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Camp Owners Share Closing Thoughts for Sleepaway Camp Decisions

Sleepaway Camp for Next Summer?

There’s still time for families to win $5,000 toward camp next summer. Offer ends Sept. 15.

Each year a new crop of prospective camper families will decide which camp their children will attend and embark on a journey at sleepaway camp that will take them through a significant period of time in their formative years. Sleepaway camp is an invaluable place where kids build skills, make new discoveries, help others, become more independent, relish time-honored traditions, become part of a universal community, and develop lifelong friendships. Below are key timeframes to keep in mind for planning summer at sleepaway camp.

Camp Selection Criteria: When deciding which camps to contact, families can help narrow down the pool by asking themselves: Coed or single gender? 7-week or shorter sessions? Religious or not? Uniform or not? Programming that is very structured, more fluid with electives or a combination of these? Swim in lake or pool? Daily waterfront activities? Vacation destination opportunities? Those with children with medical or special needs should discuss this early on to establish if a camp is equipped to accommodate these.

As the 2012 summer camp season comes to a close and sleepaway camps bid their campers adieu, owners of camps in Maine share some of their most memorable moments from this season.

On the last day of their camper career, the 37 members of The Lodge, Andro’s oldest age group, each wrote and handed a thank you note to the one staff member each believed to have had the most impact on them over the course of their summers. Hard to tell who was more appreciative – the boy who wrote the note or the counselor who received it.

– Camp Androscoggin, Peter Hirsch (owner/director)

Meaningful friendships!; Mad skill building!; Wilderness trips!; Peanut butter pie!; Northwood Farm Jumping Derby!; Talent Show!; Competition!

– Camp Runoia, Pam Cobb Heuberger (owner/director)

We changed a “trip day” so that it was devoted to the whole camp spending time at our lake and found that the most beautiful relaxing community adventure could be spent right in our own backyard. Also, sharing time in the organic garden with campers and picking vegetables for dinner – it’s a great experience for campers – especially those from the city.

– Hidden Valley Camp, Peter and Meg Kassen (owners/directors)

The unbelievable and exciting transformation we see in campers and the feedback from their parents about how their girls learn to “believe in themselves, contribute to a community on a profound level and connect with their inner light.” Families express that camp makes a “profound difference” in their children’s lives and that these campers “carry the experiences in their hearts.”

– Camp Matoaka, Jason Silberman (owner/director)

The final scene of our camp show “The Wizard of Oz” Dorothy clicks her heels together and says “there’s no place like camp, there’s no place like camp, there’s no place like camp,” the curtain opens to reveal a beautiful twilight view across camp. There was not a dry eye in the house, from our 70-year office manager to the youngest first year campers. The show was brilliant, and this touch especially so, because all of us can relate. Any day that isn’t the summer, everyone wishes they had those ruby slippers and the ability to just be at camp again, watching another day end in the Maine woods.

– Maine Teen Camp, Matt & Monique Pines (owners/directors)

In addition to our treasured rituals such as the Banquet and Awards ceremony, we cherish the moments when we are most vulnerable here, away from our parents, building relationships and developing a better sense of our self. As camp ends for the summer, we help campers and counselors find closure to their summer lives. We have a mixture of celebratory and solemn, we reflect on our achievements and our failures, the persons we were when we first came to camp and the persons we are now. There will be Birch Rock cheers, tearful goodbyes, and promises to stay in touch. Campers will hug each other, they will hug the staff members, they will say “thank you” and mean it.

– Birch Rock Camp, Richard Deering (owner/director)

August 31, 2012
The Discovery Museums Celebrate 30 Years of Inspiring Curiosity
The Museums Kick Off Twelve Months of Special Programs and Events

Master Plan for Expansion Underway

The Discovery Museums in Acton announced today a 12-month celebration of its 30^th anniversary marked by special programs, events, discounts and prizes.
- The celebration kicked off with a two-day party for dinosaur mascot Bessie’s 30^th birthday in June, attended by more than 1,000 people.
- This fall the Museums will hold an anniversary gala hosted by NPR’s Robin Young, and during a week in September will roll back to the 1982 admission price of $2.00.
- There will be a special members-only event tied to a new science exhibit opening in December, and on the 30^th of each month all visitors can be entered into a drawing for a free membership.
- Free admission will be offered on Friday nights all summer and the first Friday of every month.
A master plan for expansion of the facilities on the 4.5-acre campus is currently underway, with objectives to expand permanent exhibit space, create a gallery space for traveling exhibits and public events, and build-out the Museums’ outdoor education space.
August 29, 2012
FREE Family Drop In Art Classes at the New Art Center This Fall

FREE Family Art Classes at the New Art Center

Drop-in Family Visit

Free Drop-in Family Connections Visit, where the gallery becomes the classroom and the art studio. Join us for a guided tour, art activities inspired by the exhibition, and a scavenger hunt.During Out of the Ruins: Reimagining the Romantic Tradition

September 29, 2012 from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM

Location: New Art Center

Drop-in Family Visit

Free Drop-in Family Connections Visit, where the gallery becomes the classroom and the art studio. Join us for a guided tour, art activities inspired by the exhibition, and a scavenger hunt.During New Media/Fresh Paint II deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum’s Corporate Program

November 17, 2012 from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM

Location: New Art Center

August 27, 2012
Clothing Donations That Directly Go Towards Helping People

Recycling Clothes In Newton

Dear Mia,

I came across your church online when I was searching for places in Newton that accept clothing donations. Does the church provide the clothing to anyone that needs it? Or are proceeds from selling the clothing used to help support programs? I am in the process of cleaning my apartment and would love to be able to donate some clothes. Please let me know if you are accepting clothing and where I should donate.

Many thanks,
Kari

————–

Hi Kari,

I blog on Newton at ILoveNewton.com but I am afraid I am not affiliated with a church at the moment. I found a link to Newton which lists all the places that takes recycling. I hope this is useful to you.

Newton Recylopedia

Recycle, Reuse, and Donate List

GOT STUFF? Post your items to sell, swap, or give away on 2good2waste.com/Newton

Remember: ALWAYS call first before making a donation!

Children’s Clothing, Toys

CRADLES TO CRAYONS BOSTON

(617)779.4700, 155 North Beacon St, Brighton, MA 02135
Support kids in need with essential items for growth. Accepts new arts and craft supplies, school supplies and gently used kids clothing and toys. Check their website for a full list of items they accept. You can drop off any donations at their headquarters in Brighton.

EPILEPSY FOUNDATION
(888)322-8209 Provides drop-off locations and also does curbside pick ups. Accepts clothing, media, housewares, bedding, electronics, furniture, sporting goods, musical instruments and more. All donations benefit the Epilepsy Foundation of New England. Please see website for accepted materials and how to donate.

Clothing

Accepted at the Recycling Depot during open hours and in clothing donation containers located in parking lots throughout the community. All types of textiles, including shoes and belts and stuffed animals, can be recycled. All clothing, fabric, and household textiles (tablecloths, sheets) collected must be clean and dry, but it is okay if they are ripped, stained or damaged. No wet, mildewy textiles. No items contaminated with oil, paint, or hazardous materials.

BOOMERANGS/AIDS ACTION COMMITTEE
(617) 323-0262, 1870 Centre St. West Roxbury, MA
Accepts donations of furniture, clothing, housewares, books, CDs, giftware, and more. Proceeds are used by AIDS Action for AIDS education and prevention programs, as well as to directly assist people living with HIV/AIDS. They also have locations in Jamaica Plain, Cambridge, and Boston.

EPILEPSY FOUNDATION
(888)322-8209 Provides drop-off locations and also does curbside pick ups. Accepts clothing, media, housewares, bedding, electronics, furniture, sporting goods, musical instruments and more. All donations benefit the Epilepsy Foundation of New England. Please see website for accepted materials and how to donate.

Jeans

COTTON. FROM BLUE TO GREEN. (for schools)

Recycle your jeans into insulation. Accepts donations from schools and retailers only.

August 24, 2012
Sleep Specialist and Blogger, Dr. Craig Canapari
How Much Sleep Do Teens Need?

The final doctor to present at the MassGeneral Hospital for Children blogger event was sleep heir-t0-Dr. Ferber, Dr. Craig Canapari. He’s also a blogger and is active on Twitter. In fact, I was tweeting with him late one night, thinking the irony — shouldn’t we both be sleeping?!

Not only is he a fun guy and dad, but he had some concrete advice for kids who sleep poorly:
- For “Restless Leg Syndrome” when kids say their legs need to move, try getting them tested for iron. Often times, more iron is the fix.
- How much sleep do teens need? Teenagers need 9 hours of sleep but here’s the kicker: their school starts the earliest AND their circadian rhythm starts to shift later and later at the onset of puberty. Teens not waking up until noon? It’s their body clock! Seriously! This fix is to slowly reset their body clock earlier by going to bed 15 minutes earlier each night until the desired time is set. The challenge is to maintain this sleep schedule even during weekends and vacations.
- Bad Sleep versus No Sleep. Kind of the same thing. Poor sleep or no sleep affects the same part of the brain as ADHD.
- Natural Sleep Remedy. One sleep remedy is the over the counter supplement Melatonin. Dr. Canapari confirmed that you can’t overdose on it. It’s a very safe supplement. Take 2-3 hours before desired bedtime as a sleep aid.
You gotta love a doctor who is plugged in on Social Media. Check out his blog here. He’s active on Facebook and Twitter too.

Here are some of his tweets:

The Science Behind Why Power Naps Help You Stay Productive and Creative http://buff.ly/OLDLpS only issue is that naps can delay sleep onset

Food Allergy Buzz: Will He Grow Out Of Asthma http://wp.me/p2eNvP-93

And what is he like? He’s extremely personable and should have his own TV show! Oprah, take note!
August 22, 2012
Food Allergy Research Program at MassGeneral Hospital for Children
Dr. Wayne Shreffler is the Director of the Food Allergy Center at MassGeneral Hospital for Children. I was at a blogger event at MassGeneral and met several very impressive and dedicated doctors. Dr. Shreffler expertise in allergies brought up all kinds of questions from parent bloggers:

Why Have Food Allergies Become Such a Problem?

There are many theories but no answers. According to Dr. Shreffler:
- Genetics play a role
- Hygiene Hypothesis
- Western diet
- Vitamin D
- Geography/Cultural
- Exposure Route
What does this mean for parents?
- Our Western diet has introduced intense processing that mirror the rise in food allergies.
- Vitamin D might have protective effects.
- Early introduction to possible allergens is now considered a good idea. This is new for me when advice from 10 years ago urged us to delay introduction to foods like eggs and peanut butter. Good thing I ignored it!
- Early eczema an indicator for allergies? It’s worth testing kids younger if they have eczema as babies.
He is also doing research in Oral Immunology Therapy which gives very small doses of allergic foods to kids to see if they build up resistance. This is the same theory in The Princess Bride where Wesley beat that really smart funny short bad guy in the poison-in-a-cup switcharoo. Turns out Wesley had been drinking small doses of poison for years to build up immunity.

The downside is that children with life threatening allergies can not participate in this study as it is too dangerous. The research is still not conclusive yet but this is a step in the right direction!

I thought this guy was rockstar smart and if my kids had food allergies, I would fight my way into his practice.
August 20, 2012
The Village Bank Awards $46,000 in Scholarships to Newton, Wayland students

Kenneth C. Brennan, president and CEO of The Village Bank, announced today that the Bank’s Auburndale Community Charitable Foundation has awarded a total of $46,000 in college scholarships to fifteen 2012 graduating high school seniors from Newton and Wayland.

The Bank’s total investment in education since the program began in 1988 now totals $396,000.

$10,000 Awards
Two of the 2012 recipients received scholarships in the amount of $10,000, with $2,500 to be awarded at the successful completion of each of the student’s four college years. The students are Kenya Heard, Wayland High School, and Kevin Wu, Newton North High School.

Candidates for the $10,000 awards were required to have demonstrated active involvement in local community and/or charitable causes.

“The Village Bank has always had a strong commitment to the community,” said Brennan. “The special $10,000 scholarships give us the opportunity to recognize local students who share that commitment.”

$2,000 Awards
One-time $2,000 scholarships were awarded to 13 graduating students from Newton and Wayland. They are:

Newton North High School – Madeleine Aquilina, Paige Grody, Lydia O’Connor, Emily Paley, Matias Page, Sarah Perlo, Alexandra Pini, and Stephanie Vitone.

Newton South High School – Emma Loeb and Saewon Park.

Wayland High School – Erik Halperin, Briana Mele, and Kayla Rice.

The Auburndale Community Charitable Foundation scholarships are funded in part by the Bank’s Annual Golf Classic at Woodland Golf Club. The success of the 2011 Classic allowed the Bank to expand its scholarship commitment again this year, said Brennan.

August 19, 2012
New Weight Center for Children (ENERGY) Starting at Mass General Hospital for Children
Weight Management Program for Kids

I went to a really great event at Mass General Hospital for Children and heard Dr. Christina Scirica, Director of Parenting for Health, Inspired for Health, and ENERGY (Exercise, Nutrition and Relaxation for Growing Youth). Yep, you guessed it from her complex title. She’s an expert on childhood health and weight with a background in Pediatric Pulmonary and Childhood Obesity. Surprisingly, these two areas are linked!

As a mother of kids herself, Dr. Scirica experienced weight issues with her own daughter who’s BMI was in the 96% when she was four years old. Taking matters into her own hands, she found healthy solutions to bring her daughter’s weight chart on a downward decline. As a mom, she worried that her daughter might have body image issues if she nagged about snacking and weight. Instead, she focuses on mindful eating, healthy food choices and a healthy lifestyle that includes daily exercise.

Now, as the head of ENERGY, she is bringing a program to Mass General Hospital that will also roll out into their associated network of hospitals including Newton-Wellesley Hospital. This is a weekly family based weight management program for children ages 10 years old and older.

And she shared some helpful concrete advice:
- She discourages using food as a treat.
- She discourages diets for children. Instead she promotes a healthy lifestyle.
- Eating at the table as a family helps to make meals a bonding experience.
- Think about the Quality/Quantity/Context of Food. Where are we eating? When are we eating? Why are we eating?
- Distracted eating = Overeating.
Things most parents don’t have to worry about (but still do) …
- Pleasing all palates. Don’t cook a different meal for kids.
- Is my child eating enough? Kids will not starve themselves.
- Will my child be hungry? Snacks. Don’t overpack just to give choices, especially when your child is in daycare or school all day. We’re conditioning kids to snack all day.
- Eating disorders. Statistically, this is rare.
This new ENERGY program will start in September at Mass General Hospital in Boston. Dr. Scirica is also on Twitter at @SciricaMD. I really liked her as person that I could relate to and want to hang out with. She’s very down to earth and funny to boot.
August 17, 2012
Edible Arrangements Scavenger Hunt to Win Prizes

Find Edible Arrangements’ ‘Summer Strawberry!’

The scavenger hunt is on to decipher the clues and determine which Edible Arrangements store ‘Summer Strawberry’ is visiting. The scavenger hunt will only be taking place in Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire stores*.

There will be four consecutive Wednesdays, from August 15-September 5, where ‘Summer Strawberry’ will be making an appearance during a pre-selected 2-hour time period.

Free Fruit and Fun!

Anyone who correctly deciphers the clues and finds ‘Summer Strawberry’ at the Edible Arrangements location within the designated 2-hour time period will receive free samples of smoothies, dipped fruit or fresh fruit salad.

Want to win prizes? Commenting on this blog post with the correct address/ store location where you found ‘Summer Strawberry’ OR emailing a picture of ‘Summer Strawberry’ to jkaye@carltonprmarketing.com will enter you to win the grand prize, a $200 Amazon gift card, or one of four arrangements!** Doing both will get you two entries!

If you are on Twitter and follow @DoFruitNE, tweeting a picture of ‘Summer Strawberry’ with a caption that includes the hashtag #ILoveFruit and will get you an additional entry. 3 chances to win!

Live too far from the selected store?
If you correctly decipher the clues but cannot make it to the selected location, you can still enter the contest by commenting the address/ store location of ‘Summer Strawberry’ on this blog post.

Better yet, you can visit YOUR local Edible Arrangements during the pre-selected 2-hour time period and mention that you are there because of scavenger hunt and you will receive a 6-piece box of dipped fruit!

* The scavenger hunt will only be taking place in Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire stores.

**Edible Arrangements and its public relations agency will not retain any email addresses during this promotion, other than to notify winners of the prizes awarded.
Clues:

Wednesday, August 15 from 11 A.M.- 1 P.M.
– ‘Summer Strawberry’ will be stopping by the easternmost portion of Massachusetts which is a huge New England tourist destination, especially during the summer months!

– This town has the initials ‘SY’ and is located between West Yarmouth and Dennis Port.

– The first traffic rotary in the United States is in this village at the intersection of River Street and Pleasant Street.

– This village is home to the Red Sox, no not the Boston Red Sox, the Red Sox that play in the Cape Cod Baseball League.

– ‘Summer Strawberry’ will be at the Edible Arrangements store located in a plaza near a popular pizza chain that shares its name with a classic game (if you get this answer, you’re spot on!) and songs by Van Morrison and most recently, Jessie J.

p.s. Winners must live within the Co-op territory (MA and southern NH)

August 15, 2012
Girls’ Soccer Cleat Exchange on Labor Day

To all NGS Families:

It’s time for the Bi-Annual Cleat Exchange!

Date: Monday, September 3rd (yes, it’s Labor Day)

Time: 11:00am – 3:00pm

Where: 35 Kingswood Road, Auburndale

(Take Comm. Ave. to Islington to Kingswood – map at http://newtongirlssoccer.org/announce/)

How it works: If you have old cleats cluttering closets bring them along and find a new pair that fits. Even if you don’t have any cleats to donate, bring your daughter on that Saturday to find a pair. It’s great fun!

Cleats are being accepted in advance at 59 Oxford Road, Newton Centre and 35 Kingswood Road, Auburndale. . . . or just bring them on September 3rd

Tell your friends!

August 13, 2012