Prep fourth and fifth graders had the opportunity to attend camp held at Camp Mokulēʻia earlier this month. In its second year, the main goal of this tradition is to solidify bonds between the boys that hopefully remain in some way throughout their lives. The activities at camp require teamwork, teach compromise and in certain instances inspire leadership.

Chaperone and The Prep fifth grade teacher, Samantha Delgado felt that one of the most valuable takeaways for the boys was learning to cooperate. "We wanted them to learn how to work with all of the boys, not just their close friends. I believe they successfully bonded and learned how to cooperate to solve a problem. I've already seen a difference amongst the boys in my class," she said. She recalls a challenge called "Half Pipe" being the epitome of these skills. In this challenge, they needed to figure out how to get a marble from one end of a basketball court into a small cup located at the other end of the court using only small pipes. "They needed to work together to control the speed of the marble, which was frustrating for some who wanted to rush through – some even wanted to quit. But they stuck with it and after an hour when they finally accomplished the task, they all took off running out of joy and hugging one another! It was truly an awesome moment!"

The Prep dad and chaperone, Ricardo Yost felt like this time away from home and all things familiar helped develop a little independence. "Camp was a real eye opener for the boys – being away from their parents forced them to figure things out on their own. I feel there was a measure of growth that took place, even if it was for such a short period of time," he said.

With camp still being a new tradition, there were a couple of minor kinks – like not having a packing list which resulted in some boys (and chaperones) overpacking. Nevertheless, all involved felt that camp was a huge success and want to see this tradition continue to thrive, especially the boys. "They loved camp," said Delgado. "They didn't want to leave on Friday!"

Though the boys' enthusiasm about camp has since slowly transitioned towards Christmas, they still reminisce about certain moments they shared while at camp and look forward to next year. "I miss camp," said fourth grader Piha Reyes. "I can't wait to go again!"

To view photos from camp and other happenings around campus, click here.