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Where in the World is Liz Holloway?? Teaching in Korea

Posted by admin on January 15, 2013

Liz Holloway is a teacher in Gwangju, South Korea. Before traveling the world, Liz got her start traveling north each summer to Eagle River, WI. She holds a special place in her heart for Camp Woodland—the camp that shaped her into the woman she is today. Since 1997, Liz has spent 11 summers at Camp Woodland with her most recent summer in 2012 as Program Assistant and a Senior Counselor—and hopefully not her last! Check out what Liz has to say about her adventures in Korea:

After experiencing the world with Semester At Sea as a Junior in college, I realized travel was about to become an integral part of my life. I recognized the most feasible way to make this happen would be to find a job abroad. Following a brief stint interning at the U.S. Embassy in Cyprus, I decided I’d prefer finding a job that would allow me to assimilate to the country’s culture and also integrate my passion for working with children.

These days I’m living and working in South Korea as an elementary school teacher! Korea is on the fast track to teaching all of their children English. In order to do this, they hire many degree-carrying, native English speakers! Unlike most schools where English-speaking teachers run General English classes, my school is special. It is an English immersion school—meaning our kids learn subjects such as Language Arts, Writing, Science and History in English! Since September, I have been teaching sixth grade immersion students Language Arts and Social Studies. I’ve also incorporated my love of yoga into a special “club” class for fourth graders every Friday afternoon.

Many ask what it’s like living in Korea. I feel like South Korea lies somewhere between a developing and technologically advanced country. It’s a beautiful and mountainous land about the size of Indiana—making travel within country a snap! The food is good—many spicy noodle dishes, rice, seafood and seaweed. The language barrier is certainly the most difficult thing about life in Korea. Though we are teaching this generation of kids English, we missed a large chunk of the population—adults—so communication is confusing at times, and often comical! Perhaps because many adults speak so little English, education—particularly English education—is stressed heavily in this culture. Almost every child attends an academy after their school day lets out—a place where they take more classes (usually English classes), often taught by native English speakers. Although the culture is very different from that of the U.S., Korea is westernizing at a rapid pace—I feel like it’s becoming more American all the time. The students I teach could be mistaken for little Americans—their personalities, interests, and jokes are often comparable to what I’ve witnessed back home. These kids love Angry Birds, computer games, and candy! What can I say—around the world, kids just want to be kids!

Holloway Family Met up in Australia – Dec 2012

If you’d like to learn more about my adventures overseas, please take a look at my blog: http://seoulgeneratedbylove.tumblr.com

Who is writing all those great blog posts????

Posted by admin on January 7, 2013

Our very own Kim Wenzl Aycock has been writing all those fun and creative blog posts over the past few weeks. Check out more about all the fantastic things Kim does for camp during the year in her own words:

I had the fortune of spending 12 consecutive summers at Camp Woodland from 1986-1997 as a staff member (hard to believe that I was never a camper!). During the summer of 2011, I found myself once again in the Northwoods of Wisconsin following a fourteen-year hiatus. This time I chose to return to Woodland to lend a hand and give back to a place that gave so much to me in my formative years as an educator. After finally having the opportunity to have a classroom of my own, I found that I was always trying to make school more like camp and NEVER trying to make camp more like school.

As it turns out, spending that first summer at Woodland over 25 years ago changed the course of my life, and I am fortunate now to be able to work professionally as a consultant to summer camps around the country. I especially enjoy working with camp staff for orientation or mid-summer training and developing innovative camp program ideas. In the fall and winter months, I speak at various national and regional camp conferences on topics pertaining to staff recruiting/hiring/training, program planning and development, and youth development. I also serve on the Local Council of Leaders for the American Camp Association’s Southeast Region and help plan educational events for camp directors and staff in Florida, Georgia, and North and South Carolina.

Since my return to camp in 2011, I have been able to use the knowledge and expertise I have learned from working with a variety of camps to help with various camp projects for both Woodland and Towering Pines. It has been fun to be in a “behind the scenes” role and volunteer my time in ways that will ultimately benefit the experience of future campers. One such project was creating and managing on-line evaluations for both parents and staff following the recent summer in order to gather valuable feedback that will then be used as preparations are made for the summer of 2013. Developing Pinterest sites for both camps is another endeavor I offered to help with so that we can connect with current and future campers, staff, and alumni in as many ways as possible. I am also in contact with someone from Trout Unlimited in hopes of adding fly-fishing to the program offerings at both camps this summer!

In closing, I would like to challenge you to join me in this effort to give back to such an amazing place that has had a huge impact on my life and the person I am today. Thanks in advance for finding ways to utilize your connections and resources or contribute your time and talents to further enrich the Camp Woodland/Towering Pines experience for others!

Kim (Wenzl) Aycock

Augusta, GA

kimdaycock@yahoo.com

www.kimaycock.com

Camp Woodland Camper Reunion

Posted by admin on December 11, 2012

The Jordan Family held their annual camper reunion right before Thanksgiving in Illinois. JoAnne’s brother Jeff (operates Towering Pines) hosted both the Woodland and Towering Pines camper reunions at his house. In all we had over 22 Woodland Girls stop by and share what they are up to these days. They also enjoyed looking at the 2012 Scrapbook and reminiscing about past summers.

We also had a few surprises…..We showed the new featured Camp Woodland Promotional Video. The girls had a great time watching themselves doing all their favorite activities and cheesing it up in front of the camera!

Check out what your daughter’s friends are up to these days.

· Emily G brought her ukulele to the reunion and is going to be interviewed by NBC for the movie she made

· Sofia S is going on a tour with her choir to San Francisco

· Jessica S is on a travel volleyball team now that the school season is over. She is also excited for being in her school’s variety show with her Dad (Jon Sorkin)

·

Caroline L is enjoying her first year of high school

· Georgana D started shareboarding a quarterhorse named Ariel is working on jumping a course

· Amelia D is playing soccer, taking horseback riding, and moving into jumping

Thank you CITs for getting a few of these great narratives on each of these wonderful campers!

Pinterest Site: Do want to see who else stopped by??? We have the full Camper Reunion photo album posted on our Pinterest Site to share with your daughter!

Early Enrollment Reminder: It is not too late to get a early enrollment discount. We have extended our early enrollment deadline to January 1, 2013. Email JoAnne today for more details at info@campwoodland.com. We can’t wait to see your daughter this summer!

Camp Woodland Blog is Back!

Posted by admin on December 3, 2012

Hello Parents, Staff, Campers, and Alumni!

I know all of you have been wondering, “when are we going to get another post about camp”? Wait no longer, because we are in full blog mode! This winter we are going to send you updates about:

Cool things your camper’s friends are doing
Returning counselor announcements and what they are up to these days
Updates from our favorite directors
When the Jordan Family will be in your neighborhood!
New camp stuff 2013!
And much, much more!

Don’t forget to remind your daughter about the “Where in the World” Contest. Send in a creative picture of your daughter in her favorite Camp Woodland wear, and she could win ipod speakers. We have extended the deadline to January 2, 2013 and winners will be announced shortly after. Good luck!

Please email all entries to: campwoodlandtp@gmail.com

Check it out , a few entries have already been posted on our new Camp Woodland Pinterest site!

We would love to hear what your family has been doing this winter. Please email us an update with photo at campwoodlandtp@gmail.com

Camp Woodland Closing Banquet

Posted by admin on August 4, 2012

Last night we had our very special closing banquet at Camp Woodland. The girls take banquet very seriously. They dress up in their best dress, comb their hair, and wear the cutest accessories. They want to take pictures with everyone looking and feeling their best.

Once they have finished their photo shoot they are greeted with beautifully set tables, evening programs, and a wonderful meal of fresh fruit cups, turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and green peas. To top off the amazing meal presented by our amazing Chef Dan is Ice cream sundaes with chocolate syrup, whip cream, and a cherry on top.

Then the real presentation begins……AWARDS presentation!! The girls find out about all the levels they passed in each activity and any special awards they earned due to being a leader, outgoing, or perserverance they showed during the summer. The campers also toast the counselors for all of their hard work as well…….

This is where I have to cut this blog entry short. The closing banquet is very special to the campers, counselors, and staff and I am sworn to keep the rest of the secrets of banquet. You will have to ask your campers all about their amazing night. Take a moment to look at their memory folders displaying al of their summer achievements and awards.

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Author: admin

Where in the World is Liz Holloway?? Teaching in Korea

Who is writing all those great blog posts????

Camp Woodland Camper Reunion

Camp Woodland Blog is Back!

Camp Woodland Closing Banquet

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