...And Just Like That, The Summer's Over

So summer has come to an end, all the kids and most of the staff have left camp, and now just a few of us remain to work the Fall season, which runs until mid-September. The last week of camp was just a crazy and awesome as I expected it to be, with so much going on and so much excitement and anticipation from all the first year staff for their upcoming travels.

The final week of the summer is always a good one and this year really didn't disappoint. I was super busy getting every last bit of footage we needed for our amazing promo video that's been my main priority this summer (look out for it online in the coming months...there's going to be a big release), so filming took up most of my days. Everything was very dependent on the weather, so as soon as the sun shone, out I went with the camera, instructing people to do this and that, trying to the get the perfect shots!

We also had our annual all camp Lip Dub activity on Thursday evening, which basically involves splitting everyone on camp (kids and staff alike) into separate groups, giving each group a part of a song, letting them come up with a dance routine, and then filming them all performing to the song in one long take. It's always a very stressful, but very fun evening and the result this year is possibly the best one we've ever done. It's a fantastic way to end the summer, and I love having a video that we can release straight away to all our followers and our #sloanefamily as soon as the summer ends.

Before all that though, we had the final intersession of the summer...where just some of the kids stay over from one session to the next, meaning only about a quarter of the staff are working and the rest of us are off (on camp). This is the perfect opportunity to hang out with people you don't often get to spend time with, and do some activities that you wouldn't otherwise have the time to try. We had out annual soccer match against Camp Hi Rock, our rival camp which, although the end result didn't go our way, was still a great game and a fun time. And then a bunch of us went horse riding...yup, I actually got on a horse for the first time since I was about 10! Mental. And it really wasn't as scary as I thought it would be!

Anyway, like the title of this post says...as soon as it started, summer was over and it was time to say our goodbyes to all the campers and then all the staff. We had an awesome staff banquet with awards, funny videos and a few tears, and then off they all went on a big yellow school bus, back to NYC and off on their travels.

And now it's Fall camp, one of my favourite parts of working at camp. There are 13 of us here, doing jobs around camp, working with the college groups that come for 1, 2 or 3 days at a time, and generally having a pretty great time. I'm here for about another 2 weeks and then it'll finally be time to go back to England, after almost a year and a half away.

So it's goodbye to summer, see you next year!

*NOTE*
If you want to stay up to date on all things Camp Sloane, follow us on any (or all) of the links below:

www.campsloane.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campsloane

Twitter: @CampSloane

Instagram: @campsloaneymca

One Week Left Of Summer

Yep, you read it correctly. There's only one week (ONE WEEK!) left of the summer until all the kids and staff go home and just a few of us remain on camp to work the Fall season (okay, well actually 1 week and 2 days, but you get the idea). Anyway, that's mental! I know I keep saying it, but this summer has completely flown by... much faster than any of my previous summer at Sloane!

Opening Campfire!

So much has been happening in the last few weeks since my last post...day to day life has continued on as normal, more kids have come and gone and I've been crazy busy (as usual) doing my Media thing, taking photos, making videos and planning the most awesome Promo video for camp that has ever been made. We've been trying to get this promo thing done for the last 3 years but other stuff has always just taken over, but this year (or rather in the last few days and then the coming week), we are really getting into gear and getting it DONE!

Doing My Media Thing

That's the sort of stuff that excites me, making things that everyone is going to see...hopefully this is going to be a video that helps camp in the long run and shows people how amazing Sloane really is!

We're working, I promise!

In the last few weeks we've had another square dance (no rain this time luckily!), another magic show, some pretty fun days off and plenty of laughs with friends and campers alike, and we even had a total first at Camp Sloane the other day in the form of Color War. It was absolutely awesome, probably the best theme day we've ever had, with everyone getting really into it and supporting their team throughout the day!

Color War!

So now we've got just one week left and I can't wait to see what it will bring. If you want to find out more about life at Camp Sloane, you can find us all over the web at the links below:

www.campsloane.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campsloane

Twitter: @CampSloane

Instagram: @campsloaneymca

 

Yeah, that's our Camp Director on a horse!

The Halfway Mark

So last Saturday was the halfway point of the summer...I know, how crazy is that? I cannot believe that we are into the last 4 weeks of summer camp already, and really now there's only 3 and half weeks left! I'm staying for Fall camp too, so really I have about 7 weeks to go, but there's only just over 3 weeks with kids permanently on camp. This summer in particular, it seems to be flying by super fast, more than any other year, and I'm not sure I like it...I would work here forever if I could!

Anyway, these last few weeks have been the usual camp madness, with lots of photo taking and video making going on, as well as some fun evening activities, and some crazy weather. We had our square dance last week, which is always a good time, even if we did have to stop midway through and move the whole set up inside as a mental storm came crashing over us (honestly, in the whole of Connecticut, it only rained over Camp Sloane!).

Another fantastic evening activity for the Juniors & Pioneers (the two youngest sections on camp) was a magic show put on by the father of one of our counselors, and it was such a treat, just to be able to sit and be entertained for an hour or so...the best part was seeing the kids' faces when he did a cool trick and you could see them all wondering to themselves (and out loud sometimes too) 'how did he do that!?!'

Last weekend also saw us have our first official Alumni Day, where we welcome many camper and staff alumni from years gone by to camp for tours, a commemoration service for our new Swim Beach Pavilion, and a special campfire with extra special skits put on by current staff and campers. It really was an excellent day, and so interesting to hear about what camp used to be like from some of the alumni who haven't been back here in about 30 years!

Then Sunday was the all camp Theme Day, with the theme being Harry Potter vs Pirates. The teams battled it out all day, doing all sorts of crazy games, building immense forts and ending in a final game of capture the flag. The Pirates came out on top in the end, but fun was had by all and I'm sure the Wizards will be back with a vengeance next summer!

Yesterday was my day off again (it comes around so fast each week!), and we had a super chilled one, with excellent food and even better company. And now it's halfway through week 5 and things are getting hectic for me in the media department, as I try to gather all the footage I need for our Promo and Lip Dub videos!

Sloaning Around

Camp has, as always, been pretty excellent this past week. I'm loving almost everything about this summer (there are always going to be minor stresses and annoyances in any job, nothing's perfect), especially my friends and the kids that we've had these past few weeks. It's always awesome when some of your favourite campers come back summer after summer and you can watch them change and grow up into these amazing people, that's probably the best thing about working at summer camp.

Performing Arts: 'The Little Mermaid'

The weather last week was pretty incredible, with every day being sunny and hot, making a nice change from the previous week of rain and storms almost every day! It seems that the rain and sun are taking turns though, as this week looks to be just as rainy and wet as the one we had 2 weeks ago...it's a shame, especially as it affects my ability to film things like our annual lip dub video and the promotional video we are putting together this year...nobody wants a grey, rainy sky in the background really, do they? Last week I also got a chance to go out on the waterski boat and go tubing with all the other activity heads one evening as a reward for all our hard work, which was pretty awesome and an amazing way to watch the sun go down!

Tubing!

We've just started our new session, so camp is even more full than it was last week, as we now have around 278 campers, filling almost every corner of camp. I love camp when it's full like this, all the noise and chatter and laughter is what it's all about! On our intersession break (when only a handful of kids stay over from one session to the next) we were all 'off on camp', so the majority of the staff went down to the lake to go boating or swimming, but I thought that I'd just chill out, catch up on some sleep and all my favourite TV shows and then just hang out with my besties, lie in the sunshine and order food and ice cream. It was absolute bliss...I love being on camp but having a moment to just be us and not surrounded by children. Just a short break from the mayhem is lovely and totally refreshing.

And now it's the start of week 4 (or week 8 for me, as I've been here since the end of May) and everyone is ready and raring to go...we're almost at the halfway mark!

Opening Campfire moved inside due to rain!

Follow along with all the goings on at Camp Sloane YMCA here:

www.campsloane.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campsloane

Twitter: @CampSloane

Instagram: @campsloaneymca

Another Busy Week At Sloane

It's been another very busy week at camp, just like all the weeks past and all the weeks to come. I've been out and about all over camp taking lots of photos, making videos and keeping the parents up to date via our social media channels (do you follow us yet? Check out the links to find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram)...all the usual Media stuff. I even went to the batting cages on my day off to hit some balls and get a bit of a break from the camp 'bubble'.

Boy's dining hall.

This week was the start of a new session, which meant we saw a lot of new kids and our numbers increased MASSIVELY from about 50 kids to just over 200...so the noise levels have definitely gone up too! It's awesome to see camp busy and full of life and energy, not just from the kids but from the staff too, all of whom have been on top form all week.

Girl's dance party.

The weather this week has been totally insane, ranging from incredibly hot, humid and gross at the start of the week to having two enormous storms the last two evenings, meaning that the whole of camp has to head to the dining hall to stay safe and dry. Last night was particularly spectacular, with huge lightening strikes ripping across the sky which meant that we were inside from dinner at 6pm until about 8:45pm...quite a long time to keep all the kids entertained and happy. But we just turned the music on and danced the evening away, with the boys even having a 'boyband off' and coming up with their own dance routines.

The storm approaching!

Some amazing stuff this week, with plenty more to come this summer I'm sure, starting with our Square Dance tomorrow evening (fingers crossed the weather holds up for us!)

So You've Been Placed… What Happens Next?

Firstly, congratulations on being placed at a camp for this summer! If you haven't been placed yet, don't worry and just keep waiting, because CCUSA haven't forgotten about you and are on the hunt for the perfect camp for you… you WILL be placed, so just be patient.

So now that you've been placed and are getting all excited about heading off to the USA for the summer, I bet you're wondering what's next in the process. Finding a camp job is just the beginning! Don't panic though, if you take it step by step it's all super easy and you'll be at camp before you know it.

Step 1: Your Camp's Paperwork
Read all the info you receive from your camp, sign your contract (and any other paperwork they request) and send it back. This might also include setting up a US bank account (depending on how your camp choose to pay their international staff) which can seem a bit complicated so I would just advise emailing your camp if you get stuck as they'll be able to easily help you out… they have been hiring international staff for a VERY long time!

Get that passport ready!

Step 2: Getting Your J1 Visa
The biggest thing you'll have to deal with between now and leaving for camp is getting your J1 visa so you are actually allowed to work in America. It seems very overwhelming at first but really if you just follow CCUSA's well laid out instructions you'll have nothing to worry about. I would suggest putting aside an afternoon to just get it all done and dusted so it's a weight off your mind. I'll break it down into simple steps you need to take:

1. Wait for your CCUSA footprints account to update with you SEVIS and Program numbers as you will need this for step 3.

2. Get some US visa photos taken, or take them yourself and resize on your computer - they need to
 be square and 600x600 pixels.

3. Wait for CCUSA to send you your DS2019 form. DO NOT LOSE THIS…YOU NEED TO KEEP IT WITH YOUR PASSPORT THE ENTIRE TIME YOU ARE IN THE USA.

4. Fill in the online DS160 form, following the downloadable instructions from CCUSA . Just take it page by page, upload your photo and answer every question as fully as you can (you will need to know your parents dates of birth!). There is a little question mark button next to each question which will help you out on any confusing questions, but if you're really stuck, don't try and blah it, just give CCUSA a call/email and they'll be able to quickly help you out. You will also need the names, phone numbers, email addresses and home addresses of two people (who aren't relatives) who can verify who you are and why you are going to America.

5. It's time to book your Visa appointment! Again, using the instructions that CCUSA provide, go through the government website to book your appointment at your nearest embassy or consulate. Select 'Non-Immigrant' visa, follow the instructions and then when you get to the bit that asks what type of visa you are applying for, click on Student, find where it says Exchange Visitor, then select J1 from the drop-down menu. Pay the MRV fee and save your receipt (you will need this to complete your appointment booking.

6. Next up is to print your SEVIS fee receipt. Go to the website, fill in the required details and print off your receipt! Simples.

7. If you are applying with an Australian passport, you will need to pay a visa issuance fee (sorry), which you pay at the time of your visa appointment by cash, credit card (NOT debit) or bank cheque.

8.You're almost there…time to get all your documents together. You will need
       - Passport
       - DS160 confirmation page with your photo on it
       - Printed copy of your Interview Appointment Letter (emailed to you)
       - Signed DS2019 Form
       - MRV fee receipt (this will also be in an email)
       - SEVIS fee receipt
       - Visa Issuance fee.
       - A letter explaining your travel purpose
       - A copy of your CCUSA placement letter
       - Current bank statement (preferably showing that you have $500+)

9. Go to your visa appointment. It's super easy…just show up with your documents, be polite and be ready to do a lot of waiting around. If you have all the correct documents the process should be pretty simple and you'll know before you leave whether or not your visa has been granted.

10. Your passport (visa visa stuck inside) will take about a week to be returned to you. Check everything on the visa is correct and then celebrate!

Here's the visa!

Step 3: Flights & Insurance
CCUSA provide you with 90 days insurance cover, but depending on how long your contract runs for, you may need to extend it (someone from CCUSA will most likely contact you if this is the case). Get your flights booked as soon as you can (just FYI you are allowed to arrive in America up to 30 days prior to your camp start date) - STA Travel have some great deals - and it's time to start getting VERY excited.

Step 4: Double Checking & Packing
In the month or so before you depart for the USA, it's a good idea to just go back and double check you've returned all the required documents to both CCUSA and your camp and have everything you need for a brilliant summer. Do you need a Global SIM card for your phone, what are you doing about money (get some US$ or maybe a travel money cash card), and have you booked your first night's stay in the US before you head to camp the next day? And finally, do you know what you're going to pack?!

Working at summer camp is an absolutely amazing experience and the 'getting there' process doesn't need to be difficult or stressful at all. If you just follow the steps and do one thing at a time as required, it's really pretty simple and totally stress-free. Good luck and get ready to have an amazing summer!

If you have any other questions about the process between getting placed and getting to camp, just pop a message in the comments and I'll get back to you asap!