Summer camp / summer school / etc

I don't think I've posted much about ds' kindy experiences so far
here. He's had a pretty good experience so far, thanks in large part
to lots of parent-teacher communication. Ds (for those who aren't
familiar with him) is quite intense, creative, and impulsive. His
teacher adores him (thank goodness!) and has been bending over
backwards to get him help so he can acclimate without breaking his
spirit and also not end up in behavior disorder classes. (He's met
with the social worker a little, working on anger management and
impulsivity, and may do some OT for writing).

Anyhow, his teacher has suggested that we look into doing summer school
as a way to give him some structure and continuity throughout the
summer. Academically, he is doing very well, especially when taking
into consideration that he is the youngest in his class. His writing
needs work, and he is just starting to read some words. (Ok, this is
the eval for *this* kindy class, not some of the really demanding
ones!)

She also suggested we might want to do some sort of summer camp that
would stimulate him, as an alternative.

Anyhow, I've left a message asking about summer school at the
neighboring school district (ours is so small, they share the program,
apparently). I've also started investigating other summer programs.
They range all over the place, from traditional outdoorsy camps that
emphasize swimming, sports and field trips (one morning of arts &
crafts), to programs at the Chicago Botanic Gardens that are very
focused (but relatively expensive, and not very convenient).

I'm not really sure how to proceed with this. There are sooo many
options, and many of them are pretty expensive. I WOH mostly
full-time, so he needs to be somewhere during the day, no matter what.
I'm trying to figure out where dd (will be 3 this summer) will be -
whether to keep her at her same preschool/daycare, or move her
somewhere closer to our house.

I'm also not sure whether it's better to keep him in one place for
most/all of the summer, for continuity, or to give him a variety of
programs.

Anyhow, thoughts?

Irene

Irene wrote:

Anyhow, I've left a message asking about summer school at the
neighboring school district (ours is so small, they share the program,
apparently). I've also started investigating other summer programs.
They range all over the place, from traditional outdoorsy camps that
emphasize swimming, sports and field trips (one morning of arts &
crafts), to programs at the Chicago Botanic Gardens that are very
focused (but relatively expensive, and not very convenient).

I'm not really sure how to proceed with this. There are sooo many
options, and many of them are pretty expensive. I WOH mostly
full-time, so he needs to be somewhere during the day, no matter what.
I'm trying to figure out where dd (will be 3 this summer) will be -
whether to keep her at her same preschool/daycare, or move her
somewhere closer to our house.

I'm also not sure whether it's better to keep him in one place for
most/all of the summer, for continuity, or to give him a variety of
programs.

Anyhow, thoughts?

I think all this is very individual. Some kids thrive
on variety, while others need consistency to be ok. Personally,
unless there is an academic deficit that needs to be remedied,
I look at summer as a time to expand horizons and cover things
that he won't get in school. I also think that summer should
be mostly fun and not the same grind as school.
Of course, since you need full day care, that will
likely limit your options significantly (unless someone can
provide transportation during the day to move him from one
place to another?).
I'm mostly at home, so don't have to deal with the
daycare issue (though I take advantage of them being gone
to go in to work). We generally do several weeks of dance
camp (required for Nutcracker participation). We have also
done foreign language camps, art camps, recreation camps,
soccer camps, Vacation Bible School, and probably some other
things I'm forgetting. A number of camps do have before and
after care. It is tough, though, and the costs add up
quickly.
I think you just put everything in a pile and
look for whatever looks interesting, and then you look
to see what you can make work logistically and financially.
Often, once you've done that you don't have a lot of
options left ;-) Often, all sorts of things look fantastic,
but they're just not affordable or you can't get the kid
there and back.
Given that he has to be *somewhere* every week,
if you do different camps, I would try to alternate more
intense camps with something more laid back so that he
doesn't feel like he's rushing from pillar to post all
summer.

Best wishes,
Ericka

Irene wrote:

I'm not really sure how to proceed with this. There are sooo many
options, and many of them are pretty expensive. I WOH mostly
full-time, so he needs to be somewhere during the day, no matter what.
I'm trying to figure out where dd (will be 3 this summer) will be -
whether to keep her at her same preschool/daycare, or move her
somewhere closer to our house.

I'm also not sure whether it's better to keep him in one place for
most/all of the summer, for continuity, or to give him a variety of
programs.

Glad to hear he is doing well in kingdergarten, Irene! DD1 loves
her kindergarten class and has been doing very well. We, too,
are struggling about summer care, I've just started asking
around to figure out what the kids from her class will be doing.
She also has a friend from her old daycare that she plays soccer
with, so we are trying to coordinate. DD1's old daycare offers
a camp which I haven't heard great things about, but it would
make drop off with DD2 easy. There's a gymnastics place
nearby that offers a camp so we are definately doing a week
or two there (I have that lined up with at least 2 of her friends).
There's a tennis camp (tennis in the morning, regular camp
stuff, including swimming in the afternoon) that I think she'll
do a week at. Also a circus camp that I have heard great
things about.

Frankly, all my asking has ended up with me being very
frustrated, noone has been thrilled with their choices. Our
local YMCA is reasonably priced but DD1 spent a week
there last year and it was terrible. Very disorganized and,
frankly, I'm not sure they would have noticed if one of the
kids had gone missing. To top it off, most of the camps
have been pretty lax in terms of what the kids can get
away with, which ends up being tough on DD1 since she is
such a by the book kind of kid. The wildness is very stressful
for her.

I am going to do my best to get her into camps with
friends of hers, preferably from kindergarten. We'll probably
do a mish mash of camps, unless I find one I think she'll
really connect with.

Good luck!

Mary W.

Ericka Kammerer wrote:
Irene wrote:

Anyhow, I've left a message asking about summer school at the
neighboring school district (ours is so small, they share the program,
apparently). I've also started investigating other summer programs.
They range all over the place, from traditional outdoorsy camps that
emphasize swimming, sports and field trips (one morning of arts &
crafts), to programs at the Chicago Botanic Gardens that are very
focused (but relatively expensive, and not very convenient).

I'm not really sure how to proceed with this. There are sooo many
options, and many of them are pretty expensive. I WOH mostly
full-time, so he needs to be somewhere during the day, no matter what.
I'm trying to figure out where dd (will be 3 this summer) will be -
whether to keep her at her same preschool/daycare, or move her
somewhere closer to our house.

I'm also not sure whether it's better to keep him in one place for
most/all of the summer, for continuity, or to give him a variety of
programs.

Anyhow, thoughts?

I think all this is very individual. Some kids thrive
on variety, while others need consistency to be ok. Personally,
unless there is an academic deficit that needs to be remedied,
I look at summer as a time to expand horizons and cover things
that he won't get in school. I also think that summer should
be mostly fun and not the same grind as school.

I have to admit, I tend to agree that he doesn't really need the
academics, so long as we can keep some writing practice in there. And
I'd like to see him spending more time outdoors, being active. Ds'
teacher did reply that she thought he'd do best in a single program,
rather than having to get used to different routines all summer long.

(snip)
I think you just put everything in a pile and
look for whatever looks interesting, and then you look
to see what you can make work logistically and financially.
Often, once you've done that you don't have a lot of
options left ;-) Often, all sorts of things look fantastic,
but they're just not affordable or you can't get the kid
there and back.

LOL! Thanks for helping put things in perspective! Right now, the
Botanic Gardens is looking like it doesn't work from either the
affordability or the transportation aspect, although I'm not ruling out
doing it for one week.
Given that he has to be *somewhere* every week,
if you do different camps, I would try to alternate more
intense camps with something more laid back so that he
doesn't feel like he's rushing from pillar to post all
summer.

Right now, we are leaning towards the camp owned by the same company
who run his after school care. The setting is wonderful, he knows some
of the staff, and I can put him on a bus (tho, alas, earlier than his
school-year bus). Ironically, it is 1/2 mile from our old house!

Irene

wrote:
Irene wrote:

I'm not really sure how to proceed with this. There are sooo many
options, and many of them are pretty expensive. I WOH mostly
full-time, so he needs to be somewhere during the day, no matter what.
I'm trying to figure out where dd (will be 3 this summer) will be -
whether to keep her at her same preschool/daycare, or move her
somewhere closer to our house.

I'm also not sure whether it's better to keep him in one place for
most/all of the summer, for continuity, or to give him a variety of
programs.

Glad to hear he is doing well in kingdergarten, Irene! DD1 loves
her kindergarten class and has been doing very well. We, too,
are struggling about summer care, I've just started asking
around to figure out what the kids from her class will be doing.
She also has a friend from her old daycare that she plays soccer
with, so we are trying to coordinate. DD1's old daycare offers
a camp which I haven't heard great things about, but it would
make drop off with DD2 easy. There's a gymnastics place
nearby that offers a camp so we are definately doing a week
or two there (I have that lined up with at least 2 of her friends).
There's a tennis camp (tennis in the morning, regular camp
stuff, including swimming in the afternoon) that I think she'll
do a week at. Also a circus camp that I have heard great
things about.

Glad to hear your dd is doing well, too!

Dd's daycare is another possibility, and certainly would be convenient,
but not very camplike. I haven't checked the Y yet, tho that's
another. But again, about a mile from our old house - not convenient
anymore!! I do worry about the lack of attention - ds' social skills
still need a lot of work, iykwim.

I know I should ask around, too - but so far, I don't know many other
parents. And most are SAHM's, it seems. Tho, that reminds me - I do
know one mom who's sons did summer school last summer, so I could ask
her about it.

Frankly, all my asking has ended up with me being very
frustrated, noone has been thrilled with their choices. Our
local YMCA is reasonably priced but DD1 spent a week
there last year and it was terrible. Very disorganized and,
frankly, I'm not sure they would have noticed if one of the
kids had gone missing. To top it off, most of the camps
have been pretty lax in terms of what the kids can get
away with, which ends up being tough on DD1 since she is
such a by the book kind of kid. The wildness is very stressful
for her.

I am going to do my best to get her into camps with
friends of hers, preferably from kindergarten. We'll probably
do a mish mash of camps, unless I find one I think she'll
really connect with.

Good luck!

Thanks! Good luck to you, too!

Irene

Irene wrote:

Right now, we are leaning towards the camp owned by the same company
who run his after school care. The setting is wonderful, he knows some
of the staff, and I can put him on a bus (tho, alas, earlier than his
school-year bus). Ironically, it is 1/2 mile from our old house!

Irene

(Following up on myself...)

After more input from ds' teacher, and getting a little more info, a
plan seems to be coming together...

The summer school program is for one month, mornings only. Ds' teacher
highly encouraged this. I can put him in a camp program run by the
afterschool care company at that same location for that month. Then, I
can move him to the actual outdoorsy camp owned by the same group for
the rest of the summer, which gets him both the writing help he needs,
and the outdoor fun stuff. And I'll be taking him to the same location
the whole summer, since the bus to camp is from that same school. (Or
I can pay an extra $20/wk to get a bus to our house)

Irene