Camp readies for 20th season

The city of Peachtree City and the Fayette County Board of Education have reciprocated with regards to use of facilities over the past few years and Camp McIntosh is the result of a wonderful collaborative effort.

Bernice Wassell, Peachtree City recreation coordinator, took advantage of services available in the community and incorporated them into a camp program kids love.

Camp McIntosh, held at the Huddleston Elementary School gym, is a fun-filled day camp, Monday through Friday beginning June 4 for kids entering 1st through 5th grades. Use of the gym has been approved by the Fayette County Board of Education.

Since the custodian, Miss Penny, is on duty every day in the summer, she opens and locks the gym for the camp as part of her daily routine. Fees are paid for contracted custodial services as needed throughout the summer.

The campers enjoy the Peachtree City Library's weekly Summer Program for children by having an additional reserved presentation available to Camp McIntosh at a reduced fee. Since there is room for up to 100 children at the second performance, the public benefits by having more spaces available for the popular children's series.

Transportation will be provided by a county school bus driven by a certified driver operating under Georgia State Code 20-2-1075. The Code was enacted in 1990 and allows municipalities to use school buses for recreation summer camps. The camp pays the driver an hourly fee, according to the schedule set by the school board and a per mile cost.

Last year, the school's garden adjacent to the gym went to weed and dried up. This summer the children will be instructed by a Master Gardner, who volunteers from the University of Georgia's Cooperative Extension Service in Fayette. He will teach the children how to care for a perennial and annuals garden. The project will provide Huddleston students with a blooming garden when they return in August.

Camp McIntosh will participate in community service by making two thousand angels for the Christmas Giving Trees sponsored by the Department of Family and Children Services throughout Fayette County. Wassell was attending a meeting last fall and listened to the DFACS Staff talk about how the angels are made by everyone in the office who had a spare moment.

"It seemed like a wonderful opportunity to help the community by having the campers make the angels at summer camp." said Wassell.

A separate craft area will be set up where the campers can work at their leisure whenever they want to make a few angels. Community Service is not a new idea to a recreation daily camp program.

Parks and recreation departments across the state provide opportunities for the children to become involved in their community. "It makes the children aware of the needs of the community and it is done in a fun setting," said Wassell.

In July the campers will invite Peachtree City fire and police personnel to lunch. Last year more than 20 members from the departments had lunch with the campers.

Officer Rosanne Dove, coordinator for city's Police Community Outreach, has offered to present a program on safety. The program is designed to inform children how to be safe in their home environment. It is part of the Police Department's efforts to serve and to educate the public.

Camp McIntosh takes advantage of Peachtree City's recreational areas. The children have lunch on Shakerag Knoll, which is on the other side of McIntosh Trail from Huddleston School, several times a week. Nature walks and scavenger hunts take place on the nature trails behind the Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater and on the wetlands boardwalk.

Wassell is thankful for the cart path that was constructed by the city's Public Works Dept. from the Clover Reach Pool Complex to Boxwood Court last month. "The new cart path will make the walk to the pool a little easier this year," she said.

Swimming sessions are at Clover Reach Pool twice a week. Clover Reach Pool is closed to the public during camp swim sessions and is attended by two lifeguards at all times. All six camp counselors aged 19 to 22 are trained in CPR and First Aide and will be in the pool with the campers. " We use the recreational area adjacent to the pool for a variety of outdoor games," said Wassell.

Camp director Tiffany Barker is a special-needs teacher for the Fayette County Board of Education and has been a camp director for the Gwinnett Parks and Recreation Department. She has planned all programming to be age-appropriate.

The children are divided into age groups of no more than eight campers to each counselor. Consideration is given to age and all skill levels.

Tiffany is looking forward to the camp sessions with the voice instructor, Pia Ugarte, who will teach the children how to sing. "I can hardly wait," she said.

Camp McIntosh has received high praises from parents whose children wouldn't miss a single day of fun and games. Only 50 spaces are available for each of the four sessions beginning June 4, June 18, July 2 and July 16 and are filling up quickly.

The camp is held Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. The cost of $150 per session includes all supplies, a T-shirt, field trips and a daily snack. Campers bring their own lunch.

Registration forms are available on the city's Web site, www.peachtree-city.org/recreation, under "Special Programs."

Register at the Kedron Fieldhouse and Aquatics Center (9 a.m.-10 p.m daily, 1-5:30 p.m. Sunday) or at the Peachtree City Recreation Administration Building 8

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