We all wish that our third week at camp could last longer! On Monday, the Pretty Pretty Princesses enjoyed bubble gum-flavored ice cream for snack at the park! We then racked up lots of tickets and prizes and jumped around on Tuesday at Laser Bounce, and made sure to stay hydrated while powering through Wednesday's heat at the weekly barbecue. On Thursday, the Princesses brushed up on their skills with some more tumbles and teeters at gymnastics! Finally, we all stirred up some nice chicken soup on Friday as we warmly welcomed Rabbi Kogan to his first Oneg Shabbat Service of the summer. We had a blast this week, and can't wait for the fun that Week 4 has in store!

Our Camper of the Week is Ilana - she overcame her fear of entering the pool and, as a result, has shown determination to improve her skills during Instructional Swim!

The past two weeks have been very meaningful for our CITs! During the second week of camp, we explored the topic of Communication, and how to communicate with both campers and staff effectively - focusing on skills like active listening. We had a fun time when we weren't "CIT'ing" at the Central Park Zoo on Monday, and had an amazing Times Square Scavenger Hunt late-night trip last Thursday. After a delicious dinner out at Trio, we hopped on the subway to Times Square, and broke into teams to run around for 2 hours taking photos, gathering items, and interacting with others enjoying the sites. Last Friday, we enjoyed our time at the Freedom Tower, even with the low visibility due to the weather.

This week, we focused in on bullying, and ways to prevent and respond to bullying that we might encounter as camp counselors. We also worked on the responsibilities of counselors during trips, because we'll be shadowing counselors next week at the whole camp trip to Adventureland. This week, we also enjoyed trips to Roller Skating, the Jones Beach Pool, and Madison Square Garden.

This week's CITs of the week are Arielle, Abby Ka., Abby Ko., Myles, Noah, and Matthew O, who went above and beyond at Valley Stream on Wednesday to set up for all of the Upper Campers! All of our CITs work hard, but these six really went far beyond expectations! 

This week we had many fun and different activities and trips. Last Thursday we went to Monster Mini Golf and the kids had a fun time in the glow in the dark arcade, playing games, getting tickets, prizes and golfing. On Monday we went roller skating and the children had a blast skating around the rink and even teaching and helping each other learn while music was coursing through the speakers. On Tuesday the kids went to arts and crafts and crafted a picture of the ocean with Angela. On Wednesday we had a barbecue at the park that included hotdogs and later on the kids went to play in the playground or a sport of their choice. On Thursday we had an amazing time at Jones Beach Pool where the kids splashed around and swam with each other. Our camper of the week is Brianna A who was a great sport during activities and listened to directions when told. Her favorite thing to do at camp is swim.

The camper of the week is Lauren because she helps clean up toys; even if she was not playing with them. 

This week at camp the Candy land group went to the movies and saw Despicable Me 3. The children laughed a  lot at the minions. At the bbq we were all smiles when we took our group picture; and it wouldn't be a bbq without playing at the park. They love playing on the swings and making sand castles in the sand box. The bbq's are great because it gives them a chance to get to know other children in the 67's group; as they play with them as well. 

In gym we played catch  with different kinds of balls, and listened to the story of Noah and the Ark in Jewish culture. We had music; where we played with different instruments, played freeze dance and musical chairs. On Thursday we went to gymnastics. First we did some stretching exercises to warm up. Afterwards the children did an obstacle course; where they had to bounce on the trampoline, walk on the balance beam, and did tumbles. The children had so much fun they did not want to leave; but don't worry we will be back there next week.   We are having a lot of fun at camp; making lots of friends and enjoying spending time with each other. 

The second week of camp was a great week for the 8/9 boys. We had so much fun starting off at the Central Park Zoo, where we saw many different, unique animals. We saw the red panda which all the boys were in awe and adored it. That was the animal they were all looking for. In addition to that, we saw penguins, sea lions, and bears. It was especially enjoyable seeing the sea lions swim around the pool that they had.

On Tuesday we stayed at camp and had various activities to do. The boys went to the park and ran around, went on slides, and climbed the ladders. After sweating and running, the boys jumped into the pool to cool off with the counselors. We created portraits of ourselves in arts and crafts.

The next day, we went to BBQ with the whole camp and had a pleasant time playing basketball and nukem, especially when a camper got a counselor out. We are the delicious and succulent hamburgers that staff cooked up. The 8/9 boys ate them with pleasure. We came back to camp to play knockdown pins with Greg in the gym and later jumped into the nice cool pool.

On Thursday, we went to Monster Mini Golf where we had a BLAST! Everyone was golfing and dancing along to the music. The place was glowing and the theme of the place was great. Later the campers had a good time playing the arcade games and even got some free prizes given out to them like the monster finger with the red nails.

The final week of the camp, we stayed in camp with great activities like Krav Maga where the boys ran around and the counselors participated too. We had our Oneg Shabbat services and went to eat chicken nuggets with fries for lunch. We also enjoyed instructional and free swim as well as gym with Greg. At the end of the day, we said our good byes and couldn't wait for Monday to come around again.

The third week of camp started and it's been a blast we went to roller skating. Everyone went and the campers were having a good time. Some did fall but we all learned how to ride around and as soon as we got the hang of it, it was starting to get better. We have the rest of the week to come and can't wait to see how it's going to go.
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The camper of the week is Sam R. He was a great listener and overall person. He played with everyone and would clean up after he finished his eating, even if it wasn't his plate or cup. He always smiled and participated in every activity. Congrats Sam and keep being a good camper.

The second week of camp was off to a wild start, spending the day at the Central Park Zoo visiting penguins, lemurs, grizzly bears and more. It was a hot day but the Tweens found time to cool off in the Ice Age 4D movie at the zoo! 

The Tweens stayed in camp Tuesday and enjoyed many in-camp activities. We enjoyed the air conditioning of the Teen Lounge, played Wii games and had fun in the gym. The boys also worked up a sweat at Krav Maga and the girls honed their dancing skills at Hip Hop. We ended the hot, active day with a nice swim in the pool.

Wednesday was our weekly planned barbecue and the Tweens filled up on some yummy burgers! The campers participated in a number of activities including basketball, Nukem and other playground games. 

Thursday was a spooky day for the Tweens as they went to Monster Mini Golf! Tweens played mini golf under a black-light and had to play through a number of obstacles including a giant clown. We also played in the arcade and won many prizes! Thursday was also theme day and the Tweens came dressed in crazy hats and sunglasses.

The group ended their week in Manhattan at the Freedom Tower, visiting the One World Observatory. We shot up in the elevator to the 102nd floor of the new building. Although it was a cloudy day and the windows were fogged up by the clouds, the day turned out to be pretty sweet when we visited IT'SUGAR! The Tweens took a trip to South Street Seaport and visited the big candy store and stocked up on sweets. 

Our camper of the week goes to Maya. Maya shows up every day with a smile on her face and gives everyone a warm welcome! She is polite, sweet and caring and comes into camp, ready to have fun. You rock, Maya

Only the second week of camp here at Hillcrest and the Pretty Pretty Princesses have already done so much! On Monday the sun was shining and the girls got to go to the playground! Almost all of the girls played a huge game of tag together while some played on the monkey bars. 

The next day we adventured to the movie theater to see Despicable Me 3. The room was overflowing with laughter and the bus ride was filled with them quoting the movie's characters.

On Wednesday we took them to the big playground at Valley Stream State Park. The girls worked up quite a sweat and were more than ready to eat! Wednesday was also picture day! The Princesses worked together to get in height order and then smiled for the camera.

Thursday was a very special day this week! Not only was it theme day, but it was also our first day at gymnastics! The girls came in dresses and tiaras and they all went on stage for a group picture. After changing into their normal camp wear, we were able to go to gymnastics! They worked on the balance beam, trampoline, and got free time at the end. 

We ended the week on a rainy day but that didn't stop us! We played bingo, had a blast in oneg, and got a super long time to swim with free right after instructional!

A special shoutout to Zoey and Laila who got to celebrate their birthdays with us! Always a great time here at Hillcrest! Another shoutout to Lenora who was our Camper of the Week! She was one of the most behaved and polite girls this week.
NOTE TO PARENTS: Please have your girls wear sneakers and socks everyday! No sneakers and socks, no gym and gymnastics!

Summer 2017 has been off to a great start! Camp began on Monday with a trip to the movies. Despicable Me 3 was silly and enjoyable. Tuesday being the Fourth of July, Wednesday was Red, White, and Blue day. Many campers dressed accordingly. The first weekly barbecue at Valley Stream State Park consisted of activities like soccer, basketball, volleyball, and playground, and hot dogs and corn were served. Campers enjoyed watermelon for dessert. On Thursday, we travelled out to Long Island to Lazerland. Activities such as laser tag, dodge ball, and gaga were offered. Our campers wore white shirts on Friday for Oneg Shabbat services, which were led by Rabbi Uriel Romano. The updated prayer sheets were a noteworthy sight for many.

This week began with a trip to the Central Park Zoo. Smaller than the Bronx Zoo, we saw more animals by virtue of the shorter distances  between each sight. We spent Tuesday in camp, save the morning trip to the Jewel Ave playground. Our group enjoyed activities like gym, swim, home base games, Wii, and Krav Maga. Today (Wednesday) we went on our weekly barbecue. The usual activities were offered. Many campers enjoyed the same activities as last week. Howard S. played intense basketball before and after lunch, while others, like Cameron D., spent time with friends in the playground. For lunch, hamburgers, corn, and watermelon were served. Upon returning to camp, we enjoyed a competitive game of "knock down the pin". The day came to a close on a more relaxed note in the air-conditioned Wii room. The first week and a half have been running smoothly!

The camper of the week is Miles J. Miles stands out by maintaining a positive attitude even during activities which are not his favorite. If he has a problem or needs anything, he respectfully approaches a counselor and calmly speaks. His basketball skills are thoroughly impressive, and he treats his fellow teammates with dignity and respect. Great job, Miles!

   Our camper of the week is Jonathan because he helped Lavi clean up the legos.
   The Candyland group had a great first week. We went to the park and played on the swings and the slide. At our first BBQ we ate hot dogs; they were yummy. In arts and crafts the children put their creative talents to work as we made fire works to celebrate the 4th of July. At music we sang songs. In Jewish culture the children learned different Hebrew words, and how to be kind to others. We made a big splash at the pool; as they are learning how to put their heads in the water and blow bubbles. 
      The children are excited about our first trip to the movies. We had a lot of fun the first week and we are looking forward to more fun this summer at Hillcrest. 

At Hillcrest, all the campers are having fun with the trips and activities given to them.
 
The 8/9 boys started off on Monday with a trip to the Central Park Zoo early in the morning so they could get as much time so they could to see everything thing that was there. We got to see the children's zoo, the movies and the main zoo itself. On the trip the campers were split up into groups so they can see more and have different people see what they want first and move down the list of things to do.
 
Throughout the summer we'll going to be on more trips and have more at camp activities for the kids to play. Our camper of the week i believe would be Jonah, because of his cooperation and understanding of what he can do and what he was told. He was able to sit still and pay attention which  was very good in my opinion.