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Teaching Teamwork

Teaching Teamwork

“No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it.” -H.E. Luccock

In this competitive, self-focused era, learning to be part of a team is a valuable skill that is not often taught to children (or adults!). Kids participate on many sports teams, but often that experience does not end up being a lesson in teamwork. Instead, sports teams often become a competitive experience of trying to get the position or play time they want as an individual. One reason for our focus on non-competitive activities at GAC is so that kids can learn new skills without feeling the pressure to win or be the best. We also want kids to learn to be part of a team (their cabin group) and be better team members. The experience of living with a group of diverse people in a cabin group is the first lesson in teamwork that campers learn. Campers learn to work together to keep their living area organized, do daily clean up, and get to where they need to be (meals, activities, etc.). They also learn to support and encourage each other and help each cabin member do their best at each activity. During the first few days of camp, each of our cabin groups goes through a “Team Building” program led by our trained ropes course staff. During a variety of games and activities, the campers learn to work together ... Read more

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Random Acts of Kindness

Random Acts of Kindness

The work to create a kinder world never ends. There is no limit on the amount of goodness we can put into the world, but we need your help! We invite you to join the annual Random Acts of Kindness Day (RAK DAY) celebration on Friday, February 17, 2023 and help #MakeKindnesstheNorm. Random Acts of Kindness Day is Friday, February 17, 2023! Random Acts of Kindness Week is February 12-18, 2023! Click here for more ways to get inspired and for more information about the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation!

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February Parent Coffee

February Parent Coffee

"Make Friends: Coach Kids to Better Friendships"

Social and emotional skills, just like academic and athletic ones, are not fixed or personality dependent. The skills necessary to make and keep friends need to be discussed, modeled, and practiced at camp and at home. Come learn about:
  • The specific social skills research that shows what skills are are most important for healthy friendships & relationships.
  • Simple coaching strategies to help kids improve their social skills.
  • Camp practices we use to help kids make and keep friends.
Come learn from Audrey “Sunshine” Monke how to be your child’s “Friendship Skills Coach” at February's Parent Coffee on Wednesday, February 15 at 10am PT. 

Register HERE for the February 15 Parent Coffee. Registrants will be sent a recording after the meeting. We hope to see you there!

 

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National Day of Unplugging

National Day of Unplugging

We invite all of our friends and family to join Gold Arrow Camp in participating in the National Day of Unplugging from sundown on March 3 to sundown on March 4. This time of being unplugged is a movement to encourage people to get a "24-hour respite from technology." If you have experienced a summer at GAC then you know the importance of unplugging and connecting face-to-face, which is why we don't allow cell phones at camp. The National Day of Unplugging encourages people to use 24 hours free from technology to connect with "ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities." Wow. That sounds an awful lot like camp! We love the idea of unplugging (just for a little bit) at home so that we can reforge the kind of connections there that we forge at camp, where we're totally free from the burden of technology. You can join us in celebrating by pledging to #unplug on social media, sharing this news story, or even planning an unplugged event with your family! You could have an old-fashioned dinner party, spend that Saturday working on puzzles or playing board games. If you need more ideas, check out the NDU 2023 Ideas List and sign up to become a FREE member! If you have plans to unplug, please tag us in those on your social media. We'd love to share your plans (and what you did, after the fact, of course) on our social media!

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