Highschool Camp 101

03/09/2023

Camp is coming up and we hope you all are as excited as we are! Since the current seniors are the only class that was on the last 2020 high school camp, we know that some of you may be confused about what to expect during the week-long trip. Here's a little guide (what you should know) based on our experience at camp. Things may be a little different when we get there so keep an eye out for that.

Things you might need

**It is important to follow what is listed on the packing list provided by the school and your personal necessities. However, these are some of the things (based on experience) that we think YOU should bring to camp:

EXTENSION CORD (dorms) :D: There might be too many charging devices to charge at once (phones, powerbank, headphones/earphones), so it's convenient to communicate with your roomates and have someone bring one just in case

! Mosquito repellent !: The paper says it's optional, but you best expect to find mosquitoes and bugs around at night

Mosquito racket: Not a priority but if you're feeling extra, this can be helpful

Snacks/ramen: Yes.

Plastic bags

  • For trash: don't underestimate the amount of trash your room might produce from food
  • for wet clothes: in case something doesn't fully dry by the morning we leave, put it in the plastic bag to keep your other things safe

Toiletry bag (one that can hang): It's much easier to have all your toiletries hanging in one area while you're in the shower. There is only a hook for you to hang things, nowhere to actually place your items.

Small pillow/plushie: If you need something to hug while sleeping, they only provide 1 pillow

**Do also keep in mind that Mrs.Stanley mentioned a hiking and beach trip. Make sure you have clothes for those!

Rooms

9th & 10th grade

  • From our experience sleeping in tents at Kirirom, IT WAS NOT BAD. You might want to bring a mini fan just in case it gets a little hot but it should be cool enough for survival.
  • Avoid eating food inside your tents. Just don't do it or ants will attack you.
  • You can try to rearrange where to put your belongings and where to sleep. Certain arrangements can give you more space
  • Don't be surprised if you find bugs and insects in your tent, such as a bee. After all, you are almost literally sleeping on the ground surrounded by nature

11th & 12th grade

  • 9 people in bunk beds in a room may not be ideal, but trust that it is not bad at all. It allows you to bond with your roommates and everyone gets their own personal space so it really isn't all that bad.
  • There are no air conditioners, but the ceiling fan was honestly not bad considering Shalom Valley is located higher up so the wind is cool

Bathrooms

  • There is one shared bathroom on each floor of the dormitory, one behind the common area, and one by the tents
  • Rest assured, the dorm bathrooms are clean. Just avoid clogging the drainage or you might flood the whole bathroom :)
  • The tent bathrooms, however, we can't say since they didn't exist when we went 3 years ago (sorry freshies and sophomores)
  • There are bidets sprays in the toilets, you can do your business in peace, sort of
  • There are no heaters in the dorm and tent bathrooms, so yes it's just cold water
  • Shalom Valley turns OFF the water at 11 pm. Make sure to do all you need before that time!!

Food

  • Meals were served in a buffet style
  • There are water coolers with both hot and cold water

Kitchen duty

  • Each small group had a turn in cleaning the dishes after each meal; breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It's not that bad. You're just washing dishes :)

Phones

  • Mrs. Stanley is generous enough this year to not take away our phones during the trip (previously we had 1 hour of phone time per day), so PLEASE do not take advantage of this. We encourage you to try to stay off your phones and enjoy the trip as much as possible. :)

Free time

  • Outside of the activities that Shalom Valley will direct for us, we are given free time. Use this time to go play around and bond. Previously, we played on their water obstacle course, sat by their small pond, soccer in the rain, and lounged around in the common area. We chose not to be on our phones!! There will also be some games planned by StuCo during some of the free time.

Worship/message/Devotion time

  • Small groups: A group of students with a teacher to share devotional time. This is usually a safe circle where you can be open to things
  • Mini chapel services were led once in the day and another at night, depending on the schedule

Camp is a time for reflection, bonding, and making memories. We're glad that it's finally back after 3 years! Please respect your teachers and listen to them during our time there as it is hard to manage over 100 teenagers. Happy packing :)

- Halena C. and Shareen S.

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