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CLICK TO SEE SPECIAL EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES PLANNED FOR SUMMER 2021
REVISED – Summer 2021 Program & Safety Information – 6.1.21
Early Shibley History Lesson
Whenever I take a walk around the Shibley grounds I have memories of years gone by. It has been over 60 years since I first set foot on this spectacular property which is made up of three major parcels.
ATTARA
The white mansion known as Attara was the home of the Willets family back in the pre-camp era. It was also the first of the major parcels purchased by Jeanne Shibley back in the 1930’s as The Shibley Day Camp. It also served as her residence until 1985 and as her husband John Bell’s until 1996. The Attara mansion is now used for camp activities such as dance, tae kwon do and cooking.
Jeanne Shibley was actually 13 years older than her husband who was a peanut farmer from Windsor, North Carolina. That age distance was especially rare back in those days. Jeanne Shibley was originally from Shelby, Tennessee. Shibley was her middle name which is similar to the name of the town where she grew up. Her actual last name was Snell. She was a very strong, determined, career minded person when most other women of that time period were homemakers. It was before the equal rights amendment and only about a decade after the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote. She started out as a dancer and then became a dance and etiquette teacher and eventually the founder of Shibley Day Camp.
JUNIOR CAMP
The next major parcel purchase was that of the junior camp section where the dining room and summer office buildings are located. That property was originally a farm. I remember back when I was a camper in the 1960’s, that every morning in the summer we had an assembly in front of the famous Shibley bell and the American flag. I am pretty sure we all recited the pledge of allegiance each morning before beginning our camp day. It was the 1960’s and I remember it as a much simpler and innocent time. There was no cable TV, no cell phones and no play dates. Children grew up at a much slower rate and were able to enjoy childhood and playing outside for a longer period of time.
SENIOR CAMP/WINTER MANSION
The third and final purchase was the Taylor estate which is where our winter office is with that incredibly long driveway from Warner Ave. I always thought that if we could take that long road and shape it into a square, it would be a very large area and would make a great ball field. The caretakers of the grounds also used to live in this building. I actually lived in this building during my last two years of college at Adelphi University while working part time at camp. That was my first apartment back in the fall of 1976.
THE SHIBLEY SHADE & SHIBLEY SHAPE
Over 90 years have passed since the beginning of Shibley. Many generations of children have taken part in the Shibley experience and walked the beautiful grounds. The Shibley property is unique as it is hidden away from the main roads of a bustling area. The Shibley property actually spans 2 towns and zip codes, Roslyn and Roslyn Heights. It is the place to be when you want the feeling of being in the country upstate without having to travel far. The Shibley trees create the famous Shibley shade which has kept so many children a little cooler during the hot summer months. The sprawling nature of the property is a one of a kind. It cannot be classified as a square or rectangular. The Shibley shape is a work of art created by nature.
Spring Play Day – Saturday, April 17
CLICK HERE TO RSVP AND RESERVE YOUR 90 MINUTE BLOCK AT CAMP
Join us and our friends at mainstages for a day of games, music and fun. Bring a picnic lunch (no nuts and no glass please) to enjoy on our beautiful 20 acre wooded facility with family and friends!
Children can play in our playgrounds (Green Giant will open in May), sandboxes, and on the fields. Mainstages will be running Field Day Fun, an interactive half hour performance where participants will meet fun characters to play socially distant field day-styled games that are fast, fun, creative, and guaranteed to leave your kids smiling and breathless!
Please note that spots are limited in each performance. This event will be following Shibley’s COVID-19 protocols including mask wearing, social distancing, and having all visitors temperature checked upon arrival.
Registration is required for this FREE event!
CLICK HERE TO RSVP AND RESERVE YOUR 90 MINUTE BLOCK AT CAMP
Spring Break Holiday Camp presented by mainstages
- Where: Shibley Day Camp Theater & Gaga Area (Attara in inclement weather)
- Dates: March 29th-April 2nd
- ***Times: 9 AM – 1 PM***
- For: Children currently in grades 1-6
- Cost: $475 – Use code Shibley50 for $50 discount if enrolled for summer 2021
***This is a drop-off and pick-up program***
mainstages is a New York City based theater and entertainment company owned and operated by a Shibley family. They will provide fun entertainment to intentionally encourage SAFE SOCIALIZATION throughout the week. Children will participate in interactive game shows, scavenger hunts, and more. Each day will have a special theme. Simply pack some snacks (no nuts and no sharing) and we will provide the rest.
Program Questions: Email matt@mainstages.com or call (347) 878 – 2431
Registration and additional information: https://www.mainstages.com/register-shibley-day-camp/
Safety Precautions:
- Spring Break Camp will take place at and around our outdoor theater.
- In the case of inclement weather, we will move to our tented area (1st option) with a large indoor space as a backup if we must go completely indoors.
- All staff and children will wear face coverings at all times except for when eating snacks.
- Children will wash hands and sanitize throughout the day.
- Children will be temperature checked before they are admitted to camp.
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.
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!