New Camper Blog Series: Class Schedules

Here at The Heart we are all about H.E.A.R.T.S! That is, a Healthy Atmosphere, Engaging All the Senses, Authentic Role Models, Relationships, Trying New Things, and Self Reliance. States become traits and in everything we do we seek to nurture these states in our campers. One of the many vehicles for our H.E.A.R.TS. mission is our class schedules!

Campers eleven and under have predetermined schedules, while the older girls personally configure their schedule to their liking. Our campers benefit from a dynamic class schedule. Similar to college schedules, classes schedules alternate, every other day, between two schedules comprised of about six activities each. Class periods are 45 minutes long. Most activities are one period, and activities such as horseback or fencing, take up two periods.

We seek to provide variety in our class schedules. In a day a girl may take horseback riding, swimming, climbing, choir, sewing, and the next day she may have field sports, swimming, journalism, canoeing, dance, and painting.

Life, and learning, is best when all of our senses are at work. Our class schedules offer the girls opportunities to venture outside of their comfort zone, and take advantage of trying new activities.

More importantly, our classes provide a safe place to fail. If a girl isn’t good at climbing, it’s not the end of her world. She is surrounded by supportive campers and counselors encouraging her to achieve her goal of reaching the top of the wall. She knows that even if she can’t make it up the climbing wall today, she is still treasured. But if she wishes, a camper can comfortably face the challenge again, and ring the victory bell. While she’s a camper, that wall is always there for her. Our class schedules provide girls the opportunity to hone favorite hobbies or fearlessly dip their toes in new ones.