QNE_p068

QC04302015

48 The Queens Courier • kids & education • april 30, 2015 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com s kids & education FRESH AIR FUND KICKS OFF REGISTRATION AT YWCA IN FLUSHING BY ALINA SURIEL asuriel@queenscourier.com @alinangelica Some Queens kids are giving up summer in the city for a breath of fresh air. The YWCA of Queens in Flushing hosted a registration kickoff event April 23 for the Fresh Air Fund, a nonprofit that provides free summer experiences outside New York City for children from lowincome families. Families were able to register for the program while their children played a variety of card games with each other. The program has served 1.8 million youngsters since its creation in 1877. Jenny Morgenthau, executive director of the Fresh Air Fund, said that the program is educational because kids can learn new things and gain experiences they would not normally be able to have. According to Morgenthau, for many kids it is a first chance to go swimming, climb a tree, or see a sky full of stars without New York City’s light pollution. “On the most basic level, they look forward to fun,” Morgenthau said. “It’s an opportunity for children to be children and to play in a safe place.” Helen J. Kim, executive director of the Queens YWCA, said that her organization has been an outreach center for the Fresh Air Fund for the past four years, and that she hopes the partnership will continue to provide services to our community. “It’s very important for students in our community to have a chance to go out of the city environment to have a summer in the country,” Kim said. Previous attendees of the program said that the Fresh Air camps provided a welcome change from their everyday lives. “Life in the city is pretty busy. You’re always running from here to there and it’s so crowded,” said Frida, 14, who attended one of five Fresh Air camps on a 2,300-acre site in Fishkill, New York. “The trees and nature, everything calms you down from all the stress you get being in the city.” Even the youngest Fresh Air Fund kids had something to say about what they enjoyed in the program. “It’s different because I get to feed baby cows and squeeze milk from the big cows,” said Lia, 7. THE COURIER/Photo by Alina Suriel Children played in a recreation room at the YMCA while their parents signed them up for the Fresh Air Fund during a registration kickoff. VISIT US ON THE WEB OLSSCHOOLFP.ORG ENROLL TODAY SPACE IS LIMITED REGISTER NOW FOR 2015-16 K-8 FULL DAY PRESCHOOL & FULL/HALF NURSERY WHY OUR LADY OF THE SNOWS? 3 SMART Classrooms 3 Math & ELA Learning Centers 3 Brand New Apple Mac Computer Media Lab 3 iPad Availability for Students 3 Before and After-School Programs 3 Extracurricular Activities and Clubs 3 A Catholic Community with Quality Academics Our students are taught to reason clearly, think critically and judge wisely CALL AND SCHEDULE A TOUR TODAY! PHONE:718-343-1346 l EMAIL: OFFICE@OLSSCHOOLFP.ORG l WWW.OLSSCHOOLFP.ORG 79-33 258th STREET, FLORAL PARK, NY 11004 3315 Hillside Avenue New Hyde Park, NY 11040 (516) 746-www.templetikvah.org Bagels & Coffee | Meet Rabbi Sheinberg & Cantor Bonné Tour Our Religious School Classes | Join Us for Our Young Children’s Program Looking for… • A vibrant & growing religious school that teaches all children from Tot Shabbat through Hebrew High School, in a warm and supportive environment. • Active Junior and Senior Youth Groups. • A dynamic and inclusive community that believes in all families: interfaith, single-parent, adoptive, families with same-sex parents and those with children with special needs. • An affordable congregation where all are welcome. • A brand new, completely renovated sanctuary & fully accessible building. …Come home to Temple Tikvah. Located on the Queens/Nassau border JOIN US ON MAY 3, RSVP BY CALLING (516) 746-1120 OR EMAIL LISAE@TEMPLETIKVAH.ORG 1120 • Sunday, May 3, 2015 • 10 AM–NOON


QC04302015
To see the actual publication please follow the link above