About Garden Camp at BHA Preschool-2024 Enrollment

ENROLLMENT FOR 2025 GARDEN CAMP

During the summer, BHA Preschool offers Summer Garden Camp, an extension of our  Jewish, nature-play program. At Summer Garden Camp, children ages 2 - 3 1/2 years play and express themselves in infinite ways, with the nurturing and guidance of our BHA Preschool educators and our materials-rich outdoor learning spaces.

A typical day: Summer Garden Camp is structured like our school-year preschool program, with plenty of open-ended nature play and group gatherings that build social skills and community participation. During summer, we provide extra opportunities to tend and harvest in the garden, prepare refreshing snacks, splash in cool water and blow bubbles, and other seasonal nature-based activities. The woodsy side yard and blooming garden in addition to our neighborly hens provide the sparks of interest that lead to our campers' curiosity, learning, and fun.

The program will take place 100% outdoors, rain or shine. However, we will use the indoor classroom if the weather presents dangerous conditions.

Each two-week session of Summer Garden Camp will have up to nine children with two experienced BHA Preschool teachers.

Please contact Preschool Director, Ilana Friedman with any questions.

OUR CALENDAR

Like last year, we're offering four 2-week sessions of garden camp, for a total of 8 weeks of camp. Each week, programming runs Tuesday-Friday, 9:00 am - 11:55 pm. 

• Session 1: June 17-June 27, 2025
• Session 2: June 30-July 11, 2025*
• Session 3: July 15-July 25, 2025
• Session 4: July 29-August 8, 2025

*During the week of July 4, camp will Monday-Thursday, instead of Tuesday-Friday.

Families may enroll for multiple sessions.

YOUR CHILD

Summer Garden Camp is designed for children who are born after December 1, 2021 and before June 1, 2023.

If your child is new to BHA Preschool programming, please consider your child’s needs with this in mind before your enroll:

• As with BHA Preschool, our Summer Garden Camp provides nurturing guidance and an engaging environment. But compared to the regular school year, we have less time and fewer staff to support a child with severe separation anxiety. Children will have a more successful camp experience if they are able to cope with some separation from primary caregivers.

• The group spends most of the time outdoors, where it can be hot, wet, and buggy. We encourage sunblock and bug lotion. We love getting messy and cooling off in the sprinkler. That said, participants are expected to manage discomfort from the outdoor elements with a mostly easy going demeanor.

If you believe your child will cope well with these aspects of Summer Garden Camp, we encourage you to enroll. If not, hold off until they are ready, rather than subjecting them to stressors. Camp is supposed to be fun!

Also, please review our Criteria for Participation.

Before you register, please consider the Criteria for Participation regarding your child. After enrolling, we will make time to talk with you by phone and ensure you and your child can visit during preschool before we begin summer programming, if it makes sense to do so.

We look forward to a fun and enriching summer with the children!

TUITION  

GARDEN CAMP PAYMENT POLICY

• The tuition costs noted above are the entire cost - there are no additional enrollment fees.  
• Payment is due upon registration, payment can be made in full or split into scheduled recurring payments, and paid online by credit card or e-check. 
• Recurring payments must be scheduled at the time of registration and the final payment is due by June 31.

EARLY WITHDRAWAL

In the event that a family withdraws a student from preschool, the following obligations apply:

• Withdrawal prior to June 1 - forfeit 25% tuition.

• Withdrawal after June 1, but prior to June 17 - forfeit 50% tuition.

• Withdrawal after June 17 - forfeit 75% tuition.

Individual circumstances can be addressed on a case by case basis by petitioning Beacon Hebrew Alliance’s Board of Trustees.

For more information on our progressive, garden based preschool, visit here.