News

Safari Dance & Appreciation Campfire

June 22, 2019

Last night our staff and June Specialty campers partied down in Granite Grove for our Safari Dance! DJ Tank spun the records and our GAC family had the chance to show off their dance skills for the first time this summer! Campers and staff enjoyed Footloose, Tragedy, and Move Your Body, among other favorite songs. There was a photobooth and a collection of fun games for those folks who needed a break from the dancing. Following our dance, we closed the session with our traditional Appreciation Campfire, featuring performances from the Specialty campers and our staff members. It was a great way to end the session that started the summer! [gallery size="large" ids="4660,4661,4663,4664,4665,4666"]

Meet Our 2019 Head Counselors

June 21, 2019

As we quickly approach our first session at main camp, let's get to know our 2019 Head Counselors. Meet Nemo, Frames, Peanut Butter and Mec. Our Head Counselors have an important role at camp. They train, support, and encourage the Group Counselors throughout the summer. Head Counselors get to know the campers in each of their groups and provide extra leadership and support. Together, our 2019 Head Counselors have 24 years of experience at GAC. They are looking forward to using their experience to help campers have fun, make friends, and grow this summer. On the first evening of the session, Head Counselors visit each of their cabin groups, introducing themselves and making sure campers know that they are another person that campers can turn to (outside of the counselors in their own group) if they need anything. The Head Counselors regularly join cabin groups for meals, activities, and campfires. They also administer a mid-session evaluation where campers can let them know about any issues or concerns they have. Head Counselors are trained to follow up with campers discretely. We talk about the mid-session evaluations in our First-Year Families Orientation Video. What's their favorite thing about working at Gold Arrow Camp? Nemo: "Beautiful sunsets, meeting new friends, and living the dream." Frames: "Being able to truly be myself!" Peanut Butter: "Connecting with the staff and being in nature." Mec: "Hanging on Shaver Island, ... Read more

Update From Shaver Island

June 19, 2019

June Specialty campers have been enjoying their week on our Shaver Island outpost. The week has been full of fun under the sun, with campers taking advantage of amazing weather to knee-board, waterski, wakeboard, and wakeskate! Evenings have been fun of laughs around the campfire (and s'mores!) as well as sleeping on the beach under the stars. Enjoy these photo highlights from the week so far! [gallery columns="4" size="large" ids="4572,4590,4592,4593,4594"]

Psychologist Signe Whitson Trains Our Staff

June 17, 2019

Author and internationally recognized speaker Signe Whitson (Parenting the Challenging Child) spent the day yesterday training GAC staff on helping campers through anxious situations, identifying and preventing bullying, and understanding how to respond when campers are having strong emotions. Signe, who took on her own camp name of "Ginger", is a certified school social worker with 20 years of experience working with children, teens, and families.  She presents customized training workshops for professionals, parents, and students on topics related to understanding and ending bullying, managing anger in children, and intervening effectively in crisis situations in schools and treatment organizations. She is an expert on child psychology, bullying (and bullying prevention) and managing anger and anxiety in children. She is also the author of 7 books. [caption id="attachment_4541" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Sunshine & Signe Whitson, holding each other's books.[/caption] Signe trained GAC staff to help them understand the challenges that young people face, and they can best respond to children who are in distress of any kind. If you'd like to read more about Signe or look at her books, more information is available on her website. You can also listen to Signe's interview with Sunshine on the Sunshine Parenting podcast: Ep. 66: Is it Rude, Is it Mean, or is it Bullying? Signe's Psychology Today article:  Is it Rude, Is it Mean, ... Read more

Tags: bullying prevention, counselor training, prevent bullying, signe whitson, summer camp

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