The first principal I worked for at Aspen Community School had quite a few mantras, phrases he repeated frequently enough that they became guideposts for school culture.
If you ask any kid who’s attended camp for more than two days to recite the Rules of Camp, they are sure to know. Ask any young adult who attended camp ten years ago, they’ll know, too. The Rules of Camp are recited a dozen times each week, at least!
Be Nice. Have Fun. Try your best.
If you ask any kid who’s attended camp for more than two days to recite the Rules of Camp, they are sure to know. Ask any young adult who attended camp ten years ago, they’ll know, too. The Rules of Camp are recited a dozen times each week, at least!
Be Nice. Have Fun. Try your best.
Be Nice: Say kind things to others. Invite people in. Welcome kids who want to join in your game. Throughout the week, there are opportunities for shout-outs and compliments. Kids shine when others notice their efforts, good deeds, and positive contributions. There is never too much Good in the world, so let's lay it on thick!
Have Fun: This one can be tricky. Have fun, yes, but let’s think it through. Is it fun to take risks that might cause injury? No, injuries are not fun, so keep your wellbeing in mind. Is it fun, when others are laughing at somebody else’s expense? Heck no! That’s not fun at all, so remember to respect other people’s fun, too. Is it fun to win a game by fudging the rules? Not at all! Playing fair is fun for everybody, even if it means losing a game with integrity. Fun happens when we consider other people’s experience as well as our own, so make the fun bigger, by laughing and hooting and hollering and looking around to see that others are sharing in the fun, too.
Try Your Best: Sometimes kids are skeptical about trying new things. There is a tendency to avoid new situations, unfamiliar activities, uncertain friendships, and games that don’t showcase our strengths. It is in these situations that we need a nudge, a Rule to stand on. Try your best! Give it a shot! Who knows, by trying something new, you just might recognize a new skill set, friend group, or interest that you didn’t know existed.
Counselors refer to these rules throughout the week in myriad situations to guide kids to make decent choices, but the real magic happens when we see kids reminding each other. This is when we know that the culture is flowing in the right direction, intrinsically.
The other day a crew of kids was riding bikes around the park. They were cruisin’. And then they approached a slower rider who was just learning the ways of her pedals. A few of the fast pack were getting impatient, asking her to go faster, to move over, to make room for them to pass. And then one of the boys set the tone for the rest. “You guys, she’s trying her best. You know the rules of camp. Be nice. Have fun. Try your best. She IS trying her best. Be patient.” These words coming from a 7-year-old are more powerful than any wisdom a counselor could have imparted in that moment.
That is the power of a mantra. Be Nice. Have Fun. Try your best. This is our guidepost for establishing camp culture.
Have Fun: This one can be tricky. Have fun, yes, but let’s think it through. Is it fun to take risks that might cause injury? No, injuries are not fun, so keep your wellbeing in mind. Is it fun, when others are laughing at somebody else’s expense? Heck no! That’s not fun at all, so remember to respect other people’s fun, too. Is it fun to win a game by fudging the rules? Not at all! Playing fair is fun for everybody, even if it means losing a game with integrity. Fun happens when we consider other people’s experience as well as our own, so make the fun bigger, by laughing and hooting and hollering and looking around to see that others are sharing in the fun, too.
Try Your Best: Sometimes kids are skeptical about trying new things. There is a tendency to avoid new situations, unfamiliar activities, uncertain friendships, and games that don’t showcase our strengths. It is in these situations that we need a nudge, a Rule to stand on. Try your best! Give it a shot! Who knows, by trying something new, you just might recognize a new skill set, friend group, or interest that you didn’t know existed.
Counselors refer to these rules throughout the week in myriad situations to guide kids to make decent choices, but the real magic happens when we see kids reminding each other. This is when we know that the culture is flowing in the right direction, intrinsically.
The other day a crew of kids was riding bikes around the park. They were cruisin’. And then they approached a slower rider who was just learning the ways of her pedals. A few of the fast pack were getting impatient, asking her to go faster, to move over, to make room for them to pass. And then one of the boys set the tone for the rest. “You guys, she’s trying her best. You know the rules of camp. Be nice. Have fun. Try your best. She IS trying her best. Be patient.” These words coming from a 7-year-old are more powerful than any wisdom a counselor could have imparted in that moment.
That is the power of a mantra. Be Nice. Have Fun. Try your best. This is our guidepost for establishing camp culture.
RSS Feed