The Art Shack program this summer was a great success. We truly accomplished all goals set forth. Every camper that we touched seemed to have been incredibly receptive to all our projects and creativity. From crayon art becoming a camp wide phenomenon to prom success and color war madness the excitement continued in art all summer long.

Teaching decoupage at all ages, sculpting wire figures that were spectacular, decorating beautiful mirrors and involving the entire camp in candy art brought great joy to our entire department. Hundreds of beaded bracelets were made, campers were jeweled out and we loved seeing happy parents on visiting day blown away by a truly awesome art program!

Our electives were very popular, and great projects were made in the boys and girls bunk activity periods. From junior boys airplanes and bunk name plates up to supers spectacular frames and iCan nights learning cool new techniques with batiking, great creativity was had and happiness experienced by all.

I’m personally so happy to have brought the art outside by adding a waiting wall chalk board which was fun, and will be used for years to come. It feels good looking back at this summer and seeing the impact and memories of creative fun being had! It is a great accomplishment of our team and could not have been done so without each and every member.

It’s only up from here…

XO, Hallie & The 2014 Art Staff

 

There are some soccer players who can take the ball from one end of the field to the other and score by themselves. There are some basketball players who can make full court shots without the need to pass even once. There are countless athletes, artists, and musicians who can be successful by themselves, regardless of how many times they get called a “ball hog”. Not with Rock Band. They say there’s no ‘I’ in team, well there’s no ‘I’ in Rock Band either. Rock Band could not have been successful if not for the teamwork that was exhibited by all members involved. It was truly a great lesson for the kids to learn this year.

We had two bands this year. One was an experimental band that mixed lower seniors and upper juniors. We spent our rehearsals increasing our level of musical ability. Bringing together kids with such a difference in age was a great experience not only for the kids, but also for me. I got to see how even the most experienced musicians can learn something from the most unexpected places.

The second band was named “Plexiglas”. As a “pull out” program, campers have the chance to get away from their normal, everyday activities and spend some time with good music and good company as they rehearsed for their performances throughout camp. You may remember them from such performances as “The Best Day of My Life” on Visiting Day, “Radioactive” for Camparet, and “Color War” on the last day of camp (an original song written at camp). Teamwork, yet again, was key. Without the effort and participation of every single member of the band, the performances would not have been possible. Not only that, but they wouldn’t have rocked out as hard as they did without working together as well as they did.

It was a great summer for music, and the boys look forward to rocking on in the future.

Yours Truly,

Rock Band Mark

 

Mah Jongg was a big hit of summer 2014! The table located outside of the HQ made it a hot spot to see the game being played and to get involved. Although it was only offered as an elective to the older kids, many younger ones saw us playing and were eager to learn as well. By the end of the summer, there was a great range of ages, boys and girls that played.

It just takes one period to learn, as the campers quickly pick up the lingo and learn about the tiles. Some were able to play on their own, without any help, just the first day! During summer 2014, we created a Mah Jongg tournament, where campers who were not in the elective could sign up. At this morning-long tournament, campers played multiple games, keeping track of the number of points each hand was worth. It was very intense, as we had a winner just 5 points ahead of the rest!

I learned how to play Mah Jongg in camp too and it was great to see how enthusiastic the campers were to come to the elective!! It’s a fun game to play and hang out and chat with your friends as well. I hope it grows even more next summer!

Crack, Bam, Dot, Flower…

Caila

 

 

 

The basketball program at Camp Canadensis in 2014 was a great success and a joy to lead. Our clinic times consisted of instruction that was then backed up by playing games to reinforce those newly acquired skills. League periods saw the campers competing against each other in scrimmages, and in our elective periods we were able to play some fun basketball games and running drills that focused more on specialized and individual skill building.

At Canadensis, we were able to host and attend many inter-camp basketball tournaments this year. We also had our super leagues (Inter basketball league, NCAA, NBA, and WNBA) which were all a huge success and a lot of fun for everyone involved.

My staff and I would like to thank the Canadensis staff for all of their support, and the campers for their involvement! You truly made this summer an incredible experience!

-Shawn Cramer

 

Recipe for success: Add one seasoned veteran with one sweet New Jerseyite, sprinkle into the mix a talented A-cappellist with a flair for cooking, add the joy and enthusiasm from hundreds of campers and let the ingredients bake for aprox. 7 weeks. The results are the most delicious cooking program Camp Canadensis has tasted to date!

Yes, this summer Jojo, Jenna, and Suzanna made ordinary ingredients into extraordinary culinary delights. Among the dozens of tasty dishes, our campers learned how to cut and fry a simple potato into the best fries they ever ate. We made mixed berry crème brulee with an essential tool of all top French chefs; the kitchen torch. Along with proper instruction and adult supervision our future chefs learned to properly brulee “to burn” the turbinado sugar to a golden brown (not black because it tastes too bitter). As program directors we are asked to have a “Big Idea” for the summer. It could be something we ask our camper to achieve over the summer or an accomplishment of some kind. This year our “Big Idea” for cooking was a little less tangible but so important to me. Our “big idea” was to instill the idea into all of our campers how important family recipes are. So often we eat grandma’s cookies or Uncle Jo’s rib roast or Aunt Sally’s special salad but we never think to ask for the recipe or more importantly if it’s possible, make the recipe with them.

Last week I ran into a friend who so fondly remembers her mother’s chicken soup. As we were talking she said she had asked all her friends and family if they knew what her mother put in her soup. No one knew. When I told her “I have your mom’s recipe” her eyes lit up and she jumped into my arms.

We wish all of you a great school year and we thank you for a wonderful summer.

Love,

Jojo, Suzanna and Jenna

Hello Camp Canadensis!

I am writing this blog on Tuesday, September 16, one month since the buses pulled out of our seven week summer home.  Over the past few weeks, I have taken some time to reflect on the spectacular summer that was 2014.  As I look through all of the photos, videos and Canadensis Today shows from our time together, I no doubt smile at all of the wonderful memories we created together.  It makes me want to go back in time and do it all over again.  If only that time machine at the bottom of the foam pit were real!  Ha Ha!

Here are some of the moments I really loved from the summer.

What also made it the best summer ever, for me and Jaime, was the arrival of our daughter Emerson Paige Krug on August 23.  She weighed in at 8 pounds, 6 ounces.  Emerson and mom have been doing well at home over the past few weeks and we can’t wait for everyone at camp to meet the newest Canadensis camper.  She is looking forward to meeting all of her camp family.  In the meantime, here are some pictures…

Now that Summer 2014 is officially wrapped up, we start to look ahead for next year.  With that, we hope that all of our campers will help us out and complete the Summer 2014 Camper Survey.  We use this survey to help us with many of our plans and scheduling for next year.  So, be sure to tell us what you loved about camp.  Tell us what you think we can do better.  Let us know some new ideas that we should be bringing to camp in Summer 2015, which will be camp’s 75th Anniversary Summer!  The online survey can be found by clicking here.

And, even though summer is over and that our campers and many of our staff are back at school, we hope to see so many of you at one of our several off season events.  In November, we will have our Canteen on the Fly ice cream events in Philly, New Jersey, Westchester County and Long Island.  January will have us celebrating with our Annual Reunion.  Then, there will be the Open House in late May up at camp.  On top of all that, me, Eric, Pam, Cara and Matt will be on the road, meeting all of our camp families and staff throughout the year.  We can’t wait to see as many of you as possible.

For those families that might be still interested in touring Canadensis for their child in Summer 2015.  We have several Fall Tour days planned.  They will be on September 21, October 26 and November 8.  All tours are scheduled for 1 pm.  If interested, please call our Winter office at 484.674.1941.

Finally, it was already great to see my inbox filled with a mini camp reunion.  The Girls of Bunk 11 got together this past weekend in Long Island to celebrate the birthday of Jordyn Sherman with a sleepover party.  Here is a pic…

Well, that’s all of the blogging for now.  More to come in the off season that lies ahead.  How many days until Summer 2015?  283?  Is it too early to start an official countdown?

Have a great day!

-Brian

This year’s archery program was very exciting with massive free play groups and smaller elective groups throughout the season, this allowed for more one on one time with campers and for staff to take a direct interest in each campers progress. When the program was opened many campers were un-able to achieve the results they had hoped for but after one or two sessions I saw a great improvement in the average skill level so I encouraged each camper to set small goals during each period and make small steps toward becoming a better archer. For some campers this was simply to hit the target and for others they wanted me to coach them towards hitting six out of six arrows on a nominated point.

Now at the end of the season I am happy to say that each camper has made excellent progress towards their goal and a great majority have been very successful during the program. I am proud of what the program has achieved this year and I hope it continues to inspire the campers to strive for excellence.

Best of luck!

Gary Duncan

2014 Archery Director

 

This summer was amazing!  I feel like me and my crew were able to teach the kids more and more than they ever knew about ceramics before.  Kids came into camp with very little technical knowledge about the wheel, firing process, and glazing techniques.  Through the bunk activities where we got to work with hand building and slab…and the wheel throwing electives, each child had many different ways to create with clay!

I made it a goal that every one of my students left with a finished piece, and if they were in the wheel class a finished piece they could eat out of.  I also created a very popular Morning Line Up game called “Mug Shot Monday” where campers could test their ceramics trivia and win a mug made at camp!

We packed the elective and made ceramics again one of the most popular classes in camp! I will miss all the kids and their creative minds.

Luke Hulling

2014 Ceramics Director

 

As a camper who grew up learning to ride at Canadensis, I could not have been happier with the Honda program for 2014. The team of Nick Throup, Andy Yeo, Liam Botkin and Jamie Saunders, along with myself, have taken this program to new heights. Our goal was to get the campers in the woods, on the trails. With the help of the aforementioned team, we more than accomplished that goal. We accomplished the ultimate “pay-off!!!!” The “OMG” moment when a camper said “I can’t believe I just did that!” There is no bigger reward for a director or a counselor, then to watch a camper accomplish a feat that they did not feel possible.

We provided a program, where safety and skills were taught. Campers did not just learning to operate a motorcycle, but how to ride one, under control and within each individual camper’s “box.” We then pushed, a little at a time, to get the camper comfortably out of that box to experience what can be done with a little focus, respect for the machine and effort.

We began with each camper on the grass of the lake field. Whether a veteran or rookie, everyone started the same way…with the basics! We built on those skills, provided clinics during free play and developed riders. We ran a program that reached a 100% injury free year, with most eligible campers riding in the woods at a pace that was comfortable, yet challenging enough to let them know they were riding.

We had huge successes over the summer! Taking campers that has never been on a motorcycle (and were very scared to try) from learning basics of throttle control and braking, to riding trails and eventually learning to ride an 80 (clutch motorcycle). Campers who never liked to get dirty, ended up splashing around in a huge mud puddles with big smiles on their face!!!! Can it get any better????

For 2015, I envision even greater things for the Honda Program. The report that I’ve established this summer with my staff has shown to me that with a little respect and understanding, people will work harder, have more fun and hence be better suited for the position at hand.

I can’t wait for 2015!!!!!

Jeff Ufberg
2014 Hondas and Quads Director

 

The Golf program for Camp Canadensis 2014 was absolutely brilliant both up at the in-camp driving range and on the 3 golf trips to the local golf course, Buck Hill Country Club.

On camp we had a wide range of boys and girls signing up for the elective to improve their swing and their ball hitting as well as a huge number of first time players looking for an insight to golf. With most campers it was back to basics focusing on grip, stance, ball position and swing fundamentals and with others we looked at ball flight and club selection.

The out of camp trips were a huge success with a dozen campers attending. We played a number of holes as well as took lessons with the in house professional. The boys who were on the trip showed serious improvement in their games and the course offered many additional challenges such as bunkers, greens and water hazards in which the campers could improve their skills even further.

This year has been truly enjoyable and I hope the campers enjoyed it as much as I have! I hope 2015 is just as prosperous!

Phil Weatherston

2014 Golf Director

 

The weight lifting program of 2014 summer at Camp Canadensis was in a brand new space, and was based on the basic fundamentals of weight lifting and training. We went to the basics in order to ensure proper form was kept constant when going through the different phases of each exercise. Weight lifting can be a dangerous activity when it’s done improperly, so much of the program was predicated on form and safety. Once proper form was reached, the campers were allowed to move to more complex exercises such as the back squat or deadlift. Many of our campers quickly improved their strength, muscular endurance/power output, flexibility and overall health as they continued through the summer.

We covered the entire muscular system in our program but much of the focus went towards proper technique during olympic style movements, as well as core stability and strength. Some of our campers were extremely interested getting involved in the weights program and saw their performances increase as the summer went along. I am happy to say that these individuals have a better understanding of how/what to do when lifting weights, and are closer to their fitness goals.

Overrall, the Weights Program was a success for those who were involved. I look forward to seeing how the kids apply the gains they made in the weight room to their respective sport.

Tyler Curtis

2014 Weight and Conditioning Director

School of Health Science and Human Performances, Ithaca College

The soccer program has been very successful this year at Canadensis, with a strong specialist team of Jack Barnes, Remi White and Karlie Henning, in addition to solid contributions from other staff.

The programs success has been highlighted through the introduction of camps first ever Canadensis Soccer League (CSL), eventually won by ‘The Summer Of Roessler’ team. CSL was a great opportunity for lower and middle camp boys and girls to showcase skills learned through clinic and elective sessions. All participants thoroughly enjoyed the league and the competitive nature created. The team coaches contributed massively to the success of the league, donating their time, support, effort and enthusiasm. This was an enjoyable event for not only those taking part, but also those who attended in support. Certain individuals (Jake Brownstein), also found satisfaction in the form of being a ‘water boy’, bringing humor, chants and enthusiasm each week.

During the soccer clinics, we ran drills and sessions targeting enjoyment rather than skill enhancement. We also had a great intensive soccer clinic for those truly dedicated to the sport. Next year the program will aim to run even more elite sessions during free play for those who wish to further develop skills within the sport.

Thanks to all campers and staff who have contributed, supported and participated in the program this summer making it the success it has. See you next summer!

Jack Barnes

2014 Soccer Director

 

 

The Camp Canadensis Painting program was new this year, and got off to a great start in 2014! We began by experimenting with the 3 primary colors to make different shades of the secondary colors. We did a variety of free-painting activities. We started on regular paper and the campers got a feel for how both acrylic and watercolor paint works. They especially enjoyed using rubber cement on colored paper to make parts of the paper resist the watercolor. Then I got some large scraps from the wood shop to paint. Many campers made name plates and others made pictures or abstract designs. Free-painting was a calm and relaxing time for the campers to express their creativity.

We used mixed-media, including magazines and the kids copied pictures of their favorite celebrities. This was fun preparation for landscape painting as they practiced observational drawing skills and small detail brush technique.

For the last couple weeks of camp, we all sat outside and painted pictures of the lake from a few different angles. The campers enjoyed the fresh air and were really proud of their finished paintings. I look forward to seeing what we create in summer 2015!

Shira Greenfield

2014 Painting Director

 

 

I believe that the cheerleading program this summer was a great success. We started off very small but by the end of the summer the junior/lower inter session was completely full! It was so exciting to see so many different types of kids coming to the cheerleading elective. Many kept coming back each week.

We would usually start off the session with warming up. We would do jumping jacks or play games that got the kids moving first. We would then stretch, and cover the basics. We did everything from learning jumps, tumbling, and motions to learning cheers and stunting.

There was also a large group of boys who joined and we mainly focused on tumbling with them. They started off with basic forward rolls to learning how to do standing tucks into the foam pit! It was so exciting to see these kids grow skills over just a short time.

The girls group was doing stunts that are more difficult but they were really getting them done! Hopefully next summer the cheerleading elective will be able to perform in front of the whole camp! I hope the elective continues to grow in the future.

Cheers!

Carla Centanni

2014 Cheerleading Director

 

Summer 2014 aerobics was a fun time for Freshman through CIT girls. We discussed healthy lifestyles and many ways to remain active throughout the rest of summer and the school year.

The aerobics elective classes were where I saw the most enthusiastic campers enjoy being active. We enjoyed running and walking the lake trail and around camp, and playing various games with a cardio twist (like screaming toes, where if you make eye contact w/ another person you run around baseball bases, or up and down the amphitheater, etc.) I also made a game on a Kleenex-box sized cube, where each side had a different activity on it (25 jumping jacks, lunges, burpees, etc.) and we would each take turns rolling it.

No matter what, we stayed active by walking around camp and doing ab circuits, and we would rotate the activity by letting campers choose! Overall, the girls had a really fun time staying active this summer!

Corey Holloway

2014 Aerobics Director

 

 

Although summer 2014 was a bit chilly at Canadensis this year, the Lake has still been a very popular and busy area at camp! The Lake had a big addition this summer with the arrival of the custom-made Ice Mountain climbing wall and slide. The new Ice Mountain has definitely been a big attraction for all campers (and counselors!).

Having the new Ice Mountain also meant we could use the “Summit” closer to shore which added an extra fun and exciting element to our Lake Parties. The Lake Parties really took off this summer as a popular evening activity. Each age group enjoyed taking over the whole lake and being able to ride the banana boat and have fun on the Summit, Water Tramp, Water Mat and kayaks. The onshore entertainment was also a hit with music and an icy treat delivered to top off the night – a perfect way to end the day at Canadensis.

The water skiing program was the strongest I have seen in my years at Canadensis. The instructors had a real passion for teaching. As a result, a lot of the campers progressed from the bar to the rope with many more trying slalom ski, wakeboarding and the trick ski!

As usual, the lakefront electives were very popular this summer. In particular, the sailing elective saw our campers learning more advanced sailing skills such as boat handling, reading the wind and even sessions on capsizing and re-righting the boats.

The Lake Rec and Lake Instruction periods were also a lot of fun this year. We had some new kayaks which the campers were always racing to get to first and we also introduced stand-up paddle boarding which was hugely successful and something I hope to see grow into its own elective in the years to come!

Overall, we had a safe and enjoyable summer at Lake Lenape in 2014!

Lachie and the 2014 Lake Crew

The ropes course and climbing wall is a popular spot with the campers! Bunks have the chance to conquer the elements in the ropes course, and the electives give everyone a chance to make it to the top of the many paths on the climbing wall. At free play campers would show up in big numbers and want to climb even more.

In addition to our regular course, we put fun twists to the elements. We put the chalk on top of the wall for visiting day so parents got to see their kids accomplish climbing to the top of the wall and tag a spot with their name. We also set up the Caterpillar, cargo net, and the tennis ball challenge. While sliding down the zipline towards the blue pool, campers would try to drop their tennis ball in a small bucket…and we had about 12 campers get it in!

A few campers who were either scared of heights or never did the ropes course ever overcame their fears. We worked with them to get comfortable climbing up the ladder as much as they choose, next time we would get them to climb higher, until finally they got to the platform and made their way around the course. Once accomplishing that, it was great to see them be the first campers to come running to the zip line!

Brittany Dvorscak

2014 Ropes Course Director

 

 

The summer 2014 Dance Program was a huge success. So many of our campers were able to enjoy dance this summer because of all the opportunities we had. One of the highlights of this summer’s program was our intercamp dance competition. The kids really proved their dedication during dance rehearsal and our group routine choreographed to “Stay With Me” took home 1st place in both competitions we attended.

Our elective periods were another huge success. The elective campers were able to learn full routines specified to their capabilities and level. Therefore even though all the electives were learning the same dance, it was unique to each class of dancers. Campers who still couldn’t get enough dance had the chance to participate in a full day dance workshop with Leigh Bednoff.

The bunk periods this summer became a true highlight of the day. In each bunk we worked on their MTV night routines. This not only allowed them to get our input as dance teachers, but also promoted bunk harmony. Their routines also became a lot more challenging because we were able to give them more difficult moves that they could work on and really impress the rest of camp. All the bunks were able to have outstanding MTV night dances that they’ll be able to share with their friends forever.

While this summer was amazing, it would not have been possible without an amazing team of staff behind me. Thanks for a great summer in the dance studio. See you in summer 2015!

It was amazing!

Liz Birnbaum
2014 Dance Director

 

Glass Fusion was not what we expected it to be this summer…it was so much more! The camper’s positive energy, enthusiasm, and creativity made the program a blast. Each camper began learning how to cut glass, and progressed to building sculptures, glass shoes, and much more.

Campers from all divisions were eager to experiment and use plants from the beautiful Canadensis landscape in their projects. They also melted down bottles, made wind chimes, and older campers used the flame torch to create beads and sculptures. Game boards, jewelry, and dishes were also made.

Campers were also enthused to work on projects that we created. For example building a mural out of glass that makes Stary Night and will hang in the glass room for years to come! Or, when we had down time working on a six foot tall sculpture made out of recycled styrofoam.

Creativity and ideas were expanded this summer and the campers created amazing work.

Emily Schmeichel & Kate Farneth
2014 Glass Fusion Directors

 

 

The Wrestling program this year was very successful. Working, designing, structuring and executing a wrestling program and delivering sessions was very rewarding. As an elective, all the campers I met with had chosen it as one of their activities. Watching some kids start not know anything and to finish winning matches against some of the kids that have wrestled before is awesome.

Although most campers do not plan to wrestle at high levels, they still learned lots of valuable life lessons they can relate to the real world. When they lost a match, I told them to keep their chin up because no-one else is going to do it for them. When they won, I told them to stay humble.

The kids have had lots of fun wrestling this year and I hope you enjoyed getting in the ring with me!

Dave Jones
2014 Wrestling Director

 

 

Gymnastics at Canadensis 2014 was always jammed packed and full of fun!! It was really fun being back in the gym again, and joined by the great additions of Kathryn and Kasey. We also had a few other staff come in and help us out when we needed extra hands, it was much appreciated and helped us keep the classes running so smoothly.

We started out the first 2 weeks learning all 4 apparatus: vault, bars, beam, floor. Then we moved into a more flexible time in the gym. When the campers came in we would play some games to warm up, have a stretch and discuss what they wanted to work on/ learn that session. It was lots of fun that way, spotting bars one minute to teaching limbers and walkovers then over to the foam pit for free time or more games!! We even spent time making up short floor routines, where the campers could be as creative as they liked by adapting the routine for their personal skill level, then performing them each for one another.

Our foam pit elective was as fun and full as ever, and full of flips! Our lower camp elective was great – we learned skills on all apparatus in the gym, as with our middle camp elective! Some mastering jumping from bar to bar, or learning a cartwheel for the first time.

The “elite” gymnasts at camp would work in small groups during free play. These campers wanted more time to train their skills and strength. We also had a fun 1 hour session with CIT Zaslow, teaching the campers some basic parkour skills and moves. The kids had lots of fun learning this whole new activity at camp.

Overall it was a really productive, fun filled and safe time in the gym this year!! The kids really enjoyed starting and even achieving their goals. A few of which were front flips off the tramp or beam, walkovers/limbers on floor and different skills on bars being the highlights.

Never give up, it’s all about practice!!

Jackie Page
2014 Gymnastics Director

William Shakespeare once said “All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players” and the Rec Hall stage was no exception! This year during the 2014 summer, our actors and actresses accomplished great things in Dramatic Arts. The musical Peter Pan proved to be a great success with all cast and crew putting in hard work. The performances were a great success and the entire camp really enjoyed their trip to Neverland!

Also this summer we created the Find Your Way Camparet. This gave our performers the chance to learn different styles of musical theatre from a broad range of musicals from Matilda to South Pacific and even a staff number from Rent. It also gave our campers the opportunity to work on longer pieces of music as well as more difficult pieces. The campers worked on different techniques in acting styles and improved breathing techniques for singing and knowledge of music.

In our electives, campers learned different styles of improv games to work on character development, and many warm up exercises to work on focus.   Our campers also learned theatre terminology and stage directions.   The elective also doubled its size in camper participation!

All in all summer in the Rec Hall was filled with music, dance, and loads of fun!

Maggie and Nick

2014 Drama Staff

 

 

Fishing 2014 was a great success! Campers reeled in many adult sized largemouth bass and pickerel (some perch too) indicating that our private Lake Lenape is a favorable environment for fish to thrive. Mason Levine and Eric Forster both caught 22″ largemouth bass, and Max Kruman caught a 24″ pickerel. Mitchell Konstandt’s fish count this summer was in the double digits.

Campers came out during electives and free play. Serious anglers benefitted from smaller electives to learn more information and to go out on the canoes. Campers in bigger electives had the ability to socialize with many other campers in their division while fishing. Fishing became a very popular free play activity. Thanks to all the staff who assisted me!

Michael May
2014 Fishing Director

 

 

The Canadensis lacrosse program of 2014 was a huge success this year. We had a plethora of positive feedback from the campers. We adapted the program to include drills, but be more about fun and games. We would do mini drills in the beginning and then play a game that would work on those skills. This format worked splendidly for both the boys and the girls. Our two most popular games were lacrosse golf and ultimate lacrosse. The lower campers also loved sharks and minnow with the noodles as well hungry hungry hippos.

Overall, our 2014 lax Program was a lot of fun for both the campers and the staff!!

Thanks for a great summer
Shawn Caven and Katie Russo
2014 Lacrosse Staff

 

The photography program this summer consisted of a wide range of projects, skills, and creative problem solving.

For the digital studio, campers took the reigns and explored their personal visions. Campers experimented with color alterations in Photoshop CS2, creating pop-art like images. They also learned how to select parts of images, move them around, and create quirky surrealistic photos. A new skill the campers explored was using the scanner as a camera. They created landscapes, faces, and their names by arranging and scanning objects. The concept of creating a digital image without the traditional digital camera excited a great number of them.

In the black and white darkroom, our practical and creative skills were touched on. Campers learned to shoot with traditional 35mm cameras as well as make prints in the darkroom with the shot negatives. Campers also created photograms, similarly to the scanograms in digital. They also created their own images by painting with fixer. The last project which blew their minds was the pinhole camera. Being able to create an actual photographic image with just a box and a hole seemed to be the highlight out of all the days in photo.

Overall I think what was most successful were the alternative methods of image making that allowed campers to think even more outside the box!

Heather Dorsett
2014 Photography Director

 

 

While many may say Summer of 2014 was the “Summer of Roessler”, my appointment as Director of Canadensis Outdoor Adventure Living Skills (COALS) has biased me towards the position that it was actually the summer of COALS. The previous generations of campers may have manufactured personalized shirts reading “I survived the Canadensis Overnight”, but the campers of 2014 did not just survive, they thrived!

Our program’s goal was to streamline the overnight process and improve the menu making sure it was enjoyable for all ages. I truly believe we succeeded, and we even incorporated some creative themes to get the kids excited. One personal favorite was a Harry Potter themed overnight, complete with “Cauldron Cakes” cooked in a Dutch Oven over the fire. Hogwarts admission letters with packing lists were delivered to the bunks prior to the overnight, proving that the mail room staff makes a good alternative to owls for successful mail delivery.

While the overnights tend to be the staple of COALS, we can’t forget the regularly scheduled COALS activity periods. Our team got the kids excited every week, with creative and fun activities that allowed campers to have fun and enjoy nature. A favorite among camp was the natural shelter building contest which ended with a “thunderstorm” of water balloons and water guns. Of course there was no shortage of s’mores throughout the summer…chocolate, marshmallows and graham crackers gives COALS an edge over other programs! I hope that next year campers will return excited to embark on another adventure and make 2015 another “Summer of COALS”.

Kerry Neil
2014 COALS Director

 

2014 has been a successful summer for the horse riders at Camp Canadensis! Interested campers sign up for10 semi-private lessons and all campers improved their confidence and skill while having fun and staying safe.

Charlie and I had each of the kids to write down a goal they had for the summer that they wanted to achieve. Every child was able to achieve their goal, many making new goals and achieving them also. This was a great way to motivate the kids to try hard and work on their riding. Having goal sheet posters on the stable walls also helped to further encourage improvement.

A standout in 2014 was the musical dressage performance some of the riders were able to create and have their bunk come and watch. The Canadensis Today Show also filmed the performance so their parents were also able to watch them ride. This allowed the kids to put together their skills into something fun and creative they could share with the rest of camp. Blueberry picking on the trails was also a popular past time.

Certificates of achievement were handed out at girls ceremony at the end of camp to congratulate each of the riders for a successful summer. Thanks to the staff who fed the horses on our days off and for all of the staff who assisted.

It’s been a great summer! It’s been a pleasure being director of the program, and thanks Charlie for being an amazing Co!

Cheers!

Erin Gardner

2014 Horseback Riding Director

 

 

 

The summer of 2014 hockey program was a year of great progress made by a lot of players in both street and roller hockey. It was fun to see the improvement in big areas such as skating and shooting especially. It was amazing to watch the players grow and improve so much this summer. With electives and private lessons kids were able to get a lot of extra practice.

With two leagues going on this year a junior and also senior CHL (Canadensis Hockey League) this year has been packed at the spectrum with great competition in both divisions. Kids who have played hockey for years and kids who just started skating this summer it was great to see the drive they all had to compete and get better!

Joe Camarata & Alex Wichers

2014 Hockey Staff

 

The Fabric Arts program started off Summer 2014 on the right foot with Handworks Studio’s workshop. Every girl in camp had a chance to use the sewing machine to complete a skirt, tote bag, or bedside pocket.

During the bunk activity periods, Josey and I had a lot of success with the Junior girls who completed three projects: the marionette bird puppet – a project that introduced them to threading needles and tying knots, a quick pom-pom pen where the girls practiced hand sewing a gather, and using the iron, and a fabric bowl where they worked together to create a bowl out of recycled fabric scraps.

Middle camp made a variety of hand sewn accessories, and learned to design their own fabric print for each bunk. Our biggest success was with the Seniors, they were intimidated by sewing at the beginning, so we pulled out the crochet needles and learned to chain some knotted headbands. By the end of the summer, we created a Fashion/Sportswear/Costume presentation on our own work with a Celebrity “Hot or Not” game. At the end they designed their own line of clothing – it was unanimously loved by all!

In the Needle Arts electives the girls learned a variety of new skills in fabric arts: how to sew soft circuits (light up hair accessories and bookmarks), weaving (on the weaving wall and on hula hoops), knitting on the knitting towers, making rope from fabric scraps, and sewing drawstring bags on the machine.

Fabric Arts was a popular activity during Free Play, especially among Boys Camp. Most campers came in wanting to make pillows – we went through many boxes of stuffing this summer! The boys were also making shirts, skirts (for their mothers), beards and mustaches out of yarn, and bedside pockets.

Overall Fabric Arts had a great summer, our campers have a lot to be proud of!

Anna Wolfe

2014 Fabric Arts Director

Could you name any of the muscles in your back? If you spent time in the Fitness program of Summer 2014 at Camp Canadensis you could. This year was about much more than just getting a solid sweat and routine workout in.

Campers spent time in the room through bunk activities, electives, Senior choices and other free time. Each week was filled with new muscle group exercises as well as fitness challenges for the diverse groups of Canadensis Campers. From basic Fitness testing and stretching to “Insanity” workout DVD’s as well as Speed Ladder’s and Medicine Ball throws I have done my best to introduce different types of fun yet challenging fitness activities to not only the campers, but the staff as well. My overall goal was to keep fitness as exciting as possible and teach everyone that walked through the Fitness Room doors at least one new thing about exercising or general health that could benefit them in their future fit lifestyles and it was without a doubt a huge success! I hope to see this program continue thrive throughout the years to come.

Thanks to everyone who has made Fitness such a blast this year!

Cameron Foster

2014 Fitness Director

 

This summer the Gaga program reached new heights! With many exciting elective periods daily and even more senior choice periods filled with gaga players, “The Gaga Octagon” was one of the most popular places to be at Canadensis!

The intense competition for Gaga bucks raged on all summer as many great players put all their energy towards succeeding in the Octagon. Thank you to everyone for making the Gaga program outstanding all summer long!

Jake Asman

2014 Gaga Director

 

 

 

Brian, Cara and I, joined Matt and Eric up at camp two weeks ago…and our “pre-camp” time is already more than half over.  Our awesome staff start arriving for training in just over a week…and then it’s only 18 days until our campers get off the bus, and get into an amazing summer!!  This might end up being my last blog for a while…but I wanted to share some photos of what’s been going on up here during precamp!

Yesterday, our new art director, Hallie Dennis, came up to camp to continue planning her amazing Arts & Crafts program for this summer!  Her ideas are fantastic, and the projects are awesome!!  This will be Hallie’s first time working at camp, but she’s been a Canadensis mom for 4 years, and her children Dylan & Jacob have already been at camp for several years, and this time Hallie can’t wait to be a part of the magic our staff creates each summer!  Above, is a sample project we made – it’s crayon art!

 And, this is what they looked like after we melted them!

This is another awesome project…it’s a wire sculpture, then covered with masking tape, and spray painted.  This is just the tip of the iceberg for all the amazingness going down in the art shack!!

There’s been a lot of nature/animal spottings around camp!

1.  There’s been a bird that builds a nest on my tires every night – he’s so fast!  I check every morning to make sure there are no eggs before I remove it, but then it’s back again every morning – it’s wild!!

2. One of the girls up her over the weekend found the biggest (and friendliest) butterfly I’ve ever seen!!

3. When heading out of camp the other day, I saw a turtle trying to cross Upper Seese Hill Road…but of course he was going super slow! I was afraid the next car might not see him, so I got out and helped him get across safely!

4.  And of course, my favorite animal is Annie the Dog – she had a nice playdate with Aunt Terri’s dog Petey!  If Annie had long hair, don’t you think they’d look alike??

The night before Open House, we held a BINGO! night for our pre-camp staff and CITs who were up at camp for CIT Weekend!

It was a ton of fun running the game with Dave & Cara.  There were fabulous prizes on the line…including cozy sweatshirts ad triple, double oreos!  One of the biggest winners of the night was Brian Krug!!

We had nearly 80 players…so competition was SERIOUS!!  Hopefully we’ll have many more BINGO nights in the future!

The next day was Open House, and it was awesome – one of the most beautiful days we’ve had so far!  I couldn’t help but snap a picture of that delicious looking cornman corn before biting in!

Loved seeing so many new, and returning campers at Open House!!  Including these Upper Inters in the photo above (from left to right…Bailey, Jordan, Ilana & Julie!)

On another beautiful camp day, one of Aunt Terri’s friends snapped a photo of our Rec Hall with DOUBLE RAINBOWS!

It hasn’t been all cornman, BINGO, nature walks and rainbows…it’s been a lot of hard work and prep to make sure this is the BEST SUMMER EVER!!  Personally…we couldn’t do everything we need to do in the precamp office without the help of Group Leader, Pete Tarnoff (who is spending his 16th summer at Canadensis!) and Program Coordinator, Theresa Malafronte (2nd summer at camp).  They’ve been up here with us, and knocking out task after task…no matter what we’ve got going on each day, they are able to get it done and make it fun!!  Above is a photo of Pete counting our staff tees for the special orders…you can barely see him amongst the mountain of colorful staff shirts!!

And finally, speaking of work…whenever we are in the office (from 8:30AM to at least 10PM each night), Annie is right by my side (or, actually Cara’s side…she likes her corner of the office better).  She’s putting in the hours too!  Checkout this awesome photo showing off her “heart spot”.

And finally…how AMAZING are these new signs you’ll be seeing around camp?!!  You’ll get to see them in 18 days!!