Details and Policies for Summer Camp (updated 6/23/25)                               

Where

Drop Off & Pick Up

  • The drop-off window is from 8:30 to 9:15.

  • The pick-up window is from 3:30 to 5:00.

  • A staff member or a tween/teen assistant will sign kids in and out.

  • The front door will always be locked. Ring the doorbell for entry.

  • We won’t let campers in before 8:30, so please do not ring the doorbell before 8:30.

Daily Schedule*

 
 

*This is the schedule for weeks 2 through 7. The schedules for weeks 1 and 8 will be slightly different due to varying field trips.

Field Trip Schedule*

These are field trip this summer. They are also listed on our Google Calendar.

 
 

*In the first week of camp, we will not go to Sellwood Pool on Monday and Wednesday because the pool doesn’t open until Friday. 6/20. Instead, we’ve booked a private rental of North Clackamas Aquatic Park on that Tuesday.

Cubbies

  • Each camper will be assigned a numbered cubby to put their belongings. We'll help children find their cubbies on their first day.

  • We have an indoor no-shoe policy at Activate for kids. Their shoes will go in their cubbies. Some kids wear socks, and some go barefoot. Parents don't need to remove their own shoes.

Camp Shirts

  • Campers get one camp shirt per summer.

  • Campers wear their Activate shirts as swim shirts on swim days, which are Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, because it helps us keep track of campers in the crowded pool and offers some sun protection. We’re not overly strict with this policy because we understand that sometimes shirts are in the laundry. If kids don’t wear their Activate shirt swimming, they should wear a different swim top that covers their torso and shoulders for sun protection.

  • Campers going on the Week-8 Oaks Park trip should wear their Activate shirt.

  • Campers going on the Week-1 North Clackamas Aquatic Park trip do not need to wear their Activate shirt, as we have the facility to ourselves.

  • They don’t need to wear their camp shirts on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

  • Additional Activate shirts are available for purchase at this site: https://activate.gearupsports.net. If you have a sun-sensitive child, consider buying a long-sleeve shirt.

Donating Camp Shirts

  • This summer, we’re collecting donated outgrown Activate shirts that we’ll reuse for kids who have lost their shirts, need an extra one, or left theirs at home. I’ll launder the shirts first.

  • We’ll accept shirts in any condition.

  • You can donate an old Activate shirt in the laundry basket by the front door.

What Clothes to Wear

  • On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays (pool days), campers should arrive at camp wearing their swim clothes and Activate shirts, if available.

  • On Tuesdays and Thursdays, campers should wear play clothes that can get wet or dirty, or swim clothes, because every park we visit has a water play option.

What Shoes to Wear

  • We recommend Crocs or similar shoes because kids can wear them as their regular shoes and wear them around sand and water by just pulling off their socks (if they're wearing them). Another reason that Crocs are ideal is that they’re closed-toe and stay on easily, unlike slides and flip-flops.

  • Campers who play in Johnson Creek on Tuesdays must wear footwear for safety reasons.

What to Bring

  • Lunch and Snacks

  • Water Bottle with Name on it

  • Change of Clothes in a Plastic Bag

  • Sunscreen (recommended)

  • Towel (recommended daily, but only necessary on swim days)

  • Goggles (recommended on swim days)

  • Book in a Gallon Zip-Lock Bag (optional, and the reason that it should be in a plastic bag is so it doesn’t get wet)

  • Large Backpack or Tote Bag to Carry all Belongings (lots of small bags are challenging to manage)

What Not Bring

  • Money (campers are not allowed to buy concessions at the pool)

  • Toys, Games, and Cards (except Thursday, see below.)

Animation Toys on Thursday

  • Thursdays are our stop motion animation days. Many kids enjoy animating Lego or other toys. We have plenty of toys at camp to animate with, but if children wish, they can bring in some Lego or other toys from home. If they bring in toys from home, they should be in a shoe box or a similarly sized box.

What Campers Receive Each Summer

  • An Activate shirt.

  • A custom-made t-shirt

  • A drawing journal (sent home on the final day of camp).

What Campers Receive Each Week

  • A few 4x6 prints of digital art

  • At least one maker-space project

  • A custom frame for their 4x6 prints

  • A hands-on art project

  • A large paper bag to carry these items

Digital Projects

We’ll share digital products with parents on a shared Google Folder. (Originally, we were going to use flash drives, but we had some technical issues.)

Literacy

This year, we’re scaling back the literacy block because we felt it was too intense last year. It’s a 45-minute block. For the first part, there will be a whole-group activity. After that, campers will have some independent reading time. We have a wide selection of books, but children are also welcome to bring their own. If kids bring books to camp, we strongly recommend that they keep them in large zip locks so they don’t get wet when in their backpacks with swim items.

Transportation

  • We use a passenger van and a minivan for transportation.

Swimming at Sellwood Pool and Playing in Sellwood Park

  • Open swim is from 1:00 to 3:00.

  • We bring three staff to the pool: one on the pool deck and two in the pool.

  • At 2:00, the staff person on the pool deck goes to Sellwood Park playground, and campers have the option to go with them.

Sellwood Pool Safety

  • Portland Parks and Recreation and Activate require all children entering the deep end to pass a swim test during every swim session. The test involves swimming the width of the pool (approximately 20 meters) without touching the bottom and without wearing goggles. Backstrokes and doggy paddles are not permitted. Parks and Recreation distributes bracelets to those who pass.

  • Children under 48 inches will stay within arm’s length of an adult.

  • There will always be at least a 1:10 staff-to-camper ratio in the pool.

Johnson Creek Park Safety

  • Johnson Creek Park has two creeks: Johnson Creek and Crystal Springs. We allow children to wade in either creek under supervision, and we use stretches of the creek without drop-offs, deep water, or swift currents.

  • For safety reasons, kids must wear water shoes, preferably closed-toe, quick-drying shoes like Crocs. Flip-flops and slides are not recommended because they are open-toe and can come off easily. On a few occasions, they have gotten lost in the current. Children can also wear old sneakers in the water.

  • Children are allowed to go as deep as their knees.

  • Children are required to wash their hands when they return.

  • Children are given the option to have their legs and feet hosed down upon returning.

Thursdays: Westmoreland Park or Sellwood Riverfront Park

  • We’ll go to Westmoreland Park on most Thursdays, but on very hot days, we sometimes visit the Riverfront Park.

  • When at the riverfront, we use the area at the southern end of the Oaks Park Parking lot, where the white floating dock is located.

  • We’ll send you an email on Wednesdays to let you know which park we choose.

Sellwood Riverfront Park Safety

  • Children are allowed up to their waists, and we use a small section of water that we rope off with a lane line.

  • An adult is always in the water with the campers.

  • Children are welcome to bring life vests, but even with life vests, we still won’t allow them over their waists.

Sun Safety

  • We recommend that parents apply sunscreen to their children before camp.

  • If a child brings sunscreen, we will ensure they reapply it after lunch. 

  • Campers must wear tops that cover their torso and shoulders, both in and out of the water.

  • We recommend hats for sun-sensitive kids.

Blog

  • We have a private password-protected blog for Activate families. The blog features photos of campers and students and reflections on teaching, art, special events, word studies, and other thoughts.

  • We post on the blog at the end of the camp week.

  • For privacy reasons, we don’t post photos of children’s faces on social media or in non-password-protected portions of our website.

  • If you're part of the Activate community and would like the password, send an email to greg@activateschoolpdx.com.

Medication Administration

  • If your child requires medication during camp or has an inhaler or EpiPen, please fill out the Medication Administration Form, and let us know. Remember, medication must be kept in its original packaging.

Behavior

  • If a child's behavior is unsafe, destructive, extremely disruptive, or defiant, they will be sent home and may not return to camp for the remainder of the summer. A prorated refund will be given.

  • If a child teases or name calls, an incident report will be written, and staff will contact the child's parent/guardian. If it happens a second time, we will document it again and contact the child's parent/guardian. If it happens a third time, they will be sent home and may not return to camp for the remainder of the summer. A prorated refund will be given.

Contact

  • If you need to contact us during camp hours, you can text or call us at 503-389-0153. Texts are preferred. If you text us, please identify yourself.

  • If you need to contact us outside of camp hours, email is preferred: greg@activateschool.pdx.com.

Refund and Cancelation Policy

Sickness Guidance

We do not offer refunds if a child is unable to attend camp due to a sickness or injury.

Fever: Keep your child home if their temperature is 100 or higher. They can return to school when the fever is below 100 for 24 hours without using fever-reducing medication.

Diarrhea: Keep your child home if they have had three or more watery or loose stools in 24 hours or sudden onset of loose stools, or if the student is unable to control bowel function. Students may return after 48 hours after the diarrhea resolves or after being seen and cleared by a healthcare provider.

Vomiting: Keep your child home if they have vomited, and it can’t be explained. They may return after 48 hours after the last episode of vomiting or after being seen and cleared by a healthcare provider.

Coughing: Keep your child home if they have a persistent cough that has not yet been diagnosed and cleared by a healthcare provider OR any acute (non-chronic) cough illness that is frequent or severe enough to interfere with participation in usual school activities. They may return after their symptoms have improved for 24 hours.

COVID: Keep your child home if they test positive for COVID for 5 days. If the symptoms and fever subside, they can return to school masked through day 10.

Head Lice: If a child has head lice, they can be in school provided that they have had an initial lice treatment. Staff should be notified.

Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye): Keep your child home for unexplained redness of one or both eyes and colored drainage from the eyes or eye irritation accompanied by vision changes or symptoms such as eye irritation, pain, redness, swelling, or excessive tear production that prevent active participation in usual school activities. Students may return after symptoms resolve or after being seen and cleared by a healthcare provider.