Cherry Hill Recreation is pleased to offer many types of programs, seasonally, with incredible instructors. Please browse through what actual program participants had to say about classes and instructors generated through survey results.

Reviews/comments are updated periodically as programs are completed.   

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DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY (Bill Kovnat)

"This is a class that you could take over a few times because there is so much to learn about photography. I may return as a student next year."

"Bill is an excellent instructor that helped everyone in the class from a newbie to the very advanced. The CH East students are very lucky to have him as a photography teacher."

"Bill and his wife were very patient with everyone in the class. It was obvious that they knew the topic well and could work with each person at their level. It was fun to watch them work!"

DRAMA CAMP (Cherry Hill Recreation)

"The program was really well-run. I appreciated giving a donation in lieu of paying for tickets. It made my son feel good as well, like he was really giving back to the community." (over 300 pounds of canned goods in 2017) 

"The staff and campers do an exceptional job in learning a production in such a short time!"

"My daughter looks forward to this camp every year. She loves it."

"My daughter loves the drama camp. She is sad that next summer will be the last year she qualifies before aging out. Thank you to the township for making this program available!"

"The counselors are great! My daughter often loves many of them... All seem kind and are very generous with their time."

"Staff was wonderful, they did a wonderful job. I felt completely safe leaving my child with them, she had a great time."

"Great supportive staff."

BALLET (The School of Pennsylvania Ballet)

"Valerie is an amazing teacher and so wonderful with the kids."

"She is very professional, nice and patient with kids. I'm so happy to have Miss. Valerie as my daughter's instructor."

"Great Instructor..we can't think of a better one."

"The program was setup with reasonable expectations for the age group. The kids were able to learn ballet in a fun way."

"Great intro in ballet. I like that I didn't have to make the commitment at a dance school to see if my daughter liked ballet. She did enjoy herself!"

"Valerie is an amazing instructor! She did a great job of teaching the kids on their level while keeping them interested as they were learning. Not an easy task with 4 year olds!"

"Ms. Valerie was amazing. Kind and patient with the children and she really shared her love of dance with them. She was wonderful!"

"A wonderful intro to ballet for small children, exactly what my daughter was hoping to learn in her first class."

"Miss Val is very professional and kind while maintaining high standards for her students. She's an experienced ballet dancer and a great teacher - my daughter loves her and is learning so much!"

"Miss Valerie was great - can't say enough good things about her."

"Valerie is amazing. Class is excellent."

TENNIS LESSONS / CAMP (Youth and Adult) (Rich Ipri & Staff)

"Great opportunity for residents to learn to play tennis with outstanding instructors, at a quality facility, at a reasonable cost. Thanks to the township for offering this to residents."

"Rich is a wonderful instructor. He is a Cherry Hill Recreation treasure who must be retained at any cost!!!"

"Excellent instructor who worked with all in the class."

"Great program! My son loves it." 

"Rich is great. He has a lot of patience. His assistants are good kids. He is good to all the children. The best!!"

"Did a great job! And the "awards" on the last day added a special touch! My son had a great time and this experience increased his self-confidence and playing ability. We were overall very happy with the experience! Thank you!!"

"Good mix of instruction and game play."

"Having never played tennis before, my kids looked forward to these lessons every week. Now they want to play tennis all the time."

"They made it fun for the kids. It was a great positive introduction to the sport."

"We were extremely satisfied with both our instructors. They were great with the kids and kept their attention (which isn't always easy w/4 year olds). Thank you for the great experience!"

"Rich is consistently excellent"

"Very patient and knowledgeable. We learned all of the basics and fundamentals."

"Rich was the best instructor I have ever had."

"The program was well structured. If someone missed a lesson it did not throw off the group. All participants were able to experience growth and confidence during the lessons. Nobody was ever made to feel intimidated nor unsuccessful. Great program!"

"Tennis was great. I met new people and made friends, a win win!!!"

"The instructor was outstanding!! Was very skilled at tennis and was very patient. He is an excellent instructor and conveyed knowledge in a very learnable manner. He is terrific."

"Rich is a great coach and leader. His junior coaches reflect his passion for the game and his efforts to get more people invovled in tennis no matter what their level of play is or will be. It was fun learning from and with Rich and his coaching crew. I was impressed by his teaching style and ability to encourage everyone to be risk-takers and grow in their tennis skills, knowledge, and overall ability to have fun on the court."

"Rich Ipri does a good job. He is very knowledgeable, pleasant and effective."

"This was a fun program that was a great experience for my child. We paired it with the corresponding adult program so it became a family event as we had classes at the same time. I hope that option is available again in the future."

"Rich was patient and caring to the children. He taught them the basics of tennis in the 5 lessons...and the difference from their first week till the last was evident."

"The instructor was professional, organized, and skilled."

"Rich is wonderful. He also has a staff of eager coaches to support participant growth. His leadership is reflected in the junior coaches and created a great experience for my son."

"So great. Conveniently located. We love the tennis camps. My son has learned so much."

"We've been doing this for a few years, great class."

This is our 3rd year and we will definitely be back next summer!

"5 yo daughter like the program. Coach Ipri was great with the young players."

"My daughter enjoyed every moment."

"Great program! I wish it continued into August and not just July!"

"Very knowledgeable instructor and worked enthusiastically with the kids."

"Rich Ipri is an excellent tennis instructor. He has helped me and my kids play better."

SNAPOLOGY PROGRAMS (Combat Robots)

"My son and nephew both thought she was excellent."

"The kids had a lot of fun."

BEADING / JEWELRY (Risa Dera)

"Looking forward to continuing with the next session."

"The instructor was very knowledgeable. She taught very well, answered all our questions and extended herself to the students very well. She was very helpful in every way."

"I have had a prior class with this instructor and enjoyed her class and instruction greatly. She is personable, encouraging, and easy to follow in direction."

"I found Risa to be very easy to talk to. She made herself available to all students. Excellent teacher & coach."

PICKLEBALL (Denise Donald and Estelle "Cookie" Sey)

"Very adaptable...very dedicated....very enjoyable."

"Instructors were great."

"Cookie did a great job instructing the class and teaching the basic Pickleball skills."

"Fun and got to meet nice people."

"Knowledgeable and [instructor] fun to work with."

BASKETBALL SKILLS CAMPS / CLINICS (Dave Allen & Staff - Vikings Basketball)

"My son learned a lot, grew his confidence and made friends. It was a good experience."

"My son took direction well from the instructors. They kept the kids' interest."

"Instructors did a great job being patient with the kids and working them through the skills."

"Coach Allen was very approachable and showed hands on interest in helping my son. I greatly appreciated his extra effort in making this a valuable experience for my son."

"Glad to see a program with more depth and not just a beginner level. The kids were challenged."

"Fantastic. Very professional. Wish they had a longer camp option."

"The basketball program was a great experience...and our first experience with the CH Rec program offerings. The Coach was terrific with the girls and really got my daughter excited about basketball."

"It was an excellent program, my daughter learned so much in the short period of time."

"I almost don't want to tell anyone. I'm afraid it will fill up to fast. It was so great."

"The coach was extremely knowledgeable of the game of basketball. He was very organized and related to the children very well."

"Coach Allen and his team were really great. My son can't wait for more camps."

"Took 2 weeks of camp and son loved camp-received comments from his winter coach already on how much more improved he looks."

"Knowledgeable and organized. My son got a lot from the instruction."

JUNIOR POLICE ACADEMY (JPA) (Cherry Hill Police Department)

"Excellent program. It helped my son become more sure of himself."

"The Junior Police.Academy program.exceeded our expectations at every level. My son enjoyed each of the offerings, including the physical training."

"Excellent program for all kids to go through! My son absolutely lived it and didn't want it to end."

"The program exceeded all of my expectations. The graduation alone was truly wonderful."

"We felt the program content was very appropriate and the respect and discipline and professionalism shown to the cadets was exceptional."

"My son couldn't wait to get home to tell me about his day at the Jr Police Academy."

"This program was the most rewarding, positive experience for my son. He was able to get so much out of this program, and he learned a lot about himself. My son said no other camp can top this one!"

"All of the personnel involved were extremely professional and kept us informed of the process."

"Instructors were excellent! They work very well with children and were able to motivate them in a positive way."

"Great experience for my daughter- she learned a lot and has a greater respect for law enforcement"

"I think the program is great and teaches the children life skills. My son really enjoyed it and was sad to see it end after a week. Nothing but great things come from this program. It is a valuable program for the community!"

"The experiences provided for the children far exceeded my expectations."

"My son loved this program. It has been a few weeks since graduation and he still tells people about it. I also find it sweet when driving past a Cherry Hill Police Officer he tries to see if he knows them. Almost like they are his friends."

"An amazing experience from start to finish."

"The experience was priceless can't thank CHPD for all their hard work to bring an amazing experience to my son and his peers."

"The instructors are amazing! They truly enjoyed working with the kids and seeing them excel and come out of their shells! I praise all of the instructors for their incredible dedication to the children and this program!"

"The instructors made me proud to be a resident of Cherry Hill. They were absolutely amazing."

"Wonderful, professional, caring and truly dedicated to teaching young people."

"All of the instructors were excellent. They challenged our son but were also very supportive and helped him learn and build his self-confidence. This is such a positive program for kids!"

This program exceeded our expectations. The first day was rough and my boys were nervous about the rest of the week. But they learned that hard work and persistence can build up your confidence and make you a stronger person physically and emotionally!!

"They (Police Officers / instructors) were all so dedicated and professional and great role models for the kids!"

YOGA STRETCH AND FLOW (Angel Andrews)

"The class is sufficiently challenging and effective."

"Individualized, well planned weekly practices."

"Awesome program, your instructor really understands and as a student of Yoga, she is constantly keeping up on new techniques."

"Angel is fantastic. I love her classes. Her attitude and demeanor are excellent. She has a real passion for yoga and for sharing it with others."

"Angel is tops. Best Yoga instructor around!"

"Angel is a top notch instructor and the reason I have continued taking the course. She introduces different moves at each class and considers the limitations of her students while making the program sufficiently challenging for everyone. Each class is different and she encourages questions and suggestions."

"Angel is the best. I've taken other aerobics classes and none compared to her classes."

"Angel is excellent in every way; a brilliant, dedicated instructor!"

"Knowledgeable, careful, versatile and patient.

GLEE SHOW CHOIR (Laurie Lausi and Heather Lockart)

"Well done! We usually do [another program], but we will be back to Glee next year."

"Everyone went above and beyond. Excellent!"

"The instructors are extremely knowledgeable, compassionate, and fair."

"Laurie and Heather are amazing. They both go above and beyond what is expected and leave a lasting impact on the students. My daughter has grown in so many areas by participating in the glee program. The caliber of these 2 instructors is what makes this program what it is."

"Everyone went above and beyond. Excellent!"

"My daughter has now done Glee for three years and absolutely loves it."

"It was wonderful and so much fun!"

"Every child gets an opportunity to shine and improve their self-esteem."

"Laurie and Heather are top notch."

"(Staff are) Professional and talented and compassionate"

"The ladies are very inspirational."

"They are wonderful!! An amazing job once again"

"My daughter thoroughly enjoyed Glee and is looking forward to it next summer!"

"Great program for the children in our area."

"They were very cordial and really helpful with the children".

"It was wonderful! The lead instructors were amazing. The amount of volunteer work that other individuals partook in, in order to make the Glee Performances feel special, like they were on broadway was wonderful and amazing, it really made it that more amazing of an experience. The kids had headshots, and mics, some customs, set design, mini orchestra.. it was amazing. The program as a whole was wonderful!!!"

"Mrs Laurie and Mrs Lockhart are so great with the kids every year."

ELEMENTS OF ART (Bonnie Burbank)

"I enjoyed the instructor and being introduced to new forms of doing my own art. She was very encouraging."

"It is an excellent class. Over 5 or 6 years of taking this class, I have seen beginners become more adept and more experience people begin to win contests and sell their work."

"I have been taking this course for years, it has helped me be a better, more adventurous artist and I will continue to sign up for it."

"Bonnie is an excellent instructor. Really enjoy her teaching style, which makes me look forward to class each week."

"Bonnie Burbank is an exceptional teacher. There is nothing she doesn't know. She has taught us to work with all different materials."

"Bonnie Burbank is not only a fine artist and teacher, she is also a lovely person. Her advice on painting is super helpful and she is always readily available to help each individual in the class."

GENTLE YOGA (Judith Christopher)

"Very good for beginners as well as seniors."

"Judith is a versatile instructor and does a good job."

"[Instructor] Presents a wide range of movements and is very encouraging."

LOW IMPACT AEROBICS (Judith Christopher)

"Excellent effort from Judith. She always offers a great workout."

"Very good workout. Good class. I like the music we exercise to"

"Good cardiovascular exercise without being overwhelming."

"Judy adapts well to the makeup of the particular class."

BUILD A SCARECROW (Springdale Farms)

"Loved this program. My kids had a great time and the instruction was great."

"Jackie was so patient pleasant and very good instructor. We all thoroughly enjoyed the event. The weather was not so good but she made it so much fun we forgot about the weather."

MUSIC CLASSES (NJ School of Music)

"Great instruction for beginner, l learned a lot and interest in learning more!" (Guitar Lessons)

"Very good very easy to understand, set a very comfortable learning environment, had fun and was very relatable." (Guitar Lessons)

"The small class size was perfect for the young kids to get individual attention." (Piano Lessons) 

"He's great! Very patient and a great sense of humor."(Piano Lessons)

"The program was very fun and my child learn a lot."

WRESTLING CAMP (Zachary Semar & Staff)

"My son enjoyed the personal attention and learned a lot."

"This was my son's first time wrestling, and he was comparably young to the rest of the group. The instructors took him in, and he felt great from the experience. Thank you!! :)"

"Excellent! Friendly and knowledgeable!!"

SOCCER CAMP (Dan Butler & Staff)

"Coach Butler runs a nice program - it is well organized and my son has enjoyed it two years in a row. It could possibly include more skill instruction."

"My kids loved this program too! Great that it's run by the actual CHW coach and having a bunch of student instructors was a lot of fun for my kids."

"The high school counselors are good with the kids and my son really likes them! Coach Butler is great, and seems to have picked really nice kids to help him out."

"EXCELLENT!"

"The instructors seemed very engaged and energetic."

"My daughter loved it! She was new to soccer. They coaches made her feel like a winner!"

"The program was well organized and very helpful to my son."

"My daughter had a fun time at the program."

YOUTH VOLLEYBALL CLINICS / CAMPS (Scott Mooney & Staff)

"It was fun, my daughter loved!"

"They were so nice! hope see them again in next year!"

"Very informative."

"My child came home tired and happy. She learned a lot and even got some new muscles! Thank you!!"

"Very effective leadership!"

SQUARE DANCING (Caryl Fick)

"This class is great fun and caryl has done wonders with very limited resources. she has managed to recruit volunteers crucial to the learning process and has turned a group of newbies into potential dancers."

"Very generous of Caryl and the other Busy B's members to give their time to get more people interested in square dancing."

"A lot to learn, but it has been a lot of fun...more than I thought it would be!"

"Wonderfully patient persons and very encouraging."

"Our instructor is terrific...she makes the program fun and worthwhile."

BADMINTON (Norman Foss)

"(Instructor) He is very friendly and instructive. A big thumb-up for his dedication and contribution to the "health" of the community for so many years." 

"Excellent program. Every week I am looking forward to Wednesday when I will be playing badminton."

"Norman is a very good instructor. It is a pleasure working with him."

CHERRY HILL BASEBALL ACADEMY (CJ Davis & CH East Varsity Staff)

"Really well-run!" 

"Great value and really well organized. My sons loved it. I have recommended it to other parents. They learned and has fun."

"Awesome! My son is joining a team after the positive reinforcement and encouragement he received from the camp instructors."

"Excellent- the kids really enjoyed the baseball and the trivia games were an added bonus."

"My son really enjoyed participating in this program for the last two years."

CH EAST VARSITY LACROSSE CAMP (Justin Meyers & Staff)

"Coach Meyer is outstanding."

"Coach was very knowledgeable of the sport and patient with beginners."

DRAWN TO EXPLORE (Regina Ottman & Lew Gorman)

"My daughter was engaged and enjoyed the program."

ROCK CLIMBING INSTRUCTION (Elite Climbing)

"Great program for the children in our area."

"They were very cordial and really helpful with the children."

RISE AND GLOW YOGA (Allison "Ali Rad" Radetich)

"I love this Saturday morning class."

"I have done yoga for years. Ali is by far the best instructor I have had."

"Wonderful! Best yoga instructor I have ever had!"

"The program with Ali Rad is fun and light-hearted (a huge plus for an early morning workout)."

YOGA POWER HOUR

"I absolutely love this class. I look forward to it every week."

"This is one of the best yoga classes I've been to. Great day and time of the week."

"Ali is awesome. She has the natural ability to teach all levels of yoga in the same class. I won’t go anywhere else. She has encouraged me to reach beyond what I thought possible."

"I love taking Ali’s classes! You can tell she is a teacher. She has a new “lesson” each week and keeps the classes very interesting! I’ve been doing yoga for a few years and Ali is by far the best instructor I’ve had!"

"Ali is one of the best Yoga instructors I ever had. The township is very lucky to have her."

"Ali Rad is an amazing instructor. She’s knowledgeable, patient, & makes you feel very comfortable as a new student."

"Ali is a wonderful instructor. I've learned a lot from her and she really makes each class special and fun."

"The instructor is extremely knowledgeable and offers an array of challenging moves. She is very pleasant and friendly."