FIRESIDE NEWS Camp Fire GULF WIND, INC. October-November-December 2015 PENSACOLA, FL Did you know that Camp Fire will be 106 years old in March 2016? Founded in 1910, Camp Fire for Girls has endured many of society s changes, and continues to empower our youth today, including boys. Through the use of youth developmental assets and flexible programs, today s youth still find Camp Fire to be relevant and fun. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! Each year Camp Fire participates in a Program Quality Assessment to measure outcomes and look for ways to improve program delivery and maintain the health and safety of our facilities and program delivery. We love our youth and work hard to maintain the best learning environment for them. This trend is what keeps Camp Fire in our hearts and that of our alumni. Camp Fire Kids & Kazoo sing at the Parade of Trees. As Camp Fire moves forward in 2016, we look to expand our role in the community. With the help of Kazoo and Camp Fire Chorus sing Christmas Carols. civic organizations, staff and parents, we plan to engage children in exciting activities with the Youth Community Club program. Camp Fire encourages families to get involved with their children through fun family activities and group events. As always, each Center has special activities that parents are invited to attend with their children. In 2016, Camp Fire invites kids and their families to participate in the Salute to Veterans Valentine s Day and Absolutely Incredible Kid Day in March. Look for new happenings and summer camp programs at Camp Fire. There is always something fun and interesting happening at Camp Fire! For more information about ages, activities, schedules and pricing, please contact each center. Camp Fire Century Youth Learning Center 850-256-0953 Camp Fire PSC Child Development Center 850-484-1524 Camp Fire Headquarters 850-476-1760 Light the fire within! Page1
Upcoming Dates and Reminders CALENDAR & EVENTS Camp Fire Salute to Veterans! JANUARY 1/1-1/31 National mentoring Month 1/1 New Year s Day Camp Fire Closed 1/18 Martin Luther King Day - Holiday 1/26 Camp Fire Gulf Wind Annual Meeting FEBRUARY 2/1-2/28 Black History Month 2/14 Valentine s Day 2/14 Salute to Veterans National Camp Fire Project 2/17 President s Day - Holiday MARCH 3/1-3/31 National Women s History Month 3/13 Daylight Saving Time Begins Turn clocks ahead 1 hour 3/13-19 Camp Fire 106 th Birthday Week 3/15 National Camp Fire Absolutely Incredible Kid Day 3/20 First Day of Spring 3/27 Easter Sunday In 1978, Camp Fire issued a call to citizens to volunteer at a Veteran s Administration (VA) hospital or outpatient clinic, performing a wide variety of tasks including sending or delivering cards to veterans at the nearest medical center. This call to action has become the National Salute to Veterans, held in conjunction with the Department of Veteran s Affairs and observed the week of Valentine s Day. Today, the call continues with Camp Fire youth locally expressing sentiments of caring and sharing in order to honor and appreciate our Country s Veterans and local Law Enforcement. Camp Fire youth salute the men and women of who serve our country by sending valentines to the local Veteran s hospital and Law Enforcement. Should you have any questions, please contact Pat Madison by at pmadison@cfgulfwind.org. Community Youth Club The Camp Fire Youth Club program is open to children of any age and offers a mix of fun activities, projects, events and experiences to help develop planning and decision-making skills. Children will have the opportunity to develop skills related to their individual interests. Children will work in teams and individually as they get involved in service projects, which will help them become responsible citizens who are concerned about their community and society. Camp Fire Gulf Wind is committed to our promise to help youth lift their voices and shape the world, to light the fire within, and to help them develop to their fullest potential! To join the Youth Club or for more information, contact the Pat Madison at 850-476-1760 or email pmadison@cfgulfwind.org. 2016 VPK Enrollment in March! Camp Fire currently has enrollment available for all ages. Beginning in March, Camp Fire will have open enrollment for our upcoming 2016-2017 VPK program at Century Youth Learning Center and the Child Development Center at PSC. To qualify your child must be 4 years old by Sept 1, 2016. You must show proof of child's age with a birth certificate or shot record and show proof of address. Camp Fire kids enjoy fun, learning activities with dedicated teachers. Page2
In the News for 2015... Camp Fire Motto: Give Service. Trike-A-Thon The children at Century Youth Learning Center recently held their seventh annual Trike-A-Thon in support of St. Jude s Children s Research Hospital last week. The children not only raised money for St. Jude; they also learned about trike safety and the importance of helping others. Salute to Veterans In November, the students at Longleaf Elementary After- School created thank you cards for our local Veterans. The children share their heartfelt thanks for the sacrifices the Veterans had given to our country. These cards were delivered to the Veterans at the local Veteran s Hospital. Thanksgiving Celebration All the centers held a Thanksgiving celebration for children and their parents. At the Child Development Centers, children dressed as Pilgrims or Native Americans, enjoyed a full Thanksgiving meal following special Thanksgiving activities. Camp Fire Christmas Parade Camp Fire kids and families participated in the Pensacola Christmas Parade on December 12, 2015. They enjoyed the festive atmosphere and beautiful holiday lights. This year, Camp Fire had a float for children to ride along the parade route, while parents threw candy to the crowds. The children did a fantastic job of sharing the holiday spirit. For more photos, visit us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/camp-fire-gulf-wind-inc- 1516028308662287/?ref=hl. Camp Fire, rising to tomorrow s challenge! Page3
In the News for 2015... Camp Fire 3 rd Annual Parade of Trees The 3 nd Annual Camp Fire Parade of Trees, was held on November 18-20, 2015. Pen Air Federal Credit Union graciously provided the space at their downtown branch. Many visitors enjoyed the uniquely decorated Christmas trees and wreaths. The Pearl Peacock created by The Cabaret received Best in Show, Most Unique and People s Choice Award for 1 st Place. Frosted Gold tree, created by Clara Long, was selected as Most Traditional and The Grinch wreath, created by Century Youth Learning Center, received People s Choice Award for 1 st Place. All the trees and wreaths sold went to benefit Camp Fire youth development programs, such as the Youth Club, Teen in Action, and Baby Think It Over. Thank you to the many gifted designers, generous sponsors, dedicated volunteers and fantastic staff, who shared their talents during the Parade of Trees, thus, creating a festive atmosphere filled with joy. We appreciate all the hard work, enthusiasm and support from the community. For more photos visit us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/paradeoftreespensacola?ref=hl. Thank you to all our generous sponsors! Page4
LEARNING CENTERS & AFTER-SCHOOL NEWS PSC Child Development Center In October and November, the two-year olds and the VPK children learned about clouds, trees and pumpkins. Also, the children enjoyed the new sand boxes that were put together by volunteers at the United Way Day of Caring. Parents and their children sat down and shared Thanksgiving dinner with the fixings. December was a busy month, with holiday crafts, the Pensacola Christmas Parade and a visit from Santa Claus. As the New Year begins, the children will be learning about winter, Martin Luther King Jr. and Black History month. In February, the children will create their special Valentine cards for the Veterans to be delivered to the Veteran s Hospital and Law Enforcement. March is a great month, because the Camp Fire children celebrate Absolutely Incredible Kid Day. Camp Fire kids like decorating gingerbread men. Longleaf After-School Program During the fall, the children read many books, played board games and worked on homework. They created wonderful Halloween crafts and thank you cards to be given to the Veterans at the VA hospital. In December, the holiday spirit could be felt as the children created holiday crafts and visited with Santa. Longleaf kids enjoy reading. In January, the students will learn about Martin Luther King Jr. and winter. Come February, they will explore Black History month and create more cards for the Salute to Veterans and Law Enforcement. The after-schoolers really enjoy March with Absolutely Incredible Kid Day and Spring Break. Century Youth Learning Center The children had a wonderful Thanksgiving Play and dinner after the play. We performed the play for the residents at the Century Rehabilitation Center with the children appearing in the Pensacola News Journal on Thanksgiving Day and on North Escambia.com. For Christmas, the children made gifts for all their moms and dads. The children went Christmas Caroling at the Century Rehabilitation Center on December 15 th and on December 18 th, the children enjoyed a Christmas party with a visit from Santa. In January, we will be learning about winter and doing a lot of science experiments in class. We will also be doing our AP and VPK Gold Assessments on all the children during this month. In February, we will be learning about ground hog day, Presidents Day, and Black History. Century kids meet Community Helpers. Page5
CAMP FIRE CORE VALUES Children and youth are our most precious resources. We believe in an approach to youth development that builds assets and empowers individuals. We believe that the best youth development occurs in small groups where children and youth are actively involved in creating their own learning. We are committed to co-education, providing opportunity for boys, girls, and families together. We provide caring, trained, mentors to work with children and youth. We are inclusive, welcoming children, youth and adults regardless of age, religion, socioeconomic status, disability, or other aspects of diversity. We respect and celebrate Nature. We foster leadership, engaging children and youth to give service and make decisions in a democratic society. We provide safe, fun, and nurturing environments for children and youth. Developing Youth to Their Full Potential Camp Fire s passion and purpose is to develop youth to their full potential. We are able to accomplish this by providing programs to youth through our community. Camp Fire youth engage in a fun, environmental summer program which introduces the campers to Florida wildlife and conservation. Yes, I want to help develop young people to their full potential and support the environmental summer camp program. If you would like to help with the development of youth, please complete the form below and return it to: Camp Fire Gulf Wind, Inc. 1814 Creighton Road Pensacola, Florida 32504-7212 Enclosed is my tax-deductible gift for: $25 $50 $75 Other $ This gift is in honor of: Please send an acknowledgement to: Name Phone: Company Name Address We enrich parents and other adult lives by expanding their skills and encouraging them to share their talents and to build relationships with children and youth. We respond to community needs with our programs and expertise. We advocate on behalf of children, youth and families. Published and produced by: CAMP FIRE GULF WIND, INC. 1814 Creighton Road Pensacola, FL 32534-7212 850-476-1760 Fax 850-476-6614 info@cfgulfwind.org www.campfirekids.com Have some special news you would like to share with Camp Fire? Contact Pat Madison at the office at pmadison@cfgulfwind.org. City State: Zip: Email Are you a Camp Fire Alumni? YES NO New/Increased gift Please list my gift as anonymous Please restrict my gift for: (purpose/program) I would like more information about Camp Fire. I would like information about volunteer opportunities with Camp Fire. Camp Fire Gulf Wind, Inc. thanks you for your support. Camp Fire Motto: Give Service Page6