Some recent home visits got me on the road, and I met two great new campers from Livingston, NJ.  Ashley is a current 4th grader, who will be a Lower Inter at camp this summer.  The first thing you need to know about this girl is that she is well rounded and willing to try all the activities at camp!  She couldn’t decide which activity would be her favorite, but she really likes soccer and arts and crafts.  Her day camp had a lake with some inflatable toys, so she will easily be able to jump into the activities at our bigger lake!  If she had to pick what she is most looking forward to now, it would probably be cooking…that was her favorite activity to choose at her day camp, and she’s excited for the recipes we are going to whip up this summer!

Ashley also likes to be on stage, and she’s been in the shows Grease, Camp Rock and Annie. She will also be doing lacrosse for the second time this year, and I’m so impressed because I didn’t start playing that sport until I was in my late 20’s at camp!  She gave me a tour of her room, and it was clear that her favorite colors are pink and purple.  She helped decorate her room, and she picked out the cute bed spread!  She’s going to have to start searching for her camp bedding soon!  She had a lot of art projects that she had made in her room, including a lot of ceramics.  She is a really “neat” girl, and I even “inspected” her closet for cleanliness, and she got a very high score because things were all in their place!

Ashley is a great big sister to Amanda & Sloane – and I’m so excited to welcome her to Camp Canadensis!

Rachel is a current 6th grader, who will be a Freshman Girl at camp this summer.  In addition to attending day camp for a few years, she also has some overnight camp experience – but she’s excited for her first summer at Canadensis, and can’t wait for some BIG fun!  Rachel is comfortable being up on stage – she’s even played the part of Wendy in Peter Pan. She is considering auditioning for the camp shows, but she knows it is a big commitment, and it means she will be pulled out from some bunk activities, so she is still weighing her options.

She’s lucky to be starting camp as a Freshman – she’s going to be able to take advantage of all of the perks…

• She’ll get to go on the overnight trip to Hershey Park  – FYI to all the other Freshman girls…Rachel has been to the park many times with her family, so stick with her if you want to hit all the attractions!
• She get’s 2 elective choice periods everyday – younger campers start with one a day.
• She’s in the oldest division of Lower Camp.
• And…she’ll also get to do extra evening trips out of camp.

Rachel does a lot of activities – she especially loves to play basketball and tennis.  She’s also really into arts & crafts, and she’s excited to try out our 6 different studios this summer (glass fusion/A&C/ceramics/photography/fabric arts/woodworking).  But, without a doubt, Rachel is coming to Canadensis so she can spend time on our amazing lake!  She can’t wait to go tubing, banana boating and water skiing!  Rachel wasn’t sure if she’d want to go on the COALS (Canadensis Outdoor Adventure Living Skills) Overnight, but I hope I convinced her that it is one of the most amazing experiences to look forward to at camp!  She has a big sister and a little brother, and she will definitely be an awesome addition to the Canadensis family!

Camp Canadensis will be running transportation from Maryland this summer, in addition to running buses from the Philadelphia Suburbs, Westchester NY, North Jersey, South Jersey and Long Island!  We are so excited to offer this service to our current Maryland campers and prospective families.  More details will be coming soon, but if you are thinking about Camp Canadensis for your children, please plan to attend our Maryland event on Wednesday, March 7th in the evening.  Please email info@canadensis.com or call 484-674-1941 for more information!

Rachel uses her water-gun skills during Color War Mystery Box!

Rachel Wiener

Hobbies when you’re at home: Hanging out with my friends and family, singing, track.

Years at Camp: 7

One fun fact about you: I LOVE CAMP

Favorite Camp Activity: Lake

Favorite Camp Memory: Siting under the stars on the field outside the field bunk visiting day night, eating our food and playing games

Best Advice for a First Time Camper: Be yourself and make every second count!

What you’re most excited to do this summer: being a CIT to a bunk

One thing you’ve never done at camp that you’re going to do this summer: GO TO DISNEY WORLD!

If you could plan your own perfect camp day, what would it look like: wake up, color war breaks, color war begins!!!!! 😀

From a FRIGID 18325, Hi All! I spent all day today up at camp meeting with the new pool company, checking on the many projects going on around camp, and generally looking around.

Pool Update

The new blue pool is truly amazing. I hope you had a chance to watch the Canadensis Today Show (the episode before the Winter Reunion posted on www.facebook.com/campcanadensis) in which we gave you a tour of the new pool. Well, it’s more like a stone pit right now, but it’s the site of the future pool! The exciting part about today was meeting with the pool company and “shaking hands” in agreement to our new SLIDES. It’s official…we will be installing one blue and one gold twisty, tube waterslides. They will be Dorney Park Style, not Snoopy land style Jaycal, but rather 2 big slides! I am sure they will bring new thrills to campers and staff members, but of course only after swim instruction:)

Otherwise, things look great around camp. Believe it or not, there is still no snow on the ground at camp and the lake is not even 100% frozen! The warmer conditions (although today was FREEEZZZING, especially with the wind chill), have allowed our dedicated and hard-working maintenance team to get tons of work done…and it allowed us to add more projects to their already long list! Next week, they will begin the fitness center project and of course Matt will provide us all with pictures on facebook and twitter in February.

Speaking of Matt, he kicks off our Where in the World series this year with his trip departing this Sunday. Stay tuned to Facebook for updates about his trip! www.facebook.com/campcanadensis

Then on Wednesday, a week from today, it’s my turn to travel, including a stop at “CampMinder Camp” in Colorado and a visit with none other than the Groundhog! I will of course update all of you via facebook as well.

Before heading to bed, a shoutout to all of our campers from Maryland and this fantastic news that this summer, there will be transportation from Maryland! In the past, our campers from this region had to travel up to the Philly suburbs to get to camp. Not any longer…we are excited to grow in this region and provide a bus for convenience from MARYLAND.

This super quick craft project occurred to me one night – I wanted to make a bulletin board that I could put in my closet and hang necklaces from.  The problem was that it was late at night, and there wasn’t a bulletin board in the house.  I decided to try and make it out of cardboard wrapped with fabric – so I gathered my supplies, and 20 minutes later, the new bulletin board was hanging up!  (Sorry for the grainy photos, they were taken on my iPad!)

I grabbed:

• Two large cardboard boxes – a single layer won’t be thick enough.
• A durable fabric – you don’t want it to be delicate because you’ll start to see pinholes.
• An old frame – mine is from Ikea, and I painted the raw wood silver.  You do not need the plastic/glass.
• Scissors/Box Cutter – ASK YOU PARENTS to help cut the cardboard!
• Mod Podge – you can use any kind of glue you want, but I have a tub of Mod Podge, so I use it for everything!
• Paint Brush – use a junky one because it will get covered with glue.
• Push pins – these are the “hooks” you can hang jewelry from.
  

After I had cut the cardboard to the right size for my frame, I used the paint brush to spread the glue around.  I pressed the fabric into the glue to create a good bond, and then I wrapped both layers of the cardboard.  The back side is shown above, you do not need to wrap the full back in fabric because no one will see it.  I set the whole thing aside to dry for a 5 minutes.

When it was dry, I put the fabric wrapped cardboard back in the frame.  I used the backing on the frame to hang it, but you do not need the glass/plastic that came with the frame…but be sure to save it for another craft project!…and here’s the final product!  Simple and easy!  Can’t you imagine doing this project with a Camp Canadensis t-shirt and hanging your favorite camp photos on it??  I might have to try that next!

Dara is sporting her sunglasses in the front row!

Hobbies when you’re at home: I like to run, hang out with my friends, play sports, go to the beach

Years at Camp: This will be my 7th summer

One fun fact about you: I always smile and I live for camp

Favorite Camp Activity: Aerobics and BBK

Favorite Camp Memory: Every single second at camp are my favorite memories

Best Advice for a First Time Camper: The first days of camp you may feel a little homesick, but you need to try and put those feelings aside, make new friends and just try to have the best summer of your life because this is an experience you will never forget! Never let a bunk fight get in the way of you have a fun summer, because in the end every single person at camp well be your brother/sister for life. Live up every moment because 7 weeks goes by in a blink of an eye.

What you’re most excited to do this summer: Have a bunk, and be the oldest campers!
One thing you’ve never done at camp that you’re going to do this summer: Be a counselor for a few periods each day instead of being with my bunk

If you could plan your own perfect camp day, what would it look like: We would wake up a little later then usual, bagels and lox for breakfast, then clean up and lineup. My morning activities would be basketball league, aerobics and my elective would be cooking. For lunch there would be tacos so everyone can make the perfect taco salad! In the afternoon we would have senior choice, summit and WNBA and then chill in our bunks until dinner.  Dinner would be barbecue, evening activity would be bunk feud and we’d finish off the perfect day with canteen.

Last week, I spent some quality time with Devyn & Derek in Great Neck, NY.  Devyn is a current 2nd grader, who will be a Lower Junior Girl for her first summer at camp. Big brother Derek is a current 5th grader, who will be an Upper Inter Boy coming to camp for his second summer.  They both planned ahead for my visit, and greeted me at the door wearing camp gear – Devyn was wearing a Canadensis sweatshirt, and Derek was wearing the awesome t-shirt he made during tie-dye week at camp last year!

Devyn came to camp for the Tour & More Overnight this summer, and that’s when I first got a chance to know this spunky girl!  During the home visit, we spent time talking about the best parts of the overnight at camp, and she is so excited to be able to spend a full summer enjoying the Canadensis fun!  Devyn says that she is the “perfect mix” of both of her parents – she got her love of fashion from her mom, and her sporty side from her dad.  She loves to play gaga, swim and she likes anything that is tie-dyed.  During the year, she stays busy with after school activities – including dance classes 3 nights a week!  She also makes time for gymnastics and tennis, and she is excited about doing those activities at camp.  She’s excited for everything!

Her favorite food is pasta & cheese.  This girl really takes her pasta seriously, and she even showed off a full drawer in her kitchen that is stocked for her!  Her birthday is coming up on January 23rd, and because we are both born on the 23rd of the month, we share a mutual lucky number of 23!  Since her half birthday will be during camp, she asked if she could have a pizza party on the back deck…but she understands those parties are only for “full” birthdays!  Luckily, Visiting Day is only two days beforehand, so she can save a special snack to share with her bunk.  Without a doubt, Devyn will be a fun girl to be bunkmates with – and she told me that she’s really good about applying sunscreen, so she’ll help all her camp friends remember too!  We just have to work on her love of gum chewing because it’s not allowed at camp!

While I was hanging out with Derek, he was online reading the camp Twitter feed!  He was excited to go through the camp clothing catalog that I dropped off and see pictures of his friends – he’s been seeing camp people a lot!  He really appreciated the Camp Canadensis “Coca Cola” T-shirt I brought for him, and I even got to see him wearing it at the reunion a few days later while he was hanging out with friends.

Devyn & Derek have a perfect Color War winning streak so far – regardless of what camp they’ve been at, they’ve always been on the team that came out on top!  Let’s hope they are on your team at camp this summer!!

We are so lucky to have an amazing staff at Canadensis – and I wanted to dedicate this blog post to one of them…

Rebecca is lovingly known by everyone at camp as “BeckyJ” and she loves summer camp so much that she is even studying it in college!  She has recently signed up to return to camp for her 13th year – and for the first time, she will be in the role of Group Leader!  We are so fortunate to have her at camp – she is creative, thoughtful, and makes everything more fun!  She is passionate about all things Canadensis, and has limitless spirit!  She is a two time Blue Team Color War Captain (as a CIT and counselor) and she can probably sing you every Color War Alma mater that has ever been written.

BeckyJ is always volunteering to help, or do more.  She has been up during pre-camp for two years (and she’ll be back this year too), working in the office to help with administrative tasks.  She’s willing to do anything – we’ve had her sorting t-shirts, cleaning buildings, calling new staff members and even making Harry Potter quizzes!  She sacrifices her precious college winter break to come into our office to volunteer!  She was here twice this week, and she put together promotional boxes, rolled posters for the Reunion, helped us with a mailing, and above all else, she brought extra spirit and fun to the office!

We are so thankful to have BeckyJ in our Canadensis family – and I am personally lucky to have her in my life!  She sent us a super sweet thank you fruit basket this week…it’s just more proof of how wonderful she is!

Now that we’re officially on our way to summer 2012, it’s time to introduce this summer’s CITs!!! Every few days I’ll be updating the blog to feature a new 2012 CIT. Keep checking back to read all about this summer’s rockstars!

Brett Feldman

Hobbies when you’re at home: Hangin’ with friends and dreaming about being a CIT someday.

Years at Camp: 4 going on 5.

One fact about you: I regret not coming to camp sooner.

Favorite Camp Activity: NBA, not even close.

Favorite Camp Memory: Winning showcase and rope burn last summer.

Best Advice for a First Time Camper: Get along with your bunk and cherish being at camp because it only lasts for 7 weeks.

One thing you’ve never done at camp that you’re going to do this summer: Be a counselor for part of the day.

If you could plan your own perfect camp day, what would it look like: Sleeping through breakfast then waking up and seeing my bunkmates shining faces, having basketball elective in the morning, then having a taco salad for lunch made by the great Dara Zeltt. After lunch i would like to take a long nap and have NBA in the afternoon. Then having BBQ for dinner and finishing the night with MTV night and canteen.