Now that the snow has melted and it looks like summer will come again, it is time for parents to decide what to do with the kids when school is out. For the first time ever, Faith Nursery School on Jackson Avenue in Syosset is offering a four-week camp program-Camp Faith.

"We wanted to provide our parents with an affordable summer extension of our nursery school program," Jackie Ciano, director and teacher of the 4-year-old Chipmunks class, with Diana Walsh, said.

Summer classes will be held July 5-28, Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to noon with a snack provided. Classes are available for 3 to 7-year-olds. Call 364-0209 to register.

Pat Haunss, who is in charge of admissions, said, "For years, many of our parents asked us for a summer camp and we're thrilled to have it now."

Camp Faith is a continuation of the same quality school care that is provided all year round with certified teachers and additional teenage helpers. The children can paint, learn letters and numbers, listen to books read by the staff, make crafts and enjoy special-themed days-all in an air-conditioned facility. There is a safe, fenced-in playground for the children to play. There will be music and rhythm classes twice a week.

"My son Jaxon and daughter MacKenzie love school and have made many friends here," Barbara Hickey of Hicksville said. "I'm glad Jaxon will be in camp with his friends at Faith before transitioning to kindergarten in September."

This coming September, Faith Nursery School will celebrate 40 years since they first opened their doors in 1965 and held pre-school classes. The first director, Diane Field, started the school as a service to the community. Joan Jensen, a teacher for 28 years, was the director of Faith Nursery from 1987 until 2004 when Ciano became director.

"Many children have come to our school and now are in high school or college," Jensen, who still teaches the 4-year-old Jumping Jacks class with Haunss, said. "I love teaching and would miss the children. So, when I decided to stop being the director, I continued teaching."

The structure of Faith Nursery School is very much like public school where there is an emphasis on academics as well as a fun way of learning. There is a graduation ceremony for the Pre-K classes at the end of the year and they create a yearbook for the parents and children. Each class has two or three class mothers who meet once a month to brainstorm ideas for events.

"We try to make Faith a fun place for the moms as well as making it special for the kids," Laurie Bocca, co-coordinator of the class mothers' group with Angela Oropallo, said. Oropallo added, "Getting involved with the mothers helps the teachers and the children have a better learning experience."

Bocca further explained that the parents get involved with many events like Coffee Talk, St. Parents Day and Teacher Appreciation Night. In the past few years, Faith parents have participated in many fund-raisers such as monthly bake sales, holiday wrapping paper, holiday greenery/craft sales and European portraits.

Of the 17 teachers at Faith during the school year, many are certified with years of education experience and head teachers are trained in first aid care. Faith Nursery is a safe school. Doors open at 9:15 a.m. and are locked until 15 minutes before dismissal. For the 2005-2006 school season parents can choose two-day toddler class, two- or three-day 3-year-old class, three- or five-day 4-year-old class. Classes are available for morning or afternoon sessions.

"All three of my children attended Faith Nursery," Ciano said. "After teaching here for six years, I decided to take the job of director. It was important to me to keep the quality of education, our fine academics and the programs that make Faith a special place."

According to Ciano, Faith Nursery runs many fun holiday events throughout the year, such as a Halloween-Goblin Parade, Halloween Carnival party, Thanksgiving celebration, Breakfast with Santa, Easter egg hunt, relay race and pajama party and a picnic on Roosevelt Beach. The school also provides ear and eye testing and even class photos from a professional studio. Each child has a special birthday party in the classroom and classes join in music with Pat Morgasen and rhythm and movement with Joyce Calemmo.

Faith gets very involved in community-service activities like a Hop-A-Thon for muscular dystrophy and a Trik-A-Thon for St. Jude's Chidren's Hospital. This year, Faith is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and had a booth at the Syosset Fair as well as holding a curriculum night where parents got to view the work of all the children from 11 different classes. In May, parents, teachers and children march in the Memorial Day Parade. For more information on Faith Nursery school's programs, call 364-0209.