New Year Blog

Hello Canadensis!

I hope this blog post finds everyone remembering to use “2016” when writing the current date. Be honest, who has already messed it up and wrote “2015” on something. In any event, HAPPY NEW YEAR! By the way, my rule is that I can wish people Happy New Year until the end of January.

So, how was everyone’s holiday break? Our family definitely got to enjoy some quality home time. One of our annual traditions is for me, Jaime and now Emerson to make a gingerbread house, something we really look forward to doing. Each year, we feel our work gets progressively better. But, you be the judge. What do you think of this year’s efforts?

Me, Jaime and Emerson’s Winter Holiday Gingerbread House.

With the weather being so nice during December and January, one night, we made our way over to the Turtle Back Zoo, which has the entire zoo lit up for the holiday season. Here is a pic of me and Emerson enjoying all of the lights…

Me and Emerson in front of a big giraffe at the Turtle Back Zoo.

Of course, my holiday break was accentuated by the release of a movie I’ve been waiting more than 30 years to see…Star Wars: The Force Awakens. As a huge Star Wars nerd, I actually saw the movie twice and even loved it more the second time. Anyone want to see it with me for a third time? I hope this is a movie that me and other Star Wars geeks can be talking about at the Reunion in January.

Speaking of the 2015 Reunion, we hope you’ll join us…

Put it on your calendar! See you there!

For us, the arrival of 2016 means that we can now officially say that the summer and camp is THIS year! So much going on in our Winter Office and up at camp. Me, Pam, Matt, Carli and Andrew really turn a lot of our focus to hiring new staff members to join us in 2016. As I write this, Pam is in Australia and New Zealand hiring counselors and specialists and Matt is in Eastern Europe looking to hire many of our support staff. Next week, Carli heads to London to join Pam at a staff recruitment fair. Of course, if you know of anyone looking for a great summer job, have them get in touch with us ASAP as we are talking to prospective staff each and every day.

Up at camp, our projects are still in full swing. Last blog, I showed you a picture of our new fire pit by the Blue Pool. For this blog, here is a shot of the new stables fencing that was just recently put in. After all, the horses need to be comfortable when at camp, too. Check it out…

The horses at camp will now have a new stable.

Something also new for Summer 2016 will be new camp T-Shirts. We are happy to unveil design for the camp shirts that will be available through our official camp outfitter The Camp Spot. The new shirts will look like this…

This is what the logo will look like on a gold T-Shirt. Shirts will also be available in white and blue.

Since my last blog, there are so many wonderful home visits to fill you in on…

On the North shore of Long Island, I saw Samantha, who is currently in the 4th grade and will be in our Lower Inter Girls division. Samantha loves gymnastics and dance. When she’s at home, you’ll also find her listening to her favorite singer Ariana Grande, hanging out with friends or baking everything from from cakes to cookies to brownies. When she gets to camp this summer, she is looking forward to all the activities at the lake, Ice Mountain, the climbing wall and making a whole bunch of new friends. Here is a picture…

Me and Lower Inter Girl Samantha.

Also on the Island, I hung out with Nathan, who is the in the 4th grade. Nathan loves music. In addition to listening to one his favorite bands Lake Street Dive, he plays both the cello and the piano. On top of that, he takes art classes. These days, one of his biggest interests is all different types of cars. He also enjoys tennis and golf. Finally, Nathan likes to cook. In Summer 2016, as part of our Lower Inter Boys division, he can’t wait to try the hondas and quads, cooking and all of the activities at the lake, including sailing. Here is a photo…

Me and Lower Inter Boy Nathan.

In New York City, I got to know Dylan, who is currently in the 3rd grade and will be joining our Upper Junior Boys division this summer. Dylan plays in baseball and soccer leagues but also enjoys playing football, rugby and lacrosse. His favorite teams to the root for are the Broncos in football and the Yankees in baseball. When he’s hanging out at home, Dylan enjoys playing Minecraft, Roblox, Splatoon and Super Mario Maker as well as constructing Legos. When he gets to Canadensis, he is excited for all of the sports, horseback riding and having fun! Here is a pic…

Me and Upper Junior Boy Dylan.

On Long Island’s South shore, I met Hunter. Hunter is in the 4th grade and he loves hockey. He currently plays defense on a travel ice hockey team called the Long Island Gulls. His favorite hockey team to root for is the Islanders and his favorite player of all time is Wayne Gretzky. Hunter is also into music and plays the drums. He enjoys listening to his favorite band Metallica. Hunters other interests include water sports like surfing and robotics. When he comes to camp as a Lower Inter boy this summer, he is looking forward to the hondas and quads, going on the overnight, the activities at the lake such as waterskiing and being at camp with his cousins Alexis and Jordan. Here is a snapshot…

Me and Lower Inter Boy Hunter.

Also on the South shore, I saw Spencer, who will be in our Upper Junior Boys division as he is currently in 3rd grade. Spencer plays baseball in both the Fall and Spring seasons. In fact, his Fall team this year won the league championship. On the diamond, you can typically find him playing shortstop, second base or first base. In the Winter, Spencer plays on a basketball team, where he is usually the point guard. He is a big fan of both the Mets and Islanders and can be found attending some Isles games throughout the year. He also enjoys playing video games like Madden, NBA and NHL. This summer, he can’t wait for all of the activities at the lake, the inter-camp sports and the evening activities. Here is a photo…

Me and Upper Junior Boy Spencer.

In Westchester County, NY, I got to chill with the Pollacks, Alex and Carter. Alex is back for her second summer at camp and his happy to introduce her brother Carter for his first summer. Carter loves his sports and plays soccer, baseball, flag football and basketball. He is also testing for his purple belt in karate as well as taking swimming lessons. On top of all that, he is involved in a mad science afterschool program which he really enjoys. At home, Carter likes building with Legos and playing video games. As a Lower Junior boy this summer, he is ready to try the quads, the ropes course, Ice Mountain and woodworking. Alex, who is now in the 5th grade, plays defense for her travel soccer team, the Rivertowns United Football Club. She also takes crossfit and tennis lessons. In the Spring, she will be playing in a softball league. Alex was also excited to tell me about the Destination Imagination academic team that she is on, which has it’s first competition in March. As an Upper Inter in Summer 2016, Alex looks forward to the quads, Color War and her brother being at camp. Here is a pic…

Me with Lower Junior Boy Carter and Upper Inter Girl Alex.

Also in Westchester County, I got know Spencer, who is in the 3rd grade and will be in our Upper Junior Boys division this summer. Spencer plays baseball and he was happy to report that he recently made the Armonk travel team. The positions he plays the most are first base, pitcher, catcher and outfield. In the Winter, he is playing on a basketball team. On top of that, he plays tennis, likes to swim and go fishing. Spencer also likes music, hard rock in particular, and plays the drums. This summer, Spencer told me that he is excited about the quads, the zipline, being in the lake and Color War. Here is a picture…

Me and Upper Junior Boy Spencer.

Over the holiday break, I took a drive to Central New Jersey, where I got a chance to hang out with a few new 3rd grade boys who will be joining us at Canadensis for their first summer.

First, I met with Tyler. Tyler loves soccer and plays midfield and goalie for his travel team, the Marlboro Gunners. Now in Winter, he plays on a basketball team. Tyler is a fan of football and enjoys collecting sports cards. At home, he enjoys Nerf War and playing is X-Box. Some of his other interests include going fishing and making s’mores when camping. When he gets to camp in June, Tyler is looking fowrd to making new friends, trying all of the lake activities, the quads and Color War. Here is a photo…

Me and Upper Junior Boy Tyler.

Next, I spent some time with Jonah. Jonah likes to play basketball and tennis. When at home, you could find him playing Minecraft or on his X-Box or watching his favorite TV show “The Ridonculous Race.” Jonah also enjoys playing board games and chess. In Winter, you can find Jonah on the slopes as he is an avid skier. When camp time comes around, Jonah told me that he is ready for activities like parkour, mountain biking, canoeing, the ropes course, canteen and Color War. Here is a pic…

Me and Upper Junior Boy Jonah.

My trip to Central Jersey finished with a visit to Jeremy’s house. Jeremy loves baseball and plays shortstop and first base on his travel team, the Marlboro Mustangs, in addition to also playing on his town rec team. Over the winter, he takes extra time training for his baseball seasons. He is a sports fan and likes to root for the Mets in baseball and the Packers in football. When at home, Jeremy plays video games, with his favorites being MLB ’15, Madden and Mario Kart. At Canadensis, he is eager to get involved in the Canadensis Baseball League, all the activities at the lake and pools and the ropes course. He is also just looking forward to being away from home for 7 weeks. Here is a snapshot…

Me and Upper Junior Boy Jeremy.

Finally, it is always great to see campers and staff getting together throughout the year, sometimes even unexpectedly while on vacation. Here are some pics that were sent to us…