MESSAGE FROM PRINCIPAL KRAY SENT TO FAMILIES ON 10/26
Dear Sixth Grade Families,
I have some important information to share with you. School reservations for sixth grade camp are typically done a year in advance and when Pershing created our reservation for the 2023-24 school year, it was based on an enrollment projection that turned out to be significantly lower than the actual number of sixth graders that are now attending Pershing.
Unfortunately, the increase in enrollment means that Camp Cuyamaca cannot accommodate all of our students on the originally reserved week of April 8-12 and as a result we will have to send some of our students to Camp Cuyamaca on a different week – the Week of June 3-7.
Please know that we have been in regular communication with Camp Cuyamaca regarding this issue and have explored multiple options and tried to find a way that all of our students could go the same week, but we were not successful. Regardless of whether students go in April or June, Pershing students will be sharing the Camp Cuyamaca facilities with students from other school sites. Camp Cuyamaca also shared that Pershing is not the only school facing this situation of having to send students in two groups and attending two different weeks.
We understand that this is a less than desirable situation but feel it is important that every student who wants to go to sixth grade camp get the full five-day camp experience.
If your child will be attending sixth grade camp, or if the new date in June has changed your thinking and you would now like your child to attend camp, we are requesting that you complete the Camp Date Availability/Preference date survey . We also want to make sure families are aware June 3-7 is the final week of the 2023-24 school year as this may impact your availability. Families that are willing to send their child to camp the Week of June 3-7 will have the opportunity to select one friend who is also going to camp that week as a bunkmate until we hit our reservation limit. This bunkmate selection option is not guaranteed for students going the Week of April 8-12. Families not sending their child to sixth grade camp DO NOT need to complete the preference date survey.
We will also be hosting a brief Q&A session at 6:00 PM on Wednesday, November 8th in the Pershing library before the start of our Pershing Foundation Meeting if families have any additional questions. Again, we apologize for this inconvenience and the frustration you may understandably be feeling about this situation. We also appreciate your patience and understanding as we work together to address this challenging situation and ensure that all students have a positive experience at camp regardless of the week they attend.
Sincerely,
Melanie Kray, Principal
Greetings Pershing Families,
6th Grade Camp for 2023-24 is schedule for April 8th
to 12th at Camp Cuyamaca.
Students received their camp registration form (printed on blue paper), and they are due October 20th. Please return to Ms. Rebeca Bon as soon as possible. *Even if your student cannot attend, it would be extremely helpful if you could complete/submit this form.
Also, please note the Parent Information Meeting for 6th-grade camp is scheduled for Thursday, October 5th at 6 pm in the Pershing auditorium or via Zoom. We will discuss information about the 6th-grade camp, fundraisers, and important dates and answer any questions you may have.
Some parents have asked for more details about the camp experience. Their website is a good resource for information. https://www.sdcoe.net/schools/cuyamaca-outdoor/parents-and-students