For most public school students, Friday was the first day of the rest of their summer. And, for many parents, it was the first time they were thinking about enrolling their children in summer programs. In some cases, it’s not
For most public school students, Friday was the first day of the rest of their summer.
And, for many parents, it was the first time they were thinking about enrolling their children in summer programs.
In some cases, it’s not too late to get children into summer activities. In most cases, it’s going to cost some coin.
Some of the island’s preschools and many of the public schools are offering summer school instruction, while Kaua’i County’s summer enrichment program is scheduled at many neighborhood centers, schools and parks.
There are also swim lessons, the annual Kaua’i Academy of Creative Arts, the Children’s Discovery Center Museum, library reading programs and vacation Bible schools to chose from.
Here’s some of what’s out there:
l While the Lihu’e-area county summer enrichment programs are full with waiting lists, there are still openings at Kapa’a, Koloa, Kalaheo and Hanapepe for children ages 6 through 10, said Aaron Uyeda of the county’s Division of Parks and Recreation.
The program begins June 18, and runs weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. through July 27. The cost is $90 per child for the six weeks, which includes educational activities with hired teachers during the morning hours, followed by arts, crafts and recreational activities in the afternoon.
Wednesday is excursion day at all sites, with bus service provided by the county through contracted companies. Some sites qualify for free lunches.
No additional children will be accepted in the summer enrichment program after it begins, Uyeda said. He said parents can call their nearest neighborhood center for more information.
With over 200 people enrolled, the National Youth Sports Program at Kaua’i Community College, which offers free bus transportation from Kilauea and Kekaha to the college, is free – and full, Uyeda said.
l The annual Kaua’i Academy of Creative Arts runs the same period as the county’s summer enrichment, with classes at the Island School campus in Puhi.
Funded in part by the state Foundation on Culture and the Arts, the program, for children ages 6 and up, is coordinated by local artist Deb Rosenbaum (742-5008 or kaca@hawaiian.net).
The courses in visual and performing arts are scheduled for two sessions, the first from June 18 to July 6, and the second session from July 9 to July 27. Morning classes, running from 8 a.m. to noon, include theater, music, dance and writing, with students rotating to three classes on a daily basis. The morning tuition is $165 for each session.
The afternoon classes, from 12:40 to 4:40 – also split into two sessions with the same dates as the morning classes – include dance, painting, clay work, music, theater, cooking and chess. The afternoon sessions are $140 each, with various fees for special afternoon workshops.
l The Kaua’i Children’s Discovery Museum Summer Camp program began June 4, but has hourly, daily, weekly and other rates available through Aug. 22. The museum is at Kaua’i Village Shopping Center in Waipouli.
Open to children in grades kindergarten through four, the program offers a daily schedule of activities.
“The schedule was made up to match the flow of a kid’s day,” said Andi Pisacano, program director. “When they’re full of energy in the morning, we’ll exercise. After lunch, we’ll read, rest, and have storytime.”
She said the same themes that have made previous camps successful will be the cornerstones of this summer’s program: Nutrition, exercise, making friends, and encouraging curiosity, creativity and learning.
Children can be dropped off as early as 7:45 a.m. and picked up as late as 5:15 p.m. Exercise, creative movement, dance, fine arts projects, science and nature experiments and learning, planting and garden harvesting are included in the morning sessions. Free-play time, with full access to all museum exhibits and activities, precedes a lunch period when participants enjoy their meals brought from home.
The afternoon is a mixture of rest, reading, writing, storytime, movies, concerts, and student performances of songs, dances, acting, video production, and more, including a behind-the-scenes look at how to put on a show.
The afternoon ends with additional free-play activities.
Visiting special guest educators will sit in on some camp days, and share their experiences and expertise. Local artists, crafts people and musicians have committed to donating their time and talents.
A planned visit by a representative from the NASA space program has also been confirmed.
The museum floor will also be open. Highlights include the multi-cultural keiki village (four kid-sized homes representing different island cultures), a big-screen TV, virtual reality play station, the magic treehouse library, live fish and turtle tanks, and computer stations with educational CD-ROMs and supervised Internet access.
Daily rates for the session running from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. are $24 for museum members, $30 for non-members. Day-campers get free lunchtime supervision from noon to 1 p.m. Every sixth day of camp is free.
Partial-day rates are $3 per hour for members, $4 per hour for non-members. Camp scholarships are available. A your tax-deductible donation can be put aside for the program, to help the non-profit organization support to families in need.
Daily camp sizes are limited, and reservations are being taken on a first-paid, first-served basis. Additional information is available at 823-8222.
– The North Shore Swim School has sessions for beginners weekdays, starting the weeks of June 18 and Aug. 6, at the Makai Club pool in Princeville. Junior lifeguard sessions will begin June 11 for 8-to-10-year-olds and June 25 for ages 11 to 15.
The classes are during the mornings. Registration and more information is available at 828-6800.
– The Kaua’i Coconut Beach Resort Tennis Club’s summer junior tennis and swimming camp’s first session begins next Monday, with a second session starting July 9 and the final three-week session launching Aug. 6. Sessions are Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Prospective participants can call 822-6670 for registration and more information.
– The American Red Cross has lifeguard training classes at the Smokey Louie Gonsalves Pool in Kapa’a. Additional information is available at 245-4919 weekdays during business hours.
– Puakea Golf Course has junior golf programs for children ages 5 to 12, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. on select days beginning next Monday.
Fees of $40 for Hawai’i State Junior Golf Association members and $55 for others include golf instruction, range balls, tee gifts, t-shirts, and a three-hole tournament set for July 30. Additional information is avaiklable at 245-8756.
Staff Writer Paul C. Curtis can be reached at pcurtis@pulitzer.net or 245-3681 (ext. 224).
