The latest edition of the Akeela WI Circular is here!

In this edition of our newsletter:

• Notes from Mike and Kristin
• Program updates for 10th grade campers!
• POISE-a-thon recap
• Fall birthdays for campers and staff
• Welcoming Arlo & Simon Trimble!
• Upcoming Akeela travel plans (with camper reunion date!)
• Re-enrollment reminder and early bird discount
• Summer highlights from Akeela and Beyond Akeela!

Read the entire newsletter here!

You can also find this note from Kevin, Kristin, and Mike in the newsletter:

Dear Akeela Families,

When we all return home at the end of each summer we often get the common question from our non-camp family and friends, “So, how was the summer?” It’s a simple and very appropriate question, and yet each year we struggle to find an answer that really encapsulates our summer experiences. Saying, “Great!” just doesn’t seem to give justice to our summer experience. Do you feel this way when you return home, too?

So much happens every day at camp. We experience emotional highs during those magical spontaneous moments, and have to acknowledge that spending as much time as we do around others during each day at camp is going to create some moments of disagreement and stress, which is OKAY. Taking time to reflect on those highs and lows both individually and with our peers each day helps make camp such a special place for us all. Sometimes it feels like we’ve lived a whole separate life for the summer, and trying to explain that to someone who didn’t share those experiences with us is a daunting task!

As we look back on this summer, saying “Great!” is a good start to describing to our time at camp, but there is so much more that we can share. There was that time we went on a hike and took a wrong turn, got really muddy, but sang songs and played games along the way to keep everyone in positive spirits. Or that time when a few campers were uncertain about showing off our talents in front of all of camp, but blew all of their friends away with their performance. We remember seeing the joy and pride on camper’s faces after that so vividly. We remember the feeling of community when each of you made announcements about your new friends in camp, even if you were unsure about meeting someone new. We remember the feeling of friendship that you shared with us by going out to breakfast with a new friend and their family on pickup day.

We hope that as you think back on your summer at camp, that you can reflect fondly on those special moments, the new friendships you made, and acknowledge the hardships you persevered through. We can’t wait to share all of that with you again, and hope that we can all help each other answer the question, “So, how was your summer?” next year.

Fondly,
Kevin, Kristin, and Mike