Praise For Camp Counselors

And Swim Instructors

To the Editor:

I would like to take this opportunity to compliment the Treadwell Park and Recreation camp and swim instructors. My children have had the opportunity to take all of the swim sessions throughout the summer and have benefited greatly from it. My oldest daughter has also had the opportunity to take the water safety course and become a swim instructors aid.

We as residents of Newtown are extremely lucky that we have these programs. We would not be able to have all of this if we did not have many teenagers and young adults that teach and run these programs. I watch the camp at Treadwell every day run smoothly and safely with all the campers having fun and being challenged in some way. The children are laughing and socializing and learning while always being kept safe. The instructors play tag and four square and do arts and crafts with the campers. The camps run timely and smoothly throughout the day. Many of these instructors are college students wanting to become teachers, some of the counselors are high school students giving of their summer from 9 am to sometimes 6 pm to help children of Newtown and their parents have a fun and safe summer. There are even the CIT (counselors in training) that spend the whole day playing and talking and doing creative activities with the children at the camp without being paid because they are in training all summer long.

All of these teenagers and young adults deserve our praise. Unfortunately I see parents, all too often, that feel the need to complain and only say negative things to these fine instructors. So to all of you that work at Treadwell pool and camp I personally say “thank you.” I respect and appreciate the job you are all doing and my children have had a wonderful summer with the help of all of you.

The second part of this letter is in response to the letter written last week about “ritual hazing.” I was one of the mentioned parents who supposedly sat there and watched it happen without doing anything about it. First of all, the story that was told to The Bee, worthy of first page publicity, then the letter written by the parent seemed a bit hysterical and did not represent the situation. Much of what was said did not happen the way the parent said it did and had The Bee checked out the situation further without printing that article prior, the public would have gotten a more accurate account.

There was not a large group involved in this incident nor were there crying children or counselors in tears. The children were always watched and taken care of and most of the group did not even see the situation happen. It is not my intention to get involved in an argument but to bring attention to parents and new families to Newtown that this is not what usually goes on in our camps. I am up there every day due to swim lessons and I watch for almost three hours every day as my two young children play happily with the other supervised children.

We as parents have a responsibility to be role models too. We are the adults and we should handle situations calmly and respectfully. I did see the director and a counselor talk to this outraged parent and that is where it should have ended. It was a mistake, no one got hurt, it won’t happen again. End of story. It was said in the article that she worried about the impression it played on her children. What about the impression she had on all of these fine young directors, counselors and CIT trying to give her children and the children of Newtown a fun and happy summer experience.

There is a saying that goes, you do not realize what you have until you lose it. Let’s not let that happen. Next time you are at Treadwell or Dickinson Park, why not stop a counselor or swim instructor and give a compliment. Let’s show them that’s how parents should act and that we are happy they are there. It will make them feel good and perhaps you’ll feel good too.

Thank you,

Donna Djonne

1 River Edge Drive, Sandy Hook                                August 3, 2004