Weekly Camp Newsletters

August 2011

Spirit Week was a huge success. We had some outrageous hairdos, silly outfits and wacky hats. We also saw some great cartoon characters, both old and new, and there was a lot of team spirit shown for all kinds of sports teams. Everyone enjoyed a BAGEL BREAKFAST on Tuesday. The 5/6 year olds had a great time at CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN, where they made and ate pizza and enjoyed ice cream sundaes. The senior groups (9/10, 11/12 & 13+) were treated to a BBQ on July 28 and the junior campers (5/6 & 7/8) were treated on August 4. The burgers and hot dogs were yummy, thanks to our chefs Stan & Craig.

The 11/12 & 13+ campers had a wonderful time at SPLISH SPLASH on Monday. The 9/10 boys and girls had a fun time at LASER KINGDOM on Tuesday, August 2. Everyone had a great time at the MOVIES on Wednesday, August 3. The 11/12 & the 13+ campers had a good time at BILLIARDS, where they relax and play pool. The Nassau YPDC junior campers joined our own junior campers for a spectacular MAGIC SHOW on Friday. Afterwards, the entire camp enjoyed ITALIAN ICES.

Monday will be our final trip to SUNKEN MEADOW STATE PARK for this camp season. The campers had a great time playing and swimming there this summer. The 7/8 campers really enjoyed CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN, where they played chef-for-a-day. The 5/6 campers and the 9/10 girls had a great time BOWLING, while the 9/10 boys visited our Nassau camp for some INTERCAMP COMPETITION. Wednesday will be our final trip to ADVENTURELAND.

Thursday will be TIE-DYE DAY. Campers will need to bring in a CLEAN CAMP SHIRT to dye and a PLASTIC SHOPPING BAG to bring the shirt home in. The shirts will need to dry before they can be worn, so please make sure your child(ren) bring an extra shirt to wear. Friday will be our ANNUAL TALENT SHOW. The groups have been hard at work and can’t wait to show their fellow campers how talented they are.

The 5/6 GIRLS, THE SPARKLERS, had a blast at CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN. They loved going to the MOVIES and making fairy wands in ARTS & CRAFTS. The CAMPERS of the WEEK for Week 5 were Felicia S. and Juleesa R. The CAMPERS of the WEEK for Week 6 were Grace J. and Emma L.

The 5/6 BOYS, THE SENSATIONS, are having an awesome summer. Jonah P. has shown his dancing ability as they rehearse for the TALENT SHOW. Maxx S. was a magician’s assistant during the MAGIC SHOW, as he helped to pull a rabbit out of a hat. All of the boys had a great time making pizza at CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN. The CAMPERS of the WEEK for Week 5 were Maxx S. and Anthony P. The CAMPERS of the WEEK for Week 6 were Jeffrey C. and Markus A.

The 7/8 GIRLS, THE BLAZING BANANAS, have been having working very hard on their dance for the TALENT SHOW and hope their hard work pays off with a winning routine. The CAMPERS of the WEEK for Week 5 were Alona J. and Ashlynn G. The CAMPERS of the WEEK for Week 6 were Chasity H. and Stephanie M.

The 7/8 BOYS, THE TIGERS, have shown some great improvement in their swim skills since the beginning of camp. The CAMPERS of the WEEK for Week 5 were Kevin M. and Darius A. The CAMPERS of the WEEK for Week 6 were Adrian S. and Justin A.

The 9/10 GIRLS, THE SUMMER SISTERS, have had so much fun going to LASER KINDGOM, the MOVIES, playing basketball, swimming and dancing. The CAMPERS of the WEEK for Week 5 were Jenea O. and Keanna R. The CAMPERS of the WEEK for Week 6 were Katrina R. and Amiah J.

The 9/10 BOYS, CAPTAIN AMERICA’S ARMY, are enjoying themselves this summer. They like to play European Handball, and had a wonderful time going to LASER KINGDOM. The CAMPERS of the WEEK for Week 5 were Namiek H. and Chris I. The CAMPERS of the WEEK for Week 6 were Dylan K. and Sean W.

The 11/12 GIRLS, THE SASSY TWEENS, enjoy playing kickball and going to the MOVIES. The CAMPERS of the WEEK for Week 5 were Brianna C. and Marlie S. The CAMPERS of the WEEK for Week 6 were Melanie A. and Alexis C.

The 11/12 BOYS, THE LEGACY PART II, are really enjoying themselves this summer. The group especially enjoyed their trip to SPLISH SPLASH. The CAMPERS of the WEEK for Week 5 were Christian O. and Jack K. The CAMPERS of the WEEK for Week 6 were Concepcion A. and Andy B.

The 13+ GROUP, THE RASCALS, are having a great summer. They loved going on the trip to SPLISH SPLASH. The CAMPERS of the WEEK for Week 5 were Jonathan V. and Ashley B. The CAMPERS of the WEEK for Week 6 were Erik W. and A’neesah A.

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Another camp season has just about come to an end. It just goes by so fast! We are pleased at how smoothly things ran this summer. While the weather was HOT, HOT, HOT, we hardly had any weather related interruptions. The counselors and bus drivers have done a great job – I believe this to be one of the best staffs that we’ve ever assembled! Ellen and her swim staff did an exceptional job, teaching, instructing and safeguarding our campers.

On a personal note, I would like to thank several people for their efforts and contributions. First and foremost, thank you STAN and ELLEN for your amazing efforts. You’ve outdone yourselves! Thank you CRAIG for a job that was extremely well done! JACKIE & KAT, our great EMTs, were incredible – always there, always helpful, always professional. They did a super job taking care of our kids!

Thank you ROSE, MARIA, KERRI and YOLANDA – your creative and artistic talents continue to enhance our program and provide the kids with an outlet for their creativity! Thank you JULIETTE and LAUREN for your bookkeeping and diligence in keeping up with the enormous amount of paper work and phone calls.

Thank you ANTHONY (NYIT) for being there to make sure that all ran smoothly – well done!

A special note of thanks to our youngest staff members – our CITs and Junior counselors. This group of “kids” did amazing things – they were so impressive in their maturity, spirit, talent, ethic, responsibility and skills. In all my years at running this camp, I have never seen such a great group of up and coming staff members. Great job guys – I hope to see you back next year!

Thank you KAREN, our Head Counselor, who learned her role through on the job training. Great job Karen – your efforts, enthusiasm and input were outstanding. Last, but certainly not least, is THERESA, who continued her role as my Executive Assistant. Theresa ran the office, took/made phone calls, took care of all paper work, and was partly responsible for our lunch program. In effect, Theresa’s impact on the operation of this camp and program is huge. Thanks Theresa, your efforts are much appreciated.

We are already planning for 2012. Please watch for mailings and from time to time, you can check out the website at: www.ypdc.com, and click onto Suffolk. Info will be periodically updated on this site.

Tipping

We have received many phone calls in the past few days regarding tipping counselors and bus drivers. Tipping, as you know, is not mandatory and while discussing this sensitive subject, we would like to present the following:

Customarily, you tip the person who makes your hair look fantastic. . . .your hairdresser. You tip the person who provides you with delicious food. . . . your waiter/waitress. You tip the person who delivers your mail and those who pick up your garbage. So, should you tip the people who care for your most precious asset, your kids?

We’ll leave that decision up to you! Your children’s counselors and drivers are worthy of your consideration.

Inflation Fighter

For those of you who like to plan ahead, we are once again offering you the opportunity to register NOW for 2012. This saves you money and allows you to pay off camp through the winter and spring. These rates can save you hundreds of dollars over the 2012 rates! And your $100 deposit per child is fully refundable until April 15th, 2012. If you are interested in taking advantage of this great opportunity, please complete and return the attached form. You may hand this in on or before Friday, August 19th to your bus driver. Have a great school year, and most important, a healthy and safe year – see ya next summer!

~Mike

Week 5 News / 7.25.11

Wow! We can’t believe it’s already the fifth week of camp. This week is SPIRIT WEEK. We invite all the campers and counselors to participate in our wacky festivities:

Monday: KRAZY HAIR DAY ~ create you craziest hairdo
Tuesday: MISMATCH DAY ~ wear you most outrageous colors and patterns together for a unique outfit
Wednesday: KRAZY HAT DAY ~ find or create the strangest looking hat you can imagine
Thursday: CARTOON CHARACTER DAY ~ wear anything you can find that shows off you favorite animated characters
Friday: SPORTS JERSEY DAY ~ wear anything and everything to support your favorite sports team

All of the campers had a wonderful time at ADVENTURELAND, SUNKEN MEADOW and the MOVIES. We have been enjoying many treats, such as ICE CREAM SUNDAES, DOUGHNUTS, ITALIAN ICES and BAGELS. The Senior Division had a lot of fun BOWLING. The Junior Division was bouncing all around the inflatables at JUMP.

The BOWLING trip scheduled for Tuesday, July 26th has been cancelled due to scheduling issues. The 5/6 year old campers will be taking a trip to CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN on Wednesday, July 27th and the 7/8 year olds will be going on Tuesday, August 9th. Thursday, July 28th will be the SENIOR CAMP BBQ. This means that all 9/10 and older campers will be having a choice of a hamburger or a hot dog for lunch. There is no cost for this treat. Campers do not need to bring lunch that day, as it will be provided by the camp. The JUNIOR CAMP BBQ will be on Thursday, August 4th. Friday, July 22nd’s trip to SUNKEN MEADOW STATE PARK has been rescheduled for Monday, August 8.

Wednesday, August 3rd, we will be returning to the MOVIES, The buses will go directly to the movie theater in the morning, and the campers will return to NYIT approximately 12:00. There is no cost for the trip, but you may choose to send in money for your child to buy snacks at the concession stand. There is a kid’s snack pack offered for the cost of $6.00.

The 5/6 GIRLS, THE SPARKLERS, have been enjoying the summer playing in the sandbox and swimming in the pool. The CAMPERS of the WEEK for Week 3 were Melanie O. and Timmia S. The CAMPERS of the WEEK for Week 4 were Emillie C. and Teyana W.

The 5/6 BOYS, THE SENSATIONS, favorite activity is Bowling. Some of the high scorers have been Anthony I., Niko, D’Andrew and Trevelyn. The group also enjoys playing Wiffleball and Swimming in the pool. The group’s Halloween Day winners were Andre, Jayden and Tyler. The CAMPERS of the WEEK for Week 3 were Vincent F. and Aaron C. The CAMPERS of the WEEK for Week 4 were Ethan C. and Jonah P.

The 7/8 GIRLS, THE BLAZING BANANAS, have been having a wonderful summer. Their favorite activity is Lay Down Tag. The CAMPERS of the WEEK for Week 3 were Julia F. and Anne Marie R. The CAMPERS of the WEEK for Week 4 were Lucinda B. and Mackenzie D.

The 7/8 BOYS, THE TIGERS, have been having fun Swimming in the Pool, playing Dodgeball and participating in Games with Craig. The CAMPERS of the WEEK for Week 3 were Edgar A. and Elijah S. The CAMPERS of the WEEK for Week 4 were Marvin F. and Will G.

The 9/10 GIRLS, THE SUMMER SISTERS, are having a dazzling summer. Their favorite activity is Dance. The CAMPERS of the WEEK for Week 3 were: Kaitlyn C. and Emma E. The CAMPERS of the WEEK for Week 4 were: Chesley B. and Chloe J.

The 9/10 BOYS, CAPTAIN AMERICA’S ARMY, are having a spectacular summer. Some of their favorite activities include Soccer, Wiffleball, Kickball and Basketball. The CAMPERS of the WEEK for Week 3 were Aaron W. and Kyle J. The CAMPERS of the WEEK for Week 4 were Kashaun B. and Thomas H.

The 11/12 GIRLS, THE SASSY TWEENS, have been having an awesome summer. They most enjoy swimming in the pool at NYIT. The CAMPERS of the WEEK for Week 3 were Leia D. and Haylee J. The CAMPERS of the WEEK for Week 4 were Kayla D. and Laura M.

The 11/12 BOYS, THE LEGACY PART II, are having a blast this summer. The group’s favorite activity is playing Kickball. The CAMPERS of the WEEK for Week 3 were Frankie N. and Tommy N. The CAMPERS of the WEEK for Week 4 were Matt R. and Jamori W.

The 13+ GROUP, THE RASCALS, are really enjoying the summer. They like to go on field trips and play Basketball. The CAMPERS of the WEEK for Week 3 were Kyle G. and Brianna G. The CAMPERS of the WEEK for Week 4 were Darius T. and Taylor G.

Just a few important reminders:

Please make sure your child has lunch EVERYDAY or make arrangements to join the lunch program.
Campers must wear their camp shirts everyday.
They must also wear shorts and sneakers.
Campers also need to bring bathing suits and towels each day for swimming.
Any notes, money or medications being sent into camp should be given to the bus driver in an envelope/bag with your child’s name and age clearly marked.
If your child needs to wear sunscreen, please apply it before camp. The EMTs have extra sunscreen if needed.

If you have transportation questions, please contact the bus company: (631) 585-6457.

For any other questions or concerns, the office phone number is (631) 348-3439.