Yancey County Principal Believes Orton Gillingham Training Played Critical Role In School Turnaround

Sherry Robinson realized Bald Creek Elementary had some serious gaps in their literacy program. The Exceptional Children’s (EC) population was the highest in the county. Math scores were unacceptably low. The recently hired principal had been told the school was identified for needing improvement given poor test scores. The question she found herself asking  - what was the problem and more importantly, how could she address the challenges? Although she recognized the path toward academic success was going to be an arduous one, she was still shocked when her newest hire, 4^th grade reading teacher Lori McCourry, stepped into her office and told her 13 of her 27 students were reading at only a first grade level.

Prior to joining Bald Creek full-time, Lori let Sherry know she had committed to taking the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators Associate Level training with Susie van der Vorst. “I’d never heard of the organization or the training,” Sherry remembers. “Lori began explaining the Orton Gillingham (O-G) approach to me and let me know she was willing to pay for the training program herself given the expense.  I knew if she was willing to pay for it herself, it must be really good, but I could never have guessed the positive impact it would have on our school at that point. I let her know we weren’t going to let money keep us from having what our students needed.”

“At first, parents weren’t willing to admit something was wrong,” Lori says. “I was the new teacher, shaking things up.”

A little shaking up was exactly what the school needed. Lori began incorporating what she’d learned into her daily routine. “You can’t teach what you don’t know,” Lori says. “With the Orton-Gillingham training, I acquired greater knowledge of words and an understanding of how the brain has to work in order to read. I began breaking words into sounds and doing a lot of phonics with students. I found that I was much better at seeing where students struggled and had a greater knowledge of how to fix problems through targeted instruction.”

Having seen the immediate difference O-G made in Lori’s teaching, Sherry realized the school needed to have its kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade teachers trained as well. “In kindergarten, 1st and 2nd, you’re learning to read,” she says.  “In 3rd, 4th and 5th, you’re reading to learn.  Our 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th graders, for example, take math tests that contain only word problems. Students have to be able to comprehend what they’re reading in order to pass, which is why those first few years are so critical.”

Sherry is grateful to 1^st grade teacher Laura Davis who also jumped on board, became O-G trained, and took on the task of aligning O-G principles with the school’s newly implemented Letterland program. “It gave us a powerful phonics program.”  Over the years, each teacher who’s gone through the training has incorporated elements of the multisensory approach as they suit their classroom needs. “My goal is to have all Bald Creek teachers O-G trained," Sherry says.

Fast forward eight years. The majority of Bald Creek’s teachers have been O-G trained. Now that students are getting what they need, the school’s EC numbers are no longer the county’s highest. In fact, they have been cut in half. Lori, who’s now teaching 3^rd grade reading, says only one student of 31 is reading slightly below third grade level.  The school was honored in 2014/15 and 2015/16 as a Title 1 National Distinguished School Nominee.  They received $100,000 NC Title 1 Grant for sustaining the highest performance of school achievement over a number of years.

Sherry believes O-G training played a critical role in the turnaround. “Our teachers continually tell us they had no idea how much they didn’t know until they went through Susie’s training. The more they know; the better they teach and the better our students do. Today, the entire school takes great pride in being able to say we are an Orton school.”

 

Camp Helps Young Man Start a New Chapter

  OpenDoors of Asheville is a remarkable non-profit organization that helps local children reach their potential with individual support and a host of educational and enrichment opportunities.  These opportunities are designed to help the children begin to invest in themselves and ultimately break the cycle of multi-generational poverty.

Since 2012 OpenDoors and Camp Spring Creek have worked as a team, co-funding several summer camp scholarships to help children get the spelling, reading and writing remediation they need. While at camp, the children are immersed in summer activities ranging from kickball to camping with other children and counselors from across the world.

Tyion Lucas just finished his 2^nd summer at Camp Spring Creek. OpenDoors Board Member and Team Leader Denise Turner remembers hearing about Tyion’s fears concerning his participation in an upcoming spelunking adventure. Initially, he insisted he wasn’t going to repel into a dark cave, let alone jump into an underground lake. After discovering one of the staff members, who was also afraid, was going to participate, he decided to open himself to the possibilities. He believes his courage paid off. In addition to this adventure, Tyion tried other new things like whitewater rafting, Asheville’s Color Run 5K and glass blowing.

“Tyion learned a lot about himself during his eight weeks at camp,” Denise says. “At Camp Spring Creek, Tyion not only made academic gains, but also discovered the extent of his determination and perseverance.  He learned he was strong, confident and good at working with people. This year he was chosen to help younger kids with swimming.  That was a huge confidence boost for him as he was told he would be a good camp counselor someday.

Until recently, Tyion admitted he didn’t enjoy reading, believing it to be difficult. “I was so proud when he told me he read ten books over the course of the summer.  What impressed me most was that in listening to him talk about these books, and listening to him share analogies gleaned from his readings, I knew he drew meaning from the content, too.”

In a letter he wrote at the end of camp, he said, “I’m like the three little pigs, but I’m the one in the brick house. No one is going to blow my house down. I’m strong and confident. I’m going to keep going and do something. I’ll be back next year.  I want to be better.”

Denise and Tyion’s mother Sheila enjoys watching Tyion’s growth. “Tyion continues to make progress and his confidence is growing,” Denise says.  “He’s got a great sense of humor and isn’t afraid to use it. At his school, he was asked to join the football team and is experiencing great success. A page is clearly being turned for Tyion. I can’t wait to see the next chapter.”

Camper Continues to Blossom Beyond Camp

Like many parents, Laurie Clothier wasn’t quite sure what to do. Her daughter Kelby had been diagnosed with dyslexia. Laurie had secured a private tutor, but realized the tutor was only helping her keep up with her current workload; Kelby wasn’t making the progress she imagined.  The bright 7^th grader was reading at a first grade level. “Dyslexia turned our family around,” Laurie says. “I worked full-time, got home, and then spent another three or four hours with Kelby, trying to help her keep up with homework. I literally read her books with her.”

A Google search to find a summer program in Texas, where the family lived, was unsuccessful. Laurie widened her search, looking for programs where other family members lived. Camp Spring Creek, it turned out, was a two-hour drive from her father.

“After speaking with co-founder Susie van der Vorst, we made a leap of faith, and signed her up for the whole summer. It was scary, particularly because Kelby had never been away from home for more than a week.”

They saw huge improvements over the course of that first summer. A month slipped by, and Laurie opened Kelby’s weekly letter home. “I started crying,” she says. “It was the first letter where I could read every word, where every sentence was coherent.”

The transformation overjoys Laurie. “There was a time when Kelby lied about who she was. Camp Spring Creek helped her realize she’s not alone. This year, she has a new set of friends who accept her as she is.  She realizes she’s not stupid, and in fact, has been getting straight A’s. Although she still struggles somewhat with reading, she does most of her homework on her own now. She’s gained so much more confidence.

Beyond learning to read and write in a manner that corresponds to how she sees things, Laurie has seen other gifts emerge from Kelby’s time at camp. “Kelby was so excited to learn in a traditional summer camp setting where she got to play hard, too. Thanks to some of the camp’s program’s she becoming a budding photographer.”

There are those who have wondered why Laurie has invested so much in a summer camp. Laurie is clear. “The way I look at it, I’m paying her college tuition now because without Camp Spring Creek, there’d be no way Kelby could be going to college. I was clear we needed to get her to read now. I’d pay it all again without the slightest hesitation. In fact, she’s going back to camp for one more season. She’s a completely different girl. Camp Spring Creek opened a whole new world for Kelby.  I’m eternally grateful.”

"Confessions of a So-Called Middle Child" Author Shares Her Dyslexia Experiences

Ah, the joy of serendipity!  A few weeks back, we posted an image on Facebook of one our campers reading, something we often do. Here's where the gift of serendipity comes in. The book Olivia was reading, Confessions of a So-Called Middle Child, was written by Maria Lennon, a friend of Tutor Susan Rutter Santaniello. Long story short, Susan shared the post with Maria, who just so happens to be dyslexic. Maria was happy to share her experiences as a child who struggled with dyslexia and as a mother of a dyslexic child.

Camp: Did you go to a private school or work with someone who helped you, or did you just struggle it out?

Maria: At first, I struggled. This was the 70s and not too many people were really aware of what dyslexia was. I went to a private K-12 school outside of Los Angeles called Chadwick and they were not prepared for someone like me or my two brothers. We all had learning difficulties and we were all bright and well aware of what the kids were saying about us. I heard "stupid" a lot. When I grew so frustrated I broke my pencil or tore my essay into shreds, I heard, "freak." My brothers heard worse because they acted out more. Like most girls, I went inward and hated myself while my brothers tended to blast out the world.

Camp: What was the greatest challenge you faced as a child with dyslexia?

Maria: Shame. Thinking something was wrong with me. Stupid. Here's the thing. Before people know you have learning differences, and REALLY can't spell CAT, they think you're being lazy or can't be bothered to study or you don't think it's important. I know I felt that way about my son when he was in kindergarten and first grade. After an hour of going over the word group of CAT, HAT and MAT, I literally cried because he would spell HAT, HOT or HIT. Once I understood he REALLY couldn't spell it because he couldn't hear it, I was fine. I stopped being mad. I got help for him.

Camp Spring Creek: Did other kids make fun of you?

Maria:  Oh, yeah. By the time I was in third grade, things were really bad. I knew with certainty that I was the dumbest kid in my entire class. It's funny, my son who is dyslexic and diagnosed with ADD also had the roughest time in third grade. I still remember the terror that spread through me when the teacher made eye contact. I would look away as fast as I could, close my eyes, and plead, "Oh God, no, please let her not call on me."

It's amazing the collateral damage of these so-called language-based learning difficulties. You don't get picked on for sports teams for some reason. You don't have tons of friends. You don't have a lot of confidence. You, in many ways, learn to stand back and become an observer of life rather than a participant.

But then something amazing happened. My teacher, my amazing teacher SAW ME. Her name was Jean Wehrmeister and she was the first person who said to me, "JUST BECAUSE YOU SEE THE WORLD DIFFERENTLY DOESN'T MEAN YOU ARE STUPID."

When the kids persisted in their calls of stupid and retard, she did an exercise in class and had everyone hold up a mirror on their paper and write what they saw. She told them this was the way dyslexics saw words and asked them to imagine how frustrating it must be. She was so ahead of her time.

Camp: What were some of the tricks you learned to help yourself?

Maria: I was extremely fortunate because my mother understood what was going on and took me and my brothers to educational therapists after school. I learned a number of tricks at the center I went to. My big area was dysgraphia so writing things from the board and onto my paper caused me great anxiety. My tutor, Jeanette Kowell, would teach me little tricks to double check my copying, like using my voice, saying things out loud so I could hear the words and remember that way as well. Looking back now, I realize that many of the so-called tricks she was teaching me really revolved around two basic concepts:

• be patient with yourself
• be kind to yourself

I believe these two very basic concepts helped me most.

Camp: Do you think you've discovered any benefits of being dyslexic?

Maria Lennon: Oh, God, yes. Everything I am most proud of about myself stems from being dyslexic. I am so determined. I am such a hard worker. I am used to putting in double the amount of time my friends put in to achieve the same results. And that's okay. I am compassionate because I know what it feels like to struggle.  I am resourceful because I had to be all my life. I am an observer. I stand back and see things about people maybe others don't see. All of these qualities have made me a better person, better mother and better writer.

Camp Spring Creek: You became a writer, something that's so difficult for children with dyslexia - do you have any advice for them?

Maria Lennon:  One of my favorite things is to talk to kids about how hard writing is. It's really hard. BUT, it seems like most kids with learning differences lean toward the creative. They have great ideas. They have compassion, which gives them insight into human nature. They are curious about others. That's about 90% of being a writer. The rest is getting it onto paper and that can be taught. It just may take them longer than most. But who cares when what they see is so much brighter?

Camp: Any thoughts as a parent of a child with dyslexia?

Maria: My third child has dyslexia and ADD. He repeated kindergarten. In first grade, he couldn't spell CAT and in second grade, he pretty much pulled his hoodie over his head and gave up. He was aware that he did not know the answer to anything. In his mind, he was the stupidest kid in the class and thought it was a secret he could hold onto if he could just hide in his sweatshirt. By third grade, he was hitting his head on the walls, hiding under his desk, in closets, running out of school. That's when we did the first IEP with his school. When they couldn't test for dyslexia or ADD, I called UCLA and we did outside testing.

He is now in fifth grade and this had been his best year so far. He says that doing the testing and being identified was the best that that happened to him. He learned he was not stupid and was, in fact, very smart, but saw things differently. Now he sees an educational therapist and is using the iPad for typing, which is great. The information he gets is broken down into smaller chunks. He is learning to ask for help. Kids might call him stupid, but he comes right back at them with 'I'm not stupid; I have dyslexia.' That shuts them up pretty quickly. I am so proud of him it makes me cry.

Camp: Most of us look back with nostalgia on our childhoods.  Any thoughts you'd like to share?

Maria:  When I published my first book in the Confessions of a So-Called Middle Child series, I got a message on Facebook. It started with 'you probably don't remember me, but I was your third grade teacher Mrs. Wehrmeister. I always knew you would do something special. I almost died. I wrote her back immediately and told her that not only did I remember her, I talked about her all the time. Every time I went to a school and talked to kids, I mentioned her name. It is the power of one person, my teacher, believing in me that made all the difference in my life.

Jean told me that she thought my next project should be for kids who struggle with reading. And guess what? That's what we're doing - an entire series of short, fun, adventure books for the kids who really have a hard time making the leap from graphic novels (think Wimpy Kid) to straight novels (think Harry Potter).  Never more than 180 pages, a single plot line and lightly illustrated. I am also building an interactive reading APP to help them read it on their tablets.

Don't Miss Out on Dyslexia Awareness Month Activities with Diana Hanbury King

Next week is rapidly approaching and we're looking forward to our weeklong visit with Diana Hanbury King. If you look at the attached flyer, you'll see we've got some amazing options for teachers who are becoming O-G certified, teachers who want to learn more about what O-G looks like in the classroom, community members who want to learn more about dyslexia and its impact, and homeschool parents who want to be able to better assist their children who struggle with reading and writing.

A few spaces remain for the Certified Level Training on October 5th and 6th at Camp Spring Creek. This will be a rare opportunity to work with the renowned Ms. King who has transformed the lives of countless young people with dyslexia.

Please contact the office with any questions or for more information at info@campspringcreek.org or 828-766-5032.

We look forward to seeing you next week!

Camp Spring Creek Expands: Sue Wasserman Joins Team as Communications/PR Director

In case you're wondering who this Sue Wasserman is whose name has begun appearing on Facebook and in the blog, I'm Camp Spring Creek's new Communications/Public Relations Director. While we're sad to see Katey leave, we're excited that her writing career has reached new heights and is demanding more and more of her time. We're grateful, too, that she's helped Camp Spring Creek reach new heights. I've actually known Susie and Steve since being a volunteer for their first camp painting party some 13 years ago, and have been in love with Camp Spring Creek's mission since before they opened the doors. I have a diverse background in advertising, public relations, corporation communications and freelance writing. I've written for publications such as The New York Times, Southern Living, Atlanta Journal Constitution, American Style, etc.  Most recently, I self-published my first book, which combines my photography with a little inspiration courtesy of Mother Nature.

Community service is important to me - I took it upon myself in my latest corporate position to create an outreach program that involved 26 offices and more than 700 volunteers around the country.

Susie and Steve and I reconnected this past summer when they asked if I'd be interested in teaching writing for two weeks at camp. Having spent my high school and college summers as a camp counselor, I thought it would be right up my alley. I combined writing with photography, something I'm passionate about, thinking the images might help inspire the children.

Let's just say I was hooked that first morning after breakfast as I watched the counselors, tutors and campers reading together. It didn't take long for Susie to ask me to lend a hand. I knew I was where I was meant to be.

In addition to writing and editing all that needs to be written and edited, I'll be promoting our work to the community, doing research to find new grants and working to build new relationships locally and regionally to generate new funds for camper scholarships, teacher training programs, and one-on-one training with children. I'm grateful for any ideas or suggestions you may have that can help me do my part in enabling children with dyslexia to become confident adults. Simply forward your thoughts my way at suewasserman@campspringcreek.org.

Here's to the possibilities.

Celebrating Dyslexia Awareness Month With Diana King

While our Camp Spring Creek schedules traditionally cool down in October, this year they're heating up thanks to what's certain to be a memorable trip from Diana King, internationally renowned for her work with dyslexic children. For those of you who may not be aware, Diana founded Camp Dunnabeck for children with dyslexia in 1955 and the Kildonan School in 1969.  She has published numerous articles and books. Her newest book, a guide to homeschooling, may be available while she's here. Diana had so much fun during her stay with us this past summer, she asked if she could come back to offer more training. If you're pursuing Certified Level training and are currently at the Associate Level, you need to head to Camp Spring Creek on October 5 (9 a.m. - 5 p.m.) and October 6 (9 a.m. - noon). Cost for the day and half-long session, which includes a tour of our summer camp facilities, is $150. You pack your lunch and we'll provide light refreshments.  Let us know if you need accommodations. We can offer several area options.

The Yancey Library is the place to be on October 6, from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. when we screen a movie about dyslexia that is both humorous and touching. It's perfect for anyone who wants to understand dyslexia and all its implications. We'll offer light refreshments before starting the movie at 7 p.m.

Parents who homeschool their children with dyslexia will want to join us in our Spruce Pine office from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. on October 7. Diana will share strategies to use with struggling readers and help parents develop a greater understanding of multi-sensory learning modalities.

An after-school outing from 3:30 p.m - 5 p.m. on October 8 in the library at Greenlee Primary is ideal for curious teachers who have heard of O-G training but want to know what it looks like in the classroom.  Teachers who have used O-G in the classroom will also be on hand to share their experiences.

Diana has set aside October 9 from 3:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. in our Spruce Pine Outreach Center for anyone who has taken the classroom educator or Associate Level course and has questions on how to better individualize their efforts. This session will be followed by a meet and greet with Diana at Spoon, which is located just around the corner on Upper Street.

If you can, please RSVP by October 1 for the October 5, 6 and 7 training at info@campspringcreek.org. We look forward to seeing you.

For the Children by Rob Langston

Today's book rec comes from Susie, who suggests that the beginning of the school year is always a great time to review your goals to work as a team with you child's teachers, school administrators, or IEP team members. There can be many barriers, but there can also be many successes. Clear communication, goals, and expectataions along with a positive outlook are keys to success. After all, everyone has the same goal: to get your child the best educational opportunities possible. To that end Rob Langston's For the Children: Redefining Success in School and Success in Life is worth taking a look at. With so many messages from schools, from home, from media, and from research, and from society in general, sometimes it's hard to know "how to be." The author's Amazon page notes, "In this book I tell you about my struggles and accomplishments as a child and an adult with Dyslexia, with the hope that it will give you the strength and encouragement to help yourself or a loved one. I strongly urge you to read this book and apply it to your life. Don't ever give up on your dreams and always believe in yourself." Read more here.

In her Own Words: Melisa Cadell

“The biggest thing for Ben at camp was that he was surrounded by other children with dyslexia and so he found kids who look at the world in the same ways that he does. It was an amazing time where there was no stigma attached to him. Instead, the message was that you have to advocate for yourself and remember that the sky is the limit. It was amazing, as a mother, to watch him go through that. He came home and told me, ‘Now I don’t feel like I’m stupid.’ He’s had that thought since first grade, but now he doesn’t. There truly is a stigma with this kind of thing in the schools, but now, Ben knows that he learns differently and he knows he has strengths.” —Melisa Cadell, artist, parent of Camp Spring Creek camper Ben

(Read Ben’s full story in our front page feature right here.)

Video: Tutoring for Accuracy

Here's another in our series of videos on tutoring using Orton-Gillingham practices. For more lessons you can use at home or in the classroom, subscribe to our YouTube channel (link on right sidebar).

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIsVxeBQs74&feature=youtu.be[/embed]

End of Summer Exhale

Wow. It was another amazing summer! Steve, Susie, Marguerite, Nina, Olson, Mimi, and all the counselors, tutors, and staff thank YOU for entrusting us with your children and helping us thrive as a camp, grow as a business, expand as a family, and love like there's no tomorrow!

We're taking the rest of August off from the blog to catch our breath. We'll be back this fall with twice weekly posts, including everything from artist interviews to book recs to training videos and more. Stay tuned!

Week 8 Photos, 2015

(Sorry these are posted late and out of order...our beloved camp photographer Nina was packing for college!

Two Books, Three Authors, Many Activities

Today we'd like to recommend two books that Susie finds helpful and often shares with others during her training programs. First, Creating Robust Vocabulary: Frequently Asked Questions & Extended Examples by Isabel L. Beck PhD, Margaret G. McKeown Phd, and Linda Kucan. Second, Bringing Words to Life, Second Edition: Robust Vocabulary Instruction by the same authors. Lead author Isabel Beck's bio reads impressively: "Isabel Beck, Ph.D., is a Professor of Education and Senior Scientist at the University of Pittsburgh, where she teaches reading education courses and conducts reading research. She has engaged in extensive research on decoding, vocabulary, and comprehension, and has published her work in over 100 articles and chapters as well as in several books. She is a recipient of the Oscar S. Causey Award for Outstanding research from the National Reading Conference and the International Reading Association’s William S. Gray Award for lifetime contributions to the field. She is also a recipient of the contributing researcher award from the American Federation of Teachers for "bridging the gap between research and practice.”

Beck is also the author of Text Talk, a multi-approach text-to-talk learning program for three different levels, sponsored by Scholastic. Enjoy these resources!

Week 7 Photos, 2015

Video: Letter Tile Spelling

Use this Orton-Gillingham approach activity for a multi-sensory learning experience that improves sequencing:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoxBVK2jkSE]

Week 6 Photos, 2015

Summer Scholarships & the Big Heart Ben Update

We're pleased to share with you that we were able to award 11 scholarships to campers this summer. Six of those scholarships went to OpenDoors children through our partnership with this fantastic organization. Of those 6, one is for a full 8 weeks of camp. All of the OpenDoors scholarships were offered at 50% to Buncombe County children living in multi-generational poverty.

Three of our eleven scholarships this summer were awarded to local Avery/Mitchell/Yancey County children. One of those scholarships is at 100%, another is at 70%, and the final is at 35% and all are for day campers. The remaining two scholarships went to campers from out of state. One camper received an 83% scholarship for 6 weeks of boarding at camp and the other camper received a 50% scholarship for 4 weeks of boarding at camp.

As of the start of our 2015 Camp Season, we're pleased to share that we have raised $30,198 for the Carl D. North Scholarship Fund, $1391 of which came from Camp Store proceeds from last summer. Of this $30,198 in scholarship funds, it's worth noting that $3,966 came as a result of the Big Heart Ben campaign organized and sponsored by Ben, a day camper from Mitchell County who experienced Camp Spring Creek for the first time last summer. You can read Ben's heart-warming story in full right here. In short, he set about to raise 50% of the funds needed to send one of his friends (who also has dyslexia) to camp as a day camper for 4 weeks. Ben did this with the understanding that he would be unlikely to attend camp himself this summer. He simply wanted to "pay it forward" after his life-changing experience last year.

The happy news is that Ben raised the 50% and Camp Spring Creek provided matching funds, resulting in a scholarship for a local child. Even more exciting, camp offered Ben a 35% scholarship for his efforts and he will be able to return to camp again this summer. We're thrilled to have him back, to welcome another local scholarship camper, and to see such a generous young man making a positive difference in the world.

Week 5 Photos, 2015

In His Own Words: Conor Lennon

Today's blog is a guest post from first-time counselor at Camp Spring Creek, Conor. Thanks, Conor, for all your hard work and heartfelt reflections. We're so glad you're here!

So it’s been four weeks since camp officially started and this year’s crop of campers descended on Camp Spring Creek. I’ve now been in North Carolina a little over a month, and can honestly say it has been the quickest five weeks I have ever experienced. At the same time--and I’m aware of how contradictory this sounds--when I think back over everything that has happened since I touched down in Charlotte, it feels like I must have been here for months. Maybe even years. Since I arrived, I have acquired an American Red Cross qualification in lifeguarding and CPR (thanks to our very patient and understanding instructor), attended a genuine sidewalk street dance in Bakersville, experienced 4^th of July as the Americans celebrate it and, as well as countless others, met the most amazing group of people (campers, counselors and tutors) I’ve ever encountered.

That’s what really sets this camp above its larger counterparts. Hidden up in the mountains, with no television, Internet or cell phone connection, camp becomes its own little secluded community. As I write this, we consist of approximately fifty-two people; thirty campers, eight counselors, seven tutors, assorted members of staff, and the van der Vorst family.

Before we continue, I would like to apologize for the frequent references to the passing of time in this post--how many weeks camp has been up and running, how long it has been since I arrived, the length of time until camp wraps up, etc. The reason I mention it so often is because I truly cannot believe both how fast time is passing and how much is being achieved in that time. It’s almost as if, in our little dyslexia-orientated enclave in the Blue Ridge Mountains, time is passing differently than in the rest of the world. Having such a small, intimate camp means that during the course of the last four weeks (I did warn you) I’ve really gotten to know all of the campers personally, as well as forging extremely tight bonds with my fellow counselors and colleagues. Though it can be difficult at times, I couldn’t have asked for a better or more diverse group of kids for which to be responsible.

All the children have very different personalities and skill-sets and it’s enthralling to watch as these traits slowly become apparent as camp goes on and the campers grow in confidence. As cliché as it sounds, I have probably learned more from this bunch of 6 to 15 year olds than they have from me. It can be extremely humbling to become engrossed in a debate about education, history, or even philosophy, only to realize part-way through that you are having this very mature discussion with a twelve-year-old (and even more humbling when said twelve-year-old reveals they are at least as knowledgeable, or even more knowledgeable, about the subject than you are!).

Despite only meeting them three weeks ago, the thought that many of these kids will be leaving this [last] week is a source of genuine distress to my fellow counselors and I, which is a testament to both the campers and Camp Spring Creek as a whole. Though we’re not even halfway through our stay at camp, several of the counsellors (including myself) have already decided that we would like to return again next year, provided Susie and Steve will take us back, of course!

Before I arrived in North Carolina I was, quite frankly, at a loss as to what I wanted to do with the rest of my life and where I wanted to go. Already, I can say that choosing to become a counselor at Camp Spring Creek is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. I’ve learned an awful lot about myself that I never would have known if I’d stayed at home and it has given me some real direction as to what I want to do after the summer. I remember reading a previous entry on this blog prior to my arrival at camp that described a summer at Camp Spring Creek as "the hardest fun I’ve ever had," pretty much summing up my last few weeks in six words.

And I wouldn’t change a thing.

Week 4 Photos, 2015