Uke Can Do It!
Camp just purchased five new ukuleles! So you too can learn how to play like Don Ho (not that anyone under 35 knows who that is) or at least Windsor Mountain’s own Jeremy Betterley. Tiny Bubbles!

Time to Make Some Delicious Soap
Don’t pack the soap because we’ll make it at camp! Well, alright, pack some soap just in case as our soap will take some time to set. We’re excited to offer soap-making this summer where campers will be able to make custom soaps from natural ingredients. Part science and part creativity, campers will be able to create their own natural soaps using various molds, ingredients and fragrances at camp. Who knows, maybe your camper will bring you home a bar of purple lilac soap!

Staff Awesomeness
We are so excited about the talented group of returning and new staff members this year. We wanted to share with you some information about a couple of specialists that will be sharing their passion for the outdoors and the arts. We hope you will be as excited as we are about them joining the Windsor Mountain family.

Carlos, el Flaco (ropes course department head) – Flaco started building his passion for adventure at a young age. He began climbing with his father as a toddler and has never looked back. A veteran of the summer camp experience and outdoor education, we are thrilled to have Flaco on the Windsor Mountain team. Flaco has been an outdoor education for many years, most recently working at OpEPA (Organization for Education and Environmental Protection) where he shared his passion for nature, teaching and the arts. He is a highly trained mountain climber and ropes course facilitator. In addition, he is a Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician and course instructor. Flaco recently participated in Smaller Earth’s Your Big Year competition, where he was the runner-up (that’s number two!) out of over 110,000 applicants who made an effort to positively impact the world and promote global citizenship.

Check out his video:

In his spare time Flaco enjoys playing his ukulele (Luna). We feel lucky to have Flaco with us this summer can cannot wait for you to meet him.

Ahmad (pottery specialist) – We are thrilled to welcome Ahmad Qadri of Rainmaker Ceramic Arts to the Windsor Mountain family. Ahmad is a professional ceramics artist and pottery teacher. Ahmad, who currently is teaching English and art in Dakar Senegal, West Africa, has taught classes in pottery, ceramics and art to young people for over 20 years and cannot wait to bring his skills and passion for the arts to Windsor Mountain. I am going to make some awesome pottery this summer and then eat out of it.

Local Farming
Windsor Mountain is excited to announce the development of a new partnership with Local Harvest New Hampshire, a cooperative of eight local organic farmers who will provide fresh and locally grown produce to camp this summer for campers to enjoy. In addition to providing fresh produce, we are working to develop educational opportunities on the farms regarding local farming and sustainability.

Closing Festival Days
Families are encouraged to join us on the last day of each session for our Music Festival in July and Theatre Festival in August. Remember, there is no mid-session visiting day. Our Music Festival features music performed by campers and staff, and during our Theatre Festival campers showcase their acting abilities under the guidance of the performing arts department. Each festival day begins with morning meeting, followed by a delicious and plentiful brunch. The performances begin around 12:30 p.m. and end between 2:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., after which parents are free to take their campers home.

Intersession Trip
Please don’t forget that we offer a great outdoor adventure trip to Maine during our intersession break (July 21-24, with possible extension to July 25 for those interested). We expect Ron Furst to be leading this trip, which will begin in York, Maine. From there, the trip will head to the Rangeley Lakes region of Western Maine for swimming in the pristine waters of the Sandy River where we will enjoy a water slide and swim under a waterfall, a wilderness canoe trip down the Kennebago River (where we saw four moose last summer), and climbs up Bald Mountain (to enjoy some of the best views in all of Maine) and Tumbledown Mountain to enjoy the surreal experience of swimming in a beautiful lake in the clouds on the very top of the mountain. The trip finishes with a great day in world-famous Ogunquit Beach. If you would like more information about this trip, please let us know.

Camp Details
As the summer draws closer, you will begin to prepare for the summer and may need some reminders about our policies and procedure for various things. All of this information is available on our website: http://www.windsormountain.org/current-families/camp-details/. Also, if you need some help packing, here you go: http://www.windsormountain.org/current-families/packing-for-camp/. There also is information under the “current families” tab on the homepage about transportation details. Please be sure to complete the transportation form soon so we can ensure we have sufficient space for everyone if you are taking the bus.

Let’s Talk About Homesickness!
Going away to camp for the first time is exciting but it can also cause give some campers their first experience with homesickness. It is important that parents and campers know that it is completely normal for campers to miss home. In fact, almost all campers miss home to some extent while away. The best prescription for camper homesickness is a combination of preparation and patience. We strongly encourage families to talk with their camper about what it will be like to be away from home and feelings of missing home before camp. Here are some tips adapted from University of California Psychologist Chris Thurber and the American Camping Association (ACA) for parents to help their child deal with homesickness at camp:
• Encourage your child’s independence throughout the year. Practice separations, such as sleep-overs at a friend’s house, can simulate the camp environment.
• Discuss what camp will be like before your child leaves. Consider role-playing anticipated situations, such as using a flashlight to find the bathroom.
• Honor our no phone call policy.
• Send a note or care package ahead of time to arrive the first day of camp. Acknowledge, in a positive way, that you will miss your child. For example, you can say “I am going to miss you, but I know that you will have a great time at camp.”
• Do not use bribery. Linking a successful stay at camp to a material object sends the wrong message. The reward should be your child’s new found confidence and independence.
• Pack a personal item from home, such as a stuffed animal.
• When a “rescue letter” comes from your camper, offer calm reassurance and put the time frame into perspective. Avoid the temptation to take the child home early as it sends the wrong message. Campers feel a sense of independence, confidence and achievement when they overcome their feelings and have a successful stay at camp (and they have an incredible time!).
• Talk candidly with the camp directors to obtain our perspective on your child’s adjustment. Often by the time the first “help, I’m homesick” letter arrives at home, your camper will have already adjusted to camp-life.
• Don’t feel guilty about encouraging your child to stay at camp. For many children, camp is a first step toward independence and plays an important role in their growth and development.
• Be positive in your letters. Although there are benefits in keeping youngsters informed of what’s going on at home, don’t go into great detail since campers might feel they’re missing out. We discourage parents from dwelling on their own feelings of “camper-sickness” and from mentioning that “your dog/cat misses you.”
• Don’t worry. Counselors are trained to recognize and deal with symptoms of homesickness and will provide a lot of support to your camper. And, of course, we are always available to speak with you about your child’s adjustment to camp.

In addition, here are links to two YouTube videos from Chris Thurber that discuss preparing for camp:

SEE YOU ALL SOON!

Here we are on March 22, 2012, and what a difference a year makes. The snow is gone, the lake is really, really watery (like a glass of water), and we’re in shorts and t-shirts. Aside from potential climate change issues, you cannot help but enjoy the weather and think magical thoughts of summer. The warm breezes have everyone focused on camp, and things are really heating up (pun intended) in the camp office these days. In many ways, it feels like May around here, not March!

Speaking of summer, here is an update on Windsor Mountainy things that we thought people might want to know.

FAMILY WORK WEEKEND – APRIL 27-29!
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, raking (and probably jumping in) leaves, painting new dining hall stools, 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.

For those of you who plan to arrive on Friday evening, we’ll enjoy a great dinner together and spending time catching up and/or getting to know each other. On Saturday, a delicious New England 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 KERRY@WINDSORMOUNTAIN.ORG 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! Good times.

WATCH OUT FOR TEENY, TINY ANIMALS! HIDE THE MINI SNACKS!
Have you ever wanted to pet a miniature version of a full-sized animal? Really? That’s kind of a strange desire, but me too! Well, you may get that chance at Windsor Mountain this summer. Stay tuned for more details. For now, suffice it to say that these two pumpkins would be a pretty nice addition to camp, don’t you think!

Hey Miniature Donkeys – Did you enjoy the Hunger Games?

FORMS AND PAYMENT DUE APRIL 1
It is everyone’s favorite part of camp – the PAPERWORK! Forms and payment are due April 1, 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 new system, please e-mail Jake@windsormountain.org.

FAMILY CAMP – AUGUST 22-26
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 go to We were full last year and expect many returning families, so please don’t wait to enroll if you are interested in joining us.

MAROGHINI IS COMING TO NEW YORK!
Windsor Mountain’s own, the inimitable and world-renowned, Maroghini is coming to New York with the National Dance Theater Company of Jamaica (NDTC) to perform at the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College on March 23, 24, and 25. NDTC is an internationally acclaimed troupe comprising about 50 members including dancers, musicians, singers, technical team etc. And if Maroghini is participating, they have to be great! Their website is http://ndtcjamaica.com/ and a link to the event in March is RIGHT HERE. Go check him out and show him some Windsor Mountain love (and support).

WINDSOR MOUNTAIN STUDENT TRAVEL
Aided by the addition of our great new domestic outdoor adventure trips, our travel programs are having a very strong enrollment season. Check out our travel programs for grades 6-12 on our TRAVEL WEBSITE. We still have limited spots available in some trips, and here are a few programs that we want to highlight:

Bridge Peru: (7/1-7/21) 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!

France Language and Culture: (7/1-7/21) Grades 9-12
Immerse yourself in everything Francais! From the busy streets of Paris, to the quaint lanes of Fontainebleau, to the magical hills and valleys of Provence, students on this program will learn why France is ‘the most visited country on earth.’

Ecuador: (6/30—7/17) 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.
————————-US PROGRAMS———————————
Adirondacks Adventure: (7/21-8/7) Grades 6-9
This 18-day multi-sport adventure is loaded with action and perfect for first-time adventurers looking to spread their wings, and includes rock climbing, white-water rafting, backpacking, spelunking and cave-floating, sea kayaking and more. We travel to the most beautiful parts of the Adirondacks and Lake Champlain.

Peaks and Paddles: (7/25-8/8) Grades 6-9
For 15 days, we take on some of the Pacific Northwest greatest challenges: skiing Mt. Hood, rock climbing at legendary Smith Rocks, white-water kayaking the Clackamus River, exploring the Ape Caves, summiting Newberry Volcano. Another perfect program for “first timers” or those experienced campers thirsting for more adventure.

Puerto Rico (7/2—7/16) 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 (6/30-7/21) 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!

CAMP, CAMP, CAMP
For those of you keeping score, camp opens a square 100 days from today! 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, let me go home, home, home…,”

The Windsor Mountain Team

Oh, and not for nothing, but perhaps you should know that Maroghini is on a Grammy awarded album! The album, “Revelation Part 1: Root of Life” by Bob Marley’s son Stephen Marley won the coveted Grammy award in the Best Reggae Album category a couple of weeks back. We are so proud of you Maroghini and are so fortunate to have you and your family join us every summer. Now all you need to do is to improve your ping pong game.

Here is the latest from camp:

Dining Hall Progress
Thanks to a strangely mild winter, Bob and Mawk have made lots of progress on the dining hall addition since they are not spending their days shoveling snow from the rooftops. It is coming along nicely, and we are excited to enjoy our first season having a little more space for dining indoors on those rainy days. Bob and Mawk also have been crafting new wood tables for the dining hall, which will have the same functionality (move ‘em and stack ‘em!) of the old tables but are beautifully crafted and very sturdy. You still will enjoy sitting on the decorated stools!

Tree-Fort Anyone?
Two summers ago, Adam Veaner, Jake Newman and many eager campers started building a tree-fort down the Yellow-Dot trail. They made great progress, and the fort has withstood the elements quite well. But, we need to ramp things up this summer! Our vision is to build a tree-fort village that is large enough to allow a bunk to spend the night in the fort in the woods. So consider this a call to action for all staff and campers interested in taking on this challenge. We need to make this epic!

Quest Trip?
Speaking of epic, I got together with super-star Windsor Mountain staff member Ben Okin last week. As many of you know, Quest has become a favorite among some campers and we’re going to ramp it up even more this summer. Ben O. shared with me his vision for an epic 3-day Quest off-camp! I have been sworn to secrecy on details, but suffice it to say that it is going to be amazing.

New York City Winter Reunion – Save the Date – March 3, 12:00-3:00
It’s time to get together with camp friends and meet some new ones. Please save the date for our New York City winter reunion for March 3, from 12:00-3:00. Details, including location in the city and activities, will follow in the next couple of weeks. Come play!

Enrollment Update – State of the Camp Address
I am so happy to report that enrollment is very strong for this coming summer. The state of your camp is quite healthy as we enter Windsor Mountain’s 52nd summer, and we are so proud to be a part of this amazing organization with such great friends, families, staff and campers.

Please note that space for the cabins in July (6th grade boys and younger) is getting quite limited as is space for 6th grade girls and two week campers. We know there are some of you out there are planning to enroll but who have not gotten to it yet so please go online when you have a moment and reserve your space.

Forms
For all of the families who already have enrolled, please make sure to login to your account by clicking the “family sign in” button on our home page, and complete the camper forms online that are due April 1. We think you will find this system easy to use, but if you have any questions, please let us know and we’ll be happy to help.

Animals, Animals, Animals
We are always looking for great new ideas for camp, so if you have any thoughts on interesting animals to introduce to the farm, we are all ears (pun most definitely intended)! FYI – Jake’s idea to have a giant parrot in the dining hall who can imitate campers (or call for seconds) already has been rejected on the grounds of health and noise concerns. Alternatively, miniature horses seem cool.

Riddle
Okay, here is a riddle for all campers. The first one to email me with the correct answer gets cake for your bunk this summer. Here goes!

One morning, a man is leaving on a business trip and stops by his office on his way out of town. He runs into the night watchman who stops the man and says, “Sir, don’t go on your business trip. I had a dream last night that a truck carrying apple juice had an accident on the highway and spilled its contents and the road out of town was closed for ten hours. If you go, you will be stuck in traffic all day.” After hearing this information, the man checked the traffic report and saw no report of an accident, so he proceeded with his trip. Two hours later, the man became stuck in traffic for several hours after a truck carrying cranberry juice had an accident on the highway, which closed the road out of town. When the man returned to his office the next day, he fired the night watchman. Why?

Hint: The night watchman had nothing to do with causing the accident.

We hope everyone is enjoying this mild winter and beginning to long for long summer days! As always, we love to hear from camp families so drop us a line!

The Windsor Mountain Team