With clean up, damage assessment and FEMA claims dominating the minds of South Mississippians, child care was not priority on everyone’s to-do list after Hurricane Katrina swept the area. But now with Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College employees reporting back to work and students going back to class, parents are left pondering where to leave their kids while the local schools are being repaired.
The Jackson County Campus has come to its employees’ and students’ rescue with the Family Kids Camp, a free service aimed at providing positive and healthy lifestyle learning opportunities during daytime school and work hours. A direct response to Hurricane Katrina and offered now through the week of Oct. 10, Kids Camp is for the children of JC Campus faculty, staff and students currently working or attending classes at the campus, says Dr. Wayne Taylor, physical education instructor at Gulf Coast’s JC Campus and camp coordinator. Boys and girls ages 5-13 are eligible to attend. Campers are divided into groups of similar age.
The camp site is at the Curtis L. Davis Aquatic, Physical Education and Health Building’s gym, pool and field each day from 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Below is the camp’s schedule:
Week 1 – Sept 14-16 (faculty and staff campers only)
Week 2 – Sept. 19-23 (F, staff, students)
Week 3 – Sept 26-30 (F, staff, students)
Week 4 – Oct. 3 – 7 (Faculty, staff, students)
Week 5 – Oct. 10-14
Valley Foods, the food-service company for Gulf Coast’s campus cafeterias, will provide a healthy lunch each day in the Student Center. Meals will be served in group fashion and supervised by the health, physical and recreation faculty and staff. A snack will be offered each morning at 9:30.
Activities will include the following:
Ages 5-7 & 8-10 – games, t-ball, relays, swim, dodge ball, movies, crafts, kickball, arts and crafts, and an afternoon nap for those ages 5-7
Age 11-13: Basketball, kickball, soccer, hiking, swimming, and some appropriate activities from the above list
All campers must register using the appropriate form and liability-release form signed by a parent or guardian. Registration is Tuesday, Sept. 13, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the Student Center café stage area, and Sept. 14–Oct. 13, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Administration Building.j
Isn't that a neat idea? My bet is that USM-GC Jackson County personnel can probably avail themselves of this opportunity & it's certainly worth asking.