This year we had an opportunity to visit the NY1 news studio in Manhattan. This trip was exclusive to 5th grade and middle school students, and were required to dress formal. We toured the studio, accompanied by news anchor Cheryl Wills. Students were able to sit in the news casting room and take pictures, as well as discuss careers they hope to pursue in the future. Ms. Wills enlightened us with knowledge of her upbringing and path to becoming a newscaster. We were grateful for the chance to hear about her experiences, as we received inspiration from it. The experience was invaluable and worth the time spent, as students were exposed to media related career fields in a more professional nature. We thank the parents for allowing their children to participate.

This year, Dance and Step decided to join forces as they shared a similar aggression in their styles and movements of African and Krump dancing. Their collaboration was dedicated to increasing awareness to the importance of the Arts in light of the current Administration onslaught on the Arts. Their performance, "This is America", began with the children dying and waking up to fight together against America. The opportunity to participate was exclusive to fifth grade and middle school students who wished to perform in third club. Our Step Instructor, Ms. Xeria, and our Dance Instructor Ms. Jasmine worked tirelessly to prepare the students for the Culminating Event. They believe America is stripping the Arts away from children, which is a much needed outlet for students who have the desire to express themselves. Dance, according to Ms. Jasmine, is a medicine for children who need an outlet to help them remain disciplined and focused to perform better in school. Discipline and focus, important life skills many people fail to realize can be developed through Performing Arts. We will continue to advocate against the government budget cuts of Arts programs.

The Math Segment this year comprised of various topics which were divided amongst three age groups. Children in kindergarten and first grade worked on basic math problems, covering addition, subtraction, and multiplication. Students in second and third grade primarily worked on learning about Area and Perimeter. They displayed their knowledge by completing a project that required them to measure the area and perimeter of their classroom. In addition, they practiced order of operations, using PEMDAS. The older group, comprising of fourth and fifth grade, attended Business Academy. They learned various aspects of the business world and were given an opportunity to collaborate and create their own businesses. Advertisements and bracelets were made for each business, and the bracelets sold for fake money. Students also worked on writing their own resumes.

For the ELA Segment, the instructors focused on three different types of Creative Writing. To ease the children into writing creatively, they were given daily prompts during the first week of camp. They first worked on short stories, where the children were given graphic organizers to compose their thoughts before writing out the draft of a story. The staff then helped each child edit their draft and work on a second draft if necessary. Finally, the children were given publishing paper to rewrite their final version in addition to illustrating and coloring. Following that, they worked on poetry where the children wrote different types of poems corresponding to their age. While the kindergartners and first graders worked on Acrostic Poems, second and third graders focused on Pyramid Poems with fourth and fifth graders forming Haikus, all corresponding to a specific theme. Lastly, the children in groups worked on Playwriting, creating a Short Skit or Commercial incorporating the theme “Save the Arts”. The Group Skit and Commercial were filmed and played at the Culminating Event.

The goal of the Science Segment this summer was to capitalize on what students learned during the school year. By combining their knowledge with technology and experimentation, students were able to gain a newfound understanding of scientific concepts. The primary focus of this Segment was Astronomy, which allowed students to learn about planets, stars, nebulas, black hole among other things. STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math), anchored the Segment. Science was demonstrated through the learning of astronomy and testing theories. Technology was used to view digital maps of stars and constellations. Engineering was displayed through the impressive final project, which was a homemade Planetarium. Weekly drawing and coloring projects were completed as the Art contribution to STEAM. Math was required and proven useful when calculating distance. Every child had a vital role in contributing to the final project, the Planetarium, which was displayed at the Culminating Event.

Our participants Aiden, Alonzo, Amiyah, Brandon, Cheyenne, Marc, and Rashad were all involved in a series of activities that were separated into four Segments. The categories comprised of Leadership, Math, Spanish and Science activities. The campers learned a few key aspects of leadership such as collaboration, communication and negotiation. In the Math Segment, the participants learned about ratios, fractions, decimals and budgeting. During the Spanish sessions, the campers learned a few basics such as greetings and days of the week. For Science the campers learned the basic structure of a neuron and its functions. Additionally, the students worked on an assignment in groups of two to plan a vacation. The plan included budgeting for hotel accommodations, airfare, and activities during this trip.

This summer we were gifted with the opportunity of a special visit from a professional dancer named Raven Barkley, Principle Dancer of Charlotte Ballet in North Carolina. She provided knowledge to our aspiring dance students, who are members of the CYCSI Dance Program. Raven Barkley, from Bronx, NY, began dancing at the age of ten, and graduated from Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Art & Performing Arts. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance degree with a minor in Math and Computer Science from The State University of New York at Purchase. A notable accomplishment was her acquisition of the lead role in the Winter section of Sasha Janes' Four Seasons, being the only female. Recently, she was listed as Dance Magazine's "25 People to Watch in 2018". She offers this advice to aspiring dancers...

"Continue to reach for your goals and appreciate all that comes with achieving those goals; both the challenges and success. Challenges are there to make you a stronger individual on your pathway to success."

The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) sponsored a tour of the Kennedy International Airport. Students experienced the panorama of planes arriving and departing from the Control Tower. Then they tested their piloting skills via the flight simulator.

After experimenting with the flight simulator students visited the Emergency Division and saw the big yellow emergency vehicles and met a member of the Canine Unit. They witnessed a demo of the canine detection dog at work, searching and finding narcotics. The students enjoyed being exposed to careers such as Airport Traffic Controllers, Administrative positions in the Air Traffic Control Department and K9 Trainers.

Overall, the students enjoyed the experience and learning about the world of Aviation.

Our Adventureland trip was fun for everyone, as students enjoyed various thrill rides with their friends. After arrival at the park, groups were coordinated then dispersed to the rides. Some rides allowed them to enjoy the water sprinkling, while others pumped their adrenaline by rising high and dropping low. The screams were heard around the park, as their yellow shirts zipped across the sky. They were able to choose different rides until it was time for lunch. Students either packed lunches or purchased food from the theme park. Following lunch, students went on a few more rides before heading back to the school for dismissal.

Ice Cream Day took place after our first day of swimming, and epitomized a relaxing summer day where students were able to cool down. They enjoyed a choice of vanilla, strawberry or chocolate ice cream, and had the option of adding an assortment of toppings. The toppings included gummy bears, fresh fruit, cereal, M&Ms, sprinkles, Nerds, and marshmallows. Students paid a dollar for two scoops of ice cream without toppings, and paid an additional 50 cents for three toppings. They took the liberty of dancing off the calories for the remainder of the camp day to music. Many of the students participated in a dance competition and everyone enjoyed their Fun Friday.

Movie Day was our second Fun Friday activity, and our star-studded students arrived at the premiere ready to watch two of the most popular movies of the year. They were given the option to watch Black Panther and experience Wakanda, or face evil villains with the Incredibles inThe Incredibles 2. Before entering the movie theater classrooms, the students lined up to take pictures with movie-themed props, then purchased snacks of their choosing. They could either buy popcorn, chips, fruit snacks, juice, water or a combination of such. They had the option to buy additional snacks throughout the movie, but remained riveted because they enjoyed the movie selections.

Our annual Game Day was hosted on July 27th, and as always is a fun-filled event for the children. They had various options to spend the day playing their favorite games. Students brought their own board games and video games, and were allowed to play games staff contributed. In order to be admitted into the video game room, students must have completed a video game review on a game they enjoy playing. There were a wide range of options to choose from in the room, including PS4, XBOX ONE, Nintendo Wii and laptops. They had an opportunity to play together and compete in a variety of video games. The cafeteria was used as the old school game section, where board games were played, and they could jump rope and dance. Everyone had a great time playing and socializing with friends, and then joined us in celebrating Mrs. McKay's birthday. We wish Mrs. McKay a special Happy Birthday and thank her for many years of service.

As usual, our Home Depot Workshop and Twin Day shared a day. Students worked on constructing different wooden figures using blocks, hammers and nails. Some options included scooters, sleds, toolboxes and flower pots. They were able to paint their constructed item afterwards to receive a certificate of completion and a Home Depot pin. Our staff took the liberty of coaching them on how to create each item, working with them step-by-step. The students also coordinated outfits with their friends to "twin" and take photos. Many students were very creative, posing in a various ways. Staff also received a chance to participate as well.

CYCSI brought the summer fun to Laurelton West Playground this year. The park is within walking distance of the school, so travel was not an issue. Students set up blankets and towels along the edge of the field, to play games, rest and eat. Lunches were brought by each student and provided if needed, while watermelon, juice and water were available to those who desired. Although considerably hot, the weather didn't stop the students from having fun. They played games until they tired out and settled to eat, then moved the fun to the playground area. The sprinkled were activated, and the students had water fights for hours in an effort to cool down. The sprinklers were very successful as most students were drenched from head to toe. Staff and students beamed each other with water balloons until it was time to depart, bringing another successful Field Day to a close.

Our students had the opportunity to become consumers on Market Day, as we promoted the concept of consumerism and strategic spending at a young age. They had a variety of items from which to choose, such as toys, books, accessories, food and juice. We thank all the parents who donated items, which were very appreciated by the children. After spending, they were able to watch their peers' performances they practiced all summer. Such performances included Dance, Step, Music and Theater. We were all impressed with their improvement from the beginning of camp, and couldn't wait to see the final performance at the Culminating Event.