Summer camp at Santa Fe Centers is planned to create an experience to remember. This year the theme is the Olympics to be held in Brazil. Our very large play areas provide the perfect opportunity to conduct our own Olympic games. How we celebrate this world wide event is to learn about and experience the cultures of the countries participating. With the help of our families, we actually hear stories and enjoy food, dress, music and language from other lands. So far this year between the two centers we have visited Japan, China, Philippines, Colombia, Italy, Africa, France, Greece, Russia, Argentina, Australia and of course the USA. We still have much to look forward to as the summer is just half over.
Santa Fe has always incorporated cooking into our activities as a way to encourage children to expand their taste buds. We provide the opportunity to see where your food comes from by the gardening experience. The garden is now in full bloom – flowers in the front yards of school and home and vegetables in the garden. The garden is started by the children with the help of Mr. Dudley, who is part owner of Santa Fe. Many of the plants are started from seed by the children on the window sills in their classrooms. Mr. Dudley comes frequently to check on their progress and to make the decision when to plant. Everyone is very excited to watch the progress and to actually see what they are growing. You will find tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, lettuce, mint, basil, and an Asian squash called Upo which Mr. Dudley uses in his Philippine cooking. Each of the classrooms have “beds” where they can plant their own, harvest their own and then taste their own. Fridays have become the day we all taste a fruit or vegetable — a very important part of encouraging good nutrition.
Come visit our garden. Santa Fe serves infants through kindergarten at our two locations on Springfield Avenue in New Providence. Those of you who wish your children to enjoy the outdoors in a stimulating and environmentally aware school, please come and visit. If you would love to teach in a creative atmosphere just give us a call at 908-464-3848 or 908-665-1235. We are very proud of what we do and what we have accomplished through the years. Look for us on www.santafecenters.com or on Facebook.
