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About Garden Camp at BHA Preschool-2024 Enrollment
Garden Camp at BHA Preschool
ENROLLMENT FOR 2026 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 - 4 play and express themselves in infinite ways. BHA Preschool educators nurture and guide the group in our materials-rich outdoor learning spaces.
A typical day: Summer Garden Camp is structured like our school-year preschool program: plenty of open-ended nature play, creative opportunities, and group gatherings that build social skills and community participation. During summer, we tend the garden, prepare refreshing snacks, splash in cool water, 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
Summer Garden Camp offers four 2-week sessions, for a total of 8 weeks of camp. Each week, programming runs Tuesday-Friday, 9:00 am - 11:55 pm.
- Session I - June 16, 2026- June 26, 2026
- Session II - June 29, 2026 - July 10, 2026*
- Session III - July 14, 2026 - July 24, 2026
- Session IV - July 28, 2026 - Aug. 7, 2026
*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 June 1, 2022 and before June 1, 2024.
If your child is new to BHA Preschool programming, please consider your child’s needs with this in mind before your enroll:
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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.
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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. After enrolling, if it makes sense to do so,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
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Preschool Garden Camp Tuition 2026 |
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BHA Members |
Non-Members |
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One Session |
$404.00 |
$489.00 |
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 May 31st.
EARLY WITHDRAWAL
In the event that a family withdraws a student from preschool, the following obligations apply:
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Withdrawal 15 days or more before beginning of session - forfeit 25% tuition.
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Withdrawal 7-14 days before beginning of session - forfeit 50% tuition.
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Withdrawal 7 days or less before beginning of session - forfeit 75% tuition.
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If you register for a session but can not attend a portion of a session, session must still be paid for in full.
Individual circumstances can be addressed on a case by case basis by petitioning Beacon Hebrew Alliance’s Board of Directors.
For more information on our progressive, garden based preschool, visit here.
Sat, March 7 2026
18 Adar 5786
Ilana Friedman, Preschool Director & Lead Teacher
Ilana began BHA Preschool in September 2016 with teacher and flower farmer Diana Cowdery and the support of the BHA Community. Ilana comes to BHA with a Masters in Teaching from Brown University and more than thirteen years of experience teaching in progressive classrooms in New York. Dedicated to creating playful, child-centered learning communities for local children, Ilana founded Beacon Craft Workshop and co-founded the Camp @ the Camp, a program of Beacon Recreation. Ilana loves making art, singing, hiking, and most of all spending time with children. She lives in Beacon with her husband and two children. Ilana feels extremely grateful to work with the encouraging, resourceful, and spiritually open community of BHA.
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