FAQs for New Country Day Camp

How do I register for camp?
All registration forms are available online.  Or to get a registration packet, you can email or call the camp office:
Email: Jessica_Wolf@14StreetY.org
Phone: 646-395-4355


Where is New Country Day Camp located?
We are located on the Henry Kaufman Campgrounds on Manor Road in Staten Island, right on the Greenbelt.

What are the camp hours?
Monday through Thursday:  9am to 4pm
Friday:  9am to 3pm
Note that for an additional fee, we offer after-camp care each camp day until 6pm at the 14th Street Y.

What is the age range for campers?
Our age range is 5-11 years old.  Campers must be entering at least kindergarten in September 2009.  We offer a CIT program for campers entering 7th and 8th grades.

Who are your staff?
All of our camp staff have had prior experience working with children. We also provide extensive training sessions before the start of summer.

Each year, approximately half of our counselors are returning staff, and some are even former campers.  Our counselors are mostly college students, though we do hire some high school juniors and seniors as counselors, who demonstrate a high level of maturity and sense of responsibility.

Our unit heads are teachers and/or coaches and bring work experience in their various areas of expertise.  Our assistant unit heads are college students or graduate students who have extensive camp experience.  

We also run background checks on all camp staff prior to the start of the camp season.

What is your Newcomers Unit?
The Newcomers unit is designed exclusively for children entering kindergarten and 1st grade.  The group sizes are usually 10-12 children with 2 counselors.  Newcomers experience all the activities New Country has to offer, but in a more intimate setting tailored to their age and experience.

What unit is my child in if they are in 2nd grade or above?
Children going into 2nd grade and above choose their unit every Monday.  The choices are:  Sports, Gymnastics, Arts& Crafts, Theater, Martial Arts, and Cooking/Camping/Pioneering.  Every Monday, each unit head provides a description of the unit’s activities for that week.  Then the children choose their unit, and are divided into age-based groups.  Groups are usually co-ed.

What are the group sizes for campers in 2nd grade and above?
Campers are placed in groups of approximately 15 campers with 2 counselors per group.  Each unit size ranges from 1 to 4 groups.  There is an assistant unit head and unit head assigned to each unit.

What types of activities does your camp offer?
We offer a wide variety of outdoor activities including swimming, baseball, volleyball, badminton, soccer, dodge ball, football, gaga, arts and crafts, drama, gymnastics, martial arts, boating, cooking, nature, and Jewish culture.

How does my child get to camp each day?
All campers must ride on one of our air-conditioned camp buses to and from camp each day.  All campers are required to wear seat belts.

How long is the bus ride to camp?
The bus ride is approximately 45 minutes from most pick up points in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Where are your bus stops located?
In Manhattan, our buses have pick up points from 23rd Street and south.  Our bus routes run through Chelsea, the West Village, Tribeca, Battery Park City, the East Village, and Soho.  We will provide a bus route through the Lower East Side if enrollment is sufficient in that area.

In Brooklyn, our buses have pick up points in Williamsburg, Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Park Slope, as well as sections of Fort Greene, Prospect Heights, Midwood, Ditmas Park, and Windsor Terrace.

What type of supervision do you provide on the bus?
Each bus has two bus supervisors.  Bus supervisors are senior, experienced staff members.  They greet each child at his/her bus stop and make sure all children are settled onto the bus each morning, including wearing his/her seat belt.  If a child is coming to camp for the first time, the bus supervisor makes sure that the child finds a friend to sit with on the bus.  

In addition, all of our camp staff rides the camp buses each day in order to ensure that buses have plenty of adult supervision.

What do you do if my child gets carsick?
We encourage you to tell us in advance if your child tends to get carsick.  Our bus supervisors will make sure your child is seated at the front of the bus.  We are open to trying any remedies you suggest (i.e., eating crackers, chewing gum, etc.).  

Tell me about your swim program.
Our camp has 3 outdoor pools:  one Olympic sized pool ranging from 3-9 ft deep, one Olympic sized lap pool which is 4 feet deep, and one teaching pool ranging from 2.5 to 3 ft.deep.  On the child’s first day of camp, his/her swim ability is evaluated and the child is assigned to the corresponding section of the pool.  Children wear colored bathing caps to indicate their swim sections, if they are in one of the deeper pools.

We offer both instructional and recreational swim every day.  All pools are staffed with American Red Cross certified water safety instructors and lifeguards.

What do the children do about lunch?
All campers must bring their own lunch each day.  We are a nut-aware camp, so we do not allow children to bring peanut butter or other nut products.  Lunches that campers bring will be refrigerated until lunch time.

Camp will provide an afternoon kosher snack.

What happens if my child doesn’t feel well during the camp day?
Our camp has an air-conditioned infirmary staffed with a medical professional.  The medical professional will determine whether the child should stay at camp or go home.  If necessary, we will call a parent to request that a child be picked up from the campgrounds in Staten Island.

How is your camp unique?
•    We offer a safe, nurturing, non-competitive environment for our campers;  
•    Our camp is located in an outdoor, natural environment which is not common for many New York City camps;
•    Our older campers (2nd grade and above) get to choose their activities, fostering a child’s sense of independence and self confidence.