Week 3: Lost clothes and a loaned sweatshirt

What a week! Being a camp counselor has proven to be exhausting! My bones are actually aching from all the activity going on at both sites. It is a great indication of the stamina that teachers have to have to make it through a successful day and have enough energy to go home to their families and change hats. There are a lot of exciting things happening that I have involved myself with, and the experiences that I am gaining are meaningful and fulfilling. Where to begin….

La Casa de Don Pedro

The week began with a finance lesson on Monday, followed by a field trip to Hurricane Harbor Water Park on Tuesday with just under 30 2^nd and 3^rd anxious graders. When I arrived, the lobby was in pure chaos. Trying to get the everyday kids checked in and seated and the kids going on the trip out of the building simultaneously was a challenge. After the kids were on the bus, I asked the teacher how many students would be on the trip, and she shared that she didn’t know, and hadn’t received a list of names. Interesting strategy, to say the least.  We made our way several miles down the NJ Turnpike, only to have to pull over under an overpass to fix the bus door (which had somehow become slightly detached) and eat breakfast. We arrived around 1030, and had no system in place for checking kids in or grouping them. So we set off in a disorganized fashion for the remainder of the day, and broke off into smaller groups after lunch. We had a few mishaps…Evans group had a bloody nose incident in the pool. The lead teachers group lost a child, who quickly remembered the discussion Joanne and I had with them in the beginning of the day about what to do if they got separated, and we were able to reunite easily. Finally, due to lack of preparation, the students were unable to leave their belongings anywhere, which led them to carrying their bags from attraction to attraction, which in turn, led to 2 students losing their bags …with ALL of their clothes in it. I was able to provide them with an outfit to go home in, and both were greeted with unhappy parents. If anything, the experience taught me a lot about how to effectively manage a field trip.

Another finance lesson on Wednesday, and the rest of the week was spent organizing the yearbook committee. The committee consists of 15 students, most of whom are extremely passionate about creating a yearbook for the camp. The idea of   being a part of something “so important” as I told them, is exciting for them, and they are stepping up to the plate in terms of sharing responsibility. We are attempting to expose them to a democratic decision making process, which they responded very well to and offered some really great ideas to each other. Now we just have to make sure we can put this all together in a week!

Abington

Activities at Abington are progressing as usual…sports games on the blacktop, board games at the tables, and music/dancing in the corner. Hot days, stifling cafeteria, and scattered showers characterized my days this week. The heat in the beginning of the week was unforgivable, and the rain that followed forced us and 100 kids into a gym the size of a half court. But we managed J

Arts and crafts continues to be a daily challenge. It seems to be something that the girls really look forward to, as they ask me every day what we are doing and when we will start. One day we didn’t have a plan, so I ran to the store to get string so we could make friendship bracelets. The girls loved it, and I quickly realized the need for differentiation. The stitch I tried to demonstrate for them proved to be slightly beyond what some of their little fingers could accomplish, and I had to adjust my instructions to more simple stitching for some. The final result was over 40 students working hard to create their masterpieces. Some stuck it out and finished, and others lost interest along the way. Another day, we had nothing planned, and I ran to the store again to grab some sketch pads and markers. When I was a kid, I loved doodling my name in block letters. I grew to elaborate my technique, and make the names 3d over time, with a graffiti like appeal. I decided to work with students on making their own, and it was a huge success. The boys (who typically chuckle at the sound of arts and crafts) came pouring in once they saw the final product, wanting to participate. I am hoping to laminate their names for them this week and give it to them as a parting gift when we leave this coming Friday.

I ran into a situation this week that has plagued me every day since. There is a little girl at Abington…no one knows her real name (what she calls herself differs significantly from her registration sheet), and no one is sure of her true age (she says she is 7 but looks like shes 5). She comes in every day with her hair a mess and wets herself frequently (and still her parents NEVER send her with an extra pair of clothes). She is quiet and shy, and looks away when you ask her questions about herself or her family. Friday, when the storm was rolling in, she was dropped off in a short skirt and a tank top. While the other kids played in pants and sweatshirts (it dropped to 60 degrees at one point!!), she stood in a corner and cuddled herself…visibly freezing. This broke my heart…physically brought pain to my chest. This poor baby…she shouldn’t be dealing with trying to stay warm, or lying about who she is. My heart goes out to her. Chamara loaned her a sweatshirt that day, but what about the next? Who is responsible for this girl? The teacher seemed like this was a norm, and gave off the vibe that she feels like we cant save every child. But if not us, then who? How can we, as human beings, walk past a freezing little girl and not vow to make her life better…or at least give her a sweatshirt?? How do we navigate this in our classrooms? Do we become moms to all that need one? My heart tells me yes, my head (and wallet) tells me no. How do we take care of these kids that need something from us, and keep our own lives together as well?