Week 6 - Going Green

This week's theme was "Green and On The Scene." Campers made arts and crafts and played games that were inspired by being "green." Our campers definitely became more environmentally aware this week.

MVP started their week off with learning the ins and out of lacrosse and decorated their own sticks. On Tuesday they played America's favorite past time of football. They started off the beginning of August with soccer. Campers learned the game and had fun putting their skills into action. Along with other activities they also played basketball on Thursday. They also made their very own hackey-sacks out of balloons and sand.Tomorrow MVP campers are joining Discovery camp  in ending the week with a southern style barbeque.

Discovery had an awesome time this week learning about the how to preserve the environment and have fun at the same time! Campers had the experience to make to wind-chimes and banners made of recycled cans. Campers also played Crossover Dodge ball and many other exciting activities. On Wednesday,  campers had a fashion show reusing recycled and other materials. On Thursday, representatives from the Energy Service Corps, an affiliate of AmeriCorps and NJ Pirg, gave a fun and interesting lesson on the effects of pollution on our environment. The lesson had the Explorers and Voyagers play a game in which “dangers of environment“(kids wearing red tags) are represented through a tag-like game where the dangers gradually destroy the “healthy environment” (kids wearing blue tags). Navigators and Pioneers learned about wind power and made paper kites. The all-camp activity utilized mud, in which campers had to use wheelbarrows to take leaves out of mud. On Friday the campers will have fun playing with water balloons. The week will close with a barbeque and a video montage in honor of our beloved camp director, Paul Zeger, who is moving on to Boston.

Camper with Ms. Collough

Super Science campers at the Liberty Science Center

Mr. Gelperin acts out the functions of the nose.

Our specialty camp, Super Science, has had a lot of hands on experiences this wee all types of sciences. On Monday, they explored engineering in a Spaghetti-Marshmallow Building contest to see which group could build the tallest, and most stable tower. On Tuesday, campers took a trip to the Liberty Science Center. The kids explored the many topics that the center had to offer like the earth, the ocean, technology, chemistry, different animals, the human body, food, and health. They went through the pitch-black Touch Tunnel where they could only use their senses to get through it, to see what it was like being a nocturnal animal. They also learned about the environment and the different ways that we can protect nature. The workers helped the kids understand the benefits of solar and wind energy. Campers also got visit the aquarium and see some rare species that you wouldn't typically see on a regular trip to the beach. Super Science went to Princeton University's Peyton Observatory on Wednesday. They got a lecture from one of the scientists who talked about galaxies, planets, and stars, and about what you see when you look up into the sky . Thursday, campers got visits from 3 scientists. The firsts was Fran McManus of the Princeton School Gardens Cooperative. She presented "Connected the Senses Through Food," where she talked about chemistry and taste and taught the campers the five basic tastes- sweet, salty, bitter, umami. Ms. McManus gave the campers samples of different foods like fruits, veggies, chocolate and cheese asked them to describe the taste. They also experimented with how salt and lemon can change the taste of foods. After that, Dr. Alan Gelperin, from the Department of Molecular Biology at Princeton University, showed campers how the nose functions in The Nose Knows. He explained that the nose sends signal to the brain and has the kids act it to really understand the process. Dr. Gelperin also brought real sheep brains for the campers to hold and showed them where our olfactory senses register in the brain. At the end of the day Ms. Karen McCullough showed the kids "Microbiology and Horseshoe Crabs." She talked about her work in microbiological testing and control and explained to the campers about how horseshoe crabs are an important part of keeping our medicine safe. Dawn said "I see them a lot at the beach, near Delaware Bay!" The campers also got to hold real horseshoe crabs! On Friday the Super Science campers will go to Community Park North and enjoy wildlife and nature.

Leadership Academy started off the week by helping distribute food at the Crisis Ministry Food Pantry on Tuesday. On Wednesday, campers spent the day baking delicious goods such as key lime bars, almond biscotti, brownies, and more, for their bake sale on Thursday. All profits will go to Christine's Hope for Kids, a local fund whose mission is for kids to help other kids in need. The sale was such a success that it will be continued Friday morning, concluding this session of Leadership Academy. We would like to wish campers Hao and Du best of luck, as they will be returning to China shortly.

Parents, we've posted our 2012 Midsummer Camp Survey on the right side of this page, in the Links section. Please take a minute to evaluate us so that we can make camp better for your children for the rest of the summer and for future years. The survey closes this Friday, August 3rd at 11:59 PM, so please respond by then. Thanks in advance!