FALL CAMPING TRIP LETTER

Dear Parents and Middle School Students,

We are going camping again! We are going to Milo McIver Park on the lovely Clackamas River. We are going Wednesday afternoon through Friday morning, September 24th – 26th NOTE: this is the third week of school (next week!). It should be great fun since our last trip there was such a success.

We need drivers! Our carpools will be loaded and on the way from Trillium around 1:00 Wednesday (please arrive with gear in the common space by 11:30). NOTE: If you come earlier than 11:30 it disturbs the lower school so plan accordingly. We are encouraging the students to have already eaten lunch when they show up at school if they are coming late in the morning. However, if they receive the school lunch it will be available. A snack will be served at the campsite upon arrival.

It is about a 45-minute drive depending on traffic. We shall leave for home from Milo McIver by 11:00 am Friday, and you can pick up your students at the usual end-of-school time (12:00 pm). Please decide on whether or not you can chaperone, help with meals and facilitate the cooking, and/or volunteer to drive back and forth. Let your advisor or liaison know as soon as possible

We also will have email sign-up, phone calls, and a list at the front desk and with each advisor. Parent support makes this trip run smoothly. An extra chaperone or two will be greatly appreciated. Criminal background checks are required to be on file for all adults attending – before we leave.

As a staff we came up with a list of essentials for each student to bring:

Sleeping bag & Pillow
Tent…that you have PRACTICED setting up before (and please bring an extra to loan if you have one!)
Flashlight
Rain gear
Sunscreen
2 pairs of pants (shorts optional)
2-3 short sleeve shirts
1 long sleeve shirt
1 jacket (this is important: it is always cold in the morning)
2 pairs of shoes
4 pairs of socks
Reading material
Journal (if you wish)
Frisbee, kite, beach game etc.
1 plastic bag
1 garbage bag

LABEL ALL OF YOUR GEAR CLEARLY.

We have been asked about swimming. There is absolutely NO swimming allowed regardless of temperature and weather conditions. Please do not pack a swimsuit.

It can be very chilly and windy at any time in Oregon, even when the sun is shining beautifully. Be prepared by dressing in layers, and don’t forget a jacket of some sort that will cut the wind factor. It always gets cold at night. Have warm, dry clothes available.

On this trip there will be required group activities led by parent volunteers and staff members after lunch both days (2-4 p.m.), as well as after campfire each night. CAMPFIRE IS A MANDATORY GATHERING and announcements happen at this time.

There will be trips to the river, the surrounding forest, hiking, bocci, Frisbee, touch football, disc golf, jump rope, soccer and more. There will be plenty of time to read, hang out with friends, and have quiet time to oneself. We have experimented with allowing Boffer fencing on more than one campout. IT IS NOT ALLOWED ON THIS TRIP. Please let your students know.

There are some rules of course, and some things to leave behind:
· Your teacher will be organizing the sleeping arrangements in the tents. Once this is done NO ONE may move or change tents. Consider this rule set in stone. Lights out at 10:30 p.m. and this is also the signal for quiet time. If students cannot settle, they will be moved. Boys and girls sleep separately without exception.
· Please DO NOT bring along any electronic devices (this includes iPods, Walkmans, CD players, Gameboys, PSPs etc.). We are camping. Electronics will be confiscated and returned later. Feel free to bring an acoustic musical instrument, board games, cards, books, or a song!
· Snacks will be provided so please, NO soda, NO candy, and NO sugary snacks. These too will be confiscated and not returned (staff will eat them!!). If you have a student with blood sugar issues, let the staff know.
· The adults will be doing the cooking. There is no need for you to bring matches, knives of any sort (even Swiss Army or Leatherman tools), campfire hatches, or tools etc.
· There will be parent chaperones sleeping over and helping with the carpool. Please consider every parent as a staff member of Trillium on this trip and give him or her the attention, gratitude, and respect that they deserve.


We hope that you and your student will participate in this beginning of the year event. It is a wonderful way to relax and get to know each other. And please let us know, again, if you would like to help in any way. We need your support. We look forward to having a great time. Thank you!

Kurt, Nina, Amy and Kirk