Open Letter to Caregivers With Kids Transitioning From Camper To Staff
Hello,
I hope you and your families are well. I am reaching out to congratulate you. For years you have sent your camper to Stomping Ground and this summer they are on staff. Congrats because the kid you raised is powerful and I know they are ready to make a real impact this summer.
This is particularly meaningful to me because your campers are the first crew of kids to have grown up at Stomping Ground and are now going to work here. I have waited 7 years for this moment. The magic, support, empathy, compassion, creativity, curiosity and love that they remember from their favorite staff they can pay forward to kids that will look up at them with the same admiration and awe.
I remember transitioning from a camper to a staff member at 18. It was immensely meaningful. I would argue that the biggest impact that camp had on me was not as a camper but as a staff member. The community that staff create each summer is truly life changing.
This summer your kid will walk away with critical thinking skills, communication skills, conflict resolution skills and more. They will learn how to motivate themselves and others, to listen with intention, and how to be creative beyond measure.
But more meaningful than all of that they will have a community of friends that will have their back for the rest of their lives. Sounds dramatic but it is so true. The connection that staff form over the course of a summer stays strong well into adulthood. I am a perfect example of that. Many of the people that I started Camp Stomping Ground with were co counselors with me at a camp in upstate NY called Stella Maris. The bond we share has held weddings, funerals, babies, and the birth and growth of a brand new camp, your kids camp.
Here are a few things you should know about this summer that will be different from previous summers.
1.- Paperwork
Now it is their job to fill out the paperwork. They will fill out Staff contracts, job descriptions, w4’s and they will submit their vaccine cards. It is their job to work out the time off and to communicate with Camp leadership to make sure they are on time and ready to go for their job. There is no longer a need to fill out medical forms, pay your balance on time or pack their trunk for camp. Our directors are communicating directly with them to organize this… however you might have to remind them to check their emails. lol
2- Weekends/ Time off
Staff are given specific time off during each day and more time off on the weekends during the camp session. Every other weekend when there are no kids on site staff will have off completely. During this time we encourage them to travel home and get some family love if they are within driving distance, to do their laundry, and to take a nap. There is not a ton of time for yourself as a camp staff member. Just know they are trying to keep in touch but very busy. It is their responsibility to stay safe and to follow the camp rules on the weekend. We will make these rules clear during Staff orientation.
3- Staff Orientation
Hands down my favorite part of the summer. Staff O is a 10 day stretch where it is just staff onsite. No campers yet. Together we form the community that will carry the summer and create a magical and meaningful space for hundreds of kids. During this week and a half staff will get to know each other, get to know the job and learn more about themselves in the process. We have guest speakers, team building games, cooking competitions and building projects planned to make this Staff O the best one yet.
That’s it. Just wanted to give you my two cents on this summer and on the transition you and your kid have ahead of you. It is a big deal. They are a big deal. I am so proud of them.
Give yourself some time to transition too. Going from being a parent of a camper to a parent of a staff means your kid is growing up. I'm not a parent but that sounds hard. Actually I know it is hard because growing up is hard. But these kids, on staff this summer, are a special bunch.
With so much love,
Laura