Tag: education

A Camp A Day – Day 11: Math is Everywhere!

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It’s Day Eleven of our A Camp-A-Day Series. We have TWO camps that incorporate math concepts, but they are very different. Why? Because, Math is EVERYWHERE! Now many of our camps naturally have math concepts, like our science and engineering camps, but today we’ll highlight the ones that state it in the title. It’s Saturday, so we’ll stick with the obvious.

First, our very popular instructor extraordinaire, Dr. Peter Kohler, will be running a unique camp entitled, Nature’s Art & Math. Peter has been teaching art for many years and has a Ph.D. in theoretical physics. He teaches Math enrichment at The Nueva School where he has encouraged student’s creativity for more than 20 years. He’ll explain that Fibonacci Numbers in Nature is some of the most visually magical math you can discover. Kids will explore flowers, pine cones, sand dollars, the nautilus and other shells, and galaxies for their fascinating math. With a great variety of math and art materials: oil pastels, paints, clay, paper folding, colored tiles and cubes, to build and be creative in math. Be inventive with 2-D and 3-D visual patterns, blending Numbers and Shapes. Peter has inspired and brought out a love for math and art in many children by sharing its beauty, its magic and mystery.

math love

Math-Mania is another new camp that is taught by After-School Enrichment Instructor and Math Enthusiast, Holly Lindquist! Holly loves math and so do her kids! This inspired her to bring their love of math to YOUR KIDS! Holly will expose children to some very cool areas of math that may not have been covered in their classrooms. They’ll learn about Fibonacci numbers, Pascal’s triangle, fractals, secret codes, and much more! She’ll also explore fun activities and craft projects to deepen their understanding of mathematical concepts. You can visit Holly’s website for more info and math activities you can try at home!

Details…

Nature’s Art & Math
Age 5-10
with Dr. Peter Kohler
August 4 – August 8
Monday – Friday
9:00am-12:00pm
Location: Red Morton Community Center

Math-Mania
Age 9-11
with Holly Lindquist
July 21 – July 25 @ Red Morton Center
August 18 – August 22 @ Sandpiper Community Center
Monday – Friday
9:00am-1:00pm

Click here for the entire Summer Activity Guide!

Is Your Child Ready For Camp?

redwoodcitycamps.org
{ Kids enjoying their first camp experience at Stulsaft Park }

Parents! Does the word “Summer” ignite feelings of panic about how you are going to entertain your child all season long? Redwood City Parks, Recreation and Community Services is again offering a variety of fun and enriching camps for preschoolers this summer. Our camps are built to be inviting, caring and chock full of age appropriate activities for your little one, to help to ensure a positive first camp experience.

Camp is a great opportunity to try something new.  Because our camps are usually half-day and one week long, it gives parents flexibility to pick and choose from a variety of themes and topics so kids can have varying experiences. It can also provide some “drop-off” practice for the first day of preschool.

Here are some tips to help get you over the hurdle of deciding if your young child is ready for camp, as well as tips for making the transition much easier:

Your child may be ready for camp if …

  1. Shows signs of independence, goes to school, is accustomed to being separated from you for extended periods and or has older brothers or sister they look up to.
  2. Enjoys making new friends and doing hands on activities.
  3. Enjoys playdates with other children.

Which camp to pick?

  1. Is your child crazy about the outdoors, dinosaurs, soccer, dance, art, bugs, fairytales, cooking etc? Pick a camp that will keep your child’s interest. Many camps will have a theme listed when you sign up. Consider your child’s interests when making a selection.
  2. Ask neighbors and friends about camp suggestions, they can be some of the greatest resources.
  3. Consider if your child would do better in a full day or half day camp setting. If a full day would be too long, consider sending them to a half day camp. Many times a half day is a perfect amount of time for a new camper.

Tips for a better transition

  1. A short and sweet goodbye works best for all. After you sign your child into camp, give them a hug and kiss, introduce them to their leader, and tell them to have a great day.
  2. Make sure your camper has what they need to go to camp. All their clothes and lunch box are labeled with their name since many times campers may have the same items.
  3. If you have specific parent questions about camp or the activities call before the camp starts that way you have your answers before dropping off your child on the first day.
  4. If your camp is held at a local park or community center it may be a good idea to visit the location with your child beforehand.
  5. Before the first day of camp you may want to talk to your child about going to camp and the exciting things they will be doing.
  6. On average, 8 year olds are ready for “sleepover” camp. To ease the transition, kids should experience sleeping over at a relative’s or friend’s house at least one night before going to an overnight camp.

Camps start June 20th. It’s not too late to sign up. Visit our Redwood City Camp Website for more information at RedwoodCityCamps.org.  This list can also be found on our Camp Website.

He Sings, He Acts, He Teaches Kids! Meet William O’Neill.

Drama teacher Bill O'Neill

Who is William O’Neill?

When William O’Neill came to us, I thought, “could this guy be for real?”  Baritone Opera Singer, Actor, Drama Teacher, a performing arts Jack-of-all trades! Plus, his easy-going presence, playful demeanor and enthusiasm for the Arts was hard to ignore. Oh…and he also founded a very popular Theater and Singing program through the City of San Clemente PARKS & RECREATION! YES!  Thankfully, he decided to move up north and join us in Redwood City. He will be teaching After-School and Summer Theater programs this season (see below). We are excited to announce, that the Summer Camp will be held at the AMAZING Carrington Hall at Sequoia High School.

William, aka “Bill” started doing theater when he was very young. His Church-Music-Director-Father encouraged him to try singing and acting.  Bill started singing in the choir at the ripe age of five years old, and ventured on to do his first musical when he was eight. He has NEVER STOPPED SINCE!  His love for performing brought him to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he graduated with a M.A. in Voice and Opera. Bill has performed in many productions at the SF Conservatory of Music. Some of his more noteworthy parts include: Bottom, in A MidSummer Night’s Dream; Sarastro,  in The Magic Flute; Don Magnifico, in the opera of Cinderella; and Colline, in La Boheme.

Check out his Pipes & Chops in this video of Bill performing in La Boheme:

Some Fun Facts About Bill:

Fave movie: I’d have to say it’s toss up between The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and the Harry Potter Movies. I’m a big fantasy buff!

Fave TV Shows: Battlestar Galactica, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Iron Chef America

Fave Actors: Male: Matt Damon / Female: Natalie Portman

Fave Dessert: Gourmet Cupcakes! Especially from places like Sprinkles or Kara’s Cupcakes.

Fave place to see a show: Broadway in New York, OF COURSE! Second is Carrington Hall in Redwood City 😉

First acting role: A street kid in the musical of Cinderella when I was 8. My first speaking part, was Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol when I was in 7th grade.

Fave acting role: My favorite show I’ve ever been in is actually one I’m doing right now. It’s called a Year With Frog and Toad. I’m performing it with Bay Area Children’s Theater. I play the part of Toad.

First movie you ever saw: Hahaha… I think it was probably the original Tron in the early 80’s. I also recall seeing the original Clash of the Titans around the same time. So I’m not sure…

What does Music & the Arts mean to you?: I have advice for all of the kids out there, to never give up on your dreams. When I was a kid I had a lot of speech problems to overcome, but doing things like music and theater is what helped me to break though those problems and give me self-confidence. I wouldn’t be the adult I am today without all the training I had a as a child.

Camp & Class Information:

3rd-5th graders can enjoy…
Adventures in Theater Workshop – Tuesdays, 3:30-5pm beginning April 5th for 8 weeks
CLICK HERE FOR INFO/REGISTRATION

5th-8th graders can enjoy…
Too Much Drama! – Thursdays, 3:30-5pm beginning April 7th for 8 weeks
CLICK HERE FOR INFO/REGISTRATION

Summer Camp at Carrington Hall…
Summer Performing Arts Program – Monday through Friday, 8:30am-3pm, July 11-22. 
CLICK HERE FOR INFO/REGISTRATION