Throughout these uncertain times, you and your family have been on my mind, and I hope you are all safe and well. As many of you know I walk the grounds here at the camp several times a day with Spencer (our camp pup). Each day I remind myself of something to be thankful for and each day I acknowledge how grateful I am to be working and living among all of you.
I have held off communicating with you so that you can focus on your family during this unusual time. I am in awe of the energy and enthusiasm that teachers and service providers everywhere have shown as they work tirelessly to bring learning into your home. Our first responders, health care providers, food service workers and countless behind the scene essential warriors have been going above and beyond to get us through these trying days and the many more to come our way.
Summer is an amazing opportunity for all children, especially those with a disability to experience freedom and get away from the confines of school and home. Camp offers a unique learning environment meant to foster individual growth and enhance self awareness. It’s a place where they can feel free to be themselves and find others to develop friendships with.
Summer camp is a safe, caring and unique environment prime for active learning on multiple levels: personal, social, physical and emotional. Even kids who struggle to learn in other settings often succeed at camp, including kids with attention deficit disorders and other mental disabilities. With its powerful potential to impact children in a positive way, camp promotes a strong carryover into other areas of life including work, home and school.
For good old-fashioned fun and structured freedom, kids and parents alike look forward to a summer away from home. Kids with special needs (and their parents) are no exception. But for most first-time special needs campers and parents, venturing out into the world at camp raises questions and concerns. From camp policies on attention, to participation in sports, to the potential to make friends, the perfect camp for your special needs child beckons for you to find it. Camp Pa-Qua-Tuck is here to show you how.
Children and teens love the summer — but is the feeling mutual? According to the National Summer Learning Association, the summer makes students vulnerable to forgetting the skills acquired during the academic year, losing months of grade level equivalency and gaining excessive weight. Summer camp can help reverse the decline.
Summer camp brings two things to mind: endless fun and warm memories. However, more than just a place to embark on new adventures and build new friendships, summer camp prepares the young mind for something greater: invaluable life skills. Learning how to live with people other than family, resolve conflict, disconnect from technology and appreciate the outdoors only scratches the surface. Threaded into the summer camp learning experience is the critical ability to plan ahead. Discover just a few of the ways summer camp breeds strong planners.