News

Summer 2024 Registration Now Open for Returning GAC Families!

August 1, 2023

[embed]https://youtu.be/k7JT5cFazBc[/embed] Hello GAC Families! Registration for Summer 2024 is now open for returning GAC campers (and siblings) and families who were wait-listed for 2023. We cannot guarantee or hold space for your camper and registrations will be processed on a first-come first-served basis. We recommend enrolling as close to August 1 as possible and before September 16 when we open enrollment for new camp families. Some age groups in our two and three-week sessions are wait list only so be sure to check out the 2024 Dates & Rates, 2024 Availability, and contact us if you have any questions. Please enroll your camper through your My GAC Login or the Campanion app.  

Apologizing Well

July 18, 2023

Because all of us make mistakes in our relationships, an important friendship skill is learning how to apologize sincerely and effectively. Apologizing well when we hurt a friend with our words or actions is a skill we're working on growing this summer at GAC. In just about every conflict, the disagreement or issue is never ALL one person’s fault. Usually both people did or said something that hurt the other person. With campers, we brainstorm examples of conflicts they get into with friends - often minor things like disputes over card games or using an item that belongs to someone else without asking. Sometimes, we unintentionally hurt a friend. Apologizing well includes owning up to mistakes and apologizing for words or actions that hurt another person. A sincere and thoughtful apology is the most effective way to resolve conflicts with friends & family members. Conflicts are a normal part of all relationships, so we are normalizing for campers that all of us - at times - need to apologize to our friends.  These are the simple steps to making a meaningful apology when we’ve done or said something we regret or that has hurt our friend.

6 Steps to a Good Apology

1. Use the words, "I'm sorry."

2. Acknowledge exactly how you messed up.

   "I used unkind words that hurt your feelings."

3. Tell how you were feeling and why you think you did the thing.

   "I was feeling jealous of how well you did at wake boarding, so I made an ... Read more
   Tags: conflict resolution, friendship skill, gold arrow camp, how to apologize well, I'm sorry, teaching kids to apologize well
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It’s Goal Setting Tuesday!

July 4, 2023

Today at morning assembly, we talked about the importance of getting outside our comfort zone and getting into our "growth zone" as we try new things at camp. Camper Jojo shared about how she's gotten out of her comfort zone and learned many new skills over her eight summers at GAC. We also talked about setting SMART goals for this camp session.

Comfort Zone & Growth Zone

We talked about how each of us has our "comfort zone" of activities we're accustomed to and we feel totally relaxed doing. When we're trying new things and in our "growth zone," our hearts may be racing a little bit and our breathing can get more audible. We naturally feel a bit of stress and discomfort, because we are experiencing something new. Sharing our nervousness with others, and understanding that most of us feel the same way when we're trying something new, can help us push through the discomfort and discover new things we really enjoy at camp. An example we talked about was going on the high ropes course. Many of us feel nervous about being up so high, but for campers like Jojo, who've been at camp for many years and gone across the ropes course numerous times, it can start feeling comfortable up there. To get in our growth zone at an activity we have a lot of experience with, we need to try a new skill - like going across the course ... Read more

Today’s Friendship Skill: Introduce Yourself!

July 3, 2023

Monday evening at Camper Orientation, we reviewed the important friendship skill (especially when you're at a new place!) of introducing yourself to others. Campers practiced introducing themselves to a camper in another cabin group (since they already met everyone in their own cabin group yesterday). We're already making friends here at GAC!

Resources/Related

7 Simple Steps to Teach Kids to Introduce Themselves