PARENT NEWSLETTER – APRIL 2007
Mailed April 10th or so

KICKING OFF THE NEXT 100 YEARS AT WOHELO

Finally, after a long winter the first robins have arrived in Maine.  With the arrival of spring we are getting more and more excited for another fantastic summer at Wohelo.  This summer at Little Wohelo the campers will be surprised to see a new jungle gym.  We’ve removed the old  gym,  and will be installing a new geo dome climbing structure in the same location.  At Sebago Wohelo, we will be launching a cardio training program.  Offered during the 2^nd session and facilitated by local soccer coach, and all around awesome girl, Deb Lebel.  The goal of this program is to help girls get in better cardio shape before fall school sports – and to have fun at the same time! 

MEDICAL INFORMATION

Many of you have set up doctor appointments and are busy getting everything in order for the summer – thank you.  Please give special attention to all aspects of the medical form.  This is a confidential document viewed by the directors and nurses at camp.  We recommend that campers have their tetanus shots updated to within 5 years.  It is also important that your daughters’ immunizations are up to date and the information is provided to camp.

DONATIONS

Both Sebago Wohelo and Little Wohelo welcome donations in the form of old costumes, large pieces of fabric or yarn for puppets, family games,  tennis racquets, sheet music,  and Wohelo uniforms that have been outgrown.  If any of these items have been taking up space in your closet, send them to Wohelo and we will put them to good use                      .
CABIN ASSIGNMENTS

Wohelo is about friends – making friends, being a friend and living with friends.  We feel it works best if girls of the same age and / or grade are placed together. We also mix up girls from the same school or home town.  On the yellow camper information sheet we welcome suggestions from you. Requests can be very helpful, but please keep realistic expectations – there are many new cabin friendships to be made.

“THE FOOD AT WOHELO IS DELICIOUS”

We say this a lot during the summer, and it’s true.  Wohelo is fortunate to have had the same head cook, Tammy Murray, for over 20 years.  She prepares healthy, home cooked meals and plenty of it.  On special occasions campers may be surprised with a soda and a piece or two of candy. At Little Wohelo we ask that parents not send food items to the campers.  At Sebago Wohelo, please limit food sent to camp.   We have found that too much food in the cabins ruins the girls’ appetite for meals, can create problems with rodents in the cabin and most importantly affects a girl’s ability to make healthy choices.  There is always a bowl of fresh fruit available in the dinning hall.

OLD CAMPER - NEW CAMPER LETTERS

Soon we  will be writing to past campers asking them to send a quick and welcoming letter to a new Wohelo camper.  This has been a tradition for many years and it makes such a positive difference to a  new family and their first impression of Wohelo.  Thanks for your support.

            TIPS ON PREPARING FOR CAMP 

Talk    

• Try to have frequent casual conversations about camp.  Your daughter will feel more comfortable asking questions or wondering aloud if she is used to talking about camp in an easygoing manner.

• Express confidence in your daughter and her upcoming camp experience.  Let her know that she is capable of handling being away from home.

• Be sure your daughter has a realistic view on what’s planned and what will be expected of her at camp.  Discuss details like sleeping arrangements, chores, daily agendas, etc.

• Reassure your daughter that it’s O.K. to be a little nervous and a little scared – everyone is.  Talk about strategies that will help her get over her fear or how to reach out and make a new friend.

• Getting help.  Discuss good days and bad days.  Let your daughter know that the counselors at camp will be friendly and that it is O.K. to tell someone when you need help.  Encourage her to express her feelings with a grown up if she is sad or worried about anything.

Get Ready

• Ask your daughter to help you label her clothes and use that activity to talk about taking care of her things while she is away.

• Give your daughter a tangible sense of time.  Use a trip that you have taken or an event with a similar time frame so that she can have a better sense of how long she will be away from home. 

• Start practicing some of the skills she will need to use at camp – making the bed, taking care of hygiene, picking up clothes.

• Practice letting go – arrange for some sleepovers between now and camp.  Rehearse the moment in your mind before June 22 and stay strong.

Keep in Touch

• Send a letter to the camp ahead of time so your child has something waiting for her from home when she gets there. 

• Plan to write back and forth and be consistent.  Frequent short letters are often better than occasional long letters or packages.  When you write, be upbeat and ask specific questions, so your child will find it easy to write back.  Though you want to keep them informed, do your best not to go into too much detail about fun things they are missing out on, or go overboard in letting them know how much you miss them.

• If you have questions or concerns about your daughter’s summer at Wohelo – then please let one of the directors know.  We are happy to answer questions and to investigate concerns.