I rave about the awesomeness of joining school camps to any parent that listens.
The appreciation I feel seeing the teachers in action and the joy of being a fly on the wall (or gum tree) of the kids in their natural habitat is ALWAYS worth the trouble it takes to get there. I love getting to know the kids better and help them overcome homesickness and all the other big little challenges they come up against.
The camaraderie of the team is just brilliant too. All my best parent friends I’ve made on school camps. In fact, as the main ‘worker’ parent who doesn’t do many pickups or drop offs, this is one keyway I connect into school relationships in a meaningful way.
I’ve just returned from a short stint helping on the class 5 – 6 cultural camp where I learned so much from the extraordinary Uncle Lex and Aunty Corina that the whole experience epitomised what I have long thought: Camp is not just for the kids. We all need to prioritise reconnecting with nature and each other, generosity and giving back, stamping our feet, making ceremony and singing our love of life. It’s what it’s all about if you ask me.
Penny
It’s also rewarding when the kids know me by name, and I can build trust as someone who cares about them and is here for them.
Being submerged in camp means our children see us reinforcing the value of community and contributing to something bigger.
Our kids take personal pride in seeing their parent or carer get stuck in, whether it’s in the kitchen, helping with activities or participating. It holds a lot of meaning.
Caroline
Kindlehill School is a K-10 Steiner School that sits on a hill above the Wentworth Falls Lake, in the Blue Mountains, NSW. We are an independant school working creatively and in a contemporary way, out of the foundation of Rudolf Steiner’s philosophy for education.
