How do you bring camp into your day-to-day?

The road path is at its peak foliage and local farms are buzzing with weekend apple picking trips and hay rides. As we fully settle into our home lives and routines, we asked leadership staff and DLs to do some reflecting. The prompt? One sentence on how you bring camp to your day-to-day. The responses represent a true camp range - from the silly to the sentimental - demonstrating how even small daily actions can connect us to our best camp selves.

A response we all can relate to…

“Whenever I hear a song that was in one of my sings, I start singing the lyrics to myself!”

Julia Metzendorf, Jinter DL

Honing in on community connection

Lexi Schwartz (camp role: division leader, real-world role: college sophomore)
I bring camp into my day to day through friendship and sisterhood, growing and strengthening bonds with sorority sisters just as I did growing up with my division.

Jane Rosenfeld (camp role: assistant head counselor, real-world role: fourth-grade teacher)
I strive to get my students all “rowing in the same direction” so to speak.

Sophie Rosen (camp role: division leader, real-world role: college junior)
I always set time aside to hang out with friends with no distractions like school work or technology, just like I'd be doing at camp. This helps me decompress from my day and gives me the closest feeling I can get to camp while not actually being there!

Ben Klein (camp role: mental health specialist, real-world role: school psychologist)
 It makes the world and your community a better place when you make eye contact with people, smile, and say hello to people.

David Fleischner
I am always on the lookout for people doing little things in their day-to-day lives that make a positive difference.

Continuing small daily camp routines and rituals

Nile Cather (camp role: division leader, real-world role: college sophomore)
I wear one of my many white t-shirts almost every other day.

Katie Pargament (camp role: division leader, real-world role: graduate student)
My camp friends and I have an active group chat that we text in everyday…and I have Scatico stickers on so many of my belongings that I use every day.

Mark Gretenstein (camp role: head counselor, real-world role: 8th grade math teacher)
Instead of picking up trash as I pass it (that would be a lot in NYC), I pick up any stray pencil I walk by in school. I keep a collection of found pencils on my desk.

John Hickey (camp role: media counselor, real-world role: film director and IT)
The moment I come home from work, I climb into shorts and a white t-shirt!

Audrey Fleischner
I go for a walk outside every day - even when it is raining! Also, I end every meal with a bowl of grapes…thank you to Ricardo for establishing the perfect post-meal sweet snack!

Centering joy and “time to be a kid”

Kerri Winderman (camp role: head counselor, real-world role: school district math coach)
Camp reminds me that learning and fun are not mutually exclusive. As an instructional math coach, I try to make learning math joyful for teachers and students by incorporating games, movement, and challenges. Similarly to camp, one of my goals is for all children to remain engaged and curious.

Jamie Segal (camp role: head of girls performing arts and media, real-world role: second grade teacher)
Making ~time to be a kid~ by embracing the present moment with my students and finding ways to play, enjoy, and find downtime in a busy school day!

Will Bussert (camp role: head of outdoor adventure, real-world role: PE teacher)
Every day, I try to make school feel a bit more like camp for my students. Some of the activities I do started at camp and found their way to school—like land fishing, fire building, shelter building, and hikes with Will (my version of a Dave hike).

Nicki Fleischner
Stopping to marvel at unexpected nature / animals with my kids (different in NYC than Elizaville)!