As staff week draws to a close, we come to reflect on the friendships we have formed already and the training we have undergone. Each individual person has now come together for the first time to form the Camp Coleman Staff of 2019!
The purpose of staff week is to prepare for the arrival of the campers, and we have been successful. Among all of the preparation, we walked together, all dressed in white, to the beautiful sounds of our song leaders. Our first Shabbat of the summer was incredible! People from all over the world got together to celebrate, reflecting on their first impressions of Coleman.
After a day full day of training and procedures, we had a blast at Mini Maccabiah, our color war. Staff split into two different colored teams to compete in physical, creative and intellectual activities over the course of three hours! Some of our staff did not know what it was or what to expect from Maccabiah, but they are now experts on all things MAC and are looking forward to experiencing the three incredible fun-filled days with our campers! While getting everything set for our first session campers to arrive, our staff bonded over their first super sloppy night.
Our diverse staff are learning new skills and building on the old, while they are learning to work together as one cohesive team. We have been enduring the necessary training, but we do find time to have fun! To get the camp spirit rolling, we taught the dances, movements and songs that are embed throughout camp life. This includes HaMotzi and Birkat HaMazon, the blessings we say before and after each meal. The feeling of ruach (spirit) in the room when singing both these prayers is immersive. Our staff have begun to pick up on the nuances that enhance the feeling of cohesion during moments like these!
Later on, in the week, all counselors and specialists were assigned to their units for first session! Excitement echoed through all staff while they scattered, preparing the bunks for opening day. Today, we worked in the Minsky creating posters and colored decorations to make our campers feel at home as soon as they step foot into their bunk for the session.
Staff week has been an amazing experience for all staff. Not only has it been challenging, but friendships have been formed that will likely last a lifetime. We are all so excited for the campers to get here in less than 24 hours.
Let first session commence! Get ready to create a summer of a lifetime!