Area sixth graders enjoy weekend at Camp Superior

LITTLE GIRLS POINT - The annual spring retreat for area wide sixth graders was held at Camp Superior this past weekend.

Typically held in the middle of the week, this year the camp was held on the weekend for the first time for students from Wakefield-Marenisco, Bessemer and Ironwood, as well as many homeschool kids.

The camp is held over three days and is filled with activities put on by the camp counselors and local volunteers.

Activities include a high ropes course, a low ropes course for team building, archery, predator/prey relationships, trapping, a dog-sledding demonstration, and getting hunter safety certified at the shooting range as well as many more.

Jason Hofstede, camp coordinator and teacher in the Ironwood school district, said the camp is split up into three groups of students with about two to three high school counselors per group.

In addition to the high school councselors, there were about 15 adult chaperones for the weekend, many of which were teachers from area schools and several local volunteers.

Hofstede said this year the camp was actually short on volunteers in comparison to past years. Besides the volunteers leading the students, there were several more volunteers at the camp helping in the kitchen as well as a staff from Beacon Ambulance and people presenting activities to the students.

Students fundraise throughout the year to participate in the camp, which costs $65 per student.

The students get to stay in both the bunks in the lodge, as well as camp out in a tent - one night in each.

"For a lot of these kids, they have never been away from home," Hofstede said. "And many of them have never stayed in a tent for the night either."

A favorite of the weekend among the students is the high ropes course. A few of the students who had just completed the course on Saturday excitedly said it was hard but fun.

Paul Mattson, science teacher in Ironwood, said the original course was built in 1981. Mattson is on the staff that keeps the course up-to-date and at industry standards.

Mattson said the cables on the current course were just recently updated. He was in the first group of sixth graders at Camp Superior when he was in school.

A lot of the teachers and volunteers at the camp have been volunteering for many years.

"It's really cool to see the kids that tend to struggle in school thrive out here," Mattson said.

Hofstede added, "The students that are quiet or get in trouble a lot at school come out to camp and end up being true leaders."

Hofstede stressed the need for volunteers and presenters for the camp. Without these volunteers, the camp will not be able to continue.

For more information about volunteering or ideas on presenting an activity, contact Jason Hofstede at 906-932-0932, ext. 123.