Eco Camp. Never to be Forgotten.

As part of the Grade 6 Curriculum; the kids have Outdoor Education. This means they attend Eco Camp for the span of 4 Days! It is a big deal. It's the big event the kids talk about for their Grade 6 year. I always knew it was in October. I also knew it would be well advertised because it is such a big deal. So, I kept waiting, and waiting for information to come out. I knew Logan would come home with forms to sign. There were e-mails that came out in regards to the two fundraising activities the kids were doing but other than that, I just kept waiting. The boys had Friday off before the Thanksgiving Long weekend. Logan was sick the Wedensday and Thursday before the long weekend. This prompted me to write his teacher and ask him to send home any work Logan should be doing to catch-up. I received a short response telling Logan to just work on his Inspire essay.

 

Do you see where this is going?

 

We returned home from a lovely weekend in Montana. I dropped the boys off at school and got 1 minute down the road when my cell phone rang. It was Logan telling me he had Eco Camp TODAY!

I told him to relax, and that everything would be okay. Meanwhile, I was screaming inside because I had no idea how I could pack up for 4 days in 15 minutes.

 

 

I dropped Sadie off at school, returned to Logan (looking white as a Ghost - I might add) and found out he had not told his teacher his predicament.

 

So many checks and balances were missed. Logan's secondary teacher said, "Well, this is a first."

 

No joke.

 

I missed a Mandatory Meeting about the camp at the beginning of September.

I missed all the forms. I just found out this week that they were brought home, I put them in a safe place and promptly forgot about them.

Logan was sick and missed the last two days of build up to the camp.

The teacher was not prompted to respond to my request for homework with: Don't forget about Camp! or We're missing Logan's forms, please bring them!

 

All in all, what some parents had 6 weeks to prepare for, I completed in 1.5 hours while Sadie was in school. I then picked her up and we drove to YMCA Camp out by Rafter Six Ranch (just outside of Canmore).

I met Logan there (after NOT saying Good-bye to him earlier that morning at the school).

 

Talk about a BIG deal, for us, with little, to NO closure.

 

I have determined that all things happen for a reason. Perhaps it was so I wouldn't build up worry over the course of the weekend. Or so Logan wouldn't.

 

Or maybe it was just so I could see where my boy was going to be whisked away to for 4 days. Under the supervision of the Camp Directors. No parent volunteers, no communication ....

 

It definitely left me feeling weak in the knees. See you later buddy! No time to worry.

 

Here are the pictures that no other parent got. Here is their camp house.

 Here's Logan's room. And his bunk.

 And here is his playground for four days. Totally Picturesque.

And 4 days later, he came home to us. Safe and sound. Those 4 days did not feel the same without him. I think he missed us too...a little.

Ryan says I will never miss another Eco Camp again. He is right.