Reflections and Observations from the 8th Week of the 2010 Good Neighbors Summer Day Camp

On Friday, August 13^th, we ended the 2010 SML Good Neighbors summer programs. These last four weeks at Trinity Ecumenical Parish were terrific. The church is a great location for the Franklin County camp. And, the hospitality shown to the Good Neighbors organization by TEP is was exceptional. Our original plan was to use one of the elementary schools in Franklin County. When this couldn’t be arranged the church council approved our request to use the church. We used almost every part of the church except the sanctuary and I hope we left the building and its rooms in good order. It is always our goal to be Good Neighbors no matter where we operate our programs.

This camp had over 50 children registered. The maximum number attending was 46 and the average attendance was 37. These children came to us from three elementary schools: Dudley E.S., Burnt Chimney E.S. and Windy Gap E.S. Many of the children had attended the 2009 camp and several have been in the program all three years.

Highlights – Week 4 of the Franklin County Program

· Let me begin with the last day – Friday. We followed our regular daily rhythms during the morning. But, the afternoon was different. The Roanoke Children’s Theatre staff worked with the children in the early afternoon to rehearse the program they would present for families and friends. About 1:45 families, friends, volunteers and supporters began arriving in the fellowship hall. We had set up chairs for 100 people thinking that we were being optimistic. By 2 o’clock we had run out of seating. Volunteers began taking chairs from the storage racks as the crowd grew. We counted about 150 guests in attendance. When you add the children, the theatre staff, interns, etc. there were nearly 200 people at this closing celebration. The children were amazing and the crowd loved the “Cooking It” musical presented by the theatre staff and the children. It was a WOW performance. And – there was the strong message about good eating choices! After the musical performance, the children, led by the theatre staff, sang one of our favorite songs that we learned as part of our peace education program. The words are worth repeating since they capture the core of what we try to teach and model for the children… So you be you and I’ll be me/that’s the way it’s supposed to be/and we’ll live, you and me/(clap, clap) together differently. These words seem to be imprinted in my mind and on my heart. I believe these seeds were sown in fertile ground in the children this summer.

· After the performance by the children, we got to say goodbye to our interns. Actually, I don’t plan to lose contact with them; they are now family! It was clear to me from the reflections they shared at this celebration, the comments we heard from families and volunteers, and the interactions with the children, that bonds of love and affection did form between the interns and our community. We have all been blessed.

· Earlier in the week, Lisa Bowman, principal of Dudley Elementary School, visited the camp. Many of the kids are from her school and they were excited to see her. Lisa is a strong supporter of our programs. I can’t overemphasize the importance of close, working relationships with the schools. We are fortunate to have Lisa as a partner.

· Angela Massino completed two videos about the Good Neighbors programs. Both of them can be accessed through our web site: www.smlgoodneighbors.org The are excellent at telling the story of the day camps and the internships. This was Angela’s second year with us; now I have to find a way to have her return for a third year!

· We asked families to complete a survey about the Good Neighbors experience for their children. I could fill several pages with quotes but will settle for just a few:

“My child has picked up a book to read for the first time in a longtime without me telling her to do so.”

“My son loves this program! I don’t know what we would do without it!”

“Her enjoyment of the camp counselors and the volunteers has enriched her life and helped show her “People do care!” Life can be happy and whole.”

“I think this program is terrific. Every day my son comes home with a smile on his face and so much to tell us. He has benefited from the interaction with other kids and his continuing learning of reading and writing. He has learned new songs that have become our nightly entertainment at home.”

“It was so nice to hear my boys singing camp songs and wanting to read to me instead of me begging them to.”

Comments like these from families affirm our mission. And, they help remind me why we have been gathered here, in this place, at this time, to do this work.

· Finally, I will end with several photos of life with the children during the last week of camp. After a brief pause, we will begin preparing for 2011.

Highlights and Observations from the 7th Week of the SML Good Neighbors Summer Enrichment Program

The third week of the Franklin County camp was another good week. Amazingly, we have not had to face any major problems. On the other hand, we did find it necessary to drop one child from the program. The decision to drop a child is always difficult and we worked diligently with this child for over two weeks before realizing that we simply were not equipped to deal with his needs. The team (interns, camp director, and program coordinator) came to agreement that his behaviors were having a negative effect on the program for the other children.

The enrichment theme this week was “World Week” or “Global Education.” The Week 3 report from the Bedford County camp also highlighted the objectives for this week. Monday was about Haiti, led by Marion Wagner and Patsy Smart; Tuesday was about Tanzania, led by Pidge Morgan. On Wednesday David Fox took us to Guatemala and on Thursday Hannah Sizemore organized a program about Japan. Our interns also facilitated programs on arts and crafts, food, games, stories and other interactive activities connected with each of these countries as part of the afternoon enrichment.

Observations and Highlights

· During the Guatemala program I joined a circle of children sitting on the floor in the fellowship hall while Alice Ann (intern from Virginia Tech) led the kids in an exercise using Spanish and English words. Alice Ann is fluent in Spanish - we do have gifted interns! This exercise taught the kids colors – Que es rojo? Que es violeta? Que es blanco? Que es negro? I’m sure you knew the English answers to each of these questions (red, purple, white, black); the kids did! And then she would use the English word and the kids would reply with the Spanish word. I was amazed at how quickly most of the kids got it, and how much fun they were having. At this age learning is still fun for the kids and they (most of them) soak it up like a sponge. One of the boys liked it so much that he asked me for paper and pencil so that he could write down all the words. This began with Creole during the Haiti program. By the end of the week he had the words for hello, good bye, thank you, etc. in Creole, Spanish, Swahili, and Japanese.

· A first for our program - During family night at the end of the first week, a young woman asked me what she had to do to be a volunteer in the program. I connected her with Janet Hill and she is now volunteering as a camp facilitator. So what’s so special? Well, she is the daughter of a woman who is the foster parent for one of our campers. This is the first time we have had a family member working as a volunteer in the program. I hope we have others in the future.

· Another young woman, Emily Meissel, worked as an intern assistant at the Bedford camp and loved it so much that she spent another week with us during this camp. Emily is a senior in high school at the Governor’s School in Roanoke. She volunteered as a Reading Buddy last year along with her dad. It was great to have Emily in the program. The interns were impressed with her work and none of us will be surprised when Emily applies for an internship in a year or two. The Good Neighbors family continues to widen its circle.

· During writers’ workshop on Thursday, Hannah and Alice Ann asked the orangutans (the name for their group) to write about someone who is a hero in their life. The 30 minutes for this work occurs at the end of the day and you would think the kids would be tired and uncooperative. But, this group was focused and so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Hannah and Alice Ann circulated among the kids, helping with spelling and encouraging them to put their ideas on paper. Again, I felt so privileged to be present and to see the nurturing, encouraging, loving relationships that have formed between the children and their interns.

My Hero is my Dad…

· One day this week, the poster pictured below caught my attention. It is on the wall beside the table where the children check in and out every day. It expresses the kind of advocacy that all children need and deserve. I hope Good Neighbors is such an advocate.

· Finally, the last highlight of the week for me occurred on Sunday. Six of us (four interns, a boy friend, and I) attended the Lovely Valley Baptist Church morning worship. This is a rural, African-American congregation. I list this in my highlights because we experienced the kind of Good Neighborliness we try to model for the children. The congregation opened their doors, their arms, and their hearts to us. It was the experience of welcoming the stranger; of embracing our diversity. I know I speak for the group when I say that we felt very much at home as we worshiped with this congregation. And, the service, including the music, was inspirational and Spirit led.

---

“The true neighbor will risk his position, his prestige, and even his life for the welfare of others. In dangerous valleys and hazardous pathways, he will lift some bruised and beaten brother to a higher and more noble life.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Highlights and Observations from the 6th Week of the SML Good Neighbors Summer Enrichment Camp

We have completed the sixth week of our work with the children; this means we have completed the second week of the Franklin County camp that is being held at Trinity Ecumenical Parish. It was a very good week. Approximately 35 children attended camp each day and we anticipate the number will be closer to 40 during the next two weeks.

We continue to have excellent support from our volunteers. This week we had three Intern Assistants every day and these extra hands and eyes (and hearts) allow the interns to focus their time and energy more completely on the children. We also had a terrific Camp Facilitator this week – our board president, Larry Broomall. This is not a glamorous job (I know from experience since I have occasionally been a substitute) but it is critical in supporting the daily routines of the camp. The camp director truly needs this help. And, we had another great week with the Reading Buddies. We have many reading buddies who return every year. Several of them who worked with us this week have been with us every summer (three years) and several others returned for their second year. It is a joy for me to see the smiles, hear the stories and watch the eye-to-eye connections between the mentors and their children. I used the phrase – their children – intentionally because the bonds form quickly between our reading buddies and the children they read with every day for a week. It can be a transformative experience for both the children and their buddies.

Our afternoon enrichments this week, as in week two at the Bedford County camp, focused on Peace. Again, the first afternoon was facilitated by Unbridled Change, Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons were organized and led by Elizabeth Brown. On Friday the Roanoke Children’s Theatre engaged the children in song and story-telling through drama to help them learn about compassion and understanding as a way of living with others. This is part of the Peace Child program. My words can’t capture the power of these experiences. If you experience the program you too may come away with an ineffable heart-sense of its power.

Photos from Peace Week

We took a break on Thursday afternoon for a fun and rowdy Water Day. This is a favorite of the children and the interns. The objective is to just have fun. Along the way the kids also learn to play together without hurting each other (intentionally) and to cooperate. It took the interns many hours to prepare for water day, but it was a big success. The photos tell the story.

Highlights and Observations

As always, there are situations or events that catch my attention during the week. I like to share these experiences. In many instances, they are not part of the planned program but capture the spirit of this program for me.

• The children are getting fresh fruit and vegetables – at least part of the time. These are supplied by Feed the Children, the group that is providing the food for this camp. The children like the baby carrots when we provide ranch dressing as a dip and eat the apples when we section them. I hope we learn from this and expand the offerings next year.
• One of our returning reading buddies, who is an experienced teacher, is so impressed with our interns that she bought each of them a gift card from Target.
• During the peace cycles, Angela led each group of kids in a 30 minute yoga exercise to help them experience calm, quiet and a peaceful interior. Most of us react by saying “Good luck with that.” Well – let me tell you – it worked. I would never have imagined that I would observe a group of 15 fourth-graders lying absolutely still, listening to the music of Enya and the very soft words from Angela as they ended the activity. If you want to hear the music, go to: www.grooveshark.com. This is a free radio listening program. Type in Enya and look for The Best of Enya, Paint the Sky with Stars and listen to “The Memory of Trees.” I have told several others, this is not normal behavior for nine year olds or, for that matter, any of us. It was amazing!
• A personal experience - During the Roanoke Children’s Theatre program with the kids, I was in a semicircle with the kids standing next to Rick as we sang one of the songs. The last verse of the song says – Well I’ve been thinkin, about my friends… When this verse begins we all join hands. At the completion of the song, Rick put his arm around my waist and said, “Russell, we’re pretty good buddies.” To that I can only say – amen.

---

I swear I will not dishonor

my soul with hatred,

but offer myself humbly

as a guardian of nature,

as a healer of misery,

as a messenger of wonder,

as an architect of peace.

“School Prayer”

Diane Ackerman from I Praise My Destroyer