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Home My WebLink AboutCSD-09-02 B & l of;;< , _, ...:-6-;1. Cl~-!lJglOn REPORT COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT Meeting: General Purpose and Administration Committee p/j Resolution #:t::,PfJ - J tf-O'}- . Date: April 29, 2002 Report #: CSD.09-02 File #: By-law #: Subject: 2002 MARCH BREAK EXTRAVAGANZA Recommendations: It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee recommend to Council the following: 1. THAT Report No. CSD-09-02 be received for information: Submitted by: J p P. Caruana r. ctor of Community Services Reviewed bYO r ~...:....~ Franklin Wu Chief Administrative Officer JPC/SC/ta ~oo 1 ,. REPORT NO. CSD-09-02 PAGE 2 1.0 BACKGROUND 1.1 Year 2002 marked the 19th year the Municipality of Clarington has offered March Break Camp, and the third year the program was offered at the Courtice Community Complex. This was the second year Community Services included a specialty camp, Aquatic Adventures, at the Clarington Fitness Centre. 1.2 Interested participants could choose to register in the Day Camp, Day Trip or the Aquatic Adventure program. For convenience, parents could register their children for the full week (Monday to Friday), or by individual days in the Day Camp or the Day trip program however Aquatic Adventure required a five day commitment. 1.3 Program information flyers and registration forms were distributed in the Winter and Spring Edition of the Community Activity Guide. In addition a letter was sent to all Summer Day Camp participants out at the end of August 2001 promoting upcoming programs including the March Break Extravaganza. 1.4 In order to accommodate working parents, an extended hours service was provided by the Department allowing parents to drop their children off at each Complex as early as 7:30 a.m. and pick them up as late as 5:30 p.m. each day. Program staff were scheduled to provide on site supervision of children accessing this service. 1.5 By offering day camps at these locations, a total of twenty-two (22) job opportunities were created for youth, most of whom are candidates for future employment in our Summer Day Camp Program. The March Break Camp had a total of eleven (11) returning staff and eleven (11) new staff. Staff attended two training sessions prior to camp. The staff team turned out to be of a good mix of experienced and new staff with everyone bringing their own skills and expertise to the program. Through their March Break Camp experience and future employment with the Municipality, staff leadership skills will continue to develop, creating a strong team of positive role models within the Municipality of Clarington. Due to the large number of returning staff and the excellent performance by new staff we will have a minimal number of staff to hire for the Summer Day Camp Program. 2.0 REGISTRATION 2.1 We experienced an increase in registration for Day Camp at the Rickard Recreation Complex while registration at the Courtice Community Complex was comparable to last year. Trip Camp registration declined this year for the second year in a row. The Trip Camp has been offered for several years now and at this point a complete re-assessment of the program and the trip destinations is required. New destinations need to be investigated to give campers new experiences each year. With many locations being repeated it is difficult to keep 1002 , " REPORT NO. CSD-09-02 PAGE 3 campers interested. In addition staffing costs could be lowered by offering one Trip Camp with two pick up locations as opposed to offering two complete camps. 2.2 Registration for Day Camp and Trip Camp was split into three divisions: Kinder Camp (ages 4 - 5), Discovery Camp (ages 6,- 8), and Adventure Camp (ages 9 _ 12). Each division offered a staff to camper ratio: Kinder 1 :8, Discovery 1: 1 0 and Adventure 1 :12. Campers registered in the age appropriate division to ensure the ratios were met. This lead to situations where Discovery Day Camp and Adventure Trip Camp were in over demand while Kinder Camp was under subscribed. Where necessary, staff made every effort to accommodate family requests for multiple registrations. This proved successful and for future registrations, staff will eliminate the three divisions and open registration to a maximum number of participants at each location. Campers will then be divided into groups based on their age and maturity, at each camp. This will assist the Community Services Department in providing better service to families wishing to access our programs. 3.0 DAY CAMP 3.1 The March Break Day Camp operated at the Garnet B. Rickard Recreation Complex, and the Courtice Community Complex. The participants took part in a variety of activities including arts & crafts, games, special events, swimming and skating. Several parents and participants indicated that the program was well organized and full of activities to keep everyone busy. In addition, staff participated in a program evaluation following the camps and also provided positive feedback. 3.2 A comparison for 2001 and 2002 participation in the program is recorded on the table below. .I Courtice Total Courtice Total Com lex Com lex MONDAY 41 82 47 92 TUESDAY 43 85 48 97 WEDNESDAY 47 88 44 92 THURSDAY 46 92 43 90 FRIDAY 48 90 42 86 TOTAL 225 437 224 457 4.0 DAY TRIPS 1003 REPORT NO. CSD-09-02 PAGE 4 4.1 As with the Day Camp Program, interested participants could chose to participate in these activities for either the full week or on a daily basis. Staff chose destinations, which provided a safe, enjoyable atmosphere for all of the participants, as well as a mix of local and non-local attractions: Monday: Royal Ontario Museum Tuesday: Air Zone and Swimming at the Courtice Community Complex Wednesday: Ontario Science Centre Thursday: Putting Edge and Wild Thing Friday: Casa Loma All of the Day Trips started and ended at each Complex and parents were also able to access the extended hours services if required. 4.2 On the Wednesday of the March Break the OPSEU strike prevented our visit to the Ontario Science Centre. Staff were quick to develop an altemative, interactive program for all campers to participate in. Both camp locations developed special events that occurred throughout the day giving participants a positive experience. Campers, parents and staff were very pleased with the outcome of the day. 4.3 The registered participation in the trip camp program is recorded on the table below. Courtice Total Courtice Total Com lex Com lex MONDAY 26 47 23 39 TUESDAY 29 52 23 39 WEDNESDAY 27 49 23 39 THURSDAY 28 53 23 39 FRIDAY 26 51 23 39 TOTAL 136 252 115 195 5.0 AQUATIC ADVENTURES CAMP 5.1 This was the second year that Community Services Department offered the Aquatic Adventures Camp. 5.2 The specialty camp was operated out of the Clarington Fitness Centre and, similar to the other camps, parents had access to extended hours for campers if needed. Participants were required to attend for the full week in order to receive their certificates and awards. 5.3 Aquatic Adventures was offered to participants with an aquatic background, ages 1004 . . REPORT NO. CSD-09-02 PAGE 5 nine and up. Activities included snorkelling, waterpolo, swimming, and certification in the B.O.A.T. course (Boat Operator Accredited Training). The Municipality as an affiliate of The Lifesaving Society of Canada offered the B.O.A.T. course, a main feature of the Aquatic Adventure program. To receive certification, all participants were required to write the exam at the end of the course and receive a grading no less than 75%. 5.4 The total number of participants for the Aquatic Adventures Camp was twelve (12) which represented the class maximum. 6.0 COMMENTS 6.1 The Community Services Department was able to offer a safe and exciting program for area residents to participate in. The Department continues to revise and improve the program each year, achieving the underlying goal of providing a quality program at a reasonable fee. 6.2 The program will continue to accommodate as many individuals in the Municipality of Clarington as possible. Staff has already begun to investigate new and unique opportunities to improve upon our program for the year 2003. CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON 40 TEMPERANCE STREET, BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO L 1C 3A6 T (905) 623-3379 F (905) 623-5506 1005