SUMMERPROGRAM
How to launch a truly Catholic Summer Camp
What's the summer look like?
We kick things off the day after Memorial Day with three weeks of planning and prep before campers arrive on Monday of Week 1. Staff start dates are staggered. College students start first and high school students begin as they finish school. Rockville Catholic Summer Program manages with only two weeks of planning and prep. You'll need two to three weeks for your instructors to plan out their classes for the summer and purchase materials.
We recommend some sort of retreat weekend for the staff during planning and prep. At the end of week two of planning and prep, we take all of our instructors on a camping retreat to Assateague State Park for a three day weekend in order to kick off the summer on a spiritual high note and so they can bond. You can read more about that here.
The last few days of planning & prep are used for moving into the school and for running a half day of orientation. We also bring in a trainer to certify 6 instructors in CPR and First Aid at some point during planning and prep.
The first day of camp falls in mid-June and camp runs through early August. This past summer we ran from June 18 - August 10th. We don’t go with a 9th week because the school needs to be cleaned and many of our college instructors start heading back to college, making staffing a 9th week near impossible.
What's a typical day look like?
6:30am – Before care opens
8:00am – Mass for the instructors
8:30-8:45am – most of children arrive
8:45-9:00am – opening song and prayer
9:00-noon – camps/classes (snack at 10:30ish)
12:00-12:15pm – pick-up by parents
12:15-12:30pm – after care children delivered to gym and performance time
12:30-1:00pm – Lunch
1:00-1:30pm – Theology
1:30-2:30pm – Eucharistic Adoration
2:30-2:45pm – wrap-up meeting
2:45-3:00pm – day ends for instructors not working after care
5:30pm – after care ends
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This schedule works best for us. You might find that a slightly different schedule works better for you. Opening and closing times for extended care should be planned with your local workforce in mind. To begin the day with Mass, it may be necessary to adjust your daily Mass schedule for the summer.
Arrival and Dismissal
Arrival - Families are greeted upon arrival by instructors who sign campers in using iPads and inquire as to whether campers will be utilizing before and after care that day. Those campers using extended care are then directed to lockers and then to the gym for morning care. Campers not using extended care are sent to the gym where instructors are waiting with signs with class/camp names. At 8:45am we kick the day off with everyone in the gym for the morning show.
Dismissal - Students are signed out from their classroom by parents from 12:00-12:15pm. Students staying for after-care are signed out from one central point (we use the gym) by the instructor who runs after-care. Walkie-talkies are used to communicate with the instructors in the different areas of campus to let them know that a child’s parents have arrived.