 | | Best Friends: Laurence & Monica |
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At Canadian Adventure
Camp we encourage our campers to form lifelong friendships and bonds
with their fellow campers, staff and cabin mates. Many of
the staff (including the directors!) have met their best friends at
camp. The social skills that children develop during summers at CAC help
them interact effectively at home and in school. In this newsletter we
reflect on the friendships children are able to form through the
training and compassion of our devoted staff.
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Pre-summer training
includes obtaining Life Saving qualifications, certification in
appropriate fields and activities, Spring training in the city and 8 to
10 days of intense training on site at camp prior to the arrival of our
campers. Making each camper feel a part of the CAC family
is a subject that is always paramount in their minds. Training consists
of visual, hands on, and interactive presentations including oral
presentations and team projects geared towards dealing with childhood
issues and concerns. Topics covered include classic problem solving,
body language to aid communication, conflict resolution, patience, good
sportsmanship, treating homesickness, equality and diversity.
Counsellors will receive continuous feedback and evaluation throughout
camp so that they will always maintain consistent and excellent
service.
Check out the blog at:
canadianadventurecamp.wordpress.com
and hear more from our amazing counsellors.
Join our twitter
community, simply search our user name: canadianadvcamp, and get news as
it is happening. Join our twitter community and share your thoughts and
feelings and communicate with your friends from all over the world!
And don't forget to become our Fan on Facebook to get new videos and pictures!
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We
are committed to making each camper comfortable in their camp
environment and eventually have them feel as though they have their very
own "Summer Family" that they can return to each year. We have
carefully created schedules and timetables that give each day structure,
meaning and help create a sense of discipline and order for the camper,
creating a very comfortable and familiar routine for all children.
Daily group, bunk or cabin meetings help keep lines of communication
between campers, staff and directors open, letting us know how our
campers are feeling. Casual conversation with campers
before and after each activity helps children transition from one
situation to another and keeps counsellors in-tune with the needs of
each camper. Camp wide events like Panasmugglican Games bring children
together from all ages, skill sets and cabins and promote camp-wide
spirit and unity.
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A message from our Camp Director Justin Gerson
As camp directors and parents we can all list life skills our campers and children gain from the summer camp experience. From
understanding nature better to improved confidence, patience, tolerance
and self-esteem, year after year campers learn and grow during the
summer months at camp. It is important that we remember
many of these life changing skills will develop as a result of
socializing and making friends and not just any friends but camp
friends! There is something about camp friends that can not be paralleled. I am reminded of this very fact just recently as it was camp friends that shared a very special day with me, my wedding day! Camp friends are for life! Having
been through amazing experiences together, the friends you make at camp
will share the same life aspirations and will always have a connection.
Even before the social network phenomenon, friends made at camp always
made an effort to keep in touch, share pictures and life's successes. Social
Networking has made this even easier and I'll bet that the majority of
campers and camp alumni Facebook account's are made up of friends from
camp.
Friends
made at camp also become an amazing professional network long after
camp, again having shared so many wonderful and memorable experiences
together camp friends tend to support one another with out hesitation. So here's to the best friends in the world, here's to Camp Friends!
| Justin on his wedding day!
From Left to Right: Jason Burgoon (Water Ski Coach)
Alex Dorevich (Camper & Water Ski Coach)
Justin Gerson (Camper & Camp Director)
Rosty Serebryany (Camper & Gymnastics Coach & Best Man) |
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Cabins
We encourage our
campers to tell their friends about their camp experiences when they
return home, in the hopes of bringing a friend into the Canadian
Adventure Camp family. Cabin groups are often formed at an
early age, and sometimes stay intact throughout the child's life at
Canadian Adventure Camp. Bonding with summer friends forms a "summer family" for the campers. Our counsellors help all campers find their place in the cabin and soon every camper is a member of the family.
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Canadian Adventure Camp: Game of the month
Here are instructions
for a game that we play with the campers to break the ice and get
children relaxed and comfortable with one another. Try the game at home
during your children's play dates, birthday parties or in the classroom
and you will be amazed at how easily relationships can form.
Zip, Zap, Zoom
1. A circle is formed with one person in the middle.
2. The Middle person points to a person, and says "zip", that person then says the name of person to their left.
3. If the middle person points to someone and says, "zap", that person must say the name of person to their right.
4. If
the middle person says, "bumpity, bump, bump, bump, bump" after
pointing and choosing to say zip or zap, but before the person outside
can say the correct name, the two players switch places.
5. If middle person says "zoom" everyone changes position in circle.
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