46 THE QUEENS COURIER • KIDS & EDUCATION • FEBRUARY 28, 2013 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com kids & education s The Benefits of Day Camps BY MARLA COLEMAN Children learn life skills that become habits of the heart. One mother wrote that the family was on a ski trip. The son got to the top of a steep hill and started to panic. The mom said, “What would you do if you were at camp?” and he proceeded to engage himself in positive self-talk that was part of the camp culture: “It may take time, it may be hard; but stick with it, and you’ll be fi ne!” He skied down with a huge sense of accomplishment and perseverance. It’s tough to be a kid these days. It’s tough to be a parent. In a society where the nature of the family, the work place, and the community have changed dramatically, we can no longer assume that the natural process of growing up will provide children the experiences and the resources they need to become successful, contributing adults. In sharp contrast to the traditions of growing up in the 50s and 60s, today we live in the fi rst moment when humans receive more of their information secondhand than fi rst! We are in a climate where it is harder to know what we need to survive, so drawing on experiences that give children healthy alternatives and opportunities to instill capabilities, the hallmarks of thriving, is the greatest gift you can give a young child. Another parent asks: “Does it really matter if my child doesn’t go to day camp, especially since she will go to overnight camp in a few years? She is only four years old – why does she need day camp?” Camp provides one of the very few links with a world larger than the consumer culture we inhabit – and day camp is one important choice in a quiver of options. The camp experience helps children and youth develop an appreciation of their place and their responsibility in a much larger universe. A preschooler –or even an older child who might be reluctant to go to overnight camp – can join a community that is created especially for her to practice growing up. Day camp can begin as early as age three, and is geared to children who get to experience camp and still return home each evening! They have the best of both worlds – the camp community which is built exclusively for kids and their own home which provides the security they need at a tender age. One day camp parent said, “While my children and I are constantly bombarded by the news which is focused on what is wrong with the world, camp is a living example of what is right.” Day camp is a terrifi c fi rst experience. Reminiscent of less complicated days, when people connected with nature, thrived on inter-generational relationships, and made new discoveries, everything is designed and scaled to ensure that children feel included, cared about, and capable. Beginning camp at an early age provides important advantages. To learn more about camp and child development, please visit the American Camp Association’s family-dedicated web site: www.CampParents.org, or call the toll-free number 1-800-428-CAMP (2267). Marla Coleman is the parent liaison at Camp Echo in Burlingham, New York. She is a co-owner of Coleman Family Camps, which includes Camp Echo and Coleman Country Day Camp. Originally printed in CAMP Magazine, reprinted by permission of the American Camp Association © 2005 American Camping Association, Inc. The Samuel Field Y/Central Queens Y invites you to our Third Annual Community Business Partnership Council Breakfast Wednesday, March 13, 2013 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. The Douglaston Manor 63-20 Marathon Parkway • Douglaston, NY 11362 To Honor Scott Levine & Howard Mann Our Community Is Everyone’s Business Scott Levine Minuteman Press of Bellerose Howard Mann Mash City Business Systems Ticket OR Name Listing: $100 Ticket AND Name Listing: $150 Pay tribute to our worthy honorees with a digital journal ad $250 – Business card ad; includes one event ticket $500 – Half page ad; includes two event tickets $1,200 and up includes full page ad, event tickets, and the benefits of Business Council membership. Advanced sponsorship levels are available. RSVP by March 1, 2013 For reservations and sponsorship information, contact Jennifer Colletti-Membreño at 718-225-6750 ext. 238 or email jcm@sfy.org SFY/CQY Business Council Advisory Committee Members Co-Chairs Jack Friedman, Executive Director, Queens Chamber of Commerce • Scott Levine, President, Minuteman Press of Bellerose • Richard Tanenbaum, Managing Partner, Tanenbaum Associates, LLP, Attorneys at Law Committee Members. Gus Buitrago, Vice President, Business Banking, Flushing Bank • Susan Cohen, Director of Community Relations, Brandywine Assisted Living • Chris Donovan, Advertising Account Executive, Daily News Ronald Fatoullah Esq., Attorney at Law, Ronald Fatoullah and Associates • David Fried, Vice President, Sterling & Sterling Insurance • Howard Mann, President, Mash City Business Systems Linda Marr, Vice President, Retail Relationship, Development Liaison, New York Community Bank • Ryan Walsh, Esq., Attorney at Law, Law Offices of Ryan J. Walsh and Associates Johnny Reyes, Vice President and Business Banker, Flushing Bank • Jacqueline Shirian, Branch Manager, Vice President, Sterling National Bank Rosie Pagan, Assistant Vice President, Assistant Retail Relationship, Development Liaison, New York Community Bank The Samuel Field Y, known as “The Everybody Place,” is a non-profit, multi-service agency with flagship sites in Little Neck, Bayside, Forest Hills, and 33 additional sites throughout the community that provides a diverse array of programs and services to over 35,000 people. Since our inception, almost 60 years ago, the Samuel Field Y has been dedicated to the core element of our mission – enhancing the quality of individual, family and communal life through service to people of all ages, ability levels, stages of life and backgrounds. FIRST/SECOND ROUNDS Queens, New York March 24 & 26 Carnesecca Arena All-Session Packages start at just $15! NCAA.com/tickets NCAA is a trademark of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
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