Last Day of Vacation Bible School - Huge Success!

Today was the last day of Vacation Bible School "Deep Blue Sea" at The Salvation Army.  With our program running from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., our schedule is as follows:

• Opening Assembly
• Bible Class
• Arts & Crafts
• Music Class
• Snacks
• Recreation
• Closing Assembly

VBS this year served over 130 children!  On the first day, kids are sorted into 4 pods by age.  (Why pods?  A group of dolphins is called a pod.)  Each pod goes to the different classes after the Opening Assembly. 

Activities
In Bible Class, they learn a new Bible story and memory verse on which they will be quizzed the following day.  Those who memorize the Bible verse and/or answer questions correctly earn prizes!  In Arts & Crafts, children paint, make bead-work, color, and arrange interesting crafts.  Music Class is where they learn new praise songs and motions to go along.  Two special songs will be performed on Sunday, June 17 in celebration and recognition of VBS Sunday.  Towards the end of Music Class, it's time for snacks and fellowship.  Of course, all fun programs need some time for recreation, and the children always enjoy playing active games in the gymnasium.

The Prize Room
Every year, we give the children a special treat: The Prize Room.  So what is The Prize Room?  Well, you can guess it's full of prizes - dolls, remote-control cars, board games, and lots of other toys!  The "best pod of the day" - determined by behavior and participation - get to visit The Prize Room.  Like last year, all the pods this year were chosen for these special rewards.

Free VBS T-Shirts
Another popular aspect of VBS at The Salvation Army is the free t-shirt.  "From the first day of VBS, I had lots of kids asking me when they would get a t-shirt like mine," says Joanna Estrada, Christian Education Director.  These t-shirts have the Deep Blue Sea theme, complete with a submarine picture and a Bible verse on the back - "Deep is the love of Christ" (Ephesians 3:18).  The children wear their shirts proudly for the rest of the week as well as the special performance on VBS Sunday.

Special Awards - Top 3
Today, on the last day of Vacation Bible School, we had some special awards for the 3 most outstanding students in the week: Alexa Fuentes, Crystal DeAnda, and Alex Beacs.  These winners were determined on the basis of behavior, participation, and attendance.  "When you have so many kids in the program, it's difficult to choose just 3!" says one of the volunteers.  While these 3 stood out for an extra award, all the children were certainly winners!

VBS Sunday & Family Carnival - this June 17 at 2350 i-10 East at 11:00 a.m.  Don't miss out!