Cooking Camp

• Dec 4–Feb 1: Sessions/weeks may be dropped or changed, subject to availability.
• Feb 1: Financial Aid applications due online.
• After Feb 1: Deposits are not refundable.
• May 1:
  • Full payment is due, or a payment plan must be in place and no refunds will be issued. You cannot drop weeks after this date.
  • All camp forms are due.
• July 3: There will be no camp on July 3, in observance of Independence Day.

Packing List

• Water bottle (labeled)
• Bathing suit & towel
• Lunch
• Sunscreen & bug spray
• Snacks
• Hat

Clothing
To ensure quick return of any lost items, please label all clothing, water bottles, towels, and bathing suits with your camper’s full name. Additionally, please check the weather forecast and provide appropriate clothing, including secure footwear such as sneakers.

Valuables
To avoid loss or damage, please refrain from sending items of high monetary or sentimental value to camp. Additionally, the use of all electronics, including cell phones and handheld devices, is prohibited. We encourage all campers – regardless of age – to leave cell phones at home. All communication must go through the Camp Office.

• All food supplied by the camp is kosher certified and nut-free.
• Campers should bring a healthy, nut-free snack and lunch from home every day.
• All campers are served ice pops in the afternoon.
• Lunch is available to order for an additional fee.
• Campers registered for After Care are provided a daily snack around 4:30pm.

JCC Newton Camps are staffed by a healthcare supervisor and a physician is on call. In case of an emergency, the local hospital is less than five miles away from JCC Greater Boston.

JCC Newton Camps are in compliance with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Public Health policies and is inspected and licensed by the City of Newton Department of Public Health. As part of that relationship, we have been asked to share commonly asked questions about Meningococcal Disease.

Parents may request copies of background checks, health care policies, discipline policies, as well as procedures for filing grievances.

• We work with multiple security partners and consultants to ensure a safe camp environment. Many of our security measures are visible, while others are not. 
• All visitors must show their JCC pass or ID for admission into the building.
• Families, staff and all campers must enter the building through the front entrance and check in at the desk.
• Campers are only released to authorized adults. 

• • Payments & Cancellations
    • JCC Newton Camps require a separate deposit for each session or week. The deposit(s) are strictly tied to those specific sessions and/or weeks. A deposit of $75 per week is due upon registration.
    • Sessions or weeks may be dropped or switched, pending availability, without loss of deposit, until February 1.
    • Sessions may not be split in order to drop individual weeks.
    • Payment Dates:
      • After February 1: Deposits are no longer refundable or transferable.
      • February 1–May 1: Sessions may be dropped, and all fees paid will be refunded, except the registration fee and any deposit(s).
      • May 1: Families are financially responsible for all sessions and/or weeks for which they are registered. Any outstanding fees will be collected in accordance with the previously selected payment plan option unless written notice to withdraw/unenroll has been received by May 1.
        • Tuition is non-refundable after May 1. This includes: no refunds for illness, partial sessions/weeks attended, or change of plans.
    • JCC Newton Camps do not charge a fee to be on our waitlist. If a camper is waitlisted and a spot opens up, the next camper in line will be automatically enrolled, with a deposit charged to the payment method on file and the family will receive notification.
      • Families have one week to decline the spot for a refund of the associated deposit.
      • Families may remove their name from the waitlist by email at any time.
    • Payment of camp tuition may be paid in the following forms:
      • By check
      • By Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)
      • By credit card.
        • A convenience fee may apply depending on the method of payment. If you elect to pay by physical check, please note that payment must be received and processed before the installment date, to avoid having that payment charged to the payment method on file.
        • A $25 processing fee will be added to your invoice for any check or EFT returned unpaid, or credit card declined.
    • There are two payment options available at the time of registration:
      • You may pay in two installments (in March and in May)
      • You may pay via a monthly payment plan.
      • You must select your payment option at the time of registration. Any registration after May 1 requires full payment by June 15.

If a JCC Camp must close your child’s bunk, or all of camp, due to an unexpected single-day closure such as excessive heat, power loss, state or local guidance, or other unforeseen safety circumstances, JCC Greater Boston will not issue refunds. We appreciate your understanding as we prioritize the safety and well-being of our campers.

Thanks to the support of generous individual and foundation donors, JCC Greater Boston makes every effort to offer financial assistance to campers in need. For more information, or a confidential conversation, please contact us. Applications are due February 1.

Financial aid applications must be made online before February 1, at which time all submitted requests will be reviewed. Requests made after February 1 will be reviewed individually and are dependent upon funds remaining. Awards are not guaranteed year to year or for weeks added after February 1. If you are unable to accept the award, you must submit a written request to either reduce enrollment or withdraw. You must submit this request within two weeks of award notification in order to receive a refund of any deposit(s) connected to the withdrawal.

Additional weeks may be added after the deadline has passed, however, there is no guarantee that aid will be available. Financial aid is not transferable between camps.

JCC Newton Camps are designed to be fully inclusive. Campers who benefit from accommodations and supports participate in all activities and are fully integrated into their age group with their peers. Where necessary, camp may provide an Advocate Counselor to provide additional support within the bunk to ensure all campers are fully included. Our Inclusion Coordinator works with our Camp Leadership Team, Camp Counselors, and families to design and facilitate an inclusive environment for each camper. As each camper’s needs are different, the inclusion process and supports provided may differ. Inclusion support can include one or more of the following interventions: 

• Additional forms, intake calls, and/or meetings with support staff (teachers, aids, other) as part of registration to gather additional information to ensure we are set up for success prior to summer
• Check-ins with campers and/or family members as needed
• Visual schedules, sensory breaks, and/or other tools
• Additional staff support

For more information, email camp@jccgb.org.

Absence: If your child will be out of camp for the day, arriving late, or leaving early, please email the camp office at camp@jccgb.org.

Illness: Keep children home if they are not feeling well. Campers with a fever will not be admitted to camp. Campers who develop a fever or other symptoms of illness will be sent home. Campers will be asked to follow precautions and regulations regarding COVID-19, which will be updated based on current conditions and provided before camp begins. Parents are expected to arrange prompt pickup of any child who is ill.

Pick-Up Policy: Campers will be released to parents/guardians or those listed on your registration form. If your camper will be picked up from camp by anyone else, please let us know.

Before and After Care: Available by the week. Please sign up within your CampInTouch account.

Morning drop-off is 9:00-9:15am. Cars drive through the loop, dropping off in designated areas.

Before Care drop-off is 8:00-8:45am. Park in the lot and escort your camper or pull up to the drop-off area by the theater, as instructed. If you need to drop-off after 8:45am, please join our carline for 9am drop-off. 

• Pickup is 3:45–4:00pm.
• If you arrive after 4pm your camper will be in After Care and you will be charged for the day.
• After Care is 4:00-6:00pm daily and available for an additional fee. Registration in advance is required.

• Before Care drop-off is 8:00-8:45am. Park in the lot and escort your camper or pull up to the drop-off area by the theater, as instructed. If you need to drop-off after 8:45am, please join our carline for 9am drop-off.
• After Care is 4:00-6:00pm daily and available for an additional fee. Registration in advance is required.
• Campers registered for After Care are provided a daily snack around 4:30pm.