Camp Arowhon
Parenting
Letter from a camper mom
Hi Joanne, Somehow I missed opening up one of our recent envelopes from Camp A until last evening…. out tumbled a swimming badge, some awards and an extraordinary letter from Adam Ruzzo. We know that Elliot (Schrider) is very musical and, although he only started playing guitar at the end of January, his progress has […]
ContinueWhy we don’t let campers sneak out at night
I’ve had a few parents calling me in the past week about campers sneaking out of their cabins at night at other camps. Apparently it’s the cool thing to do at some camps. Which makes me sad. I know what kids do when they sneak out to visit the opposite sex in the middle of […]
ContinueLetter from a new 2013 Arowhon parent
BTW, one other note for Joanne and all the staff. We rented a cottage in August and each night Adam (AGE 9!!!!) built the camp fire based on what he learned at Camp Arowhon. On top of that, he also went kayaking with me for about an hour a day in separate kayaks and we […]
ContinueExtra Curriculars: Whose Choice?
There was a period, during each of my children’s early adolescence, when I fantasized that they would go to Harvard. This bit of maternal foolishness was a way of expressing two things: Wow! My kids are so smart! I’m so proud of having smart kids. Yes, it does reflect on me (despite my protestations to […]
ContinueA camp director’s thoughts on sexting
Sexting is bad. Our kids know – because we’ve told them – that any image they transmit over the internet will take on an uncontrollable life of its own, may go viral, and could do them irreparable and lasting harm. This is old news – so old that we need to figure out another way […]
ContinueThe Main Lodge is down
and the good news is…. that camp really DOES change children’s lives for the better. A new study from the University of Waterloo found as follows: WATERLOO, ON – The positive development that children and youth experience at summer camp results in sustained behavioural changes at home, school and in the community, says a new […]
ContinueCBC Radio interviews Arowhon director Joanne Kates
CBC Radio did a show yesterday on the impacts of summer camp, and they interviewed me about how our campers are changed by camp. We talked about how people turn into their best selves at camp – hear the interview at www.cbc.ca/freshair But what we didn’t talk about was the sheer fun of it all. The ear-splitting yelling and cheering, […]
ContinueCamp is silent…. almost
They say the two happiest days of a camp director’s year are the day camp starts and the day it ends. My deepest happiness yesterday – as every year on that day – is from the simple fact of sending everyone home in one piece. That they grew and learned and had a ton of […]
ContinueWhat is the true meaning of summer camp?
Just before 7 this morning I was on a swim dock to test a small group of style swimmers for their Arowhon A. How important is the Arowhon A at camp? Here’s one way to know: I have my Arowhon A framed on my office wall – in Toronto. My daughter has hers on her […]
ContinueNova Scotia charges two teens with cyber bullying
It’s a step forward that yesterday the Nova Scotia police charged two teenage boys with cyber bullying in the tragic case of Rehteah Parsons, who died from a suicide attempt after she was horribly bullied on-line. These arrests are a start – but only a start. The media are all over the Rehteah parsons tragedy, but […]
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