Meet Rebecka, our Sr Counselor for the Fine Arts program! Rebecka is bringing a wealth of experience to her position, including work as a youth advisor and counselor, and many years working as a nanny.  She is an experienced actresss, having performed in several entries in the Sears Drama Festival during her high school years. Rebecka enjoys all sorts of crafts and is eager to try out some new techniques this summer. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Child and Youth Care.

Courtenay comes to Maple Key with previous camp experience at Grippen Lake Camp and Camp Iawha. She has her Bachelor of Education, and since September she has been working as an occasional teacher. Courtenay will be our Sr. Counselor with the Sprouts group, and enjoys sports and crafts. She is very excited to teach everyone how to make “armpit fudge”! Welcome Courtenay!

I have just finished a full week of interviewing potential staff members for summer 2009. Wow! Our campers certainly are going to be in excellent hands. I am so very impressed by the number of energetic, caring people who are competing for the honour of spending the day with your kids.

With all these wonderful applicants, you might wonder how we decide who our counselors will be. It’s not an easy decision, but here are just a few of the characteristics we look for in the perfect counselor:

• lots of experience and/or training working with children
• a special insight into the thoughts, feelings, and behavior of children
• skills and experience in at least one activity area (and usually more than one!)
• a fun personality
• excellent character values
• a LOT of energy!

We will be posting bios of our new staff within the next week or so. I can’t wait to start working with these great people!

How Do You Grow A Happy Camper?

For many of our campers, Maple Key is their first summer camp experience. It is very important to us that the young boys and girls who come to us for the first time are made to feel welcome, comfortable, and safe.

Here are some of the ways that we help our campers to adjust to the camp setting:

• We offer a camp open house prior to the first week of camp so that parents and campers can come and meet the counselors and try out some of our activities
• We build get-to-know-you time into the schedule on the first day of each session
• We use the information you provide to prepare counselors for each camper’s unique needs
• We use cooperative games to help facilitate new friendships in the group
• We follow a very detailed schedule that quickly establishes familiar routines

Here are some suggestions for ways that parents can help prepare their kids for camp:

• Let your camper know ahead of time that you will not be staying at camp after drop off (we have found that campers take longer to adjust if parents “stay to watch”) Don’t worry – we will always call if there is a problem!
• Read through the information in your camper’s package together
• Call us if you have questions about the program
• Post the calendar on your fridge, and point out some of the activities to look forward to
• Get your camper to help pack their bag for their first day

Returning staff are what make camp awesome! Sadie was an LIT last year and impressed everyone with her energy, creativity, and her crazy ability to remember all the campers’ family cars! She will be returning this year to work with the Sprouts group, and I know that her campers are going to love her. Her sense of fun and caring, gentle attitude is perfect for kids who are nervous about their first time at camp. Welcome back, Sadie!

We are very happy to announce that Mari will be coming back to camp! Mari will be returning as a senior counselor for the sports majors group. For those of you that don’t know Mari, she is a therapeutic recreation major at Waterloo University, a lifeguard, and the eldest of 7 children! She is full of energy and lots of fun. Welcome back, Mari!

Dear Campers, Parents & Staff:

I am so excited about summer 2009. We have so many wonderful new ideas and improvements.

For the first time in Perth, campers aged 8 – 12 will be able to choose their own major. Brothers and sisters with different interests can come to the same camp, and still enjoy activities that are appealing to them.

For our younger campers, we have added more variety and shortened the activity periods to suit their shorter attention spans.

Finally, our new location on Wayside Drive offers us better indoor facilities, plus more reliablility for consistency of our program.

Registration is now open! Call us now to reserve your space. (613) 464-2568.

Kristen