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Safari, chemistry part of Comm Camp 2009

Mauri Rapp Abington Journal Correspondent

WAVERLY - Waverly Community House Director Maria Wilson isn’t sure when the first Comm Camp began, but the annual day camp has become a summer staple for children in the Abingtons. “It’s been running for a long time,” said Wilson. “Maybe 40, 50 years?” This year will be the fourth year that Waverly Community House has partnered with NEPA Area Health Education Center to bring the camp to the Comm.

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Camp Counselor, Hannah Gregory of Waverly, interacts with the children in 2008.

Abington Journal File Photos/Jim Gavenus

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Sam MacGregor, 10 years old of Waverly, starts off the Relay Race for the Blue Team at the 2008 Comm Camp.

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The camp runs for six weeks during the summer, and each week’s activities center around a different theme. Children are grouped by age into four different levels: Level 1 is for children in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, Level 2 is for children entering first or second grade, Level 3 is for children entering grades third through fourth, and Level 4 is for children in grades 5 through 7. Wilson said that the Comm typically experiences an attendance of approximately 70 to 100 children, with that number growing each year. “Our camp is something that children in the area look forward to every year,” said Wilson. “And our attendance is a testament to the camp’s reputation.”

Comm Camp has plenty of help to make sure that the summer runs smoothly. The camp keeps a staff-to-camper ratio of one counselor for every eight campers; the maximum group size is 28 children. Comm Camp’s staff consists of college-age head counselors and high school students who act as assistant counselors, for a total of 22 staff members. This staff is headed by Comm Camp Director Morganne Gwynn, a recent graduate of Ithaca College who has been a staff member at Comm Camp for five years. Gwynn said that Comm Camp has become a family affair: two of her cousins are counselors as well, and her brother, David, a student at Muhlenberg College, will support her as Assistant Director. To prepare for the camp, counselors attend a day-long training session that teaches leadership skills, as well as how to write a lesson plan for each day’s activities. Gwynn said that this year’s turnout has resulted in a large number of counselors who are currently in college, many of whom are education majors. “This is a great experience for the counselors who are going to be teachers,” she said, “plus, many of these counselors already have a lot of experience babysitting or have experience with children because they have younger brothers and sisters.” In fact, Gwynn said this was the first year that the applicant pool was so large that interviews had to be held to select each counselor. Comm Camp will also have special guests to help counselors with activities. This year, those guests include regional children’s musician Duncan Perry and “Hiking Jane” Frye.

A typical day at Comm Camp runs something like this: the day begins at 9 a.m. with a gathering time for each age group. At 9:30, each age group engages in age-appropriate activities involving that week’s themes. This year’s Comm Camp themes include “All American Week,” “Wild Safari Week,” “All Star Week,” “Comm-istry Week,” “Cirque de Comm and Carnival Week,” and “Lights, Comm-era, Action Week.” Comm Camp also has a special counselor-in-training program for students in grades 8 through 10. An Art Camp is slated for the week following the conclusion of the regular summer camp season and will feature NEIU-rostered artist and instructor Barry Singer. Comm Camp will also have several new programs this summer, including Art and Theatre Camp sessions for special needs children. Also this summer, campers in levels 3 and 4 will be invited to participate in a field trip to a Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees game at PNC Field in Moosic on Friday, July 30 at 1 p.m. Sign-ups for the field trip will be held during Comm Camp.

Registration is required for each child attending Comm Camp; parents can register in advance or register on the first day of camp. Phone registrations will not be accepted. Gwynn suggested that parents register as soon as possible because levels are filling up quickly; Level 1 for Week 2 has already reached the maximum number of campers.

For more information about Waverly Community House’s Comm Camp or to register for the camp, visit www.waverlycomm.org.