Hello Canadensis!
This blog comes after being “on the road” from one of our staff recruitment trips. Last week, me and Andrew made our way to upstate New York to meet a number of staff applicants that were interested in working at camp in Summer 2016. As you can imagine, it is always good to meet applicants in person when trying to hire the best staff around and finding a new crop of Mature Goofballs! We made our way to Alfred, Ithaca, Cortland and Binghamton. Along the way, we spent time with several familiar faces. Check it out…
At Alfred University, me and Andrew saw Dylin and Zach.
In Ithaca, we saw Brett Levine.
When at Cortland, we had met up with Liv, Anna and Maggie.
On our last stop in Binghamton, we hung out with Allie.
All in all, the trip was very productive. Plus, when you get to have all of these mini reunions with staff of summer’s past, it makes our travels even better, especially when they share all of their wonderful memories of Canadensis. Speaking of reunions, it was so amazing to see such a great turnout at our Annual Reunion last month. With over 350+ campers and staff in attendance, it was great to see what everyone has been up to since we left camp in August. It was great to see everyone enjoy the amusements and games, have lunch and reconnect with each other. In particular, I’d love to give a special “shout out” to all of our staff that made the trip to Central New Jersey. It is always so terrific to see just how many were in attendance. It shows that camp is not just only a special place for our campers, but the ones that take care of them all summer long as well. If you haven’t seen all of the pics from this great day, be sure to click here.
Right now, our staff hiring is in full swing. If you know of anyone that might be interested in working at camp, have them go to our website and complete an online Staff Application.
Also to note, in the upcoming months, there will be several more get togethers before camp begins for both new campers and returning ones. On Sunday, April 17, for all of our new campers in Grades 1-4 as well as any returning campers in the 2nd and 3rd grades, we have our New Camper Event in Edison, NJ. Girls will be from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm. Boys will be from 2:00-3:00 pm. If you haven’t done so already, please RSVP Wendi Rutman at wendi@canadensis.com. On June 5, we will also have our Annual Open House at Camp. We hope that many of our families, new and returning, plan to attend.
By now, all enrolled camp families should have received the official Camp Spot clothing catalog, which now features new design items for Summer 2016. If you haven’t received it, please contact us and we’ll get a new one out to you. The catalog, along with a packing list, can also be found online by clicking here. We have already received such great feedback about the new logo’d items. They really did come out great! If you are a family with a new Canadensis campers this summer, please contact the Camp Spot soon to set up a time on their road show or meet them in their store to get all your official Canadensis clothes.
The new Camp Canadensis T-Shirts.
Over the past few months, I’ve also been busy with some camper home visits.
In Long Island, I saw the Fischers, Gabriella and Jacob. Gabriella is back for her third summer and is happy to introduce her brother Jacob in his first summer at Canadensis. Jacob is currently in the 2nd grade and will be part of our Lower Junior Boys division. He loves sports. His favorite to play is hockey, which he plays throughout the entire year. But, Jacob also plays lacrosse, baseball, basketball and soccer. He is a big fan of the Jets and Islanders. When at home, you can find Jacob watching a lot of SportsCenter and reading up on his favorite players. At camp this summer, he is eagerly looking forward to Color War and the Canadensis Hockey League. Now in 5th grade, Gabriella can’t wait to get back to camp as part of the Upper Inter Girls division. Gabriella let me know that she and her bunkmates are continually in touch almost everyday and have even gotten together for a few mini reunions already throughout the year. Here is a snapshot…
Me with Lower Junior Boy Jacob and Upper Inter Girl Gabriella.
Very close by, I met Cole, who is in the 4th grade and will be joining us as part of our Lower Inter Boys division. Cole likes to do a bit of everything. He is a big basketball fan and enjoys rooting for his favorite team, the Brooklyn Nets. He plays tennis and likes to cook. He is an avid reader and particularly likes the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson series of books. He can also be found doing online quizzes on the computer as well as playing with his dog Rigby. At camp this summer, he is eagerly looking forward to making new friends, going on his division’s overnight, attending morning line-up and playing lots of basketball. Here is a picture…
Me with Lower Inter Boy Cole.
My next visit in Long Island was to see Ethan, who is also in 4th grade. Ethan is currently playing on a basketball team. In the Spring, his focus will turn to playing baseball. When at home, Ethan enjoys playing video games, arts and crafts and building things. He is currently working on building the robot chopper from the Star Wars Rebels series. His favorite movies these days are Avengers Age of Ultron and Iron Man 3. This summer when he comes to camp as part of our Lower Inter Boys division, he can’t wait to try water skiing and all the activities at the lake, the Art Center, the ropes course and zipline. Here is a photo…
Me with Lower Inter Boy Ethan.
In Brookville, NY, I saw 3rd grader Ross Yablans, who will be an Upper Junior Boy in Summer 2016. Ross is now playing on his basketball team, the Heat, and taking karate classes. He is also involved in a fitness class called Gravity in Motion. In the Spring, Ross will play on a baseball team. In May, he will be performing in a production of “The Wizard of Oz.” Ross is a big fan of movies and loves to build with Legos, particularly with the Dimensions and Skylanders series. At Canadensis, Ross is excited for the quads, waterslides, Ice Mountain and all the activities at the lake and making a whole new bunch of friends. Here is a pic…
Me with Upper Junior Boy Ross.
In South Jersey, I got to see the Ettenbergs, Samara (4th summer; Freshman Girls) and Griffin (1st summer; Upper Junior Boys). Griffin, who is in 3rd grade, plays in a basketball league on his team called Graydemption. He also plays tennis. When the weather warms up, he will be actively involved in baseball. He also plays both the piano and trombone. When at home, he likes to play video games like FIFA and Madden as well as root for his favorite baseball team, the Mets. For his first summer at camp, Griffin is excited for all of the sports, the quads, Color War and making new friends. Big sister Samara, now in 6th grade, is heavily involved with dance and rehearsing for her shows in ballet, hip hop and modern. She is also playing piano. Samara constantly keeps in touch with her camp friends and wanted to give a “shout out” to the girls of Summer 2015’s Bunk 10. She also had a message for them, saying, “JuJu to the rescue! Pew! Pew!” This year at camp, she is ready for the Hondas, MTV Night and hanging with her brother in their first summer together at Canadensis. Here is a snapshot…
Me with Upper Junior Boy Griffin and Freshman Girl Samara.
In Central Jersey, I got to hang out with Sam. Sam is in the 2nd grade and will be part of the Lower Junior Boys division in his first summer at camp. Sam really loves computer programming and even takes a class where he is learning programs like Java. He is currently on a swim team. When at home, he enjoys playing video games, with Clash of Clans and Clash of Lords 2 being his particular favorite these days. He is also a fan of Spongebob Squarepants and recently been getting into the Star Wars movies. At camp this summer, he is looking forward to the Legos elective, all the activities at the lake including the water trampoline and making new friends. Here is a picture…
Me with Lower Junior Boy Sam.
In Northern Jersey, I met up with twins Olivia and Jordan, who are in the 3rd grade and will be in the Upper Junior division this year. Olivia is a big soccer player and plays for her team the Lady Lions. She is also currently playing in a basketball league and playing tennis. This Spring, her sport of choice will change to softball. She is a big fan of the Giants, Knicks, Rangers, Mets and Penn State. In Summer 2016, she is ready for Color War, playing soccer, hanging out at the Canteen, making new friends and the trip to Dorney Park. Jordan currently plays in a hockey league and a basketball league. When the weather is warm, you can also find him playing golf. In the Spring, he will be playing baseball. Jordan is a big collector of baseball and sports cards. At camp, he will certainly be choosing the golf elective as well as going mountain biking. He also can’t wait for Dorney Park. Here is a pic…
Me with Upper Juniors Jordan and Olivia.
As I end this blog, I figured it’s time once again for a Blog Band Call.
White Team Band Call Bands will be sent to the first five campers or staff that can correctly answer my BLOG BAND CALL question.
First five people to e-mail me back with the correct answer will receive a sought after 2015 White Team band. This question has three parts and all three parts must be answered correctly to win. At Morning Line-Up at camp, (1) What song do I come out to? (2) What band is singing this song? (3) What musician originally performed this song? E-Mail answers to brian@canadensis.com. Good luck!
Have a great day!
-Brian
