Family Work Weekend (April 26-28), Forms & Other Spring News!
Everyone around here is counting down the days until summer. From the hens out in the barn (who provide us with seven eggs a day!) longing for their return to pastoral life at Windsor Mountain to Ellie and Tyler who regularly ask about many campers and staff members who they miss – we all are camp-sick. “Soon enough, grasshopper,” said the person talking to the grasshopper.
Here is an update on some Windsor Mountain-y things that we thought people might want (or need) to know.
"This dock is so light - it makes me smile"
Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It’s Off to Work We Go – Family Work Weekend – April 26-28, 2013!
We hope families, friends and staff can join us for a weekend of good people, good cheer, good food and some hard-working fun! We’ll be hauling downed branches and brush to we hope clear a spot for the outdoor amphitheater, raking (and probably jumping in) leaves, prepping the waterfront and garden, and for those of you who prefer the indoors, we’ll have plenty of opportunities for organizing and cleaning in the office and HMO. Bring your chainsaw, your rake, your gloves, or just your helpful hands and desire to dig into spring. We hope we’ll have gorgeous weather but just in case, bring a change of work clothes and rain gear.
We gather on Friday evening for a great dinner together and spend time catching up and/or getting to know each other. On Saturday, a delicious breakfast will be served at 8:00 a.m., and we’ll begin our work at 9:00 a.m. After a mid-day lunch-break, we will finish up between 4:00 and 5:00. Saturday evening we’ll gather together to cook, eat, sing songs, tell stories, play games, chat, and enjoy our time together. We’ll provide breakfast Sunday morning and will spend a little time finishing up before heading our separate ways.
If you are able to join us for a fun-filled weekend of “building stuff and hauling stuff,” please RSVP to [email protected] so that we can plan for your arrival. When responding, please let us know when you plan to arrive, who will be joining you and whether anyone has any dietary restrictions. And please remember to bring your sleeping gear (pillows, sleeping bags, bottom sheets) and work clothes! It really is a great weekend, and if you’re lucky, you might even feel sore the next day!
High Ropes Course Additions
The votes are in, and the top vote-getter is the Giant Swing. Okay. We’ll do it!
Forms and Payment due April 1
It is everyone’s favorite part of camp – the PAPERWORK! Remaining balances are due April 1, and forms are due April 15, so please sign into your Camp InTouch account by clicking the “Family Sign-In” button in the upper right corner of our homepage, www.windsormountain.org. From there, you can see what forms are outstanding and complete them online (except the physician clearance and first-time camper teacher reference form, which can be faxed directly into your camper’s account). If you have any questions or trouble using our online system, please e-mail [email protected].
Space
Not the one beyond Earth. The kind that exists at camp. We don’t have much of it left for several age groups in both sessions. So if you still haven’t submitted your enrollment for this summer, now is the time. We want to make sure every returning camper has a spot so…
"We're getting the band back together!"
Family Camp – August 21 – 25, 2013
Whether a seasoned Windsor Mountain camper or someone thinking about camp for the first time, family camp is incredibly fun! Stay in a bunk with your family and enjoy everything that camp has to offer – from the waterfront, ropes course, farm and garden, sports field and art fortress to off-camp adventures to Hidden Lake, Trout Pond, and Pitcher Mountain, there is something for everyone. Of course, we’ll have a full staff available to lead activities so you can join activities as a family or split up and try different things. No doubt we have staff members that are already excited for a friendly re-matches of Gatorball and Canoe Wars. To get more information about Family Camp, please click here. We expect many returning families, so please don’t wait to enroll if you are interested in joining us.
Windsor Mountain Student Travel
If you are curious about our travel programs, check out our travel programs for grades 6-12 on our travel website. We still have limited spots available in some amazing trips both domestically and abroad. We also have great week long adventure trips in New England you can add onto the end of your time at camp. Call us if you are interested about our New England 8s trips.
Here are a few programs that we want to highlight:
Peru: (6/23-7/13 or 7/18) Grades 9-12
Perfect your Spanish on the street and in the classroom, discover the wonder of Ollantaytambo, the “Living Incan City”, volunteer in the greenhouses during a rural service project with Almeria Solidaria, hike up Machu Picchu, and paddle a sea kayak on Lake Titicaca. If you’re looking to improve your Spanish, encounter a new culture, and visit the Seventh Wonder of the World—this trip is for you!
Ecuador: (6/29-7/16 or 7/21) Grades 9-12
Zipline through the rainforest canopy, hike winding jungle trails, shoot the rapids on a day long whitewater rafting excursion, teach a Friendship Camp for elementary school kids with Ecuadoran teenagers, live for five days with an Ecuadoran family–this trip has it all.
Caribbean: (6/30-7/26) Grades 9-12
In this fabulous island setting, surrounded by surf, sun and fun, Caribbean students will learn to make a difference. The group will engage in hands-on service learning projects that grown organically from activities that promote genuine cross-cultural exchange. Students take Windsor Mountain to the islands when they create and run friendship camps for the local island children.
Puerto Rico (6/29-7/13 or 7/18) Grades 8-10
This trip is the perfect combination of cultural exploration, outdoor adventure, rainforest preservation work, language exposure, and fun in the sun. This is an ideal first-step travel program for students who are ready to leave sleepaway camp, but not yet ready to venture too far afield. Looking for a longer program and passionate about surfing? Ask about our optional five-day surf extension featuring some of Puerto Rico’s best waves.
Wild Oregon (6/29-7/20) Grades 8-10
This 22-day program has is it all. With 8 different adventure sports included we travel to the pristine Pacific coast, the Oregon Sand Dunes, Crater Lake, Mt. Hood, Smith Rock State Park, Deschutes River and the Columbia River Gorge. A sense of adventure and a spirit of determination are a must!
Global Routes
Global Routes offers students an unparalleled opportunity to immerse themselves into a small rural community, develop long-lasting cross-cultural relationships, and make positive contributions that will last a lifetime. High school, gap year, and college programs provide students with the chance to travel and share an experience with a group of peers while also engaging with a local host community through homestays and volunteer work. Check out Global Routes programs at www.globalroutes.org. Here are a few to highlight:
Costa Rica (7/1/-7/29)
Live and work with members of your host community as you gain a new appreciation for rural life and learn about the critical link between development and environmental protection; improve your Spanish; explore the Chirripo National Park, whitewater raft the Rio Pacuare; surf the warm waters of the Pacific ocean.
Nepal (6/29-8/3)
Nepal offers the adventurous traveler an unparalleled opportunity for exploration. Nestled in high-altitude valleys and in close harmony with the land, small communities still practice a peaceful agricultural and pastoral lifestyle – a perfect place for your village stay and community service project. The rich cultural and spiritual fabric of Nepal, and the warm hospitality of the Nepalese people interweave to create an awe-inspiring appreciation for life’s simplicity.
Tanzania (6/30-8/3)
Exploring Tanzania’s famed “Northern Circuit” is like no other journey on Earth. This dramatic landscape is refuge to some of Africa’s largest and most exquisite wildlife populations. Among the soft prairie grass and acacia trees, expansive herds of wildebeest, elephant and zebra roam free. Rare black rhino, lions, leopards and gazelles all share this land with Masai herders. Blending in with this abundant wildlife are over 100 tribal groups and others of Indian, English and German ancestry. Even beyond its spectacular beauty, it is Tanzania’s warm, welcoming and loving people that make it an ideal setting in which to discover the simple joys of African life. Join Global Routes in Tanzania this summer, as we immerse ourselves in the generous spirit of Africa.
We hope you all have a great rest of the school year and are excited to recharge your batteries in the magic waters of Windsor Mountain!
Waiting patiently for you all to come back home…