The Hi-Hills Herald Issue #3
July 11, 2014
Top News at Hi-Hills Day Camp!
Being One With Nature Nature Week at Hi-Hills
This week at Hi-Hills, we are learning about nature and what it provides for us. We are exploring the grass and trees of Hi-Hills Day Camp and seeing the beauty of our world. Trivia is filled with nature questions and facts that blow us away! This week was an exciting week for upper bunk campers because they attended campout, an overnight filled with swimmimg, games and friends. The boys camped out on Tuesday and the girls stayed on Thursday. The campers had a fun time with their friends and counselors for a nature experience they won’t ever forget!
Campers are enjoying all of their daily activities, but what makes it even better is the #BeBetter Movement. We encourage campers to be proud of who they are and to work to be the best they can be. The race to be the best is underway for the Blue and Green teams. Campers are competing every day in activities and trivia, and even receive points for their good behavior! At the end of this fantastic week, campers and staff dressed in their best nature enthusiast outfits. There were fishing hats, binoculars and animals galore. We can’t wait for next week!
Celebrating our 47th Summer!
Table of Contents: Note from Camp Director Bunk Updates
2 3-6
Birthdays This Month
7
Dates to Remember
8
Program News
8-10
Upcoming Dress Days 11 Weekly Photography Tip 11 Leagues 11 Athletics 11 Trivia Winners 12 Counselors in Training 12 Teen Travel 12 Special Events 12
Gill St. Bernard’s School, 25 St. Bernard’s Road, Gladstone, NJ Phone: 908-234-0067 • Fax: 908-234-1611 • Email: info@hihills.com hihills.com • www.facebook.com/hihills
te o N A ur o m fro Camp rs to c e r i D
Hello Hi-Hills!
Dear Hi-Hills, Week three has come to a close, but not without new memories and lots of excitement moving into the weeks ahead! Both the boys’ and girls’ upper bunks had the fantastic opportunity to participate in campout. This was a particularly exciting opportunity for our campers where they got to stay overnight and participate in fun camp activities. There was extra swim time, followed by a barbeque, capture-the-flag and the infamous manhunt, s’mores galore and so much more! Our amazing counselors took care of games and activities, while our directors also got to join in the fun atmosphere. For many this was their first sleepover experience. Hi-Hills campouts for 2014 created many wonderful memories, bonded many friendships and tired out campers. By week three the camp is in its groove. Watching new friendships grow and listening to the giggles and laughter amongst counselors and campers is one of the many joys of camp. Friday we introduced our #BeBetter Movement which encourages our campers and staff to be pro-active with responsibility. Furthermore, the chase for the spirit stick has continued on with great hoo-ra from last week, while our campers continue to excel in specialty activities and are awarded badges for their efforts. From our many enrichment programs, such as Minecraft, to our hilarious skit by bunks 16 &18, the camp week finished out with great success. Enjoy the articles in this week’s issue to learn more about the events from week three. We look forward to seeing you all next week!
Cindy Wyatt – Director of Summer and Auxiliary Programs Nicole Spiotta – Assistant Director of Summer and Auxiliary Programs
Bunk Upda tes Bunk 1: Miss Kathleen’s Little Lambs We had a great week at camp. We have made so many new friends! Lucas enjoyed swimming with Auggie at the pool every day. Ryan was a natural in our arts and crafts lesson when he made beautiful flowers. Sydney loved getting to know the school playground that she will be playing on when she attends GSB in the fall. Jadesola is doing a great job swimming underwater. Ariel loves finishing off each meal she has for lunch with an apple. Calder had a great swing in tennis. Brooke looked forward to going to pony camp every day. Zoe was an expert in pottery and made a beautiful star. Ryden had all the moves down in yoga, especially tree pose. Chloe fit right in and made so many new friends. Each camper enjoyed all of our activities and loved participating.
Bunk 2: Miss Stefanie’s Playful Piglets This week the Playful Piglets grew to ten! Peyton enjoyed creating owls and flowers in arts and crafts. Gabriella crafted an owl with clay in pottery. Jake enjoyed playing tag on the big kid playground. Ellie tried to catch little fish in the stream with Mr. Nature. Barrett and Isabella have been enjoying pony camp, especially when they had the opportunity to dress up the ponies. Bianca had so much fun at tennis camp in the mornings. Mark continues to learn new skills during instructional swim. Avery showed his sporty side during relay races at athletics. Quinn loves climbing the AquaClimb in the pool. We had such a great week! We can’t wait to continue this awesome summer at Hi-Hills!
Bunk Upda tes Bunk 9: Electro Scorpions The Electro Scorpions participated in a variety of fun activities in week three. We had a lot of fun showing off our nature knowledge in daily trivia all week. We played a spirited game of Hi-Hills Ball in the gym with Ben’s team defeating Ethan’s in the final match. Perhaps best of all, we made the most of our pool time, with several of our campers passing the deep end test. Congratulations Brendan, Jack, Anthony and Alex! -Ben Green, Counselor
Bunk 10: Bedazzled Cheetahs Since nature is our bunk’s favorite activity, they were eager to jumpstart Nature Week! Bunk 10 girls all shot off the week with some bull’s-eyes at archery. They also joined crocheting club this week and are always eager to continue working on their projects. Angela and Annabelle had strong strokes on the tennis court this week as well. They even created their own “water tennis ball” game with Marc, Emily and I. It was a hit! Ava and Ellie were able to tell us a ton of new information about butterflies when they got the trivia question correct this week! These girls are full of so much knowledge. Overall it was a terrific third week here at camp! -Betsy Swartz, Counselor
Bunks 11 & 13: T he Vikings Week three brought the Vikings some great memories. The weather was much more manageable and the campers were able to spend more time comfortably outdoors. The most notable event of the week was the bunk campout. Many of the campers of bunk 13 participated in a continuous day of non-stop activities such as capture-the-flag, special swim and an extreme tournament of gaga. Even with the storm, the day wrapped up nicely to a calm finish. Both bunks look forward to next week, and bunk 11 especially anticipates their late night stay coming soon in weeks to come. -CJ Blasi, Counselor
Bunk Upda tes Bunks 16 & 18: Magical Minions Our Magical Minions have had an exciting week in spite of the warm temperatures. They’ve been working really hard on our skit for the end of the day on Friday and they have created their own props. They have done an amazing job on it and are looking forward to showing everyone their performance. In leagues, the Majestic Dragons are in the lead with more wins while the Super Mighty Lions did a great job in tennis baseball and basketball. Emma had a triple play in tennis baseball. Jordan and Elizabeth scored in basketball to win the game. Lastly, campout is always an event that the girls look forward to with so many fun things to do! Have a great weekend ladies! -Maria Diaz, Counselor
Bunks 12 & 14: Double Trouble Double Trouble is back again for week three. We had a great week for clubs where Ellie and Lea explored the stream in nature club. In drama club, Anna had all her lines memorized for the play. Anjola made a lot of progress in the new crocheting club, quickly picking up the different techniques. In leagues, Caitlin made great saves at the goal. Cassidy made great improvements in low ropes where she tried new obstacles. Cindy and Ellie have made great improvements in the pool for instructional swim and always have a blast during free swim. We had a great time at campout and can’t wait to see everyone next week. -Megan DeMichael, Counselor
Bunk 15: T he Stormtroopers Week three has been the most eventful of camp yet, which started a little early by winning the first spirit stick of the summer last Friday. The Stormtroopers memorized a cheer and made masks and marched in chanting the imperial theme music. We set the bar high for the other bunks by winning and we look forward to another showdown this Friday. The campers also enjoyed an overnight experience at this year’s campout. We played dibble in the pool, gaga, capture-the-flag and ended the night with a movie. On Wednesday, our campers went on a fishing trip and set the record for catching the most fish with an outstanding eighteen catches. With a week as exciting as this, it’s hard to imagine what will be in store for week four. -Matt Rivas, Counselor
Bunk Upda tes Bunk 17: Wolf Pack It has been another great week here at Hi-Hills for both old and new campers alike. The Wolf Pack has really enjoyed yoga for the first time. We all reached our inner calm through the hectic weeks. Pottery creations are coming together and leagues are in full swing. The campers love to show off their athletic skills. On and off the field, bunk 17 is becoming one big happy family. -Taylor, Counselor
Weekly Photography Tip: From Mackenzie
Bunk Photos are now online and available to download!
Keep Clicking Whenever you want a cool action shot, the most important thing to do is to set up your camera and keep clicking the shutter button. The more photos that you take, the more opportunities you have to get a really cool action photo. Tell your friends to jump up in the air and take a photo of them when they are at the top of their jump. See what you capture!
Birthdays T his Month July 4 : Joshua Monto,
July 13: Connor Udoff
James Kolvites
July 14: Logan Weimer,
July 5: Lindsey Frucci,
Caroline Simonelli, Michael
Benjamin Sturman
Simonelli
July 7: Ashley Peck,
July 19: Miranda Braemer,
Mary Young
Max Sigmund
July 8: Isabella Orosz, Julia
July 21: Kira Bringemeier
Spinelli, Leonore Kivits
July 22: Robert Haversat
July 9: Rachel Rieger
July 26: Eleanor Lee,
July 10: Rebecca Michaels,
Sean Heo
Emily Raia
July 27: Julia Gateman,
July 11: Robert Bellina
Ryden Maeda, Rebecca Fernandez July 28: Graydon Rogers July 29: Carter Klein July 30: Emma Torkelson
Program News Low Ropes
As we moved into the third week, campers have continued to progress into new and exciting activities. In addition to some new cable walking activities with ropes helping support and balance, the campers increased their trust level with an advanced trust fall. Campers have enjoyed experiencing what the low ropes course has to offer and the challenges it gives them. -Chris Walsh, Activity Leader
Performing Arts
Happy Nature Week! This week in music I taught the campers different note values. We then played the “double time� game to reinforce the note values. We also had fun going outside to hear music in nature. Each camper wrote down five musical sounds they heard outside and we shared them with each other. It has also been a successful week in drama. A dream is a wish your heart makes! -Stefanie Santoro, Activity Leader
Swimming
This week in swim, the campers reviewed their strokes, gliding and floating. We introduced and practiced the elementary backstroke and breaststroke. The upper bunks enjoyed the pool during their campout this week. On Friday, we had music playing at the pool again to add an extra element of fun. With the weather being so hot, all the campers have really been enjoying the pool. -Augie Lorio, Activity Leader
Kinder Camp Garden
Program News
Party on Wednesday! Parent luncheon and Drama Production on Friday!
Mark You r Calendar
Dates to Rememb er!
Fishing
On Tuesday, bunk 17 made a stride together and broke the record for the most catches for the summer with a high of twelve fish. On Thursday, bunk 15 had a chance to visit the lake. The weather was perfect for fishing. One camper had eight catches and the rest of the bunk had ten together. One camper came up to me and said, “what must I do to catch a fish?” I informed the camper to keep trying and he would catch one before we left. Sure enough, four minutes later, he got a bite and was so excited. He told me that fishing was the best part of the day. I call that a great day! Thank you to Nicole for providing us with some waters and snacks! -Em Foster, Activity Leader
Tennis
Just as the action was without comparison at this year’s Wimbledon, so has the action at Hi-Hills Day Camp been without match. The Bedazzled Cheetahs enjoyed tennis splash and the Electro Scorpions played Survivor Island and ladder ball. We look forward to more beautiful weather and scintillating tennis action. -Marc Willemsen, Activity Leader
Archery
This week, the archery range was transformed into a zombie land, where young archers earned points for their color team by shooting at different zombie targets. To give another challenge to campers, I suspended a small, plastic ball from a fishing line and had them aim for the ball. Many were successful in pinning the ball by adjusting their aiming points. Campers also played a game of cards by shooting at the cards pinned to the targets. Along with color points, campers also competed for Life Savers Gummies. There is a special surprise in store for campers next week! -Matt Hibbitt, Activity Leader
Program News Pottery
For Nature Week we talked about how different objects like leaves and shells can be used to create textures. The kids worked on the pottery wheel to make some very beautiful cups, bowls and vases. We also made some super cute owls with some of the lower bunks. In pottery club, I let the kids explore their own interests by letting them make objects that they would like, all the while helping them to bring these objects to life. -Savannah LoPrinzi, Activity Leader
Nature
This week in nature we’ve been exploring the fields of Hi-Hills in search of butterflies and bugs. Our camp goats, Mocha and Caramel, anxiously wait for the campers to feed them their apple treats and leaves. Nature club continues to be well-attended and campers are always excited for a new discovery. -Mr. Nature, Chuck Hogan, Activity Leader
Arts & Crafts
Alongside the nature theme this week, Kinder Camp created baby Harry the Hawks, fireflies in jars and bunches of flowers in preparation for Garden Party. The boys made campfires and ferocious wolf masks, while the girls learned how to make God’s Eyes and were taught various bracelet making techniques. -TT Dechent, Activity Leader
Yoga
Yoga has explored a Vinyassa flow this week. Campers learned plank, low plank, upward facing dog, downward facing dog and the restorative child pose. Other asanas included the stork, flat flamingo, a straight legged side twist and sun salutations. Our classes end with a savasana or quiet reflective period. We are looking forward to exploring the many benefits of yoga. -Marc Willemsen, Activity Leader
ing m o c p U ys a D s s e Dr
Program News
It’s Art Explosion Week! Wear your art!
Leagues Leagues is a camp-wide competition that involves a variety of games such as soccer, tennis baseball and basketball in which teams of campers compete to win! The campers play on their teams and compete for points every week. Shout out to all players for good sportsmanship and participation. Here are the standings thus far! CURRENT STANDINGS Boys Team W L T Pts.
s c i t e l h t A Corner
Chompers 6 0 0 12 Yellowjackets 3 3 0 6 Green Gladiators 1 5 0 2 Blue Banzais 2 4 0 4 Girls Team W L T Pts. Majestic Dragons 5 1 0 10 Super Mighty Lions
3
0
3
9
Green Machine 1 2 3 5 Domination Assoc. 0 6 0 0
Athletics continued at high intensity during week three, as campers got to incorporate Nature Week into sports with intense games of “monkey ball.” In the game, campers went one vs. one against an opponent and attempted to score past the opposing team by striking a soft ball over the line of goalies. Campers can only use their hands to dribble and “bat” the ball toward the goal. All bunks that played had a blast as they racked up points for their Color Wars teams. We look forward to week four! -Marc and John
ia v i r T y l k Wee Winners
Monday: Jack Tedesco, Dakota Champey Tuesday: Dylan Vaidya, Emma Torkelson Wednesday: Bobbie Bellina, Caitlin Murgatroyd Thursday: Gavin Leong, Grace Rubinstein Friday: John Toolan, Caitlin Murgatroyd
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Mindy
Teen Travel
It was another awesome week with great weather for Teen Travel! On Tuesday we went Delaware River tubing. We got to float along and enjoy the sun and scenery for a relaxing day on the water. On Wednesday we traveled to Pole Position where we went go-karting around the tracks. The campers had a great time driving around the track and playing the arcade games. Our final trip this week was to Six Flags Great Adventure where we went on all the big roller coaster rides and amusements. We are very excited for our trip to Club Getaway next week!
-Monica
Special Events
Week three was awesome! Nature Week was filled with so many great activities. The boys’ and girls’ upper bunks each spent a summer night swimming, playing games and sleeping on campus. All bunks also had their bunk photos taken and the #BeBetter Movement is being encouraged everyday. Check in next week for more camp news!