From sports camps and theater to crafts and college classes,
local youth programs have the cure for the summer-time blahs.
Community recreational and theater programs are gearing up for a
busy summer.
From sports camps and theater to crafts and college classes, local youth programs have the cure for the summer-time blahs.
Community recreational and theater programs are gearing up for a busy summer. Popular programs, all of which are listed in the city’s 2004 city activity guide mailed to Gilroy residents last week, include day and sports camps, swimming, and playground programs, said Judy Janisch, recreation supervisor for Gilroy Community Services.
Day camps, which are held weekly mainly at Christmas Hill Park, are offered for children ages 3 to 5, 5 to 7 and 7 to 11-years-old. Week-long camp sessions begin June 21 and continue through Aug. 13.
Janisch said those camps fill up quickly.
“Parents should always have a second choice in mind. Plan your vacation … before you sign up for classes, because our policy is a no refund policy and no transfers,” she said.
At the day camps, instructors have prepared lesson plans, which include adventure hikes, crafts, cooking, games and stories.
Janisch said participants are always on the go.
“They’re pretty much outside with nature, doing their crafts, making their snacks,” she said. “Parents say its nice because at the end of the day kids are wiped out.”
A less structured option for parents is Gilroy’s longstanding playground program for 6- to 12-year-olds. It costs $5 per week and is available from June 21 through Aug. 6. Children play from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Wheeler Community Center’s multi-purpose room and Las Animas Veterans Park. No children are turned away, Janisch said.
Budding athletes can choose from a variety of sports camps, including soccer, volleyball, basketball and an all-sports camp, where youths can learn the basic skills of soccer, baseball and basketball.
One change this summer is that Gilroy’s aquatics program is limited to one pool due to renovations being done to Gilroy High School’s pool. Swimming programs are limited to group swim lessons and recreational swimming and will be held at South Valley Junior High, Janisch said. Group lessons will be offered for children ages 3 and up.
Janisch said it’s doubly important that parents register early since the already-popular program will be impacted more than usual. Walk-in registration begins at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, June 1.
Morgan Hill’s summer youth activities are expected to be bustling as well. A new addition is a kids summer camp, said Therese Lugger, supervisor for the Morgan Hill Community Center.
The five-day camp will be broken down into two days of dance, movement and crafts at the Morgan Hill Community Center, two days of swimming at Morgan Hill’s soon-to-be-open aquatic center, and a field trip on Fridays. The camp, for ages 5 to 11, will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Early pick-up and later drop-off hours will be available as well.
“We have staff to accommodate 150 children (for the camp),” Lugger said.
Registration is already open for Morgan Hill’s programs, which run from June 1 through the end of August, and are listed in Morgan Hill’s summer activity guide. That has also been mailed to Morgan Hill residents.
Other popular summer choices, Lugger said, are sports mini camps, pottery mini camps, dance mini camps, and a safe sitters class. The latter, taught by the Santa Clara County Fire Department, offers teens ages 13 to 18 the opportunity to become certified baby-sitters.
A host of nature programs designed to help youths get in touch with the outdoors will be offered for children ages 6 to 9 from June 15 through July 6.
“Nature program get kids outside, away from the Nintendo, and back to nature to identify what’s in their own backyard, to identify plants and animals and animal tracks and wildflowers, and those types of things,” Lugger said.
And for the first time, Morgan Hill and Gilroy community services departments are teaming up to host a youth talent show, called “The Great American Talent Show.” The show, which is modeled after the popular TV show “American Idol,” will be held on June 20 at the Morgan Hill Playhouse. Acts will include singing, dancing, stand-up comedy and juggling.
Youths from Gilroy and Morgan Hill are invited to audition at 4 p.m. on June 6 or 6 p.m. on June 12 at the Morgan Hill Playhouse.
Other upcoming events for older children and teens include a Battle of the Bands on June 5 and teen nights, held July 8 and Aug. 5 at the new aquatic center. The grand opening of the Morgan Hill aquatic center, located at 16200 Condit Road in Morgan Hill, will be held June 13.
For the more academic-minded student, College For Kids at Gavilan College provides a variety of classes in a college setting. It’s offered to children ages 7 to 12 who will be entering fourth through seventh grades.
Lila Arias-Osler, coordinator of College for Kids at Gavilan College for the last three years, said the program is designed to expose youths to a structured but fun college experience.
Three separate sessions run from June 14 to July 2, July 6 to July 23 and July 26 to Aug. 6. Classes meet Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The morning is devoted to academic classes, including speech, creative writing, Spanish, science and math. After lunch at the cafeteria, students head outside to play golf or tennis, hike, or swim.
“My vision for College For Kids is I want the children to be free and creative and see the other side of academics,” she said.
Some teachers introduce hands-on lesson plans students wouldn’t necessarily find in their usual classroom, Arias-Osler said. Language classes, for example, emphasize not only learning a particular language, but also the culture and customs of its country of origin.
Registration for College For Kids has begun and will continue until all slots fill up, Arias-Osler said. Each section will accommodate 60 students.
