AT HOME
If your youngster exhibits concern about going to camp, encourage him/her to talk to you about it. The child is worried about the unknown and is looking for understanding. It is helpful to tell your child that such concerns are normal and that many other campers feel the same way. If there are specific worries about bunkmates, clothes, or anything else, let your child call the camp office and speak with Isaac. Often specific answers are not necessary after the child has had the opportunity to express himself/herself to a receptive ear.

Begin by involving your child in the process of choosing a camp. The more that the child owns the decision, the more comfortable the child will feel being at camp. Don’t be ambivalent about the length of your child’s stay at camp. There should be no trial periods. He/she is there for a full session or a full summer and should understand this. A “try-out” approach is a sure loser, certain to create a serious homesickness problem at camp. On the other hand, don’t make your child feel he/she must go to camp, no matter how enthusiastic you may feel about the benefits of the experience. Send a note or care package (REMEMBER-NO FOOD) ahead of time to arrive the first day of camp. Acknowledge, in a positive way, that you will miss your child. For example, you can say “I am going to miss you, but I know that you will have a good time at camp.”

Reassure your child that everything at home will be the same as when he left; that pets will be cared for, possessions protected, etc. If, for some reason, this is not possible let Isaac know so that he and his staff can effectively be supportive. Don’t bribe. Linking a successful stay at camp to a material object sends the wrong message. The reward should be your child’s new found confidence and independence. Please notify Isaac of any upsetting event which may have occurred prior to camp, or is to occur during the summer. This might include illness or death in the family, poor school grades, divorce, or moving to a new house or city. The camp staff is there to help. When seeing your child off at the bus, make your parting brief and pleasant. Long goodbyes and floods of tears are upsetting. The same applies for visiting days, too. Remember, our staff will always be there to help make you and your child feel comfortable.

Every camp asks for parents to fill out medical and profile information. Ensure that you complete the medical and activity profiles as completely as possible. While the camp is designed to provide instruction and recreation in many areas, certain youngsters may ave a more rewarding time if encouraged in specific activities. The camp staff’s knowledge of your child’s interests (and Phobias!) can be helpful in arranging the most appropriate program from the wide variety of activities offered.

AT CAMP
Your cooperation is needed to ensure a successful summer for your child. Most children are resilient and adapt successfully to new situations. Parents, however, sometimes find it difficult to adjust to the youngsters being away from home. To prevent any negative effects on your children: Write or email frequently with good news and a cheerful tone – chatty and pleasant. Try not to telephone except in an emergency. Contact Isaac if you have a special concern. Be assured we will contact you if your child is experiencing difficulties. Remember children have access to payphones should they need to call you after the first week of each session.

When a “rescue call” comes from the child, offer calm reassurance and put the time frame into perspective. Avoid the temptation to take the child home early. Should you receive an upsetting call or e-mail, telephone Isaac immediately. Isaac and his staff will help. MAKE NO PROMISES. This is a sure route to failure. Talk candidly with the Isaac or your child’s head counselor to obtain his/her perspective on your child’s adjustment. Don’t feel guilty about encouraging your child to stay at camp. For many children, camp is a first step toward independence and plays an important role in their growth and development.

CONCLUSION
Camp is an experience that cannot be duplicated in any other environment, offering the opportunity for your child to achieve the poise and confidence that comes with the mastery of skills and the sociability developed as a vital participant in a structured and democratic society of his/her peers. French Woods works diligently to assemble the best staff possible. Countless hours throughout the year go into preparation and evaluation of the camp program. With your help, we are well prepared to serve the needs of your child.

We send this letter out of concern for the welfare of your child. Each year, out of misguided love, one or two parents take actions that in the end are most damaging to their child. In order to help these parents avoid putting their children in harms way we have enclosed the following article. It was taken from a review of essays on child development:

How to Help Your Child Have a Great Time at Camp by Bruce Muchnick, EdD

Summer at camp is more than just a vacation. At camp, kids learn to appreciate the outdoors, experience the companionship of other children and young adults working as counselors, learn skills that enhance self-reliance, cooperation with others and a sense of life larger than one’s self. Hopefully, the acquisition and refinement of such skills will contribute in positive and significant ways to the child’s adjustment and will carry over into his/her adult years.

Camp makes it easy for kids to have fun, relax and experience the spontaneous joys of childhood. A summer at camp is often perceived by; children, parents, community leaders, clergy and social service agencies as a respite from the strains of everyday family life and the pressures and tensions of school.

To help your child have a successful time at camp this summer…

Think of camp as a learning experience. Sending your children to camp offers a wonderful opportunity for both you and your children to practice “letting go” — an experience that can contribute to the development of healthy independence.

Don’t buy a whole new wardrobe. Camp is more rugged than life at home. A child doesn’t need new clothes… and having well-worn clothes and familiar possessions will help ease the transition. This is especially important for first-time campers.

Listen to and talk about concerns. As the first day of camp nears, some children understandably experience uneasiness about going off to camp. Rather than acting on what you believe his feelings to be, ask good questions such as: “We’ve been busy packing your gear. What are your thoughts about your program?” Communicate your confidence in his ability to handle being away from home and remind him about “small victories,” successes he has experienced in other situations.

Have realistic expectations. Camp, like the rest of life, has high points and low ones. Not every moment will be filled with wonder and excitement. At times, your child will feel great while at other times he may feel unhappy or bored.

Solution: Try to maintain within yourself — and encourage within your child — a reasonable and realistic view of camp by mentioning “ups and downs.” Opportunities for problem solving, negotiating, developing greater self-awareness and increased sensitivity to the needs of others can help your child cope with successes and failures in everyday life. Resist sending your child off to camp feeling pressured to succeed. Just relax and have fun.

When you child is at camp…

Observe camp policy about phone calls. Many camps, for instance, discourage phone calls during the first 10 days. It often takes kids a week and a half or so to adjust to being away from home. A call from home might disrupt the settling-in process. Furthermore, it is difficult to figure out how a child is adjusting to camp during a long-distance phone conversation.

Communicate in writing. Summer camp offers kids and parents the chance to develop a rarely practiced skill — letter writing. Write as often as you want. Keep in mind that this is your child’s connection to home and family.  Email is wonderful and quick. Your letters should be upbeat. It’s fine to write that you miss your child, but don’t include things like “The house is so quiet without you” or “your dog misses you.”

Better: Ask specific questions in your letters about your child’s activities… bunk life… friends, etc. This will help him organize his letters home.

Packages are appreciated every now and then. But don’t send food — it’s disruptive if some kids in the cabin receive food packages and others receive nothing. Receiving food packages is contrary to camp policy. If your child asks you to sneak food packages, don’t. Even if you think the rule is silly, breaking a camp rule might interfere with your child’s sense of right and wrong.

Better: Send postcards, cartoons, newspaper and magazine articles, comics, game books, puzzles and other items that can be shared with friends.

Don’t make major changes at home. This is not the time to reconfigure your marital relationship, move to a new neighborhood, sanitize or gut and redecorate your child’s room or get rid of his fossilized frog collection. Help your child cope at camp. Most kids need a few days to adjust to life at camp and being away from home. During this time, kids miss their parents, pets, friends and familiar surroundings. Most kids cope with these concerns and — with the help of camp staff — build support systems. If your child’s letters contain urgent pleas for you to bring him home, resist the temptation to rush to camp. Avoid making deals, such as “Give camp one more week, if you’re still unhappy, we’ll bring you home.” This is sure disaster.

Better: Support your child’s efforts to work out problems with the help of the director and the camp’s staff.

Communicate your love and confidence in your child’s ability to work through problems. Remind him, if necessary, that he has made a commitment for the summer. Overcoming a longing for home, dealing with upsets in the cabin and learning to care for oneself are important challenges to be faced at camp.

Important: Talk candidly with the camp director. Allow the director and staff an opportunity to apply their expertise in helping kids adapt to the routines of camp life. Listen to the advice of the camp director, remember he’s been doing this for many years and has been very successful. Most adjustment difficulties can be worked through.  Later, your child will thank you for the encouragement to stay.

Keep in mind that some kids feel guilty when an experience like camp does not work out for them. They may feel they have let their parents down, or that they are not up to leaving home.  Failure will remain with a child for years.

Bottom Line/Personal interviewed Bruce Muchnick, EdD, a licensed psychologist in private practice, Glenside, Pennsylvania 19038. Dr. Muchnick advises camp owners, directors, camping professionals and parents throughout the year and works intensively with camp communities during the summer. He is the founder and director of Summer Camp Resources, a group of professionals who provide organizational and mental-health services to camp communities.

It is my hope that you found this letter informative and it has created some discussion. Please do not hesitate to call at any time. Remember it is our goal to provide your child with a positive experience that they will never forget.

And while you’re at it, check out this one about alum Jared Scharff

Both of them mention French Woods.

Wednesday, February 27th – Saturday, March 2nd

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Monday, March 11th – Saturday, March 16th

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Sunday, April 7, 2013

http://www.nick.com/videos/clip/how-to-rock-series-premiere-coming-in-2012-N14522-01.html

There are still a few spaces left. Call our office for more information.

800-634-1703

James Jackson is playing Horton in the Rippowam Cisqua School production of Seussical. He was recently in Rent and is now playing Sonny and Danny in two different casts of Xanadu at Main Street ACT. He is the stage manager there for the junior cast of Aladdin and Sleeping Beauty.

Ben Jackson recently played Shane in Camp Rock and is now playing Sonny and Danny in two different casts of Xanadu at Main Street ACT.

Hope Jackson recently played Dana in Camp Rock and is now playing Calliope in Xanadu at Main Street ACT.

Ellie Sondock auditioned with over 500 kids for the highly selective Musical Theater program at The High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) in Houston. Twelve students were chosen for this department, which offers highly specialized and rigorous training in all aspects of Musical Theater, along with a rigorous academic program. She will start school in the fall as an incoming 9th grader.

Addie Meny has been cast as JoJo in Suessical the Musical at The Playhouse on the Green in downtown Bridgeport, CT.

First-time camper Jordan Bialik will be playing the role of Horton the Elephant in his school’s production of Seussical.

Matthew Wechsler put up his first Music Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTWR3aTd1dg

Morgan Luc Seftel and Scott Feiner performed in The Roslyn Theater Company’s A Chorus Line. Morgan was inducted into the Jr. Thespian Society at Weber Middle School after his performance as Bundles in Annie Jr. with Juliet Walzer. Morgan also danced in the Hannah Kroner School of Dance’s Cancer Benefit In Living Color with Lindsey and Chelsea Wolgel and 150 other girls!

Juliet Walzer sang Tiempo de Vals by Chayanne in front of 10,000 people at Mexico City’s National Auditorium as part of the Quincenera 2011 events (sort of a giant annual Sweet 16 spectacle for hundreds of 15 year olds.) Juliet appeared in several Mexican newspapers, including a profile in the largest one, El Universal http://www.eluniversaldf.mx/miguelhidalgo/nota24822.html.

Premieres at Paper Mill Playhouse September 2011

SEEKING:  Males and Females, minimum age 16 (to play 16-22), who are great dancers, singers, actors.

LOCATION:
Pearl Studios, 500 8th Avenue, 12th Floor, NYC 10018

WHEN:

Equity Females – Wednesday, May 4th – 10:00a (sign-in begins at 9:00a)

Non- Equity Females – Wednesday, May 4th – 2:00p – 6:00p (sing-in begins at 1:00p)

Equity Males – Thursday, May 5th – 10:00a (sign-in begins at 9:00a)

Non-Equity Males – Friday, May 6th – 10:00a (sign-in begins at 9:00a)

Please come ready to dance for all of the above auditions.  You may be asked to sing afterwards, so please bring sheet music in the appropriate key.  A contemporary musical theatre song is preferable.  An accompanist will be provided.

If you cannot attend any of these auditions, please send a photo and resume to:  newsies.casting@gmail.com

http://www.frenchwoods.com/battle-hymn-video.htm