The St. Charles Parish Parks and Recreation Department has found the solution for those working families and their children on the west bank this summer by adding two additional camp sites at Luling Elementary and Eual Landry Middle School.
Last year, there were only camp sites at St. Rose Elementary and Harry Hurst Middle School with 150 children attending summer camp at those two locations. Now, with the inclusion of two more sites, the camps will help ensure that students will have something to keep them busy for at least six weeks this summer.
“This is the first time we’ll be holding summer camps at Luling Elementary and Eual Landry,” Theresa Theriot, assistant director of special programs for the recreation department, said. “Normally, we have a site on the east bank for kids at Harry Hurst Middle, so we’re hoping a lot more kids participate this year.”
To attract more kids, the parish has also lowered cost for the camps.
“We used to charge $75 for one camper for a three-week session,” she said. “We’ve lowered that price to $50.”
During the camp, the students will take part in various arts and crafts activities. They will also get the chance to compete in sports and go on field trips.
“For the arts and crafts, the kids will design around a theme chosen each week. For instance for the fourth of July they will be doing something related to it,” she said. “It’s all about learning and having fun.”
There will also be barbecues and kids will take part in dance sessions.
“An adaptive physical education instructor will be helping the kids with exercises, and there will be speech therapy available at some sites,” Theriot said. “The dance session is also an opportunity for musical learning experiences.”
The camps are six-weeks long and will be held in conjunction with the summer feeding program that the parish sponsors.
“The buses will pick up children, they’ll eat a hot meal, and they can stay for summer camp,” she continued. “The camps are all inclusive, which means special education students will be included with regular education students.”
Theriot says that the recreation department is also considering opening a site in Des Allemands for Bayou Gauche and Paradis children.
“There are a lot of children in need of something to do in that area too this summer,” she said. “We visited Allemands Elementary and we’re looking at setting up a potential site there.”
The last day to register for summer camp is May 31, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the recreation office located in Hahnville.
“Children have got to be active in the summer,” Theriot said. “The physical activity helps generate the mental activity and gives kids something to do.”
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