Summer Camp Program 2023 (Registration Now Closed)

Summer Camp Waterdown 2023 Registration is Now Closed

Our camp is a full day program for children entering Kindergarten in September 2023 to Age 12!

Thank you for your interest!  Our Summer Camp is now completely full and no further registrations or changes can be accepted.

We look forward to seeing you at next Summer’s Camp, and hope to open our registration in February 2024 if we can.



Field Trips Are Back!

We have a great lineup of fun and educational activities lined up for our campers this year…and…

Theme Weeks & Activities

Our educators group children according to age and school where possible, and redefine the day’s theme in discussion with the children so that we make each day a special and custom experience. We empower children to contribute to their own education experience, to learn the ways they do best, while making new friends and come away with a well balanced day of physical activity, new experiences, challenges, experiential learning and mindfulness thinking. Daily and Weekly activities may vary from the activity calendars.

Theme Week preliminary activity calendars are posted in the Theme Weeks Tab below and the registration form.

Big Change to Hours & Rate Structure

Our standard camp Hours will now be 8:30am – 4:30pm, with an optional Extended Hours option (limited space).

5-day weeks are $116.35 ($93.08 4-day week) for our Junior Program (attending Kindergarten in September 2023, or under 6 years during summer), and $240 ($192 4-day week) for our Senior Program (attending Grade 1 – 8 [up to age 12] in 2023).

During the summer we have found that many families arrive later in the morning and pickup earlier in the afternoon.

So we will now offer an optional “Extended Hours” Program that can be purchased separately with this registration (limited space available) 7:30 – 8:30am and 4:30 – 5:30pm comes only as a single package option at $100 per week ($80 for short weeks), per child. (Extended Hours are included in Individual Subsidy Approvals but not CWELCC eligible registrations.)

Space is very limited in our Extended Hours Program and nearly full already from our pre-release registratio to currently enrolled WDCC families.

Location
Waterdown District High School (WDHS), 215 Parkside Drive, Waterdown (in rooms and entrances near the gymnasium)
WDHS Parking for Camp Waterdown Summer
Hours
8:30am – 4:30pm (Drop Off Time is 8:30-8:45am ONLY and Pick Up Time is 4:15-4:30pm ONLY.)

Extended Hours Option IF already registered for it
7:30am – 8:30am and 4:30pm – 5:30 PM (Drop Off Begins at 7:30am and Pick Up Ends at 5:30pm ONLY). There is no longer any additional space.

(Drop-off and Pick-up windows are strict and narrow. Due to licensed Child to Educator Ratios, we are unable to accept any child earlier, nor keep them later, than their designated hours.)

Snacks
Our full day programs and field trips do not provide children with snacks or drinks other than water to fill water bottles, so please remember to pack a nutritious and nut free lunch along with morning and afternoon snacks as well as a water bottle labelled with your child’s name please.

Accessibility and Accommodation
Most of our programs are planned to be as accessible as possible to children of all abilities who already attend school with the HWDSB. In some cases, due to our limited staffing and location, children needing additional supervision or mobility accommodations will require advance assessment for community living supports for eligibility. Some specific activities and trips may also require additional support to be arranged by the parent/guardian in advance, or may not be a good fit for some children. We do not provide alternative care for children who cannot or don’t want to go on a field trip program (although we do provide alternative fun group activities for non-swimmers at a field trip location). Should you not disclose an accessibility, medical, behavioural, religious or other accommodation requirement in advance of registration, we do reserve the right to cancel and refund, or to request a temporary absence or withdrawal (without refund) if we are not practically able to meet your child’s requirements within our program capabilities.

Please be sure to speak with our Camp Program Director, Mina Attia, at 905-689-5342 before registering and well in advance of the program dates(s) should you have any preliminary questions or concerns, as fees are not refundable.

Subsidy Approvals
Our program accepts subsidy approvals from the City of Hamilton only and your fees will be adjusted as approved. Extended Hours Optional Care is included in subsidy approvals if you select it (and we still have room at time of your approval).

Our program is only available as eight separate Full Week programs and is non-refundable. We’ll explore a variety of fun STEM and kinetic science concepts (age appropriate) with fun activities, creative creations, and imaginative games.

Note: Summer program care is not included in our Before and After School Program fees.

  • Additional information for the program weeks (arrival and departure instructions and so forth) will be given to enrolled families in an orientation email released the week before camp
  • Our main staff leaders are adults with full police checks and first aid training, and mainly experienced educators with an ECE (Early Childhood Education) Certification.
  • We are fully provincially licensed child care organization and must adhere to high standards of care, safety and specific maximum adult edcator to child ratios at each part of the day.
  • What to bring if enrolled:
      • Nut-free lunch and snacks,
      • weather appropriate clothing (shirts with shoulders covered, clothes change, hat and towel for wet activities),
      • indoor running shoes (no flip-flops),
      • water bottle,
      • a Back Pack is required for storage of children’s items as lockers may not be provided.

    All of this will be repeated in your Pre-Camp Week Email Notifications.


Please review our Parent Handbook which form part of your agreement to attend camp. These are updated regularly without notice.

We are not able to accept “walk ins” or last minute registrations, so please register online early as space is limited.

Summer 2023 Facility Closures
ALL of our facilities will be closed, due to statutory holidays or building closures (we are unable to provide any care alternatives on these days):
Monday July 3 (Canada Day Alternate Holiday) and Monday August 7 (Civic Holiday)

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Weekly Themes (Updated June 30)

*All activities and trips differ by age group and are subject to change without notice as needed.

Week One: July 4 – 7 Livin’ LEGOS Life (Short Week)

LEGO Marble Mazes, Brixology – Madscience Special Visitors, LEGO Rice Squares Making & Baking, LEGO Tote or Artwork making and more!
Junior Explorers Activity Calendar
Senior Activity Calendar

Week Two: July 10 – 14 – Magic of Masterpiece

Font & Shape Explorer, Real Life Scavenger Hunt, Special Visitor, Painting and Digital Sketching, Pirates Life Theatre and Cruise at Bayfront, Friday Art Walk and more!
Junior Explorers Activity Calendar
Senior Activity Calendar

Week Three: July 17 – 21 – Ready, Steady, Explore!

Use Nature to Create Art or Habitat Dioramas, Rock Creatures or Rain Forest Terrariums, Trip to Valens Conservation Area, Clay or Wood Creations, Special JR Visitor from Ray’s Reptiles and more!
Junior Explorers Activity Calendar
Senior Activity Calendar

Week Four: July 24 – 28 – Universe Unlimited

Exploding Volcanoes, Make Your Own Weather Vane or Robot Hands, Trip to Wild Water Works, Make Alien Slime, Special Visitor Mad Science
Junior Explorers Activity Calendar
Senior Activity Calendar

Week Five: July 31 – August 4 – Around The World

Wonders of the World, Lets Look at Flags, Trip to Children’s Museum or The Museum, Flavours of the World, Apron Creation and more
Junior Explorers Activity Calendar
Senior Activity Calendar

Week Six: August 8 – 11 – Movement into Motion (Short Week)

Special Visitor Yoga Instructor, Make a Personal Water Bottle or Yoga Mat, Mindfulness, Bubble Soccer and more!
Junior Explorers Activity Calendar
Senior Activity Calendar

Week Seven: August 14 – 18 – Marvel-ous Academy

Becoming a Superhero, Superhero Locker Tags, Special Visitor, Trip Day to Binbrook Conservation*, Superhero String Art or Become a Superhero, Superhero Relay and more
Junior Explorers Activity Calendar
Senior Activity Calendar

Week Eight: August 21 – 25 – Summer Olympics – Citius, Altius, Fortius

Get Movin’ Sports Activities or Medal Making, Special Visitor Curling, Trip to Cedar Springs Recreation Centre, Frisbee Golf, Camp Waterdown Summer Olympics and more
Junior Explorers Activity Calendar
Senior Activity Calendar

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Anaphylaxis and Medication Forms

Does your child require an Anaphylaxis Emergency Plan and/or Epi-Pen* or other Medical Forms?

If Yes, Please download and prepare a new Anaphylaxis Emergency Plan (will open in a separate window) – or contact us regarding Medical Needs – and submit to us 2 weeks or more in advance of your child’s attendance. Provision of your child’s own prescribed Epi-Pen labelled by the pharmacy with the child’s name will be required upon first day of attendance. [All our staff are required to review, and it is posted in all our serving and food preparation areas.]
DOWNLOAD NOW

If applicable, attendance is not permitted until we receive and review your plan.

If your plan includes prescription and non-prescription medications or procedures in addition to an Epi-Pen, then we will also require an original Medical Practitioner signed instruction note (otherwise our staff cannot administer additional measures).
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Policy Summary

  • Only Canadian residents with up-to-date compulsory immunizations, or a certified exemption, can be accepted at our program.  Children are not required to be vaccinated for COVID-19 to attend, however as a responsible child care organization, we strongly encourage it for those who can.
  • Children, families and staff can choose to wear medical masks at any time.  We do encourage children who are ill to be kept at home to help prevent the spread of infections (which could cause unexpected group cancellations due to lack of staffing).
  • If a full camp week is cancelled before starting due to requirement by the City of Hamilton Health Unit or the Province of Ontario, full payment for the week will be refunded.
  • We can not refund for any illness, voluntary absences or withdrawals.
  • We may offer children a space in a closely-aged mixed grouping (either younger or more senior to their usual age group). This normally means that Grade 1 – 2’s can be grouped in a Junior Explorer Program group, or JK/SKs can be grouped in a younger Senior Adventurers group if required to fill our capacity or to meet educator to child ratios. Mixed age groups also occur naturally in the Extended Care Hours program at the beginning and ending of each day as children are dropped off and picked up before the main program.
  • Although we can’t guarantee the exact age range, our experienced adult leaders ensure that all children are appropriately placed and engaged in the programming at their level, and it is a perfect placement for siblings wishing to be in the same group.
  • We are unable to offer “friend” or “staff leader” placement requests. We will be able to offer sibling placement requests only if their ages allow us to do so.
  • We have established guidelines for behavioural conduct of staff, parents and children with specific remedies that may include required withrawal from the program. These can be found in our Parent Handbook.

Payments

Payment is required in full upon registration and in advance of attendance.

Payments will be accepted by PayPal (Credit or VISA Debit cards) or INTERAC eMail Money Transfer.

No refunds will be offered for cancellations after payment (special circumstances can be reviewed by request).

Split payments can only be received by INTERAC Email Money transfer and must be fully memoed with Child Name and Program. We will only issue separate receipts to payees if arranged in advance and where a child resides at more than one location. We accept payment by INTERAC Email Payment, Credit Cards and Debit by Pay Pal only. All payments will be final except as noted.

Families require alternative payment options should contact our registration team at register@campwaterdown.com

Some families may be eligible for care subsidization through the City of Hamilton.

Instructions for Payments will also be sent to you by email upon placement and available in your Family Registration page.

All registrations (paid or not) are tentative pending program approval by the Ministry of Education, HWDSB, The City of Hamilton and other related authorities.


Changes

Only certain changes are permitted, we will not “exchange” weeks if those weeks are sold out.

 Please be aware that restrictions, additional fees and no-refund policy will apply.  Camp Staff will not be able to make changes for you although they should be contacted by phone for any daily absences or questions or information sharing needed that may affect your child’s well-being at camp.  Camp Staff will report on your child’s day when asked by phone or upon pickup.


Refunds

  • Should a Full Program Week be cancelled in advance due to a requirement by the Minister of Education, the Hamilton-Wentworth School Board or Hamilton Public Health, then we will refund your paid fee for that week in full.
  • You must pay the balance of your fee upon registration or within 2 business days of registration, addition, or after offer of placement from our Wait List.
  • No refunds are offered for voluntary cancellation of your registration unless approved by the Executive Director of the program for limited reasons.
  • No discount or refund is given for partial week attendance.
  • Credits or refunds are not given for late cancellations, late arrival, early departure, illness, absences, dismissal, or program / facility closures due to emergency, weather.
  • Credits or refunds are not given for absence due to any personal occurrence of communicable illnesses or parasites (cold, flu, chicken pox, mumps, lice, etc.), elective or scheduled medical/dental reasons.
  • Cancellations due to serious and unexpected emergency medical reason (requiring hospitalization or affecting ambulatory mobility and ability to participate) for all programs are subject to the Executive Director’s approval and receipt of an original and verifiable doctor’s letter.
  • Insufficient Funds Returns are subject to a $50 administrative fee.
  • Any refunds granted will be returned within 4 weeks time.

Please understand that the financial obligations of Camp Waterdown / WDCC (a registered charity and not-for-profit organization, are fixed for each program and the withdrawal of a camper does not lessen our operating expenses.

Camp Waterdown (WDCC) reserves the right to terminate the registration of or to withdraw a child from program participation at any time, at the Program Director or Executive Director’s discretion, in the interest of the child and / or the Camp Waterdown (WDCC) program. In the case of temporary withdrawal or permanent termination of a registrant’s participation, an affected child in attendance will remain in care until safely discharged to the designated parent or guardian. In such cases, a proportional refund for full days terminated will be considered.
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Wait List Policy

Space in our programs is limited (and we adhere to Ministry guidelines for safe and effective Adult/Child ratios, as well as any restrictions imposed by Hamilton City Health Department guidance).

We reserve the right to cancel and refund paid enrolments if an accidental overbooking or program cancellation occurs.

Wait List priority is not guaranteed as we do not take deposits until space if offered for acceptance. Our Wait List is reviewed using our existing Priority Placement Protocol (that favours existing client families) among other considerations, as well as any optional considerations provided by the Ministry of Education or Hamilton Public Health. We will only contact you when we are able to offer you a space but that can occur right up to the Friday before the start of the Camp Week in some cases.



If you have any questions email register@campwaterdown.com

Please add register@campwaterdown.com to your Contacts / Address Book so that your confirmation emails don’t get flagged as junk.

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