Briarwood Bugle 2026 – Week 2

Check out our latest Briarwood Bugle! You can read it below or see it in glorious color and with photos here.

Briarwood Bugle 2026
Week 2

From Mike and Matt
We hold these truths to be self evident: that Briarwood is awesome . . . and that among this awesomeness are friends, laughter and the pursuit of gaga.

We had another great week! July 4th week barreled along – it got HOT! – and the kids had a great time swimming, playing, painting, Zoom Flooming, Nine Squaring, Drip Drip Drenching, participating in the Gaga Tournament, Fishing Derby, and everything else!

Can you believe that two weeks have already passed? Of course, we prefer to look at things as we’ve got 75% of Briar-amazingness left. Next week: Tie Dye Week, Wednesday Themeday is Crazy Hat Day, CIT trips and so very much more!

And if we can editorialize for a moment, we are very lucky to live in the land of the free and the home of the brave. Have a great weekend!

Notes from the Lifeguard Chair by Rob Resnick, Briarwood Pool Director Greetings from the pool staff! Camp is off to a great start and our campers are improving rapidly. Water safety is a major part of what we do at Briarwood and our lifeguards have more than 115 years experience teaching kids how to swim here (yes, seriously). We get a lot of questions about deep water testing for kids as well as some other items so we thought we’d write a quick note here.

• Lower pool deep water testing requires treading water for one minute, front crawl 15 yards, back crawl 15 yards, jump in and swim under water 15 yards.

• At the upper pool, due to the depth of the water, you must be Level 3 or higher to swim in the deep water.

• No snorkel goggles at free swim.

• We know some campers complain about instructional swim. Parents, please encourage your camper to keep trying. It’s an important life skill and we’ve been teaching it well for years!

MEET OUR BRIARWOOD STAFF!

ILANA SCHIEKEN is happy to be back at Briarwood for her 7th summer. She is the senior counselor for the Butterflies. She has 3 siblings who also attend camp; her awesome mom is here as well! During the offseason, she attends Penn State and cheers for the club team. Her favorite thing about Briarwood is seeing smiles on campers’ faces. She loves to eat mac ‘n cheese and watch the show New Girl.

ASHER LEVITT has been a part of the Briarwood family since he was 4 years old! He is a senior counselor for the Bears. He loves watching sports and hanging out with friends. He has a goal of visiting every MLB ballpark with his dad! His favorite food is steak and his favorite TV show is Suits. If he were an animal, he’d be a bear.

MOYIN ABIDOYE is on our sports staff and excited for her first year at camp! Moyin attends West Chester University, Go Rams! She is enjoying meeting new people and eating any kind of pasta. Way to go! Her favorite thing about Briarwood is the energy—everyone always has a smile on their face. She loves to watch Law and Order. If she could travel anywhere it would be to Amsterdam and Australia.

The Kindness Award: Celebrating Character in Upper Girls By Jeri Newman
At Briarwood Day Camp, fun, friendship, and adventure are around every corner, but for the Upper Girls division, there’s something even more meaningful that happens each week: the Kindness Award.

Each week, Upper Girls counselors take time to reflect on the moments that often go unnoticed like small gestures, thoughtful words, and helping hands that make the camp community stronger. From lending a hand during cleanup to including someone new at lunch or cheering on a friend during an activity, kindness is at the heart of everything we do.

To recognize these meaningful actions, each bunk’s counselor nominates one camper who consistently displayed kindness throughout the week. These nominations aren’t about being the loudest or most visible; they’re about campers who show genuine care and compassion to others in quiet, consistent ways.

From there, one overall division winner is honored with a special Kindness Award certificate. This camper stands out as a role model, not just for her bunk, but for the entire division. She reminds us all that character counts, and that the way we treat others matters deeply.

• Week 1 Winner – Reina K. (Robins)
• Week 2 Winner – Giuliana W. (Panthers)

SOME FRIENDLY BRIARWOOD REMINDERS:
• If you want to reach your camper’s counselor during the camp day, call the office at 215-598-7143 and we will gladly relay your message. Please do not TEXT or CALL your child’s counselor directly during the camp day. Our counselors are busy watching children and we have asked them not to check their phones during the day.
• Early and Late Care is available from 7:30 am—6:00 pm sharp. Please call the office if you will need this service.
• While it never rains at Briarwood, in the event of a passing shower, please send your camper with the appropriate rain gear should the forecast call for rain.
• Camp is for sneakers! Crocs, sandals and flip flops should only be worn to the pool
• Apply sunscreen daily prior to coming to camp.
• Please label all clothing and personal items. That said — and because we know kids — our Lost and Found is located by the Sports Center on Upper Field.
• Did you miss a Bugle? You can find all of this summer’s Bugles in the news section of our website.

PLEASE DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD TO CAMP IF HE/SHE IS NOT FEELING WELL.

Important Dates

• Week of July 6-Tie Dye Week
• Week of July 6-Upper Camp Tennis Tournament
• July 7th-Super CIT trip to Belmar Beach
• July 8th-Wednesday Themeday: Crazy Hat Day
• July 8th-2nd Year CIT trip to Hershey Park
• July 9th-1st Year CIT trip to bowling / laser tag
• Week of July 13-Tie Dye Week Part 2
• Week of July 13-CIT 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament
• July 14th-Lower Camp Bunk Show at 10:30 am
• July 15th-Upper Camp Bunk Show at 10:30 am
• July 15th-Wednesday Themeday: Disney/Marvel Day
• July 15th-Staff Night #1
• July 17th-Halloween in July
• Week of July 20-S’mores Week
• Week of July 20-Upper Camp 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament
• July 20th-Super CITs to Hershey Park
• July 21st-2nd Year CITs to Mini Golf
• July 22nd-Wednesday Themeday: Hawaiian Shirt Day
• July 22nd-Super CITs to tubing down the Delaware
• July 23rd-Make up Picture Day
• July 23rd-1st Year CITs to Mini Golf
• July 24th-Goofy Day
• July 27th-Super CITs to Citizens Bank Park
• July 28th-Busy Bee Show
• July 29th-Wednesday Themeday: Sports Jersey Day
• July 29th-CITs to Point Pleasant Beach
• July 29th-Gymnastics Show
• July 30th-Carnival
• August 3rd-Staff Night #2
• August 4th-Mystery Day
• August 5th-Wednesday Themeday: TBA
• August 10th-Briarwood Birthday Celebration
• August 11th-Tie Die Tuesday
• August 11th-Drama Show at 10:30 am
• August 12th-Wednesday Themeday-Briarwood Spirit Day
• August 12th-CIT Field Day
• August 12th-CIT Late Stay Picnic (PM)
• August 13th-Briarwood Marathon
• August 14th-Last day of camp – early dismissal at 2:30

EARLY DISMISSAL NOTE: Early dismissals after 2:45 pm can be very difficult because the “regular” car line begins filling. If you’d like to be sure that you can “get out” before 3:00 pm, please try to arrive before 2:45 pm. Thanks!