Mini Cyclones is a program run by Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart which takes care of the children of the staff and teachers who have to come in weeks ahead of the beginning of the school. It does not cost any of the parents to send their children All of the leaders are teachers who come out just for this and all of the counselors are the students. Most of the students who volunteer at Mini Cyclones were actually kids that the camp took care of when they were younger. It serves as a way to give the parents somewhere to send their children when school hasn’t started and daycares haven’t started up properly.
Many find childcare during the summer extremely hard to find and the camp alleviates the worry of not trusting who they leave their child with. It also serves as a way for the counselors to connect, as you, when you work there, spend your whole day with either the kids or the other students. The whole time is playing games with the little ones and making sure they have the best time possible.
“The kids were usually well-behaved and it was very rewarding to see how our hard work made their summer so fun. I also bonded a lot with my co-counselors and built strong relationships with the teacher advisors,” said Eva Castaneda, a senior at Carrollton.
Finally, it serves as a way to pass down the Carrollton spirit of sisterhood and love. Plenty of girls and boys have gone through in the camp’s history. It has a glowing history among its alumni, students and teachers alike, as it has been going on for long enough.
“I used to work Mini Cyclones when it first began about 15 years ago, and now as a parent, I love being able to place my daughter in a camp where I know she is cared for, loved, and surrounded by colleagues and students I work with. I’m grateful for the opportunity to bring her with me, knowing she’s having a great time while I’m working and that, God forbid anything ever happens, I’m right there,” said Ms. Lauren Vergara (Upper School Administration).
Everyone always has fun in the end and parents do not have to stress over things that they should not have to. It lives a way to connect people and share the joy that comes from connection.“
Mini Cyclones can be considered a ministry to the faculty and staff of the school. Faculty and staff have to report to work a week or even two weeks before other schools start, so they are left having to figure out what to do with their kids before their schools start. It’s expensive to find a week or two’s worth of childcare, so the fact that Carrollton offers this service for their faculty and staff is a way of caring for them. The kids who participate have a ton of fun. And the student volunteers get great service experience, so it’s a win for everyone,” said Ms. Elisa Ferguson (UpperSchool Religion Teacher).
