We at Liberty Lake Day Camp understand how hard it can be to let go of your children when sending them off into the ‘great unknown’ of camp. Seriously, without a GPS device implanted in your kid, how do you really know what he or she is doing each Monday through Friday in the summer? We want to put your mind at ease with one simple word: communication.
The most obvious aspects of the fabulous experience at our camp are the program itself and the people who run it. Another important element of running a camp like ours is clear and timely communication with our campers’ parents and/or guardians. Liberty Lake maintains a middle-management team that just doesn’t exist at other day camps. Our Division Leaders are the not-so-secret ingredient at our camp, every day your child is with us.
Our 12 Division Leaders each oversee half of a camp division. They are supervised/mentored by and report directly to Liberty Lake’s owner, Andy Pritikin. Ultimately responsible for the campers in an age group, Division Leaders function as a liaison to you and all other families in their division.
What to Expect Before the Beginning of Camp. Your child’s Division Leader will call you before camp begins to introduce him or herself to you and address any initial concerns you may have regarding your child’s Liberty Lake experience. (No, not an e-mail, and most certainly NOT a text message—an actual phone call.) Within the first week of your child starting camp, the Division Leader will call again to let you know how things are going (so far). S/he will also ask for any insightful breadcrumbs your child willingly shares with you about camp. Yes, we realize you might have to pry such information from your tween or teen. Just be sure to use a padded crowbar…
New Kid Assimilation. One aspect of the camp experience we keep a watchful eye on is ‘new kid assimilation.’ We ensure success for our newbies by treating every Monday like the first day of camp and every Friday like the last day of camp. Andy meets with his team members weekly to remind them to provide extra TLC to the new kids and say goodbye to those campers who are leaving at week’s end. Additionally, we run an extended morning-assembly period each Monday so new campers can meet with their groups. This ensures they blast through their first-day jitters and return to you later that day, happy.
Calls Are Welcome! All summer long, you are welcome to call or e-mail our Division Leaders. We guarantee you will receive a response. Because we believe in ongoing communication with parents, sometimes we will reach out to you by phone. This shouldn’t alarm you – not all phone calls convey news about bee stings or sports injuries. Sometimes we just want you to know that your child was victorious in a competition, or that we caught him/her doing something incredibly kind for another camper or one of our team members!
Camp Safety. And now, a few words about camp safety: we unequivocally believe in, implement, and follow safety procedures during camp hours. Liberty Lake Day Camp has an emergency plan in place for that worst-case scenario (or act of God) brewing in your imagination. Further, Andy meets annually with professionals from the Burlington County Office of Emergency Management. As a team, they map out scenarios that test the camp’s readiness to handle safety-related issues. Andy would be happy to speak with you regarding any questions you have about Liberty Lake’s safety plans.
Your Concerns. As veterans of running and maintaining a large day camp, we’re mindful of your primary concerns: the hours, transportation, scheduling logistics and flexibility, compatibility with your work schedule, safety, and, naturally, the cost. Liberty Lake Day Camp provides an environment that allows all campers to be successful ON THEIR TERMS. And we take great pride in the fact that Liberty Lake attracts and maintains a diversified camp population, season after season.
Because every child is unique, unique needs can often be accommodated by our team, whether it involves medication, a food allergy, a physical or mental disability, or a young soul in need of compassion and friendship.
There’s a reason Liberty Lake has the reputation it does – we’ve been earning it since 2002. There is no other day camp like ours. (We’re not limiting ourselves to New Jersey, or even North America.) A summer spent at Liberty Lake is an investment in your child’s personal transition into a splendid, multidimensional, and compassionate human being!