Hi all,

We began the week with another letter from our favo rite fairy, Sióg! She told us about her Irish visitor and how much she loved camp, especially last weeks theme ‘Prehistoric Party’! We also learned that Sióg LOVES Wednesday dress up and we all showed her what we dressed up as this week for ‘Shipwrecked’! Last week, she wrote that she has a pet ant and we finally found out his name – Benny! We are all going to be on the lookout for Sióg walking her ant! The more exciting part about this weeks letter was the drawing she drew of herself! She explained that she can’t use a human camera so instead drew a picture for us. We even had some sightings of her yesterday!

She hopes that everyone is having a great week at camp and she will write again soon!

Ellen

Hi all!

We received another letter from the fairy on Monday! When I walked down to Loz, the doors were wide open, a sign that Sióg has left us something! Her letter thanked us for all the lovely presents, letters and pictures that campers gave her for her birthday. She also told us a bit more about her wings! They’re not only one colour, they change colour according to her mood! She said that they are mainly yellow because she is usually happy – except when people are banging on her door!! We also learned that Aoibheann (Ai-veen), Sióg’s cousin from Ireland, is visiting camp this week! We are excited to have another fairy to look out for and we are going to try to keep everything looking neat and tidy for her!

See you next week!

Ellen

Hi all,

What an exciting week for the fairy as it was her birthday on Tuesday! She turned 256 fairy years old! Lots of presents were left for the fairy by her door and she celebrated with her friends last night. One camper gave Sióg a birthday cake and tea, her favourite drink! She must have had a great night as there are only crumbs left from the cake! Some groups sang happy birthday to Sióg, Triple C style of course! On Monday we received another letter from the fairy. She described her plans for her birthday and told us more about Fairy Valley, where she lived in Ireland. We learned that she will be returning at the end of the summer as she needs to watch over the children going back to school in September! We hope she had a great birthday and are looking forward to her next letter!

See you next week!

Ellen

Hi all!

We have had an exciting first week with the fairy living in the Loz! Lots of letters were written and pictures were drawn for the fairy last week and she wrote us some new letters this week! She told us lots about herself, including her plans for her upcoming 256th birthday! Some groups are beginning to plan celebrations for her! We look forward to what the following week has in store with Sióg!

Check out the letter she wrote back to the campers below…

Hi campers and families, Ellen here from the Loz!

This summer I have been telling you all about the leprechaun and fairy but for those campers and families who have missed part of the story/need to refresh themselves, I will be writing posts here to keep you updated.

Before we get started there are a few things you need to know about leprechauns!

Leprechaun Facts:

1. Leprechauns love to hang out at the end of rainbows. They usually try and sit on a nice tree stump with their pot of gold.
2. A rainbow appears after it rains and the sun comes out and it disappears once the gold has been taken off the leprechaun.
3. Leprechauns vary in size, ranging from 3 inches to 8 inches, depending on their age.
4. A leprechaun’s pot of gold is approximately half the height of the leprechaun and is made from delicate glass.
5. Irish leprechauns only speak Gaeilge (Irish). When you meet one, it will say ‘Dia duit’ [dee-ah gwitch] and you must respond with ‘Dia is Muire duit’ [dee-ah iss murah gwitch].
6. Once you’ve responded with the correct response, you have three seconds to take the pot of gold before the leprechaun and the rainbow disappear, otherwise it is gone forever.
7. A leprechaun must remain untouched, otherwise they disappear.
8. Rumor has it that the leprechauns live in a beehive hut in Tipperary. These huts are 1.5 meters (about 5 feet) high and have a narrow slit at the entrance. It cannot be proven that the leprechauns live there as if you touch a leprechaun, it disappears.
9. Leprechaun gold has magical powers. If you make a wish on leprechaun gold, you will receive good luck!
10. If you touch leprechaun gold, it will lose its magic and turn black immediately.

How I met the Leprechaun…

Just before Christmas, I was driving down the countryside with my Mam. It started to bucket down rain so we decided to pull the car over. Eventually, the rain stopped and, just as we were about to drive off, a beautiful rainbow appeared in the sky very close to where we were parked. I was so excited because I knew that when there is a rainbow, a leprechaun and a pot of gold appear at the end. We got there as fast as we could and parked near the rainbow. My Mam is really afraid of leprechauns but I managed to persuade her to come over with me. The two of us tip-toed over to the tree stump that was just beside the end of the rainbow. Sitting on top of the tree stump was … the leprechaun, AND his pot of gold! I was soooo excited to finally see a real leprechaun! I walked over to him and he said ‘Dia duit!’. I was so happy I knew how to respond to him, by saying ‘Dia is Muire duit’. His eyes immediately shot open wide as he didn’t expect me to be able to respond! He then opened his arms and showed me the pot of gold. My friend found a leprechaun before so I knew from her that I had just three seconds to get the pot of gold before it disappeared with the leprechaun and the rainbow. I reached in quickly and grabbed it nicely from him. At the same time, I asked my Mam to take a picture of the leprechaun with her camera so that I would always have a picture to remember him by. As you can see, he looks a little bit creepy!

Not all leprechauns look the same but they all have orange hair and a big beard! We ran back to the car as I was so excited to look at my gold. It was so shiny and sparkly. When I was planning my trip over to camp I told Miss Katie about my encounter with a leprechaun and she asked me to bring my gold over with me. I was afraid the lovely glass pot would break in my luggage so I scooped some of the gold out to put in a new container. Suddenly, the gold that I touched started to turn black!

My friend forgot to tell me that you absolutely cannot touch leprechaun gold as a human touch drains the magical powers from it and turns the gold black! Unfortunately, the gold that I touched is still black, but thankfully I had gold that I hadn’t touched and so could just pour into the container. This gold is now the gold that I can wish on to give me good luck! Another thing to look out for amongst the gold is the purple shell!!! All leprechauns love to play tricks and so they try to confuse people by putting a purple shell in with all the gold! If you wish on the purple shell, it will give you bad luck! Our very own counselor Aoife who works in the barn once wished on the purple shell and now she has a leprechaun stamp on her neck! Those trickster leprechauns!

Try and find some rainbows so you can have the chance to meet a leprechaun and get some gold!

Fairy time…

As well as leprechauns, we also have fairies who live in Ireland. These live in beehive huts just like leprechauns, except these huts are only 2 feet tall and there are always three or five of them together as these are magical numbers in Ireland. The fairies spend most of their time living in these huts, but also spend time living in Fairy Valley where they learn how to be the best fairy possible. Fairy Valley is run by Queen Kate and she trains and looks after all of the fairies until they are ready for their new home. When a fairy is ready for her new home, she has to listen really carefully for a fairy wish. This is done by humans who want a fairy to live near them. To make a fairy wish, you must cross your fingers on both hands, cross your legs and say ‘I wish a fairy lived here’ three times. The wish doesn’t always work and sometimes might need to be repeated. We made lots of fairy wishes in the Loz so we are really hoping that a fairy will move in soon! To tell if an Irish fairy has moved in, you have to look for the green fairy door with a shamrock. Along with the door you will find some stepping stones that your fairy uses to get into her house, a glass container with a tiny key, and a letter from your fairy explaining the fairy rules. Hopefully we will have our very own fairy soon!

Sióg is here!

The fairy has arrived! On Tuesday morning, I was walking to the Loz and I noticed that the main doors were open. This was very odd as I always close and lock the doors at night time. When I walked into the Loz, I was amazed to find a green fairy door, stepping stones, glass bottle, key and letter all down the very bottom of one of the walls. I couldn’t wait to show the campers during the day!

We read the letter from the fairy and it was a “Fairy/Family Lease Agreement”. It outlines the expectations and rules that both the humans and the fairy must follow to live happily together. We read through them and all agreed to the rules. Our fairy didn’t realise how many of us are now part of her family and so we couldn’t all sign our name on the agreement.

Instead, we signed our name on a big sheet of paper and left it beside the door over the weekend so that she could see it. The letter she wrote us said that once we have all signed the agreement, she will come back into the Loz, get the key out of its container and move all of her stuff into her new home. Hopefully when we come to camp next week she will have moved in and is ready to start writing us some letters. We also found out our fairy’s name – Sióg. It’s an Irish name and is pronounced [she-oe-g]. We are SO excited for our fairy to move in! Some of us even made some artwork to give to the fairy to make her feel at home!

Check back in next week to hear more updates on the fairy!

Nutrition for kids is based on the same principles as nutrition for adults. Everyone needs the same types of nutrients — such as vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, protein and fat. Children, however, need different amounts of specific nutrients at different ages. This is the guiding premise for our summer camp menus. We offer a variety of items throughout the week, and encourage campers to try new things. By serving our campers versus them “helping themselves” we are able to make sure their portions are appropriate to their age, size and activity levels.

Proteins, fruits, vegetables and hydration are the foundation of each camp meal. After water campers are allowed “bug juice”. Even the camp “bug juice” is monitored to make sure it is within the US guidelines for our campers, and has minimal added sugars.

So what’s the best formula to fuel your child’s growth and development? Check out these nutrition basics for girls and boys at various ages, based on the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans¹.

• Choose seafood, lean meat and poultry, eggs, beans, peas, soy products, and unsalted nuts and seeds.
• Encourage your child to eat a variety of fresh, canned, frozen or dried fruits — rather than fruit juice. If your child drinks juice, make sure it’s 100 percent juice without added sugars and limit his or her servings. Look for canned fruit that says it’s light or packed in its own juice, meaning it’s low in added sugar. Keep in mind that one-half cup of dried fruit counts as one cup-equivalent of fruit. When consumed in excess, dried fruits can contribute extra calories.
• Serve a variety of fresh, canned, frozen or dried vegetables. Aim to provide a variety of vegetables, including dark green, red and orange, beans and peas, starchy and others, each week. When selecting canned or frozen vegetables, look for options lower in sodium.
• Choose whole grains, such as whole-wheat bread, oatmeal, popcorn, quinoa, or brown or wild rice. Limit refined grains.
• Encourage your child to eat and drink fat-free or low-fat dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, cheese or fortified soy beverages.

Aim to limit your child’s calories from:

• Added sugar.Limit added sugars. Naturally occurring sugars, such as those in fruit and milk, are not added sugars. Examples of added sugars include brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, honey and others.
• Saturated and trans fats.Limit saturated fats — fats that mainly come from animal sources of food, such as red meat, poultry and full-fat dairy products. Look for ways to replace saturated fats with vegetable and nut oils, which provide essential fatty acids and vitamin E. Healthier fats are also naturally present in olives, nuts, avocados and seafood. Limit trans fats by avoiding foods that contain partially hydrogenated oil.

If you have questions about nutrition for kids or specific concerns about your child’s diet, talk to your child’s doctor or a registered dietitian.

Libby Rothenberg, R.N.

 

• S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture.2015 – 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 8^th Edition. December 2015. Available athttp://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/.

How do you keep seasoned staff engaged and foster new/junior staff getting up to speed in the “off season”? Provide a healthy online competition, of course! In an effort to keep in touch with our staff this winter (and bridge some winter skills gaps) we introduced a skills competition online: Technical Tuesday!

The first Tuesday of every month we launch a mass staff e-mail detailing the parameters of the month’s competition. For the 2015-2016 winter season, we’ve chosen knot skills. Facilitators receive a link to the “knot of the month” (we currently find animatedknots.com to be a most effective resource). Once announced, they have seven days to review/practice the knot, create a video of them tying said knot (neatness counts!), while providing a commentary of the appropriate applications of the knot universally and within our program. Below is the actual explanation they received when we launched:

Today marks the maiden voyage of Technical Tuesday, your “season-bridge” skill builder/refresher challenge!  The goal is to continue building and reinforcing your technical knot proficiency through our slow months so you are better prepared to jump back into training and programs in early 2016 (and we get to keep in touch more regularly…BONUS!)

How it works:

1. Each month we will send a link to a knot-tying video (typically we will use com).
2. You have one week (7 days) to learn/review and practice the knot-of-the-month.
3. By day seven (7), email us a video of your (unassisted/unprompted) knot tying prowess. Video quality can be low, though it must be distinguishable. Please also tell us about the application (what it’s used for) of the knot.
4. You can use whatever rope-like medium you have on hand (ie: clothesline, shoe laces, paracord, actual climbing rope) to accomplish your knot. Of course, you are also welcome to, upon communication, swing by and pick up a piece of practice (dead) rope!

What do we get when we participate?

• Ummmm…..mad, crazy knot skills!
• Something tactile and relaxing to do while you veg and watch TV, or study, or stare at the wall. aaaannnnd….
• The first person to submit a video with correct form and finish (dressing the knot) will win…
  • The (soon to be coveted) “Not (un)Neat Knot” Award for the month.
  • Bragging rights and “swagger”.
  • A (soon to be acquired) randomly awesome prize from the (soon to be created) Randomly Awesome Prize Stash.
  • To be happy! 🙂

Given we already have a staff who loves friendly competition; I can firmly attest hilarity has ensued! Within 10 minutes of the first challenge our Assistant Director rolled into my office, grabbed the closest item (and IPod charging cord), and whipped out a figure-8 follow through like a boss! She wasn’t even bothered that I asked her to defer the prize pack to an offsite winner; she just wanted the swagger of being the first submission! Engagement and having FUN! (A happy byproduct that has been more successful than we hoped!)

Not only are we experiencing a fantastic ratio of engagement (at least half of our staff, including internationals, have participated in spite of their already busy off season lives), we are also providing a unique interactive platform to hone and further their technical skills. When they return for spring staff training, they will be better prepared and more technically productive/efficient, thereby reducing the risk of incidences during program. How’s that for a win-win?!

So, as I challenge our staff, I now challenge you…join in the fun and remember….a not neat knot is a knot not needed!  Facilitators!  Are.You.READY?!

The now affectionately monikered Fabulous Facilitator Fun Pack:

 

 

 

 

 

Camp friends and family,

Happy 2016! We hope you had a great holiday season and a wonderful New Year’s.

Although it may seem that we just started a new year, summer will be here before we know it. Realizing this, we have been working hard at camp to make the summer of 2016 the greatest summer ever!

Our Year Round team just recently attended the American Camp Association Virginias Winter Conference in Williamsburg, Virginia. While at the conference we were able to attend some great sessions on Child Development, Safety, Fun & Games, Programming, and so much more! We attend these conferences to expand our camping knowledge and learn what we can do to better Triple C for people like you and make camp a fun and exciting place for kids to grow and develop.

Today also marks our first School’s Day Out program of 2016! We offer these programs throughout the year so please keep your eyes open for more information about them. These days are full of camp activities and give our campers a day to get outside and have fun during the school year!

Speaking of 2016 programs…Registration for Summer 2016 is also open! We already have over 30 families registered and the number is rising daily so make sure to get those calendars out, and even though it is still cold outside, start looking at those summer plans!

While you’re at it, go ahead and mark February 14^th on that calendar and come visit the Triple C staff at the Albemarle Family Camp Expo at the Double Tree hotel! We will be there to answer any questions you have and you will have the opportunity to spin the wheel for some great camp giveaways!

We look forward to seeing you all soon!

Today is May 21, 2015 and yesterday two returning international staff arrived.  Kasey Massih from Australia and Toni Green from New Zealand.  Both are spectacular riding staff.  It’s always so nice to have staff return.  However, it is one thing when they are a UVa student or from Charlottesville.  However, when you have people coming back year after year after year and then coming from half way around the world, you know you have something special.  This summer in addition to Kasey and Toni, returning staff include: Gemma Herdman from New Zealand, Travis Yuille from South Africa, John Togher from Ireland, and Jamie Turner, Dan Alinson, Jake Woods and Ben Ward all returning from England.  It’s AMAZING!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We also have more domestic staff returning then ever before.  We also have more campers signed up as of May 21, 2015 then we ever had in camp history.  It’s a pretty exciting time and each day gets closer and closer to having campers here on a daily basis.  Pretty special what we get to do.  Come play with us?

Yours in camping,

“H” 🙂

By “H” Rothenberg  Owner/Director

Today, we have home school campers starting a new curriculum as we begin a new month.  Water sheds is the focus and that must mean that we are outside all the time.  Makes me think of summer camp.
We just completed our second open house of the summer on Sunday and had 74 families attend!  Most ever for a spring open house in camp history.  We also have more campers registered to date than we have ever had in 16 years.  This is pretty exciting.  We also have more returning staff this summer than we have had in camp history.  Really, Really exciting.  So many new and returning children looking to gain experience and friendships outside!  This will make for memories that will far outlast the summer.
This week we also started planning staff training.  For summer camp, staff training is the most important week of the year.  I’m so excited about Katie and Chris Lukas being part of the camp family.  They will be a great addition.

If you would still like to add for the summer of 2015, we do have some spaces available.  Please come out for a tour.  We would love to meet you and your family. Come play with us! [email protected]  434.293.2529

Yours in camping,

“H” 🙂