FAQs

Registration for Creative Summer:

Registration for Creative Summer 2023 occurs on a Priority Registration Schedule.

Pre-Season Registration - December 12, 2022 to 4 p.m. January 3, 2023 - is open exclusively for current Holton-Arms and Brown House families and employees and Creative Summer 2023 staff.

During Priority Period 1 – Tuesday, January 4, through 5 p.m. Monday, January 9 – families eligible to register include:

• Returning¹ families from 2022, 2021, and 2020
• Wait-listed² families from 2022
• Families of current Holton-Arms students, faculty, and staff
• Families of Creative Summer 2023 staff
• Children of Holton-Arms Alumnae
• Families of 2022 Holton Fine & Performing Arts Adjunct Program participants
• Families of current Holton-Arms Board Members

We will email the Priority Period 1 registration link to Returning and Wait-listed Families in late December. Other Priority Period 1 eligible families not in our system should email us to request the Priority Period 1 link.

During Priority Period 2 – 7 p.m. Monday, January 9, to 5 p.m. Wednesday, January 11 – families eligible to register include:

• Current residents of Zip Code 20817
• Families eligible to register during Priority Registration Period 1

We will email the Priority Period 2 registration link the first week of January to residents of Zip Code 20817 who have accounts in our registration system or who have submitted an inquiry form. You may also email us to request the Priority Period 2 registration link.

General Registration opens at 7 p.m. Wednesday, January 11, and is open to:

• Families new to Creative Summer
• Families wait-listed in 2021
• Returning families from 2019 and earlier
• Priority eligible families who missed the Priority Registration periods

Once General Registration opens, all registrations are given equal consideration and processed in the order they are received.

For questions about our registration process and priority eligibility, please email creative.summer@holton-arms.edu.

Health Forms

The Camper Health History Form is incorporated into the online registration form and is submitted when you register and submit your non-refundable camp deposit. You will be required to provide insurance and emergency contact information and answer questions regarding your camper's basic health, including providing the date of their most recent tetanus shot.

All Supplemental Health Forms, if necessary, are due Friday, April 28, 2023.

Balance of Tuition Due

Wednesday, April 5, 2023

Last Day for Tuition Refund (All tuition becomes non-refundable)

Friday, May 5, 2023

Current Holton-Arms and Brown House families, Holton-Arms employees, and Creative Summer 2023 staff may register during Pre-Season - December 12, 2022 to 4 p.m. January 3, 2023.

During Priority Period 1 – Wednesday, January 4, through 5 p.m. Monday, January 9 – families eligible to register include:

• Returning¹ families from 2022, 2021, and 2020
• Wait-listed² families from 2022
• Families of current Holton-Arms students, faculty, and staff
• Families of Creative Summer 2023 staff
• Children of Holton-Arms Alumnae
• Families of 2022 Holton Fine & Performing Arts Adjunct Program participants
• Families of current Holton-Arms Board Members

¹Returning families have had at least one child attend a Creative Summer program within the last three summers - 2020 through 2022. This includes Creative Summer day camps (2021 & 2022), virtual camps (2020 & 2021), sports camps (2021 & 2022), and families who were actively registered in May 2020 when Creative Summer closed due to the Pandemic. Returning Family status extends to siblings of a returning camper even if the sibling(s) did not attend Creative Summer.

²A Wait-listed family is defined as a family who applied to Creative Summer in 2022, was wait-listed and did not attend camp that year, even if space was offered. Wait-list family status extends to siblings of a wait-listed camper even if the sibling(s) never applied.

During Priority Period 2 – 7 p.m. Monday, January 97, to 5 p.m. Wednesday, January 11 – families eligible to register include:

• Current residents of Zip Code 20817
• Families eligible to register during Priority Registration Period 1

General Registration opens at 7 p.m. Wednesday, January 11, and is open to:

• Families new to Creative Summer
• Families wait-listed in 2021 and earlier
• Returning families from 2019 and earlier
• Priority eligible families who missed the Priority Registration periods

 

Campers entering second grade have a choice of camps. They may attend EITHER Junior Campers, a contained program of housed in the Lower Camp, where their activity schedule is pre-set, OR the Upper Camp program, Creative Campers, where each camper selects his/her own activities, and travels as an individual from class to class five times each day. Please read the descriptions of both offerings to assist you in selecting the better program for your camper entering second grade in fall 2023.

A camp deposit, paid by the session, is due at registration for both Day Camps and Sports Camps. Deposits vary by program and are outlined on the Dates and Rates page. This camp deposit becomes non-refundable three (3) calendar days after registration is submitted.

The remaining camp balance is due Wednesday, April 5, 2023. For registrations or purchases of Creative Summer add-ons (such as bus service or class fees) made after Saturday, April 1, 2023, full payment is due within five (5) calendar days of purchase.

During registration, families have the option to set up an automatic payment for their account balance to be charged to their credit card on Wednesday, April 5, 2023.

Although full tuition is due April 5, 2023, partial payments in advance of this date are also welcome. If you would like to set up a formal installment payment plan, please contact the Creative Summer office at creative.summer@holton-arms.edu

 

Creative Summer does not pro-rate tuition for any camp session, regardless of the number of days/weeks the camper attends.

Your Account Username is the e-mail address you used when you last applied/registered for Creative Summer or the last time you updated your account information. If your email address has changed and you did not update it in CampBrain with the Creative Summer office, log in using your old email address as your username. You can verify/update your account information from within your online account.

If you do not remember your Account Password, click HERE to generate a password reset email message.

We recommend that you log in to your online account to verify your password before online registration begins; high volume on our server during registration could delay password reset emails. If you need further assistance, contact the Creative Summer Office by email or call 301-365-6003.

IMPORTANT: If you cannot log in to your existing account during registration, log in as a new user and create a new account. Your old and new accounts can be merged later.

Electronic payment online is required for your camp deposit at registration; we accept MasterCard, Visa, Discover online. Creative Summer DOES NOT accept American Express for payment processing in our online registration system.

Your final balance may be paid online or by check, mailed to Creative Summer at Holton-Arms School, 7303 River Road, Bethesda MD 20817.

ALL CAMPERS

• The Camper Health History Form is incorporated into the online registration form and is submitted when you register. You will be required to provide one emergency contact other than a parent and your camper's insurance and physician information. We do not require an annual checkup record from your camper's physician.
• COVID-19 vaccination record: All campers must submit a record of COVID-19 vaccination or a medical exemption to the COVID-19 vaccine.
• Immunization Records: All non-Montgomery County public and private school campers must submit a copy of their immunization records.
  • US RESIDENTS may submit their Immunization Records in any format provided by their Physician's office.
  • NON-US RESIDENTS must submit their Immunization records on MDH form 896. 
  • Upload a copy of your camper's immunization record to your online account or email it by Friday, April 28, 2023.

SOME CAMPERS may need

• Immunization Certificate/MDH Form 896 
  • Campers who reside OUTSIDE the United States must submit their Immunization Records on this form. Creative Summer cannot accept immunization records from non-US residents in any format other than MDH Form 896.
  • Campers who are exempt from any immunization must submit their Exemption Certificate on this form.
    • Medical exemptions must be signed by a physician.
    • Religious exemptions may be signed by a parent.
    • Only medical exemptions are accepted for exemption to COVID-19 vaccination.
• Medication Administration Authorization (MAA)
  • Campers who require daily or emergency medication, including Over-the-Counter medication provided by the family, must submit an MAA for each medication and/or EpiPen you provide for your camper. Two types are available:
    • Medication Administration Authorization. Up to three medications may be authorized on a single form
    • Medication Administration Authorization - Asthma Action Plan. For campers managing asthma at camp.
  • MAAs require both physician and parent signatures
• Over-the-Counter Medication Authorization 
  • This optional form authorizes our Camp Nurse to administer certain Over-the-Counter medications (listed on the form) as needed to treat minor injuries/illnesses using medications provided by the camp.
  • This form is not valid unless signed by both a physician and a parent. 
  • Physician must specify the medications and dosage your camper may take.
  • We cannot accept OTC forms from any other school or camp; the Creative Summer form must be used.
• Sunscreen Authorization Form
  • New in 2023 - this optional form is incorporated in the online registration.
  • Submit this form if your camper will apply sunscreen during the camp day.
    • List acceptable brand(s) of sunscreen.
    • Indicate whether our adult counselors may assist your camper in sunscreen application.
    • Keep a copy with the sunscreen.
    • You must provide sunscreen in its original container with your camper’s name clearly labeled on the container.

Any Health Forms that are not filled out during registration are due Friday, April 28, 2023. 

Visit the Health Forms and Information page for more information and links to download forms.

Creative Campers have a five-period class day. They will choose one activity per period per session online in late April, according to the priority schedule outlined below. You may explore the planned activities on our Creative Campers Options page. These options are subject to change until final class menus are emailed to Creative Camper families.

Registration links and class menus will be emailed to registered families no later than April 10.

Class selection begins at 7 p.m. and ends at 5 p.m. the following day for each priority grade group.

For Campers in Grade(s)	Selection begins at 7 p.m. on	And ends at 5 p.m. on
Grades 7 and 8	Monday, April 24	Tuesday, April 25
Grades 5 and 6	Tuesday, April 25	Wednesday, April 26
Grade 4	Wednesday, April 26	Thursday, April 27
Grades 2 and 3	Thursday, April 27	Friday, April 28

Campers who miss their grade’s selection window may choose their classes starting at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 28, after all the grade groups have had their day of selection priority.

In the first week of June you will receive an information packet from Creative Summer will be mailed to your home address. This mailing includes:

• A camp newsletter
• Car Line Number Placard, if appropriate
• Bus Rules and Schedule, if appropriate
• Lunch Ordering Menu
• Day Camp Schedules
  • Creative Campers (ages 7-13) will receive personalized schedules
  • Creative Kids will receive a copy of their group's schedule
• Sports Camp Welcome Letters

Most of these documents will also be available on our Creative Summer Documents page.

Creative Summer is NOT a peanut-free camp. Families are permitted to pack peanut products in their camper’s lunch and snacks. However, we do have precautions in place to protect our campers with nut allergies.

Additionally, we have a peanut-free bin that campers can put their lunches in to be refrigerated and a Peanut-Free Zone in the Dining Room. This is a designated space where campers can sit during lunch to ensure they are not exposed to peanut or other nut products.

Creative Summer offers families the chance to pre-order lunch for their campers through the Holton-Arms food service provider, Meriwether Godsey.

Creative Summer lunches may be ordered through your online account. Lunch ordering opens in May.

Please visit our Lunch page for more information.

Creative Summer is closed Monday, July 3, and Tuesday July 4, 2023, in recognition of the Independence Day Holiday.

Please inform the camp, by phone 301-365-6003, email, or online form, if your camper will be late to or absent from camp. Camper safety is our first priority, and that starts with knowing where our campers are.

Please note no refunds will be given for camper absence for any reason.

Emergency Closure Notification
Camp closures will be posted on the Holton-Arms website and on a recorded message on the Creative Summer office phone line at 301-365-6003.

Emergency Closure Policy
In the event the Holton-Arms School administration deems it necessary or is required to close the School’s premises due to circumstances beyond its control, such as extreme weather, power outage, flooding, or other emergency condition, Creative Summer cannot guarantee the make-up of lost time. Though we may schedule make-up hours where possible, camp time lost may be void. No refunds or credits will be issued in the event of a weather or other uncontrollable event or closure.