Summer camps 2020

2020 Summer Camps

AFRIM’S Summer Camps Summer Action and Summer Soccer camps for ages 3-14. Full and half day. 636 Albany Shaker Road, Albany Call (518) 438-3131 or visit www.AfrimSports.com

Albany Academy Customized summer programs for students entering grades 3-8. Sports, arts, science and more. 135 Academy Road, Albany Call (518) 429-2300 or visit www.AlbanyAcademies.org

Albany Berkshire Ballet Dance camps and intensives for ages 4 to adult, beginner to professional. 25 Monroe St., Albany Call (518) 426-0660 or visit www.SchoolofABB.org

Albany JCC Summer Camp Experience summer fun for ages 3-15 with water sports, the arts, science, specialty camps and more. 340 Whitehall Road, Albany Call (518) 438-6651 or visit www.AlbanyJCC.org

Capital District YMCA Nine convenient locations. From day camps to overnight camps to specialty camps, field trips and weekly themes, there is something for everyone. Call (518) 869-3500 or visit www.CDYMCA.org

Circle of Friends Preschool Summer camp for ages 3-5 with locations in Delmar and Ravena. Delmar: (518) 478-0722 Ravena: (518) 756-3124 or visit www.CircleofFriendsPrek.com

Drama Kids International Weekly full and half-day summer camps for ages 4-11. Call (518) 458-1313 or visit www.DramaKids.com

HVCC Kids on Campus Summer program with athletics, technology, Circus Theatricks, theater, summer academy and more. Visit www.HVCC.edu/kidscamps.com Merritt Dance Center Dance camp from July 27 to Aug. 6 for dancers, acrobats and gymnasts.

1360 Albany St., Schenectady Call (518) 372-5282 or visit www. MerrittDanceCenter.com

Ohav Shalom Nursery School Summer weekly themed camp for preschoolers ages 18 months to 5 years. Full or part-time availability. 113 New Krumkill Road, Albany Call Sheryl at (518) 489-4894 or visit www.OhavShalom.com/Early-Childhood Samaritan-Rensselaer Children’s Center: Summer Fun at RPI For kids entering kindergarten through age 12 with swimming, arts and crafts, sports, drama, field trips and more. Full or part-time availability. Call (518) 271-3748 or visit www.SPHP.com/childrens-day-care-sam Sylvan Robotics Camp For grades 2-6. Create and animate robots using Legos and WeDo software. Albany, (518) 869-6005: July 6-9 or Aug. 3-6 Clifton Park, (518) 373-7995: July 20-23 or Aug. 17-20

Temple Israel: Herman & Libbie Michaelson Early Childhood Education Center Summer fun program for kids under 5 with creative play and activities. 600 New Scotland Ave., Albany Call Amie at (518) 438-7858, ext. 120, email AmieBloom@tialbany.org or visit www.tialbany.org

The Arts Center of the Capital Region Summer camps for kids ages 6-17 with cooking, pottery, stained glass, mixed media, photography and more Full or part-time. 265 River St., Troy. Call (518) 273-0552 or visit www.ArtsCenteronline.org

Woodland Hill Montessori Summer day camp for ages 3-12 with fun and creative play, music, arts, invent and exploration. 100 Montessori Place, North Greenbush Call (518) 283-5400 or visit www.WoodlandHill.org

Triple Threat parenting triplets in the Capital District Middle school moments

The first year of middle school is half over already. In some ways, everything is as we thought it would be, in others … wow, has it kicked the door in and changed everything. Tween angst is a real and pervasive. Sixth grade is one of the toughest so far, not academically, but more so with the social interactions and, to be cliché, finding out who they are. Middle school is a tough time because of a new environment, hormones, new people, new teachers and trying to find the people they want to hang out with.

Report cards, interim reports and communication with teachers and guidance counselors have helped us realize how amazing Olivia, Benjamin and Rebecca are. Academically, they are doing a phenomenal job. The first 10 weeks ended with honor roll status! We went to the celebration for all the honor roll students and loved every minute of the ceremony. And guess what? We got to repeat the celebration after the second quarter!

Harlan and I are so proud of the way the kids are handling the academics of middle school. There is an option to take chorus as the music requirement. Olivia loves to sing so chorus is a good fit for her. Without telling us, Olivia auditioned for All-City Chorus, and she made it. That’s my baby, and I am very proud!

The school hours and after-school options are different. There are clubs after school! There is the school musical! And there is also the option of going to a friend’s house after school. Another giant difference is the way Olivia, Benjamin and Rebecca get to and from school. Getting to school used to mean walking out the door and after 100 feet or so walking into the elementary school. Now the kids take a bus. The day is longer, there are more choices in extra-curricular activities and that leads to being more independent. The independence can make me want to pull my hair out sometimes because as much as I want to let go, I am afraid. My fear isn’t that they will do something wrong. My fear is that “the world” will do something wrong to my kids.

The three little people Harlan and I sent off to pre-K in 2012 have become 12-yearold young adults with big attitudes. Tween is a word I am not fond of, but it is an accurate description of this age by Jennifer Steuer

Continued on Page 9 Tween angst times three does not outshine triplets’ accomplishments

May 30, 10am-4pm Witness the magic of spring!

• Music with Dan Dugan, The WhipperSnappers and B95.5 • Live Wildlife • Craft & Food Vendors • Meet the Lupine Lady • Nature Activities with Community Partners • Wildland Fire Trucks • Make Your Own Crafts & Tie-dye Shirt • Storywalk & Guided Tours • Photobooth • Games & MORE • All ages • FREE!

Parking at 302 Washington Ave. Ext. Shuttle bus provided.

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The Steuer triplets are making the most of middle school.

n Triple Threat continued from Page 8 group. Going from elementary school to middle school is hard because the change in what the kids hear and talk about is enough to push my blood pressure through the roof. I can’t flinch or react in any way because they will have found the chink in my armor. We can’t censor what the kids see and hear from their peer groups at school. For the most part this is fine, but when the information is incorrect or painful, Harlan and I work together to pick up the pieces.

The adolescent angst fills every inch of my home. I feel it dripping down, and I step in it regularly. Even though I am 45, I do remember what being 12-year-old girl felt like. Harlan and I are told on an endless loop that we don’t understand or won’t get it. Most questions we ask are answered with a deep sigh and an eye roll. They are willing to be with us out in public for the most part as long as we aren’t embarrassing. They are willing to talk eventually and maybe even snuggle up for a little bit.

I love the way Olivia, Benjamin and Rebecca are committed to school and have found the different clubs that fit their own personalities. Their accomplishments are real and done by them. Harlan and I may have given them a sturdy starting point and nudged them along the way. The rest was up to them.

Jennifer Steuer is an Albany mon whose busy household includes her husband, Harlan, and 12-year-old triplets Olivia, Benjamin and Rebecca. Follow her on Instagram: jennifersteuer.

theSchoolof the ALBANY BERKSHIRE BALLET Madeline Cantarella Culpo, Director

• Ballet

• Pre-Ballet

• Modern

• Pointe

• Pilates

• Jazz

WEEKLY CLASSES DANCE CAMPS DANCE INTENSIVES

admin@schoolofabb.org www.schoolofabb.org

518-426-0660 25 Monroe Street Albany, NY

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SCAP Early Head Start - Child Care Partnerships (EHS-CCP)

We are a FREEInfant Toddler Program for families who qualify and live in Schenectady County.

We provide: • Free diapers and formula • Nutritious meals and snacks • Family support services • Developmental screenings • Special Education Services (Speech, OT, PT) • Assistance getting health services • Nurturing learning environment

Give us a call today.

518.377.2015 920 Albany St. • Schenectady

Preschool

5-hour Integrated Preschool Program

Building Kindergarten Readiness Skills

Fostering Self-Esteem and Confidence

Developing Leadership Skills for Life

Prepare Them For Learning. Prepare Them For Life.

OPEN HOUSE

Wednesdays, 9:30 am

Clifton Park & Fort Edward

Inspire a love of gardening and the outdoors in your child by creating a space for magic

Gardening can be an enjoyable activity for adults and children alike. It encourages creative thinking and can make for an ecofriendly activity as well.

Adding a touch of whimsy to gardening can make it that much more attractive to children. Perhaps that is why fairy gardens have become so popular among youngsters.

Fairy gardens can be designed in outdoor gardens, wooded areas or in containers that children can tend to and enjoy indoors. Here are six steps to get your fairy garden up and running. 1. Choose your container or location. Decide where to place the fairy garden. Hollowed-out tree stumps are both contained and outdoors, and kids may feel like the fairies inhabited this neglected area of the yard and made it their own. Otherwise, use containers you already have, such as old pots, hanging baskets, picnic baskets or cookie tins. Wooden birdhouses with their roofs removed also can make for clever places to house the gardens. 2. Choose a theme. Fairy houses can take on any theme their creators prefer. Themes help children decide what to include in their gardens. For example, a seaside retreat may work well with

Fairy gardens are a fun way to introduce children to gardening. Once families get started, they may want to create entire fairy villages.

little reclining chairs, sea grasses and succulents. You can then complete the theme by adding some seashells and colored stones. 3. Draw up your design. Before securing anything in the container or digging into your garden bed, sketch out a garden design. This gives you an idea of how the finished product will look. Even before planting, gently place plants and other components in their spots and move them around accordingly until you find the desired look. 4. Include similar-needs plants. Mixing plants that have different requirements can make it challenging to care for the fairy garden, so select plants that require similar levels of sunlight, prefer similar soil conditions and require roughly the same amount of watering. Herbs are a smart choice because they stay small and are easily maintained. 5. Don’t forget a fairy dwelling. You will need to add a house for the fairies to inhabit. Small bird houses can work, but you also can consider old tea pots, bird-nesting boxes or even homemade houses assembled out of bark and twigs. Use your imagination and the garden will take on a life of its own. 6. Invite the fairies. Children can invite fairies to take up residence (fairies often show up at night and tend to remain unseen), or children can create their own fairies using craft materials.