Will my child be outside all day?
While we love for our children to enjoy the great outdoors, we understand that sometimes the heat can become unbearable. All of our classrooms have central air conditioning. All children will have daily indoor and outdoor time.
What are the hours of a typical day and is transportation included?
Our day runs from 9:30 am - 4:00 pm. Transportation can be added on to your summer tuition at the rate of $95 per child/per week. If you opt for transportation, your child will be picked up between 7:30am and 9:00 am. Parents can drop off children after 9:15am and pick up by 4:00pm.
We provide air-conditioned transportation by professional drivers. All of our drivers are CDL certified and have background checks completed. In addition, each vehicle has a bus counselor. Bus counselors ensure safety, know all of the children by name and make sure our bus rides are an extension of our fun-filled day.
Do you offer extended hours?
Our Sunrise Program runs 8:00am- 9:15am. Families may opt to register their child for extended hours. Families who register for extended hours will be responsible for dropping their children at our program each morning.
Do you offer swim instruction?
Our swim program is an important part of our children's day. We provide two (2) swim sessions daily for our Explorers. One session is with swimming instruction in accordance with the American Red Cross Swim Levels. Each child has small group instruction every day with the same swim instructor to ensure that the child feels safe and secure. Children also are scheduled for recreational swim. For our Trailblazers, swimming instruction is optional and by request only.
Is there a medical professional on campus?
We have a Registered Nurse on campus. Coaches and head staff are trained in first aid and CPR. We also have AED machines located throughout our campus.
Who instructs each activity?
Our Explorer Program will be led by Group Leaders. Our Group Leaders are professionals in the field of education who have extensive experience in Early Childhood Education and/or Youth Development Programming and will be responsible for teaching each activity. Group Counselors are active participants and remain with their children the entire day.
Our Trailblazer Program will be led by Specialty Instructors. These are individuals are often teachers, coaches or professionals in their particular field.
What happens if it rains?
Rainy days at Friends Academy rarely effects our daily schedule because of our facilities. All of our indoor activities can still run and we have plenty of additional indoor space to program great activities! Please make sure to dress your child with a waterproof jacket in case of inclement weather!
We are very fortunate to have indoor facilities for many of our sports, while our camp field house provides additional space for sports activities to continue due to inclement weather. We have a set schedule for field house time during bad weather and set aside large classrooms for video and classroom instruction. We ask that each camper be prepared for the weather as we will play during light rain as we examine daily the safety of the field for playing.
What do I need to send my child with every day?
We recommend that every child brings a bathing suit (towel service is provided). We supply water and Gatorade stations throughout the campus with cups but children are welcome to bring a refillable thermos.
Can my child change programs if he/she doesn't like the activity or originally chosen?
Although we intend to explore the reasons for wanting to change a program, our main goal is to make sure each child is happy with their summer experience. We provide the opportunity to switch before the session begins if your child is not satisfied with his/her choice. Switching is always based on availability while providing minimal disruption to the existing program.
