Greetings from Hilltop. All the Junior Session campers have arrived safely, and this wonderful week is off to a great start. About an hour ago, our chartered boat pulled into Four Winds Bay, greeted by cheers from the counselors and campers who had been dropped off by their parents on Greenie Hill. As I write this, the campers are exploring the areas around their cabins, getting to know their counselors and cabinmates, and (I’ll bet) skipping some rocks into the Sound. Soon, we’ll gather for flags and dinner, learn a few songs, and then move in and nest for the evening.
Tomorrow, we’ll spend the morning visiting the nurse, having cabin photos taken, taking the swim test, and learning some more songs. Then, after lunch, we’ll start going to the activity areas. After all, we’ve only got a week together, so we need to get going.
This week, these campers will learn to navigate a new environment away from their usual support system. Luckily, that environment is caring and a ton of fun, but it’s a huge growth opportunity nonetheless. When these campers complete this week, they will know that they are capable of just a little more than they thought they were when they started.
I’m sure you’re interested about how you can hear about how your camper is doing. Although Junior Session is only a week, mail is still the best way to keep in touch. You can have direct communication with your camper, with the tactile nature and remove that only the Post Office can provide. The magic of getting a letter at Camp (or from Camp) is a great part of this experience, and we do everything we can to nurture it. In fact, we’ll have each camper write a postcard tonight at dinner, and those will be going out in tomorrow’s mail. I will post updates daily on our Twitter feed. You don’t need to join Twitter to get the updates, you can just go to the website, or text the phrase “follow fourwindscamp” to the number 40404, and you’ll get the updates by text message. I’ll post here on Saturday, as well as after the campers leave on Tuesday. Lastly, you can give us a call in the office. We’re happy to check in on your camper and give you a call back.
Thank you for sharing your children with us this week. They’re going to get a fantastic first taste of all that Four Winds has to offer, and I look forward to going along for the ride with them.