Great question! While our days will be structured to provide consistent expectations, the vibe will be light and summery. Kids need a break, so they can head back to school in August recharged and ready to go! We have SO much fun planned over the summer that we may not even get to it all.

While your child(ren) will technically be in a school setting, it will feel very little like school and much more like summer fun with friends! We have multiple themes and visitors lined up that will be hosted in the school setting, while our field trips will be designed to get out and explore Kansas.

While we plan to pack a LOT of fun into one summer, we will also have a few educational initiatives to keep kids engaged in some of the fundamentals. These will include daily reading, math relays, history trivia and more.

See below for what a typical day (excluding field trips and camps) will look like at Bright Minds Summertime:

• 7:30 - 8:30 AM: Arrival + Free Play (coloring, puzzles, magnetiles, board games etc.) + Indoor Gym Time

• 8:30 - 9:00 AM: Potty Break + Prepare For Breakfast

• 9:00 - 9:30 AM: Breakfast Snack

• 9:30 - 10:00 AM: Educational Group Breakouts (by age)

• 10:00 - 10:30 AM: Recess / Group Movement Game

• 10:30 AM - 11:00 PM: STEAM Activity / Hands-On Crafts

• 11:00 - 11:30 PM: Educational Tutoring Activity (mixed-age)

• 11:30 - 12:00 PM: Structured Free Play

• 12:00 - 12:30: Lunch

• 12:30 - 1:00 PM - Reading Program

• 1:00 - 2:00 PM - Rotating Stations

• 2:00 - 2:30 PM: Outdoor Play

• 2:30 - 3:00 PM: Free Play

• 3:00 - 3:30 PM - Snack!

• 3:30 - 5:30 PM: Teacher's Choice + Outdoor Play (weather permitting) + Free Play

Here are a few of the things we plan to have in place for the summer:

THEMES:

• Music

• Science

• Robotics

• Math

• Art

• Technology/Engineering

• Community Service & Enrichment

• Agriculture

• Vo-Tech

• Career Exploration

POTENTIAL FIELD TRIPS:

• Pool Outings

• Hays Public Library + Book Mobile

• Sternberg Museum

• Coldstone Creamery

• Arc Park

• Precision Valley Golf

• Arcade 11

• Centennial Lanes

• Rolling HIlls Zoo (Salina)

• SKY Trampoline Park (Salina)

• Sonic Sand Volleyball

• Great Bend Zoo

• Kansas Wetlands Education Center (Great Bend)

• Wetlands Water Park (Great Bend)

• Up N Rollin Skate Center (Great Bend)

• WaKeeney Water Park

• Russell Pool + Dream Theater

Bright Minds Academy has partnered with Holy Family Elementary (HFE) to bring BMS to the Hays community. We feel very fortunate and are excited that HFE leadership was willing to extend their facilities to us for the duration of the summer.

**Disclaimer: The program will not have a strictly Catholic element to it. We will give thanks before meals, but in a non-denominational manner. Reach out to us with questions on this subject.**

Bright Minds Summertime will restart on May 19, 2025 at the conclusion of Holy Family's academic calendar year. This start date is contingent on KDHE relicense approval. We will keep families updated at every turn, but we expect to be able to hit our projected start date. BMS will conclude on the Friday before the first week of school (projected to be August 15).

If for any reason the program does not get licensed, or is significantly delayed, your deposit will be returned to you at your request.

Students attending the Bright Minds Summertime program will all be school-aged children. They will all be old enough to (at varying degrees) understand expectations, know the difference between right and wrong, and comprehend that choices and actions have consequences.

While our summer will be primarily focused on fun and new experiences, there will still be program rules and expectations for students to adhere to. All rules and expectations will be outlined in our parent handbook.

Beyond doing our best to be good humans and following program rules, all that's left to do is have a blast! And we'll supply the fun. :)

This will depend on enrollment. Our rule for the program will be at a minimum one teacher per 15 students. With that said, we always bring in extra hands for crafts/projects, field trips, and camps. Last summer, we had 43 children enrolled, and we regularly had four teachers on site.

In our first summer (2024), we had 43 children enrolled in the BMS program. We plan to accommodate 60 for summer 2025.

At these numbers, the program would have four teachers at all times with a fifth coming in regularly to help with activities, camps, and field trips.

Leading the children through a summer of fun will be Program Director, Kayla North. Kayla has 12 years of previous teaching experience in grades K-6 and has been the Program Director at Bright Minds Academy's original location for the past year. Kayla is a valued member of our team. She understands our core values, and brings relevant experience to what this role demands.

Other Bright Minds Academy leadership will also be heavily involved in the program, especially on any external trips or activities.

The weekly rate for Bright Minds Summertime is still being formulated for 2025. This will include all meals, program materials, supplies, camps, activities, transportation, and more. Certain field trips and related expenses will be in addition to the weekly tuition rate.

A one week, non-refundable deposit is required to hold a spot for the summer. Your deposit will be credited back to you towards tuition for your child's first week of care. Tuition will be billed bi-weekly on Fridays.

After an overwhelming request for part-time availability, we have decided to open up a structured part-time offering. In order to staff, meal prep, and plan activities with consistency, part-time spots will be every week for the days of Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

With this option now available, we will plan to do most of our camps, field trips, and major activities during these three days. This way, part-time students will get to participate in the bulk of the experiences!

With more of our expenses being allocated to these three days, the part-time rate will be $175/week billed bi-weekly in advance similar to our full-time option. If you have any questions about how this option will work, please reach out to us!