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Fall School Camp

Fall Camp at SNC!

nickAs the summer of 2020 came to a close, we had many reasons to be grateful here at Swift Nature Camp. We were grateful for the families who sent their children to camp, and the faith they had in us to take care of them in uncertain times. We were grateful that we were able to send every one of the kiddos back home healthy and virus-free. And, of course, we were grateful for the opportunity to open Swift for our first ever Fall Camp!

Getting to spend extra time at camp is always a blessing, but there is something about being here in the fall that makes it so special. A lot of the great parts of summer camp are still present: we do fun activities like boating and arts & crafts, play classic games like capture-the-flag and zookeeper, and make memories with friends old and new. But the changing of the seasons brought new and exciting changes to camp, as well. We have new clubs to choose from every week, like kayaking, reading, ukulele, camp choir and more. Our wonderful camp cook has made more kinds of soup than we can count, as well as all the hot chocolate we'd ever need! We even carved pumpkins and had an all-camp snowball war! Think it was too cold to swim? Think again! We all took part in what I'm certain was the coldest "Polar Bear Swim" this camp has ever seen! But the cherry on top of our Fall Camp sundae? The natural beauty of northern Wisconsin. It's no secret how picturesque this area is in the summer, but living amongst the trees as they change colors and shed their leaves is truly a sight to behold.

Thank you again to all of the families who made fall camp possible. To those families who couldn't make it this fall, we hope you all stayed healthy and enjoyed your fall as much as we did, and we'll see you all next summer!

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Online Schooling Is It Working?

3get attachment 14 ppOnline schooling has long been an option for children - and it is the best choice for some children.  When schools began to go online-only in the spring, a few children even found that things were less stressful for them - there are children that thrive in a school-from-home environment.

 
Unfortunately, this is not true for the vast majority of school-aged children.  But currently, parents and children aren't able to choose the school environment that works best for them.  Students who need in-person peer interaction and support for their emotional health and well-being are being forced (through covid circumstances) to either school entirely from home, or attend in-person school for a limited amount of time or with altered arrangements that leave them unable to truly interact with their peers.  Time spent with others through Zoom, Google Classroom, FaceTime, or other social media/virtual environments cannot substitute for in-person time with friends.
 
These consequences are worrying, and as we face a situation unlike any other in our life, we can't know the long-term effects that this will have on our children.  What we do know about some of the consequences of our current situation is worrying.  Our children are feeling lonely - online schooling is robbing them of the ability to build relationships and connect with their peers.  Children are left not knowing how their friendships are going to survive with only virtual communication.  This uncertainty leads to anxiety - our children don't know what to expect and aren't able to predict how situations will change.  Without this familiarity, children and teens feel unsafe, and that feeling is only increased without the in-person support of their peers.  
 
All of these changes are leading to increasing levels of stress for students - not only are these circumstances problematic emotionally and developmentally, that stress is affecting learning capabilities in an already unusual environment.  It is impossible to replicate in-person interactions with digital substitutes - and regardless of technological improvements, they are just substitutes.  Virtual interaction is not a long term solution.  School is not just a place that children learn, it is a much-needed space where they can build relationships, connect with others, and build long-term emotional skills.  A computer screen is not the same.
 
Here at Swift Nature Camp we have created a micro school that will allow students to do their online school studies at camp and afterward we treat the time as camp time. Which includes Fun, Socialization along with loads of activities. Let's all make lemonade out of lemons. SCHOOL CAMP
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Winter

25 Baybrook Ln.

Oak Brook, IL 60523

Phone: 630-654-8036

swiftcamp@aol.com

Camp

W7471 Ernie Swift Rd.

Minong, WI 54859

Phone: 715-466-5666

swiftcamp@aol.com

Swift Nature Camp

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