Category: Uncategorized

A to Z list of what I’m already looking forward to in summer 2020…

Animal ShowBoat Races

Carnival Day

Daily Swim Instruction

Eggless Brownie Batter Dip

Friends that Become Family

Green Fridays

Halloween Day

Individual and Team Sports

Junior Camp Talent Show

King Size Car Wash

Learning New Skills

My Style Camp

Nonstop Excitement

Olympics

Pizza Thursdays

Quest for Towels

Reconnecting with Camp Friends

Solid Gold Shows

Tie Dye Sneakers

Undeniable Energy

Values to be Proud of

Water World Day

X Letter Blocks for Nursery Campers

Yawning Children as they Board the Buses to go home at the End of the Day

Zip Line

“What do you do all year?”

“So, you only work in the summer?”

“Isn’t it boring in the winter?”

These are typical questions that full-time camp professionals hear throughout the year, especially in the dead of winter. What could there possibly be to do for the other ten months of the year?

The truth is that our work here at camp never ends. As soon as the buses roll out of camp (actually even before that) we are looking ahead to the next summer. When camp ends, we set into motion repairs, upgrades and new projects that we have been working behind the scenes to plan, sometimes for months or years. The facility team has already done so much and will continue to work throughout the winter & spring. More information about the facility work being completed this off-season will be coming soon from Billy & Danny.

Another big part of the first month after camp is reading surveys and evaluations from parents and staff to see where we hit a home run and what we can improve on next summer. Of course, the range of items we read about in these surveys is large as everyone has their own ideas about how to improve camp and what is important for the campers. We take it all in and put plans together to improve those items deemed most important, based on YOUR feedback.

We meet often to learn from and share our experiences with camp professionals around the tri-state area. We are members of the Long Island Camps and Private School Association (LICAPS), the New York State Camp Directors Association (NYSCDA), the American Camp Association (ACA) and other relevant organizations. These collaborations among industry professionals allow us all to provide safer and higher quality programming.

The two biggest things we do in the off-season are to recruit new campers and hire new & returning staff. We are so lucky that so many of our staff return from year to year, but even those returners need new contracts, forms and additional employment paperwork. We reach out and tour new families all throughout the year in addition to running our off-season festivals, fun days, holiday camps and more for current and prospective families. And we Blog!

So….that’s what we do all year long, in addition to all of the activity programming, special event planning, ordering of equipment and supplies, training, acquiring permits, working on accreditation and a whole lot more that I can’t think of at the moment.  Camp may be 39 days, but we work 12 months a year to make those the greatest 39 days ever!

We couldn’t have asked for a better day to host our annual Fall Festival at Shibley Day Camp. We had over 400 people at camp, and It was so wonderful to see all those smiling faces running around and enjoying camp activities. It felt like a typical summer day. Our new families got to enjoy camp in all its glory and our returning families got to see all their camp friends and many of their counselors. Children were flying high on the air bungee, picking and decorating pumpkins, getting their face painted and creating projects at arts and crafts, riding our tractor pulled hayride, and climbing to new heights in the green giant!

 

Our friends from Sylvan of Port Washington demonstrated the activities they offer here at camp on special days throughout the summer. Campers and families played soccer with our friends from Super Soccer Stars who will be offering classes at Shibley this spring. Everyone was kicking up a storm with Tiger Shulmann’s of Manhasset who provides excellent Martial Arts instruction for our campers in July & August.

Highlights of the day:

• All the campers in costumes
• Delicious hot cocoa
• Smiling faces
• Amazing staff volunteers
• Seeing friends and family
• The sounds of laughter throughout camp

By now most of us are fully entrenched in our Fall activities. Summer has faded, the Autumn colors have taken over the landscape, and in 8 short weeks we will be welcoming in the holiday season and the new year.  2019 is the year my husband and I experienced being grandparents for the first time. It has been quite a ride.  I thought I would share a few funny moments and some “Aha” moments as Brody turns 1 year old.

My husband and I visit baby Brody just about every week.  In the beginning, we would arrive at Brody’s apartment and wait our turn to hold the baby.  We have a decent size immediate family   so literally it was like taking a bakery ticket with each of us announcing…”I’m next.”  This went on for hours.

There have been some new developments since Steve and I became parents some 30 years ago.  One afternoon, Steve and I were babysitting for Brody.  Both mom and dad were out.  We had the baby all to ourselves.   We were in Brody’s room adoringly watching him sleep in the crib when all of a sudden we heard a deep voice call out, straight out of a Star Wars movie, “Brody…I am your father!”  We literally freaked!  We looked at each other incredulously trying to figure out where the voice came from. It was shortly after that that our son explained to us about the infamous nanny cam, which can not only be viewed on your cell phone but can also transmit sound from anywhere.  As it turned out, my son activated the nanny cam on his phone from work and decided to have some fun with us.

Here’s another goody.  We have been introduced to the “Shusher.”  Back in the day when you wanted to calm a baby, or rock a baby to sleep you would soothingly hold the baby close and rock back and forth making a continuing shushing sound. We were blown away to learn that  there is now a mechanical hand held device called The Shusher!  You can place it by the crib to calm a baby down or lull the baby to sleep. What will they think of next???!!!!

Here are a few AHA moments in year 1……

It is amazing how this little baby boy has brought our family even closer.

Steve and I don’t sweat the parental details.  Our job is to crash their place, play with and spoil Brody, give him endless hugs and kisses, rile him up, and then head back home.

We have come to realize that our son, who at times was a challenge growing up, has become a wonderful loving father and husband.  Steve and I sometimes look at each other in amazement and giggle.

After raising 3 children, who turned out pretty well in my opinion, I find it quite humorous that my son feels compelled to give me advice and instructions regarding “the Baby.”

Being a grandparent is about all of the joys and not about the headaches.

During so many of Shibley’s special events throughout the year, as well as summertime visiting days and shows, grandparents play an integral part of our camp experience. They come in droves to see their grandchildren in action. Their pride and joy is unparalleled. Before becoming a grandma myself, I would marvel at the sight of a camper running into their grandparents arms and thinking how lucky they all are to have each other.  Shibley is a place to celebrate family and I hope to see all our campers, parents and grandparents this Saturday at our Fall Festival enjoying the day!

My first summer here at Shibley was definitely one I will never forget!  There are so many things that make Shibley such a special place, what stands out the most however on any given day are definitely the campers and the staff members. From the day camp began until the day camp ended, as I looked around, all I saw were smiling faces and happy individuals who would rather be exactly where they were rather than any other place.

The environment that camp provides is motivating for both the campers and staff, day after day, and the fun and excitement never stops. Whether you’re 3, 13 or 23 years old, where else can you make oreo rice krispie treats, cruise down a zip line, tie dye your own shirt, swim in a pool after sliding down a windy slide and have pizza for lunch all in the same day while wearing a green tutu?

The positivity and optimism here at Shibley are extremely motivating and just as contagious as the GREEN values! Whether you’re on the ball field, running lines at the theater for an upcoming production or climbing around the green giant, connections are constantly being made and friendships are consistently being fostered. We’re here to cheer each other on and lift one another up. Shibley is a family, the kind of family that only camp can provide and we are all extremely fortunate to be a part of it.

SAT, OCT 26 – 1PM to 4PM

Shibley is a place for our families to gather throughout the year! The annual Halloween themed Fall Festival is a great time for campers to reconnect with friends they haven’t seen since school started.

New and prospective families will have the opportunity to meet camp staff, participate in camp activities, tour the grounds and make new friends!

Please CLICK HERE to RSVP if your children are not currently enrolled at Shibley for Summer 2020

Pumpkin picking/painting, hay rides, face painting, games, music, refreshments, air bungee, Green Giant and a chance to enjoy our beautiful 20 acre wooded facility with family and friends.