Think Summer! Camps, That Is. Enrollment Begins Today for 2013 Summer Day Camps at Daycroft Montessori School of Ann Arbor

It's February. It's cold and snowy. It's still getting dark early, and even during the daylight hours, it's dank and gloomy much of the time.

But never mind all that.

If you have children of school age, you’ll need to be planning now for fields of green and skies of blue. That’s because a big question looms: How will you keep your kids happily and productively occupied when those long, hot, sunny days of summer finally arrive?

There's good news. After regular classrooms dismiss in early June, and your children’s summer vacation time officially begins, they can continue to think, create, discover, learn, and do at Daycroft Montessori School (www.daycroft.org) of Ann Arbor. Your kids will also have the chance to run, jump, laugh, sing, and play with friends.

Daycroft has scheduled nine weeks of summer day camps for 2013. Both full-day and half-day camps are offered, for ages preschool through Grade 6. Camp enrollment begins today.

Worlds to Explore … and Sprinklers to Run Through!

Camps for children from kindergarten through grade 6 take place at the school’s Elementary Campus on Zeeb Road, just north of Jackson Road. K-6 campers delight in activities ranging from cooking and fishing to music, theater, art, crafts, science, engineering, sports, and games. They study nature and stoke their imaginations, get creative – and, most importantly, have a lot of fun. 
As Daycroft’s summer camps brochure and web pages put it: “Your child will find worlds to explore … and sprinklers to run through!”

For children of age 3 to entering kindergarten, Daycroft offers summer day camps at the school’s Preprimary Campus on Oakbrook Drive, near Briarwood Mall. Each camp has a specific theme – for example, Budding Artists, Crafty Crafters, Surfin’ USA, Kids in the Kitchen, and It’s a Jungle Out There. Play-based activities entail art, science, sports, games, and more.

Daycroft’s summer camps for preschoolers can be a good way for parents and their children to explore the school’s highly personalized Montessori-style approach to learning. Preschool campers explore practical life activities.  Sensorial works pique their interest. Children are introduced to the importance of completing activities, taking turns, and interacting positively with friends.

Register for One Week, a Few Weeks – or the Entire Summer

Summer day camps at both Daycroft campuses for 2013 begin the week of June 10-14 and end the week of August 12-16. Camps take place on Monday through Friday of each week. There are no camps at either campus during the week of the Independence Day holiday, July 1-5.

Full-day camps at the Elementary Campus are from 9:00 am to 4:15 pm. Half-day camps there – held in the morning (9:00 am to 12:00 noon) for Grades 3-6, and in the afternoon (1:00 pm to 4:15 pm) for Grades K-2 – are offered only during the weeks of June 17-21, June 24-28, July 8-12, July 15-19, and July 22-26. Before-camp care is free of charge for one hour before camp begins.

At the Preprimary Campus, parents choose from half-day camps (8:30 am to 11:30 am) and full-day camps (8:30 am to 3:30 pm), Monday through Friday. 

Camps are open to all children, whether or not they attend Daycroft during the regular school year. Parents may register their children for one week of camp, a few weeks, or the entire summer. Some camps have a two-week minimum.

All full-day camps cost $220 per week at the Elementary Campus, with the exception of art classes, which cost $270 per week. Half-day camps at the Elementary Camps cost $110 per week.

At the Preprimary Campus, half-day camps cost $150 per week, and full-day camps cost $205 per week.

Payment for camps is due upon enrollment. Parents enrolling their children by March 30 receive an early registration discount of $20 per class for full-day camps, or $10 per class for half-day camps, at the Elementary Campus. There are no refunds after June 1; however, credit will be applied to Daycroft’s other 2013 summer day camps.

More information – including an interactive calendar of camp offerings, camp descriptions and fees, policies and procedures, and online enrollment and payment – can be found at www.daycroft.org/summercamps. Parents may also call Daycroft directly at (734) 662-3335 or email kathrynw@daycroft.org to get camp details and enrollment information.

About Daycroft Montessori School

Daycroft Montessori School blends the distinctive student-centered teaching methods of Maria Montessori with traditional and progressive education. This helps Daycroft accomplish its mission: to provide a personalized learning environment that appreciates individual differences, nurtures the whole child, and enables students to develop at their own pace and achieve to their potential.

Daycroft is one of Washtenaw County’s leading private schools. It began as a preschool program in 1968. Daycroft has since grown to include full-day and half-day kindergarten programs, a Young 5 program, an elementary school program through 6th grade, before-school and after-school care, summer camp programs, and enrichment classes.

Daycroft has earned accreditation from the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS; www.isacs.org). It is a member of the Association of Independent Michigan Schools (AIMS; www.aims-mi.org), the American Montessori Society (AMS; www.amshq.org), and the North American Montessori Teachers’ Association (NAMTA; www.montessori-namta.org).

Daycroft Preprimary School (preschool and kindergarten) is at 100 Oakbrook Dr., Ann Arbor, MI 48104.  Phone: (734) 930-0333.

Daycroft Elementary School (grades K through 6) and Daycroft’s administrative offices are at 1095 N. Zeeb Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48103.  Phone: (734) 662-3335.