Arrowhead Ranch Retreats, Conferences and Outdoor Science School
Where life is an adventure not a race!
Mailing Address For Campers
Mailing Address For Campers:
Arrowhead Ranch Outdoor Science School School Name c/o Student Name PO Box 87 Lake Arrowhead, CA 92352 Please send all kid mail no later than Wednesday of the week they are attending camp. Your mail is very important to the kids. We hand out mail everyday to the students. A helpful way to make sure the kids receive the mail is to send it the Friday or Saturday before they leave for their trip. This will ensure they get a letter while they are away from home.
EXPRESS MAIL OR CARE PACKAGES:
A note to families about sending care packages and express mail. If your child has forgotten something and they really need it, please send it to our physical address.
Arrowhead Ranch Outdoor Science School School Name c/o Student Name 480 Cottage Grove Lake Arrowhead, CA 92352
Please do not send any food, candy or extra treats. We ask this only because the kids have three meals a day, including first, seconds and third helpings offered at every meal. The cabins are mice and squirrel free when the kids arrive. We don't want any uninvited visitors while the kids are with us.
Snow, rain or shine, the mail is picked up daily. The kids usually receive their mail after lunch or dinner depending on the activities of the day. The students love to have a letter to open at mail call.
If you forgot to put your note in the mailbox before they left, you still have time. Get your letter in the mail on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. Any later than that, the kids are on the bus to leave before we collect the mail on Friday. All mail that comes in after the students have left will be returned to you or to the school.
Another alternative to consider if you have not put your card in the mail is to find out if any other teachers or the school principal plan to visit the camp during the week. Call and find out if you could drop off your letter prior to that individual leaving to head up to the science school.
Sometimes a note in the suitcase is a nice surprise, too.
In the event an item is forgotten, call your school to find out if any other staff members will be making the trip up to visit for the day. If they are coming up, you can arrange to drop off the item at school and they can deliver it for you.
During a school year we collect a lot of unclaimed items. We have a storage of lost and found. If the clothing or item is unclaimed, we will offer it to the child who is in need. If you do not a sleeping bag or a heavy jacket, please just email the camp and we will let you know if we have something to loan to you. It is also wise to contact your school to see if what you are looking for can be found through the school.
HOMESICKNESS
Our counselors are trained specifically in how to deal with homesickness.
If this is a new experience and your campers have never been away from home or slept overnight anywhere without you this can be a tough transition. It is not an impossible hurdle to overcome. Even if your child has slept over at a friends house before; it is a new and different environment. The counselors will talk to the students who are feeling sad and listen to what it is that they are most concerned. We ask the teachers to come in at night to say good night to all the students. This helps to reduce the homesickness enormously. Classmates also help to relieve the tension or anxiety of their cabin mates. This actually brings the kids closer and many new friendships stem from these unique experiences.
It is so helpful if you would please send self-addressed stamped envelopes, with your return address on the front. Include a pen or pencil and some letter writing paper.
When a student is still feeling uneasy we ask them to write a letter home and this helps them to focus on what they have accomplished thus far. It appears less overwhelming when they write it down in a letter to you.
We ask and hope that you will send at least one card, note or letter while they are with us.
Please keep your letters upbeat and positive. One negative sentence can cause a child to worry that things are not alright at home. This can induce homesickness. A child can easily get off balance if they are concerned about you or someone in the family. They are naturally thinking of you while they are away. They will miss you. You will miss them, too. It is normal to have these feelings and you are not alone. Many parents have anxiety about their son or daughter being away for a period of time. This is an opportunity for them to grow a little bit. You are giving them an extraordinary experience in supporting their adventure to outdoor science school. It is a once in a lifetime chance to do something so big and exciting at this age. Your support is needed and commended before they leave and while they are gone. They will be home before you know it. Unbelievably, I have had parents crying at the busses excited to see their child. Their camper gets off the bus crying too. The kids are crying because they had to leave us and they miss the people they bonded with that week. You are crying because they are home and you missed them. If they are in tears because they miss their cabin leader or naturalist then we have done a tremendous job. It is a huge compliment to the staff.
Arrowhead Ranch Conference Center
480 Cottage Grove
PO Box 123
Lake Arrowhead, California 92352
reservations: 909-337-7265
fax line: 909-337-3634
e-mail: mzcamp@msn.com
Arrowheadranchconferencecenter.com
Arrowheadkidscamp.com
Arrowheadranchoutdoored.com
Arrowheadranchscienceschool.com
