Camp Ohio has become a favorite event and memorable experience for students at Elgin South and West Elementary schools.
Each May, over 150 fifth- and sixth-graders from Elgin South Elementary and Elgin West Elementary pack their clothes and sleeping bags and head to Camp Ohio for a three-day outdoor education event they’ll never forget.
This year Elgin fifth graders attended camp from May 10-12, and the sixth graders attended from May 12-14.
This outdoor education program has been a part of the Elgin community for nearly 30 years. Located in St. Louisville, it is designed to be a culminating experience that enriches students’ learning experiences.
Each year fifth graders from Elgin West and South come together for a true Camp Ohio experience. It is from this early camp experience that the students begin to feel for the first time that they are part of a school community and not a school building.
During their stay, students participate in sessions that focus on state academic standards and are appropriate for the grade level. The sessions are developed and taught by Elgin teachers and parents in addition to the camp naturalists.
Currently, students participate in seven different sessions, which they get to choose. Some of the choices include, arts and crafts, stream study, pond study, fishing, nature hike, forest awareness, archery, bottle rockets, line dancing, outdoor photography, ropes, rappelling, outdoor cooking, the Underground Railroad, outdoor physical education, team challenge, quilting, wild edibles, canoeing, wetlands, Native American, and Amish farms.
In addition to the outdoor education curriculum, students also participate in team-challenge activities where problem-solving and cooperation play a key role. Team-building is a major emphasis during these events.
Another important component of the camp is the education and relationships students learn outside of the sessions. They participate in campfire activities and skits, dancing, field games, flag raising and lowering, night hikes, scavenger hunts, and songfests.
“It’s cool to meet kids from Elgin South and make new friends,” said Chloe Metcalf, Elgin West sixth-grade student. “Being at Camp Ohio makes it more fun to learn.”
Fifth- and sixth-grade teachers, along with the physical education teacher, principals, school health consultant, volunteers, and Camp Ohio staff, all are involved in making this program successful. Volunteers from the Center of Science and Industry in Columbus, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and 4-H also have been instrumental in making the program a success.
A great deal of time and effort is involved in preparing for this trip each year. Teachers, parents, community members, and administrators work together to provide our children with a memorable experience. Mrs. Tracy Hix and Mrs. Kim Forbis coordinated fifth-grade camp while Mrs. Nancy Housekeeper and Mrs. Diana Rinehart coordinated sixth-grade camp.
Duties of the camp coordinators include: scheduling students into sessions, cabin assignments, holding parent chaperone meetings, gathering supplies and equipment for sessions, providing lesson plans as needed, communicating with Camp Ohio staff, and overseeing all activities while at camp.
“Camp Ohio takes a ton of time and preparation from the Elgin staff and administration. As a parent, it is completely worth the effort,” said Bobby Brown, chaperone. “The students have an opportunity to learn things that simply can’t be taught in the classroom. The experience is priceless and should be taken advantage. I am already looking forward to the opportunity to volunteer when my son goes to Camp Ohio in a couple of years.”
The Elgin South and the Elgin West PTO donate a tremendous amount of time providing fund raising opportunities for our students each year to help families with the cost of camp.
Mrs. Kori Ute, the district’s health consultant, dedicates an entire week to the camp experience each year providing students with encouragement and support, and handling all medications and administering any necessary first-aid.
The camp staff includes approximately 12 to 15 teachers and 50 to 60 parents and community members. At first, organizers had to ask for volunteers. Now, there is a waiting list, and at times, more than enough help.
“It has become such a popular community project that we have community members who attend every year, even though they no longer have children participating,” said Tracy Hix, physical education teacher. “Parents are very aware of this program and look forward to going with their child. They appreciate the opportunity to participate in a school activity with their children.”
The school pays for the buses and bus drivers, and the students and parents pay their own way to camp. In an effort to help students raise money, the PTO coordinates fund-raisers in which students sell candy or flowers to earn their way to camp. The PTO covers supply expenses and picks up the cost of students who cannot afford to go. No child is left behind because of a lack of funds.
Costs are kept down because teachers and parents were willing to teach most of the sessions. Elgin was also fortunate to have former local 4-H agent, John Fark, provide a tremendous amount of assistance during the entire week of camp.
The experience has been a positive community project. It allows the students to begin to develop a relationship with peers from the other elementary.
“Camp Ohio creates a blending of our students in two buildings, 18 miles apart so that they can build relationships with each other that helps ease the transition from elementary to junior high school,” said Michelle Kaffenbarger, Elgin South Elementary principal and Elgin Junior High principal. “The environment enhances our students’ educational growth and allows for activities for the forming of relationships through team-building activities.”
About Marion Online News
