Shaking things up!

Hello again!

This week was a little bit different, due to the changes in staffing for our normal daily routine at Blacks Creek and the Curley Community Center. We lost Che and Damani, but Flo and Sebastian were put on site with Tessa, Aidan and me. It was a good to shake things up a little bit and see fresh new faces excited to take on Blacks Creek and the Curley.

Every morning, we start off at Blacks Creek. We have two sessions: 9-10:30am and 10:30-12pm. During these sessions we have at most 15-20 kids, but in other sessions we have as little as 4 or 5. Blacks Creek is a unique site because we are able to really get to know the children we are working with. We have created relationships with the kids and at some other sites they do not see the same kids enough to do that. I worked at the Curley Community Center all throughout high school, so I am used to becoming close with the kids and seeing trust grow between myself and the kids throughout the summer. We have been able to watch the kids grow more comfortable with holding crabs and identifying the sex of the crabs. We have seen the kids become more confident in their time in the water and their knowledge of the sea creatures they have continued to catch each week since camp began. It has been a rewarding experience working at Blacks Creek, and because this is our last week at the creek, I will definitely miss the working environment there.

The Curley Community Center is a bit different working environment than Blacks Creek. I am very familiar with many of the staff members, including two of my sisters, two cousins, and many long time friends. Because I am a part of the South Boston community, and had worked at the community center throughout high school, I am also familiar with many of the campers as well. Because of this familiarity, it was a much easier transition than Blacks Creek was in the respect of having immediate authority and control over the kids. Working at the Curley can definitely be stressful because we are teaching kids how to overhead cast fishing rods on a beach where people sometimes swim, and the kids are constantly running around and may not being paying as close attention as they should be around fishing rods. It is consistently a challenge to remind the kids to make sure they are being as safe as possible and mindful of what the consequences may be if they are not. The kids are very responsive and continue to improve in their casting skills each day we are there.

I was also able to work two great events this weekend: the Beach Bash on Friday and the Seafood Festival on Sunday. They were both great events that I had a great time working. It is so much fun being able to work with the staff that I normally don't get to see on a daily basis-- and sometimes I even get to spend the day with my sister, Kathleen, if I'm lucky.

Me and a wonderful family I had the chance of meeting at the Seafood Festival on Sunday!

My sister, Kathleen (an SHE), on the right, and me on the left having a great time serving hot dogs at the Carson Beach Bash! 

The summer is flying by, and now I only have 3 weeks left of working!

Catch you on the flip!
Maggie