10:13 am
Well, the last two days have been incredibly busy...sorry I've been gone since Wednesday, I'll catch you up. The campers have all been picked up now and Reading Camp 2010 is just about cleaned from Pine Mountain Settlement School. Though we're exhausted the staff are all close to tears--we'll miss these kids!
Last night we just barely got a campfire started on a very damp fire pit but to everyone's delight we all had marshmallowy, chocolatey fingers by the end of the evening (you can't have camp without 'smores!)
By the end of the week all of the campers had investigated creek life and learned about what Pine mountain was like hundreds of years ago when the Native Americans and the first settlers lived here. They visited Pine Mountain's sandstone caves and learned about the forest's medicinal plants. Of course, they also did a lot of reading. The mornings were all spent with our wonderful teachers in the learning center in stations like Comprehension, Free Reading, Strategies, and Writing.
On Thursday the kids heard stories and folk music from Appalachia.
This morning, the last morning of camp, the campers woke early to get luggage ready and have breakfast. Several kids told me that they felt like I always do at the end of camp: half of me is ready to stay another week and half of me is very ready to sleep in my own bed again! The morning went surprisingly smoothly. By about 9:45 (after a few teary goodbyes) all of the campers were off the mountain and on their way home.
Before I end my last Pine Mountain 2010 blog, I'll give you one more edition of Radio WRCR Camper Report:
By Matt
(on visiting the creek)
The toad was a brown frog. The toad it was a female. The female does not sing. The frog was on the grass. We also saw a red-dotted salamander. We also tasted leaves. The leaves tasted like lemon. I spit the leaf out. The beavers chewed a hole in the dam. I also saw a crawdad, water pennies which are little bugs, minnows and salamanders of different colors. Gazillions of butterflies.
By Dylan
When we made the flowers [in Environmental Education] we had a metal wire for the stem, 7 or 8 corn husk petals, and string. We wrapped the string 3 to 5 times. I enjoyed doing it and it took a lot of concentration.
By Dalton
I like my friends, they play with me all the time. The teachers like teaching me because they want me to have good health. There were cave crickets in the cave yesterday!
By Troy:
Reading Camp is fun! My best friends are Devin and Matthew P. Chris, my counselor, is cool. He lets us do anything as long as we don't get hurt or mess up our rooms. The food's good--I like the pancakes.
By Emily
Being here has been fun. I made a new friend, Dakota. She is my BFF. I love Reading Camp so much I wish I could come back every year! We got to read and play.
By Cammie
I like camp because my counselor is nice. She braids my hair. And my roommates are nice. Cecilia [a teacher] is very, very nice to me. We talk about Indians and last night read Domitila... and that's all.
By Katie
I love Ms. Sarah's class! We do the most funnest things! We wrote poems, did puzzles and cards that helped us with our vocabulary. And at E.E. [Environmental Education] I hope there's gonna be snakes and frogs. I love being here at night now and I have lots of friends.
(on visiting the creek)
The toad was a brown frog. The toad it was a female. The female does not sing. The frog was on the grass. We also saw a red-dotted salamander. We also tasted leaves. The leaves tasted like lemon. I spit the leaf out. The beavers chewed a hole in the dam. I also saw a crawdad, water pennies which are little bugs, minnows and salamanders of different colors. Gazillions of butterflies.
By Dylan
When we made the flowers [in Environmental Education] we had a metal wire for the stem, 7 or 8 corn husk petals, and string. We wrapped the string 3 to 5 times. I enjoyed doing it and it took a lot of concentration.
By Dalton
I like my friends, they play with me all the time. The teachers like teaching me because they want me to have good health. There were cave crickets in the cave yesterday!
By Troy:
Reading Camp is fun! My best friends are Devin and Matthew P. Chris, my counselor, is cool. He lets us do anything as long as we don't get hurt or mess up our rooms. The food's good--I like the pancakes.
By Emily
Being here has been fun. I made a new friend, Dakota. She is my BFF. I love Reading Camp so much I wish I could come back every year! We got to read and play.
By Cammie
I like camp because my counselor is nice. She braids my hair. And my roommates are nice. Cecilia [a teacher] is very, very nice to me. We talk about Indians and last night read Domitila... and that's all.
By Katie
I love Ms. Sarah's class! We do the most funnest things! We wrote poems, did puzzles and cards that helped us with our vocabulary. And at E.E. [Environmental Education] I hope there's gonna be snakes and frogs. I love being here at night now and I have lots of friends.
There are many more wonderful camper reports, I wish I had time to share them all!
When they went home this morning the kids took with them a thousand great memories, new skills in reading and writing, a whole lot of TLC, and a big stack of books chosen from our Reading Camp library.
Pine Mountain 2010 has been wonderful for everyone involved. Among the campers, counselors, staff, and teachers there were at least four generations of people from nine states at camp this week, everyone of us bringing unique gifts and perspectives. We are ALL excited to come back. See you next year!
Clare
Reading Camp Support Staff
When they went home this morning the kids took with them a thousand great memories, new skills in reading and writing, a whole lot of TLC, and a big stack of books chosen from our Reading Camp library.
Pine Mountain 2010 has been wonderful for everyone involved. Among the campers, counselors, staff, and teachers there were at least four generations of people from nine states at camp this week, everyone of us bringing unique gifts and perspectives. We are ALL excited to come back. See you next year!
Clare
Reading Camp Support Staff
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