Many new faces at Camp Barrett

Campers and counselors said “hello” to each other for the first time this summer at Barrett Park, as the village’s annual camp program kicked off on July 2. They will spend the next six weeks together.

Many children have been coming to the program, known as Camp Barrett, for years and were excited to see each other again. But there were also a lot of new faces among the kids and staff.

Brian Louis, 9, who attends the James A. Dever School, said his mother signed him up for the program and he was mostly excited, but a little nervous on his first day. He quickly met children from all over Valley Stream including Alex Baldassarri, 8, who is in his group.

Baldassarri, who attends the William L. Buck School, said he is looking forward to making new friends this summer. So is 7-year-old Ariel Navarro, who spends the rest of her year at the Brooklyn Avenue School.

Nayla Caraballo, 7, who will be a third-grader at Shaw Avenue School, said this was her first time attending a structured summer program. “I really wanted to see new friends,” she said, “and I really wanted to do arts and crafts and different things.”

Arts and crafts is just one of the many activities the children take part in during their three hours in camp. They get to run through the sprinklers — a favorite activity on really hot days — use the playground, play basketball and sit in the shade and enjoy a snack.

Twice a week, children visit the learning corner, which will have some new science experiments this year, noted camp Director Nicole Winter, in her sixth year running the program. There will also be some new crafts.

Helping children with their arts and crafts will be 20-year-olds Anastacia Hodge and Fritz-Olson Desvarieux-Valdemar II. They are new to the staff this year. Hodge, who attends NYU, said a friend who works at Barrett spoke highly of the job, so she decided to give it a try. “I’ve been wanting to get a summer job working with kids,” she said. “Hopefully I’ll be here next year because it’s a really great opportunity.”

Hodge said she is looking forward to learning about each child and seeing their artistic talents come out.

Desvarieux-Valdemar, who applied for a job with the village and was assigned to Barrett, said he is glad to be spending the summer at the park. He said he likes his co-workers and the children.

A recent graduate of Hewlett High School, Vincent LoCasto, 18, can see the park from his house, so he is well aware of the summer program. He will attend SUNY Oswego in the fall to study communications, and said working at the camp is a chance to broaden his horizons.

LoCasto, who is working with third- and fourth-grade boys, said he wants them to make new friends and feel like part of a family. “I hope for them to have the best summer of their lives,” he said.

Jessica Shuldiner, 21, attends SUNY Plattsburgh and is studying to be an elementary teacher, so joining the summer camp staff will give her some valuable experience. “Working with kids has always been something I’ve loved to do,” she said.

Shuldiner even attended the camp herself for two years when she was younger. So did Alex Levy, 15, a volunteer junior counselor who attends South High School and hopes to become a paid staff member next summer.

Alex Colon, 16, who will be a senior at South in the fall, said the job gives him flexibility so he can work at IHOP in the afternoon. He is working with third- and fourth-grade boys at Barrett. “My group of kids is the best,” he said. “They’re just fun to be around.”

Winter says she has about 20 new staff members this year. Positions opened up because some long-time counselors have either graduated college and found jobs, are doing summer internships or have stayed at school.

On the first day, she said, the new staff members were off and running. “Some of them are already making great connections with the kids,” she said, “and that’s what it’s all about.”