The Hi-Hills Herald: 2016 Week #5

The Hi-Hills Herald July 29, 2016

Issue#5

Top News at Hi-Hills Day Camp!

Carnival Week!

Celebrating our 50th Summer!

Table of Contents:

This week was one of our favorite events of the summer: Carnival!

We hope everyone had as much fun as we did at the bunk tables and the other fun activities!

We were blown away by everyone’s costumes on Wednesday. Here are just some of our winners: Gigi (Bunk 10) and Andrea (Bunk 12 & 14) won Scariest while Randeep (Bunk 11 & 13) won for staying in character all through Carnival. Ariella (10) won Most Creative Camper and Lily (10) was Most Colorful. Mary (12 & 14) was voted Most Exotic and David (9) won Cutest. Amanda, Anna, Anjola (16 & 18) and Sam (11& 13) won Most Creative Camper Group.

To see pictures from Carnival, be sure to visit hihills.com!

Note from Camp Directors Bunk Updates

2 3-5

Dates to Remember

6

Camp Candids

6

Birthdays This Month

7

Program News

8-10

Upcoming Dress Days 11 Color Wars 11 Counselor of the Week 11 Trivia Winners 12 Leaders of Tomorrow 12 Teen Travel 12

Gill St. Bernard’s School, 25 St. Bernard’s Road, Gladstone, NJ Phone: 908-234-0067 • Fax: 908-234-1611 • Email: info@hihills.com hihills.com • www.facebook.com/hihills

te o N A r u o from p Cam rs o t c e r Di

Hello Hi-Hills!

Dear Hi-Hills, Week five is traditionally a favorite at Hi-Hills, and this year was no exception. The fun can all be summed up in one word: CARNIVAL! Our upbeat activity specialists, counselors and campers worked together to create their booths. Some of this year’s favorites were the balloon popping, the marriage booth, the pie eating contest, the guessthe-amount in the candy container and the Pepsi-Coke Challenge. As always, the cotton candy and snow cone machines were a success and enjoyed by all on this hot summer day.

The great outdoors (Home Winds Campus) was transformed into a true carnival complete with an inflatable water slide and a dunk tank, where the counselors, campers, and even administrative staff got in on the fun!

This year’s costume contest winners can be found on the front page.

Next Thursday night another Hi-Hills tradition will take place: the Lower Bunk Late Night and Kinder Camp Family Fun Night! We will also be kicking up the color war challenges by having multiple Olympic-style events throughout the week in honor of Olympic Pride.

Many thanks to our staff for all the hard work they put in each and every day here at camp–without their contributions, events like these would not be possible.

As always, we thank you for sharing your amazing children with us!

Cindy Wyatt – Director of Summer and Auxiliary Programs Nicole Spiotta – Assistant Director of Summer and Auxiliary Programs

Bunk Upda tes

Bunk 1: T he Foxes & Bunk 2: T he Beavers Week five at Kinder Camp was filled with loads of fun in low ropes where campers worked on their team building and leadership skills via obstacle courses and other games. In music, the Foxes and Beavers were in for a treat as Stefanie and Julia taught them about various instruments and how to tell them apart by their sounds. Campers then had a chance to try out various instruments. The main event of the week for little tribe members was Carnival. The whole camp traveled to the Home Winds Campus to explore, taste and experience Carnival. Kinder Campers enjoyed themselves on the water slide, playing carnival games to win fun prizes, and lastly, eating snow cones, funnel cake and cotton candy. Some of the campers brought costumes from home to join in on the dress-up fun. Our bunks were transformed into a pirate, firefighter, Snow White, superheroes, and a rock and roll Barbie. To wrap up the week, Kinder Camp had a PJ party on Friday. Mark your calendar for Thursday, August 4 for Kinder Camp’s Family Fun Night! We hope your child can join in the fun! Be sure to check your email for details.

-Kelly, Sarah, Zoe, Missie and Jess

Bunk Upda tes Bunk 9: T he Chippewas

We had a full bunk of campers this week: 11 smiling Chippewas to be exact! Color war activity included the water bucket challenge as well as a teeter-totter race involving water and a pulley that had bunks participating against one another. It was a fun, fast, team-building event that campers didn’t mind getting a little wet for. In art, our tribe made “camp is cool” banners as a keepsake for the summer. Lastly, Carnival was the main event on Wednesday where the Chippewas were in charge of the sack races. The bunk truly relished in the day as the great outdoors were transformed into a carnival complete with waterslides to snow cones to dunk tanks and much more. It was an awesome time and we are looking forward to more fun in store for the Chippewas next week!

-Joanne, Alex and Mark

Bunk 10: Lenni Lenapes

Our campers had an awesome time this week at Carnival! Between the cotton candy, giant water slide and the games it was a blast! The Lenni Lenapes also enjoyed the opportunity to dress up in their costumes and compete in the contest! The counselors were awarded the best creative costume group along with two girls in group who most creative and scariest costumes! Next week, please note our group has their late night which is another opportunity to enjoy Hi-Hills after the traditional camp day is over along with dinner amongst our camp friends. Week five was a fantastic time with lots of memories made to last a lifetime!

-Betsy, Kiara and Emily

Bunks 11 & 13: T he Navajos

Week five was filled with tons of water fun and carnival activities for the Navajos. The bunk really enjoyed the water slide, face painting, pie eating and, of course, our designated booth during Carnival, “Knock Down the Tin Cans.” The color war bucket challenge had them participating in a relay race to fill a bucket against a competing team. There was lots of activity to cool down our tribe during this summer heat wave along with our many opportunities to swim at the pool or indulge in the splash pad. Our campers continue to rock out at the great outdoors with daily fish catches along with joyrides in the paddleboats.

It’s truly been an amazing week five for the Navajos with carnival, color war and water fun. We can’t wait to have our campers join in the fun again on Monday!

-Patrick, Julian and Armeen

Bunk Upda tes Bunks 12 & 14: T he Lakotas

Everyone had a blast during Carnival at the dunk tank, the giant waterslide and all the booths, where the girls were a huge help at our tattoo and nail painting booth, especially Charlotte and Annabelle. Everyone enjoyed all the special treats such as the snow cones and cotton candy! The whole camp participated in the Carnival dress up costume competition. Congratulations to Andrea and Mary on both winning prizes for their amazing costumes! Along with Carnival, there was also a color war competition which involved a water bucket challenge. The girls put a lot of effort into competing for their teams. Outside of the special events this week, Ava and Ellie had a great time speeding around on go-karts, Sophia made an amazing double catch in Athletics and Gianna hit a special target in archery, winning points for her color wars team. We look forward to hanging out after camp with the girls next Thursday at Late Night!

-Megan, Erica and Sophie

Bunks 15 & 17: T he Comanches

Week five has been a busy one for the Comanches. Last week, our bunk performed its skit in front of the whole camp, acting out a day at camp using their bodies to create all the equipment such as those in gaga, fishing and swim. While the boys were nervous to perform, it was well received by the audience. Good job! Despite the heat this week, our tribe has cooled off in the pool at every chance, harvested tons of vegetables in the community garden, and most importantly, enjoyed their time at Carnival with their pie-eating booth!

-Tom, Patrick, Ben and Andrew

Bunks 16 & 18: T he Cherokees

We were so pumped this week! The girls were busy getting ready for Carnival as this is their favorite camp event for sure. Our Cherokee girls loved dressing up with their favorite costumes and our booth activity was a very challenging one involving balloons, speed and coordination. Anyone who participated in our booth got the opportunity to earn points for their respective color war team.

It’s hard to believe that we are halfway through camp and looking forward to so many exciting things to do in the weeks ahead at Hi-Hills. We are working on our bunk cheer as we aim to win the Spirit Stick for a third time. In archery, Anna hit the heart target to boost points for the blue team while Amanda almost got a bull’s eye and earned points for the green team. Great job girls! Our tribe’s newest craze is friendship bracelets made with colorful strings and they look amazing. Enjoy the weekend and stay cool.

- Maria, Amanda and Kerry

r u o Y k r a M Calendar Dates to r!

Remembe

Aug. 4: Kinder Camp Family Fun Aug. 4: Lower Bunk Late Night Aug. 9: Picture Day Aug. 11: Parent Luncheon

Camp Cand ids

!

Bunk photos are now online and available to download!

Birthdays T his Month August 1st: Giuliana

August 10th: Brandon

August 2nd: Zachary

August 11th: Anna

August 4th: Sanjay

August 11th: Eli

August 6th: Emily

August 13th: Robbie

August 6th: William

August 15th: Cameron

August 8th: Jayson

August 16th: Erik

August 8th: Caitlin

August 16th: Bradley

August 9th: Andrew

August 19th: Dylan

m a r g o r P News Tennis Week five has been an exciting one as our campers continue to develop their tennis game.

We have been working to incorporate fundamental skills including serving into participating in games. Campers are learning the different aspects of playing singles and doubles. Singles relies exclusively on the individual player, their strengths and strategy. Doubles emphasize how important teamwork and communication is by working together with a partner. The campers are also learning the proper way to keep score. The Hi-Hills tennis tournament for campers, counselors and other staff is quickly approaching, so get ready for love-15-30-45-game play!

Much to look forward to in week six at Hi-Hills.

-Chris

Performing Arts This week in Performing Arts, we learned about four iconic artists in music. We introduced campers to the music of Ella Fitzgerald, Gioachino Rossini, Janice Joplin and Michael Jackson.

After listening to songs by these legendary musicians, we split the campers into their color war teams and had them work together to play our version of “headbands.� One camper held up a picture of one of our four artists and the other camper had to describe accomplishments made by the musicians to get their partner to guess who they were. It was a great trivia game to help them learn about music that has shaped our culture.

-Stefanie and Giulia

Swimming

It was another successful week in the water for campers and counselors alike. We worked on the classic freestyle (or crawl stroke) during instrumental swim. Swimming is always a favorite activity during a summer heat wave. We marvel how campers young and old develop into a pool of fish with each passing camp week. Water polo is a favorite for the older and teen travel campers that has taken over the pool area during their scheduled free swim. For those new families joining us, please know that when you child arrives at Hi-Hills on Monday, we evaluate their stroke and deep water abilities first-hand and then assign them accordingly to a certain swim level and a designated instructor. Please continue to send in the water shoes for the campers to use while in the pool. Everyone stay cool and safe in the pool.

-Augie

Program News Great Outdoors

The Home Winds Campus turned into a carnival this week, with a variety of events taking place throughout the field.

Campers participated in breaking balloons with darts as well as tested their marksmanship with a slingshot range breaking old clay pottery. The snow cone and cotton candy stands had a constant flow of campers indulging in these sweet treats. The Coke vs. Pepsi challenge booth and the dunk tank were also popular designations for campers and counselors alike. Whipped cream filled faces could be seen everywhere from the famous pie eating contest and the slip ‘n slide saw nonstop action throughout the day.

Tuesday’s water bucket challenge was fierce with the green team racking up 2,000 points to the blue team’s 1,000 points. Campers had to relay buckets of water from a large barrel of water to fill a five gallon bucket on a teeter totter. When the bucket was heavy enough, it moved the six brick counter balance and a flag was raised. There was a twist to the challenge, though: the relay bucket had several holes drilled in it which required campers and counselors to move it quickly so as to not get drenched alongside filling the designated five gallon bucket. Friday’s color war challenge was a puzzle day!

Archery Our young archers successfully protected the camp this week repelling two waves of zombie attacks. The first wave was an army of zombie rats. The young archers displayed their skill and marksmanship and racked up points on both teams, dispatching the first wave in no time. The second wave, zombie trolls, was also dealt with quickly, with the Hi-Hills archers rapidly finding their mark. The campers are enjoying the variety of targets to choose from on the range, which is helping them develop good form and shot execution.

Paddleboats Paddleboat races and retrieval challenges between the blue and green teams are taking place on a daily basis.

Captain Thomas continues to push the competitiveness daily with campers gaining speed and agility without them realizing the amount of daily exercise that they are getting...!

Fishing Our campers in clubs continue to dominate the numbers when it comes to the largest fish and number of fish caught. Despite an algae bloom on the pond, the fishing continues to be exceptional with multiple catches every period of the day.

Program News Athletics It’s hard to believe that we are wrapping up week five of the summer and have just three weeks remaining. The good news is that campers and staff are still going strong!

Athletics is no exception, as this week campers were treated to Bounce-‘n’-Score in which campers used multiple playground balls in an effort to score on one bounce over the opponent’s goal line. Strategic positioning, goalkeeping skills and the proper touch on the ball all came into play as campers continued to battle for color war points. The game was contested on Hi-Hills’ famous SportCourt, making for an ideal playing surface. Great job by all campers and staff during this tremendously fun activity, and we look forward to seeing you all again in week six!

-John and Marc

Arts & Crafts Our Kinder Camp got into the Carnival theme this week by creating beautiful clown puppets. These campers had a great time decorating their own special clown and taking it home as a keepsake.

Our other campers are learning that Native Americans used their natural resources to create things all around them. Students were introduced to tools made from rocks and branches to view primitive tools that were once used to carve out totem poles or to make their basic necessities of life. They have been learning that things in nature can be used to create art. Our featured project in week five was using sticks to make cake banners up that were collected from the camp grounds.

All the tribes are enjoying learning about tribal customs and incorporate them in their weekly arts and crafts projects!

-Mindy

ing m o c p U ys a D s s e Dr

August 5: Olympic Enthusiast

Color Wars 2016 Week five’s color war was even hotter than the temperature outside. We had TWO intense competitions going on this week! On Tuesday, the campers and counselors participated in a water bucket challenge. Everyone enjoyed getting splashed and carrying a water bucket with holes while trying to accomplish the task of being the first team to fill their bucket to raise the pulley with their team’s flag. The green team was victorious twice earning 2,000 points while the blue team earned 1,000 points for the sole win. On Friday, the puzzle competition challenged the mental strength of the campers and counselors.

Color war this year is bringing out our physical strength along with developing our mental strength as well. Can the green team keep their lead?! There are many more competitions ahead with our final three weeks.

r o l e s n u Co of the Week JoAnne Hibbett

This summer, JoAnne is the Head Counselor for bunk 9, the Chippewas. She is enjoying her second summer working at Hi-Hills, her second home (as she fondly refers to camp and the lush outdoor surroundings). Working at Hi-Hills is a family affair with her husband Matt, the camp specialist, overseeing fishing, archery and paddleboat activities and explorations out at the great outdoors. During the school year, JoAnne is a devoted aide assisting students in the classroom.

JoAnne can be described as the summer mother, coach, counselor and caring individual who watches over this tribe of six and seven year old boys. With her ever-present smile and outgoing disposition, JoAnne embodies energy, enthusiasm and keen attention to detail with these campers. She always has her eye on them with friendly reminders to tie their sneakers, sample some home grown vegetables at lunch or be their anonymous co-writer and choreographer for weekly bunk cheer and skit routines.

For all you that you do at Hi-Hills with the Chippewas and assisting with the yearbook club, we reorganize you as Counselor of the Week! Your organization and management skills are top notch!

On behalf of all of us at Hi-Hills staff, congratulations JoAnne!

ia v i r T y l k Wee Winners

Monday – Eddie, Cassidy Tuesday – Dylan, Armeen, Megan Wednesday – Cassidy, Bridget T hursday – Kevin, JoAnne Friday – Madison, Erica

rrow: o m o T s of Leader awanna Lack

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Teen Travel: Apache Week five started off with a trip to the fish hatchery where we learned about many animals native to our area and also the life cycle of many different types of fish. The great outdoors is such an integral part of Hi-Hills that we wanted to showcase another venue for our teens.

On Tuesday, we traveled to Pole Position and raced on electronic, indoor go-karts and played tons of arcade games! On Wednesday, we were part of the campwide carnival adventure and had a blast!

Thursday brought us to New York City for a voyage on Spirit Cruise around the Statue of Liberty!

-Chrissy