Summer Questions & Answers
What is the phone number for the summer camp office?
The summer camp phone is 503-226-2496 x121.
What training do counselors receive?
The classroom staff are trained teachers or assistant teachers – most of them teach at The International School during the school year.
How many age groups will there be?
Camps will be divided into small groups based on campers’ ages and enrollment. Teachers are sensitive to any difference in ages and abilities within a group. Yellow Camp (preschool & kinder) is generally divided into 2-3 age groups; Blue Standard Camp (grades 1-4) is generally divided into two age groups; Green Advanced Language Camp (grades 2-5) is generally kept as one or divided into two age groups. All group divisions depend on enrollment in each language track.
What will be the teacher-to-camper ratio be?
For ages 3 to 5, there will be at least one teacher for every ten children. For ages 6 to 12, there will be at least one teacher for every fifteen children. For riding the Portland Streetcar to swim lessons, there will be at least one staff member for every five children.
Can my child attend the camp if he doesn’t speak the chosen language?
Yes. Beginners and experienced language speakers are welcome in the Yellow Half or Full Day Camps and in the Blue Standard Camp. Our international teachers expect to have children with varying language abilities.
What kind of fluency is required for the Green Advanced Language Camp?
Green campers must be able to read, write and speak the chosen language at a level similar to school year students at The International School’s full immersion program. If you have questions about your child’s fluency, please contact the camp office at summer@intlschool.org, 503-226-2496 x121.
Can my child attend for less than the full two-week session?
Yes. You can enroll your child for the first week or the second week of any session for 60 percent of the session cost. Enrollment must be for five consecutive days.
Can I have my child and a friend together in the same class?
We will try to honor such requests for children of the same age enrolled in the same program. Please submit the request with your registration form or at least two weeks before the session starts.
How will I know if my child was accepted?
When we process your registration form, you will receive a confirmation email.
Where should I bring my child on the first day of camp?
Parents and campers should go directly to Stearns Hall, the building at the bottom of the hill (2305 SW Water Avenue, Portland 97201). There will be signs and people directing you to your classroom.
What should my child bring to camp?
Children in Yellow Camp (3 year olds through kindergarten) should bring a non-perishable lunch, extra clothes, comfortable shoes, a bottle of sunscreen labeled with their name, and a blanket, pillow, or stuffed animal for nap time if they are full day campers.
Children in Blue and Green Camps should bring a non-perishable lunch, comfortable shoes, a bottle of sunscreen labeled with their name, and a swimsuit and towel on swimming days and for the field trip to the fountain at Waterfront Park.
How does “before-camp care” work?
There is no before-camp care on the first day of each camp session. On all other days, before-camp care begins at 7:30am, is optional, and is included in the price of camp. Campers who arrive between 7:30 and 8:15 should go to the room designated for before-camp care where an assistant teacher will care for them until the start of camp. For Blue and Green group campers, before-care is in the Music Room at Stearns Hall (furthest room from the reception desk). For Yellow group campers (children 3 to 5 yrs and entering Kidergarten), before-care is in the Gym (main school building, up the Sherman Street hill on the right).
Do I need to send lunch with my child? Will half-day students have lunch at camp?
Yes – please send lunch with your child. Every classroom has a microwave for heating lunches (teachers will heat lunches for younger children), but we do not have a kitchen. Children ages 3-5 will have lunch at camp at 11:30 AM every day.
When and where should I pay the balance due for camp?
Any unpaid balance is due on the first day of camp. Please mark all checks with your camper’s name, your telephone number, and the session(s) you are paying for. You may pay on the first day – simply put your check (marked with your camper’s name and your telephone number) in the box marked “Summer Payments” in the reception area of Stearns Hall.
You may also send us the balance due at any time prior to the first day of camp (send to The International School Summer Camp, 025 SW Sherman Street, Portland, OR 97201).
What if I want to talk to someone about payments on the first day?
The camp registrar, Lauren Hostetler, will be available in the reception area during camp to answer questions. Since greeting time the first day of camp tends to be hectic, please try to contact Lauren with your questions before your child’s session starts. Lauren can be reached at LaurenH@intlschool.org or 503-226-2496 x121.
Is there an End-of-Session Performance for parents and friends?
Each class will hold a short performance and reception within its own classroom at 3:00 PM on the last day of each session.
Will my child get a nap or rest time in the afternoon?
Our 3-5 year old campers will have nap/rest time in the afternoon.
Will 3-5 year olds have swimming lessons?
No.
What type of safety precautions are taken for the camp’s swim program?
Safety is our first priority for all aspects of camp. Before camp starts, our staff will take the Streetcar to the Tenth Avenue Athletic Club and will receive training in all policies and procedures to follow on the Streetcar ride and at the Club. (Our teachers are experienced at traveling by Streetcar with children since we take field trips by Streetcar during the school year.) Staff members will also receive basic water safety training for their role as “extra eyes” during swim lessons.
Our campers will travel to the Club by Portland Streetcar with at least one camp staff member for every five campers. Our camp director will always be at the Club with the groups. On the first swim day of each session, the Club’s certified instructors will divide our campers into small groups based on swimming ability. Our registration form has four swimming questions for you to answer which will make this process go quickly. The Club’s certified lifeguards will be on duty during swim lessons, and our staff will be “extra eyes” around the pool and ready to assist as necessary.
What will the children do at the swimming pool?
The 10th Avenue Athletic Club has certified instructors and lifeguards who will give our campers swimming lessons twice per week.
On what day will my child have swim lessons?
Some children will swim on Monday and Wednesday afternoons, while others will swim on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. On the first day of camp, you will get a copy of your child’s schedule, but please have your son or daughter come prepared with a bathing suit and towel in case he or she is a Monday/Wednesday swimmer.
Can I have my child skip swimming?
Unfortunately we cannot offer this option since we cannot provide adequate supervision for non-swimming campers.
Where is The International School located?
If you have never been to the school, please allow extra time on the first day. All summer camp groups are at the Main Campus (not Arthur Street). We highly recommend that you print our directions and take them with you. The campus can be difficult to get to using Google maps and Mapquest since there are many dead-end streets in the area. Click here for maps and directions.
