Camp Juku – Where Awesome is Possible!
July 7 – August 15
Updates: May 23, 2025
Director Comments:
I’m back! After a hectic random 4 weeks of travelling (Philadelphia (son), LA (friends), Europe (wife)), I’m back to full-time camp preparation and registration. Sorry for any confusion or delays in getting back to anyone. Although I did communicate with parents through email and WhatsApp (wifi), there were probably some requests that fell through the gaps. If you need any additional registration or camp help, please reach out to me.
Special offer for registered families (registered before May 24):
Refer a new family to Camp Juku and receive a $50 credit for next year’s camp (transferable).
You simply complete the referral form (www.juku.ca/referral) before the new family registers. The new family doesn’t have to do anything. If two families refer the same new family, the credit will go to the first family to complete the form. The new family must register for at least 3 weeks.
Camp Juku starts July 7th.
We are looking forward to returning to Beckett Farm PS with the huge classrooms, northern exposure (nice breeze), and private section on the second floor with our own washrooms. Mount Joy PS is unchanged and will be in the same rooms we’ve had for the last 10 years. At Mount Joy we will have a morning sports camp and the full use of the gym.
All systems go! We just had a staff meeting and everything is going great. The core management group is very experienced and the first meeting involved planning for new activities, games, and contests, photocopying/sorting through English/Math/Science classwork, discussing new teacher and volunteer responsibilities, and how to make the camp more awesome.
Changing or Cancelling weeks. The key date to remember is June 1. It is the last day to get 100% refunds for completely withdrawing from the camp ($25 admin fee). It is also the last day for the final Early Bird discount.
Also, remember that you are not guaranteed enrolment until full payment is made. Those who registered and have not paid within seven days may find that they are on a waiting list.
Sports Camp. Just to clarify, the sports camp is for grades 3+ and is offered in the morning. The main focus will be badminton, basketball, volleyball, soccer and general fitness. Most of the activities will be in the gym (coolest place in the school). In the afternoon, the students will join the regular camp and take whatever activity is offered that week. The activity may be academic-based, general interest-based, or even sports-based. Wednesday and Friday afternoons have a movie and our Mini-Olympic competitions.
We always have morning students who see the other students in the gym and want to take the sports camp, but they are not registered. They will not be allowed to switch during the week, but they can apply to have their future weeks changed. There is a $10 equipment fee.
Special: The fee for registering for the sports camp before July 7 is $140/wk, plus $10/wk equipment fee.
Super Extended After Hours: Unfortunately, we are at the mercy of the school board. They changed the latest time for all camps to 5pm. This means we have to be out of the school by 5pm. Don’t be late for the pickup. The rate for late pickup remains at $1 per minute, payable to the supervising teacher.
Having said that, we do have several requests for the Beckett Farm camp for either taking the children to the covered playground area behind the school or having an “uber” service where a teacher drops the child off at home or a friend’s place. We will consider this for either location if there is enough demand. Please complete the “Extended Hours Form”. I’ll have it created for the website in a few days. The fees will depend on the demand for such a service.
Here are the important things to note:
- The final Early Bird date is June 1. After June 1, the only discounts available are based on the number of weeks being registered.
- Adding, Subtracting, or Cancelling Weeks:
Before June 1 : 100% of the “Total fees” are refundable. (less $25 administration fee).
Before July 7 : 75% of the “Total fees” are refundable. (less $25 administration fee).
After July 7 : 50% of the “Class Fees (class, meal plan, extended hours)” are refundable.The admin fee is only for full cancellations. There is no fee for moving weeks around. If you cancel weeks before July 7, your fees will be based on the ratecard, that is, you might lose referral or total weeks discounts.
The online refund request form must be completed before any days are missed. (www.juku.ca/refunds)
All refunds are etransferred after camp ends and before October 15. - Beckett Farm is filling up. We anticipate that some classes during the middle weeks will eventually be full. If you have any friends considering Beckett Farm, they should register before mid-June or be willing to go to Mount Joy for a week or two.
- Volunteering at Camp Juku. Although several high school volunteers have applied, many are only available for a few weeks. Our preference is for the whole summer. We have accepted several previous campers and are now open to others with no experience with Camp Juku.Volunteering at Camp Juku is a tremendous character builder. Through assisting the teachers, volunteers will learn leadership, patience, organization, public speaking, time management, and overall communication skills. We are very proud of the work performed and the progress of our high school volunteers. Almost all of our teachers have gone through our volunteer program.
- We still require a few talented Teachers. If you know of anyone comfortable with Math and English, loves working with children, and possesses some interesting teachable skills (Dance, Art/Crafts, Public Speaking/Debating, Drama, Science, Sports, Magic…) have them send their resume to teach@juku.ca.
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As school is winding down, embrace it. Enjoy the moment. It is fleeting. The driving, the tutoring, and the weekend activities were once thought of as a daily grind with my boys, but now, it is a pleasant memory. When you’re in the moment, it seems like a chore – life could be better. But really, it can’t. You are the most influential person in your child’s development. Embrace it!
Before camp starts, I will be sending out detailed information on the procedures for the first day.
Please text/call me for any concerns or registration adjustments.
Have a great and fearless day.
Paul Tazumi
Director, Camp Juku
416-737-7285
paul@juku.ca