Chelsea Piers CT Opens July 5th in Stamford
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Imagine a facility that has 2 full-size indoor ice rinks; an aquatics center with an Olympic-size pool, water park, water polo team, and warm water lesson pool; a 100-yard turf field for soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, and football with an indoor track around the perimeter; classes for children with special needs and everything handicap accessible, gorgeous locker rooms, a daycare center, great food, and in the near future, a medical facility. Now imagine you could drive to it in about 30 minutes (traffic permitting), find easy (free!) parking, have a variety of membership options (including a day rate), all with brand-spanking-new equipment and top-level instruction. Well, this place does exist and is located in nearby Stamford, CT, right off of I-95 at exit 9. I was lucky enough to take a hardhat tour of Chelsea Piers CT two weeks ago and the place is amazing. The facility is owned by the same group as the NYC location and offers equal top-notch instructors/coaches, clean design and friendly, helpful people. Here is a brief overview of just some of the activities offered. The fun starts July 5, 2012.
Aquatics Center
I wanted to jump in the almost-finished Olympic-sized pool; it is just so beautiful and big. Youth and adult programming will include recreational swimming, competitive swim teams for youth and adults, swim classes for all ages, and a wide array of summer camp programs. Chelsea Piers will also be home to a comprehensive water polo program (think Olympics and college scholarship), with instructional classes for kids and competitive leagues for adults. There is also a warm water instructional/exercise pool. The indoor water park (The Splash Zone) features a water play pool, three giant slides, a zero-depth entry area and mini water slides -- all guaranteed to keep kids happy and active for hours.
Tennis
The 65,000-square-feet Tennis Club at Chelsea Piers CT features 7 indoor courts. Extensive program offerings include 10 
and Under tennis, summer camps for kids, adult clinics, private lessons, adult league play and organized, social tennis events. The Director of Tennis is Gigi Fernandez, who has been a dominant fixture in the tennis world. During her 14-year WTA Tour career, Fernandez won 17 Grand Slam doubles crowns, as well as 2 Olympic Gold Medals.
Squash
The Squash Club at Chelsea Piers CT offers 12 professional-quality courts (11 singles and 1 hardball doubles). Anderson Courts and Sports Surfaces installed a unique hardball doubles court that includes a colored all-glass left sidewall to create amazing spectator viewing of the fast-paced action (and squash is FAST). The Squash Club will offer a wide range of programming including private lessons, clinics, after-school programs, camps, youth and adult leagues, competitive tournaments and special exhibition events. The Club will be headed by Natalie Grainger, who turned pro in 1996 at age 18. Throughout her 15-year professional career, Grainger has won dozens of tournaments, rising in 2003 to be the #1 squash player in the world. The Squash Club also boasts ample viewing areas for spectators, a comfortable bar and social lounge equipped with flat screen TVs, well-appointed changing rooms and a fully stocked pro shop operated by industry leader Harrow. There is also a 7,000 square-foot fully equipped private gym for Squash Club members, as well as access to babysitting services.
The Adventure Center
The Adventure Center includes the Jump Zone, a multi-trampoline space for open jumping, dodge ball, trampoline basketball and fitness training; a 24-foot-high rock wall (the Rock Zone), 5 automated batting cages, a mini turf field and a Little Athletes Gym for children 6 months to 5 years.
Gymnastics
The Gymnastics Center at Chelsea Piers CT is one of the largest gymnastics training centers in the United States with more than 15,000 square feet of gymnastic equipment. The facility features 2 competition spring floors, deep foam training pits, an in-ground TumblTrak, a rod floor, in-ground trampolines and multiple sets of men's and women's Olympic equipment. The gymnastics center also features a large preschool area equipped with the training equipment for young athletes. The Gymnastics Center will be led by Byron Knox, who will serve as both Director of Gymnastics and Head Girls Coach. Knox is head coach of the University of Bridgeport’s women's gymnastics program.
The Rinks at Chelsea Piers
The Rinks at Chelsea Piers CT will operate 7 days a week, welcoming skaters of all ages and ability levels for ice hockey, league play, figure skating, general skating, and birthday parties. The facility will have an extensive ice hockey program, including youth and adult ice hockey leagues, lunch time hockey for adults, summer and holiday camps, Mite Development and Mite Cross-Ice leagues for kids, and a full roster of youth and adult weekend and holiday tournaments. Players looking to take their game to the next level can take advantage of off-ice training at BlueStreak Sports Training. The Skating School at Chelsea Piers CT will offer private instruction and group classes taught by a professional coaching staff. General skating hours will be available for individuals and organized groups interested in spending a fun day on the ice. Rental skates and helmets for children are available. The general skating schedule will be posted in July. This is a great option when it is 100 degress in the shade in August.
Summer Camp
Camp programs are offered all summer, beginning July 9 and ending August 31, 2012. Available weeks vary by camp. Families may sign up for one, two or more weeks of camp for maximum flexibility. Chelsea Piers Summer Sports Camps are divided into four categories: Preschool Camps for the youngest athletes, Intensive Camps that provide a skills-focused experience for upper elementary and middle school athletes in one individual sport, Multi-Sport and Dual-Sport camps for children who enjoy a diversity of sports activities or are two-sport athletes, and High School Elite Camps that provide sport-specific training for high school-aged athletes.
Ok, now you know what they have and you’re thinking: Is this all affordable? The answer is there are different membership options available and heavily discounted Founders rates are available until June 30. For example, a club membership, which give you access to a large part of the club, is $120 for a family with a $195 joiners fee. Compare that with Equinox’s website, which lists the regular membership initiation fee of $395 with dues of $141 a month (and you can’t bring your kids to swim). And remember, there is an option to pay a day fee and use the facility and not join. For more information, check out www.chelseapiersct.com , where there is a ton of information on programs and membership options. Chelsea Piers CT, One Blachley Road, Stamford, CT 06902.
100 Years of Scouting Celebrated in Scarsdale
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On Saturday May 19 the Scarsdale-Edgemont Girl Scouts celebrated the 100th Anniversary of Girl Scouting in the United States. Hundreds of girl scouts, parents, brothers, sisters and community members turned out to join the party, which took place on Scout Field from 11 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Mother Nature provided the finishing touches on the grand celebration. The day not only was filled with sunshine, but with laughter, fun and teamwork! Organizers planned for the event for months, and on the big day, everything came together perfectly.
The day kicked-off with an obstacle course race, organized by two 8th graders from Scarsdale Middle School. As part of their Girl Scout Silver Award project, Megan Reynolds and Sarah Jathas, provided games and races throughout the day, including tug-of-war, three-legged-races, water balloon toss, a Girl Scout trivia contest, and even a pie-eating contest! Face painters adorned the crowd with colorful artwork on many faces of children and parents alike. The Westchester Power Squadron provided an interesting lesson on water safety, and Weinberg Nature Center wowed the crowd with an exciting hands-on animal presentation.
One of the highlights of the day came when the winners of the baking contest were revealed. Hundreds of cupcakes and cookies with a “girl scout theme” were entered into a contest to determine the best cupcake and cookie. While the winners were happy to hear their name called, the crowd was even more happy to get to enjoy the free treats that lined the tables.
The day was filled with many other exciting activities. Girl Scouts shared their crafts and history, a caricaturist created humorous sketches for many of the participants, D.J. Peaches had everyone dancing, and a magician dazzled the crowd with his shows. Lange’s Deli kept the bar-b-que going with a steady flow of burgers and hot dogs. Homemade lemonade cooled the crowd throughout the day. Popcorn and cotton candy was in abundance. Jeannine Palermo of FitnessLink donated a personal training session and a group fitness party to two lucky winners of the raffle. The community pitched in by providing much needed dog and cat food for a pet pantry. This community service collection was spearheaded by Jennifer Jacobowitz, a sophomore at Scarsdale High School, as part of her Girl Scout Gold Award project. And, in typical Girl Scout fashion, many stayed after the event was over to help with the clean-up!
The day was very special. As one dad of a girl scout put it: “There was a real feel-good vibe in the air. It was refreshing to see a homespun event. Everyone had a great time.” Another participant asked: “Are we going to have this event again next year?” The organizers responded: “This event only comes around once every hundred years.”
The Scarsdale-Edgemont Girl Scout program is open to girls in grades k-12 who live in either Scarsdale or Edgemont. Parents also are welcomed to join, as troop leaders or volunteers in the organization. If you are interested in joining the Scarsdale-Edgemont Girl Scouts please contact them through their web site www.segirlscouts.org .
Article and photos contributed by Amy Cooper.
Weezee is Wow: A Sensory Play Space for Westchester Children
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There is a new deluxe gym and play space for children ages 1-12 in Westchester. WeeZee-The World of ‘Yes I Can’ is a 16,000 square foot space that creates a world of sensory adventures where kids of all stages and abilities can grow. Doors opened this week at the gym which is geared to children who have sensory issues and delays, but all families are welcomed.
Located in the old Readers Digest Campus, just off the Saw Mill River Parkway in Chappaqua, New York, WeeZee was sprung from the mind of Louise Weadock-Rowe, (her friends call her Ouisie, pronounced WeeZee) a registered Child Psychiatric Nurse. In 1985, she founded ACCESS Nursing and Healthcare Services, a large regional provider of health care personnel on the east coast. Weadock-Rowe was immersed in the health care needs of children and families early on, but when her second child, Shannon was born in 1993, things hit home.
She noticed Shannon reacted differently, often with volatile responses to touch, sound, people and even food. It turned the family’s world upside down. She went from executive meetings to running from one specialist to another and one type of therapy session or another with her daughter all in search of a silver bullet to turn their lives back to ‘normal’.
Louise found that most of the therapies focused on ‘desensitizing’ Shannon to things through multi-sensory gross motor exercises, many of which she could replicate at home. Rather than withdrawing due to this diagnosis, the Weadock-Rowe house became a fun place for Shannon and kids from the neighborhood could play and learn. In time, this became WeeZee’s place.
WeeZee’s isn’t like most play spaces that many people in the area know. There are athletic training, rooms to improve motor skills, a music room, karaoke room, a tot zone for younger kids and a café with swings. If needed, a program can be specifically designed for the child and he or she can work with a professional at WeeZee’s.
Parents, depending on the age and ability of their child are invited to chill out and take a much-needed break in the Zen Den. There, parents and caregivers can enjoy free wi-fi, earphones, massage chairs, and smoothies for purchase while their kids enjoy the activities. Louise stresses that they are particularly sensitive to parents who have drive their children from one service provider to another in order for them to get the help they need. With that in mind WeeZee has partnered with an entire cadre of occupational therapists, recreational therapists, speech therapists, physical therapists, licensed clinical social workers, dieticians, academic tutors, masseuses, music teachers, counselors, psychiatrists, and psychologists
If your child already gets services for PT or OT and your family is a member at WeeZee, you can bring this person in as a guest, however, as Weadock-Rowe explains, it’s not ideal. As she puts it, this would be akin to bringing your own personal trainer to a gym where he or she doesn’t work.
Services and the space at WeeZee may be extraordinary but it does come at a price; a $500 initiation plus $285 a month for one child, $125 for two and $100 for three. See their website for reduced-rate promotions throughout the year.
Weadock-Rowe says that enrollment is a bit above their expectations, but there are still openings.
Just open a week, Louise says the work has already been incredibly rewarding, “I’ve been involved in health care and helping people since 1985. No one has ever thanked me for something I’ve done like this before. It’s been amazing.”
As for Shannon, she’s in college now, and very involved with the development at WeeZee The World of Yes I Can. She’s among their top consultants giving her experienced view on what a child who may have a hard time with sensory issues would like and how they would benefit.
WeeZee World of Yes I Can!
480 Bedford Road
Chappaqua, NY 10514
(914) 752-2100
Open 7 Days a Week 8:00am-9:00pm
For more information visit their website.
Jen is a freelance journalist who has covered the economy and markets for over a decade at a major financial news outlet. She lives in Scarsdale with her husband and 2 children. Jen has yet to bake a successful batch of cookies.
Is Chinese the Language for our Children’s Future?
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A few facts: -Mandarin Chinese is spoken by 1 in 5 people in the world.
-The increasing impact of the Chinese language worldwide has become hard to stop.
-Analysts predict China could overtake the United States as the world’s greatest economic power by 2027
-Bloomberg rankings list Mandarin as scoring highest in a ranking of languages, excluding English, for use in business
In 2009 two Scarsdale moms, Joanne Teoh and Wanna Zhong sought to teach Chinese to their own children and ended up starting the Chinese Language Program (CLP) for their kids and others. The children started learning and having fun with Mandarin in the summer of 2009 at one hour classes, twice a week for 10 children. Through word of mouth demand grew to increase classes and now the program has now grown to a weekday after school program that teaches 90 children with 7 teachers on staff. The CLP summer program has evolved into a full immersion summer camp running for 10 weeks, 5 days a week from 9am-2:00pm.
CLP offers mommy and me, after-school, and summer programs that immerse children in Chinese. At CLP, young children learn Chinese through interactive play, drama, song, craft, and dance. CLP’s philosophy of teaching with fun interactive methods has proven to create great excitement in the students, 
whom enthusiastically come to each of their classes.
Studies have shown that a new language is best absorbed at a young age. CLP values that young minds can pick up a new language naturally and quickly. CLP teachers are trained to work with children in an interactive, fun, enthusiastic manner and allow children to engage themselves fully in the language. Through song, dance, role playing, reading, and writing the language, children grasp the language without realizing they are doing so.
"My 3 year old daughter was reading a book to her father, pointing out all the animals she saw. It was different this time though because she said all the animal names in Chinese without being prompted!! We were thrilled!" (From a CLP family member).
Learn more about the program at
chineselanguageprogram@gmail.com
www.clpchildren.com
914.907.6075
Gently Used Children's Book Wanted for Book Drive
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The Child Care Council of Westchester is happy to announce their fourth annual children's book drive, a collaboration with Westchester Association for the Education of Young Children.Over the past three years, this drive has collected thousands of good quality, gently used books, and then distributed them to dozens of programs serving lower income children.
This year the book drive runs from April 23rd to May 18th.
Any gently-used children's books you wish to donate can be brought to the Child Care Council offices at 313 Central Park Avenue, Scarsdale, the Alcott School on Crane Road or click here for more information and a list of other drop-off locations. Your generosity is appreciated.
Questions: contact Miriam Kerness at (914)761-3456 ext. 134.
