Please take this flyer and share on public buletine boards at grocerie stores, Social Media or even handed it to your school Principal. JUST DRAG TO YOUR DESKTOP
Dear Fellow Parents,
There is no doubt that this is a challenging time to be a parent. How do we make the best decisions about what is best for our kids, in an unprecedented time in history? If there were ever a time that we are called to pay attention to our kids’ needs, and to find a balance between our logical brain, parent’s heart, and gut instinct, that time is upon us right now. And new situations call for new solutions.
I am the parent of a bright, creative, artistic, insightful, funny, and social 13-year-old daughter. She is an only child in a two-household family. Her dad and I have each been working from home since March.
Although I am sharing this from my perspective and experience as a parent, I also come from a background in education and psychology. I have taught and counseled middle school, high school, and college students, taught Child & Adolescent Counseling at the graduate level, and as of this year have been in private practice as a psychotherapist for twenty years. Naturally, that colors my view.
Last Spring when school went online, I watched my daughter try to connect to middle school life through the only avenue available, the computer. We expanded her screen-time so that she could at least see her friends virtually. As the weeks went on, so did the monotony, and the absence of normal interactions with friends, classmates, and teachers became – especially for an only child – a heavy burden. It was painful to see a once lively kid now sitting at the dining room table with her head in her hands, trying to make the best of a bad situation, and feel, as a parent, that I had no options to offer.
We hoped that by summer, the virus would be tamed and she could go to the summer day camp she’d attended for the past few years. That was not to be.
We live in a community that has made the national news for anti-mask protests. Under the circumstances, I do not feel comfortable sending her to an environment where the population reshuffles daily. The prospects for her summer looked quite bleak.
Then a parent friend mentioned something about the safety bubble that some sleep-away camps had been able to create. I quickly began researching. Long story short, my daughter ended up spending three weeks at Swift Nature Camp in Northern Wisconsin, and happily did two weeks of full quarantine and daily temperature taking to be able to go.
To say this was a drastic departure for all of us is an enormous understatement! She had never been to overnight camp, and in fact, was never big on going to sleepovers at all. Yet, I put her on a bus, alone, to a place I’d never seen, to be supervised by people I’d never met, for three weeks! It was a chance for her to have the freedom to be a kid.
New situations call for new solutions.
Research shows that the social aspect of these childhood years is critical in the formation of self-esteem and self-mastery. For a kid, it’s the feeling that I can learn and grow, I know what I can do, and I can be trusted to do it. How kids come to see themselves is connected to how they are seen and acknowledged by others. They learn who they are and who they want to be during these years. This is the time of life when they begin to move away from us in increments that help them grow. What will become of this generation of kids who cannot even leave the house? This worries me, for my child, and for all children.
I was not ready to send her back to the school building this fall for the same reason I couldn’t send her to the day camp. But the thought of her—again—spending months glued to a screen and calling that “school” is terrible too.
So, when Swift Nature Camp offered a Fall Camp option, it felt like a brilliant relief!
Here is a chance to do online school, yet be outdoors having fun with other kids, and rather than suffering with monotony and loneliness, to have an extraordinary experience!
Yes it is expensive. But, here is how I see it. There are times when it cost more money to take care of our kids. Our family used to spend about $1,000 per month on day care and diapers. And that was over ten years ago!
The Fall Camp offers a once-in-a-lifetime experience, to have a “normal” kid experience, life free from many stressors, and an exceptional adventure, rather than being limited and constricted. This is a chance to be free and adventurous and learn new things, a chance to be outdoors soaking up all the wonderful aspects of nature, instead of being stuck inside alone. In my logical mind, parent’s heart, and trusty gut, a “once in a lifetime experience” is worth maxing out the credit card for.
And I know that the 8-week time period seems like a long time. I’ve heard parents say that they can’t imagine having their child gone so long. I understand this, and I will definitely miss my daughter a LOT – but, if I can provide her an opportunity to have an exceptional experience, that feels to me like part of my responsibility as a parent.
In other words, I do feel it is my job to “suck it up,” so to speak, and let her go have the freedom to run and yell and hike and kayak and canoe and play Capture the Flag and fall into bed exhausted from fresh air. I can’t give her that right now. But Swift Nature Camp CAN.
My parents grew up during the Great Depression, and it was a point of reference for them for their entire lives, and for me too, as it affected how they saw the world. Covid-19 will always be a point of reference for our kids in the same way. What will that mean for them? For us, as parents, I believe it means that new situations call for new solutions, and it is our job to use absolutely everything we have to help them through this time.
Sincerely,
Dianne
Dianne Frances, MFA, MS, LPC, NCC
Board Certified Psychotherapist
Welcome to Fall Educational Camp High School Students
We are currently looking for High School Students who are willing to lead during our Educational Camp. You will not only be in-charge of staying current with your own schooling and keeping your grades up but helping the children in your cabin. Qualities required include maturity, self motivation, child friendliness and being prepared to lead students in a professional manner. Fall Camp Jr Counselors will require less drama, more responsibility, leadership and motivation than a summer LIT because they will be working directly with one counselor. If you believe you can do the above, Please complete the below questions and email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Jr. Counselors Cost is $600 per week with Jr. Counselors making $500 for their time at camp. Tuition is payable over 4months beginning Sept 1st at $1200 per month.
QUESTIONS FOR JR. COUNSELORS
Junior Counselor Application: SNC Fall Camp 2020
- 1) Why do you want to be a Junior Counselor at Fall Camp?
- 2) Because you will still be a student, schoolwork will still be your primary responsibility. How much time do you think you will need for schoolwork daily? What kind of grades do you expect to receive this year? How confident are you in your ability to complete all your schoolwork on time and with minimal oversight?
- 3) Which subjects would you be most comfortable assisting campers with?
- 4) What 3 words do you think your former counselors would use to describe you? Please give examples?
- 5) A Junior Counselor should be a leader and role model for everyone at camp. What are the top leadership skill you already have? How are you going to show it?
- 6) Describe an instance at SNC in which you positively impacted a younger camper’s life.
- 7) Fall Camp will still be camp, but with some big differences (school-first environment, daily screen time, smaller cabin groups, etc.). How will you adjust to these changes and help campers do the same?
- 8) Which part of Fall Camp are you most excited for? What are you most apprehensive about?
- 9) What does the phrase “Child-appropriate” mean to you?
- 10) What will you do to stop the spread of gossip and negativity?
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Fall Educational Camp
Please read in total this page to better understand what Fall Camp is all about - More Info
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It is summer 2020 and most Moms don’t usually plan summer camps the week of June 1st. No most parents are actively searching for Open Summer Camps in January and February, Today, many parents are frantically searching for overnight summer camp. With Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois severly limiting summer camps for kids it is very difficult creating a dilemma about what to do.
Sure you can look on line and do more of the same with a virtual camp and this is just a way for camps to make lemonade out of lemons while helping parent provide some programing for thier child over the summer months. Having a program that is safe is important and online is one way to do that.
Other camps have gone the route of sending boxes each week to famillies and then the camper will open the box and have a virtual camp session so the child will get some instruction and then do the activities in the box.
Yet to Director Jeff Lorenz of Swift Nature Camp says "In 25 years as a camp Director I have never seen such a situation with parents starting so late to look for camp. COVID-19 has had a terrible effect on childhood and summer camp. So this summer camp in Wisconsin is OPEN"
At Swift Nature Camp in Wi, We are thinking out of the box. Everything we’ve known and done for the past 25 years is out the window, it is time to start over. Our goal is to offer the same activities. But we have to look at how we do that even safely with COVID.
Parents will need that reassurance to feel comfortable sending their kids to an in-person camp or activity. First, we we looked for safety protocols and gudlines from the state, county and the CDC even the American Camp Association has new guidlines. things we explored: What are the screening options? How are they checking temperatures? How are they identifying if kids are becoming sick at camp? Those things are more important to me than what the actual camp is about. We believe our families want clarity upfront about our camps COVID plans. we want to make sure parents feel comfortable putting their kids in an environment around other people and at the same time reavizing COVID could happen at summer camp, so that is another plan.
One thing we know about COVID is children fair much better than adults and they tend to spread it less, that is a bonus. Also we are changing our schedules to do even more outside because UV, Heat & Humidity seem to have a negative effect on the virus. Camp can definitely be able to practice social distancing and keep the kids active and outdoors. Masks will be a big part and washing our hands, not touching our face and sanitation areas around camp. Sleepaway summer camps have a very unique opportunity to create a virus free environment. We will be creating a SAFE BUBBLE where we know what comes in and what goes out. We have total control of our environment.
Yes, Swift Nature Camp is going to be different in the summer of 2020. However, having an open summer camp is so important for children personal growth and development. Overnight summer camps have always provided an important part of a Childs life but after the months of being at home, now more than ever children and parents need Open Summer Camps in the Midwest.
Summer Camp is Coming!
Are you ready for some excitment? Click to See More
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTaB8DdkeFc
Overnight Summer Camp is OPEN in 2020 with COVID-19 precautions in place.
‘Sleepaway camps have the potential to create a protective bubble,’
says former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb
Jay Jacobs, executive director of Timber Lake Camps, told CNBC’s John Fortt on “Squawk Alley” last week that he is hopeful his camps will run as planned this summer, claiming that there are ways to ensure a protected environment, especially in sleepaway, or residential, camps.
TLC Camps is comprised of seven camps located in Long Island, the Catskill region of New York and northeastern Pennsylvania. His camps serve about 3,000 children.
“You can test your staff before they come to camp. You can test your campers before they come to camp and only accept those with negative tests, so you’ve already locked out Covid-19, at least initially,” he said. “Remember, many resident camps are in rural communities where the prevalence of the virus is not as great as down in the cities or suburbs.”
Quarantine’s effect on kids’ mental health
Some mental health experts believe that the harmful effect of kids in indefinite quarantine outweigh the risk of coronavirus exposure at camp.
“The need for connection is as fundamental a need as our need for food, oxygen and shelter, says humanistic psychologist Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman, author of “Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization.” “Of course, we must make sure that all children are protected from exposure to the coronavirus, but this protection shouldn’t come at the expense of opportunities for shared play, connection and friendship. The right balance of our needs is necessary to become a fully functioning human being.”
But Denise Daniels, a pediatric oncology nurse and child development expert, says that while she has empathy for the kids hoping to attend summer camp, she has trepidation about them sleeping in bunk beds, sharing showers, making crafts and having meals together on those long wooden tables in the food pavilion.
“I understand what a critical time this is for the mental health and well-being of families after being on lockdown, adhering to social distancing and upholding the endless health rituals of washing hands, coughing and sneezing in elbows, wearing masks and staying six feet apart,” she says. “Lots of kids will be attending virtual summer camps this year, and unbelievably, there are tons of fun activities kids can do outside on Zoom or Skype.”
Camp Young Judaea’s Drobenare agrees. “For the first time, they are creating relationships through a screen and not through touch or eye contact, but I believe that we have to deal the cards that are in front of us right now,” she said.
“If you are asking me to choose between a disease that I’m not sure if it will cause death, or to help these kids somehow build relationships and find hope through a screen, then I think we have to do that and be as creative as we can until we can get through this. It’s not the optimal situation, but I think life outweighs anything else in this type of risk.”
As soon as shelter-in-place orders went into effect in the New York area, Drobenare says she closed Camp Young Judaea and in under two weeks pivoted to create Sprout@Home, a menu of activities including book clubs, yoga classes and online bunk meetups with a counselor.
“We may not be able to be together physically today, but we could be together emotionally and spiritually still,” said Drobenare, who added that a final decision will be made by the end of the month as to whether or not they will run the camps this summer.
Coronavirus-related cases in youth
Headlines swirling the last several weeks about coronavirus-related cases rising among youth is also top of mind for parents and camp directors.
To date at least 110 cases have been reported in New York, and three young people — ages 5, 7 and 18 — have died. Doctors believe the illness — which the CDC now calls multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, or MIS-C — has been reported in at least 19 states and Washington, D.C. It was previously referred to as pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome.
The condition appears to be a post-viral syndrome caused by a delayed immune system response to the coronavirus that can lead to blood vessel inflammation. The inflammatory disease is similar to Kawasaki disease, an illness most common in young children that causes high fever and swelling in blood vessels. Children may also develop a rash and experience abdominal pain and vomiting.
Most of the kids who have developed the condition are between 5 and 9 years old and have either tested positive for coronavirus or were found to have antibodies, suggesting that they’d previously been infected.
A hopeful decline in late summerng lockdown guidelines in late summer months. When the former FDA commissioner was asked by CNBC’s Tyler Mathisen at the virtual conference if he would let his children swim at a public swimming pool or swim club this summer, he did not commit to an answer but said, “Hopefully there’s going to be a seasonal effect here and we are going to see cases decline in July or August and we can all take a little breather in the summer.”
Nevertheless, he is still very concerned about the fall as the virus settles into a more “seasonal pattern.”
“If you want to be optimistic, last week we had an average of around 27,000 new cases a day and 1,700 deaths. That’s down from about 30,000 cases and 2,000 deaths. But it’s still too early to tell.”
To date the U.S. has nearly 1.46 million confirmed cases of Covid-19 and at least 87,603 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.Globally, the death toll has now surpassed 300,000.
Gottlieb, who is a CNBC contributor and sits on the boards of Pfizer and biotech company Illumina, was clear, though, that America still has a long way to go. “At some point, we will get to a level of exposure ... and transmission will start to slow down, but this is still the early innings in this epidemic,” he said.
Until there is a vaccine or the country reaches a level of so-called herd immunity, transmission could continue, said Gottlieb. Herd immunity is achieved when most of the world’s 7.6 billion people are vaccinated or develop the antibodies, giving the virus nowhere to go.
“We should just assume that most people are going to develop a level of immunity that’s going to last a period of time of around a year or perhaps less for some people,” said Gottlieb.
The ACA’s Rosenberg, who is a camp director himself, understands the importance of everyone — children, parents and camp directors — being aligned: “I know that the only way to engage and educate young people is if they feel emotionally and physically safe. If the parents don’t feel that way either, you’re in trouble.”
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