Summer camp comes to a close

Children went back to school last week, but at Mandalay Elementary in Wantagh, kids were a familiar sight there all summer.

The Woodmont summer camp ran a nine-week program there, where children from Wantagh, Seaford and neighboring towns came to play sports, hang out with friends and keep busy during their summer break.

Campers were able to come for as few as 10 days, while some were there from start to finish. Woodmont began as a tennis camp at a Wantagh gym, before becoming evolving into the multi-sport program it is today. For a while, it was located at Wantagh Park before moving to Mandalay four years ago.

Jason Goldberg, owner and director of the camp, said the goal was to keep children active in the summer. Every morning, the entire group gathered in the gymnasium for stretches, then would head off to play various sports including tennis, baseball, basketball and soccer. There was also arts and crafts, karate, drama and dance classes, a game room and limited time for video games.

There were field trips every Wednesday including bowling, Adventureland, Splish Splash water park, go-karts and an aquarium. There were also regular outings to the pools at Wantagh Park, Newbridge Road Park and the Merrick Estates Civic Association facility. “The kids, they look forward to all the different venues,” he said.

Every year, the children put on a show for parents and this year it had an Oscars theme, with musical performances, dance routines and comedy acts.

A team of counselors looked after the children. Most were high school and college students. “We have a very good staff,” Goldberg said. “We have staff that have been with us for years.”

Tonianne Compono, 17, a senior at Wantagh High School, worked there for the first time this summer. “I love the little kids,” she said. “They’re fun to play with.”

The campers had a ball, too. Markus King, 9, of Wantagh, attended the camp for the second year. He said he loves playing baseball, soccer and making new friends. During the year, he attends St. William the Abbot School.

If he wasn’t at the camp, Markus said he would probably have spent the summer sitting around at home, or going to work with his parents.

Alex Catalano, 11, of Seaford, came to Woodmont for the third year. “You play sports all day,” he said. “You get a break for lunch, and then we play again.”

He added that it is important to stay active because it helps him stay healthy.

The camp was open to children ages 3-15. It ran from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., but children could come as early as 8 a.m. and leave as late as 6 p.m. to accommodate working parents.

Goldberg, who attended Mandalay himself, said the camp and Wantagh School District have a good relationship, and he is planning to sign a long-term contract to stay there for many summers to come.

Overall, Goldberg said more than 450 children attended throughout the summer, and a typical day averaged anywhere from 75 to 150 kids on site. The program used the gymnasium, cafeteria, five classrooms and the fields.

“It’s been a very good summer, a very fast summer,” Goldberg said. “It’s fun to be around children and happiness. It’s very rewarding to see them enjoying themselves.”