The Oakdale Joint Unified School District has taken over the reins of the children’s summer program from the City of Oakdale, as the city is no longer operating the summer childcare program that has been hosted at Magnolia Elementary School.

This is the first year the OJUSD will run the summer program, and the district’s Director of Categorical Programs Kristi Rapinchuk said the district felt it was important to keep a summer program in place for children in Oakdale.

“This is a way to continue to provide service for the community,” she said.

The school district recently sent out brochures about the “Super Summer Camp” for kindergarteners through sixth graders that will operate for eight weeks from June 6 – July 29.

Children will be able to attend one week or all the weeks. The fee-based program will pay for itself and has created the need for the district to create at least four new camp leader positions for the program. The district’s current after-school program leaders will share the responsibility for running the program over the summer.

Rapinchuk reported that the “camp” will continue to be held at Magnolia and there will be a different theme each week. There will be two days of open swim where the children will be chaperoned to the city pool. They will go to “The Plunge” each Friday and can also take swim lessons (if requested) on alternating weeks. There will be a field trip each week, an academic component, as well as arts, crafts, and sports. The students will also be able to sign up for clubs such as math club, book club, reading club, or puzzle club. Additionally, each child will receive a T-shirt and two daily snacks. Campers must bring their own sack lunch each day.

Rapinchuk said that the weekly themes also tie into the field trips, such as “Out of this World” week, which will include the children going to the Challenger Learning Center. Other examples are “Wild and Crazy Animals” where the kids will go to Micke Grove Zoo, and “Western Days” will be a field trip ride on the Sierra Railroad train.

Camp hours are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., but there are also extended morning hours from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and also extended afternoon hours from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Weekly camp fees are $100 for the first child, and each additional child from the same family is $85 per week. Extended hour fees are $10 a week for the morning and $10 a week for the afternoon.

For more information, call the district office at (209) 848-4884.