Posts Tagged ‘summer camp orientation’

Words From The Past

Thursday, June 23rd, 2011

Whilst clearing out The Cottage today, getting ready for our 65th summer to begin, we came across a handwritten note from Emily.  There is no date, but these words are timeless. Thank you Emily!

Dear Parents, Family and Friends,

Although the summer is coming to a close, the memories campers have made will always stay with us.  Each year camp gets better and better and eventually Camp Starlight will become second home and the people that surround you will become your family.  From the first day of camp, friendships will be made that will never be broken or forgotten.  From the minute you get up you know that the day that is starting will be the best day.  You can go to sleep knowing that you have tried new things.  Throughout the ten months of the winter, Camp Starlight is what campers think about every day.  No matter how far apart people are, they will almost always come back for Camp Starlight for the two best months of the year.  “Living ten for two” is our motto.

Emily

Orientation is well and truly under way

Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011

250 Starlight staff have arrived safely in Starlight, PA and now the huge task of getting everybody ready for the 65th Camp Starlight summer begins.  It goes without saying that some things just happen almost by themselves – the sun comes out, the sky turns blue and the red bunks seem to gleam against the impossibly green grass – but that’s just a small part of summer.  Camp just wouldn’t be the same without the amazing people, both campers and counselors alike, who become our friends and surrogate family for just a few weeks.

Our staff this year comes from 39 states and 13 countries – that’s a lot of air miles clocked up just getting here!  Our staff are some of the best in their field and it is testament to Camp Starlight’s reputation that they want to spend the summer sharing these skills with others.  The passion, the drive and commitment of all our staff is evident and unquestionable, but how do we get everybody to come together and create a unique summer experience?  That is what orientation is all about.

Firstly it’s a time to make new friends and to form the working relationships that will provide the support, guidance and instruction for our campers.  Program Directors are working with their staff to devise classes and prepare their areas for the weeks ahead.  Kyle is working hard to pull all these great ideas into a structured program and you can be assured that this summer is looking awesome.

Secondly it’s about acquiring or building on the skills that make for a safe, happy and (most importantly) fun summer for us all.  For new staff, this means such simple things as learning the structure of the camp day, camp rules, and the running of the dining hall.  There’s a range of talks from childcare professionals, including David and Allison themselves, on issues such as camper concerns, behavior, child protection and sun safety.  Many Starlight staff members are parents themselves and this offers our college age counselors a wealth of experience they can fall back on.  It’s about not only learning what to do, but also who to turn to if you have a problem. 

Finally, being perfectly honest, orientation is also about having fun.  At 10am on Sunday 19th all staff met each other around the flagpole for the first time.   The few nervous faces quickly disappeared once we were playing games to get to know each other.  Later in the day we’re putting on skits to introduce ourselves properly and tonight we are heading out of camp on a trip.  All this fun has a purpose though, whether a returner or new staff member, we all have something to learn which can make this summer the best one ever.  Anticipation is rising for the arrival of the campers – we’re almost ready for you so if you could just hurry up these next few days please as we can’t wait to meet you all.

A Glimpse at Orientation…The Training of Camp Staff

Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

Every summer you pack your children up and entrust them to the care of others for the summer.  Have you ever wondered what sort of training is provided for your child’s summer camp staff?   For summer camp staff members, the season begins at least one week before the campers arrive with Orientation.

What is Camp Counselor Orientation?  Orientation is a week for camp counselors and other staff members to…

Become familiar with the camp’s expectations.  Summer camp staff members participate in workshops relating to teamwork, camp policies, and child development. During this time, counselors are also familiarized with ACA standards and the importance of maintaining and exceeding these standards.  It’s during this training that counselors are able to grasp that their new summer job, though fun, carries a lot of responsibility and 24/7 focus.

Familiarize themselves with their surroundings.  Your camp wants counselors to understand the campus prior to your camper arriving.  During Orientation, staff members are given every opportunity to familiarize themselves with their new surroundings, as well as which areas require special supervision.

Make new friends.  Why is this important to you?  Happy counselors make better counselors.  As you well know as parents, having a proper support system in place is essential to the success of any parent.  Those looking after your children this summer are no exception.  Orientation is a time for summer camp staff members to become comfortable with their new co-workers and begin to get to know each other.

Attain necessary certification.  Those staff members working in areas such as waterfront and outdoor adventure must have training and certification prior to supervising your children.  For some staff members, this entails arriving at camp well before the camper arrival date in order to be fully prepared from the day the first camper sets foot on campus.  Outside experts such as the Red Cross are often brought in to conduct lifeguard training.  Outdoor Adventure and Waterfront  areas also frequently utilize external professionals to train their staff.

Understand what it’s like to be a camper.  Many camp orientation programs follow mock daily camp schedules and encourage staff members to participate in many of the same activities that their campers will throughout the summer.  Most staff members live and function as members of groups during this period.  The role play isn’t merely designed to give staff members an idea of what’s in store. It gives them the opportunity to embrace the camp’s traditions so that they can share in the enthusiasm with campers.

Receive very valuable and essential education to understanding and working with children.  Summer camps take the well being of their campers very seriously and spare no expense in this area of Orientation.  Big name speakers are brought in for lectures and workshops that educate staff members with the latest, most up-to-date childcare information and relevant laws.  Counselors and other camp staff are left with no doubt or misunderstanding that the campers and their safety are the reason that they are there and, as such, come first.

Mentally prepare themselves for the arrival of campers.  Even the most seasoned childcare professionals and educators can feel a bit overwhelmed when suddenly surrounded by hundreds of enthusiastic children who’ve waited ten months to see their camp friends again.  By taking place on campus before the campers arrive, Orientation serves as a sort of segue from the camp counselors’ lives back home into their new summer lives by giving them some time to adjust to their new home and surroundings before the chaos that is summer camp ensues.

Finally, Orientation is an opportunity for Camp Directors and Senior Staff to assess how their staff interacts and identify individual strengths and weaknesses.  This helps them assign camp counselors to bunks and age groups in which they’re likely to provide the best leadership.

So when you put your campers on the bus in June, you can bet that a very excited and well trained camp staff is waiting on the other end to meet your children and give them the best summer ever.