Posted May 17, 2011 With the swim season just around the corner, parents feel it is essential for their kids to learn the rules of water safety during swim lessons
Katherine Palladino, founder of Westchester & Fairfield Swimming and Lifeguarding, knows the importance of aquatics training. Westfair offers lifeguard instruction, water safety training and summer swim camp. “If you teach someone to swim, it’s a skill for whole life,” Palladino said. Palladino has a Masters Degree in Exercise Physiology from Texas A & M University. As Aquatics Director at Purchase College for two years before joining Pace University in 2003, she believes the success at her current swimming instruction facility comes from the quality and dedication of the staff. “Our instructors are seasoned and experienced, and we pick the cream of the crop.”
Palladino feels another advantage is their staff’s commitment to work and train throughout the year.This approach promotes a stronger commitment to learning.
As the Aquatics Director of Pace University, Palladino also manages a large aquatic staff, including lifeguards and water safety instructors. Risk management and safety is paramount. “We believe becoming a good lifeguard results from working at a facility that is very supportive and always available,” she emphasized. For example, most kids who take Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) in school forget the material very quickly, but with consistent service training, our staff always remembers the skills needed in an emergency."
With locations at Pace University in Pleasantville, Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, and SCUBA New York in Yonkers, Westchester & Fairfield Swimming and Lifeguarding offers convenience to its students. The swim camp runs from June 27 to August 13. For more information visit westfairswim.com.
“Kids enjoy coming here because they feel safe and also feel like they belong,” Palladino added.
In the past few years, the American Camp Association has launched the “Because of Camp” campaign. Lisa Loeb, Kerri Strug and Blair Underwood as well as other actors, athletes and celebrities have each shared how their lives have changed Because of Camp. Did you know that Grammy nominated singer/songwriter Lisa Loeb learned how to play the guitar at camp? This inspired me to reach out to people in our Summer Trails Day Camp community. Below is a compilation explaining the benefits of camp in the words of campers and staff who have been provided the opportunity to participate in the camp experience.
At Camp : "I met my best friend, I learned how to swim, I have a fun summer job to return to every year, I met my spouse, I was encouraged to take healthy risks and try new things, I discovered a passion for performing arts, I decided I wanted to become a teacher, I learned the meaning of work ethic, I can work with people of all ages, I am an awesome ping pong player, I realized how much I love working with children, I have learned tolerance, I learned how to be a true team player, I learned how it feels to make somebody’s day better with just a smile, I love the energy and togetherness at camp, I learned it is okay to not know all of the answers all of the time, I found a place that I can sing and dance my heart out with all my friends and feel great about myself, I found a place that makes me feel proud when I work with a child to overcome a fear, I learned how to be a responsible leader, I have amazing childhood memories, I have learned how to maintain friendships over time and distance, I have been able to watch my own children’s growth and development, I have a creative outlet, I have found balance in my life, I have developed strong bonds, I have been taught patience, I am proud of who I am, I get to laugh and play everyday, I learned that turtles like to eat cheese puffs, I feel forever young, I have been challenged to discover what I am capable of, I can make a mean sand castle, I am a leader, I want to give back to others, I have learned acceptance, I have learned about bugs, I have met and learned from professional athletes such as Howard Johnson, I know that I am a good role model, I can be silly, I have realized my personal dreams, I feel empowered, I have gained self-esteem and confidence, I became the person I am today. " Read more.
Annual Music Theater Camp to Begin Soon By Amanda Boyle
June 14, 2011 Armonk Center for Dance, run by Heather and Alan Conway, has been a part of life in Armonk for seventeen years. In less than a month their annual Musical Theater Camp, for children five to twelve, begins. The four-week day camp teaches not just dancing, but acting, singing, art and even swimming.
The day starts with technique classes, where the students learn five styles of dance: jazz, ballet, modern, tap and hip-hop. Heather says this variety is one of the highlights of the program, "You'll have students coming in having only taken hip-hop or jazz, and we expose them to a style that they might not have taken on their own, but end up loving."
After an outdoor lunch, students work on the production of their performance, which will be on Friday, July 29 at Whippoorwill Hall auditorium. The students are involved in the production from start to finish. First, they chose which movies the performance will borrow from. In the past, choices have included High School Musical, Grease, Chicago, Enchanted and The Princess and the Frog. Different movies are chosen for different age groups, but often there is an opening dance which features all the campers. Dances then are inspired by the scenes from the movies. Choreography is taught in the mornings. Afternoons include making posters for the set, acting out scenes from the films, and creating their own costumes. The tasks gives campers responsibility, while still being fun.
Musical Theatre Camp is open to both current students and first-timers. Heather says, "At first, the new kids are a little nervous, but by the end of the day they feel like they're part of a family." That's the appeal of this program: being part of a close-knit group.
For the first time, in addition to the Musical Theater Camp, Armonk Center for Dance is offering evening dance classes for anyone 18 and under, on Tuesdays and Thursdays in July. It's a great opportunity for dance lovers attending other camps to have fun and enhance their skills. There is also a Mini Arts and Dance Camp for three and four year olds available in two-week sessions. The first June session is full but the second session, from July 11 to 22, still has room for young dancers to learn the elements of dance and also enjoy arts and crafts and story time. Year-long classes resume in early September, and are available for registration on June 13 for current students and June 27 for new students.
Posted: Feb. 7, 2011 Running around the neighborhood, playing in the woods, swimming in a lake or biking with friends are activities from summers past. Today, children are more likely to have planned activities in playgroups, nursery schools, day camps and sleep away camps.
We spoke with Tim Shea, the owner of Armonk Tennis, a partner of the Future Stars Camps, and coach of the boys and girls varsity tennis team at Byram Hills High School.
The Future Stars Camp in Armonk offers a variety of day camp programs for all ages. When children are as young as 3 1/2 to 5, their EXPLORERS program starts to develop the concept of teamwork and cooperation. Kids are introduced to activities that create a team feeling in a fun and supportive way. The PIONEERS program, for children going into first and second grade, expands the EXPLORERS concept with a little more concentration on specific sport and activities. The MULTI-SPORT program is for those children going into second grade and beyond who want to concentrate in soccer or tennis while also being introduced to an international sport such as rugby or cricket.
Future Stars also offers week-by-week specialty camps such as the one for tennis. Future Stars specialty camps are for children seven and up. The morning is for teaching skills while the afternoons are more for match play, tournaments and swimming. Similar to the younger-age programs, the tennis camp also stresses the concept of team building. "Tennis kids don't know that it is like to be on a team, so we try to instill some team camaraderie, which is important before a kid gets into a specific sport. Team camaraderie builds confidence." Children also need experience beyond the camp to sharpen their skills. Shea says, "We encourage kids to play tournaments away from the camp. Because tennis is such a mental game, you need to learn the game, then go out on your own and apply what you have learned."
Shea says one of the most important questions when choosing a camp is to ask, "Who are the directors and what are their backgrounds?" "Our senior staff members are educators," Shea says. "Our director is an elementary teacher in Greenwich. She has been here for 11 years, started as a head counselor, and became a director seven years ago." Some of the head counselors were once students at Byram Hills High School who have gone onto careers in education.
Breezemont Day Camp 62 Cox Avenue Armonk, NY (914) 273.3162 www.breezemont .com
Go-Kart Racing By Jesse Andreozzi
Posted May 9, 2011 In just four years, Mount Kisco’s Grand Prix New York Racing has built a reputation as one of Westchester County’s premier go-kart racing facilities. Boasting a 120,000 square-foot space, Grand Prix offers three tracks, a fleet of go-karts which can reach speeds of 40 miles per hour and another fleet that can reach 50 to 60 mph. There is also a game room, and an award-winning restaurant. Grand Prix has become a favorite racing and entertainment spot for kids and adults alike. “We meet a lot of new people here, from first timers to professional racers,” Manager Chris Pricola said.
One of Grand Prix’s highlights is its junior summer camp for kids ranging from ages 7 to 16. The camp is held for five days, for four weeks from July through August. The program jump starts instruction for novice drivers and fine tunes the advanced drivers' skills. Kids who complete the camp receive a junior racing license, steering them to compete in Grand Prix’s Junior Racing League.
The Saturday and Sunday junior racing leagues run 25 high-speed races. The competition allows kids to improve their driving abilities, while challenging themselves with the experience of wheel-to-wheel racing.
Pricola credits Grand Prix’s universal appeal to its expansion into other events beyond racing, including laser tag, and possibly, a bowling alley down the road. They host everything from competition leagues to birthday parties and bar/bat mitzvahs. “We’re always open to expansion and we’re willing to try new things,” Pricola explained.
There’s a lot more to Grand Prix than the track,” he added. Visit gpny.com for more information.
Choosing the Right Sleep-Away Camp
By Alice Levine
Posted: January 15, 2011 When your child has outgrown day camp and he or she is ready for a sleep-away experience, your homework begins. While there are many great choices available, the key is finding the right match for your child.
The Camp Professionals is an organization which offers consulting services to camps. They suggest developing a list of criteria including: price, size of the camp, length of stay (for example 2, 4 or 7 weeks), location, coed vs. same sex camp, and the instructional caliber of the athletic program, specifically, if campers receive instruction from qualified sports specialists. Read more
