Club News
This Tuesday the children’s club continues. Today we will be making sea lass jewelry out of the sea glass we found last week. I have been working all week on my sea glass chain and so far it has been wonderful!!! I have learned a new craft and my chain is going to be used as an example.
Today, the children will be placed into groups of two to four. My group will be the best after we are done with making crafts.
So far so good, I am loving the children’s club later for now
- Published in Children's Club News
On Tuesday the 6th of July we the national museum went to the Oasis Dive Shop where we go to snorkel with the kids club. We broke off into groups with a counselor watching three or four children. We had supervisors and junior counselors to tell the kids what to do. Each supervisor had about 3-5 children. We left the National Museum at 1:00 so we could go to the Oasis Divers Dive Shop.
It was so exciting that as soon as we arrived we got our snorkel gear and we went snorkeling. Dr. Neal Hitch, the director, took some of the best swimmers and did a snorkel test with them all. The stronger swimmers were taken out to the bio reef, an artificial reef made to preserve damaged coral. The weaker swimmers stayed closer to the beach to look for sea glass.
The group that went out to the bio rock were out for a long time. Kids who were hungry went up to eat at our cookout. After that, we just hung out and swam. When it was time to go we came out of the water and we put clothes on and went back into the cars to leave.
Museum: What did I like best about the snorkeling?
Kenlove: What I like mostly about the snorkeling is the gear we were using and we were allowed to find sea glass so we can make necklaces.
Museum: What I like about helping with the program?
Kenlove: I like everything about it because I was a counselor and when I talked to the kids they would listen to everything I had to say.
Museum: What are we going to do next week?
Kenlove: Next week we are kayaking in the North Creek. I expect this trip to be a fun and exiting time.
- Published in Children's Club News
By Tuvol Higgs
Today was the beginning of the Children’s Club at the museum. I was so interested in going swimming and finding more sea glass. The trip was long in the back of a pickup, but I did it. I learned how to snorkel and swim. I found a big conch shell and a lot of sea glass to add to my collection. After the swimming lesson, I wanted to go and see the biorock. But I was not ready so, a few more swim lessons for me before I go so far out!
I went and helped Mrs. Hitch with the little kids. After we were done swimming, I went on land and helped with the grill. I made hot dogs for everyone after which I went and cleaned up with the others.
When we were done, Kenlove and I packed up everything, got everyone together, and headed for the truck. The vehicle we were in was way in the back, so we took a little short cut and got to the museum first.
This was the best day ever on the beach for me…all because of the museum!
- Published in Children's Club News
Hooray! The Children’s Club summer program starts today. I have waited all week for this.
I was so excited that I stayed up all night and got to the museum at 6 o’clock this morning. I can’t wait any more.
At the last Children’s Club event we had so much fun that whenever I think about it I get very excited for the next one.
I have learned to swim through these programs. I think we have had maybe five programs where there is a swim lesson and then we snorkel. I go down to the Carnival cruise center pool and practice a lot. We are going snorkeling today. I swim pretty good now and am excited about swimming today.
Now I am going to go help Aliatte get stuff ready for when the kids come at 1:00.
- Published in Children's Club News
Saturday was the best day of my life. I had so much fun with the Museum. I have conquered my fear of deep water thanks to the National Museum. That was one of my biggest fears. I saved a small boy and Kenlove from drowning. They were nervous so one started to panic then causing Kenlove to get worried and flail around. I quickly swam to the rescue thus saving the little boy and Kenlove. I was so proud of myself I ran to tell Jessica.
After swimming (and saving lives) we had a cook out at Oasis Divers. I made hot dogs which is the first time I cooked them. They were so good. I like grilling.
I can’t wait until next year. Thanks Turks and Caicos National Museum Children Club (T.C.N.M.C.C.) for given the opportunity to supervise and have so much fun.
- Published in Children's Club News
By Kenlove
It was a bright and sunny day on Saturday May 8th 2010. I like going to the Museum to see my friends Dr. Neal Hitch and Jessica. But this Saturday was very different because we made arrangements to go out with the children of the Museum Children Club. I was happy because I was chosen to go along as a supervisor for the kids. I helped with arranging all the food and managing the children.
Aliatte, one of the museum staff, was preparing the food when I came in and I helped her with everything she was doing. She was happy because they were about to go to Oasis Divers dive shop. After we were finished, I took the food and put it in the back of the truck and we left. We went to the Oasis Divers shop and there we met our Oasis friends and we went snorkeling. We used goggles and floats and went out. I saw a squid hiding in a hole. It was looking at me.
We made jokes with some of the people who were working at the Oasis Divers shop. First the boys went into the water. After a few minutes we went back to where we started and switched snorkeling gear with the girls, who were waiting on us. They swam to the same place we went. We swam to a point where we looked at an anchor that was under the water. It was close to dock where the cruise ships are always tied to. It was a very fun time for every one. We came out of the sea and we went and got something to eat.
Tuvol was cooking Hotdogs and I was serving the children. They were too excited. When they finally calmed down, Dr. Hitch was talking and asking everyone how much fun they had.
Everyone was happy until it was time to go home. Then it started raining. When the time was up to go I was so playing around that I didn’t even realize it. Before we left, Tuvol and I took some pictures together with some friends that were with us. That was so much fun. I never had that much fun in my life. I mean like being Happy for a few minutes in my life. I wish I could go on another field trip like that again.
- Published in Children's Club News
Saturday’s snorkeling program was one of the best Children Club programs of the summer. We had twice as many people as last year – nearly 30 kids!
Oasis Divers donated 2 dive masters and snorkel and safety equipment and the Grand Turk Cruise Center approved the use of the roped off swim area for to help make the day a success.
After a short discussion on the 18th century cannon and anchor that lay off the beach the children were divided into 2 groups based on their swimming skills.
The inexperienced swimmers were introduced to the snorkel to the snorkel equipment and basic swimming safety, and then led in a swimming lesson while the more advanced swimmers swam over an 18th century cannon.
The children were extremely excited to use the snorkel gear and see the underwater life. Many commented that this was the “best day ever” and all were disappointed that the next snorkel excursion wouldn’t be until next summer.
- Published in Children's Club News
The students of Clement Howell High School visited Grand Turk from Provo last Friday. We were glad to know that the Museum was on their list of places to see. The Children’s Club Coordinator gave them a special tour of the Molasses Reef Wreck artifacts and the Lucayan room. There were quite a few shutter bugs in the group who were madly taking pictures of everything they saw!
- Published in Children's Club News