CKMinisink

Hey! Look at the Cool Location Of CKM.

2011-08-02T09:17:00.000-07:00

Hey CKMinisinkers!

Last week as we were sitting around the campfire we started talking about Campus Kids Minisink- location, nearby attractions, history, etc. So, for those of you who have not yet googled this area, here is some cool info on where we are located. CKM is located on 500 acres in the Town of Greenville (which is near Port Jervis, NY) very close to both the Delaware Water Gap and Neversink River. Canoeing and Kayaking are big activities in this area. We are located just 85 miles from NYC. There is both train and bus service from NYC into Port Jervis. Camp is located in New York but is a hop, skip and jump from New Jersey and Pennsylvania. We are a short distance from High Point State Park which is located in Montague, NJ. High Point is the highest elevation in the state at 1,803 ft above sea level. We are very fortunate to have a hiking trail from camp that leads us right up to High Point. When our campers and staff arrive at the High Point monument there is a beautiful view of NY, NJ and PA waiting for them.

Here are some fun facts about Port Jervis, NY:
-Stephen Crane, renowned author of The Red Badge of Courage, lived and wrote in Port Jervis.
-Major League Baseball Hall of Famer, Bucky Harris was born in Port Jervis.
-1934 Day and Night Photos of electric lights installed in Port Jervis are featured on the Smithsonian website.
-Former Port Jervis High School wrestlers Ed and Lou Banach, won gold medals in the 1984 Olympics.

We hope that you enjoyed this blog as much as we enjoyed writing it!!
Brad and Tricia :)

From the Desk of the CITs

2011-07-11T10:33:00.000-07:00

C.I.T Blog – Week 2

It is safe to say that the C.I.Ts had a great first week. To start off the 2nd week, many of us went to our first session of lifeguard training, which will be very useful when we become counselors. After that we had a fantastic Monday lunch of burgers and fries. Then we had another treat; a C.I.T only activity. We Chose dodgeball and had a great time, it helped us get to know each other even better. Tonight we will probably have another great meal for dinner and an even greater time at Capture the Stars; this is an all camp special event which is similar to Capture the Flag; its so much fun and we helped to set it up, hopefully we might have some fireworks or rockets. The first week of camp was good, but the second week has a chance of being even better. I cannot even imagine how amazing this summer will be.

Speak to you all again soon,
Yours Truly

The C.I.T’s

Happy 4th of July

2011-07-04T09:50:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July Everyone!

We gathered together to work on today's blog. Brad shouts out let's write about things that really should be red, white and blue but are not. Needless to say we opted for his 2nd suggestion which was the best way to spend your 4th of July. We have unanimously decided that spending the 4th of July at CK is the best way.

The buses came rolling up the hill this morning, greeted by CKM staff decked out in some form of red, white and/or blue, we enjoyed a bbq lunch and are enjoying a busy afternoon of activities. Tonight, thanks to Mark and the CITs, we will be running a special event "Capture the Stars". Besides the fun activities nothing beats being with friends, laughing, making memories, starting new traditions and/or continuing old traditions. From all of us at CKM to all of you, we hope that you too are having an incredible celebration!

Jani, Brad, Kathryn and Tricia

April Showers Bring May Flowers

2011-04-20T12:18:00.000-07:00

Hello to all our friends in the CK Minisink world. It has been a little bit since our last blog. Hopefully there will be several more new blogs before camp for you to read and enjoy. Happy Passover, Happy Easter and Happy Springtime to everyone. We have paid our taxes and paid our dues with this deplorable weather. We have high hopes that this summer will be picture perfect everyday. The ideal summer weather for camp is 85 degrees, sunny with a slight breeze running from look-out point across the sports field and over the lake. We need the breeze to power our sailboats and to help give you that extra second of airtime on the blob. Let the sun shine during the week and it can rain a little on Saturday night. That would be just perfect.

So summer is right around the corner. We have been very busy with the final camp preparations. The staff has been hired, we are done with camp fairs, but we will still do tours for any family who want to see our summer home. As each day passes the excitement for CKM2011 continues to grow. Everyday we hear from campers and staff members begging for camp to begin. In just about two months we will be enjoying the 500 acres of Minisink and the Port Jervis fresh air.

There are so many things that make the summer so special. Of course going to camp and making lifelong friends is on top of the list. Ice cream and lemonade just taste better on those hot summer afternoon. All the big blockbuster movies seem to find the theaters in the summer. Baseball games look better in July than they do in April. I cannot recall ever knowing the top ten songs in March, but everyone at camp knows all the big tunes. Summer is swimming, running around and laughing. Summer is camp, and camp is our life.

Hopefully these April showers will finally end. Then the flowers will be in full bloom. The warmth of summer will fill the air and we will be having fun at camp. That time will be here very soon.

See you in a little more than two months.

Brad and Tricia

February Happenings

2011-02-18T10:23:00.000-08:00

It is nice to have a few warm days in the middle of February. It put us in a summery mood at the CK Minisink office. We opened the back door to let in the refreshing breeze. It felt a little like the breeze we often feel at camp. You know the one that starts near the tennis courts, goes over the softball field, then through the ropes course and out towards the lake. Does that wind add an extra challenge to the ropes course elements?

So what has been happening in the world of CK Minisink? Camp prep is in full swing as we get ready to rock CKM2011 or camp365 (our summer theme). Everyday we discuss what new and exciting things will happen during the summer. We are busy planning new projects for arts and crafts and searching new trails to trek on the way to high point mountain. Weekend Adventures are almost set for the summer, and we will send you full details about them next month. (A little hint, we are bringing back one of the highlight trips from past years) We have a great number of counselors returning from last summer. It actually is an amazing number and we are very excited to have such a strong returning group. See if some of your favorites are on this list: Dan, Lilla, Lindsey, Darcy, Molly, Luke, Colin (Big Cat), Abby, Rob, Jenna C., the other Jenna C.,Lexi, Lillian, Rebekah, Ronan, Amy, Dylan, Cory, Mia, Ciara, Cait, Noa, Jesse, Leah, John G.,Ashely, Kelsey, David H., Krisztina, Kaci, Mark, Lauren, Chris, Matt K., Tom, Andrea, Alex, Sara, Kristen, Larissa, Oaksey, Tim, Ariana, Theo, Pat, Hannah, Stan, Megan, David S., Matt S., Jillian, Alyssa, Aliza, Ross, Richard, Frank, Gavin, Shaneekqua, Simon, Emma, Sara R., Ducky, Effi, Peter, Max, Charlie, Josh, Frankie, Mike, Keith, Jake V., John, Dan, Sophie, Liam and Jake. Plus there are a few counselors returning back to camp that missed last summer at CKM. So it is looking like a fabulous team.

Camp is now only four months away. Yeah. As each week passes the excitement continues to build. Being at camp is like a two month family reunion. We are so lucky to spend time with our friends in the fresh air and enjoying great activities. What are you looking forward to trying this summer? Here are a few things that we are really looking forward to seeing soon. 1. The first big campfire for the entire camp. 2. Hearing that unmistakable sound of someone flying down the aqua zipline. 3. Hearing Hey Baby at the camp dance. 4. The buses pulling up the hill on the first day of camp. 5. The official countdown to start the Apache relay. 6. Someone laughing loudly as they jump off the leap of faith. 7. The sound of "swish" as the perfect basketball shot falls through the net. 8. The flapping noise the sailboats makes as the wind powers it forward. 9. The sounds the ground makes as we hike up the mountain. 10. The laughter and giggles heard everyday by the greatest group of people.

Peace out-cub scouts

Brad and Tricia

Are You Ready to Escape Winter?

2011-02-03T12:11:00.000-08:00

Hello to everyone out there from the CKM office in frigid CT. Wow we can't believe the weather that we have been having here...definitely one for the record books. Ok, so we took a vote in the office and it came back unanimous, we are ready to put this winter weather behind us and start unpacking our Campus Kids t-shirts and shorts.Jani will be emailing Mother Nature this afternoon to let her know.

So, let's talk camp...What is it that you most look forward to? Is it your camp friends? The camp activities? The blob? Ropes Course? Soccer? Stargazing on the sports fields or lookout point? Is there a new activity that you look forward to trying this summer? Is this the summer that you will lead your Apache team to victory? There are many reasons that camp is so important to each and everyone of us. If you would like to share your feedback about camp along with pics, we would be excited to post that on our website (www.campuskids.com)and on our facebook page.

We have attended quite a few camp fairs this month and it is so great for us to talk to families about camp. For a few hours we are able to talk about what we love and share the joys and benefits that camp has to offer with these great families. We think a lot of the people that we met also enjoyed being out of the wintry NY weather and inside a building filled with camp pics, videos, etc. (who wouldn't love that?)

Whatever it is that brings you back to camp year after year, we just want to say thank you for being such a special part of our camp community and family. Only 4 more months...
Tricia and Brad

Winter Time

2011-01-19T10:23:00.000-08:00

Yikes it's cold out there. Some people love the winter months they go skiing, build snowmen and drink hot cocoa by the fire. While we are big fans of the change in seasons, enough of this snow and ice already. It has been a difficult winter all over. In Connecticut, 22 inches of snow fell to the ground in just 12 hours. New record accumulations were recorded all over the state. Over in New York, camp looks beautiful in the winter. The lake is completely frozen and the trees sparkle with all the snow and ice. Last week we found a gigantic icicle. It might be a world record as it hung from the big gym to the ground. We do want some warmer weather to arrive. It would make tours easier, but being at camp is still fun even in this awful weather.

Random Quick Questions: So are you sticking to your New Year's resolutions? Are you counting down the days until camp begins? Do you wish summer was here already? Does being on the blob sound like the perfect afternoon activity? Is soaring down the aqua zip more your thing? When you hear a summer song on the radio, does it make you think of camp? Are there counselors from last summer you hope are returning to camp? These are just some thought provoking questions from our CKM minds.

We have to spend some time on those J-E-T-S Jets, Jets, Jets. Now I know there are some people out there who hate the Jets and their loud mouth coach. It is true that he and some players talk a bit too much, but there are probably 100 people that are associated with the team. There are so many great individuals and role models, people who do great work in the community and play strong football on Sundays. For the past 40 years the Jets have been lovable losers or the same old Jets. The coach wanted to change that attitude and talking only in positives was part of his game plan. There are many of us Jets fans that have suffered through some of the worst defeats in football history. If the Jets pull off 2 more wins they can forever leave having the same old Jets label and live in history as champions.

Stay warm, stay classy and let's go Jets!
Brad and Tricia

It's The Time Of The Season

2011-01-06T09:20:00.000-08:00

Now that the calendar has turned to a new year, the focus on CKM 2011 has intensified. Of course this is a really great feeling. While working year round for camp we go through many different seasons. Sometimes we compare the experience to what athletes go through in professional sports. They have the main season, the off season, they spend time recruiting new players and trying to make the team better, training camp (which is like our staff orientation) and then back to the action again. So for our team, (CKM superstars) we are now in another level of our season. It is that time of the year where so many of the key parts of camp come together. We are still meeting new campers at camp fairs and on tours. We are interviewing staff members and putting together our starting staff lineup. We are working on camp newsletters and planning our famous weekend adventure trips. There are dance themes being thrown around the office and our summer theme of "Camp365" is ready to rock and roll. It is a very exciting time and as always we love hearing ideas and input from our campers and staff.

We had to add a brief sports moment to this weeks blog. The J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets play a huge game on Saturday night against the Colts. Once again the Jets will try to shred their label of being lovable losers and the "same old Jets." They face Peyton Manning, one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game. Last season the Colts beat the Jets in the championship game, so let this rematch begin. Now we know that many of you are Giants fans, Patriots fans, or fans of other teams. However, CKM is located in New York. The Jets are the New York Jets. So out of loyalty we should all use our positive energy to cheer on the men in green. Jets fans would do the same for Giants. In fact, we wish the Giants made the playoffs to make the NY presence even stronger. So on Saturday night there might be some fresh snow on the ground, light the fire place, grab your favorite blanket and root root root for the home team.

There are lots of exciting things happening with camp over the next few months, We will keep you updated as things are confirmed. Last month we finalized our new crop of CITS. Congratulations to everyone who applied. We had 32 people apply for 16 spaces. We wanted to select everyone but we just didn't have enough room for everyone. Everyone that applied was incredibly qualified for the program, so we had to make some very difficult decisions. Good luck to the 16 2011 CKM CITS. We know you will make a great team.

Have a great week as we get just a little closer to paradise.

Brad and Tricia

Holiday Campfire

2010-12-20T11:27:00.000-08:00

Picture everyone sitting around the campfire with marshmallow and roasting stick in hand. The sun is gently setting over the lake and a light evening breeze just started to swirl. All around the circle are your closest friends and favorite counselors. A chord is strummed on the acoustic guitar followed by a choir of gleeful signing. Yes we are at camp, our home away from home. Does being at camp feel like your second home? Are you having a hard time waiting more than six months for camp to begin? What are we supposed to do during this time of the year? Well, let's start with the basics of enjoying your holiday time with your friends and family. Make sure you give thanks and count all your blessings. Enjoy some down time from school or work. Maybe attend a party or two and of course catch some type of holiday movie. (The last Grapevine Herald had a powerful top ten list) But at some point over the next few weeks we have a secret camp mission for all of you. Put down your cell phones, close your laptop and turn off the game console. Take a few deep breaths and relax for a few minutes. Then, think about some of your favorite memories and friends from camp. We know these thoughts and special people mean the world to you. They do for us as well. In fact, we wanted to tell everyone how much we love having you as part of our CKM family. As we close our eyes we can hear you laugh and sing and this warms the holiday campfire in our heart.

Wherever this holiday season brings you, we wish you bounties of joy and cheers. Have a safe holiday and a wonderful new year. We hope that 2011 brings our second family back to our campfire for more summer camp fun.

Brad,Tricia and Jani

Busy Week

2010-11-15T12:46:00.000-08:00

The last few days have been extremely busy ones for the Minisink crew. We attended a great workshop in the city on Wednesday. Brad and Tricia survived as commuters on the early morning trains. We don't know how people do it everyday. We went through a small container of hand sanitizer, stayed far away from a guy that we labeled "MR. Phlem and Germ" and managed to enjoy the scenery through Westchester which we renamed the "Croton Exit" area. The workshop dealt with growing up in a fast paced marketing world. The day was very informative and we will be including what we learned as part of our staff training week. Saturday we by passed the trains and drove to camp for tours. We met a bunch of really nice families and future campers. It was a great day for tours as the temperature was 65 degrees. We almost went for a dip in the lake, but we needed Melissa and Simon to lifeguard. Then we switched cars and went back to the city on Sunday for our first camp fair of the season. We really love attending these camp fairs because we get to talk about camp for hours. (They sometimes serve really great bagels, but they didn't have them on Sunday) We were on the Upper West Side near Central Park. The day was a success and hopefully the nice new people we talked to will join us for all the Minisink fun. We might have stopped at Levain bakery and picked up a treat for the ride home. Oprah loves the place and who are we to not listen to her wisdom. The cookies were super yummy.

We just mailed out our 2010 CKM reunion invitations. We hope you will be able to join us for all the festivities. The reunion is a great time to hang out with all your camp friends and staff. The party is from 10 AM to 12:30 PM, but it always feels like it is over in a matter of minutes. Everyone looks so different at the reunion in their winter clothing. Maybe everyone doesn't really look so different, but during the summer we are used to seeing everyone in shorts, all tanned, and with big camp smiles. So free up some time on December 4th, and join us for the big bash.

One of the tours asked how we market camp. We really do not place a lot of ads or buy many advertising spaces. We attend a few camp fairs and try to spread the word about our program. Mostly people hear about camp from their friends. So we basically use word of mouth advertising. So make sure you tell all your friends about Campus Kids. CKM is the place to be and we want to have all the bunks filled with great campers. If you do know of any friends that are interested in visiting camp, have them call the office soon. Some groups are already filling up and we want to make sure that people get their favorite weeks.

We are getting closer and closer to Turkey day and then the really big family holidays. Does anyone have a guess when we will see the first big snow storm? There was a little snow in Connecticut last week. It didn't stick to the ground so we are not really going to count it. No snow up at camp yet, but a usual Port Jervis winter brings 60 inches of snow or more. We will keep you posted. Have a great week and keep thinking camp.

Brad and Tricia

No political party at camp.

2010-11-05T09:24:00.000-07:00

Tuesday was a wild election day in the US. Did you vote? Are you old enough to vote? We seem to be living in a very tumultuous time. The political ads were enough to drive anyone to a complete lack of knowing who to vote for. Sometimes the negative ads made us dislike the person sponsoring the commercial. So what does this have to do with the camp world? Well, every time we watched one of these political ads, it felt like the opposite of camp. At camp we choose to support each other and not attack those in our environment. We embrace different ideas and use disagreements as a springboard for learning and growing. We live at camp in an honest state of mind, where we trust our neighbors. And of course, Campus Kids has never been about winning or losing. It has always been about trying your best and being the person you are. Seems to contradict everything involved with the whole political process.

Winter is rapidly approaching. Don't forgot to adjust your clocks this weekend. We get an extra hour of sleep over the weekend. Of course the downside is a shorter afternoon. Nobody likes to drive home from work or after school practice in the dark. Less time to run around outside, and less time to get things done during the day. But as we move through the calendar week, we do get closer to some exciting times. The Campus Kids Minisink Reunion is happening on December 4th from 10:00 AM until 12:30 PM. The event takes place at Sportstime USA in Elmsford, New York. We would love to see everyone on that date for a morning of food, friends, laughs, and memories. We rent out the entire facility and play video games, laser tag, batting cages, and some fun indoor rides. This will be our third year using this place and each reunion has been very successful. Some years we have had staff members fly in from overseas. We are not sure if anyone is flying over this year, but we will keep our fingers crossed.

We are doing tours up at camp this weekend. There might be a staff member or two with a video camera up there. Although camp looks different this time of the year, it is still picturesque. Do you know what that means? More video and photo games yeah! If you are not sure what this means, well we had some fun last week with a new game on our facebook page. We had a great time posting obscure videos and having people guess where they taken at camp. So keep checking our facebook page to see if any more games appear. There might be some rule changes, but don't expect the challenges to be any easier.

We hope everyone in our extended CK family has a great weekend. Stay warm and we will chat again with you next week.

This is Brad and Tricia And We Approve This Blog.

Breath of Fresh Air

2010-10-29T08:25:00.000-07:00

Last week we gave tours to a couple of really nice families. The people were from New York City and seemed to be really excited being out in the country. We sat for a few minutes on the deck of the canteen building. A deer went by which was very exciting to see. One of the dads went over to the corner of the deck near the large outdoor fire pit. He was taking deep gulps of air. We went over to check on him and asked what he was doing. He mentioned that the air tasted so fresh and clean. He joked that he was storing up some extra oxygen for when he heads back to the city. While we all had a little chuckle it did remind us to slow down once in a while and take a deep breath of fresh air.

We wanted to tell you how much we miss being at our camp facility. The beautiful scenery at assembly with the lake in the foreground is amazing. Assembly always has that "we are family" feel to it. It is one of those special areas of camp where you never know what will happen. It is fun to stand off to the side and watch everyone separate into activity area choices. Leaving home base to have fun for an hour and then back to reconnect with your friends. Next summer we will need to have more campers stand on the stage and help run assembly. Bring your voice as you practice---"campers to your activitrees."

One of the best parts of Campus Kids is getting to know so many great people and making life long friendships. Waking up in the morning is like getting up from a big sleepover party. Our cabins sleep either 8 or 10 campers. At camp you bond so quickly with your bunk mates. The camping world is a great place to share more about yourself and learn about others. We love that at Campus Kids we have so many wonderful people from so many different backgrounds. So you can be who you are and feel great about that. It does not matter if you are tall or short, have light hair or dark hair or like sports or the arts. Being at camp is just all out fun and making friends is part of the package.

So Sunday is Trick or Treat day. This will be a busy weekend with the World Series still happening and a lot of fall football taking place. It feels like "shorts weather" will be gone from a few months. Bring on the winter because that just brings us that much closer to camp time.

Happy Halloween,

Brad and Tricia

Photo of the Week

2010-10-18T11:02:00.000-07:00

The chill is in the air. We were at camp on Saturday showing some nice new families around the facility. It was a little breezy, especially around the ropes course. One of the "toureys," (Is that a word? I don't think so, but lets not worry about that right now) so lets just say that toureys equals a person taking the tour. Anyway, this younger girl was almost swept into Root Beer Lake by a huge gust of wind. So we found some rocks and weighed down her pockets. Besides the windy day it was a beautiful time to waltz around camp. There were some neat happenings at camp. First, the beam gym has a nice fresh coat of paint. The gym is no longer red and now is more of a blueish gray color. It looks great. Also, the bathrooms near the office are finally finished. They are ready to use and will be very helpful during the summer. We took some pictures with our cell phone, but they came out too blurry. We will try to take better photos next week. Only at camp would photos of bathrooms make so many people happy. (That is how we roll)

Speaking of photos we were thinking of trying something new and fun. So with every blog we are going to post a Photo or two of the week. It feels like we need some theme music. We need some type of I-Carly gadget where "Sam" pushes a button and the crowd roars. How do we get one of those? So introducing the new and fun-filled "PHOTO OF THE WEEK" section to our blog. Yeah! Feel free to email us if you have any pictures that you think will make the cut.

So what's happening this week. Is everyone getting ready for Halloween? Do you have your costumes yet? BOO! Did you buy candy? We have a rule that candy needs to be purchased on 10/31. Candy that is purchased earlier tends to disappear. If you find yourself in this situation it is plausible to blame ghosts, or any other scary Halloween creatures. Ghosts have a sweet tooth and love candy corn.

Now for our weekly sports moment. The Jets and Giants continue to roll. Both baseball playoff series are tied at 1-1. We might be heading towards a seven game series. The baseball season seems to end later and later each year. Hopefully we will not see snow during any of the games. Also the season is starting for all you basketball and hockey fans. (We do have a few hockey fans at camp. Last count there were three of you) Both those seasons are very long, but the nice part is that when the playoffs end camp is just about ready to begin.

So have a great week everyone and keep thinking about camp.

Brad and Tricia

Avenues

2010-10-13T10:36:00.000-07:00

There were two roads diverged in a yellow wood. (Bonus points for the first person who knows what poem that is from) Well its fall and the roads are now blanketed by shades of reds, yellows, and browns. At least it is that way in Connecticut. Hopefully everyone had a great holiday weekend. Maybe in honor of Mr. Columbus we should have Monday and Tuesday off. Then we can have Wednesday off for Americo Vespucci. (Lots of students all over are cheering this plan) It is weird that weekends go by so quickly. Maybe we should switch to a four day week and a three day weekend. Everyone would agree to lengthen the work day to cover things that need to be done. Now this concept is only value for non-camp time. Of course Campus Kids needs to continue to be the Monday through Friday sleep away camp and home on the weekends. (Unless you go on a weekend adventure trip)

Boo! Halloween is not far away. It is always fun to see everyone in their costumes. It reminds us of some of the wild camp dances when everyone gets so into the theme. Over the years we have seen some really crazy stuff. One year there was an outer space dance. There were some creepy aliens out that night. Another fun night was a country and western dance. There were lots of pigtails, freckles, boots and one Hannah Montana hoedown throw down. Last summer we had the seven wonders dance, which you might wonder what that might be. Well, many people used their creative talents and had some very interesting costumes. Here are some other themes we have seen over the years: the 5th element, pj party, Hollywood, black and white, deck of cards, superheros, goodies vs. baddies, and so many more. If you have any ideas and thoughts for camp dance themes then send them along to the office. We love hearing your suggestions.

Sports moment of the week. Round one of the baseball playoffs is now complete. We saw some great games and even a no-hitter. It is now down to four teams. (The Yankees, The Rangers, The Giants, The Phillies) All four teams are very strong with great pitching staffs. The baseball season is very long at 162 games. Every team fights hard to be the last one standing. Winning the World Series is certainly not an easy task. Even if you are not a baseball fan, it is easy to enjoy the intensity of baseball moments. Unlike any other sport, baseball can "stay in the moment" for very long periods of time. There is no play clock or timers in baseball. A single at bat can last for many minutes. While this can be boring for some, it can also make those magic baseball moments priceless. Keep cheering for your favorite team and enjoy these great battles.

Well time to close down for this week. Have a safe and wonderful journey on whatever avenues you travel.

We will chat with you soon.

Brad and Tricia

October Happenings

2010-10-04T09:25:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone in CK land,

Happy fall to all! There are so many great things to do this time of the year. Remember the really cold weather is not too far away, so we should enjoy as much of the outdoors as possible. Maybe you can find some time to go on a hayride or go pumpkin picking. Some places have haunted hayrides if you like that type of scare. There are some farms that have amazing corn mazes. Have you ever tried one of them? They can be really wild and not as easy as you might think. Of course the fall has lots of sporting events happening. There are lots of games happening all over the area. Of course the fall is a great time to go for a hike, ride a bike, go fishing or head out to your local park to throw a football around. You don't have to be a nature lover to enjoy all the beautiful fall colors. It really is one of the treats that we get to enjoy in the northeast. (Florida does have nice palm trees to stare at)

We were at camp this weekend doing tours. We always tell you how beautiful camp gets this time of the year. It really does and walking around the lake is breathtaking. There has been some neat things done at camp over the last few weeks. The beam gym has been painted and it is now a blueish gray color. The maintenance staff has also done a lot of tree trimming so the villages look great. When we do tours we always decorate a cabin to show how it is used during the summer. This year we picked cabin two in Kalagesi. It is a fun village to show and it is a nice place to chat before heading to Lookout Point. Many times during the tours people will comment about how nice the village is arranged. Well we know how the village setting becomes part of your summer experience. Do you think there are any campers that have lived in every village? Probably not. Maybe there are some staff members that have accomplished this rare feat.

Hopefully everyone who is reading this blog is also a facebook fan of Campus Kids Minisink. (www.facebook.com/pages/Port-Jervis-NY/Campus-Kids-Minisink) We have over 600 friends so join in on the party. You can also follow us on twitter. (www.twitter.com/ckminisink)

Have a great week and we will catch up soon.

Brad and Tricia

New York State of Mind

2010-09-29T08:30:00.000-07:00

Hello Campus Kids Friends,

One of the best parts of working for camp is we get to think about camp everyday. So while many of you are in school or at work, we are in the camp office working on programs for next summer. Another fun part of the job is giving tours to new families. So here is another opportunity to walk on the grounds of camp and dream about the summer. Minisink is amazingly beautiful during the fall season. The colors have already started to change around the lake. Following the trail from behind the blob towards the aqua zip and up past Wolfjaw is a great hike. Of course, you can continue up that trail all the way to High Point State Park. That would be some walk to take a prospective family. We always show our new campers the beautiful view from lookout point. That view into the dairy and farming region of New York is awe inspiring. Don't forgot that our camp reunion is in December and it will be a great time to relive the summer of 2010 and get fired up for 2011. Invitations for the reunion will be mailed out in November.

In October we have a few big projects that we will be starting. Our new CIT program was a huge success. We will be working on information, and applications for those who are eligible to apply for 2011. We know there is a great group of people that are interested and hopefully Mark will be able to return to oversee the program again. We will also be working on the first step of organizing the staff for 2011. We need to establish our staff charts and numbers for the new season. We will also be working on putting together our Weekend Adventure Trips. The excursions in 2010 went so well. One of the highlights was the day at Six Flags in New Jersey. The weather was very overcast that day and it kept the crowds away. So everyone was able to ride their favorite coasters as many times as they wanted. We can now claim to have tackled the tallest and fastest coaster in the world. (Just to go on record we were not scared before going on the ride---the scared look in our eyes was just an act) So please let us know if you have any thoughts about WEA 2011. We were thinking of planning a bang out trip to Boston. We will keep you updated.

Speaking of Boston, we would be rude not to mention that the baseball playoffs will be starting next week. It should be vary intense matches for all the teams. The baseball playoffs usually showcases better pitching and each inning carries so much pressure. Unfortunately the Red Sox and the Mets did not make the playoffs this year. (When is the last time the Mets made the playoffs?) So the Yankees will be the only local team to represent our area. Hopefully Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera can find the magic and bring home championship number 28. It should be fun!

Well it is time to stop day dreaming and get back to work. Enjoy all the nice weather we are having even the few days of rain. Have a great week and we will visit more next time.

Adios,

Brad and Tricia

Summer days drifting away

2010-09-22T09:42:00.000-07:00

Today is the last official day of summer. At least it is still warm enough to wear shorts. There has always been a simple rule in our camp office. (Ok--it is not really a rule but something we just stated out loud) The rule is that shorts have to be worn until summer ends. That does mean some chilly September nights of shorts and a sweat shirt, but rules are made to be followed. Now it is time to dig out some warmer clothing and maybe the ugly long-johns that your grandparents sent you for Christmas. (I like the ones with the footies) Of course if you need to warm your insides, just think back to all of our great memories from camp. It is hard to imagine that camp ended four weeks ago. It feels like we were just at Minisink enjoying the outdoors. If you close your eyes can you picture some of our great camp adventures? Can you see intense games of Ga-ga and Newcomb? Can you remember Simon teaching Fencing or the Lady Gaga shuffle? Are you getting excited because Luke just hooked you up on the ropes course and your next journey is 25 feet off the ground? Are you heading towards the arts complex to work with Tom and his crew on some creative project? How about some canoeing action or taking a spin on a sailboat? Maybe you need to get your heart pumping with a game of basketball, soccer, tennis, golf, or softball? So as the weather turns cooler, just take your mind's eye back to those warm fun filled moments.

So the title of this blog comes from a song from the musical Grease. We are guessing the music influence came from watching "Glee" last night. Do you watch it? Of course you do--even if you don't want to admit it. The show is really well done and has such an interesting cast of characters. Have you seen those recent facebook surveys where you can figure out which Glee cast member you are most similar to. Tricia was Quinn, Kathryn was Rachel, Brad was Finn, Jani was Tina. Of course this survey was not done during normal business hours. Anyway, do you think we should offer more Glee type activities at camp? We have so many talented campers and staff that love to sing. I am sure that Emily, LaToya, and Cory could create something fabulous! (have you ever heard Cory sing Les Mis?)

Speaking of TV, do you watch the show Modern Family? It was new last season and it was amazing. Check it out if you get a chance. It is on Wednesday night at 9:00 PM on ABC. (We do not receive any money for recommending this show--we just really love it) Well blog fans, time to get back to some real work. It was nice touching base with you and we will see you next week.

Happy camp memories to all and welcome to the fall season.

Brad and Tricia

Back to the Future

2010-09-13T08:15:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! We are back full time to the camp office as most of you are back to school and work. So back to the desk and thus begins the planning for the future, CKM 2011. We will rock it. (Sorry for that reference but we watched the VMA last night--just a thought, but what was Lady Gaga wearing? Do you think that Lady Gaga likes to play Ga-ga? Let's get her to camp to try it. Plus she needs to meet Simon!)

So the preparation for next summer is in full swing. This Sunday will be our first fall tour day. We love showing new families around camp. Once the fall fully arrives the colors on the trees are absolutely amazing. The lake is still warm enough for a few more zips down the aqua zip line. Maybe Luke can fly back from the UK to set it up for us. (He won't mind)

So the next few weeks are busy ones in the CK office. Although it feels like we just ended camp yesterday, it is time to start thinking about dance themes, bunk group names, special events, and new crazy events for the apache relay. During the year we will send you some fun surveys to get your input. We love hearing your feedback so don't be shy.

This past weekend we met someone who was not familiar with the concept of summer camp. We spent an hour sharing stories from the summer. It felt great to relive so many amazing memories. We directed this person to our website to see some of the zany photos from 2010. I know that pictures and words will not capture all the magic of camp, but we think he will get the idea. Speaking of photos, if you have any camp pictures that you want to share---please send them along. We love adding camper and staff pictures to the CK site.

So we are all back to school and back to work. Baseball season is winding down as the Yankees head towards the playoffs again. (Sorry Mets and Red Sox fans) Football season has just started and the Giants and the Patriots had good week one wins. Hopefully, the Jets will win their game on Monday night. (I wonder if any of our campers and staff will be there)

So have a great week and we will chat with you soon.

Brad and Tricia

PS. If you have not seen the movie "Back to the Future", you have to put that on your must see list. Download it today or move it up on your netflix priority list. It was made more than 25 years ago and the Flux Capacator still works!

News from Emma and Mike

2010-07-27T10:38:00.000-07:00

Hey, it’s Emma and Mike writing the second CIT blog. Emma has been here for 10 years (whoa, that’s a long time!), and it’s Mike’s 5th. It’s been pretty hectic here since we last posted with all of the special events going on. The CITs were busy planning a special event for this past Friday. The event we ran was called Star Warz, a series of tournaments of different activities, and even though it was a rainy day, all of the campers seemed to have a lot of fun!
Week 3 was Ms. Campus Kids, where Simon’s “Lady Gaga” performance blew the crowd away. The CITs performed “Jersey Shore” and came in 6th. During week 4 the highly anticipated Apache Relay took place and Atlantis took the title for the second year in a row. This was the first year Apache was held at the Minisink campus, so everyone was really excited to see who would win this year. The week 4 dance theme was space, it was interesting to see some of the creative costumes from both campers and staff. Although many campers finished their stay here last week, we know that they went home with some great memories from Campus Kids! Now, it's week 5, new campers have arrived and there is more fun happening as we speak...

Special Event Planning

2010-07-01T10:37:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Effi. I have been going to CKM for seven years. Hi, my name is Ducky(yes it's my nickname, not my real name) and I went to CKCT for seven years and this is my first summer at CKM. We're both CITs!! For those who don't know what a CIT is, we are Counselors in Training. There are 14 of us, 12 guys and 2 girls. We are having a great time and are loving the program. Everyday we have meetings, prep work, do community service and help out the staff where we are needed.
The CIT program is a brand new program that is helping us to become better staff for the future and teach us leadership skills.

So every week we get assigned to different areas for third period and this first week of camp we got to spend Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thurday with our favorite people, Kathryn and Tricia!! Our job was to plan things for our first session dance: the International Dance. We made a list of things to do and, if we may say so, it's going to be an awesome dance. A few things that we have done to prepare is translate some fun words and some camp songs in different languages. Another thing we have done is to make a sign up sheet for people to request certain songs that are popular in different places and play them at the dance. We can't give all our COOL ideas away, though, and we have to go and do more CIT things.

So this is Effi and Ducky signing out!
Adios amigos!!!

Tricia Jensen You Are The Winner...

2010-05-18T13:49:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

So, in our last newsletter I told you all that I won an awesome prize when we went to the Tri-State Camping Conference. Kathryn and I were in the exhibit hall and over the loud speaker we heard Tricia Jensen from Campus Kids Minisink you are the winner of the 5lb Hershey Bar. Say What? That was very exciting (not only for me but for Sophie and Liam too)!! It made me think about our amazing Sweet Escape WEA last summer. Going to Chocolate World is always my favorite part of the day. It never disappoints. I also love the Reese's Cup Challenge and spending time with all of the CK weekend adventurers! This summer the Sweet Escape WEA is our 1st trip, followed by The Brotherly Love Tour (NEW TRIP!!!) and rounding out the summer is our Adirondack Adventures trip. What an AWESOME program. If you are a CKM camper entering grades 7-11 or are one of our lucky CITs, you can sign up for this optional program. All forms have been mailed out however, if you need a form or details they are all available on our website www.campuskids.com . Trips are starting to fill up so be sure to sign up today.

Well, I better get back to working on our next newsletter. Before we know it we will all be in good old Port Jervis, NY at Campus Kids Minisink for an incredible summer together.

Tricia

The Perfect Camp Day

2010-03-23T10:53:00.000-07:00

The other day we were driving up to camp for tours. Kathryn and Tricia were my co-pilot and back seat driver. They were trying to imagine what I was like as a child. So as we logged miles along I-84, I started to daydream about being a camper at Minisink. Thus, I designed in my mind's eye, The Perfect Camp Day.

Up at 7:30 AM because I am truly a morning person. I am the first one in to brush my teeth because I like the second sink from the end. I am dressed and ready to attack the day. Breakfast of champions is not really my calling, so I grab a quick bowl of cereal and some eggs. I am going to need the protein to power through this day. At the first assembly of the day, Ashley allows me to run through the schedule for everyone. In fact, I sing the schedule for all to hear. I am sure this caused some birds to cringe in their nests. Period one is a quick walk over to the baseball diamond for a spirited match. As some of you know I am a huge fan of the sport and a dead pull hitter to left field. I hit one ball to deep left and Mark Hill almost made a spectacular diving catch. Luckily he couldn't catch my line drive as I staggered into third with a triple. Back to assembly after our fun filled game. Period two is a close call between some adventure activities, mountain biking, or something I have never tried before. So period 2 I am off to fencing. I wish I had a puffy shirt and an eye patch. At fencing I realized that I love this activity and will 100% be signing up for fencing club.

After some quality bunk time with my co-campers and counselors it is off to lunch. The mid-day meal could only be one thing. A truly special camp lunch. A weird combination of food but a personal favorite. Taco Tuesday and Wings of Fire. Sure there is a great salad bar for some of you, but have plenty of hot sauce and napkins ready for me. After lunch we have a quick game of Frisbee football and then Ga-ga. Now it is off to period three.

The afternoon of fun begins with the aqua zip. I don't think that anything can match soaring out of the mountain and making a perfect landing into the lake. I hope the water is warm, but I do not think it will matter much. The thrill of the ride is worth the price of admission. Period four is another difficult choice. Should I sign up for radio, music, or rocketry? I really want to learn how to play the guitar. I think with some practice I could play somewhat like Clapton, Hendrix, or the Boss. Plus with my strong singing voice I might be ready to try out for American Idol. Not really! So music is the choice and learning some chords will be my goal. After some rocking and rolling it is off to snack. It is a beautiful day so I will drink some extra water to stay hydrated. Period five is really an easy choice. Having the lake in the middle of camp is perfect. I could go sailing or fishing or sign up for a nature activity and search for frogs. I will skip those choices for today and sign-up for free swim. An afternoon dip in the lake is invigorating. However, there is a bonus with this activity selection. The mighty Blob is available during free swim and this guy was born to blob. Hitting the blob in the direct center and sending a pal soaring into the water is silly joy. I think I made a wise choice to end my program day.

As the daylight begins to phase out, there is still plenty of action left in a camp day. Dinner was a delicious bar-b-q that included a small helping of yummy baked beans. The evening program in my perfect camp day would either be our carnival, the apache relay or gold rush. If I have to pick one then Gold Rush wins by a tiny nugget. I have participated in 25 gold rushes and every year it brings a big smile to my face. I am still anxiously waiting to win one of the shoot-outs. I have been practicing my aiming all winter. After the hunt for all the precious gold, my cabin group grabs our evening snacks. We head back to our village for some jokes, bonding time, and even some sleep.

It was really fun planning this perfect day. Sign me up to be 12 years old again.

Brad

Dear Summer...

2010-03-02T10:16:00.000-08:00

Dear Summer,

I am sitting here at my desk waiting patiently for you. I look out the window and I see snow on the ground and it makes me long for green grass, tulips, bluebirds and the beach! I want to be able to go outside in my shorts and flip flops and play with Sophie and Liam and most importantly I desperately want to head up to camp. While your brother Winter has lot of great things to offer such as sledding, building snowmen, throwing snowballs there is one thing that it cannot offer me...CAMP! I understand that you are a couple of months away and while we wait we will certainly enjoy the Spring and all that it has to offer us. I just wanted to let you know that you have a huge group of fans waiting for your arrival.

Your friend,
Tricia

The Past Week (and a half) in Review...

2010-02-08T11:43:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone!

I hope you all are having a wonderful week!! I wonder how many of you have been snowed in?? We had a decent amount of snow in CT though not as much as predicted. However we do have enough to make some good snow angels and snowballs...that's all that matters!

So, I'm sure many of you stayed up Sunday night watching the Super Bowl. I am not much of a football person but I do enjoy getting together with my family, watching the commercials and eating good food. The food did not disappoint, I think we could have fed all of camp with what we had. Haha!! We had wings, pigs in a blanket, shrimp cocktail, pulled pork, meatball sandwiches, pizza, cookies, cupcakes...oh my I better stop I am making myself hungry!! Now that I think of it, we should have a super bowl party at camp! That would be way too much fun! To make it even better for Brad and all of those Jets fans out there, we can have the Jets make it to our CKM Super Bowl. You're welcome Brad...I'm always looking out for you!

Ok, so I did title this blog the past week (and a half) in review so I better talk about what else I did this past week. Here I go, I'll work my way backwards. This past weekend we were up at camp for tours. We absolutely froze on Sunday. As we walked along the path past assembly towards the drama hall the wind that was coming off the lake was absolutely incredible. I think I got brain freeze!! YOUCH! But all in all it was a great weekend, we met a lot of new families who are really excited about CKM and look forward to being part of our camp family. This past week I have also been working on bunk groups. Many of you are saying to yourself, Bunk groups? Why on earth would Tricia be working on bunk groups in February? Well, I can answer that for you. I start early so we can really figure out which weeks we have spaces for. We also start early so we can make sure we do the best to honor the bunk mate requests that you send in. There's a lot of work that needs to be done early to make each summer a successful one. Part of that work is staffing, which we did...interviews, returning staff list, trainings, etc. At the start of the week, which for my blog will be the weekend (1/30-1/31) it was very busy. We had tours on the 30th and Brad and I ventured out to Brooklyn on the 31st for a camp fair. Whew! There you go, "the past week (and a half) in review". I hope this is a great week for everyone and I look forward to my next blog.

Tricia

Cupcakes and Cadbury Bars

2010-01-18T10:52:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone!

Happy New Year! I hope that the start of 2010 has been a good one for you all. In the Jensen household we have had a busy start. We returned from our Disney vacation and then came time to celebrate birthdays. Liam turned 2 on Jan. 10th and then Sophie turned 4 on Jan. 12th. We certainly have enjoyed lots of cupcakes and cookies!! Even our dog has a January birthday, Jack will be 9 on Jan. 22nd!!! January is our month...

When we were in Disney one of our favorite places to visit was Epcot. When we went to the different countries in the World Showcase it made us think of our camp friends. When we visited England we definitely had to pick up a couple of Cadbury bars- that's always a great treat! I also was super excited to see that they sold Charlie and Lola stuff (Hannah you know how much we love that show)!! We had such a great time!!

We are now just months away from the start of camp. We have been busy working on staffing, attending camp fairs and giving tours. We were just at camp this past weekend, it was absolutely beautiful up there. I can't wait for camp to begin- 5 months to go.

Until my next blog-
Tricia

Reunion, Snow and Holiday Cookies

2009-12-08T13:04:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone!

What a weekend we had...

The CK reunion was awesome!! It was so much fun to see everyone again. Sportime USA was filled with smiles, laughter, hugs and good times. I think one of the highlights for me was becoming a very proud owner of a Campus Kids foam finger! That was way, way too much fun! Sophie and Liam love wearing their foam fingers as well.

So, when the reunion comes I always know that snow will quickly be making it's way back into our lives. Though this year it was pretty fast. By the time we made it home from the reunion there was already a dusting of snow on the ground. We saw reports that there was about 4-7 inches of snow at camp. We will be sure to get some pictures during the winter for you all. It is absolutely beautiful to walk around camp in the winter however, it does NOT compare to camp during the summer!!

My weekend ended with a DELICIOUS treat...Holiday Cookies!! My mother-in-law bakes cookies each year for her church's holiday fair and each year we attend and get to decorate the cookies with lots and lots and lots of icing! Bill, Sophie, Liam and I each had the chance to decorate a cookie or 2 (or 3- haha). Yummmm...

At the end of this weekend I realized that the holidays are definitely upon us. We went out to pickup our Christmas tree, we decorated and enjoyed our holiday cookies, every night we appreciate our neighborhood lit up with the most beautiful white lights, our wreaths are hung and my camp countdown has officially begun. Only 6 more months until we are back at camp. I can't wait for the sounds of the aqua zip, songs around the campfire, laughter in villages and the list goes on and on. As you are all getting ready for the holidays I hope that you all take a moment to reflect on what you are most thankful for and what you most look forward to for 2010. Family and camp friends are at the top of my list.

I'm off to enjoy a nice warm mug of hot cocoa. Until my next blog...

Tricia

Happy November!

2009-11-04T10:51:00.001-08:00

Hi Everyone! I hope that you all had a happy, fun and safe Halloween! Halloween is always a fun time of the year! In keeping with the spirit of camp, I helped Noah, my nephew, create a S'more out of a pumpkin for his school's pumpkin decorating contest. Although it didn't win, it did make us think of camp the whole time we designed it! And anything that has to do with camp is FUN!!! Trick or treating was great, too! Jake went house to house as a pirate! AARRGH!! He was so cute and I am shocked that he actually kept his costume on long enough to get through the night!

But here we are now, already in November! We are heading toward Thanksgiving, the Reunion, all of the winter holidays and probably a lot of snow!!! The year is flying by, but that just means that we are getting closer and closer to CKM2010!!!

The big projects in the CKM office right now are camp fairs, tours, preparing for the reunion and working on the CIT Program. Throughout the year, we attend camp fairs and do tours of camp so that anyone interested in CK can learn more about us. The reunion is scheduled for December 5th. We are sending out reunion invitations within the next week, so be sure to mark your calendars! We can't wait to see everyone there and be able to catch up and share our favorite camp memories!

We are also nearing the deadline for CIT Applications. I am happy to say that quite a few completed applications have already arrived and we will be getting started with interviews very, very soon! I am so excited about the CIT Program for this upcoming summer. We had a great turnout at the CIT Info Session and I am so happy to be able to work with our 11th graders in this program. If you are planning on applying for the CIT Program, please remember that the deadline for the applications and the references is November 13th. If you have any questions, please email or call us anytime!

Well, that's it for now. I hope that you are all doing well and counting down the days to the reunion...I definitely am!

Until next time...

Kathryn

Facebook, Tours and C.I.T. Info Session

2009-10-22T11:38:00.001-07:00

Good day CKM friends-

Campus Kids Minisink is now on facebook!! What does that mean for you? That means you will find out all of the up to date news from the CKM office plus have a place to post your memories, hear from campers and staff that you haven't heard from and see some pictures of camp throughout the year. Maybe if we are all lucky, I can get a picture of Brad at camp this winter making snow angels. Haha that would be awesome!! If you are not yet a fan of the CKM facebook page, be sure to sign up. Also, if you have any pictures from camp please post them. Thanks Ashley for sharing some of your camp pics with us. Gold star for you.

We will be heading up to camp this weekend for tours as well as an information session for our new C.I.T. program. If you have not yet sent your r.s.v.p. for the information session, do so today. You can email Kathryn, kathryn@campuskids.com or Tricia, tricia@campuskids.com. The C.I.T. program is offered to former campers that will be entering the 11th grade in Sept. 2010. Please note: Attending the information session is not a requirement of the application process.

I hope you have all had a great week and have a fabulous weekend! Until my next blog-

Tricia

Office, Fall, Pumpkins and More

2009-10-09T05:37:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!!

So, this has been a big mailing week for us in the CKMinisink office. Our 1st edition of The Grapevine-Herald went out. Not only does it have a new name but it also has a new format, thank you Kathryn. It came out great! If anyone would like to contribute to the newsletter whether it's articles, stories, interviews, word searches, movie reviews, etc...we would love it! We also sent out a big mailing to our current 10th grade campers. Once you all have a chance to read about the new programs, please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

Of course summer is my favorite season because of camp however I also have a great love for autumn! I love the colorful leaves falling down, pumpkins on just about every front porch, the chill in the air, pumpkin and apple pies, apple cider oohh and apple cider donuts! This weekend we are going on a family field trip with Sophie's preschool. Bill and I are excited to take Sophie and Liam on a hayride, go apple picking and then lay our blanket out with the other families and enjoy a great afternoon picnic. For those of you that have spent time with Sophie and Liam you will all know that they are going to love this!!!! Then on Sunday I am heading up to camp for a busy day of tours. I am thinking I should pick up some apple cider for everyone to enjoy and maybe some pumpkins to decorate the office!! The lake is going to look even more beautiful than it did last week. The color of autumn is all around camp!

Even though the summer is behind us it doesn't mean that we can't talk about our camp memories every day with our friends... Keep thinking camp! We have some really cool stuff planned for CKM2010 and we have our reunion coming up! Be sure to mark your calendars...Dec. 5th from 10AM-12:30PM. The reunion is for both CKM and CKCT campers and staff. Invitations will be going out next month. Yay I love the camp reunion!!

Until my next blog...

Tricia

Camp is Too Quiet but We have Some Big News

2009-09-21T13:44:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!!

So, it's been a little while since we have seen each other! I hope you are all doing great! I was at camp on Sunday doing tours and it was absolutely beautiful up there. The leaves are beginning to change, the sun was shining and I saw a deer prancing through the woods. However, it was way too quiet! As I walked around camp, I missed the sound of people laughing and cheering each other on as someone is about to be blobbed, I miss the music coming from the big gym as LaToya would be practicing with the dance performers. What I am trying to say is...camp is beautiful but not the same without all of you!

I wanted to share some exciting news for the 2010 CKM summer. Over the past couple of weeks, we have been working on some major changes to Campus Kids and we wanted to share these changes with you. Campus Kids CT is merging with Campus Kids Minisink. This opportunity developed recently and we are very excited about the future of our program. CK-CT campers will have the option of joining us at Minisink or going to Campus Kids New Jersey, our beautiful campus/dorm location. Jani will continue as the CKM director, along with Brad Finkelstein. Brad has worked in the camping industry for 25 years. Before coming to Campus Kids, Brad worked in the traditional camp setting of Lake Bryn Mawr Camp. Brad has been part of the Campus Kids family for 12 years, serving as the Connecticut Director since 2001. I will continue as one of the 2 Associate Directors. I will be joined by Kathryn Finkelstein, who has served as the Associate Director for the past 9 years. She began at CK-CT in 1995 with Jani and continued with Brad when Jani and I opened Minisink in 2001. Brad and Kathryn along with their 2 year old son, Jake, are going to be a great addition to the CKM family!!

So, as you can tell there is a lot happening over here at CK-M! We are also about to begin work on our fall newsletter, The Grapevine Herald. If you have anything you would like published in the newsletter be sure to e-mail me, tricia@campuskids.com as soon as possible. I would love to include articles, drawings, etc from campers and staff!!

Until my next blog...
Tricia

Special Events at CKM

2009-07-29T17:44:00.001-07:00

Good Morning!

I am sitting at my desk just thinking about the last 4 weeks of camp. We have had some really awesome events at camp. So far this summer we have had: Intercamp with CK-CT, an art show (Sophie and I both had art projects displayed...YAY!), In camp Swim Meet, CKM Choir performance with a slideshow, Dance Performances by "The Dreamboys" and "Jai Ho Dancers", 2 Camp Dances, and a campfire. Some of our upcoming events are: a Broadway revue, campfire, dance performances- Dreamgirls and Single Ladies, Footloose, Intercamp with both CK-NJ and CK-CT and our annual camp carnival...just to name a few. We have a lot of great things happening here at CKM!!
The sun is shining today and we have all of our activities in full swing. I am going to head out to Arts and Crafts now and then work my way around camp.

Happy Thursday!
Tricia

Mentor/Mentee Program

2009-07-09T08:43:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

For those of you that don't know, we have a staff assistant program. Our staff assistants are former campers that are now entering the 11th and 12th grades. It's a training program, where the staff assistants have the opportunity to learn about all aspects of camp. Last summer a mentor/mentee program was introduced and this summer we are continuing this program. I am lucky enough to have Jillian as my mentee for summer #2. She is an outstanding staff assisant!! So, Jillian and Alyssa (also a fantastic 2nd yr staff assist) have had the opportunity to post on this blog. They had a lot of fun writing their posts!!! Enjoy!

Tricia

Howdy y'all! I'm Jillian and this is my second year as a staff assistant here at CKM. This is my eighth summer at camp and my second summer as Tricia's "mentee." I work in Kalagesi, donning my usual bow headband and knee-high socks. I love arts & crafts, especially tie dyeing! Now a few words about my mentor--TRICIA!! Tricia loves a nice bubble bath surrounded by incense (yup), a fuzzy cardigan, and lastly, FOOD party including fruit, hamburgers and pasta. Similar to Tricia's likes, I enjoy fuzzy cardigans, but I must say the FAJITAS and "guac" are simply delectable. Well that's all for now! Until next week, this is Jilly Bean saying "toodles!"

Hi there! I'm Alyssa and this is my eighth summer here at CKM. This is my second summer working as a staff assistant. I work in Minnewaska with the oldest girls in the village (going into sixth grade). You can usually find me in Gymnastics. We recently did an awesome training program in our "Beam Gym" with the Connecticut staff- thankfully I only fell once! This summer I am most excited for my AMAZING mentor ASHLEY! She enjoys long walks on the beach, puppy dogs, rocky road ice cream, and chicken-nugget salad (as do I). I cannot wait for the rest of this summer- I know it's going to be lots and lots of fun!

Intercamp

2009-07-09T07:33:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

Yesterday we had a great day! A) The weather was shining B) We had an awesome intercamp with CK-CT and C) We had a very cool sing off in the pavilion. At around 11:00 yesterday CK-CT arrived ready to join CK-M in a day of fun out on our athletic fields. The campers participated in both soccer and basketball and we were lucky enough to have them join us for lunch and a snack. While we were enjoying our fruit during snack time both camps spontaneously had a sing off. The pavilion was filled with songs such as Boom Chicka Boom, The Moose Song, The Shark Song and Bazooka Bubble Gum. We can't wait for our next intercamp!!

Tricia

1st Week of Camp

2009-07-03T10:41:00.001-07:00

WOW! Where did the week go? I can't believe that the buses have rolled out of camp for the start of the weekend. We had a fantastic week! While we did have a little rain we were able to still have a great time. Last night we had our campfire done the CKM rainy day way in the big gym. What a blast! The groups performed their bunk cheers then each village sang their village song...WELL DONE!
I hope that everyone has a great weekend and I can't wait for the buses to arrive on Monday morning. The first summer edition of The Minisink Herald went out today so if you are interested in taking a look, it is available online.
Sophie, Liam and I hope that you enjoy the 4th of July fireworks and barbecues this weekend....I know we will!!!
Happy Weekend!
Tricia

Horseback and WEA

2009-07-01T08:42:00.000-07:00

Good Morning!

So, there are many of you out there that are still interested in our Weekend Adventure and/or Horseback programs. Well here's the scoop on what is still available....

Weekend Adventure (for campers entering 7th - 10th grade)

WEA1 Sweet Escape...SOLD OUT

WEA2 Boston Bound...Spaces Still Available

WEA3 Adirondack Adventures...Spaces Still Available

If interested in this program please contact our office with any questions, 845-856-6433 or go to our website to download the WEA forms, http://www.campuskids.com/ .

Horseback Riding

There are still some spaces available. This program is great for all riders whether they are just starting out or they have been riding for years. All lessons are taught at Black Ridge Farm just 3 miles from camp. If interested in this program please contact our office with any questions,

845-856-6433 or go to our website to download the HB forms, http://www.campuskids.com/ .

It's a great day here at Campus Kids- Minisink! Hope you are having a great day too!!
Tricia

tricia@campuskids.com

1st Day of Camp

2009-06-30T07:51:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

We had a FANTASTIC 1st day of camp! The staff were so excited to greet the camp buses...everyone here couldn't wait for the FUN to begin!! After campers met their Village Coordinator and counselors they had the chance to meet Melissa, the waterfront coordinator and Kim, the camp nurse. All of our campers had the chance to choose their 1st activity followed by their club choice, clubs run on Monday and Wednesday nights.

So here we are on our 2nd day of camp. The sun is shining and we are all ready for a full day of activities. Tonight is Village Night... YAY!!!

I'm going to head out into camp now...Hooray for CKM Summer '09!
Tricia

Nights at Camp

2009-05-12T12:57:00.001-07:00

Nights at camp...Besides the sounds of crickets and bullfrogs nights at CK-Minisink are filled with good times!! On Monday and Wednesday nights, we have what we call "Clubs". What that means is if there is an activity that you really like for example drama, then that is your time to sign up for it since you will be doing it for 2 nights. If you are into sports and we have an intercamp game coming up that you would like to participate in, then you would sign up for that sport during clubs. Each club period runs for 1 hour and 30 mins. On Tuesday night we have our "Village Night". A village night is planned and run by the Village Coordinator, the person who is in charge of the village. It might be something like a night swim, scavenger hunt, fashion show or obstacle course. These nights are super fun! On Thursday night we have our "All Camp Night". At the end of weeks 2, 4, 6 and 8 we have our camp dance. On the other Thursday nights we have activities such as campfires, a camp carnival and dance and/or drama performance. Then on Friday night our campers are home with their families telling everyone about their awesome week at camp!

Phone Calls...During the week our campers can call home up to 2 times during the week, M/W or T/TH. The calling nights will be selected for each bunk group and you will be notified of what they are before camp begins. Phone calls happen once we are back in villages after our evening program, usually around 8:15. On dance nights, phone calls start a little later.

Canteen...Our canteen is open at night for our older campers. It's a great time to spend with friends! If you are a camper entering the 7th or 8th grade then you will be able to go to our Canteen on Tuesday nights from 8:15pm - 9:30pm. If you are a camper entering the 9th or 10th grade then you will be able to go to our Canteen on Monday and Wednesday nights from 8:15pm - 10:00pm.

That is a quick rundown of our nights at camp. Nights at camp are special, especially when they are lit by a starry summer night's sky...
Tricia

Hello from "Minisinkland"

2009-04-14T09:32:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!!

Sorry it has been some time since our last posting. We have just been busy in the office making prepartions for this upcoming summer. I can't believe that it is already the middle of April! Before we know it we are going to be standing on the volleyball field anxiously awaiting the arrival of the camp buses!

So, what have we been up to this past month? Well, we attended the Tri-State Camping conference in Atlantic City. It's a huge conference where camp professionals have the opportunity to attend sessions, mingle with other camp professionals and purchase some great items for camp. It's great for me to go and just think about camp! I also attended a conference a couple of weeks ago. This conference was with Michael Thompson, a psychologist and author. That day took me from NYC to White Plains. Both sessions I attended were interesting and informative. I have also been working very closely with CK-CT on planning our Weekend Adventures!! We have some awesome WEAs planned this year. For those of you that are not familiar with WEA, it is an optional program for campers entering 7th - 10th grade. This program is for independent campers that are OK with the idea of not going home for the weekends. We run 3 programs over the course of the summer. Information on the 2009 trips will be going out very soon! So if you are a 7th -10th grader watch your mail for the list of trips.

Well, I better get back to work. I have some more exciting stuff to plan for this summer. I will keep you posted. Please remember that if you have any friends or family interested in CK-Minisink we will be giving tours throughout the spring. Check out our website to see upcoming tour dates. Happy Spring!
Tricia

Update from the CKM office

2009-03-16T08:29:00.000-07:00

March 16, 2009
Spring is just a few days away!!
It is warming up! The snow and ice has melted at camp, so it is much easier to give tours, and future campers and their parents are able to better imagine what camp looks like in the summer.
Our latest issue of The Minsink Herald has been mailed and is also available online… just send us an email if you want the password. Our “parent packets” have also been mailed, and the forms are also available on our website.
We are heading to the Tri-State Camp Conference… the largest educational conference in the world for those in the camp industry. It is always great to have the opportunity to learn new things… whether it relates to program, staffing, child development and/or technology. While it seems crazy to take time in March away from staff hiring and from talking with families interested in camp… it is a great benefit to be in a learning environment with approximately 3000 other camp professionals.
We will report back early next week!
Jani and Tricia

The Adventure Program and Aquatics Program at CK Minisink!

2009-02-23T09:39:00.000-08:00

We are happy to announce that Steve (Steve-O) Von Glahn is returning to CKMinisink this summer to oversee the Adventure Program. This is Steve-O’s sixth summer with us, having been a bunk counselor, Village Coordinator and Adventure Program Coodinator. Steve-O oversees a staff of 20 ropes course instructors who staff the ropes course, climbing wall and aqua zip. His leadership and enthusiasm make these activities among the most popular with campers!
Some campers are ready to experience the ropes course as soon as they get to camp, and others like to watch the activity for a few days… to really see what the experience is… and, then they want to give it a try. Then, their comment is…. I did it!!

We are also pleased to announce the return of our Lake Coordinator, Melissa Lefkowitz. This will be Melissa’s eighth summer at CKMinisink…. she was a camper, staff assistant, counselor, assistant Lake Coordinator and Lake Coordinator. Melissa oversees up to 25 lifeguards, all swim instruction and recreational swim and “the blob”. In addition to overseeing the swimming aspect of our lake, she also works closley with the Small Crafts Coordinator . Melissa teaches an ARC lifeguarding course, and several first aid and CPR courses. She loves to teach campers to swim and sees this as an important life skill.
It is fun to hear Melissa share stories about camper accomplishments at the lake… whether it is a camper’s first time putting their face in the water or the success in learning the breast stroke.

Jani

What do you during the year?

2009-02-12T12:25:00.001-08:00

What do you do during the year? I get that question all the time. Most people have no idea what it takes to get a camp ready for operation. There is so much to do!! From enrolling campers, to hiring staff, to doing cabin assignments, etc. Here's a brief glimpse into some of the things we do during the year...

Camp Fairs. Campus Kids attends camp fairs in CT, NY and NJ. Most of the camp fairs we attend are sponsered by ACA, PTAs and Referral Services. At camp fairs we have the chance to meet potential camp families, to briefly talk to them about our camp and answer any questions they may have. It's also a time that we get to meet other camp directors or catch up with old friends from other camps. P.S. some of the camp fairs have the best bagels I have ever had!!! Yum-O!!!

Tours. We offer tours throughout the year to new and prospective camp families. It's such a great time for a family to come up to camp and just look around. At this time of the year it is kind of hard to imagine camp since it's covered in snow. However, once we start talking about camp and all of the great activities I think anyone would be psyched for camp snow or no snow!!!

Interviews. Throughout the year we conduct interviews with potential counselors, supervisors and staff assistants. It's actually a lot of fun. Most of our interviews are conducted over the phone. We talk about everything from school, to experience working with kids, to their favorite book. If we have found the right person for CK, the phone call is AWESOME!

I love talking about our camp, campers, activities, etc. Whether I am at a camp fair, doing a tour or conducting an interview. I get to think and talk about camp 12 months out of the year ...who has a better job than I do during the year???

And I get to blog...
Tricia

Guess who is coming back...

2009-02-02T10:36:00.000-08:00

We would like to welcome Ashley back to camp this summer! She will be coming back to camp as our Program Coordinator. She will also be working with our staff assistants. During the year, Ashley helps give tours of CK-Minisink to prospective camp families. This will be her 14th summer at camp. She started as a camper, then became a staff assistant, counselor and then a supervisor. Yay! Welcome back!! Be sure to read future blog entries to find out who else will be returning to camp.

Nature Blog

2009-01-27T09:19:00.000-08:00

January 27, 2009
The nature program at CKMinisink is a favorite for many campers, and one reason why is that there are 500 acres to explore! The nature program offers many different types of activities…. learning to build a one match fire, shelter building, bird watching, becoming aware of the plants and animals who have made CKM their home, hiking, outdoor cooking, sleeping out under the stars…
In addition, with increased attention on “the greening of CKMinisink”, campers help the entire camp community become responsible for conservation… I’m sure you are now very aware of the phrase “reduce, re-use, recycle”! We have even spent time developing simple solar ovens for baking AND we will continue to develop this program.
This popular outdoor program continues to evolve under the leadership of Kaley Odland, who is returning to camp for his seventh summer on our staff!
As with all of our program activities, campers choose the nature activities that they want to participate in.
Are there activities that you would like us to add to our nature program? Kaley is always open to suggestions! Just click here to send us your ideas.
Enjoy your day!
Jani

Hello There!

2009-01-14T09:54:00.000-08:00

Hey There! I hope that everyone is having a great 2009 so far!!! We just had, what I like to call birthdaypalooza in our house! Liam turned 1 on Jan. 10th and Sophie turned 3 on Jan. 12th. We had a fun time celebrating both birthdays!! And then next week is our dog, Jack's birthday!! My husband and I joke that if you want to live in our house the only requirement is that you have a January birthday! hahaha.
So, now that we are into 2009 we are in full swing with tours and camp fairs! Camp fairs are really neat. When we go to a fair we get to meet staff from other camps and then we get a chance to talk about camp to families that are trying to find a camp for their child. If you know of anyone that is interested in CK and would like to meet us at a camp fair, the dates and locations are listed on our website. Or if they would prefer a tour, our dates are listed on our website as well. We would love to show them around!
I wish you all a happy and safe 2009 filled with good times, great accomplishments and laughter!!! Until next time- Tricia

Happy Holidays

2008-12-23T08:52:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone! I can't believe the holidays are upon us. Before we know it, it's going to be 2009!!Wow...2008 went by so fast, I hope that it was a great year for you! It was really one of my favorite summers at camp. As I drove out of camp on August 16th, I couldn't help but cry. What an amazing summer! The staff was fabulous, the campers were outstanding and we had some amazing camp shows, programs, events, etc. Thank you! I want to wish everyone a very happy holidays and a happy and healthy 2009! Tricia

Reunion

2008-12-02T12:47:00.001-08:00

Hey 2008 Campers and Staff! I am so excited for our camp reunion this weekend! We have been busy in our office getting ready for the big event. Sportime better get ready for an awesome CK party. This is always a great time to get together with your camp friends. It feels like it has been forever since we were at camp, but I know once you see all of your camp friends it will feel like you were together just yesterday. If for some reason you have not RSVP'd please be sure to call our office ASAP (888-621-2267). I look forward to seeing everyone on Saturday! Just a reminder... if you have any friends or family members that are interested in camp we do tours throughout the year. They can contact our office or check the website for upcoming tour dates. Happy Holidays! Tricia

Blogging and Camp in the Fall

2008-10-27T11:41:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone! It's Tricia and I am blogging! I should call my dad and tell him that I am blogging...hahaha I think I would both scare and confuse him. I could just hear him, "Oh Tricia, what have you done now??!!" It's a good thing that you all understand blogging. This is one of the new cool things that we have decided to add to our website. Jani and I are going to be updating our CKM blog about 2 times a month. We are going to be writing about what's happening in our office, what's going on at camp and anything else that we think you might want to know about(My children, Sophie and Liam...hahaha). Be sure to check back to read future posts.
So, camp in the fall makes me long for camp in the summer! Ashley and I have been up to camp a few times so far to do tours for prospective camp families. While it is SO beautiful up there right now it is way too quiet and empty for me. As I walk around camp and show families things like the assembly area and the pavilion or the big gym, I can actually envision the activities happening or hear the laughter and conversations that everyone has. I feel like putting my foot down and saying I want camp right now! Hahaha, it didn't work when I was a kid and I guess it isn't going to work now. I suppose I will just have to maturely wait and prepare for our upcoming summer.
In addition to preparing for next summer, we are also preparing for our camp reunion. I always look forward to the camp reunion!!! It's just such a great time to catch up with everyone and for me it's a time that I can have a great laugh! Invitations will be going out very shortly, so keep an eye on your mail...well keep your eye on your mail next week. Haha...it wouldn't be fun if you did it this week since I haven't sent them out yet. I look forward to future posts and as always we look forward to any camp feedback you have. And on behalf of Sophie and Liam, I send you a big HELLO and a Hug!