Learning and skill-building were hot this summer as thousands of students explored their talents through Massapequa School District’s expansive summer camp program. From learning an instrument to building robots to developing stronger athletic skills, a camp program was offered to meet every child’s interests.
“Our summer programs are a convenient and cost-effective way for our students to develop their talents and broaden their interests,” said Superintendent Lucille F. Iconis. “We partner with Nassau BOCES, which helps reduce costs associated with planning and implementing the programs.”
Students in the Fine Arts Summer Program created movies complete with sound effects and music in iPad Clamation/Stop-Animation Camp. They also honed traditional art skills in classes such as watercolor techniques, drawing and painting, and three-dimensional design. Student musicians sharpened their skills in band and orchestra, acoustic guitar and musical theater camps. Special pricing this year enabled campers to participate in multiple sessions at discounted prices, which resulted in a nearly 20 percent increase in participation.
“We had a very successful season; the beginner band and orchestra classes, as well as the musical theatre program were very popular and saw significant growth,” said Jessica Wyman, band director and coordinator of the Fine Arts program.
About 1,200 campers in the five-week Summer Recreation program enjoyed a variety of fun-filled activities, games and trips; while sports camps, ranging from baseball to wrestling, brought nearly 2,200 athletes in grades one through 12 to the playing field.
Campers also gave their brains a workout at a one-week LEGO Robotics Camp for seventh through ninth graders at Berner Middle School. Campers designed, built and programed LEGO robots and participated in a mock FIRST LEGO League competition.
At the elementary level, campers put their ideas to work in Camp Invention Illuminate. The program, hosted in conjunction with the National Inventors Hall of Fame, challenges campers to solve real-world problems by exploring connections to science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Campers designed and built racing carts, explored what it’s like to be an entrepreneur by developing a prototype of a product from scratch, created physical video game mode
ls in 3D and developed games using skills, such as critical thinking, creative problem solving and collaboration. Campers also welcomed award-winning inventor Dr. Kasia Sawaicka, creator of the Immuno-Matrix Skin Patch vaccine and a 2014 Collegiate Inventors Competition Winner. Sawaicka intrigued her young audience as she spoke about how she developed her invention and how it could change the way vaccines are administered in the future.
Through the district’s partnership with BOCES, summer academic programs were delivered at the high school level. Competency and Regents review classes in subjects across the curricula were offered at Berner Middle School.
—Submitted by Massapequa Public Schools
