27 MAGICAL SUMMERS AND COUNTING
EVERYONE DESERVES
A HARBOR HAVEN
Who We Are
Harbor Haven was created in 1996 to provide children with disabilities the opportunity to experience the magic of summer camp with the help and support they needed.
Robyn Tanne and Dr. Skip Vichness founded Harbor Haven, after seeing the need for a comprehensive summer program for children with special needs. Together they ran the camp for twenty-five magical summers.
In 2022, Kristie Thomas and Jessie Tredinnick, two of Harbor Haven’s most passionate and experienced staff members took over as owners and directors.
Harbor Haven’s Mission
Our mission is to provide a safe, and nurturing environment where campers’ needs are supported and their unique characteristics are accepted and embraced. We want each camper to experience success, thereby growing confidence and positive self-esteem.
Through a fun, structured, and supportive program with activities we help campers develop in the areas of:
Social and Group Skills
Language/Communication Skills
Fine & Gross Motor Skills
Social & Emotional Skills
Academic Skills
“I will respect myself!
I will respect others!
And I will be the best me I can be!”
— The Harbor Haven Pledge
The Harbor Haven Difference
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• Our specialists plan themes and lessons around the needs of campers, as per surveys provided by families, and the needs of the group as seen at camp
• Each group has 3 lessons or activities per week.
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• Groups get a half hour of academic time every day. This helps them maintain their progress from the school year and continue to develop skills.
• Their work is individualized based on their IEP and educational surveys.
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• Children ages (3-10) get 1 OT & Speech group session per week.
• Our Speech and Occupational Therapists are available for one-on-one sessions. We offer up to 3 individual sessions per week.
What Makes Harbor Haven Unique
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Our Staff
Staff have experience and training that is unique to our campers and their needs.
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Our Structure
Smaller group sizes and staff to camper to ratios help our campers thrive.
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Our Programming
Designed with the camper in mind.
Support where they need it and fun all around!
Meet Our Directors
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Kristie
OWNER, DIRECTOR
Kristie started at Harbor Haven as an assistant counselor in the summer of 2009 and instantly fell in love with all it offered to campers and staff. She has since spent every summer serving Harbor Haven and its campers in various capacities (everything from counselor, one-to-one, supervisor, program coordinator, and finally to assistant director).
Fun Fact: Kristie is a full-time US History teacher.
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Jessie
OWNER, DIRECTOR
Jessie learned about Harbor Haven through her brother, who attended the summers of ‘97 and ‘98. She started working at camp in the summer of 2011 as a one-to-one counselor. Jessie continued to work at Harbor Haven in the summers filling many roles from counselor, to supervisor, to program coordinator, and head of the LIFE program.
Fun Fact: Jessie is a preschool special education teacher during the school year.
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Kim
DIRECTOR
Since 2013, Kim's dedication and understanding of Harbor Haven have kept its daily operations working at the highest standards. Staff members, parents, and most importantly our campers rely on and credit Kim for knowing all the ins and outs of our program. We are truly grateful to have Kim on our leadership team!
Fun Fact: Kim is also our Certified Pool Operator.
Our Facilities
Harbor Haven operates on the 8-acre site of a private school campus at 1418 Pleasant Valley Way in West Orange.
In addition to the beautiful air-conditioned school building, there are three athletic fields and an outdoor, in-ground, heated swimming pool. The facility is well maintained and has a state-of-the-art full-sized gymnasium, as well as a cafeteria and many classrooms.
Our Staff
We take great pride in the supervisors and program specialists we hire for Harbor Haven. They have degrees in special education or related fields. Each comes from a background of varied experiences working with children who have special needs and has shown his/her capability to facilitate growth in our children.
FAQs
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Spend some time talking to the directors about your child’s issues and the expectations you have for a summer program. During this discussion, you will learn about the children who attend Harbor Haven and you will compare your child’s school placement to the program.
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All groups maintain a high staff to child ratio with small groups of 12 or less. Children with special needs generally do better in smaller groups with more staff to attend to their needs
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We allow neurotypical siblings of our HH campers to attend at no cost for a week, offering reduced rates for additional weeks, and placing them in groups that are age-appropriate for them. It’s a win-win situation. These attendees had a great time while making HH more cost-effective for the family AND MOST IMPORTANTLY became peers, friends, and role models for our children with special needs. This program has expanded and is now providing even more opportunities for typical peers to attend.