August 6, 2010
To Camp Chaverim Parents and Guardians,
We can’t believe how fast the summer is going and that we just completed Week 6. On Tuesday, the final Late Night of the summer was held by the Bonim (Builders in Hebrew) Unit’s (Kindergarten and 1st Graders). While the weather did not cooperate, Campers were able to stay busy inside by playing musical chairs and parachute games, eating a delicious dinner and having a sing-a-long in the Auditorium. The evening concluded with Unit Head Dan Pontillo leading the Unit in a new camp tradition of “Wish Shoes”. Also on Tuesday, Campers and Counselors alike, wore their sleep entire to get into the spirit for Camp Pajama Day! On Wednesday, the Campers of the Tzofim (Scouts in Hebrew) Unit (4-6th graders) went on a field trip to tour the U.S.S. Slater. While touring the ship the campers got the opportunity to try on military helmets and see where the soldiers slept and ate. In addition, the Campers presented Veterans with a card to celebrate the 220th Birthday of the Coast Guard.
Week seven is a week that many campers look forward to all summer, as it is the camps annual Maccaibah “Color Games”. The Campers will be placed in to one of four teams. Each team will be assigned a color and the campers compete in various challenges and show their ruach (Spirit in Hebrew) through cheers, songs and skits. Teams will be announced through a note that will be sent home on Wednesday. Tuesday, will also be an exciting day at camp, as Games2U will be here. Games2U will bring its awesome van filled with flat-screen television so campers can play fun interactive games. In addition, Campers will also get to play outdoor laser tag and run inside a giant inflatable hamster ball.
Friday, August 20th is the last day of camp, and the end-of-the year show. It will include songs performed by all of the camp groups and an end of the summer video. The show will begin at 2:30 p.m. promptly. All families are encouraged to attend. Please note that there is NO extended day on the last day of camp. All children must be picked up inside the auditorium at 4:00 p.m. Camp photos will be handed out at the end-of-the-year show as will preordered camp videos. Copies of the camp video will also be for sale as well. Forms to preorder the video will be available the beginning of next week.
This time in the summer, we start to get many questions regarding tipping of the camp staff. Tipping is not mandatory but always appreciated by the camp staff. Please make sure to only tip on your child’s last day of camp. As a camp we have provided a suggested tip scale, which is as follows:
CIT - $10
Counselor Assistant - $10 - $15
Junior Counselor - $15 - $20
Senior Counselor - $25 - $30
Swim Instructors, Specialists, and Supervisors – at your discretion
Please check the lost and found as all items not clearly labeled with a camper’s name that is not claimed by 6:00 pm on Friday, August 20, will be donated to charity.
Spots are filling fast for all three of our specialty post camps, which will run August 23rd – August 27th. The three offerings this summer are Art Camp, Drama Camp and Sports and Fitness camp. There are limited openings left in the Art and Drama Camp, and Sports and Fitness Camp only has one spot left! If you would like more information on the offerings you can visit http://www.schenectadyjcc.org/postcamp.htm or call Andy or Rachel.
If your child(ren) is (are) having a great experience in summer camp please keep in mind that the Center offers four after-school programs. After School Enrichment Program (A.S.E.P.) is located at the Schenectady Jewish Community Center, and offers a variety of fun-filled classes for children in 1st – 5th grades including; Swim Lessons, Piano Lessons, Cooking, Arts and Crafts, Ceramics, Sports and so much more. The JCC also offers three after school programs called Kid’s Time located at Niskayuna Elementary schools, Birchwood, Craig and Rosendale. Kid’s Time programs are for children in 1st – 5th grade and activities include arts and crafts, cooking, homework help, sports, outside play and more. For more information please visit http://www.schenectadyjcc.org/after_school.htm or call Andy at the JCC.
We all want to wish you a great weekend.
Sincerely,
Andy, Dan, Mallory, Mitch, Rachel, Regina, Shana & Val
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Susim Week 6
Dear Susim Parents,
Another session has flown by here at camp Chaverim. This week we all got to wear our pajamas to camp! It was a lot of fun and the campers all loved seeing all of our friends and counselors in their pajamas. In art this week we made shakers and decorated foam animals with glitter. All of the campers loved playing with all the different colored glitter. We went for a hike through the woods with Eric the Sports Specialist. The kids had a blast exploring the woods and making up “spooky” stories to share with everyone! Tal set up an obstacle course for us in the gym. The kids loved pretending to be Israeli soldiers and completing the obstacle course as fast as they could! Kady, the Nature Specialist, showed us how to change the colors of flowers. We turned white flowers blue, red, green and even yellow! Libby, the Science Specialist, help us make our own tornadoes. We were able to change the tornadoes color as well. We also made warning snakes out of paper plates.
Next week is sure to be yet another fun filled week. Team spirit day is on Tuesday. So please send your child to camp wearing all of their favorite sports teams’ attire. Color games will be taking place next Thursday and Friday. We will be sending home a note with regards to which color team your camper will be on.
Have a great weekend!
Jessica, Ez and Peter
Another session has flown by here at camp Chaverim. This week we all got to wear our pajamas to camp! It was a lot of fun and the campers all loved seeing all of our friends and counselors in their pajamas. In art this week we made shakers and decorated foam animals with glitter. All of the campers loved playing with all the different colored glitter. We went for a hike through the woods with Eric the Sports Specialist. The kids had a blast exploring the woods and making up “spooky” stories to share with everyone! Tal set up an obstacle course for us in the gym. The kids loved pretending to be Israeli soldiers and completing the obstacle course as fast as they could! Kady, the Nature Specialist, showed us how to change the colors of flowers. We turned white flowers blue, red, green and even yellow! Libby, the Science Specialist, help us make our own tornadoes. We were able to change the tornadoes color as well. We also made warning snakes out of paper plates.
Next week is sure to be yet another fun filled week. Team spirit day is on Tuesday. So please send your child to camp wearing all of their favorite sports teams’ attire. Color games will be taking place next Thursday and Friday. We will be sending home a note with regards to which color team your camper will be on.
Have a great weekend!
Jessica, Ez and Peter
Par-Parhim Week 6
Shalom Par-Parhim Parents,
It was a wonderful and enjoyable week here at camp. Our group times included blowing bubbles, making friendship necklaces, and playing on the playground. We did a lot of activities with our specialists, such as making paper snakes with Libby in science. We also walked in the woods with Eric and made paper chains with Tal to decorate the sukkah. On Tuesday, campers and counselors came to camp dressed in their most comfortable pajamas for Pajama Day. Then, on Wednesday, we sang “Row Row Row Your Boat” for the entire camp to hear. Throughout the week, we continued to impress our lifeguards with our swimming skills. They were so happy they let us wear life jackets and swim in the deep end! It was an exciting week!
There are a lot of events planned for next week. Our group times will consist of playing with sidewalk chalk, practicing our song for Wednesday, and playing freeze dance. We will also continue to learn new information and play new games with the specialists. Tuesday is Team Spirit Day so come dressed in shirts, hats, etc. that reveal your favorite sports team! Also on Tuesday, Games2U will be coming to camp for campers to play their favorite electronic games and tumble around in the hamster ball! Maccabiah (color games) will be taking place on Thursday and Friday. The camp will be divided into four teams to play games and compete for points. Campers will find out their teams and their team’s color on Wednesday so come dressed in that color on Thursday and Friday! It will be another entertaining and eventful week!
Enjoy your weekend and we’ll see you next week!
Antonette Laricchia – Senior Counselor
Jaime Hollander – Senior Counselor
Josh Korn – Counselor Assistant
It was a wonderful and enjoyable week here at camp. Our group times included blowing bubbles, making friendship necklaces, and playing on the playground. We did a lot of activities with our specialists, such as making paper snakes with Libby in science. We also walked in the woods with Eric and made paper chains with Tal to decorate the sukkah. On Tuesday, campers and counselors came to camp dressed in their most comfortable pajamas for Pajama Day. Then, on Wednesday, we sang “Row Row Row Your Boat” for the entire camp to hear. Throughout the week, we continued to impress our lifeguards with our swimming skills. They were so happy they let us wear life jackets and swim in the deep end! It was an exciting week!
There are a lot of events planned for next week. Our group times will consist of playing with sidewalk chalk, practicing our song for Wednesday, and playing freeze dance. We will also continue to learn new information and play new games with the specialists. Tuesday is Team Spirit Day so come dressed in shirts, hats, etc. that reveal your favorite sports team! Also on Tuesday, Games2U will be coming to camp for campers to play their favorite electronic games and tumble around in the hamster ball! Maccabiah (color games) will be taking place on Thursday and Friday. The camp will be divided into four teams to play games and compete for points. Campers will find out their teams and their team’s color on Wednesday so come dressed in that color on Thursday and Friday! It will be another entertaining and eventful week!
Enjoy your weekend and we’ll see you next week!
Antonette Laricchia – Senior Counselor
Jaime Hollander – Senior Counselor
Josh Korn – Counselor Assistant
Sabraim Week 6
Dear Sabraim Parents,
This week has flown by. It feels like just yesterday we were all being introduced to each other at orientation. I guess the saying is true that time really does fly by when you are having fun! Unfortunately, the third session at camp has come to an end. We are excited for the fourth and final session to get underway.
The theme of the week was Sukkot and Simchat Torah. During theme time with Val, our group learned about Sukkot and its meaning to the Jewish people. Sukkot is a Jewish festival, the Feast of Tabernacles, which celebrates the fall harvest and commemorates the desert wandering of the Israelites during the Exodus. It is celebrated from the 15th to the 22nd day of Tishri. Our group had a great time building Sukkahs (a temporary structure with a roof of leafy boughs and sticks) during group time. We crafted them out of popsicle sticks, and leaves that were collected from outside. Everyone did a wonderful job working in small groups, and each Sukkah was uniquely made. On Friday, we were able to display our Sukkahs during Shabbat. This gave the campers a great deal of satisfaction.
Tuesday was Pajama Day at camp. Campers and Counselors were able to wear their favorite Pajamas to camp for the day. Some outfits were silly, while some just kept us all comfortable for the day.
On Wednesday, Tzofim campers went on a field trip to see the U.S.S Slater, a ship from World War 2 that is now a museum. We were able to take a very detailed tour of the ship. During our tour, we saw where the soldiers slept and ultimately lived for their duration of time spent fighting in the war. The campers were thrilled when our tour guide showed us the control room where all of the important machines and radios were kept. One of our campers had the opportunity to steer the ship for a brief moment with the actual steering wheel used in the war. We were fortunate enough to have visited the U.S.S Slater on the Coast Guards 220th birthday celebration, so we were able to listen to Veterans talk about their time while serving on the U.S.S Slater. It was a terrific day!
Sabraim has continued to work with Molly, the Music Specialist, on playing songs with the “boomwackers.” This week we learned how to play the National Anthem. We were given the opportunity to show off all of our talent at Shabbat on Friday, so Sabraim campers performed this song for the entire camp. We rocked the camp!
Next week has many promising events planned. We will be learning about Hanukkah in theme time with Val. Tuesday is Team Spirit Day at camp, so make sure everybody wears some sort of team jersey or hat to camp to support their favorite teams. If you play on a team, feel free to wear that jersey. Next week is the start of Color Games. This is always a camp favorite for not only the campers but the counselors as well. We will be finding out our team captains early next week and our team color as well. During Color Games please dress in clothing that supports our team color. It is always nice to see the campers dressed in their finest color games attire. Next week is sure to be promising.
Thank you for another great week at camp!
-Sarah, Gillian and Jacob
This week has flown by. It feels like just yesterday we were all being introduced to each other at orientation. I guess the saying is true that time really does fly by when you are having fun! Unfortunately, the third session at camp has come to an end. We are excited for the fourth and final session to get underway.
The theme of the week was Sukkot and Simchat Torah. During theme time with Val, our group learned about Sukkot and its meaning to the Jewish people. Sukkot is a Jewish festival, the Feast of Tabernacles, which celebrates the fall harvest and commemorates the desert wandering of the Israelites during the Exodus. It is celebrated from the 15th to the 22nd day of Tishri. Our group had a great time building Sukkahs (a temporary structure with a roof of leafy boughs and sticks) during group time. We crafted them out of popsicle sticks, and leaves that were collected from outside. Everyone did a wonderful job working in small groups, and each Sukkah was uniquely made. On Friday, we were able to display our Sukkahs during Shabbat. This gave the campers a great deal of satisfaction.
Tuesday was Pajama Day at camp. Campers and Counselors were able to wear their favorite Pajamas to camp for the day. Some outfits were silly, while some just kept us all comfortable for the day.
On Wednesday, Tzofim campers went on a field trip to see the U.S.S Slater, a ship from World War 2 that is now a museum. We were able to take a very detailed tour of the ship. During our tour, we saw where the soldiers slept and ultimately lived for their duration of time spent fighting in the war. The campers were thrilled when our tour guide showed us the control room where all of the important machines and radios were kept. One of our campers had the opportunity to steer the ship for a brief moment with the actual steering wheel used in the war. We were fortunate enough to have visited the U.S.S Slater on the Coast Guards 220th birthday celebration, so we were able to listen to Veterans talk about their time while serving on the U.S.S Slater. It was a terrific day!
Sabraim has continued to work with Molly, the Music Specialist, on playing songs with the “boomwackers.” This week we learned how to play the National Anthem. We were given the opportunity to show off all of our talent at Shabbat on Friday, so Sabraim campers performed this song for the entire camp. We rocked the camp!
Next week has many promising events planned. We will be learning about Hanukkah in theme time with Val. Tuesday is Team Spirit Day at camp, so make sure everybody wears some sort of team jersey or hat to camp to support their favorite teams. If you play on a team, feel free to wear that jersey. Next week is the start of Color Games. This is always a camp favorite for not only the campers but the counselors as well. We will be finding out our team captains early next week and our team color as well. During Color Games please dress in clothing that supports our team color. It is always nice to see the campers dressed in their finest color games attire. Next week is sure to be promising.
Thank you for another great week at camp!
-Sarah, Gillian and Jacob
Macabee Week 6
Dear Macabee Parents and Campers,
Its unbelievable to say that the third session at camp has now come to an end. It has been another jam packed week for our group and the fun just keeps rolling on. Between our third Tzofim field trip, another theme dress-up day, and the activities we've done during theme time, its easy to say that our group has been doing a great job bonding with one another!
This week's theme of the week was Sukkot and Simchat Torah. Sukkot is a holiday where the Jewish people show their appreciation for nature and the sweet things in life. After learning about this holiday, Macabee, along with the other Tzofim groups made their own sukkahs which are 3 sided huts. Our campers got together in groups and worked brilliantly together to use glue and popsicle sticks to make a sukkah. During this project, many campers paired up with campers from different groups and made even more friendships in the process.
Tuesday, was an awesome day at camp for everyone as it was Pajama Day. Many campers and counselors got to represent their favorite bed time clothes and have a fun time in the process. We, once again, would like to give a reminder to everyone that Tuesday marks a themed day at camp. Next week on Tuesday will be Team Spirit Day, so please wear your favorite sports teams’ apparel. Wednesday was a remarkable day for our Tzofim unit as we traveled to Albany Port to tour the U.S.S Slater. It was a very special day to be visiting because it was the 220th birthday of the Coast Guard. We got a full tour of the ship and learned the lifestyle of the Coast Guard. At the end of the tour, the coast Guard had a ceremony in honor of their birthday. It was certainly a memorable day for everyone of us!
Next week is going to be the final session and it is sure to be the most exciting week at camp. Week seven at camp is the week of Macabbiah also known as Color Games. This is our biggest tradition here. The entire group gets separated into 4 different groups; green, red, blue, and yellow team. Campers and counselors come together as they go through tons of activities and competitions in the attempt to be the group with the most points at the end of the day Friday. The Macabee campers will find out what color they will be on the end of Wednesday and we ask that they come dressed, to the best of their ability, in that color. Everyone is anxiously awaiting this very exciting two day event, but before that we have another big event on Tuesday; Games 2 U makes another appearance at camp. Last year was a hit as all the groups had a chance to play tons of interactive video games and even go inside a giant hamster ball. It’s sure to be a blast.
Just a couple of reminders: Please make sure all items are labeled with your child's name on it. Also feel free to contact any of us if you have any questions comments or concerns in regards to anything at camp. We love being able to have the chance to get feedback and ensure that it is the best possible summer for your child. We've had an excellent summer and feel privileged to have shared all these awesome experiences with the Macabee campers. Have a great weekend and see you all as the final session at Camp Chaverim 2010 begins!
Sincerely,
Your Macabee Counselors,
Kirsten, Devon, and Rebekah
Its unbelievable to say that the third session at camp has now come to an end. It has been another jam packed week for our group and the fun just keeps rolling on. Between our third Tzofim field trip, another theme dress-up day, and the activities we've done during theme time, its easy to say that our group has been doing a great job bonding with one another!
This week's theme of the week was Sukkot and Simchat Torah. Sukkot is a holiday where the Jewish people show their appreciation for nature and the sweet things in life. After learning about this holiday, Macabee, along with the other Tzofim groups made their own sukkahs which are 3 sided huts. Our campers got together in groups and worked brilliantly together to use glue and popsicle sticks to make a sukkah. During this project, many campers paired up with campers from different groups and made even more friendships in the process.
Tuesday, was an awesome day at camp for everyone as it was Pajama Day. Many campers and counselors got to represent their favorite bed time clothes and have a fun time in the process. We, once again, would like to give a reminder to everyone that Tuesday marks a themed day at camp. Next week on Tuesday will be Team Spirit Day, so please wear your favorite sports teams’ apparel. Wednesday was a remarkable day for our Tzofim unit as we traveled to Albany Port to tour the U.S.S Slater. It was a very special day to be visiting because it was the 220th birthday of the Coast Guard. We got a full tour of the ship and learned the lifestyle of the Coast Guard. At the end of the tour, the coast Guard had a ceremony in honor of their birthday. It was certainly a memorable day for everyone of us!
Next week is going to be the final session and it is sure to be the most exciting week at camp. Week seven at camp is the week of Macabbiah also known as Color Games. This is our biggest tradition here. The entire group gets separated into 4 different groups; green, red, blue, and yellow team. Campers and counselors come together as they go through tons of activities and competitions in the attempt to be the group with the most points at the end of the day Friday. The Macabee campers will find out what color they will be on the end of Wednesday and we ask that they come dressed, to the best of their ability, in that color. Everyone is anxiously awaiting this very exciting two day event, but before that we have another big event on Tuesday; Games 2 U makes another appearance at camp. Last year was a hit as all the groups had a chance to play tons of interactive video games and even go inside a giant hamster ball. It’s sure to be a blast.
Just a couple of reminders: Please make sure all items are labeled with your child's name on it. Also feel free to contact any of us if you have any questions comments or concerns in regards to anything at camp. We love being able to have the chance to get feedback and ensure that it is the best possible summer for your child. We've had an excellent summer and feel privileged to have shared all these awesome experiences with the Macabee campers. Have a great weekend and see you all as the final session at Camp Chaverim 2010 begins!
Sincerely,
Your Macabee Counselors,
Kirsten, Devon, and Rebekah
Masada Week 6
MASADA NEWSLETTER
Dear Masada campers and parents,
Six weeks done, two fun weeks to go! With a few very hot and humid days this week it was apparent that we still have some hot summer days left. This past week we enjoyed fun days such as pajama day, where everyone looked like they just rolled out of bed. Also, on Wednesday, we attended a historic field trip to the USS Slater, the last surviving U.S. battleship escort from WWII. We learned a short history about the boat itself and even got to celebrate the Coast Guard’s 220th birthday!
We had a week of hot and humid weather, it is apparent that the heat of the summer is still here. With all this sunshine, we all must remember to apply our sunscreen often! Sunscreen is provided frequently during the day to make sure all our campers are protected. We also take multiple water breaks every day to ensure that we all stay hydrated in the heat. However, a labeled water bottle is the best idea to ensure that your children are remaining hydrated!
Next week, camp has some great events planned. We have a day where you can celebrate your favorite sports team scheduled for Tuesday, so campers should make sure to wear their team colors! Also, this week we have color games! One of the most fun times of the year, we have teams based on our color and compete in different events, all while cheering the other teams on. This year each color will represent a Jewish holiday, to correlate with this summer’s theme.
Let’s have a fun and safe last two weeks!
Looking forward to another great week,
Mike K., Amy Y., Sarah N.
Dear Masada campers and parents,
Six weeks done, two fun weeks to go! With a few very hot and humid days this week it was apparent that we still have some hot summer days left. This past week we enjoyed fun days such as pajama day, where everyone looked like they just rolled out of bed. Also, on Wednesday, we attended a historic field trip to the USS Slater, the last surviving U.S. battleship escort from WWII. We learned a short history about the boat itself and even got to celebrate the Coast Guard’s 220th birthday!
We had a week of hot and humid weather, it is apparent that the heat of the summer is still here. With all this sunshine, we all must remember to apply our sunscreen often! Sunscreen is provided frequently during the day to make sure all our campers are protected. We also take multiple water breaks every day to ensure that we all stay hydrated in the heat. However, a labeled water bottle is the best idea to ensure that your children are remaining hydrated!
Next week, camp has some great events planned. We have a day where you can celebrate your favorite sports team scheduled for Tuesday, so campers should make sure to wear their team colors! Also, this week we have color games! One of the most fun times of the year, we have teams based on our color and compete in different events, all while cheering the other teams on. This year each color will represent a Jewish holiday, to correlate with this summer’s theme.
Let’s have a fun and safe last two weeks!
Looking forward to another great week,
Mike K., Amy Y., Sarah N.
Zahal Week 6 Letter
Week 6, August 5, 2010
Dear Parents,
We had a wonderful sixth week at camp this week. On Tuesday, we celebrated pajama day in which the campers wore their craziest pajamas. Most of the campers looked great in their pj’s.
On Wednesday, we had a fantastic field trip. We went to the port of Albany to see the U.S.S. Slater which is docked there. The campers got to tour the ship and watch a naval ceremony as Wednesday was the Coast Guard’s 220th birthday.
Next week, on Tuesday is Team Spirit Day, so wear your jerseys, hats, caps, cheerleading outfit, etc for your favorite sports teams. On Thursday and Friday we will be having Maccabiah (Color Games.) We will find out what color our group is on Wednesday. We are very excited for this year’s color games and will be enthused to participate. We’re looking forward to having a great week of camp next week!
Sincerely your counselors,
Adriana Alfeo, Josh Leighton & Matt McCarty
Dear Parents,
We had a wonderful sixth week at camp this week. On Tuesday, we celebrated pajama day in which the campers wore their craziest pajamas. Most of the campers looked great in their pj’s.
On Wednesday, we had a fantastic field trip. We went to the port of Albany to see the U.S.S. Slater which is docked there. The campers got to tour the ship and watch a naval ceremony as Wednesday was the Coast Guard’s 220th birthday.
Next week, on Tuesday is Team Spirit Day, so wear your jerseys, hats, caps, cheerleading outfit, etc for your favorite sports teams. On Thursday and Friday we will be having Maccabiah (Color Games.) We will find out what color our group is on Wednesday. We are very excited for this year’s color games and will be enthused to participate. We’re looking forward to having a great week of camp next week!
Sincerely your counselors,
Adriana Alfeo, Josh Leighton & Matt McCarty
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