T-Recs

Montgomery County Recreation offers Discounted Tickets to Local Amusement Parks!

21 May 2013 00:00:00 EST

Montgomery County Recreation has discounted tickets to local amusement parks including Busch Gardens, Kings Dominion, Sesame Place, Six Flags and more. The discounted tickets are available for any day the park is open to the public.

Tickets are available at the Recreation Administration Headquarters 4010 Randolph Road, Silver Spring.

Water Safety Day!

17 May 2013 00:00:00 EST

Montgomery County Recreation is joining the Recreation departments of Gaithersburg and Rockville to host a free Water Safety Day event on Friday, May 31 from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Water Park at Bohrer Park, 512 S. Frederick Avenue, Gaithersburg.

The free event will include information stations that provide resources on a variety of topics, including swim level testing, the importance of personal flotation devices, how to safely reach and assist someone struggling in the water and the importance of sunscreen to prevent serious skin damage. “Coastie the Safety Boat” and “Sammy the Otter” will be on hand to promote the Youth Education, Boating and Water Safety Program, of Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 24-08.

Anyone attending Water Safety Day who visits the various information booths is welcome to stay and enjoy a free swim. Anyone under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult.

For more information about the event, call Carrie Headen at 240-777-8060.

Summer Teen Escapes Offers Teens Summer Fun!

15 May 2013 00:00:00 EST

Summer Teen Escapes is the perfect program for teens that have outgrown the traditional day camps for younger kids. Teens can seek thrills at Hershey Park and Kings Dominion, enjoy the beach, or cool off at Splash Down or Chesapeake Beach Water Park.

The program begins on July 1 and offers four, one-week sessions. Each session is $395 for residents and $405 for non-residents. The cost for the first one-week session beginning July 1 is

$345/$355, because there will be no regular recreation programs on Thursday, July 4. Pick-up locations are White Oak, Marilyn Praisner, Potomac and Germantown community recreation centers and Olney Manor Recreation Park. Summer Teen Escapes is open to anyone between the ages

of 13 and 16 (must turn 13 by August 31).

Families should register early as slots are limited and are filling quickly!

Looking Forward to Summer Fun!

13 May 2013 00:00:00 EST

It is the time of year to shift thoughts from snow shovels to sand shovels, heavy boots to flip flops, and hot chocolate to lemonade. Summer is coming and it is the perfect time to plan summer fun for the whole family.

The summer issue of the Montgomery County Guide for Recreation and Parks Programs is filled with activities such as aquatics, arts, sports, therapeutic recreation services and active adult senior programs for all abilities and ages.

Registration for summer classes opens today, May 13 and for swim lessons on May 15. To see everything the Recreation Department has planned go to: www.montgomerycountymd.gov/rec.

Montgomery County Recreation's Ironman!

03 May 2013 00:00:00 EST

Now that our charming, superhero Tony Stark has returned to save us, again, from the dastardly evil doers who aim to overthrow our world with riotous intentions of worldly destruction, we are reminded that Iron Man rocks! And, what also rocks is that Montgomery County has its own Iron Man…a.k.a. as Jonathan Smink. Jon spends his working hours, along with his colleagues Jeremy and Larry, keeping the Germantown Indoor Aquatic Center running smoothly.

However, outside of work, Jon is the Montgomery County Recreation Ironman! Becoming an Ironman is not a simple feat; in fact, the rare athlete that makes it to the finish line has trained hard, remained dedicated and persevered to become Ironman. Spoken plainly, becoming an Ironman is real hard work! Ironman is a grueling intense competition only accomplished by the most dedicated athlete. An athlete that completes the Ironman Triathlon will swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and run 26.2 miles. Worth mentioning, is that this takes place in a meager 17 hours, not a full day, not a full year.

Jon achieved the ultimate goal of becoming Ironman in November 2011. Now that Jon has reached the goal, accomplished the intense training regiment, and pushed himself to exceed normal limits, when asked what Jon is working toward he said, “I am going to try for it again.

All of the luck to Jon as he trains for the Lake Placid Ironman competition in July 2013!

Excel Beyond The Bell - End of the Year Celebrations!

01 May 2013 00:00:00 EST

Please join us at one of the year-end celebrations featuring activities that highlight the year-long student accomplishments, a proclamation presentation, and a recognition and award ceremony scheduled for Wednesday, May 1, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Germantown Community Recreation Center, 18905 Kingsview Drive, Germantown and the Mid-County Community Recreation Center, 2004 Queensguard Road, Silver Spring on Tuesday, May 7 at 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Laugh. Learn. Achieve.

“When science, English and math subjects are connected to exciting and entertaining after school programs, such as Excel Beyond the Bell, the sky is the limit,” according to an 8^th grader at Argyle Middle School and Excel Beyond the Bell (EBB)participant. Through a public-private partnership of Montgomery County Recreation Department, Montgomery County Public Schools and the Montgomery County Collaboration Council for Children, Youth and Families, Inc., EBB is committed to creating an exemplary out-of-school time (OST) system that sets standards of excellence, advances professional development, creates and recognizes quality programming and secures sustainable funding investment. Considerable emphasis is placed on assisting students with engagement in positive youth development activities that increase academic and community successes, and build positive relationships within the school and communities.

Excel Beyond the Bell was introduced in Fall 2011 as part of the County Executive Isiah Leggett’s Positive Youth Development Initiative. EBB is currently located in five County Middle Schools: Argyle in Wheaton, Roberto Clemente and Neelsville in Germantown. County Executive Leggett has proposed that the program be extended to include summer programming and an additional school in fiscal year 2014, and is looking forward to eventually expanding it to all middle schools in the future. Here are just some of this year’s EBB highlights:

· 767 youth from these five middle schools participated in out-of-school time activities such as designing and building cars and lie detectors, drawing their favorite heroes and heroines, participating in cooking contests, performing on stage through dance and theatre, developing team spirit through sports and more.

· On February 7^th, in recognition of providing quality STEM afterschool programming in Maryland, two Argyle Middle School students involved with EBB were invited to be youth ambassadors and present on Capitol Hill about the importance of after school at the “Breakfast of Champions” hosted by the Afterschool Alliance.

· Over 100 families from Clemente Middle School recently participated in the IBM sponsored Family Night for children and families to learn more about cyber bullying.

· 36,810 hot meals have been served so far this year to these and other students participating in out-of-school time programs.

Another major component of the EBB out-of-school time system is the professional development of youth workers. Research shows that the professional development of staff leads to better practice with youth, improves program quality, and increases the positive outcomes of youth. From August 2012 to April 2013, 624 youth workers participated from over 30 organizations in 29 trainings such as structure and clear limits, reframing conflict, cultural competency, and a 30-hour Advancing Youth Development (AYD) certificate program. Regular networking sessions for youth workers have been established, and a sub-committee is working with Montgomery College to initiate a youth worker credential or certificate program that will begin in Spring 2014.

Register Today For Summer Camps and Programs!

24 Apr 2013 00:00:00 EST

With summer just around the corner, the Recreation Department continues to work hard preparing programs to ensure that kids have plenty of adventures, activities and fun this upcoming summer camp season. The Recreation Department’s summer programs are always a hit with working parents because they offer affordable, extensive programming options throughout the summer.

In addition to the ever popular arts, sports and nature camps, Recreation has added some new choices this year, including Lego engineering camp and “Let’s Move” camp.

Another great option is the Summer Fun Centers. The programs serve children ages five to 12, and include activities such as sports, games, skits and drama, music and special events. Activities are well planned and supervised. The one-time flat fee of $350 per child provides families with summer programming from June 24 to August 2.

Registration is limited and programs are beginning to fill, so parents are encouraged to consider the summer camp choices for their children now. To see all of the summer camp offerings, go to www.montgomerycountymd.gov/rec or pick up a Summer Camp Guide at any County public library or Recreation department facility.

Japan Fair Coming Soon!

07 Mar 2013 00:00:00 EST

Polar Bear Family Swim!

19 Feb 2013 00:00:00 EST

Montgomery County Recreation and Leisure for Individuals with Disabilities and their families and friends can have fun together on Saturday, March 2^nd at the POLAR BEAR FAMILY SWIMMING POOL PARTY at 7:30 pm. All are invited.

Swim a few laps, streak down the water slides, shoot baskets or relax in the leisure pool/hot tub at the Germantown Indoor Swim Center. $4.00 per person; $6.00 for non-residents, bring your swimsuit, towel and backpack to keep your belongings in. All attending must register and come in swim attire. Register under course #344096. The Germantown Swim Center is located in the South Germantown Recreational Park, 18000 Central Park Circle, Boyds. Pick up time is 9:30 pm.

Summer Camp Will Be Here Before We Know It!

07 Feb 2013 00:00:00 EST

Hard to believe, but it’s time to start thinking about summer camps and programs. Aquatics, dance,nature, robotics and sports are just a few of the summer camp options available for tots to teens and all skill levels at hundreds of locations around the County.

Choosing the perfect summer camp can sometimes be overwhelming, with so many factors to consider, and having a strategy can make things easier. A good way to begin is to determine programs that will be interesting and stimulating for your child and that work in the scheduling for the whole family. The following checklist may make it a little easier when determining the summer camps that best fit your family’s needs.

Determine your child’s preferences for summer programs

Loves outdoors or indoors
Thrives in small group or large groups
Likes structured activities or prefers unstructured free-play
Prefers active sports or less physical
Outgoing and enjoys the spot-light or quieter, more reserved
Has multiple interests or focused interest

Hint: Sports, creative arts, history, computers, science, math, or traditional camps and summer fun centers are a just a few of the options..

Does it fit the family schedule?
Morning and afternoon rush hours can cause havoc when traveling in Montgomery County, so it is important to have drop-off and pick-up locations that are convenient. Some factors to consider:

Work schedule
Carpooling schedule
Siblings’ schedules

Hint: Montgomery County Recreation has locations throughout the County. Extended hours can be a lifesaver for families with scheduling challenges and offer supervised play activities before and after camp hours.

Does the program fit the family budget?

Consider the number of children you will be sending to camp
Determine a budget for the entire summer
When looking at costs, it is often helpful to weigh the benefits of a more expensive program. The quality of a program is not determined by the cost of the program, but rather by the staff training, staff-to-participant ratios and adherence to guidelines and safety standards.

Hint: Summer Fun Centers are a great option for budget-minded families. The $350 registration fee covers six weeks of summer programming at locations throughout the County.

Registration for Recreation Department camps and programs opened on January 22. Early registration is encouraged, as many programs will fill early. The new 2013 Summer Camp Guide is available at: www.montgomerycountymd.gov/rec.