Locals with elementary students at home may already be aware of this, but the YMCA school-aged child care program is a real gem! At the Y every week we see the staff and kids during, before-school and after-school care during the year, and this summer we also visited Camp Apex and got to spend a little time with the staff and campers at that beautiful spot. At Apex campers were running around outside just being kids, engaged and happy. They had plenty of activity choices and lots of space to play and swim. The relationships between the children and the staffers are relaxed and respectful … we heard no whistles or adults yelling, and there was lots of positive interaction between adults and campers.
The kids are learning all the good life lessons of kindness, personal responsibility, self-reliance and support for others. Clearly this is what is being modeled and taught by Paris and Karen and their whole crew every day, and the kids obviously adore all of them! We wish we could either send our own kids to them (too old) or go ourselves (ditto). Paris and his crew are incredibly dedicated, hard-working and good-natured. This program deserves tons of praise and support, and we in Franklin County are very lucky to have them here.
Catherine Keppler and Mary Mitchel
Greenfield