Holiday season of helping others

Give Thanks by Stuffing the Bus for CHOW and the Jersey Shore

We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  We hope you enjoyed the food, the floats, the football.... and most of all, you just enjoyed being with family.  And know that this Thanksgiving we were incredibly thankful; we truly appreciate all of our campers and staff.   Thank you for making Stonybrook Day Camp (serving Essex County and Morris County) so special.

This summer many of you generously donated to Livingston’s CHOW (Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse) for a Stuff the Bus food drive.  You wowed us with your generosity and stuffed our camp bus to the limits.  Well, we want to let you know that CHOW is sponsoring a very special Stuff the Bus on Nov 30th which will benefit the Jersey Shore residents of Ventnor and Atlantic City.    

While many shore towns were hit extremely hard during the hurricane, Livingston Township and the Livingston Public Schools was looking to have a large impact and provide their students with a service learning opportunity by working to partner with an area in tremendous need. Atlantic City and Ventnor suffered extensive damage to their businesses, homes and beach.  Both towns have diverse populations that live at the beach year round and many have economic situations that have only intensified after the storm.  The communities were in the actual eye of the storm and the destruction can be seen everywhere.

On Friday, November 30^th, Livingston Public Schools will provide a bus to drive to all nine schools and collect health non-perishable foods, personal hygiene products and cleaning supplies.  The bus will also stop at Aquinas Academy, Newark Academy (confirmation pending) and local businesses including Kings, Shoprite, Regal Bank, the WestEssex Tribune, YMCA, Kids at Heart, The Westminster Hotel, Eastman Corporation, Livingston Public Library,  Livingston Town Hall, The Learning Experience and Senior Community Center and others to be announced (all collection points). On the following day, December 1st, the bus will drive down to Ventnor, NJ to bring the much needed goods.  

If you would like, we welcome you to take the lessons of giving from the summer- the campers truly enjoyed being a part of something so special- and continuing on your own (as many of you do regularly).  Take some non-perishables, cleaning supplies or personal hygiene items and drop them by one of the many donations collection sites.   It will make a world of difference to someone in need and is a perfect way to celebrate all that we have to be thankful for.

And for more info on CHOW please like the CHOW facebook page, run by our very own camp mom’s, Stacey Rubinstein and Jodi Rothfeld. 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Livingston-CHOW/425506660836139

Thanks and again, we hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

www.stonybrookdaycamp.com

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Sandy and Not Sandy Schapitl !!!

We wanted to reach out to say that we are hoping everyone in our camp family is coping during this very stressful time.  With Hurricane Sandy and Nor’Easter Athena, we know many have had to deal with power outages (some still without power), school closures and damages to homes.  While everyone in our area has been affected in some way, we know it has been especially tough on some.  Please know our thoughts are with you .

We wanted to share a few ways to help that you might be interested in participating in and a few resources.

$5 dollars pledged to the American Red Cross for Wearing your Camp T-Shirt!

November 13 is ‘International Wear Your Summer Camp T-Shirt Day.’ Camp Craze, a New York based marketing firm, and its parent company CRAZE Interactive will donate $5 to the American Red Cross for each picture of a camper wearing a camp t-shirt submitted to their social media sites.  See http://blog.campcraze.com/international-wear-your-camp-t-shirt-day-1113/ for more info on where to post.

Art & Journaling Supplies Needed at Federation

And from the mom of one of our campers, Jewish Chaplains are on the ground in affected areas in NJ. They need journals and art supplies to help council children who are processing the aftermath of Sandy. Please drop off journals and art supplies to the Federation at 901 Rt. 10 Whippany 9am-5pm.  Thanks Stacey Brown, mom to Max, for letting us know!

CHOW shelves are empty and in need of any food donations

Many participated in the STUFF THE BUS for CHOW (Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse) this summer.  It was an amazing outpouring of support for the food pantry open to people of all faiths by appointment only.  CHOW has been feeding local members of the community but has sent a great deal of food to individuals displaced by the hurricane.  Please consider dropping off non-perishable, healthy food items to CHOW at St. Philomena’s Church 386 South Livingston Avenue (donations can be left in the main church entrance) or at the West Essex Tribune offices next to Shoprite in Livingston.

Randolph Family in Need

During an incredibly tragic accident during the hurricane, parents, to 4 children, died when a tree hit their pick up truck.  Below is a wish upon a hero link to see how you can help them with a donation as their eldest daughter tries to help her family in the wake of this tragic situation.

http://www.wishuponahero.com/wishes/?id=1316547

Elmo Talks Hurricane

Parents of younger kids may find this resource helpful.  In an effort to help soothe children scared or confused by Hurricane Sandy, Elmo appeared on New York’s WNYC radio station earlier this week. Elmo spoke with WNYC’s Brian Lehrer, along with Sesame Street education representative Rosemarie Truglio, about how he was coping with the storm.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2012/10/30/sesame_street_s_elmo_appears_on_wnyc_to_talk_to_children_about_hurricane.html

Please let us know of any drives or additional ways to help.  We would also love to know about any amazing resources that you have found helpful as we are always looking to share with our camp family.

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American Camping Association Accreditation

At Stonybrook Day Camp we are committed to providing our campers with high quality programming and we always focus on safety as well as having fun. 

We work very hard to do so and we know we are successful when we see happy campers and their parents. Our hard work paid off this summer because smiles say it all, but we just got some official news that confirms what we know to be true. 

We’d like to announce that after completing a rigorous inspection process requiring our program to meet almost 300 standards for health, safety and program quality, Stonybrook Day Camp is officially re-accredited by the American Camp Association!  

This is the GOLD STANDARD of accreditation in the camping world and we are just thrilled.  Thanks to all of our staff who helped make this happen because we realize this is an accomplishment that involved many. We appreciate all that you do and we celebrate by planning many good things for Summer 2013!  

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Octoberfest 2012: Highlights!

What an amazing day we had at Stonybrook's Octoberfest this past Saturday. The weather, crisp and fresh, set the tone for a perfect fall day of fun.  In fact, we would describe it as a family camp day with a fall spin.  Horse carriage/hay rides, farm animals, challenge course, games, crafts, pumpkins and lots of smiles.  We loved seeing many familiar faces and we were happy to meet new friends.  Here's a recap of the day.  You just need an apple cider donut in one hand and an apple in the other to get the full effect!  

 

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It's All About: Octoberfest and Stuff the Bus!

This weekend is going to be a fantastic one.  Don’t forget to join us on Saturday from 1-3:30 for Stonybrook’s OCTOBERFEST.  Current campers, alumni, family and friends…. EVERYONE IS WELCOME!  Music, games, arts and crafts, challenge course, contests, and so much more.  Coach Rick and Coach Mike will be there along with many staff and familiar faces.

And if you are looking for something good to do THIS Sunday, do something good.

A highlight of camp this past summer was when our entire camp participated in the STUFF THE BUS FOOD DRIVE FOR C.H.O.W. (Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse).  We filled a camp bus with donated healthy food items.  It was amazing and we fed so many families in need. 

Following the success of the Stuff the Bus food drive, the Livingston community is looking to hold one more on Sunday Oct 14th in order to help the food pantry out during this pre-holiday season.

The non-perishable items requested for collection are: canned tuna, peanut butter, napkins, toilet tissue, paper towels, breakfast cereal, condiments, canned beans, dried beans, pasta, white or brown rice, pasta sauces, macaroni & cheese, powdered milk, canned fruit, canned vegetables, baby food and jelly & jam. Only new, unopened items will be collected.  Please make sure items are not expired and healthy items are appreciated.

The Stuff the Bus bus will drive through town and make many stops.  People are welcomed and encouraged to come bring donations to any bus stop.

STUFF THE BUS SCHEDULE 

Newark Academy at 8:15am-8:45am

Livingston’s Shoprite at 9:00-9:30am

Livingston’s Kings at 9:40-10:15am. 

Mount Pleasant Elementary School 10:20-10:45am

Harrison Elementary School 10:50-11:20am

Temple Beth Shalom from 11:30am- 11:55am  

Lastly at noon, the bus heads over to the Livingston 2012 Fun Run for Health and Wellness presented by the West Essex YMCA, the Big "L" Club and the Livingston Education Foundation.

All collected food will be donated to Livingston’s C.H.O.W.. C.H.O.W, spearheaded by Sister Barbara Howard of St. Philomena’s and a project of the Livingston Clergy Association, will distribute collected items to people in need. Housed at St. Philomena’s, C.H.O.W. is also open to people, of all faiths, on a drop-in basis and those interested can contact Sister Barbara at (973) 992-1382 for additional information.  Excess food collected during the drive will be donated to soup kitchens and food pantries in our surrounding areas.

This Stuff the Bus Food Drive is a project of Livingston’s Food Day Committee.  Food Day is a national initiative, sponsored by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, working to bring people together to push for healthy, affordable food produced in a sustainable and humane way.  In 2012, Livingston has joined Food Day’s “eat real movement” to help do nothing short of transforming the American diet.  To learn more about Livingston’s Food Day efforts go to www.facebook.com/LivingstonFoodDay . To learn more about Food Day go to www.foodday.org.

So again, come have fun on Saturday and do something good on Sunday.  Now that’s a great weekend!

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It's All About: Sun High Orchards!

Fall weekend activity alert!

Sun High Orchards is a favorite of Roger’s and many Stonybrook staff and campers.  Located right around the corner from camp, Sun High Orchards, operated by Farmer Phil, offers a bounty of farm grown fruits and vegetables.  And Farmer Phil happens to be a great person, who loves what he does, and it shows.

Fall is all about apple and pumpkin picking at Sun High!  There is a big variety- Cortland, Macintosh, Galas, Macouns, Honeycrisp, Empire, Delicious, Fugi and Winesap are just some of apples harvested from Sun High’s trees. Continuous hayrides (weekends only) will take you to the pumpkin patch beginning the last weekend of September and continuing through October. Corn stalks, hardy mums, gourds, hay bales and many other fall decorations are also available.

In fact, you may be familiar with Sun High if you have ever been at a Stonybrook Octoberfest. The apples, apple cider, pumpkins, cider donuts (Peanut and Tree Nut Free), corn stalks, bails of hay and just about everything else for Octoberfest comes from Farmer Phil at Sun High Orchard.  And speaking of Octoberfest, make sure you join us on Oct 13^th from 1:00-3:30 to check out these fall favorites.

While closed for the winter months, the fall, spring and summer months are busy at the farm. Opening on May 1st, the Spring season kicks off with asparagus. This is one of the very first crops to announce summer is on it's way! Annuals and perennials for the beginner to advanced gardener are also available. July 4^th kicks off the summer season with “Jersey Fresh” sweet corn, tomatoes, peaches, flowers and of course pies.  

So again, Sun High is a favorite of Roger’s. Anyone who has seen his desk during the summer knows that he is a fan of Sun High’s stone fruits (all of them).  Roger also loves grilling corn and there is no corn fresher or better than picking it yourself. Farmer Phil lets him go and choose his own corn and cut the stalks himself.  It’s good to have sun a wonderful farm nearby.  Come check it out for yourself and let Farmer Phil know Roger sent you! http://www.sunhigh.com.

We look forward to seeing everyone at Octoberfest 2012!!!

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Stonybrook Spotlight and Fundraising event: Sam Braverman!

Sam Braverman is six-years-old has spent the last three summers at Stonybrook.  She is all about camp and her favorite camp activities are jumping pillow, dance and swim.  Full of energy and all smiles, she is just a joy to be around.  She is doing something very cool this weekend and we wanted to help spread the word and promote her event.

See in addition to being a great friend and an all around fun kid, Sam also is hearing impared and wears hearing aids.   Sam and two of her hearing impared friends, will be joining forces to raise money for New York City’s annual Walk4Hearing, which raises money to support those who are hearing disabled.  The three friends will be manning a lemonade stand on September 15 from 10:30 a.m. – 1:20 p.m. at 16 Broadlawn Drive, across the street from Mt. Pleasant Elementary school.

The funds raised will be donated by the families to the Hearing Loss Association of America.  According to their website, "HLAA educates the general public about hearing loss while easing the associated stigma. Striving to make hearing loss a public health issue, thousands of people of all ages, races, and backgrounds have come together to display their compassion for the cause and to make hearing loss an issue of national concern."

The three families will also be participating in the Walk4Hearing in New York City on September 30.  When speaking about last years event, Sam’s mom Stefanie commented, "I was blown away by the impact and size of the event.  It made Sam so happy to see others were just like her."

Again, the lemonade stand will be held on September 15 from 10:30 a.m. – 1:20 p.m. at 16 Broadlawn Drive in Livingston, across the street from Mt. Pleasant Elementary school.

While funds raised by the lemonade stand may not be large amounts, Stefanie Braverman believes that "it's not the amount that makes the impact, but it's the act that makes the impact."  We couldn’t agree more and we will be sure to come out and support your effort.  Our camp community is encouraged to do the same.  Way to go Sam!

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Octoberfest 2012

Although   the  Summer  of  2012  is  in  the  history books it  doesn’t mean that camp isn’t on our minds. We are   already   planning  for  summer  2013  and  thinking  of new ways to keep July and August your favorite time of the year.  So, how about a little hint of Summer this Fall for you and all of your friends???

Please  join  us  on  Saturday  October  13th,  from 1-3:30pm, for Stonybrook Day Camp’s Octoberfest. There will be music, games, sports, arts & crafts, challenge course activities, horse and carriage rides, contests and lots more. It will be one
part mini-camp experience, one part beautiful fall day. Refreshments will be served and we welcome you to invite friends and family- Everyone is welcome!! Current
campers, alumni, prospective campers, fans of camp…..we hope you will join us for
what promises to be a great day.

Please RSVP by Wednesday October 9th at 973.584.0078 or
stonybrookdaycamp@yahoo.com. Thanks and looking forward to seeing you on
October 13th!

Don't forget to check out http://www.stonybrookdaycamp.smugmug.com to see all of the pictures from camp!












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Summer 2012 Has Come to an End at SBDC!

Say it isn't so! Our final day of camp has come and gone..... bye bye Summer 2012, you were a great one.

As we look back at the summer, we are so thankful for so many different reasons.  We are thankful because it was a total blast and lots of fun.  We had new programs such as the "Mad Scientist" and "Totally Courageous Basketball" and they were just perfect additions to our calendar.  We are thankful because our old favorites like color war, spirit week, and water day were as exciting as ever.  And we are thankful because we have welcomed so many new campers and staff who truly embraced our camp philosophy and really become a part of our community.  And our returning campers, you are such a part of Stonybrook and it just wouldn't be the same without you.  We do feel very lucky because we attract such a wonderful group of kids and families and we love what they bring to camp.  Thank you for choosing Stonybrook because we do realize you have a choice.  

And to our staff, you guys are just the best.  You gave us so much and you gave the kids so much and for that we say a big thank you. Everyday you came despite rain or heat and you made every day a memorable one for our campers.  Please know it is much appreciated and we wish you a wonderful rest of your summer and beyond.  

And now, we let our camp photographer have some fun.  These are Jodi's favorite pics of the Summer of 2012.  She's amazing and her pictures bring us right back to the camp moment.  Enjoy the memories.  

(click on image to see larger file and access the slide show!)

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