Oh, here is the email I just sent out:
Dear Shelby, Dominique, Breanne and Taylor,
Hello! My name is Aree Metz and I will be the director at Rheindahlen B.G., Germany this summer. I just got back from Director's Training in Iowa on Monday morning with lots of new ideas and energy! I am confident that we are going to organize a great program together and I can't wait to meet you all and begin our summer with the children at Rheindahlen!
A little about myself...
I am a third year senior at the University of California, Davis double majoring in English and Evolutionary Anthropology with a minor in Medieval Studies. I would like to become an English professor one day with a research emphasis in Medieval literature. I am the youngest of two children--my older brother George is a recent U.C. Davis graduate now working on post-graduate work in clinical lab technology. I live with my parents Bob and Danie in Woodland, Ca, in the same house I grew up in. My dad is originally from the Chicago area and my mom immigrated to the U.S. from the Philippines about 26 years ago.
In my spare time I enjoy painting, reading, beading, singing karaoke, writing, watching movies and cooking. I love the outdoors and animals! I am very close to my family and friends. I love to travel and am committed to travel blogging and vlogging (video blogging). I love learning new languages; I speak Japanese, Spanish and I just recently learned French (hoping to start German very soon!).
Prior to my experience with Camp Adventure I worked with children at my godmother’s child care facility and I have taught a pre-first Eucharist class at my local church for the last two years. This will be my second summer with Camp Adventure. Last summer I was one of two staff members at the Tokyo American Club in Japan. Since I was the only counselor in the program I gained a lot of experience and decided that I was ready to become a director for the summer of 2010. This will be my first time in Europe, and I am very excited about sharing this new experience with all of you!
A little bit about Rheindahlen…
This summer we will be working at Rheindahlen B.G., the Headquarters of the British Military stationed in Germany. The British Military has been in Germany since the end of WWII, and many of the families living in and around Rheindahlen B.G. have family members deployed in war zones throughout the world. We will be living and working on base for the duration of our stay in Germany. The base is extremely large and in the past counselors have been loaned bikes to help us move around. As many of you may have heard, while we are on base we will be allowed to eat in the commissary, which is very similar to the dining commons you may have on your college campus. Rheindahlen is located in the North Rhine-Westphalia state of Germany near the Belgium and Netherlands borders. The closest train station is about a 45 minute bus ride from the base and from there the nearest large station is in Dusseldorf. During the summer Germany ranges from the high 60s through the 80s, but other parts of Europe (including France) can get quite hot. I have attached a suggested packing list to help guide you through your pre-departure preparations. Though we will be in Germany for a total of six weeks, we will only be programming five weeks of camp. Our first week will be an orientation week where we will learn about life at Rheindahlen, go over summer expectations and plan for our first week of camp.
My vision and plans…
My vision for the summer is to create a quality camp program for the children at Rheindahlen and to create a lot of wonderful new memories with all of you. My number one priority this summer is the children, and I want to plan and implement a first-rate camp program for them. I have high expectations for all of you this summer and I hope that you also expect a lot from me. Both our P.D. Dr. Kowalski and our P.C. Bobbi emphasized that we are a team--I work for you, and I will do my best to make sure that your needs and the needs of the children in our camp program are met.
You are the front line in Camp Adventure and my job is to support you as best as I can. I expect to also have a lot of fun traveling with all of you on the weekends, and you are all invited to join me on any of the weekend trips I have planned, but our top concern should always be the children in our camp program. I know that this is the first Camp Adventure summer for all of you, and I will do my best to ensure that your needs are met and that the program runs as smoothly as possible. I only ask that you commit yourself to our children and program and that you adhere to Camp Adventure’s expectations of you (your letter of expectation has been attached for your convenience--please read through it before your departure. We will reflect on it again during our first meeting in Germany).
Even though we are not departing until July 17th, there are still a few things I would like you to think about before our departure...
1. Programming--You will all be responsible for a week of programming. Since this will be your first summer in the field I can imagine that this may cause you some anxiety, but I promise that I will be with you every step of the way ensuring that this is a positive learning experience. I will also be programming our first week and providing you with a template to use for your convenience. In the meantime, start to think about which theme week you may want to program (hint hint, if you did a specific theme week as part of professional development, you may already have a head start on programming!). If you would like to call dibs on a specific week of programming please tell me as soon as possible. Feel free to begin brainstorming fun rotating activities, all camp activities and more for your week of programming.
2. Costumes-- Bringing characters to camp is an important part of our programming that I don't think has been emphasized in years past. Coming to camp in character brings an element of magic into our everyday camp routine and is fun for the campers and counselors. I ask that all of you bring at least one costume with you to Germany this summer. Look at the theme weeks (and perhaps the week you might want to program) and plan a costume to wear to Camp. If you have any questions about how to create a costume please send me an email.
3. Bag of Tricks--I am going to be holding a little bit of a contest: the counselor who can bring the most impressive bag of tricks to Germany will get a special prize from me. I will ask Bobbi to be the judge during our first orientation week. Think outside the box with your bag-of-tricks and remember that you can include costumes! I put some suggestions for your bag of tricks in the attached packing list.
Now I want to learn about all of you! Please reply back to me with the following information:
1. Tell me a little bit about yourself! Please include your past experience working with children.
2. When is your birthday?
3. Do you have a complete uniform?
4. Any worries/concerns/questions that you might have.
Additionally, please confirm that this is the email you will be using during the summer. Also, please email me when you have received your stipend and flight information! Never hesitate to send me an email--I check it multiple times a day and am only too happy to answer or redirect any questions you may have. You can also give me a call if you prefer. I look forward to getting to meet all of you and wish you good health and luck until July 17th!
Best,
~Aree Metz
*Catch the Magic*
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