South Florida Elementary schools – faced with the pressure of FCAT standardize tests – are using special snack bars in hopes for a “Placebo Effect” on test results.

They are literally, testing out a snack-bar used for test taking…

Now, we have all read the research on how a healthy diet can lead to better test scores.  That is not what this “experiment” is all about though. 

Teachers and staff are specifically looking to see if the placebo effect will raise children’s confidence, thus raising test scores.

This school, special packaged their snack bars to help kids conquer the Florida Writes test.

Can you read the warning?

IMPROVES WRITING POWER!

We will see about that…

Have a great week,

The Pine Crest Day Camp Team

With Barack Obama in charge, we have already relieved over 11 states from the No Child Left Behind deckle of George Bush’s legacy.

In replacing No Child Left Behind, Barack Obama and his staff have formed the Race to the Top program.

From our research, here is what Race to the Top is all about.

• Standards will be raised EVERYWHERE.  (Instead of picking a middle ground where some states would have to reach for and others would have to lower standards for as with NCLB)
• States will have final say in how to use federal money.
• The state with the “best” plan to use the fed money will have first priority in receiving it.
• The actual “grunt work” of making this a success, is relied on the community.

We will let the President take it from here so you can make your own opinions on Race to the Top!

Have a great week,

The Pine Crest Day Camp Team

Happy Valentine’s Day

From The Associated Press

Why should I send my kids to summer camp?

Just because the school year is over does not mean your childs development takes a hiatus as well.

Dr. Stephen Fine,  has researched summer camps in terms physical fitness, socialization and personal growth and has compiled the following list of benefits that going to summer camp provides to your children:

Health and Wellness

Studies show that the outdoor activity, social interaction and balanced diet at camp can greatly improve a young person’s overall well-being, and can lead to establishing healthy lifestyle patterns.

“During the school year, children sit at their desks, watch television, and ride in cars.  There’s no opportunity to walk around naturally.  At camp, the very act of constantly being in natural movement makes you fit on a day-to-day basis routinely.  On top of that you’re going to be swimming, climbing or playing sports.”

- Dr. Stephen Fine

Independence

Peer support in a caring environment quickly allows the individual camper to overcome perceived needs for constant parental dependency.

Self-Esteem

Camps allow kids to try out new things and take risks in a low-stress, spirited nurturing, outdoor environment.

Also, the camp environment helps kids receive recognition from their peers for performing at their best.

Leadership

Leadership is developed by giving young people responsibilities that may not be expected of them elsewhere.

Children learn to be good citizens, to have civic pride.

Children learn how to diffuse tense situations by becoming mediators and moderators.

“Working in groups, children learn to keep their cabin and the camp neat and clean,” says Dr. Fine.  “They take ownership and leadership of their surroundings.”

Friendship Skills

It takes courage to go to camp alone, but that feeling of aloneness ends at the moment of arrival.

Adventure and Exploration

Taking healthy risks in a controlled environment allows a safe yet challenging outlet for a child’s instinct to explore.

Camps provide real-life activities in natural settings unlike theme parks or video games.

Children have time to explore nature at their own pace by looking at insects or poking around in sand.

Environmental Awareness

Fostering respect for nature is important at most camps.

Campers participate in recycling and composting.

Values and Decisions

Camp directors and staff work towards the development of positive values and overall strength of character within campers.

Research conducted with camp alumni shows that camp experiences figure prominently in the long-term as the basis underlying successful networking, ethical conduct, and positive parenting.

BENEFITS TO THE PARENTS!!!

Lets not forget about the peace of mind that parents will get from enrolling their children in a summer camp.

They get the peace of knowing their children are learning, growing, and reaping the benefits of everything explained above while they can relax and reflect on having a great summer!

Summer is still a while away, but your children will continue to develop today!

Pine Crest Day Camp Believes 100% in Summer Camp for Child Development!

Have an excellent week!

The Pine Crest Day Camp Team

In addition to the 13 exciting summer programs operating on the Boca campus…you might also consider the BIG ONE in Ft. Lauderdale!!

In an attempt to give you as many summer options as possible Pine Crest would like to remind you that one of our nation’s critically acclaimed summer day camps operates on your sister campus!  Here are some facts and information that you are sure to find interesting…..

1)       EIGHT WEEKS of BIG TIME FUN:   The dates are set for this season at PCDC.  Camp will begin on Monday, June 11 and will run through Friday, August 3.  This start date will give our Pine Crest Boca students a week and a day to decompress from their studies before starting off on a fantastic journey through the summer on the Ft. Lauderdale campus.  Our end date of August 3^rd will afford everyone plenty of time to “vay-kay” before regular school classes resume.

2)      TWO WEEK SESSIONS:     The summer is divided into nice small bites that include

FOUR (4) two-week sessions.  Come give us a try for one session or come for all four.  Any way you slice it, we promise your child a summer like no other!  The session dates will be as follows:

Session 1:  June 11 to June 22                    

Session 2:  June 25 to July 6 (closed July 4)

Session 3:  July 9 to July 20                         

Session 4:  July 23 to August 3

3)      WE’RE HOLDING TUITION DOWN:  In our unnerving economic times we’ve vowed to keep our costs down.  Our usual increase in cost-of-living fees will be held to a complete minimum this season.  The cost of camp will only increase by $10.00 per week and the cost of bus transportation will only increase by $3.00 per week over fees from PCDC: 2011.

New Rates….

1 child/1 session= $730.00    

1/child/1 session/with bus=$1,020.00

4)AGES:  PCDC has something for everyone.   Whether it’s an Elmo Bounce House, the Lagoon with kid-powered tiny mini-boats, or McSports for the littliest ones…OR…the Iron Man Competition, batting cages, or a visit to Spy School for the biggest ones…..PCDC accepts kids ages 4 to 12.

4)       TRANSPORTATION:  PCDC offers door-to-door bus transportation throughout nearly all of Broward County.  Campers living in the northern parts of Dade County or the southern parts of Palm Beach County utilize our pick-up point or Express Service. 

Did you know that we offer FREE TRANSPORTATION from the Boca Raton campus directly to the Ft. Lauderdale campus?

No charge…no fee…no kidding….simply hop on board!!

6)  ACTIVITIES:      PCDC has a GIGANTIC  list of activity offerings for our campers.    (please see our activity section)

49 acres…from the famed Morning Show to our elaborate Friday stage shows, PCDC is chock-full of activity, entertainment, and FUN!!!

Seeing the opportunity to serve the community, Pine Crest School instituted the first summer day camp in our area. It eventually became the summer entertainment for thousands and thousands of Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach County youngsters, who boarded buses for a full day of laughs, friendship, sports, and entertainment. During those early decades, only a handful of small day camps popped up in Broward County, but none could match the scope and popularity of PCDC.  It should be of little surprise that over the years approximately 100,000 campers giggled their way through the halls, gyms, and sports fields of PCDC.  Pine Crest Day Camp has always boasted of “growing their own counselors,” and thanks to memorable summers, thousands of campers went on to become the quality staff members of the camp’s future, as they do today.

In 1965 the school moved to its present location, a 49 acre parcel in northeast Broward County.  As South Florida grew, so did PCDC. During the boom of the 1980’s PCDC saw enrollment numbers pushing 1,500 campers per day.  Logistics made it impossible to feed so many children at one time, and so the push was on for PCDC to provide lunch and fun off-campus.  Back home on the campus, forty-five activities were offered…a little something for everyone.  The usual and expected camp fare of Arts and Crafts, Lanyards & Beads, Drama, Baseball, Music, Dance, Football, Soccer, Swimming, and Diving, were basic to the more exotic activities such as Fencing, Lacrosse, Magic, Cheerleading, and Cookie Crafts.  As time marched on, new favorites were added to the list.  Activities like Shrinky Dinks, BMX bikes, wild animal shows, Rocketry, and Skateboarding kept kids entertained.

Today the camp enrolls a very manageable 800 children daily and supervises them with approximately 200 high school and college students.  Buses now travel from Boca Raton to North Miami.  Besides hosting many children from the east side of town, cities such as Coral Springs, Parkland, Plantation, Hollywood, Aventura, and Weston are home to campers as well. Where once there were a few station wagons and a few vans, 35 air-conditioned school buses now travel thousands of miles over the course of each summer to transport today’s child.  Oddly enough many of the activities are still favorites among the four-to-twelve-year-old set.  Arts and Crafts, Magic, Cheerleading, Football, and Cookie Crafts continue to be hits.  Trips off-campus have fallen by the wayside, especially since security is an issue these days.  One small pool has grown to three.  The old gymnasium has given way to two air-conditioned sports arenas.  Homemade snacks of ice and syrup snow cones are only memories now.  Today campers visit Snack Central twice a day for freshly sliced fruit and name brand ice creams and Italian ices.  Movies and big stage productions are now shown in the 950 seat auditorium, as is the popular Morning Show, where each child begins their day.  The lake that stands in the middle of the campus is home to Hydro-bikes, Kayaks, and Paddle Boats.  Kids now find Electric Guitars, Adventure Climbing Towers, Speed Stacking, Spy School, Nintendo Game Rooms, and sky-high water slides on their schedules.  Parades, costume days, and even kid-friendly lunches served in a state-of-the-art dining room (complete with big screen TVs, salad bars, and hot dog grills), have all been lined up to form the framework of great summer experiences for PCDC campers.

Pine Crest Day Camp turns fifty-four this summer.  She is still as young and fresh as ever and she still provides thousands of children with great summers of friendship, fun, and memories.  We will begin enrolling in January and are in great hopes that our children who attend the Boca Raton Campus will “come on down” to give us a try.  It looks like another award-winning summer!!!

Today is actually the second day of Florida Severe Weather Awareness Week, here is what we have to say:

Rip currents consistently rank at the top of the deadliest weather-related hazards in South Florida.

Since 1979, rip currents, sometimes erroneously referred to as rip tides or undertows, have claimed more lives in South Florida than any other weather-related hazard combined.

It’s not the occasional hurricane you have to worry about, it’s the rip-currents that are here consistently!

What is a rip-current?

A rip current is a 20-30 yard wide, strong channel of water flowing out past the surf zone that can pull even the strongest swimmer into deeper water beyond the sand bar.

Most deaths occur when people caught in the rip current try to swim immediately right back to shore and as a result they get exhausted, drown and die.

Sometimes, would-be rescuers also drown.

If more people would understand how a rip current works, than swimmers and “would be rescuers” can escape this fate.

That is what today is for!

Staying Safe:

The best way to stay safe and to be informed of the presence of dangerous rip currents is to heed the advice of lifeguards.

Make sure you swim at guarded beaches and be aware of the flag color system used by ocean rescue personnel to alert of rip currents.

If you see a red flag at or near the lifeguard stand, strong and dangerous currents are present and you should not enter the water. (unless you are an experienced surfer…)

Your chances of being rescued from a rip current are significantly higher when swimming within sight of a lifeguard.

Always try to swim at guarded beaches.

Statistics show that the vast majority of rip current drowning deaths happen at unguarded beaches or during times when lifeguards are not on duty.

Takeaway Tips to Help Your Child Avoid Rip-Currents this Swim Season:

• Try to swim within a life guards range.
• Always look for flags/signs that report Rip-Currents.
• When caught and getting pulled out, DON’T PANIC!  Just swim parallel to shore and in about 20-40 yards, you should be out of it and able to swim back without a problem.

Stay Safe!

See you this summer,

The Pine Crest Day Camp Team

This year we are really excited about all of our changes!  We can’t wait to spend an extra week with our campers and counselors! (remember camp starts June 11th!) And we have NEVER-EVER in the history (yes all 54 years!) of Pine Crest Day Camp offered two week sessions!!!  And they’re back………7th graders!!!  You asked, and we listened!

So, with all of that being said, don’t miss out on the summer fun!  Our cabins are filling up fast!! (And plus you don’t want to miss out on the full summer early enrollment discount…deadline March 30th)  Lorin is busy giving tours to our newbie’s…if you would like to schedule a tour or request a brochure, call us at 954-492-4137 or email us at daycamp@pinecrest.edu.

Be sure to check our blog daily, and don’t forget to “like” us  (we consider it…”love” us) on facebook!!

Thanks for dropping by and catching our inaugural blog post.

Feel free to drop in once a week to catch our posts on:

- South Florida News

- Child Education

- Day Camp Activities

- Pine Crest News

- More!

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Hit like on our Facebook page or follow us on twitter to never miss a Pine Crest Day Camp post!

See you soon,

The PCDC Team