We are excited to have your child participate in Vera Court Neighborhood Center’s Summer Camp! We have sought to provide a fun, educational, and worthwhile experience for all of the youth who will be attending.

Our Elementary School camp runs Monday-Friday from 9:00am - 4:00pm from Monday, June 23rd - August 15th. There is no camp on July 4th, 2025!

We will host a welcome block party on Friday, June 20th from 5:00pm-8:00pm. While not required to attend, this block party will include information about our summer schedules, routines and expectations. If you cannot attend this, we will also offer an in-person summer camp orientation and open house for families on Tuesday June 17th from 10:00AM-11:00AM. While not required to attend summer camp, this orientation is helpful to understand our summer camp schedules, routines, and expectations. Summer camp celebrates the end of camp with a Graduation Banquet. That will take place on the last day August 15th, 2025 at 5:00 PM-7:00 PM.

If your child attends summer school, they may join us on Tuesday, Wednesdays, Thursday and Friday once summer school is over. Students in summer school will not be able to attend on Mondays.

Please do not hesitate to contact us with questions, concerns, and ideas.

All paperwork must be turned in no later than June 18th. Priority enrollment is due May 21st. 

All paperwork must be completed and turned in before a child will be allowed to attend camp! Paperwork turned in after June 18th may result in your child being placed on the waitlist. 

Elementary summer camp is only available for students 7 years and older.  Due to city licensing requirements, we are only able to accept three (3) 6 year olds at a time. If your child is 6 years old, they may be placed on a waiting list. 

*Please note that all costs of the camp are paid for by Vera Court Neighborhood Center and camp is entirely free to all participants. No proof of income is required.*

 

Summer Camp Dates:
June 23rd - August 15th
9:00am-4:00pm
NO CAMP ON FRIDAY, JULY 4TH

Vera Court Neighborhood Center (VCNC) will select a limited number of participants based on the following priorities:

1. Regular VCNC program participants with positive behavior and attendance records in VCNC programs.
2. Children who have successfully completed the 2024 summer camp that were NOT after-school participants in the 2024-2025 school year.
3. Vera Court Neighborhood residents who are not regular program participants.
4. Residents of the Madison Metropolitan School District year round.
5. Residents of other school districts/summer only residents of Vera Court

Current 6 year old applicants: Vera Court Neighborhood Center can only accept three 6 year old participants due to State of Wisconsin Regulations. 6 year olds are encouraged to apply but may be placed on a waiting list.

Current 5th grade students: 5th grade students (entering 6th grade) will participate in the Middle School camp, please ask for a Middle School Camp application if you would like to enroll.

Summer School Participants: Students registered for summer school are encouraged to apply for Vera Court’s summer camp. The center does not provide transportation to or from summer school. Your child would be able to attend camp after summer school from 12:30-4:00 Tues, Weds, Thurs, Fri (camp would not be available on Mondays).

 

In order to be considered for camp this application is due no later than Friday June 18th.

 

I have read the following priorities and agree to Vera Court Neighborhood Center’s Summer Camp 2025 application policy.

I give my child permission to participate in all program activities with Vera Court Neighborhood Center. In the event that I do not want my child to participate in activities, I understand that I must contact a staff person. I also understand that if my child does not obey Vera Court Neighborhood Center rules, he/she may be asked not to participate in activities.

Furthermore, in the event of an emergency, and I cannot be contacted, I authorize you to call my doctor. If he/she cannot be contacted, I give my consent for my child to receive medical treatment or care. I understand that staff will make every effort to contact me first.

In order to ensure the best programming possible we ask that you indicate which (if any) weeks and/or days that your student will miss summer camp this year. Please indicate the reason for missing summer camp as well, as our waiting list tends to be long and we want to offer opportunities for all youth interested in camp.

Field Trip Policy:

I give my child permission to participate in all program activities (including field trips that take place during program hours) with Vera Court Neighborhood Center. In the event that I do not want my child to participate in activities, I understand that I must contact a staff person. I also understand that if my child does not obey Vera Court Neighborhood Center rules, he/she may be asked not to participate in activities.

Furthermore, in the event of an emergency, and I cannot be contacted, I authorize you to call my doctor. If he/she cannot be contacted, I give my consent for my child to receive medical treatment or care. I understand that staff will make every effort to contact me first.

Vera Court Neighborhood Center Rules

1. Have fun and enjoy yourself
2. Be safe and responsible
3. Respect staff, participants, and the center and places we go.
4. Refrain from running, fighting, and throwing objects in the center.
5. Refrain from using loud, vulgar, abusive language.
6. No put-downs
7. No alcohol/drugs around the center.
8. Follow all health & safety protocols.
9. The center is a gang free zone. No gang paraphernalia is permitted.
10. You are encouraged to make the center a better place.

What happens when a rule is broken?

1. The 1st written warning is given by staff. If negative behavior continues:
2. A 2nd written warning is given by staff. If negative behavior continues:
3. The participant receives their 3rd warning and is removed from programming for the day, and a phone call is made to the parent/guardian. If the parent/guardian is unavailable, we will try and reach the emergency contact. If we cannot reach an adult a letter will be sent with the child explaining that the child will be suspended for the following day.

Three(3) warnings in one (1) day = a one (1) day suspension. If your child continues to receive three (3) warnings per day on several different occasions a meeting will be set up between the center, the parent and the child to discuss a plan for the child.

Fighting/Physical Altercations

1. 1. All participants involved will be suspended for 1 week from the date of the incident. Play fighting will be treated the same as any other physical altercations.
2. If there is a 2nd occurrence participants involved in an altercation will be removed from programming another week.
3. If there is a 3rd occurrence, the child will be removed from programming for the remainder of the school year.

Entering and Leaving Programming

Safety is our number one concern when your child is in our care; we want to minimize any chance of potential harm or threat. It is vital that your child is following instructions and staying with staff. If students are walking out of the program without notifying staff, it will result in an automatic 1-day suspension. If the offense occurs again, it will be a 2 day suspension and there will need to be a mandatory conference with parents and staff before the child is allowed back into the program. If the behavior is continued three times, your child will be removed from summer programming.

1st offense: 1 day suspension (call home)2nd offense: 2 day suspension (mandatory conference with parents)
3rd offense: Removal from summer program

In addition, if your child is enrolled in camp, we want them to be here and actively engaged in activities. If your child has to continuously leave early or chooses not to participate in the program, a meeting will be held with parents and students. If the problem is not resolved, then the child will be removed from the program.

Cell Phone/Phone Use

There will be no cell phone use throughout the summer program. Parents will need to contact the center first if they need to get in contact with their child. We ask parents to contact the center ahead of time if their child has an appointment or needs to be released early from the program. We want to avoid students having to call parents throughout program time. If students are using a cellphone, they will receive a warning and be asked to hand it to staff until the end of the day. Refusal will result in an automatic 1 day suspension.

Nutrition Policy

Vera Court provides a healthy breakfast, lunch and a snack every day for all camp participants. Campers are allowed to bring lunch from home during summer camp. We have designated meal times for all campers and no food will be eaten or served outside of scheduled meal times. 

Other than a packed lunch, no other outside food is allowed at Vera Court during summer camp.

PICK UP/DISMISSAL INSTRUCTIONS

Please circle whether your child will walk home at the end of camp or will be picked up. If your child is being picked up, please make sure that they are being picked up at 4:00 pm as we will not have staff available after 4:00 pm to supervise your child(ren). If a parent/guardian is continually late for pick-up your child(ren) will be removed from summer camp.

Enrollment/Unexcused Absences

Vera Court Neighborhood Center’s after-school is an enrolled program with a long waiting list. Students may miss camp for extended absences without jeopardizing their spot in camp. Excused absences include family vacations, sports programs and other short-term summer camps, illness and health concerns, etc. We ask that parents and/or youth communicate about all absences to Vera Court staff ahead of the absence. For example, if you call your child out of school for an illness, please contact Vera Court as well so we are aware of the absence.

If your child has reached TWO unexcused absences, you will receive a phone call home to let you know that they are allowed to miss TWO (2) more days of programming before they will be in jeopardy of losing their spot in programming to one of the students on our waiting list.

Photo/Video/Artwork Release Form

I hereby grant permission to Vera Court Neighborhood Center and its partners to use photographs, video, and artwork of my child and created by my child. Vera Court Neighborhood Center will use said material on the internet or in other official printed publications created by, or affiliated with Vera Court Neighborhood Center without further consideration. Therefore, I agree to indemnify and hold harmless from any claims the following:

Vera Court Neighborhood Center staff, Board of Directors, its partners, and its volunteers.

Authorization to Administer Sunscreen and Bug Repellant (optional)

I give my permission to Vera Court Neighborhood Center staff to apply/supply sunscreen to my child during camp hours.

I give my permission to Vera Court Neighborhood Center staff to apply/supply bug spray to my child during camp hours.

Phone Call Policy

Summer camp participants are permitted to use the phone at the beginning of programming and at the end of programming. Additional phone calls tend to disrupt programming and make it difficult for youth and staff to complete tasks.

Phone calls made any other time of day will be conducted by staff and only in the case of illness, injury, behavior or other extreme circumstances. Parents/guardians are welcome to leave messages with our administrative staff for their children during the camp day.

Cell phone use: If participants choose to bring their cell phones to after-school programming, they are solely responsible for them. As a center, we expect that participants will exercise respect toward staff and other participants when using their phones and not to use them during activity times and when we are off-site. If cell phones interfere with programming or become distracting, staff will hold
onto them for the remainder of the day.

NEIGHBORHOOD SUPPORT DEMOGRAPHICS

Disclaimer: We apologize if any questions are offensive or feel invasive. Local and Federal Community Development Block Grant Programs require the information in this section and reporting on them is mandatory for continued funding of Vera Court Neighborhood Center.

 

1 Person Family	2 Person Family	3 Person Family	4 Person Family
Over $55,950	Over $63,950	Over $71,950	Over $79,900
$36,100 to $55,950	$41,250 to $63,950	$46,400 to $71,950	$51,550 to $79,900
$21,700 to $36,100	$24,800 to $41,250	$27,900 to $46,400	$30,950 to $51,550
Less than $21,700	Less than $24,800	Less than $27,900	Less than $30,950
5 Person Family	6 Person Family	7 Person Family	8 Person Family
Over $86,300	Over $92,700	Over $99,100	Over $105,500
$55,700 to $86,300	$59,800 to $92,700	$63,950 to $99,100	$68,050 to $105,500
$33,450 to $55,700	$35,950 to $59,800	$40,120 to $63,950	$44,660 to $68,050
Less than $33,450	Less than $35,950	Less than $40,120	Less than $44,660