All posts by Douglas Pierce
We’ve Kicked Off Our 100th Summer!
Yesterday, we kicked off our 100th summer at Pierce Country Day Camp! We had a blast!!! Check out this quick video clip showing some of the FUN we had here at camp… you can feel the spirit, it was everywhere. It’s going to be an amazing summer!
Equal Distribution of Self Esteem
“Young people need models, not critics” and “People are in greater need of our praise when they try and fail, than when they try and succeed” are quotes from John Wooden and Mr. Unknown. These quotes are right in line with how we teach our new and returning staff each summer.
We are well aware that our grounds and overall facility are in great shape and very inviting to our campers. Our collective focus however is to afford the opportunity for children to feel great about themselves. Safety and self-esteem are major themes in our orientations as we drive home our talking points and steer specialists and counselors toward these goals. We tend to be redundant with our important details as we teach Counselors how their awesome contribution to Pierce as role models for the campers who look up to them makes them the most important staff at Pierce.
We demand equality for all youngsters at Pierce to feel great about their accomplishments. We know that our greatest mission is to teach our children that success is measured by trying your hardest and personal growth.
The Value of Camp – Now more important than ever!
Summer camp…a time tested American tradition is very possibly more important today than ever before!
There exists today a great deal of data on the value of play in child development. Kids need exercise; they need opportunities to be creative and unstructured time to play with peers.
Recent studies state that kids today spend about 60 hours per week looking at screens! A shocking number! Smart phones, ipads, TV’s, computers, tablets, iwatches, xboxes and more…
At Pierce, we have developed a program to teach and integrate 21st Century Skills into our daily programming here at camp. It is our strong opinion that pushing the core competency skills within the 21st Century Skills movement will benefit both our campers and staff.
At Pierce, we UNPLUG, greatly reducing the amount of technology consumption.
In an unpluggegd environment, camp helps children develop emotional self control, allowing them to find connections within themselves, a vital part of growing up. Camp also provides a unique environment for kids to learn how to share, co-create and collaborate with one another, developing friendship skills along the way. We will be working on and encouraging our campers on a list of skills…Kindness and Respect, Responsibility, Creativity, Leadership, Cooperation, Communication, Flexibility, Adaptability, Self control, and Teamwork.
Here at Pierce, we view ourselves as Child Development Professionals.
We will all enjoy watching the progress and personal growth our kids make this summer on our fields, in our pools and at our program areas.
Camp is the place where this can and will happen.
PIERCE…We Teach Success!
Our program grows as your child grows. Here is what you can look forward to this summer…
At Pierce, our campers can look forward to NEW and exciting programming from year to year as they “climb the ladder” with us. We want to share with you some of the big differences in our camp-wide program as our campers move up from our five-year-old groups and enter our six-year-old curriculum.
- At the age of 6, the boys groups have an all male staff: General Counselors and Group Leaders.
- Our 6’s move up to our beautiful Intermediate Pool with double chute water slides.
- League Play – Our athletic program makes a significant jump forward with more intramural play!
- Bowling – Once every 10 days, our 6’s will enjoy a short field trip for bowling…They love it!
- Archery – A camp favorite is now enjoyed by all of our 6’s!
- Sky-Fly – Our zip lines over our pond are scheduled and enjoyed…
- Cranium Club (S.T.E.M) – Air conditioned and very creative, our new STEM program has become hugely popular. Another creative offering this year is called CLUB TUNES!
Bungee – Enjoyed by all… Now scheduled weekly for 6’s!- Tennis and Volleyball – These sports now becomes part of their weekly schedules
- The 6’s Pow Wow is now at night! Complete with our famous Jump Through the Hoop of Fire!
Camp: The Old Neighborhood for a New Generation
Spring is in the air and we are looking ahead at our 99th summer here at Pierce Country Day Camp! I came across this terrific article in Camping Magazine which discusses the values of camp and the teachings of 21st Century Skills, which we promote here at Pierce.
Check out the article here!
Happenings at Pierce
Greetings from Camp!
We are very pleased to announce,
Doug Pierce will be receiving the prestigious “Legends of Camping” award from American Camp Association.
Doug will be inducted into the elite group of Legends of Camping at the Conrad Hotel in New York City at the upcoming annual SCOPE dinner in April. SCOPE – Summer Camp Opportunities Promote Education is an independent, non-profit organization committed to providing camp and college scholarships to low-income, inner-city children. To date, SCOPE has provided over 25,000 scholarships since its inception in 1991. Doug, a co-founder of SCOPE, currently serves on its board of directors. The evening will also be a proud celebration of SCOPE’s 25th Anniversary. The Legends Award is among the highest honors the American Camp Association awards to members who personify commitment and passion for camp and community. “I am very proud to be inducted into the Legends of Camping,” states Doug. “I am deeply honored to join such an outstanding group, and to have been nominated by my professional peers.”
Courtney Pierce assumes the role of President of LICAPS – Long Island Camps and Private Schools.
Courtney Pierce, a Director at Pierce Country Day Camp, has been elected President of The Long Island Association of Private Schools and Day Camps (LICAPS). LICAPS, founded some 60 years ago, is a professional association of the premier private summer day camps on Long Island. Approximately 25 camps from both Nassau and Suffolk Counties are currently members. Courtney is the fifth Pierce family member to be elected President of LICAPS following her grandfather who was a founding member, her father Doug and her uncles Greg and Forrester. LICAPS is dedicated to Health, Education and Recreation, while promoting best practices in the field.
Courtney, working alongside her cousin Will, is currently a Director at Pierce Country Day Camp. Courtney and Will represent fourth generation Pierce family members at the helm as Pierce approaches its 99th summer season in 2016!
What’s New in 2016!?
Hello from Camp!
We have been having a blast putting the finishing touches on what surely will be a summer to remember. We have always re-invested in our operation at very high levels to ensure that the summer experience offered at Pierce is second to none. Take a look at some of the new things you will find this year at camp; we think that you are really going to like it here! Continue reading
