Camp Director Blog - October 2020

Dear Camp JCC families, 

Picture this: Morning has begun.  Your kids are following directions the first time you give them (ok, maybe the second, but no arguing). You are out the door on time, no traffic, and you catch all green lights. You pull into the J, the sun is shining, and you near the front of carline. Camp staff greet you with a smile (behind their mask) and their eyes are shining bright. After the required temperature and health screening questions, your child goes off with friends that they will have for life. You are on your way, feeling confident that your child is in great hands and ready for the summer of a lifetime.  Picture this, part two: You pull up to PM carline, a few cars ahead of you, groups of kids to your left. To the untrained eye it’s a bunch of kids milling about but you know that they are heading to carline. Smiles and laughter abound!  Staff calls out names, you show your car tag, say hi, and here comes your child, smiling and happy to see you, excited to share their day.  They tell you about a new friend that joined their bunk and how they helped them win a game of GaGa. You are handed an “art” project that looks like a mound of clay but is the coolest tower they have ever made. You pull away, staff says goodbye, calling you both by name. A great camp day!  This is what I strive for with each family and each day. I want your camper to make friends, try new things, feel proud of what they accomplished, and leaving camp already looking forward to returning the next day.  

As we look ahead to 2021, we learned much from 2020 and are already preparing for next summer to begin.  As we planned for last summer, there were moments of question – will we be able to open and provide quality, meaningful experiences for our campers while staying in compliance with the state guidelines and procedures? How might this look?  Thankfully, our families, staff, and campers adjusted quickly, and the summer ran even better than we envisioned.  We made a difference in the lives of children needing to be kids and families that needed a safe place for them to be.  We reimagined our systems as we learned from this experience: cleaning and disinfecting more efficiently, moving indoor activities outdoors, requiring masks for children when the governor ordered it.  But nothing took away from the magic we were creating for children that just needed to be kids.   

As I read through the 2020 surveys, I am proud.  Proud of our staff that showed up each day ready to bring their ruach (spirit) to the campers that they worked with. Proud of our parents for supporting our new procedures. Proud of our campers for coming each day with smiles, open minds, excitement, and their willingness to embrace change. I learned the most from our campers this summer, which is just one reason why I love working with children.  I am energized to create a safe 2021 summer that reflects our Camp JCC values: Kavod (respect/honor), Yosher (honesty/integrity), Kehilla (community/responsibility) & Chesed (kindness/caring). With these values at the forefront, the experiences that will come are sure to be memorable and priceless. Survey results indicated that instructional swim and camp wide special events were two areas that were missed the most. Along with the J’s aquatics team, we will ensure that instructional swim is at the top of our list when evaluating our 2021 program elements.   

There are many resources at my disposal as I prepare for 2021.  My Jewish day camp colleagues provide me with a wealth of knowledge and experience including last summer.  There are many professional resources at my disposal, blogs, webinars, conferences, and a new mentorship program. I am committed to this so that I can plan and execute our very best and informed experiences to your campers.  

Ready to think about summer 2021 as your kids already are?  Visit our living document,  Summer 2021 FAQs and please reach out to me if you still have specific questions.  As always, I am here for you!  

B’Shalom (in peace), 

Carrie 

Carrie Kee 
Camp & Recreation Director 
Siegel JCC  
302-478-5660 ext. 443 
www.siegeljcc.org