IV. Management, Services and Characteristics of Elite College's 11th Summer Camp

　　How to guarantee the students' safety and health, to ensure the quality of their education, and to develop a comprehensive and systematic plan for the summer: these have been our top priority in the preparation for the 11th Elite College Summer Camp in 2014.

　　We started planning the 2014 Summer Camp very early, placing particular emphasis on the implementation of Summer Camp activities this year. The reasons are as follows: first, the large scale of the Summer Camp compels us to feel that students' overall development should not be hindered, nor should parents' expectations be ignored. Second, though it is the third Summer Camp organized by Elite College at the South Shore Campus, we must still get more familiar with all its facets, studying them with a more careful and diligent approach. Finally, every year, the Summer Camp will face new problems, because of which it is necessary to make preparations and plans in advance.

　　Formulating Detailed and Comprehensive Summer Camp Plans

　　The plans for the Summer Camp were compiled from discussions occurring between the staff of Elite College during several regular meetings. Each spanning over 30 pages, the Summer Camp plans for the St-Laurent Campus and the South Shore Campus meticulously detailed various aspects, such as: daily course schedules; duties, rules and schedule for each person in charge; breaks and other arrangements for the teachers; activities content, locations and time; designated location and contact information of each security officer; job scope and duties of the logistics personnel; rules for students; and rules for teachers. The Summer Camp programs and teacher selection have been already described in a previous article and thus will not be repeated again.

　　Expanding the Management Team and Conducting Training

　　Personnel who have worked in the Summer Camp in the past years have been re-employed by Elite College. In addition to the retention of original management personnel, Elite College has recruited a group of new administrators and security officers who show deep love for education and who specialize in it, as well as personnel experienced in managing summer camps. Before the Summer Camp begins, teachers are provided with training for the Camp, and staff and security officers are given first-aid training as well as instruction for the Summer Camp. All of them are required to follow an on-site tour for the purpose of getting acquainted with every location in the Summer Camp. We give every effort to invite caring young talents who are familiar with the operation of the Summer Camp and show a strong sense of responsibility to serve as counselors to guide the children's activities. Priority will be given to those who are familiar with the camp and who have served as volunteers in previous editions of Elite College's Summer Camp.

　　Responsibilities of Various Divisions of Management

　　This year, three teams will be formed for the Summer Camp, with one responsible for the St-Laurent Campus, one for the South Shore Campus, and one for transporting students from the Downtown Campus and providing daycare in the morning and afternoon. The management team is divided into departments such as security, traffic, teaching affairs, secondary admission exams, arts, and logistics, each of which is equipped with a managing director. Before Summer Camp begins, each departmental director will be given intensive training. And during the Camp, they will be required to hold regular meetings, to give frequent feedback, and to control the whole situation.

　　Emphasis on a Learning-Oriented Summer Camp

　　There are various types of summer camp for students to choose from, but the Summer Camp organized by Elite College attaches more importance to learning. As an educational institution with ten years of success and experience, Elite College can help students with their studies in a convenient and effective way. We've set up various programs for students of different ages and levels, and coordinate suitable activities within each program. Compared to other local play-oriented summer camps, we invest more energy into education and leave students' leisure time mainly on the weekends up to the parents' discretion. Elite College and parents can make efforts together to ensure our children a fulfilling and enjoyable summer.

　　Apart from the Preparation for Secondary Admission Exams program, designed for preparing for the entrance tests, the other programs of our Summer Camp focus classes on reviewing school course material from the last semester and previewing the courses in the coming semester. This way, students can not only build a solid academic foundation, but also get ahead of others in their studies. Thus, they will show greater self-confidence and a sense of control in the new semester.

　　Improving and Diversifying Activities and PE, and Appointing Specialized and Experienced Teachers to Lead Classes

　　Improvement of academic performance is the parents' main expectation for their children, but the development of broader qualities and abilities cannot be neglected either. Tailoring them to the characteristics of the students in different age groups, Elite College's Summer Camp has designed diverse activities and PE in the hope that students can do sports and exercise during the summer, as well as practice, with guidance, their abilities in organization, leadership, and teamwork. Meanwhile, in order to diversify the kids' activities and guarantee group order and safety, these courses are taught by dedicated teachers in various groups. With the time period of each activity class specifically arranged, students are required to attend the courses accordingly. In addition, every Friday afternoon is reserved as activity time for the whole camp, and all students will participate in various forms of group activities. With time and location permitting, the Camp will organize one or two free BBQ lunches as in previous years. And, with good weather, we will organize extracurricular activities for students, such as going to a water park or a lakeside park. We believe that these activities and PE classes will make the Summer Camp more engaging. After the end of the Summer Camp, a show will be organized for students, parents, friends and guests to attend.

　　Cooperating with Professional Training Institutions to Add Activity Programs such as Tennis Lessons, Arts, and 3D Animation Classes

　　This year, we will work with Triple-A Tennis School, Jill Arts Studio, and The Stars College – 3D Animation Training School to provide various professional courses for our students. Under the basis of ensuring quality of education, we are introducing tennis lessons, arts classes, and 3D animation courses. These activities have been arranged to coordinate with Elite College's regular courses for students who are interested in participating. Therefore, students can use the summer time to improve their studies, and in the meanwhile get the opportunity to have professional teaching in other disciplines. Thus students have the chance to acquire a variety of knowledge and skills in one camp.

　　Experienced personnel look after students to ensure their safety; all classrooms are equipped with air conditioning

　　Several security officers have been assigned to handle student safety and order, with specially assigned personnel arranged to be responsible for each floor and activity location. Additionally, outdoor activities are supervised by several security officers at once. Therefore, students can have a wonderful time, with their safety guaranteed. Even more monitors are assigned to the swimming groups in each grade to ensure the safety of the students and the order of the Summer Camp. The South Shore Campus offers central air-conditioning and provides an indoor gym for students. In consideration of the old circuitry in the classical building at the St-Laurent Campus, the CEGEP has modified the circuits and air-conditioning system for us in recent years with the goal of equipping all classrooms with air conditioners and providing a cool summer for students. This year, we have also expanded the activity locations.

　　Daycare Services and Cancelling the School Bus Service

　　A school bus to pick up students is a compelling option. In the summer, however, the Champlain Bridge and Décarie highway are bound to suffer traffic jams due to road repairs. As a result, students have to travel in the school bus without air conditioning for long periods of time in the hot summer. This is one of major reasons why Elite College decided to establish, with great effort, the South Shore Campus as one of the location for our Summer Camp in 2012. If it is inconvenient to send students to the Campus directly, parents can leave their child at the Downtown Campus of Elite College, and then our staff will accompany them by metro to the St-Laurent Campus. Meanwhile, the school will try to arrange free carpooling for students living in the West Island, Laval, and NDG, and parents can consult with us and inform us of their requirements so that we can arrange everything properly. Many parents offer to assist each other with picking up their children. During Summer Camp, the hours for daycare are from 7:30 am to 6:00 pm every day (outside of class time). During daycare time, students will watch cartoons, read books, play games, draw pictures, etc.

　　Please forgive us for not considering arranging a school bus to pick up students from different sites, because this might cause them to be late for school or to come home late, and the parents might suffer the delay in commuting time.

　　Art Exhibition and Performance Show to Showcase the Children's Growth

　　We are planning on producing a performance show at the end of the Summer Camp, where we will invite students and parents to watch the performances, to witness the talents and the progress of the children together with our staff and teachers. In the final show of the Summer Camp in previous years, hundreds of artworks created by the children and wonderful performances such as dance, chorus, flute, martial arts, and drama have left an unforgettable impression on teachers, parents and students. Elite College's Summer Camp is capable of not only improving a student's academic performance, but also enabling parents to witness the global development of their child.

　　Picking Up Children in the Parking Lot to Ensure Safety

　　Each campus of Elite College's Summer Camp will arrange free parking spots for picking up children. While the South Shore Campus is convenient, the vehicle path situation in St-Laurent Campus is more complex. We have to consider not only the proper functioning of the nursery in the St-Laurent Campus, but also access for our students and parents. We also need to ensure the safety of pedestrians, while trying to allow parents, who leave their children at Camp, to get to work on time. Therefore, we make directions adjustments in the St-Laurent Campus by setting up two car routes to leave campus. However, in order to ensure the children's safety, one route through the camp will only be for passing by, which means it is strictly prohibited to stop there for pick up. Leaving children in the morning and picking them up in the afternoon should always be done in the school parking lot. We have posted information such as parking procedures and a campus map on Elite College's website. Please pay attention to the information published on the website at http://www.elitecollege.ca/. With experience and inspiration obtained from previous Summer Camps, Elite College is sure to achieve even greater success this year.

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(1 HISTORY)     (2 LOCATIONS AND TEACHERS)     (3 PROGRAMS)