Month: October 2018

We are currently replacing the Junior 2 Pool at Shibley with a brand new pool and this brought back some fond memories for me as both a camper and as a lifeguard and swim teacher.  I swam in that pool as a 6 and 7 year old back in my camper days.  The pool was purposely designed to be just the right depth for the height of those age campers. That was the Shibley secret so that campers will feel comfortable and are more likely to learn to swim.  I learned a lot of my swimming skills in that pool under the instruction of some very fine swim teachers.  I became a great swimmer during my camper years at Shibley and later worked as a certified lifeguard and swim instructor at that very same pool.

Swim instruction at Shibley has always been priority one for our campers.  It is a lifelong skill that is not only fun and great exercise, but it allows you to always feel confident and fearless around pools and oceans. Teaching children to swim can also be a great summer job while you are going to school.  Helping others learn to swim and to feel comfortable in the water can be a very satisfying endeavor.  My favorite campers to work with were the ones who in the beginning would not even get in the water.  I mean they would not even come close to the pool or even look at the pool.  Using a gentle approach, I was able to get them in the water so they could learn to swim with the other campers.

These campers would start out holding on to the side of the pool and refuse to put their faces in the water.  Later that summer these same campers were  swimming in water over their head.  I remember getting thank you letters from the parents of these campers who started out with such a fear of the water and who now were swimming like pros. Their parents were amazed.

I was lucky to have the opportunity to give so many campers a skill that they will have for life and that has always given me a great feeling inside.  It also taught me the life lesson that helping others was something very worthwhile and that is why I love dedicating my life to creating excellent camp experiences for children. We are looking forward to creating new memories in the brand new Jr. Pool 2.

I had the joy and privilege this past month of becoming a grandma for the first time.  Brody Lucas Chase was born on September 17^th at 9:25 in the evening.  It was a wonderful delivery, and mommy, daddy and baby thank goodness couldn’t be better.  This baby boy is the first grandchild on both sides of the family, so you can imagine the unmatched excitement from all sides.  Brody Lucas had a loud and enthusiastic cheering section in the waiting room as all 4 soon to be grandparents and aunts and uncles spent the day together.  Even before Brody arrived, you could feel the love welling inside all of us, and the ease with which these 2 families came together as we had done before when Jacob and Lindsey were wed.  There is something magical about a newborn baby and how this little precious being could instantly bring so much love and joy. A renewal of faith if you will.

I had been told time and time again that being a grandparent is the ultimate joy in life. And it is!  It’s like being the cherry on top of the ice cream sundae. I have a wise friend who describes grandchildren as the sweet desserts of life.  And they are!  But here’s the part that took my breath away that I didn’t see coming…..watching my own son become a parent. This was an aha moment I will never forget. Watching this beautiful young couple become a family of three. I saw my son, who loves laying on the couch watching TV, and still playing video games, transform into  the most attentive, adoring  father and husband.   Please don’t misunderstand, he was always a terrific husband, but for those of us who are parents, we know that something very special happens to you when a child of yours comes into this world.  And life is never the same.

Dear Shibley Families,

I am so excited to be joining you at Shibley Day Camp and wanted to take this opportunity to share a bit more about myself with each of you! I have been fortunate enough to spend my whole life in camping living ten for two. I began working my way through the camp hierarchy at a very young age. After having been a camper for many years, I then embraced the roles of counselor, group leader, head counselor and most recently, associate director.

I am so lucky to have been able to spend my entire professional career in camping. After 15 years full time at a premier sleepaway camp in New York it is exciting to now have the opportunity to be a part of the Shibley Day Camp team. I am extremely passionate about camp and all that it affords children far beyond the home and school settings and I am eager to partner with each of you to ensure success for every camper here at camp. I look forward to connecting with you personally and getting to know each Shibley family and staff member. In the meantime, if you would like to reach out I would love to hear from you at Stefanie@shibleydaycamp.com.

Warm Regards,

Stefanie