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What Happens Between Sessions at Centauri Arts Camp ??????
Posted by centauri in Arts Camps, Centauri Summer Arts Camp., summer camp in Ontario on February 3, 2011
What Happens Between Sessions at
Centauri Summer Arts Camp ??????
Many of our campers stay for multiple sessions each summer, and this is a question we are often asked: if campers stay for more than one session, what happens in the 22 hours between one session ending, and the next beginning?
Sessions at Centauri end by about 3pm on the final day, and the next set of campers arrive shortly after lunch the very next day. Campers who stay over between sessions do so free of charge, and they tell us they love being one of the ‘stayovers’ at camp. Some campers attending more than one session may go out for dinner with family members on the final day, or even return home for the night. The vast majority, however, remain on camp with our staff. These are our ‘stayovers’! We enjoy a quiet, slow, relaxing meal together in a half-empty dining hall. We share conversations about the session that has just ended, processing memories together. The tuck shop and swimming pool are open for use, and then in the later evening we play movies, listen to music and chat. There’s very little going on, and between sessions crammed with excitement and activity, this is perfect.
The next morning, after a sleep-in, we start to focus on fresh experiences ahead! Some campers hang out with program directors, helping to decorate the rooms ready for the next campers, and listening to the exciting plans they’ve made. Others spend the entire morning reading, listening to music, talking, making plans. By lunchtime, we’re gearing up for the new campers! ‘Stayovers’ become part of the welcome team once ‘arrival’ is underway, helping new friends with their luggage, bringing new families to the dorms and sharing with considerable pride the community they are helping to create.
The brief hours of changeover are a treasured time at Centauri, for those of us who stay for more than one session. A time to get to know staff better. A time to reflect on sessions past, and ones to come. A time to relax, hang out together, then build excitement for all the adventures and the craziness ahead!
www.centauriartscamp.com
Arts Camp Alumni
Posted by centauri in Centauri Summer Arts Camp., fine art camp, summer camp in Ontario, Theatre camp, Writing Camp on May 18, 2009
Notes from our Alumni!
On impulse, a couple of weeks ago, Craig and I sent out an email to every camper who has ever attended Centauri! After all, this is our FIFTEENTH year! We heard back from dozens of people, many of whom have already finished university, and launched arts careers of their own! Here’s a sample of some of the wonderful comments we received. It was wonderful for us all to remind ourselves of the life-changing effect Centauri has had – and continues to have – on the lives of others:
Centauri was honestly one of my best experiences I think I’ve ever had. It truly was a place where I felt 100% myself. Everyone played such an integral role in making my camp experience an amazing one. So I just want to say a big THANK YOU.
I had a really good time there, I’m getting extremely nostalgic over the photographs I find on your homepage 
I just wanted to say hi and thank you for all of the support and encouragement I received at Centauri, it really made a difference in my life. We cannot express the gratitude we have to you and Centauri camp for the experiences Kristin had there when she was young and the fab time she had on the Centauri tour. Thank you again and again.
Thank you so much for all the memories that are unforgettable. I appreciate all the advice that you both unknowingly doled out and for the fact that when I think back to my time at Centauri, I just smile from all my happy memories. Thank you again and the best of luck in everything. I really miss the wonderful summers at Centauri.
And I guess we’ll let this alumni have the final word:
Centauri changed my life, I would never be who I am today without it. I never, ever would have thought I would be able to do anything like the Inspiration Challenge as an LIT, or take a dance class for the first time in ten years, or sing a solo, or write a poem and share it with the entire camp, but I did all of these things at Centauri. When faced with fears and challenges in my life now, I can think back to how loved and accepted I felt at camp. Going to Centauri was truly one of the best things that ever happened in my life, it showed me that there are people in the world who are kind and accepting, no matter what.