Newsletter Date-July 11th 2009
* Julianne Pedoto, Harleigh Blackwell, and Jackie Dragon
are junior members of the Tenafly Swim Club. The Tenafly Swim Club is happy to
print their newspaper, “Tiger Shark Tails,” about the Tenafly Swim Club.
We hope to print more of their work in the near future and welcome other interested junior members to submit their
works on the Tenafly Swim Club and its community. Contact Kathy Dragon for more
information.
Welcome Back!
By: Jackie Dragon
Hey, welcome back, everybody! It’s hard
to believe it’s already summer, right? Well, you’ll be glad it’s summer because of all the things the Tenafly
Swim Club has to offer. There is a little pool for younger kids who don’t know how to swim, and the main pool is available
for any other people who want a little more of a challenge, or whole lot more room.
And don’t worry, parents, there are lifeguards
stationed right next to the pool for the younger kids, who will keep another eye on your children (though of course, parental
supervision is also required). So you can relax.
In addition, we have a volleyball court and two
tetherball poles for anyone who wants to get a little extra exercise this summer, instead of just soaking up the sun or swimming.
Over in the front, there are also some ping-pong tables, basketball courts, and some knock-hockey boards available for use.
And, sometimes in the Swim Club you are allowed
to bring rafts into the pool. Yes you heard me right. On special days (which are posted on the bulletin boards by the front
office) people are allowed to bring rafts and other toys into the pool for about an hour. This is called raft hour. One recent
raft hour was held on July 5, 2009, which was a lot of fun. And some raft hours that are coming up are on July 12, and one
on July 26, 2009. They are both from 2 to 3 pm. So be sure not to miss it!
And if you want even more exercise, just join
the swim team and/or dive team! Kids from age 5 to 17 can join the Tenafly Swim and Dive team, anytime throughout the season.
The members of the Swim Team practice from 5 to 6 pm on Tuesdays and Wednesday, and from 4 to 5 pm on Thursdays and Fridays.
Also on Thursday, after swim practice, there are pep rallies where the coaches encourage the team and get them excited for
the meet that’s coming up. And there is free food for the swim team members. Any others can buy a place on line (after
all the team members have eaten) for five dollars. The Swim Team is a great way to get some exercise!
Also the Dive Team is another great thing to join.
The Dive Team practices from 2 to 3 pm on Tuesdays through Fridays. And all the Dive Meets are on Friday, which is usually
before the Swim Meets. The Dive Meets help our Swim Club to get ahead of the other team before the Swim Meet. It’s a
great way to help out the team!
Plus, for any kids who love to play in the sand,
you’re in luck. The volleyball court is covered in soft sand, so if there isn’t a game going on over there, feel
free to play in the sand. However, you aren’t allowed to bring water onto the court, because it will make the court
all muddy which would make it unsafe for anyone who is playing a game over there. Please keep that in mind.
And if your stomach ever starts to rumble, well
don’t worry. Over at the front desk (which just happens to be in the front of the swim club) there are usually chips
and a few different types of ice cream that you can buy for a few dollars. And if that doesn’t satisfy your taste buds,
just remember that the ice cream man comes around a few times a day. He has many more flavors of ice cream for you to choose
from, so enjoy!
Over by the front desk there is a book shelf full
of books that you can read. Most of them are adult books, but there are a few children’s and young adult books, too.
Be sure to ask if you can borrow one of them, and remember to return any that you take to read!
And if there are any adults out there who want
some quiet time in the pool, the adult swim is a perfect opportunity. All the kids under 16 years of age have to leave the
pool. They usually go to the front of the club and start playing some knock-hockey, and some of the other games that are offered
here too, so they’ll still be safe. There’s no reason to worry. Just enjoy yourself! The adult swim usually starts
at 6 o’clock pm, and ends about fifteen minutes later. It’s a good time to relax.
So if there are any friends of yours who are looking for a good pool
to join, tell them about the swim club and to look no farther, because the Tenafly Swim Club is the place for them!
4th of July-Independence Day
By: Harleigh Blackwell
Independence
Day, mostly known as the Fourth of July, is a holiday
that affects all of the USA, remembering
the completion of the Declaration Of Independence. The Declaration of Independence was finished and signed on July 4, 1776.
It stated our country’s independence from the Kingdom of Great
Britain (England). The
4th of July is usually celebrated with fireworks, parades, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts,
baseball games, political speeches and various other private and public events celebrating the history, government,
and traditions of the United States. Independence
Day is the national day of the United States of America.
Heads Up
Grab a racquet or a ball,
But whatever you do go play volleyball.
Don't forget to bring a friend,
So the fun will never end!
The sand so soft,
Yet the ball so hard,
This is much better than your backyard.
The Tenafly Swim Club,
the place to be,
The best thing for you,
And the best thing for me.
By: Julianne Pedoto and Jackie Dragon
Go
check out our volleyball court!
Featured Stroke: Butterfly
By: Julianne Pedoto
Background:
Butterfly didn’t become its own competitive stroke until the ‘50s, and its own separate event until the 1956
Olympics. The stroke was originally called the flutter-by and was changed to butter-fly (butterfly) in the mid to late 1800s.
How to swim butterfly:
Kick Motion- You
want to kick only with the bottom part of your body (from the waist down). Be sure you don’t use your whole body to
kick because it takes up a lot of energy that you could use to move faster. As you kick, be sure to keep your legs and feet
close together, so they are always touching.
Arms- You want
to start in a basic position or finishing position (like any stroke). That’s basically just when your arms are held
straight up in front of you. First, work on bending your elbows, with your palms facing towards you, making your hands going
in an ‘o’ shape. That forms the ‘catch’. The catch is the most important part of any stroke so be
sure to spend lots of time working on it. Next, work on the ‘pull’, which is when you pull your body and your
arms up. Then, work on pushing out and your body forward, with your hands going over your head. That’s called the ‘push’.
Finally, work on the ‘recover,’ which is when you are finished and get back into the beginning position so you
can start over. Make sure your hands are not together because it puts a lot of impact on your shoulders and slows you down.
Also be sure to leave a good amount of space between the front of each hand.
Breathing- Take
your head out of the water and take a deep breath when you are bringing your hands up over your head and pushing your body
forward. Take a breath during the ‘push’.
Now,
all you have to do is put it all together. Remember mastering a stroke takes time so keep practicing and before you know it
you will be able to swim the butterfly stroke.
What’s the Splash on...
Tim Farrel
By: Julianne Pedoto and Jackie Dragon
Mr. Tim
Farrel has two kids, Mara and Declan, who are both on the Swim Team. He really enjoys coming to the swim club. We asked his
opinion on some of the popular questions that people have. Here are his answers…
1. Question- What is your favorite thing about the pool club?
My favorite thing about the swim club are the amazing people I get
to hang out with when I’m swimming.
2. Question- What do you think needs improvement?
The bathrooms.
3. Question- What do you think about the Swim and Dive Team?
They rock!
4. Question- What do you think about the new snack choices?
I hope they add Choco Tacos to the menu.
5. Question- How often do you come to the pool and how long do you stay?
I’m usually here 3 times a week for 3-4 hours.
6. Question- How long have you been a member?
3 or 4 years
7. Question- Why did you join?
I joined because it was better than sliced bread.
Sev Ayvaliotis
Sev is
a junior member of the Tenafly Swim Club, and is going to be a junior in high school this year. She participates on the Swim
Team and this year is on the Dive Team. Her brother and sister are the Swim Team coaches. We interviewed her to get her thoughts
on the Tenafly Swim Club. Here is what she had to say…
1. Question- What is your favorite thing about the pool club?
It’s a lot of fun here.
2. Question- What do you think needs improvement?
Nothing really.
3. Question- What do you think about the Swim and Dive Team?
I think the Swim and Dive Team is really good. We were champs from
2002-2007.
4. Question- What do you think about the new snack choices?
Really good!
5. Question- How often do you come to the pool and how long do you stay?
I come to the pool very often, and I stay all day basically.
6. Question- How long have you been a member?
I’ve been a member since I was one.
7. Question- Why did you join?
I joined because my mom’s friends were members here.
Kool-aid finger-painting
By: Julianne Pedoto
Summer
can be really boring if you have nothing to do. Well, here is something to make the summer more interesting. There are lots
of different arts and crafts activities you can do with your family and friends, but this one is a lot of fun. This craft
is geared towards young kids, but anybody can join in. It’s called Kool Aid Finger Painting.
To start
you need:
2 cups
flour
2 packs unsweetened Kool-aid
1/2 cup salt
3 cups boiling water
3 tablespoons of [vegetable] oil
Mix
the dry ingredients together, then add the wet ingredients and stir them all together. Then you’re ready to paint! Kids
love the color change! You can use Glossy finger paint paper for really good results and spray a bit of water on the paper
first, to make spreading easier, but pretty much all different types of papers work.
You can
do this recipe for each color. The colors will depend on the type of Kool-aid mix you use. If you want, you can just mix the
Kool-aid mix straight into the recipe, instead of making each color separately. You can paint with only one color, or be more
creative and make all different colors. Just do whatever is easiest for you. And remember to have an adult heat and pour the
water, and supervise the stirring so nobody gets hurt.
For more fun recipes go to http://www.renaissancefestival.com/forums/index.php?topic=1103.0
The New Playground
By: Jackie Dragon
As everybody can see, our swim club recently got
a new playground. It’s a pleasant change for the older kids from those small playgrounds we used to have, that are now
located by the front office in the kiddie pool area.
This newly-constructed playground has a little
sitting area for children so they can hang out and relax together. There are many different ways to get up onto that platform
and to get down. Some include a slippery green slide, a strong wooden ladder, and a small rock wall. Also there is a rickety
pirate rope ladder that has a good view of the swim club when you stand by the top.
Plus, this wonderful structure wouldn’t
be complete without a green steering wheel and spyglass that match the slide. And our new playground has three swings for
anybody who wants to relax or just swing in general! The two regular swings are set at two different heights. The lower one
is for smaller kids so they can reach the ground, and the other higher one is for larger kids whose legs are longer. The other
swing has two holes for very young kids so they don’t fall off the swing and stay safe.
One junior member of the swim club, who asked
to stay anonymous, told Tiger Shark Tails what they thought about the new playground when they first saw it. They said that
they “thought that this was way better than Tenakill’s playground. I love that it wasn’t made of plastic,
isn’t that fantastic?!”
The money for the playground was raised from a
special fancy dinner that parents from the pool club could attend for a small fee earlier during the school year. Kathy Dragon,
a Swim team parent who attended the event, told Tiger Shark Tails that “it was a very nice catered dinner with a funny
comedian. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.” Enough money was raised from that event for the Tenafly Swim Club to buy the
new playground. That’s what I call a success!
So the next time you play on the new playground, remember to thank
the parents who attended the dinner and raised enough money to buy it! And the most important thing for you to remember is
to have fun!
Very Berry
Smoothie
Found by: Julianne Pedoto
What you
will need:
1 Punnet
of Raspberries
10 Strawberries
6 Blackberries
20 Blueberries
2 Oranges Juiced
2-3 Tablespoons
of Honey
6 Ice cubes
NOTE: A punnet
is the tray the berries come in. The amount varies, but it is around a cup or less.
How to
do it
Pulse the ice cubes in the blender until snow like.
Now add the raspberries (keeping a few back as a garnish), strawberries, blackberries & blueberries, and pulse again
until smooth.
Now add the orange juice & honey, pulse again and serve, topped with a few raspberries and a sprig of mint. ENJOY!
From
the website http://www.denby.co.uk/pcat/very_berry_smoothie
Serves 2
Bike Rack
By: Julianne Pedoto and Jackie Dragon
The Tenafly Swim Club offers many things
from scuba iving lessons to swim and dive team. However, one feature many people don't know about is that we also have a bike
rack. One junior Swim Club Member, Sarah Mangaser, told Tiger Shark Tails that she had noticed that some “people use
it, but sometimes other people don’t see it.”
This bike rack is located right by our volley
ball court, in the front part of the swim club. So now you can ride your bike and hook it on the bike rack without having
to worry about it being taken. Also there are lots of available spaces for bikes. We actually counted 62 spaces, though that
many bikes probably won’t fit. So there’s certainly no need to worry that there won’t be any room.
And remember that
when you do this you are helping the environment and yourself by exercising helps you stay healthy, and since you are not
using a car you are also helping the environment. You might have never noticed the bike rack before, but now you know it's
there! Be sure to ride your bike, and also to check out the bike rack!
Jokes:
By: Julianne
Pedoto
What kind of bow can't be tied?
A rainbow.
Why did the baby strawberry cry?
Because
his parents were in a jam!
What animal should you never play cards with?
A cheetah.
What did the buffalo say when his son left for school?
Bison.
What did the sea say to the sand?
Nothing,
it just waved.
What did the pig say at the beach on a hot summer's day?
I'm bacon!
Pool-side Fireworks
By: Jackie Dragon
Boom! Bang! Suddenly you see a big flash of color fill the
sky. It’s July 3rd and in honor of our independence from Great Britain
(England), fireworks are being set off
in town.
Last year many people saw the fireworks at the pool club,
and a lot of them came back to see them again. Also there were some people who had never come to see the fireworks at the
pool club, and this was their first time.
When the first fireworks shot through the air, there was a
collective sigh from the crowd gathered around the pool. There were many different types of fireworks, including ones that
broke into smaller ones, and blinking ones.
We could see most of the fireworks, but a few were blocked
by the trees, because they were too low. Then you could only catch a few glimpses of the fireworks, but you could certainly
still hear them!
Watching the fireworks burst into the night was very enjoyable.
Next year, if you aren’t already coming to see the 4th of July fireworks, you really should come! It’s
an experience you’ll never forget!
Staff
Members:
President–
Jackie Dragon
Technology
Producer– Julianne Pedoto
Game
Designer– Harleigh Blackwell
