Rebecca Rutledge and campers: Chris Arrant
Rebecca Rutledge’s earliest memories include rounding up her little sister and friends to “play school,” even going so far as pretending to grade homework when she was only 6 years old. When she was a student at Lake Highlands High School, Rutledge kept busy supervising and facilitating games for children at Pump It Up.
These days, 23-year-old Rutledge is a certified K-6 teacher with a degree in elementary education from Texas A&M. She is currently in the process of applying to teach in the Richardson ISD this fall. The aspiring teacher attended at least one summer camp every year since childhood and spent the past three summers working as a camp counselor at a YMCA camp and Carolina Creek Christian Camp.
This summer Rutledge has decided to combine her extensive experiences at summer camps with her desire for personal growth. “As a camp counselor I have learned a lot of practical tips for running a summer camp well,” she says, “and my house has the space and a nice pool, so I decided to start my own camp at home.” Rutledge’s inaugural “Fun, Facts and Fitness Camp,” for incoming first- through fifth-graders, starts on June 24 and continues through July 24. The camp will be held at Rutledge’s house off of Church Road from 9 a.m. to noon and costs $90 per week, which includes a snack and drink. Parents may sign children up for one or multiple weeks. Activities include math centers, talent shows, soccer, basketball, crafts and adult-supervised swimming. Rutledge is looking forward to hosting the camp, and says she anticipates holding it for at least five more years while she teaches during the school year.
Though Rutledge enjoys children and summer camps, her main motivation for starting the camp is to improve as a teacher. “I love teaching,” she says, “and I feel like the more I see kids and interact with them outside of the classroom, the better I can connect with them when I’m in the classroom.”
To reserve a spot for your child at the Fun, Facts and Fitness Camp, call 214.392.7764 or email Rebecca Rutledge at beccac01@hotmail.com.
