Welcome Back CKCP Families!
Hello Candlewood Knolls families, and welcome back to another summer on the lake! It is an honor to join the Knolls community, and I am looking forward to a fun-filled summer getting to know the counselors, campers and families. Thank you all for the warm welcome and show of support that you have shown me thus far.
I want to start by saying A HUGE thanks to some of our counselors from last year, who sadly will not be coming back this year- they are moving onto bigger and better things in life, and we wish them luck in their future endeavors! Thank you to Jayson Carpenter, Erin Stroh, Joe Korniewicz, Joey McCabe, Juliette Murer, and Xander Bradley. This year we are eager to welcome a wonderful staff to take us through the summer! Our counselors will be; Molly Moriarty, Will Keenan, Cooper Piesco, Emma Vanderhoef, Brody Mackey, Kaley McCabe, Miles Sholtz, Kayla Hayden, Nate O’Brien, Caden Piesco, Luke Sandvik, Vivienne Bournos, Evelyn Zegley, Kate Chung and Gordon Bournos. We are also welcoming our CITs; Elizabeth Gosling, John Thomas, Grace Thomas, Sejal Mackey, Marissa Hennighan, Caroline Joyce, Colby Piesco, and Brandon Canko. I want to thank our counselors and CITs in advance for helping us make this a fun and memorable summer!
You can find all events and activities on the calendar, but this letter should outline everything that you need to know for the upcoming summer. You will see that we have some of the traditional activities, as well as some newer ones added to the calendar. I will continue the tradition of ending the week with a “CKCP Newsletter” that will highlight the previous week, as well as an update of the what-to-expect for the following week. Until then, here is some information you need to know:
- Cell Phone Policy - We are continuing with our No Cell Phones policy this year. Please leave them at home. I will have a phone on me, in case of an emergency or to take pics of the campers throughout the day.
- Field Trips - This year our big bus trip will be Lake Compounce! All campers 5+ are welcome to come to Lake Compounce, as well as families that would like to meet us there. Other trips, in which we will be asking for volunteer drivers will be Splashdown (ages 5-12), The Cave (ages 5+), and Kent Falls (ages 12+). Some trips require a fee. All of the information will be provided in advance.
- Volunteers - To make all of the magic work, we are hoping to get some parent volunteers to help out, and we would be forever grateful. I will keep a list of volunteers to assist in some of the driving, cooking, shopping, and running around throughout the Summer. I will send out sign ups through sign up genius to sign up for different volunteer opportunities ahead of time. Some volunteer opportunities to look out for include, but are not limited to: Grill master- June 28 (1-2 volunteers), drivers for Kent Falls Picnic- July 17, drivers for The Cave- July 24 (1-4PM). Thank you in advance!
- Camp Shirts - Shirts will be ordered during the first week, once all of the registrations have been received and completed.
- Calendar - Here’s the link to access the calendar - CKCP Calendar 2024. It can also be found on the website.
- General Maintenance - Please make sure that camper names/tags are on EVERYTHING! We will keep a lost and found in the clubhouse, but we are not responsible for any lost items. Don’t forget to apply sunscreen and have campers bring their own water bottles. There will be a refill station, as needed. If your child’s group will require sneakers, then I will notify by email the specifics (usually for sports instruction clinics/ trips).
- Lunch Bunch - If a camper is in need of Lunch Bunch, the price is $10 and would greatly appreciate you letting us know in advance (at least one day prior). Please email me, so I can arrange a counselor to be with the camper. Last minute requests may not be able to be accommodated. If your child will partake in Lunch Bunch, please send in a lunch (we have a fridge, if needed) and $10. If you are going to require Lunch Bunch on a consistent basis, I recommend reaching out to a counselor and making any arrangements with them, as it might be easier.
- Ice Cream Night - Ice Cream Night will start the first Thursday of camp (6/27) and a huge thanks to Sally Joyce for organizing this weekly event! 7:00pm, every Thursday (except for July 4th, and the campout). Sally is in need of scoopers for each Thursday. Put together a crew and consider signing up!
- Theme Days - We will have a Theme Day every Tuesday. Please check the calendar weekly, and come dressed to impress!
- Olympic Week - In honor of the Paris Olympics, we are going to have an Olympic week at camp! The entire camp will be split up into different countries, and compete in various ‘sporting events’, for points for their team. Countries will be chosen at random by the counselors. Throughout the week, teams will earn points for athletics competitions, sportsmanship, and team spirit!
- Inclement Weather - We still have camp in the rain, but if the weather is actually bad enough, we will use the indoors for CKCP. Usually, the younger campers are downstairs, while the older campers are upstairs. Board games are always invited and our new cell phone policy still remains the same. If I know ahead of time that there might be a “washout”, then I will update everyone as I might organize a last minute trip to the movies, indoor mini golf, etc.
- Changes/ Updates - If there are any changes or updates to our calendar/ activities throughout the week, I will let you know ahead of time via email. As this is my first season with you, I am sure I will be continuing to learn along the way! I know many of our activities and trips are dependent on weather, so please remain flexible and understanding of inevitable changes.
- Safety/ Behavioral Expectations - It is our job to keep our campers happy and safe. If your child has an allergy/ injury, please make sure I am made aware. Campers are expected to treat each other with respect. Our goal this summer is to embrace the Olympic values, which include striving for excellence and encouraging people to be the best they can, demonstrating respect toward yourself, the rules, your opponents and the environment, and celebrating friendship!
Please let me know if you have any questions along the way- my email is
Please swing by the first weeks of camp to say hi, and introduce yourself. I am going to do my best to remember names and faces!
Thank you, and LET’S HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!!!!!
- Emily
