Mission Moment: What Kids Gain from Camp
Hear what some of our Day Camp parents and campers had to say about what they learn at camp!
Hear what some of our Day Camp parents and campers had to say about what they learn at camp!
By “Astro” Mark Laurin
The dog days of summer arrive in August. They are hot, sticky, muggy, uncomfortable, and miserable days. A time when summer exerts full force on all creatures, plants, and psyches. They are sultry exhausting days where finding respite from “them barking dogs” drive behavior. The result of this oppressive heat? Drought, lethargy, fever, unexpected thunderstorms, bad luck, and mad dogs. What to make of these August dog days? How did this all begin? Of course, as you know by now, the answers are found in the night sky above. In the stars that shimmer, the planets that wander, and summer’s Grand River of effervescent light flowing overhead.
Travel with me to the southern hemisphere to the land of Egypt, and the time of pyramids, pharaohs, and prophecies. Then as it is today, the Dog Star, Sirius, reigns as one of the brightest stars in the night. The ancient astronomers were quite aware of Sirius; its prominence and predictable return. They watch it closely. They quickly learned that the rise and disappearance of the star Sirius in the early dawn and in the eastern sky, was a precursor of the annual flooding of the Nile River, and guided farmers when to plant. In the northern hemisphere, the Greeks believed the rise of Sirius ushered in heat and consequently, fever. The Romans continued to blame Sirius for the heat of the season and associated lethargy and diseases. And all of this is due to a bright star.
By “Astro” Mark Laurin
July’s arrival tells us to fully step firmly into summer. Not tentatively or with hesitation, the month of July demands our participation. Get outside, inhale a deep breath of fullness. This sensation of “full” abounds all around us. A month full of growth, full of thickness, and full of rich sensations for all of our senses. Does this call to mind a summer day? On the contrary, this describes a July summer night.
Our Campfire is one of our favorite summer camp traditions at Keystone Science School.
Singing songs, silly skits, and of course roasting marshmallows to make s'mores, the Campfire helps ease campers into the camp experience and show them it's ok to let loose and be goofy!
Keystone Science School welcomed their new CEO, Kim Krebs to the community at their annual fundraiser, Sipping for Science last Thursday, June 15th. Friends of the Science School who attended raised over $90k to help KSS retain the programs it relaunched since the pandemic and its increases of staff compensation.