Staff training yesterday and registration today have gone very smoothly--more smoothly than anyone who has been involved with Reading Camp here has ever seen. We have lots of veteran staff who are always excited to be back here again and also some new faces with lots of ideas and energy.
We checked in our first camper at 1:15pm and the last campers arrived at 3:30pm. We have a total of 31 campers who completed the registration and recruitment process through principals and teachers at their schools. Recruiters in the communities of Pineville, Middlesboro, and Harlan begin their process in early March as principals and teachers identify campers who are more than a grade level behind in reading, but not receiving any special education services.
The only complication in the check-in process was the immediate downpour that seemed to occur whenever a camper and their family pulled in the driveway.
After registration the campers walked through the learning centers as a sample of what was to come for the rest of the week. The entire staff and campers had a scrumptious dinner: fried chicken, mashed potatoes, carrots, rolls, and chocolate ckae. The campers began their journals for the week and the teachers and other staff members have already been writing responses for the campers to read and respond to tomorrow.
The counselors entertained us with skits to explain the rules of Pine Mountain, we sang silly songs and danced and the campers went off to their rooms to bond with their counselors and other campers in the room before a bedtime snack and a reading of the World According to Humphrey by Betty Birney.
One camper today was walking to his cabin in the downpour and noted to the support staff member walking with him that he was already enjoying himself. "I love everything so far!"
-Allison Asay is a camp director and member of Christ Church, Lexington and serves on the Reading Camp Steering Commitee
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