The North Star: The Official Blog of North Shore Day Camp

Get to Know Our Staff! Support Staff

2012-05-23T19:54:30Z

Recently we posted an article on “Get to Know Our Staff – Division Leaders” where we introduced our Division Leaders to you! Today, we’d like to introduce our Support Staff to you. They take care of everything from planning all the wonderful activities that we get to do with your children every day at camp, to taking care of the boo-boos and sometimes icky feelings when your child does not feel well, to making sure we are all eating healthy lunches and snacks while having fun!

Ruth Nathanson, Office Manager
Ruth has been our year-round office manager since 1993. She says that her priority is to make sure that all families feel comfortable enrolling their children at camp. Yet we all know that she is and does much, much more than that. She is the epitome of the loving, nurturing environment that is the essence of North Shore Day Camp.

Susan Passaro, Summer Office
“This will be my 16th summer at North Shore Day Camp. I love working at North Shore because it gives me the opportunity to be part of a fabulous summer experience for all the North Shore families. During the school year, I teach a Kindergarten class at a public school in Kew Garden Hills. The class is made up of general education students and students on the spectrum with ASD. Watching the natural friendships that form between children, regardless of their different abilities and interests is one of the many reasons why I love teaching and love my summers at North Shore.”

Susan Mechanic, Health Center Director
This will be Susan’s 14th year at North Shore. During the school year she is a school nurse in East Meadow. “I have been a nurse for over thirty years and this is my twenty-fourth summer as a camp nurse. Our office helps make sure that the fun time everyone has at camp is also a safe and healthy one”.

Anna Nemazi, Nurse
Anna’s vast nursing background includes many years as a staff nurse and assistant nurse manager in a local Queens emergency department. “I am counting the days until camp begins! Although I am a new staff member at NSDC, I am no stranger here. My children and I have been part of the NSDC family for 5 years, and I am so excited to be joining the Health Center in making sure everyone at camp has a safe, healthy and fun summer!”

Lisa Safier, Program Director
This is Lisa’s 15th year here, starting as a counselor, and now in her 12th year as Program Director. “I have always had a love for camp… and I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my summers…I feel the same way about camp today as I did when I was a child… I am looking forward to another fabulous summer at North Shore and my goal is to make this summer’s program the best one yet.”

Marcy Kandel, Assistant Program Director
“I am excited to be here for my 6th summer at North Shore Day Camp, along with my children. As a mother of triplets, my priority is always what makes children happy. I am a camper at heart, and I believe that camp should be filled with friends and fun – which is what I am proud to be a part of at NSDC. I know that this summer will be the best one yet!”

Irene Leahy, Food Services Director
Irene holds the record for longevity at North Shore Day Camp: 23 years! During the year she is the Manager/Chef for the Locust Valley High School and Middle School. She and her staff work hard preparing and serving the freshest and healthiest meals in day camping.

Steve Duboff, Security Officer
This summer marks Steve’s 11th year at NSDC and we’re so glad to have him with us. The friendly and efficient manner in which he greets you at our gates has certainly made all visitors feel welcome. During the year he works for security at a Nassau County School District. “Have a good day and let’s be careful out there!”

Juliette Can’t Wait to Get Back to Camp!

2012-05-17T18:50:20Z

Juliette is 7 years old and lives in East Hills with her parents, little brother Christian and two dogs Dakota and Melbourne. She is going into the second grade in September. Juliette loves learning about Marine life and is active in the The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation. She visited the Marine Hospital and attended a rehabilitated seal release program over this past school Spring Break. Juliette also raises money for Island Harvest by selling her paintings to family and friends. All of the donations made from her artwork go directly to those favorite charities. Juliette has received accolades from Island Harvest and a letter thanking her for her contributions that help end childhood hunger on Long Island. Juliette’s other hobbies are spending time with her friends, gymnastics, and playing the guitar.

1) What is the #1 thing you love most at camp?
I love seeing and being with my camp friends!

2) What was the funniest thing that ever happened to you at camp?
The funniest thing that happened at camp was last year when the bubbles BURST from one of my Wonderworks project.

3) What is your favorite memory from last summer?
My favorite memory was climbing to the top of the Tower of Power and how great that made me feel. I was able to get over my fear of heights and I couldn’t have done it without my counselors who were all there to cheer me on!

4) Describe camp using only 3 words:
FUN, ACTIVITIES, AWESOME…

5) What are you most looking forward to doing this summer?
I can’t wait to see my friends and my counselors again!!!!

Get to Know Our Staff! Division Leaders

2012-05-17T22:00:53Z

There are a lot of components that go in to making North Shore Day Camp the best day camp that there is, one of the most important being our Division Leaders. These men and women care and oversee the day-to-day needs of our campers from the moment they bounce off the bus, throughout the day, getting your children back on the bus to go home, and every other moment in between! So we wanted to give you a sneak peak at who you’ll be hearing from shortly right before camp starts. Your Division Leader will be calling you soon to introduce themselves!

Felisa Myer, Assistant Division Leader, Stepping Stones
This will be Felisa’s 5th summer at NSDC. She spent the past three summers as a group leader, playing and laughing with her kindergarten girls. “I am very excited about my leadership role at NSDC and spending another wonderful summer making sure my campers have a summer filled with lots of fun and friendships.” During the school year, Felisa is a reading teacher at the Lakeville Elementary School in Great Neck.

Allison Loring, Division Leader, Stepping Stones
This is Allison’s 6th summer at NSDC. “Each day at camp is filled with adventure, laughter and fun. It is a joy to watch the Stepping Stones grow throughout the summer from their swimming skills, to trying new foods, to building friendships and much more. I cannot wait for the 2012 summer to begin!” During the year, Allison teaches second grade at the Glen Head School.

Debbie Strashun, Division Leader, Stepping Stones
“This is my 16th summer at NSDC. I am a nursery school teacher at Temple Beth Torah during the school year. I hope all my campers have a fun summer, with lots of new friends and memories!”

Judi Vandow, Division Leader, 1st & 2nd Grade Boys
This will be Judi’s 13th summer with us. “I love sharing in the many positive changes that the campers and staff experience, from the time they first arrive at the beginning of the summer, through their last day of camp.” During the rest of the year she is also our Associate Director.

Sima Lis, Division Leader, 2nd Grade Girls
“I am looking forward to my 7th year at North Shore Day Camp, as are my two girls who have grown up at camp. I am looking forward to running, playing, and swimming with my campers and making their summer as enriching as possible. By using my comprehensive formal education and completing my second Masters of Education, I look forward to having a diverse age range of children and engaging them in different advancing and broadening experiences throughout the summer and year.”

David Richman, Division Leader, 5th & 6th Grade Boys
This is David’s 7th year with us. NSDC has been a part of his family for the past eight years. Both of his children have attended camp as well. During the year, he teaches Global History to 9th and 10th graders. “As a child, I spent every summer in camp, and made friendships that have lasted to this day. I hope you have the summer of your life, and remember, Camp is about making friends and building memories that will last a lifetime.”

Mike Marinello, Division Leader, 3rd & 4th Grade Boys
His 3rd year with us, Michael has a great deal of experience in camping having been the director of a sleep away camp. He is a Physical Education teacher in the Huntington school district. He is an EMT, First Aid and CPR instructor and a CPO. He’s also the father of two little girls who will be joining him at camp. Mike is a tremendous asset to our camp and a wonderful addition to our leadership team. “A fun and exciting summer at NSDC will create a lifetime of happy memories for your child. I am thrilled to be a part of your campers’ summer experience. On you mark. Get set. CAMP!”

Rob Rothenberg, Division Leader, Voyagers
Rob joined our North Shore family 10 years ago. During the year he is a High School Assistant Principal for Physical Education and Security. He has been in camping for over 20 years and has served as a camp waterfront Director for 15 of those years. “I wish that all of our campers have a rich, rewarding and safe experience.”

Joni Iacono, Division Leader, 1st Grade Girls
Joni joined us 11 years ago. She has been an Elementary school teacher in Queens and currently teaches Fourth grade on Long Island. “As an educator for the past twenty years, I have acquired many skills to help children develop their own sense of self as well as learn to be successful in a social setting. I am looking forward to a fun-filled summer chock full of new friends and experiences.”

Jill Corwin, Division Leader, 3rd & 4th Grade Girls
“This is my 6th year at NSDC and I am so excited for another amazing summer! I have been teaching for over twelve years in the Port Washington School District as a literacy specialist and love having the opportunity to be working with children over the summer. North Shore is such an incredible camp. I love watching children grow and trying new things. Young or old, North Shore is the place to be. Summer at North Shore Day Camp can’t come soon enough for me and my own two children!”

Andrea Last, Division Leader, 4th, 5th & 6th Grade Girls
“This is my 19th summer at NSDC. I am a School Secretary at P.S. 135Q during the year. I started at North Shore Day Camp as a Specialist and “Mom” and worked in many different areas within the camp. I also worked at North Shore Day School for 5 years, which gave me the background and expertise to get me where I am today. Nothing makes me happier than to see the girls having a great summer and making new friends.”

Hilary Bressler, Division Leader, Voyagers
“This is my 15th summer at North Shore Day Camp, the past 9 years as Division Leader of the Voyager program. This teen travel program enables me to learn more about your children as we spend time together during our journeys to cities and places of interest. The Voyager campers are smart and eager to grow and learn through our trips, discussions and events. Your children also get to experience what it is like to be a counselor through our Mentoring program. During the year, I am Sales Manager and Event Coordinator at Robbie Wagner’s Tournament Training Tennis Center where I see many of our campers and parents, and share stories of the previous summer. It is a gift to be around young people – one that I cherish and accept with love.”

Designed for SUCCESS – Engineered for FUN!

2012-05-02T18:21:07Z

Here at camp, we are always striving to bring our campers and their families the very best summer experience. North Shore Day Camp is designed for success, but engineered for fun! This year, we are introducing several enhancements to our already wonderful summer program:

Academic Enrichment Program
In our efforts to continually add new, exciting, relevant and fun, programs, we are introducing an optional educational enrichment program for campers in kindergarten through fifth grades this summer. The state of the art computer-based learning program will provide your camper with opportunities during the camp day and either before or after camp to pursue enrichment and/or remediation in the areas of math, science and language arts. The program will be hosted in our computer room where campers will be guided and supervised by our computer teacher who will follow and track their progress throughout the summer. The engaging, interactive programs are aligned to the Core Curriculum State Standards and will be geared towards each camper’s individual needs, allowing them to work at their own pace.

Flexible Summer Schedule
We are now offering our camp families an even more flexible summer camp experience. We understand that families have a lot going on in their lives – especially during the summer months. So we want to work with you to meet your needs. We’re proud to introduce our new 3, 5, 7 or any 4 week programs. When added to our existing 1st 4 weeks, last 4 weeks, any 6 weeks or Full Summer programs, you really can tailor your child’s camp attendance! Whatever works for you will work for us!

Last year we brought to you our miniature golf program which was a HUGE success! This year we are:

Repaving both the Upper Camp and Stepping Stones Go-Cart Tracks and installing brand new colorful Race Car barriers to surround the tracks
Installing brand new tennis courts
Installing brand new basketball courts with new backstops
Installing a gorgeous new path in Stepping Stones Village

This is just a taste – lots more exciting things coming for Summer 2012! Contact us to learn more about any of our new programs! We’d love to talk to you.

Emerging Professionals In Camping

2012-04-18T17:38:32Z

While we’ve been known to have some pretty great folks around here, did you know that some of our staff members are EPIC? We’ll explain – The American Camp Association has a program called EPIC (Emerging Professionals In Camping) that is designed to help young professionals in the camp industry grow into the leaders of tomorrow.

The program strives to connect emerging professionals in camping from around the country to create a network that helps educate and create opportunities for them to grow in the jobs, and also to contribute back to the larger camp community. Through out the year, there are also several community service projects (like the food drive seen in the photo above) that members can opt to participate in.

Here at the TLC Family of Camps, we’re always looking for ways to help our staff grow and learn to better meet the needs of our camp families. So, last month, several members of our staff had the opportunity to take part in the EPIC Workshop that was held on the Tuesday before the Tri-State Camp Conference in Atlantic City. This year, guest speaker Steve Maguire focused on the topics of Team Building and Leadership. Being a professional speaker and having had lots of experience with different groups of people (teachers, students, campers and athletes!), he shared stories of how he has learned to successfully create a team atmosphere while also being an effective leader and role model. Steve was a very enthusiastic & inspiring speaker, and left the group energized.

From the first icebreakers of the day, each of the EPIC participants got to become part of a larger “team” while also learning effective ways to implement what they learned back in to their own camps back at home.

We’re excited to see how our EPICs utilize & incorporate what they learned in to the Summer of 2012!

Test Drive Camp at Our Open House – April 22nd

2012-04-11T17:27:31Z

Selecting the right camp for your child is both important and impactful. Camp is, for most people, an experience that can last for six or more years (with memories that last for many decades after!) At North Shore Day Camp, we know that such a big decision shouldn’t be made lightly. Our Open House allows your child an opportunity to see what camp is all about, while giving you, as parents, a close-up look at our facilities, program, supervision and philosophy.

Open House this Spring will be held on Sunday, April 22 from 11am – 3pm. We invite you to stop by during that time and participate with other prospective campers and their families in the activities, spirit, fun and excitement that takes place at camp. We’ll give you an introduction to our facilities, program and staff for parents and campers.

Some questions that you may want to consider asking:

What is a typical day like?
What does my child need to bring to camp?
How many children are in each group?
How are the counselors selected/hired?
Can I request for my child to be placed in the same group as a friend?
Is there a nurse at camp every day?
Is there a bus counselor in addition to the bus driver?

Selecting the right camp can be a challenging process, and we’re here to make that process easier for you. So swing by on Sunday, April 22 from 11am to 3pm and test drive North Shore Day Camp for a few hours with your children!

Tri-State Camp Conference 2012

2012-04-04T19:05:01Z

A few short weeks ago, the TLC Family of Camps traveled down to Atlantic City for the American Camp Association’s annual Tri-State Camp Conference. Camp professionals from all over the country gathered from Wednesday to Friday at the largest conference of its kind to share information with some of the greatest minds in the camping industry.

One might ask; what actually goes on at the Tri-State Camp Convention? Well, let us explain! There are dozens of different seminars happening simultaneously during any given moment on any given day. Anything ranging from new programmatic ideas to capital projects to customer service, the seminars’ purpose is to give Camp Directors and their leadership teams new perspectives and ideas for the upcoming summer. We also enjoy walking through the exhibit hall and getting an opportunity to chat with vendors about different products and services that can help make each summer better for our families – we’re always keeping our eyes open for the next big thing!

We like to say that if we can walk away from the conference with a few things that we learned to improve the upcoming summer, then it was most definitely a success!

The Camp Conference also means one thing: CAMP IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER! With only 89 days left until summer 2012, we can’t wait to take what we learned at the conference and make the summer of 2012 the best one yet!

Spotlight on Shaq!

2012-03-29T19:31:47Z

Name: Shaqunna (I’m in the back row on the left!)
Nickname: Shaq
Hobbies: Reading, bowling and cosmetology

My name is Shaqunna Reyes, but everyone calls me “Shaq.” I’m 31 years old and I live Queens. During the school year, I am a special education teacher in one of the high schools in Queens.

Back in 2002, a friend of mine worked at North Shore Day Camp and suggested that I apply for a job since I love working with children. Ten years later, it’s still as rewarding as it was my very first summer. I currently hold the position of group leader for the 1st grade boys division.

What I love most about NSDC is that it’s like a rite of passage for children. I absolutely love to see the transformation of our campers. They are like these amazing, beautiful little butterflies that go through a complete metamorphosis. They start off the summer coming to camp in a protected cocoon and then somewhere along the way, they break out of their shells and become these amazing, outgoing, daring little people! Like butterflies soaring to new heights!

I can’t wait for this summer to roll around – Only 95 more days until I get to meet my new campers!

Keeping Our Campers Active – Let’s Move!

2012-03-12T20:16:00Z

First Lady Michelle Obama has been very busy lately, making the rounds to television shows like Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and The Ellen Show and showing up at the CIAA Basketball Tournament to promote her healthy living campaign, “Let’s Move!”

We certainly admire her dedication and it also reinforces what we do here at TLC. Teaching children how to make smart choices, practice healthy behaviors, and how to live active lifestyles are important parts of the camp experience. By giving our campers the opportunities to make their own choices in an environment that encourages active, healthy living, we’re actively promoting those values that Ms. Obama is championing. We offer a variety of choices when it come to being active – campers have the opportunity to participate in all kinds of sports (baseball, softball, basketball, tennis, tetherball, gaga), water activities (instructional swimming, water slides) and electives (wall climbing, mountain biking, zip-line) throughout each day at camp.

Ms. Obama explains, “Thirty years ago, most people led lives that kept them at a healthy weight. Kids walked to and from school every day, ran around at recess, participated in gym class, and played for hours after school before dinner. Meals were home-cooked with reasonable portion sizes and there was always a vegetable on the plate. Eating fast food was rare and snacking between meals was an occasional treat. Today, children experience a very different lifestyle. Walks to and from school have been replaced by car and bus rides. Gym class and after-school sports have been cut; afternoons are now spent with TV, video games, and the internet. Parents are busier than ever and families eat fewer home-cooked meals.”

We’re happy that Ms. Obama is placing so much focus on topics that are very important to us here at camp, and so close to what we do each day of every summer. Check out the videos below to see her face-off with Jimmy Fallon in a Fitness Challenge (including a potato sack race & tug-o-war!) and challenge Ellen DeGeneres to a push-up contest. Then, watch Beyonce’s music video for the campaign, “Move Your Body” and learn the choreography!

Questions for Camper: Jeffrey

2012-02-15T19:04:21Z

Hi, My name is Jeffrey P. I am 14 years old and live in Greenvale, New York. I have been at NSDC since I was a little kid and I am always looking forward to going back each summer. At home and at camp, I love to play tennis. During the school year I am always really occupied between school and tennis. I have 1 dog and his name is Duke. He is a lab chowchow mix. I also have 2 cats named Patches and Scotchie – they’re calico twins which is pretty rare. At camp, I am part of the Voyagers group and I LOVE taking the 4-day overnight trips and being with all my friends.

1) What is the #1 thing you love most at camp?
I love all the trips we take in the Voyagers group.

2) What was the funniest thing that ever happened to you at camp?
The funniest thing that ever happened to me was when the counselors were racing in the pool and fell off their floats!

3) What is your favorite memory from last summer?
My favorite memory from last summer was when I got to camp on the first day and I got to see all my friends.

4) Describe camp using only 3 words:
Fun, Exciting, Friendly

5) What are you most looking forward to doing this summer?
Going to Washington DC on a camp trip with all my friends!