School’s out, summer recreation is in

School may have ended nearly a month ago, but at Wantagh Elementary, the doors still open every weekday morning.

The Wantagh Foundation for Education Excellence is holding its annual summer program at the school. About 145 children, entering kindergarten through sixth-grade, have signed up, according to Executive Director Ralph Spagnolo. They come five days a week, for three hours a day, and participate in sports, crafts, games and more.

“We play a lot of fun games,” said Jonathan Kobel, who just graduated from Forest Lake Elementary School, adding that he enjoys everything from kickball to theater classes. He has been coming to the program since he was in kindergarten.

The summer recreation program started more than 50 years ago, and was initially run by the PTA. The Foundation has been hosting it for the better part of a decade.

Michael Hartmann, who will be entering sixth grade in the fall, is taking part in the program for the last time, as he will age out next year. The camp has been a regular part of his summer for several years.

In addition to the many activities, Hartmann said that he enjoys getting to know the counselors. “They’re funny and they’re nice,” he said.

There are about 35 counselors overseeing the campers this summer. They are students in high school and college, and even college graduates. According to Spagnolo, teens are eligible to work as counselors once they have completed ninth grade.

Shaylyn Stehl, of Wantagh, who just graduated from LIU Post, has worked at the camp for eight years. In that time, she has supervised both groups of boys and girls. Working with the children is her reason for coming back every summer. “It’s never boring,” she said. “You’re never coming into the same thing twice.”

Each group has a head counselor, and one or two assistant counselors, depending on size. Ruth Kupperberg, who will be a senior at Wantagh High School in the fall, is leading the pre-K group. It is her third year as a counselor, and she and her sister both came as campers when they were younger.

“I love working with all the children,” she said. “It’s an amazing program that offers all the kids a great opportunity over the summer.”

Kupperberg cited their ability to form new friendships. The camp brings children from Wantagh’s three elementary schools together, and kids in the community who attend private schools are welcome, as well.

“I like that because it gets us to have more friends,” camper Kobel said. “We’ll have more friends throughout our lifetime.”

Since it is summer, children in the upper grades take a trip to the Newbridge Road Park pool every Wednesday, while sprinklers are set up on the school grounds for the younger students.

Matthew McGuigan, who will be a junior at Wantagh High School, is working at the camp for the second year and said it is a good summer job. He said he enjoys being around the children and seeing them smile.

The counselors are responsible for ensuring that the children are having fun, but their most important role is to keep them safe. They also teach cooperation and respect, foster socialization, and serve as positive role models.

Ashley Lantz, a teacher during the school year in Queens, is one of three group leaders who walks around the school all morning to make sure that the program is running smoothly. The Wantagh resident got her start as a counselor and has moved up the ranks.

“It’s just fun,” she said. “I love interacting with the kids, the counselors. Everyone becomes really good friends.”