Category: Uncategorized

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Why Shibley is Perfect for Our Family – Guest Blog

I grew up knowing about Shibley Day Camp my entire life.  I always lived nearby and saw the big sign for it on Warner Avenue.  In fact, Shibley was part of my back yard for the first 9 years of my life and I don’t think I ever even realized it.  It was just part of the scenery.  A nostalgic permanent fixture in my surroundings that was just always there.

It wasn’t until I moved back to the area as an adult with two children that I actually called Shibley and asked to come take a tour for my youngest daughter.  The first minute I stepped onto the grounds I was completely blown away.  I instantly felt like I was in another part of New York.  I was surrounded by huge trees and greenery, rolling hills and all things beautiful.

Aside from the natural beauty that surrounded me, I was greeted by the executive staff here at Shibley Day Camp.  They are some of the warmest and kindest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.  I had been going through a tough time personally and Heath and Randi really put my mind at ease.  I had been so overwhelmed with what to do about the upcoming summer and had been to several other day camps but none that compared to the feeling I felt speaking with the two of them.

Once I heard all about the incredible program that Shibley runs and how well rounded it is I was taken on a tour of the facility. The activities and variety that Shibley had and has to offer is just unbelievable.

Needless to say, my daughter has been at Shibley ever since.  She waits all year to get back to camp.  When we drive by camp, she shouts out “Shibley Shibley!”, in fact we all do!  It’s her happy place.  I actually work in the office on weekends so I can ensure she is here all summer.  She wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.  My youngest daughter loved it so much her first summer that my oldest daughter joined her the next summer as a CIT.  She has returned every summer since as a counselor and now as a lifeguard.  It truly is a family here and we wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

I feel so grateful to have found a second home here for myself and my girls.  I think it is so rare to find a place like this that creates such a huge comfort zone for children, especially with all that is going on in this unpredictable world we are in today.

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Our GREEN Values

Camp is fun and magical for the children, but it is also much more than that. Having strong values that are modeled consistently and intentionally by our staff leads to lifelong friendships and personal growth. Confident campers with strong values will then have the tools to become our future leaders and innovators.

Shibley Day Camp’s GREEN Values:

Generosity

We are givers. We put others before ourselves. If we give all that we have to others, we will get back much, much more in return.

Respect

We will work hard to make personal connections with others and earn their respect. We will respect ourselves and the Shibley environment.

Empathy

We will share and feel the emotions of other members of our community. We will listen and show respect for alternate points of view even when we may disagree with them.

Endurance

We will exhaust every option and use every bit of energy to meet our goals.

Nurture

We will care for and nurture our community of diverse individuals. We are a family and will treat each member of our community as such.

On Fridays we wear GREEN and we celebrate members of the Shibley community who consistently display our GREEN values at camp. 

I look forward to this summer’s #GREENFridays!

heath@shibleydaycamp.com

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Why Summer Camp Is More Important Than Ever This Summer

UPDATE: This article was originally written for Summer 2021. We feel it is just as important and relevant for Summer 2022:

When is the last time your child made a new friend? Tried a new activity? Spoke to an adult they hadn’t met before? We have all avoided people we don’t know since mid-March of 2020, and we cover our faces with masks so that a simple smile or greeting to a stranger is rare and may even go unnoticed. Many children are going to school remotely and have avoided any interactions outside of their household for the better part of a year. Those who have attended school in-person and those who have continued to attend after-school activities are spending time with coaches and teachers that they know and trust in smaller-than-usual class sizes.

Fortunately, Megan Ranney, M.D., M.P.H, an emergency-medicine physician at Brown University, told Business Insider that we’ll start seeing a light at the end of the tunnel in the spring. This is great news for everyone and especially our children. But how can we ensure our children will be comfortable in social situations they’ve been missing for a year? Camps will play an integral role in preparing our children to re-enter a society they may not be comfortable with.

5 Reasons Why Camp is Important After a Year of Remote Learning:

Read the complete article WRITTEN BY HEATH: www.nymetroparents.com

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Why Shibley Day Camp?

CLICK TO SEE WHAT PARENTS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT SHIBLEY DAY CAMP

Shibley Day Camp is a place where children gather from Nassau County, Manhattan, Queens & Brooklyn to have a magical summer. At camp children:

  • Build self confidence in adventure & performance activities
  • Compete in traditional and unique athletic activities
  • Create and express themselves in arts & cooking activities
  • Explore and discover during science and nature activities
  • Improve swim skills in the pools
  • Make meaningful long lasting friendships

The diverse community at Shibley is led by educators, coaches and parents. The program is balanced and built in a way that improves children’s skills in their areas of interest while also exposing them to new activities they may have never tried. The daily program is designed in a unique way so that children are continuously active and engaged with friends and staff.

The children spend their day swimming and playing outdoors on acres of shade covered fields and activity areas. When they walk onto the Shibley Day Camp grounds they suddenly feel like they have traveled to the Berkshires or Adirondacks. The down to earth atmosphere is welcoming and comfortable to children and adults of all ages and from all backgrounds. Shibley’s simple philosophy is that the child must come home smiling, tired and dirty:)

Daily American Red Cross instructional swim is one of the most important aspects of the program. All children from ages 3-13 learn to swim or improve their swim skills at camp. Swim instructors and counselors work with small groups of children in age appropriate pools every morning. The children then have an opportunity to return to the pool each afternoon to practice and play.

Camp is fun, educational and magical for the children, but it is also much more than that. Having strong positive values that are modeled consistently and intentionally by the staff leads to lifelong friendships and personal growth. Confident campers with positive values have the tools to become our future leaders and innovators. Staff orientation is guided by the principals of positive behavior management. We celebrate when staff and campers display our GREEN values: Generosity, Respect, Empathy, Endurance and Nurture.

Shibley Day Camp provides valuable events to its community throughout the entire year. Festivals, open play days and themed Zooms take place in the Fall, Winter & Spring. New families and veterans have ample opportunities to spend time at Shibley, make connections and become comfortable with the staff and grounds before summer begins.

CLICK TO SEE WHAT PARENTS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT SHIBLEY DAY CAMP

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Happy New Year from Randi!

Happy & Healthy New Year to our Shibley Family!!!!!!!!!!!!

While I am sure many of us are eager to leave 2020 behind us, I feel it’s important to try and focus on the positive when we can…even though that can be especially tough to do right now. This year came with many highs and lows, but my bright spot was savoring extra time spent with my family and for that, I am grateful. Looking ahead to 2021, I am hopeful that we collectively continue to take the necessary COVID precautions, stay safe, and make our way towards the light at the end of the tunnel.

It was truly wonderful seeing so many familiar faces at our Zoom Holiday Party with Mainstages. I had so much fun playing Holiday Trivia, hearing your voices, dancing with you and making a snowman! We’re so lucky to have partnered with Mainstages, as they bring such a strong sense of liveliness, silliness and creativity to our events together. While we still cannot be together in person, it’s so great to have such engaging and interactive virtual events to feel that sense of Shibley unity and love. I noticed many of you on the other end of your screens had brothers, sisters, or parents participating in the fun- I loved seeing your teamwork! My daughter, Mariel, spent her Winter Break at home with us, so it was great to be able to play with her by my side.

We are planning more Zoom get-togethers to keep the momentum going until the Springtime when we hope to be able to get together in person once again.   Please mark your calendars for our next Zoom event- Saturday, January 9th @ 5:00 PM. Our new Junior Camp Director, Hayley, will be hosting story time for our campers. While this event is built around our junior campers, who doesn’t love a good read-aloud?! I know I will be there, ready to see your faces and listen to a great story or two. Maybe we can wear our cozy pajamas, bring a favorite stuffed animal, and dunk some cookies in milk as Hayley reads.

As 2021 begins, I am filled with hope and inspiration. We will take all that we’ve learned from 2020 with us, and prepare for an incredible summer.  Wishing you all a healthy happy start to the year-Stay safe and be well!