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Pre-School Center

OPEN TO BOYS & GIRLS

Nursery through Kindergarten (Ages 3-5)

THE PROGRAM

It’s surely a “Small World” at the Pre-School Center!
Every activity and event is planned specifically for the very special needs of 3 – 5 year olds.

EACH EXCITING DAY THERE IS…

– Live music to sing and dance to with glee.
– Mixed media arts & crafts for the most imaginative creations.
– Athletics for sporting games and fun-filled movement and coordination activities.
– Swimming. Daily swim instruction and recreational swim for fun and learning.
– Nature, Farming & Gardening to discover the natural world around us.
– Story time for imagining “What if…”
– Dramatic Play with everything from dress-up costumes to building blocks.

SWIMMING

It wouldn’t be camp without lots of pool time! Campers enjoy a daily swim period for fun and learning in one of our four outdoor heated pools! Preschoolers are at the perfect age to establish the skills and confidence to become great swimmers. Laurel Hill utilizes a Red Cross program to ensure that each child receives quality, goal-oriented instruction. Preschoolers experience instructional swim in small groups, accompanied by peers who match their age and skill level. Campers also enjoy a recreational swim, with plenty of time to splash around with water toys!

PRE-SCHOOL ATHLETICS

The Laurel Hill Pre-School Athletics division offers an unparalleled environment for young campers to develop a love for sports, fitness, as well as acquiring vital beginning skills.

Our nurturing and professional athletics staff encourage every child to explore new interests in a safe and supportive environment. Campers enjoy a variety or “pre-school leveled” activities including baseball, basketball, soccer and much more! Our athletics program is full of “tot size” sports and games and fun filled movement and coordination activities.

ART, MUSIC & DRAMA

The vigorous day is balanced with art, music, drama, and nature. Our staff instructs in techniques that make each child’s work personally satisfying and encourage and support all campers in bringing their creative ideas to life.

In Art, campers use clay, paper, beads, and various other mediums and inspirations to create pieces worthy of any museum!

During Drama, campers have the opportunity to perform on stage and tap into their “inner actors and actresses” promoting expression and self-confidence.

Creative Music allows for the expression of every child through song and dance.

NATURE

Preschoolers can be found visiting animal friends and tending vegetables at Laurel Hill’s child-size Farm and Garden. Horses, sheep, goats, chickens, birds, and bunny rabbits live happily alongside our flourishing Garden overflowing with tomatoes, string beans, cucumbers and more. Preschoolers learn the basics of farm animal care, and have the opportunity to dig, water, and harvest the delicious vegetables they grow!

AND THERE IS MORE…

– Carnivals – Parades – Olympics – Show Time – Festivals –

YEAR ‘ROUND’ COMMITMENT

The highest quality summer experience for pre-schoolers is a reflection of Laurel Hill’s winter program. Our classes from nursery through eighth grade represent an unsurpassed tradition of academic and artistic achievement, social growth, and self-discovery. The Laurel Hill School is prepared to serve your child’s schooling and recreational interests throughout the year.

SAMPLE PRE-SCHOOL CAMP SCHEDULE
TIME MONDAY TUESDAY
10:30 CERAMICS AEROBICS
11:05 TENNIS COMPUTER
11:40 SPORTS NATIVE AMERICAN
12:15 LUNCH LUNCH
12:50 PLAYGROUND PLAYGROUND
1:25-2:00 INSTRUCTIONAL SWIM INSTRUCTIONAL SWIM
2:00-2:15 RECREATIONAL SWIM RECREATIONAL SWIM

Staff

Our staff is our greatest asset. We carefully select a team of warm, nurturing, creative and mature men and women who simply adore working with children. They are passionate about ensuring that every child feels valued, respected, secure, and cared for. Directors, Group Leaders, Counselors, Teachers, and Specialists in every camp division and program throughout our campus promote the wellbeing of all our boys and girls.

NEVER OBSERVING FROM THE SIDELINE

Never observing from the sidelines, Laurel Hill staff is fully engaged with camper life. Whether in the pool helping the children with their strokes or on the field, assisting with practice in a new skill. Sleeves are rolled up as our staff gets elbow deep in art with the boys or girls or digging in the garden.They are totally present!

FIELD DIRECTORS

Field Directors at Laurel Hill are a unique group of dedicated educators. Their commitment is to make sure every camper is truly happy and taking advantage of the wide variety of opportunities for personal growth, friendship and high interest challenges available at Laurel Hill. They also provide continuing in-service workshops and daily guidance to the counseling staff.

TEACHERS AND SPECIALISTS

Teachers and Specialists are professionals in their area of instruction. They provide
Opportunities for campers to learn new skills, explore new interests with engaging and exciting activities. Always set to an “I can do it!” skill level campers build confidence in their abilities while expressing curiosity in doing yet more. Group Leaders and Counselors provide sensitive assistance and support to campers in every aspect of the activity.

GROUP LEADERS AND COUNSELORS

Each group is supported by a group Leader as well as a Counselor. Together they create a nurturing and loving environment which recognizes the importance of each individual camper. Most importantly, they are dedicated educators who love children.

STAFF ORIENTATION

We provide one of the most thorough orientation programs in camping. Staff is trained in all aspects of camp life, child development, and best practices in child management. Laurel Hill maintains a special focus on how to foster community and belongingness. All staff members are trained to identify and respond to individual camper needs and create an inclusive, welcoming, and happy environment built on mutual respect and trust.
We are eager to get to know you, too! Please feel free to call or write to learn more.

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Welcome Back To School

               

 

 

LHS is a recognized New York State private school, located in Suffolk County, Long Island.

 

 

 

 

Parent Bravos

Here is a small sample of some of the  beautiful comments from our Parents

From a 6th Grade Parent:

Dear Mr and Mrs Stark,
And all our wonderful LHS teachers! We want to support all parents in sending our deepest gratitude for giving our kids some sense of normalcy during these very challenging times.
It’s very important for us to know that while my husband, as many other ICU doctors and nurses, are fighting every day with this vicious disease, our children can still follow their routine, learn, and communicate with their teachers and friends. It helps us, parents, and it definitely helps kids to continue their growth as individuals.
I see excitement in (our daughter’s) eyes when she is getting ready for school in the morning, when she is running to the printer to get an assignment, or just talking to her friends during breaks.
Thank you so much to every single one of you!
 
 

From a 3YR Old Parent:

“We wanted to say thank you for accommodating the preschool families with the tuition suspension during this time.
We are also amazed (and truly grateful) that the zoom on- line learning format is continuing despite the circumstances.
I know this is not an easy time for businesses, organizations etc. If there is anything at all we can do to help the school during this time or once we return, please let us know. Maybe a fundraiser or maybe there is something we can do for our individual teachers. Just brainstorming…
Finally, some thoughts as we’ve entered week 3 of zoom/on-line learning. It’s been such a wonderful experience participating in our kids’ learning! Yes managing working from home and helping with homeschool can be exciting… but I’ve enjoyed seeing firsthand how dedicated our teachers are to not only teaching and providing additional resources to enhance learning, but also doing it with such great enthusiasm.
 There’s a great sense of community and collaboration between administration, teachers and parents, and it is evident that our main goal is how to make this experience the best it can possibly be.
How lucky are we to have such amazingly dedicated teachers in our kids’ lives! How blessed are we to be part of the
Laurel Hill family!
In the midst of chaos you have given us a sense of normalcy and we are genuinely appreciative of all your efforts.
 
 

 

 
 
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As Charles Dickens famously observed…
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times . . .
it was the season of darkness,
it was the spring of hope . . .
We at Laurel Hill live “the best of times” every day because we are blessed by the beauty, by the serene innocence, and by the precocity of our boys and girls.
We at Laurel Hill live “the best of times” every day for the blessing of totally dedicated teachers and support staff who clearly know why they selected to do what they do in career and in life and give, and give, and give tirelessly to fulfill their greatest ambitions for their children’s growth and well being.
We at Laurel Hill live “the best of times” because we are blessed to have families joined with us to support and to build – partners in turning great ideas into great accomplishments, partners ready to share their skills and to help in the work that needs to be done.
 
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
 
FROM A TEACHER….
Ms. Bond’s Zoom Classroom
Never in my teaching career would I have thought that I would need to teach elementary class via online classes. Yet, here we are in uncertain times, teaching in a media platform that is geared towards the children of this generation.
As apprehensive as I was before the first day of Zoom (I woke up a number of times during the night like it was my first day of school!), I now feel energized and excited about what we are able to do with the Zoom program. I’ve found that I’ve been able to keep most of my teaching the same as when it is a live class! In Reading, we’ve done an author study and vocabulary work in just three days! I am so proud of how much hard work my students continue to do while they are at home!
FROM A PARENT…..
I hope this email finds you well and safe. I have been thinking about you & Mr. Stark often and must first apologize for the time lapse in reaching out to express my deepest gratitude. I can’t believe that we have just completed 3 weeks of successful and engaging remote learning. Your steadfast leadership at the onset of this crisis was inspiring. As this crisis turned into a nationwide tragic pandemic, your engaging and detailed remote learning program did not waiver. In fact, it strengthened! Our children were the lucky ones to maintain a sense of normalcy with their routine schedule and engaging “live” classes with all of their treasured teachers and classmate friends.
Read More Parent Testimonials