Camp SSTAR Photos

There were too many stars to count in the Editors group. We had an amazing week during Camp SSTAR. Our group not only spent time having fun we spent time learning.

The editors worked as a team completing social skills activities, art projects and team building exercises. While working on social skills the Editors were able to work in small groups and complete worksheets about friendships.  The Editors made tie-dye shirts, flower pots, friendship story bracelets and framed collages for art activities. The kids enjoyed this time everyday very much. Andrew quickly became the resident artist in the group. He was like a pro with the modeling clay, a skill he did not even know he had until it was discovered during the week at camp. We are all hoping that he continues to pursue art as a creative outlet because he is very talented and it was evident by the smile on his face how much he enjoyed it. Each day the Editors also participated in team building activities.  During team building the Editors were given an opportunity to interact with each other and staff working on emotions and feelings, working in groups, and social skills. During down time the Editors played games and created additional art projects. They also interacted with each other and worked on social skills at the same time. We had a great group that worked very well together. All members of the Editors brought their own strengths to the team.

It's hard to produce a newscast without on-air talent, so Kelli, Chris, Carson and James had their work cut out for them as the Camp SSTAR On-Air Talent group, and they were all up to the challenge. Of course they don’t call it a news “team” for nothing. All of the campers in the On-Air Talent group worked together to brainstorm story angles, craft questions for interviews, rehearse interviews, practice reading the teleprompter and being comfortable on camera. They supported each other and acted as each others cheerleaders. It was a fantastic sight to see. The camaraderie that transpired after only one week was encouraging and exciting. As anchors, a reporter and a weatherman, the On-Air Talent had the opportunity to collaborate with each group at Camp SSTAR, learning how to interact with campers of all ages. Chris showed great leadership as a Camp SSTAR intern. Kelli was the only girl in our group and showed she can hang in there with the boys. James did tremendous research for his feature on tornadoes and was great in front of the green screen. Miss Sheryl, a counselor for the On-Air Talent, shared a story about one of our group members.

"I enjoyed seeing Carson come in on the first day being quiet and by end of the week engaging in asking questions to staff and campers about how much they enjoyed the art activities and playing fun rec. and leisure games.  Carson always came in with a smile and enjoyed having the best time each day, going the extra mile to help the next person, never complained and always looked at the positive.  I really enjoyed this little guy. I think the best compliment received was his parents saying, 'This was such a good thing for him and now they have other parents and kids to relate to and contact for support.'  Candy Bar Carson is a super kid who knows how to have FUN to the fullest."

Throughout the week it was the goal of the photography group to capture the events of camp as well as explore the world of photography. Logan, Kelly and Jacob each had their own camera to experiment with as our group walked the Heartspring campus and took photos of nature and objects in motion. We also spent some time on the computer looking at different ways to manipulate an image by playing with color, type and resolution. Jacob was definitely the most artistic photographer, taking photos of the most indiscrete objects that later turned in to very interesting photos. Logan was the action photographer and was not afraid to get in the middle of a game of tag or water. Kelly was the nature photographer and was very excited when we discovered algae eating fish in the Heartspring Lake. He even took several small videos with his camera throughout the week. Andrew from the Editors group joined us for the last two days of the week and was enthusiastic and excelled as a photographer. Another aspect of our week was joining the Editors for many games and activities. This gave the Photographers an opportunity to enjoy the traditional activities of camp while still using their photography skills to make sure all events were documented. After camp, a yearbook was created that showcased their photos and provided all campers with a keepsake that will remind them of their time at Camp SSTAR for years to come.

What an appropriate name for our group of campers!  Our campers produced paintings, clay figurines, painted pots and best of all, friendships! Throughout the week we focused on communication and social skills.  Many of our activities focused on identifying emotions, how different experiences make us feel, and how we can tell what someone is feeling by looking at their body language and facial expressions.  All of us enjoyed using the water balloons to practice our communication skills.  We learned a lot about each other by asking and answering questions while we passed the water balloon around, trying not to let them pop!  During the week, the campers supported each other and helped each other learn new games and activities. For example, Thomas and Isaac did a great job teaching some of the other campers how to play UNO.  Bjorn helped Clint when he was “frozen” during freeze tag.  Darrien helped direct Isaac to his shoe when he was blindfolded. Clint and Darrien supported each other during the 3-legged race, and Adam helped demonstrate how to carefully carry water balloons in a spoon during a relay race. Riley did a great job helping other campers identify facial expressions and body language during the emotions games.  At the end of the week, the counselors and campers left with fun memories, new friends and excitement for camp next year! 

The production crew worked hard all week helping to create the Camp SSTAR newscast.  We took a field trip to the KAKE TV studio and enjoyed learning more about weather from KAKE meteorologist Blake Smith as he visited our campus.  The campers worked on their social and team building skills throughout the week while we participated in  fun activities such as tie-dying shirts, painting flower pots and a engaging in a wet sponge toss that kept us all entertained.  The campers really came out of their shells by the end of the week, laughing, dancing and just having a good time. Jordan got a workout during the week, running all over campus to tape footage and interviews for the newscast.  Nathan showed us his amazing creativity in writing for the teleprompter.  Our sound man was excellent and entertained us with his endless imagination and fun-loving spirit.   Tyler was an intern with our group who set an excellent example for the younger campers.  We all had a great time at camp, forming new friends and putting together an excellent newscast.  Be sure to check out the finished product on the Camp SSTAR website.  We can’t wait till next year’s camp!

The Camp SSTAR word of the week for the Reporters group was FUN!

At the end of each day we recapped the activities and made a list of words to capture our feelings describing what we did.  Fun was mentioned each and every day.  The Reporters worked on sharing, taking turns, talking with others, and asking and answering questions through games, songs and activities.

The Reporters schedule was packed full of opportunities to socialize and learn with others.  Fifteen children ages 3-8 participated in our group.  We learned camp songs, played with sensory toys and went to the Multi-sensory Environment Room at the Heartspring School.  Some of the camper’s favorite activities included a water balloon toss, making emotion friends from clay, playing baseball, water sponge play, eating McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets, and watching the "gi-normous" fish swim in the lake!

Campers learned skills to become friends and participate in groups.  Spencer and Zach became our door monitors and came up with passwords for people to enter and leave our room.  This helped with anyone thinking they may escape!  Camryn and Jocelyn became partners and worked together to complete many activities.  Camryn was also a great role model for participating in activities.  Conner gave a spectacular speech on social skills being an important part of learning for all persons with Asperger syndrome.  Conner also became my assistant and expressed how this would help in the future when he is ready to get a job.  Matthew and Sam grew in their independence and in asking friends to play with them.

We saw great growth in all of our campers.  The Reporters learned to follow the rules, ask teachers when they had questions and worked hard on controlling their emotions when stressed.  We are very proud of the campers and counselors who assisted in this group.  It was a fantastic experience for all involved!

The Web Team received their challenge on the first day of camp: to create a fully operational and useful website for campers and parents. Counselors Mia Lee and Tyler Patterson set out to teach web technologies to campers ranging in age from 8 to 16, but weren’t sure exactly how the week would play out. 

"We presented our team with a blank slate and asked them to brainstorm ideas for the Camp SSTAR website.  We had no idea what to expect." said Lee.  During the brainstorming session, 11-year old camper Chance started the discussion by informing his fellow campers about the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).  Chance wanted to make sure that our website was safe and secure.  Throughout the week, Chance learned how to install and maintain programs on an advanced Content Management System.  As a group, campers installed a blog, a message board with resources available for parents, a picture gallery, personalized profile pages and games (a top priority for some). 

Every child had the opportunity to make the site their own.  One camper, nicknamed "Weatherman" was passionate about weather and wanted to include a current weather forecast on the site.  By the second day of camp, weather conditions were on the front page of the website feeding from a National Weather Service location only ½ mile away from Heartspring’s campus.  The "Weatherman" set up the high and low each day, along with a seven day forecast.  Finishing this goal early in the week, the "Weatherman" was eager to learn more and spent the rest of the week filming, editing and producing video. 

For 13-year old Anthony, camp meant taking a break from Nintendo and Playstation.  Anthony spent a lot of time on the internet and realized the importance of keeping kids engaged with the website.  He decided the website needed a section devoted entirely to games.   Anthony got to work and installed an arcade system offering a variety of games on the site.  Anthony also worked on video conversions and streaming local media coverage of Camp SSTAR on the website.

Chelsea, a 16-year old animal lover, contributed creativity to the site.   Chelsea produced a video of SSTAR highlights using iMovie.  She also composed an original instrumental soundtrack, combining various instruments in GarageBand.  Chelsea’s movie was a compilation of videos shot by various campers, photos from the SSTAR Photography group and custom animations.   Chelsea’s video was a hit when she introduced it at the camp Awards Ceremony to all campers and parents.

Upon reflection of the week's events, Patterson realized "every idea our campers listed in the brainstorming session was fully functional on the Camp SSTAR website."  With nearly 50 registered site users, the success of the SSTAR Web Team is evident as the site continues to grow.  Patterson continued "Too often kids seek the computer as a private refuge.  The neatest thing for me was to see by the end of camp, we were all friends, collaborating and working together as a team."