The Things I Am Most Looking Forward To This Summer -- Tom's List

I love Jeremy’s list of what he is looking forward to this summer (see below), so I thought I’d share my list with you. The only difficult thing was limiting it to 20 items.

1. No longer having to listen to anyone’s Camp Countdowns.
2. The day we drive out to Blairstown with our first load of camp gear … boxes and boxes, hopefully with helpers and helpers!
3. Hooking up our phones and computers and being excited that everything works and we’re “open for business” in Blairstown for the next 11 weeks.
4. Taking my first morning walk around Blair Academy and Blairstown, hoping that I’ll see the bald eagle that sits on top of the dead tree at the end of the pond in the early morning, warming in the first rays of the sun.
5. Sleeping in my camp bed that first night, even though I have to get used to it again!
6. Seeing all of our friends at Blair Academy and hearing them say, “Is it summer already? Wow, the year went by fast. Welcome back! When do the campers come?”
7. Seeing all of the staff in June, after waiting for months and months to bring these awesome people together as one incredible team.
8. Two or three hours after the whole staff is together, realizing that the “magic of camp” has worked once again and we all feel like long-time friends.
9. The first bunk meeting.
10. The staff assistants, together again for the first time since our orientation weekend in early March. They are the closest thing I get to having a bunk group.
11. The moment that the co-bunk counselors are announced, watching those first reactions as they meet their new co-workers.
12. That first “Settling In Saturday”, when the entire staff is bursting with excitement and energy as the parents and campers arrive at each dorm.
13. Very early in the morning, that first camp Monday, when I watch the bus counselors leave Blairstown to meet their drivers and head out to the beginnings of their routes.
14. The campers arriving! Busses pulling around the curve of the Blair roadway and stopping in front of the theatre while all the staff cheer and clap as each camper steps off his/her bus.
15. The sounds of camp, now that our staff and campers are all together. Singing, shouting, laughing. There’s an energy and buzz everywhere.
16. The first time we sing the Announcements Song, and every time after that, thinking up ways to get different camper and staff up front to lead the song.
17. Frito pie, eggplant rollatini, the salad bar, tuna fish, water with ice cubes, grilled cheese, broccoli.
18. The first time smoke blows into my eyes at the campfire.
19. Walking around camp at night after everyone has settled down, feeling the exhaustion of a camp day and knowing that everyone is dreaming about new adventures tomorrow.
20. Not caring what my camp bed feels like because I’m so tired.
If you’ve got a list of things you’re excited about (whether it’s one things or 20), send it to me in an email and I’ll be glad to share it in one of our blogs. tom@campuskids.com

It’s time for me to get back to work so I’ll be ready for all those things on my list to happen. See you at camp!

Tom

The Things I Am Most Looking Forward To This Summer

So I've spent a lot of time recently getting ready for staff training and also working on some marketing materials.   Looking at all these camp pictures has just got me so excited to get out there.  I think about camp all the time.  I know a lot of you probably feel the same way.  Check out my list and send us yours!

Things I'm Looking Forward to at CK-NJ 2012
1-Meeting all the new counselors.
2-Rock of July!  What an awesome way to start any summer!
3-The first Mandatory Celebration during Washers.
4-Hearing the new division songs.
5-Working with my new partner in crime, Katie!
6-Greeting the campers as they get off the bus.
7-Ice cream at meals.
8-Firing up the ceramics kiln for first time.
9-Weekend Adventures that include campfires, canoeing, s'mores, bannana boats and fried oreos. 
10-Talent Shows!
11-Assigning Ste to 6 periods of drums in a single day and watching his reaction when he gets his schedule.  HA HA HA!
12-Setting up the skate park.
13-Running through the sprinklers in the bowl.
14-Going to bunk meetings.
15-Hanging out with campers at canteen.
16-Katie making her "sign up for softball" announcements.
17-Three words:  SLIP...  AND...  SLIDE!
18-The lip sync contests and skit nights.
19-I WILL MAKE IT ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE SLACKLINE THIS SUMMER!
20-Annnounements, Announcements, Announcements!  The first announcement song of the summer always makes me smile!

Soon, I’ll see you all at the best place on earth!  Campus Kids 2012 will be AMAZING!
~Jeremy

Busy Busy Busy!

So much is going on right now!  Tom and I have just finished working on the latest edition of the Sundial.  Zach is coming over after school to help us collate them.  I’ve been working on staff orientation while Tom has been pumping out some spring marketing materials.  Beth has been working away as the camp registrar processing camper enrollments and sending out the camper packets.  There is always so much to do to get ready for camp in the spring.  Every time that I look out the window and see a warm spring day, I’m reminded that soon we’ll all be outside at camp together.

As you are reading this, counselors are busy introducing themselves and reading about the rest of the CK-NJ 2012 staff on their Facebook group.  The leadership team is planning for the staff training that happens the week before camp starts.

Stu and Tom have been busy doing tours of the camp on weekends.  That’s right, new campers are still signing up.  In fact, more and more people are waiting and signing up this time of year.  This is partially due to crazy school activity schedules and lots of other factors as well.  Also, some people have been asking us if there is still room for their friends to sign up.  Every division still has at least some openings, so if you haven’t signed up yet its’ not too late. 

We’ll blog again soon, no matter how busy we are!

Jeremy

Our Staff Assistant Retreat was a huge success. Stu, Tom, Erica, Katie and I all spent a weekend in the woods of Fairview Lake YMCA Camp with a bunch of teenage staffies. We worked hard, had lots of fun, and got to know everyone a whole lot better. Much of the time was spent learning to work together as a team and how to effectively communicate with each other. We also spent time learning about the various teams and the tasks that they are responsible for at camp. Brian Z., a returning Team A member from last summer, helped explain how the lifeguarding is organized, chagneover is managed, and sports equipment is distributed. Russ I. and Matt Z., returners from Team B, instructed the newbies on what the office staff accomplishes and how to get it all done. I worked with a brand new Team D. We discussed how to manage photo galleries, what to take pictures of and even new ideas for web photo journals. Saturday night ended with a bunk meeting where we asked questions about camp, read a Dr Seuss book and sat around a fireplace.

If you read my last entry, you know all about or Staff Assistant CD Mix. Anyway, we had an amazing time listening to the songs and finding out why everyone picked their songs. As promised here is the unblurry version of the CD mix cover.

I want to give a big thanks to Erica and Katie for flying in for this event! They put a lot of work into the program and their presence was most appreciated! It was certainly a fantastic retreat for me!

~Jeremy

Staffie Retreat!

Tom and I are busy getting ready for the Staff Assistant retreat this weekend. Katie and Erica will soon be making their way down here to join us and help lead the weekend. Stu is probably setting up his DVR to make sure he doesn't miss any sports. We'll spend the weekend getting to know each other and helping this group of "staffies" learn how to work as team. Our group meets at YMCA Camp Fairview Lake where we go for weekend adventures. Staff assistants are a huge part of the camp infrastructure and vital to carrying out the daily program. Whether they are preparing the daily schedule to go out to the groups so they can make their activity choices, helping to lifeguard at the pool, gathering the sports equipment, passing our snack, making the dye for tie dyeing and fashion, or putting pictures up on the website, the staff assistants work VERY, VERY hard over the summer.

One the bonding activities, that has sort of become a tradition at the Staffie Retreat, is the CD mix. Everyone contributes one song in secret to the mix. The song you pick has to fit with the theme. This year's theme is "one quality about yourself that you find to be a strength of yours, and portray it in a song." I burn the songs onto the mix in a random order. We listen to the songs and then try to guess who picked which song. It's an extremely fun excersize and I love hearing why everyone has picked their individual song. So you get a better idea of what I am talking about, we've decided to give our blog readers a sneak peak at the CD cover and song list.

Just kidding... Sorry, I had to blur out. Staff assistants read the blog too! We'll show you the real deal next week! We take lots of pictures this weekend and we'll have lots to tell you next week!

~Jeremy

Our Specialties

If you read my previous blog (February 15), you know that when people ask, “Are you a specialty camp?” I answer “Yes! We specialize in giving kids choices.”

And that is definitely true. At the heart of the Campus Kids program is giving each camper his/her daily choice of activities. We teach skills in every activity, but we also encourage campers to explore new interests and enjoy the freedom of finding what they like best. We often hear from our alums that an important interest in their life — or even a career — began when they tried something for the first time at camp. Our wide variety of activities — in the fine arts, performing arts and sports — opens up a wide world of possibilities to every camper.

This specialty — our “Camper Choice Programming” — remains at the heart of our camp.

This summer, however, we’re giving some new meaning to the word “specialty” in three particular sports. We actually began this in 2010 with ultimate (often called Ultimate Frisbee) and are now expanding the concept to include squash and tennis.

The idea is to give campers a sport specialty option within a traditional camp program. Often, kids go to one-week sport camps to get concentrated skill instruction in a single sport, and many of those programs are great. In our program, though, that concentrated practice and skill development are spread out over two weeks, so that the camper spends about half a program day in the sport. The rest of the time, however, they are part of regular camp: being a member of a bunk group, having their own bunk counselors, enjoying evening programs and special events, and choosing their own activities during the non-specialty portion of each day.

If you’ve visited us at our summer home, Blair Academy, you know that for SQUASH we have a magnificent air conditioned, 7-court squash center. For TENNIS, there’s a modern 10-court tennis center (half with lights). And for ULTIMATE, there’s plenty of grass and artificial turf playing fields and a long-standing CK-NJ tradition of playing Ultimate at a high level.

Ryan Belline, who has been at CK-NJ since his camper days, started our Ultimate specialty option three years ago and will take on directorship of all three sports this summer. Squash takes place during our first two weeks, tennis during Weeks 3-4, and ultimate during Weeks 5-6. While these programs are taking place, these sports will still be part of the regular camper program for everyone else in camp.

Here’s where you can learn more about our new specialties: CK-NJ Sport Specialty Options. (By the way, these programs are for boys and girls entering 7th grade and older.)

If you’re at camp this summer, try out one of these specialties. If not, keep watching the website as we share the photos and the stories. We’ll keep you posted.

Tom

          

Choice Does Not Equal Chaos

I remember many years ago when Stu made a presentation at a camp conference about the Campus Kids “Camper Choice” programming system and half the people walked out of the room within the first five minutes because our level of choice was simply not possible in their minds. That was good for those who stayed because they got to have a really good discussion about the benefits of giving kids choices.

Kids are intrigued and excited about choosing their own activities. They are a bit skeptical at first because getting choices is not something they are used to. But they get excited when they realize that every day we help them plan what they want to do the next day — as an individual, not as part of a group vote or assignment. From the campers’ point of view, this is a very good thing. It’s freeing and fun. It’s having control of their camp experience and making it what they want it to be. It’s the great feeling of having independence and responsibility.

Adults also agree that Camper Choice sounds like a good thing, but they often have more question about it. Examples are:

HOW DO THE CAMPERS DEAL WITH ALL THOSE CHOICES?
We organize the choices by age division and into activity periods and the bunk counselors help their campers make their choices. Our system is organized. Choice does not equal chaos.

DOES MY CAMPER HAVE THE OPTION TO DO “NOTHING”?
The answer is “mostly no”. There are three activity periods in the morning, three in the afternoon and one after supper (before the evening programs) and campers all choose something to do each of those periods. The answer is “sometimes yes” because a camper who wants to take a break from doing organized activities every period can choose “afternoon shade” or “evening shade”, which is unstructured play time. Check back next week where we will blog about our shade activity.

WILL MY CAMPER TRY NEW THINGS IF NOT FORCED TO?
Most likely “yes”. Campers tell each other what they’ve been doing and they influence each other to try new things. And, since they can try something once and then not go back, they are willing to take the risk to try something new. They learn that it’s worth trying and there’s not a single camper who doesn’t develop at least one new interest at camp.

WILL MY CAMPER HAVE TO FIND HIS/HER OWN WAY AROUND CAMP?
No! It’s true that the bunk group doesn’t do its activities all together because each camper makes their own choices. However, the foundational safety rule at our camp is that every camper is always with a counselor. So we have a time-tested system for getting our campers to each activity with the counselors. Come out to camp in the summer and watch our activity changeovers; they are very interesting.

Camper Choice is at the heart of our philosophy and programming and we wouldn’t be Campus Kids without it. When people ask, “Are you a specialty camp?” I say, “Yes! We specialize in giving kids choices.”

If you have any questions about this aspect of our camp, please drop me a line or give me a call. I’d love to chat with you about it.

Tom

Where's Winter?

Usually at this time of year we are stomping the snow off our boots as we come into the office for another day of summer camp work.  Even though the world outside is cold and icy, our world in here is all about hot summer days filled with fun and friends.  We can't wait to trade in sweaters and heavy coats for t-shirts and shorts.

However, it hasn't been that kind of winter, as you know, with days being almost balmy, tempting us to wear a vintage CK t-shirt to work.  Sometimes I fear that maybe we slept through December, January and February and we've woken up in March and (oh no!) camp will be here soon and we're not ready!  Then I look at the Dr. Seuss wall calendar that Teri gave us (this month with the Truffala Trees) and am reassured that time hasn't changed, even though the weather has.

 I'm disappointed that we don't have the usual snow because our camp -- at Blair Academy -- is amazingly beautiful when it's covered in a white winter blanket.  I love the green vistas of the fields and forest, but I enjoy equally the white expanses, seeing the footprints and sled paths in the snow, and experiencing the muffled quiet across the campus.

Whatever the winter weather, though, one of the fun things we do during these months is give tours to families who are interested in our camp.  Lead by Stu or me, with the assistance of some of our current (or recently "retired") staff assistants, we spend a private hour or so with each family: the prospective camper, parents, siblings, grandparents, friends, neighbors . . . anyone they want to bring along.  Every tour has common elements because there are certain things about camp we want to tell every family and, of course, certain things we want to show them like the dorms, dining room, athletic facilities, pool, performing arts and fine arts facilities, canteen, etc.

What makes each tour unique are the questions.  No two campers or families have the same questions, but here are a few samples:
-- What do you do when it rains?  (That's usually asked at the beginning of the tour because at the end they've seen the indoor pool, three indoor gyms, art rooms, theatre, squash courts, etc. and they know we have plenty of good indoor space for activities.)    
-- How do I keep from getting lost?  (All campers, even the oldest, are ALWAYS with counselors, so campers don't have to worry about this.)
-- Are the dorms air conditioned?  (No, but they have good window screens and we put a 20" box fan in each room.  There is AC in the dining room, performing arts center, health center, canteen, and some of the indoor sports facilities.)
--What if I don't get along with someone in my group or my roommate?  (Our campers are pretty nice people, so this isn't a huge problem.  Being realistic though, nothing is perfect and there can be disagreements.  Since this is camp, our counselors help you work things out and this usually takes care of the problem.  If it becomes a bigger problem though, we might decide that switching rooms is the best option.)
--Can I bring my laptop?  (No.  You won't go online at camp because you'll be spending that time in activities and hanging out with camp friends.)
--Who gets to use the really cool fitness center?  (Our teenage campers.  This is our only activity that is restricted to just the older campers.)
--How many activities can I choose?  (Six or seven different ones per day.  You get to choose every day so you can try out new things and make switches easily.)
--Do I have to know how to do an activity to sign up for it?  (No!  Every activity has counselors who are able and eager to teach you how to do it.  So we hope you will try lots of new things while you're at camp.) 

That's just a sample.  The full list is practically endless.  Best of all, every weekend we get at least one question we've never had before, and this is the most fun to answer.

Winter tours will continue, even without the winter weather, and we'll continue to tell the wonderful story of camp to our visitors.  I wonder if this weekend I'll finally be wearing my big winter coat or if I'll be putting on my favorite camp t-shirt?

Tom

Red Forms, Blue Forms, Camp Forms, Sundials

Okay, I can't rhyme like Seuss but you get the point, eh?  Yesterday, with the help of some retired staff assistants we mailed out the camp "parent packet #1" and the latest issue of the "Sundial".  Caroline, Zach, Andrew, Lauren and Lindsey showed up at the winter office yesterday and got things done.  It was like a whirlwind of paper hovering around our desks as forms were collated and stapled, envelopes were stuffed and "Sundials" were stamped.  Both should arrive in camper homes in the next day or so.  The parent packet went out to the homes of currently enrolled campers.  If you haven't signed up yet, here's a link to the enrollment form! 

Also, thank you to everyone who has sent us Dr. Seuss-themed bunk group suggestions. I posted all the suggestions that have been sent in so far here. There's lots of time to think up more. You can send us your suggestions here.

Hope you like the Sundial,
Jeremy

While listening to NPR this morning, I heard a piece about Dr. Seuss. As it turns out, this year is the 75th anniversary of his first book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street. It turns out that the book was rejected by publishing companies 27 times before Vanguard Press published it in 1937. If this peaks your interest, you can read the full story (or stream the audio) here.

Don't forget, this is the summer of Dr. Seuss at camp! Our bunk groups will be named after the characters, places, titles, and objects from his wonderful stories. You can submit your suggestions here for bunk group names. We've received a lot of great suggestions so far, but we need a lot more!

Thanks,
Tom

Tumblr and a New Recipe

Originally Posted on Jauary 20th, accidentally deleted and now reposted for your enjoyment:

Tumblr and a New Recipe

Today we are rocking the blogosphere with two huge announcements! 

The first is that we have officially launched the Campus Kids New Jersey Tumblr page.  You can view it at campuskidsnj.tumblr.com.  We will repost excerpts from this blog along with additional pictures, status updates and random camp geekery.   Be sure to follow us and feel free to comment on anything we put up!

The second is earth shattering, I hope you are sitting down.  As many of you already realize, Tom Riddleberger, camp director extraordinaire, is a man of vision and complex strategy.  Some call him "the man with the plan".  Every year, he puts together an awesome camp staff including its leadership team, counselors, staff assistants and administrative team.  He puts ideas in motion that make every summer at camp more amazing than the last!  Earlier this year, Tom had a new goal.  Some said it was silly, others thought it was just crazy and impossible.  Still others pledged their support and CPR expertise (thanks Robbie!).  Tom's latest brainstorm was to create a FRITO PIE PIZZA!  Today that dream has been fully realized and has at last come to fruition!  Tom and I made that frito pie pizza and ate it for lunch.  It was a culinary delight that will surely grab the attention of reputable food critics, Bon Appétit magazine and the Food Network.  We present you our recipe so that you can enjoy this wonderful meal at home!  Kids, please ask your parents for help and don't make this without their permission.

Ingredients •Fritos
•Sharp Cheddar Cheese
•Southwestern Style Salsa (mild to medium)
•Boboli pizza crust
•Fresh Tomatoes & Jalepeno
•Can of Chili (We used Amy's vegan chili but chili with meat should work fine)
Optional: Cilantro & Sour Cream



Step 1
Preheat your oven to 425˚.  Place just the pizza crust on an open rack in the oven and bake for 2-3 minutes (the longer it stays in, the crispier the crust).  Remember to take it out before it burns. 

Step 2While the crust is baking.  Microwave chili ~2 minutes or heat it up in a saucepan.

Step 3
Cover your pizza crust with chili.  Carefully spoon out the "meat" of your chili onto the crust and avoid excess liquid.  You don't want soggy crust.

Step 4Top with one or two handfuls of Fritos.  The proper Frito to Chili ratio is a highly controversial topic and we suggest that you experiment to find the amount you like best.

Step 5Add salsa, cheese, diced tomatoes and jalepenos.  Carefully spoon the salsa onto your pizza, again avoiding excess liquid.  Go for the chunkier bits of your slasa.  Cover with cheddar cheese as you would cover a regular pizza with mozerella.  Add diced tomatoes and jalepenos to taste.

Step 6 Bake directly on the center rack of your oven for an additional 8-10 minutes.  Ovens may vary and you may want yours more well done.  Just be careful not to burn the Fritos!

Step 7 Slice very carefully.  Garnish with sour cream and cilantro and.. Voila!  A meal fit for kings!  If you do decide to make one of these, take a picture of it and send it to us via email (jeremy@campuskids.com) or through our facebook page.  Or better yet, bring it over so that Tom and I can sample your Frito Pie Pizza.

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
~Jeremy

The Kids of CK!

If you are a camp geek like me then you probably love reading the "Sundial" as much as I do. One of my favorite features is "The Kids of CK!" that we run every year. It's the section where we write about the campers returning for another amazing summer at Campus Kids New Jersey. It's also where you find out about new campers who are coming to camp for the first time. Reading "The Kids of CK!" gets me so pumped up for the summer ahead because every installment features different members of the Campus Kids family. By the time you are done reading it, you'll want to meet up with all your camp friends so badly that you may start thinking about the feasibility of developing a time machine so that you can skip the months ahead and arrive instantly at the first day of camp. Don't worry... this is completely normal. The important thing to remember is the that the classic steampunk time machine from H. G. Wells, The Time Machine, did not require plutonium to power the flux capacitor used in the 80's classic, Back to the Future, and that's probably the better way to go in terms of time machine design.

Anyway... Beth, whom many of you know as the 2011 summer camp office manager (or Sam and Sydney's mom), started helping us out at the office this week. She'll be here 2 days a week during the off-season. One of the first projects she tackled was mailing out the "welcome" and "welcome back" forms. Every camper should be receiving one in the next day or two. By filling out the form, a new camper can tell the camp community a little bit about him/herself. Returning campers can let everyone know what they've been up to since camp. Not only do we loving reading about you or learning about all your great memories from camp, but these forms give us the information we use to write your entry in the "Kids of CK!". Please send them in quickly if you want to be included in the first installment! Everyone who sends in form gets into one of the "Sundial" issues before camp. So don't worry if you can't get it in right away or you don't see your name in the first issue.

One more awesome piece of news... Teri had her baby! She and her husband Jim have brought home Grady James, a healthy baby boy! The little dude hasn't yet made it over to the CK office but Tom, Devon, and Katie got to stop by the hospital the day after he was born. He happened to arrive while our leadership team was here for their planning retreat. We don't have any official pics of the little guy yet, but we grabbed this one off Facebook. His mommy will probably send some more soon. I'm sure we'll all get to meet the future camper this summer when he comes to visit.

Until then, be well!

~Jeremy

Leadership Blog

We've turned the calendars to a new year and it's well past the time for blog update. Tom and I both enjoyed the holidays with our families. We hope it was a wonderful time for all of you as well. During the days off, Vanessa and I played with our cats, got a new chimney for our house and relaxed at home. When I got back to work, Tom and I went straight to planning the last minute details for the 2012 Leadership Team Retreat.

Every year around this time, we gather the entire leadership team for 3 days of planning for the upcoming summer. Our agenda varies every year as we base the program on the goals and concerns of our LT members. Everyone prepares at least one session on topics like supporting new counselors, building confidence, staying involved with campers and staff, and planning for staff orientation. Most of the retreat was spent working hard and tackling some big topics. There were fun moments, too. We went for a walk through the Drew University campus on Saturday and played some team building games. Just like at camp, we had bunk meetings every night. In keeping with our bunk group theme, we read a Dr Suess story one night. We listened to a CD mix that the team created by anonymously submitting one song each. The theme for the CD was: Imagine your life was made into a movie, what song would you wnat to make sure was on the soundtrack! After each song played, we tried to guess who picked the song. Then, the person who picked the song got to tell us why they picked it. All in all, the retreat was a huge success and a great time was had. You'll get to read about all the leadership team in the upcoming issues of the Sundial.

Talk to you soon, ~Jeremy