Parade of Nations! Parade of Nations!

*****Parade of Nations*****

21 June 2013

Parade of Nations will be a little different this year; we will be parading around the outside of the building and meeting on the soccer field.  There have been too many people in the gym the past two years; safety and comfort have been issues with such a large group.

Parade of Nations will begin at 1:30, and Campers will exit through doors on the west side of the building.  Parents are welcome to position themselves anywhere along the parade route, which will travel in front of the school, around the east end of the building, past the playground, and end on the soccer field. There is sidewalk along the parade route, so the walking should be easy. There will be plenty of space for parents to get those great photos of their kids. Parents may want to arrive a little early and “stake a space” on the soccer field with a lawn chair.  The field will be marked, so please leave the spaces for campers available for the campers. 

Your child is welcome to dress in “cultural” clothing or wear their Heritage Camp T-shirt, but keep in mind we will be sitting on the grass.  The “Performance Portion” of Parade of Nations will be limited to singing the Camp Song and retiring of the country flags. 

After the flags have been retired, we will dismiss the Campers to their classrooms. PLEASE wait until all campers are off the soccer field before heading to your child’s classroom.  We are trying to move 377 campers as safely as possible, so we need to get them, under the direction of their teachers, to the classrooms first.  Thank you J

I know this is a different approach, but last year there were way too many people in the gym, it was chaotic to move groups of kids out of the gym, and it was stressful for the campers.  Parade of Nations is a long-standing and well-loved tradition of Heritage Camp, and we don’t want it to disappear.  However, we need to find a way to have this event be safe, and fun, for the campers and the parents.  We re-evaluate the process every year, and although it is very much like herding cats, we try to keep is safe and fun.

Thanks for your cooperation,

Cathy and Pam