Lynn Wagner (Jericho Summer Recreation)

Lynn Wagner

Summer Recreation Program

It’s not an exaggeration to say that Lynn Wagner IS the Jericho Summer Recreation Program. Prior to 1992 there had been some summer programming for kids but that spring, when Wagner was student teaching at Jericho Elementary School, she saw a posting that the town needed a Recreation Director. She applied for the job and has been the director ever since, making her the longest tenured town employee.

Wagner said she applied for the job because she knew she wanted to work with kids, and she enjoyed her time at Jericho Elementary School. “The first thing I did was hire staff,” she recalls. Wagner organized a series of activities, and the summer was a success. The following year, she came up with the idea of having several modules for each hour so kids would have a choice of what they wanted to do. Parents are asked to sign up their kids ahead of time so the counselors will know how many campers they’ll be working with.

The summer camp is divided into two groups. Kids in grades pre-K through fourth grade attend camp at Jericho Elementary School while rising fifth through seventh graders meet at Browns River Middle School. Last year there were 280 kids at the elementary school and 137 at the middle school. Not all campers go for the full six weeks with some just attending for a week or two or three. Wagner believes flexibility is important to help parents with either budgetary or time constraints.

The Summer Recreation Program has a wide range of activities. Wagner said active events like ball games and field hockey are very popular, but arts and crafts are also enjoyed by a lot of kids. Other offerings include tennis, cooking classes, and quiet time. Once a week the kids go on a field trip. Cell phones are banned because Wagner wants to encourage kids to engage in cooperative play where they interact with one another.

The fall after Wagner’s first year at the helm of the Summer Recreation Program, she began her teaching career. She is currently teaching fifth and sixth graders at Berlin Elementary School, but she has taught kids at every age level there. She lives in Waterbury with her husband and twin seventeen-year-old daughters.

“I really love kids,” Wagner said. “This job doesn’t get old because it’s what I love to do.” Wagner refers to the people she works with in Jericho as her camp family. “This isn’t just a job,” she said. “I care deeply about the families I serve, and I absolutely relish that I get to see kids laughing, enjoying friendships, or just eating a popsicle.”

The Summer Recreation Program has 20 counselors and four assistant directors, as well 10-15 younger counselors in training. The children of some of Wagner’s early counselors have become participants in the camp. “I call them my alumni,” she said. Wagner oversees both camp locations. “I’m not the kind of director who sits in their office,” she said. “I’m a hands-on director. I’m there before we open at 7:30 and after we close at 5:00.” Wagner noted that the job doesn’t really include any downtime because the lunch hour is one of the busiest parts of the day. “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she said.

Wagner loves the giggles she hears and the high fives and hugs she gets from the campers. She also appreciates the thank you notes she gets from the parents. “There is a huge reward from that,” she said. “My passion is seeing that happiness.”

Although she doesn’t live in Jericho, Wagner has strong feelings for the town. “The program and the community and the families mean so much to me,” she said. “When I say camp family, I really mean it. Every ounce of my being loves this community.” Wagner credits the town for supporting her in her job. “I don’t do this for the money,” she said. “I hope this program continues years after I leave.”