So this week we have a report from Dr Claire Verden about the Educators for Eleuthera Summer Camp and also news of introducing Big Dog Leon – the GHFR fire truck to the community on Friday at Fish Fry.
Firstly let me hand the blog over to Claire …..
“It is hard to believe that August is upon us, and that camp is over for another year. It takes a full year of planning and collaboration to make camp a successful and meaningful experience for the children of Governors Harbour; and what a time they had !
We were again fortunate to be located at Emily G Petty Primary School where the wonderful Mrs. McPhee-Pinder, the school principal, allows us to use her facilities and collaborates with us to ensure that we continue the work of her teachers during the long summer break to maintain and increase school readiness skills. Each day consists of literacy and numeracy lessons as well as activities centered around music, games and arts and crafts. Over the course of the summer, we have supported over 90 different children, with the average numbers around 55-60 per day.
There are many people to thank including the readers of this blog! Without your financial support camp would not be possible. Your funding has provided transportation for some of our campers with disabilities who live outside of Governor’s Harbour and who would otherwise be at home all summer with nothing to do. Your generous support also enabled us to pay local high school students to work as teacher aides, gaining valuable skills and work training. Without the help of Mr. Kalin, Ms. Jade and Mr. Deryn the teachers would have had an even more difficult job! Now onto the teachers, they are all teachers back in the US and all volunteer their time, energies and pay their own way to be here. Hannah Cunliffe is our program director, and all around ‘get-it-done’ MVP! Without her expertise and know how camp could not happen. Our other teachers this summer were Julie Hatala, Samantha Moser, Sydney Ostroski, Liz Reidy, Katie Baker, Stephanie Ferry, Ali Hoffman, Maggie Cunliffe and Kelly Gustis. Each brings their own unique set of skills and dedication to the children.
As ever we are indebted to Michele Johnson at The Buccaneer. Each day she provides camp with water, ice and the food supplies needed to make all the lunches and snacks. We pick up these items every morning and her staff are so willing to help and make sure that each kid gets a free healthy lunch, snack and plenty of water to drink. We bring all the supplies to camp where our wonderful lunch lady Mrs. Mary Sands makes all the lunches.
And of course, it goes without saying that Kathy Colman is so important to the success of this program! By allowing us the space in her blog to talk about camp and to fund raise we wouldn’t be able to do what we do. Her continued support, and that of her readers, enable us to make camp happen, and HAPPEN it did !
Thank you all so very much for allowing the children of Governor’s Harbour to have a summer filled with learning, fun and friendship. Stay tuned for an update in a few weeks of ways in which to we plan to continue to support some very needy local families throughout the year.”
Back to me now ….
Huge thanks to Dr Claire and her team of teachers and supporters who year after year enrich the lives of the children here. It doesn’t bear thinking about what would happen if we didn’t have the enthusiasm and skill of these very special people…… Thank you so much x
And now news that on Friday 5th August at 6.30pm Big Dog Leon – our beautiful fire truck – will be introducing himself at the Fish Fry. Please come along if you are on island to see him and make him feel welcome. Also there will be a demonstration of firefighting on Sunday August 7th at 3pm on the new fish ramp in Governors Harbour – well worth giving up that Sunday afternoon nap for.
Have a good week and look out for those opportunities to spread a little kindness…..
