Summer Programs

Provide Opportunities For Students

By Sarah Scinto

Newtown students looking to fill their summer months can start by signing up for a diverse array of camps and programs offered by Newtown Continuing Education, C.H. Booth Library, and Parks and Recreation.

The Newtown Continuing Education programs offer students the opportunity to work in aspects of the arts and sciences that may not be available to them during the school year.

“We’re trying to develop more interest in the arts, and these programs are for kids who want to explore that interest,” said Newtown Continuing Education Director Elissa Gellis.

Several popular programs will return this summer, including SMART (Summer Music and Arts) camp led by the department’s artists in residence, whose fields of study range from environmental science to performing arts.

Ms Gellis predicted that many of the new programs will catch on quickly, especially Stop-Motion Animation and the new Imagine Arts programs, which can be tailored to each student’s specific interests.

Newtown Continuing Education will also offer a Crime Scene Investigation class, which Ms Gellis believes will interest anyone who has watched CSI on television. “I’d take that class if I could!” she said.

C.H. Booth Library, 25 Main Street, will also offer fun and educational programs for students this summer. Its programs include magicians, storytellers, and visits from the Audubon Society, will kick off with a party and magic show on June 26. This event will also mark the beginning of the library’s summer book clubs.

The summer book clubs give students the chance to win raffle prizes based on the number of books they read during the summer months. The library will also implement a reading buddies system, which pairs more than 50 volunteers with children to help develop the child’s reading skills.

“It’s really good for fluency and confidence,” Alana Benison of the library’s children’s department said of the reading buddies system. “Once kids get good at reading, they start to love it.”

Ms Benison said she hopes the competitive aspect of the book clubs will be a draw for students and make reading more enticing.

“Kids like the competition and the incentive,” she said. “They push themselves because it’s a challenge they can meet.”

Newtown’s Parks and Recreation Department will also offer its summer day camp programs at Dickinson and Treadwell Parks for students looking for a more traditional, outdoor camp experience.

Although many of the Parks and Recreation programs are sports oriented, Director Amy Mangold said the department tries to provide unique programming as well, such as a medieval-themed camp called Camp Dagger.

One of these unique programs is the Teen Adventure Camp, which allows students ages 11 through 15 to travel every day to a new “adventure,” including laser tag, hiking, and rock climbing. RoseAnn Reggiano, assistant director of recreation, said, “It’s really a great camp for kids to go places they may not have a chance to otherwise.”

Parks and Recreation has also started a new enrollment policy for their camps. For the first time, nonresidents who work at a Newtown business can send their children to Dickinson day camp.

“It makes owning a business in Newtown a little more convenient,” Ms Mangold said.

Ms Mangold believes summer programs are a necessity because working parents need a place to send their children, and children benefit from the experience in the long run.

“It gives kids a chance to build new skills while staying active and social through the summer,” Ms Mangold said.

Parks and Recreation recently held its first Sample Camp event on June 10 to benefit camp scholarships that help qualifying families cover the cost of camp tuition. Camp directors and leaders set up stations for families and children to get hands-on experience and a better idea of what to expect from various summer camps.

“It was a great opportunity for people to do more than just read our brochure,” Ms Mangold said.

The Sample Camp event raised $420 in donations for the camp scholarship fund.

Those interested in registering for programs offered by Parks and Recreation may do so online at www.newtown-ct.gov. Brochures and information on all summer programs are also in the Parks & Rec office, 3 Main Street, 203-270-4340, and available on the website.

Registration for Newtown Continuing Education summer programs will end on June 25. Anyone interested in registering may do so by calling the office at 203-426-1787.

For a full listing of the library’s programs, visit www.chboothlibrary.org.