May 28, 2021
Dear Families:
Thank you so much for your commitment to sign your child(ren) up for the Indiana Area School District’s Summer Acceleration Camps! We are pleased to announce that we have more than 400 students enrolled in the summer program, and we cannot wait to get started! As you may or may not know, this camp, through the vision and leadership of the IASD Board of Directors, is available to our families at no cost. We are pleased to invest the federal funds we received exactly where they are needed - in our students.
As we are fast approaching the start of our summer camp, we wanted to provide you with some timely information regarding the camp itself. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your child(ren)’s school. Here are some details to get you started:
Overview
- Monday through Thursday
- 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM.
- Location - Indiana Area Junior High
- The camp will be held at the Indiana Area Junior High due to the central location of the building as well as the ability for us to prepare (clean) the other schools for the fall.
- Breakfast, lunch, and transportation will all be provided - free of charge!
- The academic sessions will be instructed by professional staff and will utilize evidence-based programming.
- The areas of focus will be Mathematics and English Language Arts
- Games and activities will be led by the YMCA of Indiana County.
Face Coverings
- At this point, face coverings are still required. We will provide each student with a face shield for their use during summer camp. Please provide your child with a face mask for the first day of camp.
- We are anxiously monitoring the current situation to see if masks will still be required in schools as a result of 70% of Pennsylvania citizens receiving the vaccine. As of now, the Governor’s orders are still in place for non-vaccinated staff and students to wear masks. This is not our decision, and we must adhere to the expectations set forth by the state. We will be sure to communicate accordingly if and when the expectation regarding masks changes.
Transportation
Individual bus schedules were sent out today (May 28) to families. The bus schedule postcard identifies the pickup location/time as well as the drop-off location/time. If you wish to drop your child off on your own, please drop them off at the gymnasium doors on Shyrock Avenue at or slightly before 8:30 am. If you plan on transporting your child, please complete a simple google form indicating such. We are respectfully asking parents to complete this form by the close of business on June 2, 2021. Any questions regarding transportation can be directed to Mr. Mike Travis - IASD Transportation Coordinator. He can be reached at (724) 463-8713.
Morning Arrival
- Students will arrive and will report directly to the gymnasium. Upon arrival, the YMCA staff, supervised by Ms. Jack and Ms. Kent, will register/check in students by grade level and then send students to their assigned seating areas. The students’ assigned areas will be by the name of their teacher.
- Teachers will report to the gym every morning by 8:30 to pick up their students and escort them to class.
- Teachers will have students pick up a grab-and-go breakfast each morning on the way out of the gym.
Dismissal
- Students riding buses will be escorted to their bus by their classroom teachers.
- Parents who wish to pick up their child(ren) will need to come into the Jr. High Gymnasium to sign out their child each day. Please use the same doors that your child uses in the morning arrival. I recognize that this expectation is somewhat of an inconvenience, but it is an added safety measure that we would like to implement.
Daily Schedules
- Click here for the daily schedule.
- Ms. Kent and Ms. Jack will serve as Camp Leads for the duration of the program. They will assist staff and students with the day-to-day operations of managing and leading the camp. This includes supervising arrival/dismissal, lunch supervision, and supervision of activities.
- The elementary principals will also be on-site to provide additional supervision and support.
- Please provide your child with a refillable water bottle to use each day. The District has water filling stations throughout the building available for students’ use. Student water bottles should be clearly labeled with the student's name.
Educational Programming
The goal of the summer program is to reduce the academic impact the pandemic has had on student achievement outcomes. Pandemic or not, students can learn over the summer and have fun while doing it! The educational program includes instruction in English Language Arts and Mathematics targeted to students’ specific focus areas.
In addition to receiving targeted instruction in literacy, graduate students supervised by an on-site faculty member from IUP’s Communications Department will be providing support to students who display needs in phonemic awareness and phonics in Grades K-2. If you prefer your child not participate in the individual / small group 10-minute burst sessions, please notify Mrs. Shelly Wright at [email protected].
Fun Thursdays
We want to recognize our students’ hard work during Summer Camp by hosting Fun Thursday events with activities such as a kickball tournament, bowling, swimming, to name a few. More information will follow
Medical/Health Services/Sunscreen
In October 2018, the Pennsylvania School Code was amended to include a section on Sun Protection Measures for Students. Section 1414.10 states that a school entity shall allow the application of sunscreen during school hours, at a school-sponsored activity, or while under the supervision of school personnel. Review the full legislation, which is available on the Pennsylvania General Assembly’s website: www.legis.state.pa.us.
Parents/guardians may choose to supply their child with non-aerosol topical sunscreen if it is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but they must complete and submit the parent permission form (below) for their child to apply sunscreen during school hours, at a school-sponsored activity, or while under the supervision of school personnel.
We anticipate many bright and beautiful sunny days during our summer program. We will have a plethora of outdoor activities for our students to participate in during the camp. Therefore, you may want to provide your child with protection from the sun. Unfortunately, according to the law, school personnel are not permitted to provide or apply sunscreen. As such, we are asking families to do the following:
- Apply sunscreen to your child before they arrive at the summer camp.
- If you are concerned about the need for additional sunscreen needing to be applied, provide your child with non-aerosol topical sunscreen and he/she can apply it as they see fit (with parent permission only). For example, we may have the kids swimming on some of the days as well as going outside for hikes and activities on other days. They can re-apply sunscreen as they see fit based on their own comfort as well as the temperatures outside.
If parents/guardians have any additional questions or medical concerns, there will be an LPN on-site with a certified school nurse on-call every day. Please administer all scheduled medications at home.
Be sure to check out our camp webpage at www.iasd.cc/apps/pages/camp for more information.
Thank you,
Michael Vuckovich
Superintendent of Schools