ROCS Inaugural Summer Camp Memories

Thanks to the incredible dedication and excellent leadership of our ROCS school manager, board, educators, and Health and Safety Committee, as well as the support and community spirit of Red Oak families and friends, not only were we able to close out the 2020/2021 school year successfully, but we also started what is sure to become another great program at ROCS: summer camp!

The first ever ROCS Shizen Outdoor Summer Camp….ROCKED! Four weeks of nature-inspired fun brought together veteran ROCS students and new friends experiencing Red Oak for the very first time. Each Monday started out with tie dying camp T- shirts and we wrapped up camp each Friday afternoon with art showcases and a group song campers practiced throughout the week. In fact, the very last day of the final week of camp, Ishi (Stone) Week, we treated families to a new Red Oak original song inspired by rocks, Queen, and the hardship, loss, and survival surrounding 2020/2021: “We Will ROCS You!” The stomp, stomp, clap of the campers was the perfect ending to a triumphant summer.

A big ありがとう (arigatou/ thank you) to fellow camp co-director Anne Spurgeon, and camp counselors Amy McNabb and Sarah Clement for not only creating incredible projects and activities for campers, but for also creating that nurturing environment that has become synonymous with Red Oak Community School. And thank you to Mitch Seiple for joining us as an assistant counselor! Mitch contributed greatly to Japanese teaching and learning during camp AND introduced campers to Wushu martial arts. Red Oak is looking forward to hosting the Dragon Phoenix Wushu Team for future lessons and demonstrations!

The success of our first ever summer camp couldn’t have happened without amazing community members who welcomed us for a walking field trip or visited camp as guest educators. Thank you to Eric Cherry for teaching us mindfulness among the trees, Jodi Kushins for hosting us at Over the Fence Urban Farm, FLOW (Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed) for the valuable demonstration on keeping our waterways clean and healthy, and Akie Okubo for teaching campers how to make an origami Kabuto Mushi or rhinoceros beetle.

We can’t wait to see all of our tomodachi (friends) again next year!

-Meridith Kiyosue, ROCS Educator