2022 SUMMER STEAM CAMPS
POLICIES & PROCEDURES
LOCATION: Providence School, 3225 Calle Pinon, Santa Barbara
(exit 101 at Los Positas or off Foothill Rd)
Check your camp receipt received by email when you registered. Your child’s camp time will be listed as either: 9:00-3:15pm or 9am-3:30pm. Aftercare is available from 3:15-5:00pm and must be signed up for in advance.
CAMP DROP OFF & PICK UP PROCEDURES
To DROP-OFF your child, families must drive through the car lines between 8:20-9:00am. We do not allow walk-ins as all staff are on car lines; EXCEPTIONS are for special needs children or if walking or biking to camp.
- Drive-through gates will open at 8:20am and close at 9:05. We will meet your child at your car and walk them to check-in desk.
- Drivers, please stay in your car. Once our staff get your child or children out of the car, watch carefully for our staff to wave you forward to exit through the gate. We have 3 car lines, so be very alert and patient as the safety of every child is paramount.
To PICK-UP your child, look carefully at your registration receipt. Camp ending time is either 3:15pm or 3:30pm. Gates open at 3:15pm. Aftercare is available until 5:00pm .
- We have 3 car lines, pull forward and stay in your car. Our staff will ask your child’s name and bring them to the car for you. If you have children in camps with different ending times, you may pick both up at 3:30pm. Or drive through for the 3:15 pick-up and come back through the line at 3:30.
- If you are carpooling and children have camps with different ending times, please pick up at 3:30pm.
- If there is only 1 child, please pick up at the designated time. If your child’s pick up is at 3:30, please do NOT arrive at 3:15, as that will block traffic. We will ask you to exit and come back at the designated time.
- If your child is in Aftercare, gates will open at 4:45pm for 5:00 pick up. If you wish to come earlier, please walk through the wood gate to the side of the drive-through gates.
CLICK HERE to see our COVID 2022 Summer Camp Policies
Cancellation Policy:
Our flexible cancellation policy allows you to make changes in your summer schedule or receive camp credit if your child cannot attend. A 75% refund will be made through April 31st and 25% credited to your Active account. Between May 1st-May 31st, if you need to cancel, no refunds will be issued. However, we will credit your full camp payment to ACTIVE account for future use. After June 1st, no refunds or credits will be issued. No refunds or credits are given if you remove your child from camp due to a mask mandate. If you need to change weeks and there is sufficient room in another camp, campers may transfer without charge with one exception. Changes that occur within 7 days of the start of a camp, may incur a $35 fee to cover administration costs. If your child is sick for an extended period of time, we will credit your account or transfer them to a different week.
A TYPICAL CAMP DAY
Morning
Icebreakers/Tribes:15 min
Instruction Time: 1.25 hr. lesson/project
Break: 15 min snack/social time/bathroom
Instruction Time: 1 hr. lesson/project
Mid-day
45 min lunch break & outdoor play
Afternoon
Icebreakers/Tribes:15 min
Instruction Time: 1.25 hr. lesson/project
Break: 15 min snack/social time/bathroom
Instruction Time: 1 hr. lesson/project
Finish up/clean-up: Move out to car lines
Why Choose Us for Your Child’s Camp This Summer?
Safety First:
We take physical safety and emotional safety very seriously. Children are supervised at all times, our staff are background checked, and we have a zero tolerance for bullying of any type. We respect and affirm EVERY child, parent, and teacher, and will not tolerate any form of prejudicial or demeaning comments, jokes or actions. Children like adults do have disagreements and our staff work to resolve those in a caring and responsible way. Our goal is to provide an environment where children feel accepted, are assisted to get to know each other, feel welcome, and involved in their own learning. We use Tribes education to encourage. To learn more about Tribes: http://tribes.com/about/Please let us know at any time if you have concerns.
We are NUT-FREE. For the health and safety of all our campers, please do not bring peanut butter sandwiches or other nut types.
COVID Protocols: We follow Santa Barbara Public Health Guidelines for Schools and Camps. Click this link to read those policies and procedures: https://terrificscientific.org/summer-camps-covid-policies-update/ All camp instructors are fully vaccinated for COVID. For the safety of everyone, we encourage you to vaccinate your child as well.
Staffing:
Our staff/child ratio is 1:10. Our male and female staff are comprised of teachers, professionals, graduate and undergraduate college students in the departments of science, engineering, medicine, education, computer science, math, and art. When hiring, our top priority is to have staff who LOVE working with kids, are smart, can communicate effectively with children and parents, and work together as a team. We have high expectations of our staff: warm, enthusiastic, engaging, a smile on their face, prepared for each day, and committed to making camp a wonderful experience for kids. We provide training to counselors in the curriculum they will teach, classroom management skills, safety rules, and Tribes education. To learn more about Tribes: http://tribes.com/about/
Cutting Edge Curriculum:
65 DIFFERENT Camps… the largest array of different camps in Santa Barbara County! We have created an unparalleled set of cutting edge programs designed for the young mind ages 5-14. Our philosophy is to develop a hands-on, minds-on, challenging STEAM program for girls and boys that lays the foundation for innovative minds, problem solvers and design thinkers of the future. Each camp and curriculum is inquiry based, developed by a team of professionals and “kid-tested” to ensure that camps are fun, full of learning concepts, and have a track record of being successful!
Selecting the Right Camp For Your Child:
Critical to a successful camp experience is that your child knows the content of the camp in which he/she is enrolled. Be sure that both you and your child have read the camp description and that it is a good fit. Encouraging your child to try something new is always a positive effort, but ensure your child knows what they trying! Our camps are grouped by age levels and each week we have a selection of camps appropriate for Kindergarten-8th grade. Please do not enroll your child for a camp that requires a higher grade level than your child is entering. We try very hard to keep our camps and campers matched at the appropriate social maturity level, reading skill ability, and curriculum content. Enrolling your child in a camp where there is not an age appropriate fit makes it challenging not only your child, but for the other campers and the instructor. Sometimes parents ask if they can enroll their younger child with an older sibling because they want to be together. Please let your child know they will see their sibling at recess, lunch and playtime, but will not be together in a specific camp. Let your children know that camp is a great opportunity to make new friends and they can come back year after year looking forward to the next level of camp! If you have questions, please email or call.
Behavior Expectations of All Children:
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- Talk with your child about being KIND in words and in action. Kids are often exuberant to be with other kids after these difficult COVID years. Have a conversation about how to make friends and appropriate behaviors.
- Please remind them to keep their hands to themselves and not wrestle, grab, roughhouse or get in another child’s face. Some kids are averse to being touched and it is important to respect body boundaries.
- Some kids try to get attention by using inappropriate language, jokes or bodily noises they think are funny. When a staff person becomes aware of this behavior, it will be stopped and parents notified.
- Encourage your child to come to camp with an positive attitude, be inclusive of other kids, and make new friends. We do our part through ice breaker activities to help children learn about each other. If your child comes with friends, encourage them to include others and not isolate in a clique.
- Review what bullying means. Use this LINK to talk with your child.
- We have a ZERO tolerancefor bullying. One warning, further actions will result in being sent home.
What to Bring to Camp:
Wear closed-toe shoes! Bring lunch, snack, and water bottle. We ask that you provide healthy snacks and lunches with NO sodas, highsugar desserts or candy. Thank you! Please DO NOT bring a phone or toys.
Communications
If you have questions or concerns about any aspect of our camps, our directors or instructors are available to talk with you. Our goal is always to have a positive atmosphere and experience for our campers, instructors and parents. Being respectful and modeling appropriate communications is critical for our kids to observe as well as to resolve any issues.
Administration of Medicine
If your child requires any medications during the time he/she is at the camp, please download this form and print it, fill in the required information, and bring it with the child on the first day of camp. Administration of Medicine Form (Click Link to Download Form)
Camp Evaluation Form
After your child returns home from Summer Camp, we ask that you fill out the online Camp Evaluation Form. Your input will greatly help us improve the camps and course offerings. We can’t wait to hear from you! Online Camp Evaluation Form.
