Today was the first day of band camp. We found out over the weekend that camp was moved to Hillcrest Middle School due to the construction at Trumbull High School (THS). Today was a scorcher, temps over 90 and humid. The morning went pretty well. After lunch the students went to practice under the trees at THS to get out of the sun. Around 2:00 I noticed the sky getting grey. A few minutes later, I noticed a huge bolt of lightning in the distance, no thunder yet. Another one of the parents drove off in the golf cart to locate all the students to get them into the middle school. The students were pretty quick about working their way across the field and getting safely into the middle school.
Once inside the school they broke off into their groups and went right back to work in various sections of the school. Four of us chaperones sat in the HOT cafeteria sorting paperwork. We noticed through one of the windows that is was hailing which was followed by unbelievable downpours. We could hear the pounding rain on the roof. There was a tremendous clap of thunder that made us all jump out of our chairs. A little into the storm I went to the back door to peak outside. It was cooling down and still raining. They two tents that were had set up for band camp were blown across the back parking lot. One was on top of a car and the other blew across the lot into a fence. We ran out into the storm to try and salvage them but couldn’t. We were soaked, but I have to admit after sitting in the cafeteria it felt good. After the storm five parents went outside to clean up. One tent was totally damaged. The other was salvageable. Streams of water were flowing through the parking lot. By the time the students came outside at 4:30 to get their dinners it was sunny, hot and humid again. I am chaperoning again tomorrow. I think I am going to wear my bathing suit with my beach cover!
BW
You volunteers ought to be commended for giving your time and positive reinforcement back to what must be very hot and hot exhausted children. So if the kids are spending twelve hours a day in band camp – and loving it, I imagine some of the chaperones are too! I am going to be honest and up front and tell you I have a junior son in this program and he seems to loves it. I kid you not, I know he enjoys being with his friends, I know he enjoys working in a team environment, and he loves succeeding and being appreciated by others. At the end of the day he comes home hot, grumpy, hungry and exhausted, he eats AGAIN – showers and falls into bed and gets ready to do it again.
There are some of us parents who just can’t take the time off to chaperon, and quite frankly I am a really happy that there are enough parents who have the time and can get up to help and do whatever is needed of them in this same lovely weather the kids are experiencing right now.
Thank you chaperon’s!
MD
Comment by THSGEMB — August 19th, 2009 @ 11:46 pm
I’m soo glad I had a chance to volunteer the first day of Band Camp as a freshman parent. I gained a better understanding of what it takes to run the Camp and the physical and mental stamina it takes the campers to survive the 12 hours they put in.
This unique experience will empower our students to do great things this season and beyond.
To all the students/parents who survived the first week of camp, Congratulations!
Keep up the great work!
Comment by Lauren Pulie — August 20th, 2009 @ 1:17 pm