Annual Camp Welcomes Incoming IB Freshmen

Patricia Passwaters, Editor in Chief • Jun 27, 2013

June 10 marked the beginning of a week long camp that introduced incoming IB freshmen to Gables. Throughout this time, students were broken up into eight different groups that were led by a handful of teachers that they’ll come across during their high school career such as Ms. Noval, Ms. Cosgrove, Mr. Molina, Ms. Fraga, Ms. Reinoso, Ms. Zuniga, Ms. Barrow and Dr. Scanlon. For the last hour of each day, the incoming freshmen were then distributed among 16 different groups that were led by 37 IB upperclassmen.

While the purpose of the camp is to allow the incoming students to gain a perspective on the IB program, they were given the task of coming up with their ideal IB freshmen field trip. On Friday the eight groups presented their field trip to a panel of seven judges and were judged on budget, logistics, persuasive techniques, use of senses, presentation, language choice and practical choices.

“Planning out our field trip was definitely a memorable experience, but in [all] honesty it was quite overwhelming considering the amount of time given to plan it entirely. Overall, the experience was delightful and I was very pleased with the final results. I commend anyone who had anything to do with it,” said Amaya Napoles, an incoming freshman from Kinloch Park Middle School.

However, while the majority of their day was spent preparing for Friday, they were also able to interact with upperclassmen in smaller groups to gain an outlook on what Gables life is really like . Each day meant a new activity for students. The week’s events included an alumnus guest speaker, campus tours, scavenger hunts, club/activity day, and inflatable day.

“The upperclassmen were really helpful in explaining what you should and shouldn’t do. They helped me in every way they could and I’m really grateful for that,” said Jennifer Monnar, another incoming freshman from Kinloch Park Middle School.

By the end of the week the incoming students not only had a feel for Gables, but also made new friends to make their first day of high school as fulfilling as possible.

“It was nice to meet other freshmen in IB and all the upperclassmen. Everyone was really welcoming,” said Sarah Galt, an incoming freshman from Young Women’s Preparatory.

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About the Contributor

Patricia Passwaters, Editor in Chief

Patty Passwaters is a senior in the Communication, Arts, Film and Digital Media Academy at Coral Gables Senior High School. Ever since freshman year she has taken every opportunity to become involved. She is not only the Editor-in-Chief / News Editor of CavsConnect, but is also a member of Interact and NHS, an honorary member of Yearbook, President of Quill & Scroll, Managing Editor of Catharsis, Treasurer of the Creative Writing Club, and Student Council President. Patty is almost always described as a "what you see is what you get kind of girl". She is dedicated, hard working, passionate about what she does, genuine and a hopeless romantic. Even when she has a lot going on if you ever need a helping hand her's would be the first to reach out to you. One of her biggest weaknesses is wanting to make everyone happy. In her opinion, one of the worst feelings someone can feel is letting someone else down. In the rare occasion that she isn't juggling her academics and extra curricular activities at once, you will find her reading. Close friends know that the perfect gift to give her is a Barnes & Noble gift card because there is nothing more that she loves than books. It is her outlet, she loves getting lost in a world full of romance (which set her expectations far too high). Her senior year is definitely going to be bittersweet, although she doesn't want high school to come to an end, she can't wait to see what else is in store for her. She is grateful to everyone who has made her high school experience one that she will never forget.

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