Camp Overview

Each summer camp is 1 week long and is based on a weekly theme. We offer camps for children between the ages of 1-9 years old with a total of 5 classrooms and group children with their peers based on age. Each week of camp is packed with fun activities including games, arts and crafts, messy play, free play, story time, field trips for full day campers, and more! 

 

Registration Process

1. Read all camp information & policies and complete the registration form fully and accurately for each child. 

2. After submitting the registration form, please allow up to 1 week for processing.

3.If we are unable to offer your child a space in 1 or more of the camps you have selected, we will contact you by email and/or   Brightwheel to discuss other options or notify you that your child has been placed on the waitlist. If placed on a waitlist, you will not be charged any fees until you are offered and accept a camp spot. 

4. If we are able to offer your child a space in all weeks of camp that you have selected, you will receive an invoice through Brightwheel for the full balance of all camps that you have selected. 

5. If your child is successfully enrolled in 1 or more weeks of camp, a one time, non-refundable processing fee of $20 per child will be assessed to cover processing costs and includes a camp t-shirt. 

6. Invoices must be paid within 3 business days.

7. Your child's camp registration is not secured until the full balance of the camp has been paid. If payment is not received by the due date indicated on the summer camp invoice, the invoice and registrations will be voided. 

8. Payments can be made using a credit card, debit card, or bank transfer by cash or check. Checks should be made payable to Shine Academy and can be mailed to 4907 Bridges St. STE D Morehead City, NC 28557

9. Brightwheel is our primary resource for communication between families and Shine. Please be sure that you have download the Brighwheel app and logged in using the username and password associated with your child's account to ensure receive all camp updates and information. If you have difficulty accessing or navigating your Brightwheel account, please reach out to their support team at help.mybrightwheel.com

 

Payment Plan

If you would like to register your child for 1 or more camps but are unable to pay the full camp balance at the time of registration, you may select the payment plan option. A nonrefundable deposit of $75  per week of camp will be due within 3 business days of the the issuance of the deposit invoice. Failure to pay the deposit invoice by the due date will void the camp registration.  A 10% financing fee will be added to the remaining camp balance and the total will be divided into equal monthly payments spanning from the 1st of the next calendar month through the 1st of June 2026. All payment plans must be paid in full by June 1st 2026. If the balance for all camps selected at the time of registration is not paid in full by June 1st, all payments toward the total balance of camp fees including deposits and monthly payments will be forfeited and no refunds or credits will be issued. If after registering, you realize your child will no longer be able to attend a camp they are registered for, the $75 deposit may only be transferred to a NEW camp reservation, if space allows, and cannot be credited towards the remaining balance of any camps or applied as a refund or credit for previously paid deposit amounts on other weeks of camp. If circumstances do not allow you to transfer the deposit amount to a new camp registration, the $75 deposit will be forfeited. 

 

Cancellations & Refunds

1.If your child cannot attend a camp that they are registered to attend and you notify us at least 1 week before the camp begins, Camp fees  may be transferred to a NEW camp registration if space allows. Camp fees may not be transferred or applied to charges related to any other program offered by Shine including preschool and/or after school tuition, registration fees, etc. or credited towards previously paid camp fees.

2. If your child cannot attend a camp that they are registered to attend and you notify us at least 1 week before the camp begins, we can reach out to families on the waitlist in an effort  to fill the spot. If we are able to fill the spot before the camp begins, we will issue a refund or credit equal to 75% of the the cost of the camp. Credit card and other processing fees are nonrefundable

3. You may transfer your child's registration to another child's name if the child assuming the spot can be placed in the same camp group that your child has been placed in. If you choose to do this, it shall be an independent transaction and the exchange of fees will not be negotiated or facilitated by Shine. The party assuming the camp registration will be held to all of the same policies as if they were the original purchaser. If you do independently transfer your child's registration, please contact us as soon as possible to complete a transfer form.  

3. No refunds or credits will be issued in the event that you fail to notify us of the need to alter the camp registration at least 1 full week before the start of the camp. 

4. No refunds or credits will be issued in the event that we are unable to transfer your child's registration to a new week of camp or if we are unable to fill the camp spot before the camp begins. 

5. No refunds or credits will be issued for no shows or missed days of camp for any reason. 

 

Age Groups & Camp Hours

Half day camps run daily from 8:00am-12:00pm and are open to children 1-5 years old. Half day campers will remain on site at Shine and will not take field trips. 

Full day camps run daily from 8:00-3:00 and are open to children 4- 9 years old (must be fully potty trained).  Full day campers will go on weekly field trips. 

Drop Off is between 8:00-8:30 am. If you plan to arrive after 8:30, please let us know. 

Pick Up is between 11:30-12:0 for half day camps and 2:30-3:00 for full day camps.

Early drop off is available to all campers starting at 7:30 am in the gym for $5 per day. Doors open for regular drop off at 8:00 am, so if you need your child to arrive before that time, you must drop them off in the gym and will be billed $5 for the day. 

Children must be walked to and from their classroom each day and checked in/out by an approved adult listed in Brightwheel.  Whoever accompanies the child to/from camp is responsible for ensuring the child safely enters & exits the building and remains safe in our parking lot. In order to maintain safety, children should never be allowed to freely run through our building or in our parking lot. Please be mindful of others and courteous. 

 

Late Pick Up

If an unplanned situation arises that will cause your child to be picked up after their scheduled pick up window, please message your child's teacher in Brightwheel as soon as possible.  We understand that unexpected situations sometimes happen and will ensure that your child remains safe and supervised until they are picked up. We will extend an occasional grace period of up to 15 minutes; however, frequently arriving after the scheduled pick up window will result in a $1 per minute late fee that must be paid before your child can return to camp. Repeat occurrences of late pick up may result in dismissal from camp. No refunds or credits will be given in the event of dismissal. 

 

Lunch & Snack

All campers should bring a snack and lunch from home each day. Half day campers will eat lunch from 11:30-12:00. If you do not want your child to each lunch at camp, you may pick them up at 11:30. Sometimes we provide special snacks or meals during camp that relate to the theme or a planned activity. If we plan to offer a meal or snack, we will notify families through Brightwheel. If your child has any dietary restrictions, please be sure to let us know. We are a nut aware program which means peanut and tree nut products may be brought to camp unless doing so is unsafe for a current camper. In the event that a child with an allergy attends camp, we will work closely with the child's family to determine what measures need to be in place to ensure safety and communicate any needed restrictions to the families of the children they apply to. Your child should also bring a clean and filled water bottle to camp each day. We supply filtered drinking water and are happy to refill their bottle throughout the day as needed. Milk, juice or sports drink may be sent for snack or lunch but please do not send soda or energy drinks to camp.  All meal and snacks should be ready to eat and packaged to maintain their appropriate temperature until consumed. We cannot heat or prepare food onsite and cannot provide refrigeration for children's meals or snacks. Please be sure to send enough nutrient dense food to keep your child full throughout the day and be mindful of the amount of sugar and carb heavy options you provide since they can cause bloods sugar fluctuations that effect children's mood and energy level.  We encourage children to eat during scheduled times and typically require them to join the rest of the group for at least a portion of the  meal or snack time, but we cannot force a child to eat or punish them in anyway if they chose not to eat . We also cannot require children to eat certain items before allowing them to eat other items, so if you choose to send a treat in your child lunchbox, they will be able to eat it regardless of what else they choose to eat from their lunch. Snack and lunch times are typically one of children's favorite parts of the day and it is rare that we have issues related to mealtimes, however, if you have any mealtime related concerns about your child please share them with their teachers.

 

Clothing

Children should wear comfortable, well fitting, weather appropriate clothing that can get dirty. Please avoid clothing choices that are challenging to get on or off for children who wear diapers and be sure that children who are potty training or newly independent in the restroom wear clothing that does not hinder their ability to use the restroom. Shoes should be comfortable and well fitting. Children may wear sandals, crocs, flip flops, etc. as long as the can securely keep them on their feet. All children, even older children, should bring a full change of clothes to either keep in their backpack or leave at camp. Summer camp activities can often be wet or messy so its a good idea to make sure your child has extra clothing just in case.  Children who are potty training or prone to having bathroom accidents should bring additional changes of clothes.  Some planned activities may require special clothing such as closed toed shoes or a swimsuit. Your child's teacher will communicate these requirements to you in advance if so. We typically keep our classrooms between 68-74 degrees so your child may also bring a light jacket if they would like to. 

 

Diapering & Potty Training

Families are responsible for suppling diapers, wipes, and diaper cream as needed. Children 1-2 years old are not required to be potty trained. If a child wears diapers, their diaper will be checked on a regular schedule and changed as needed. Information related to diaper changes will be logged in the Brightwheel app for families to view. If your child is potty training, please communicate that with their teachers. Teachers will support your child in the potty training process while they are at camp and assist them in toileting and changing as needed. Children who are 3 years old should be potty trained or well on their way and children who are 4 years old or older should be independent in the restroom. Teachers will encourage and support children's restroom usage throughout the camp day. Children will never be punished or shamed for having a bathroom accident and will have access to use the restroom as needed while they are at camp. Please be sure your child has a change of clothes with them at camp. If your child has a bathroom accident and does not have extra clothes, we will do our best to provide extra clothing for them but may have to contact the family to bring clothes.

 

*Please do not allow your child to bring toys from home to camp as they often cause distractions and conflict within the classroom. If your child uses a small comfort item such as a blanket or stuffed animal, they may be allowed to bring that item with them to help them feel safe at camp as long as doing so does not cause ongoing issues.  Shine is not responsible for any personal items that are lost or damaged. 

 

Inclement Weather/ Unexpected Closures

In the event of inclement weather or any other circumstance that makes it unsafe to open or operate camp for any reason families will be immediately notified through Brightwheel. If more than 50% of the scheduled camp is cancelled, an option to reschedule or receive a refund will be offered. If camp remains open but the child does not attend, no refund or credit will be issued. 

 

Sick Policy

We are committed to maintaining a safe and healthy learning environment by following all necessary health and sanitation guidelines. To help reduce the spread of germs, we also ask that families encourage their child to practice proper hand washing habits. If your child exhibits any of the following symptoms, we ask that you please keep them home from camp:

 

Fever of 100.4 or higher

Discharge from the eyes

Lice nits

Rash- unless cleared by a doctor 

Vomiting or diarrhea 

Any symptoms or illnesses that prohibit your child from fully and actively participating in planned camp activities.

A positive Covid or flu test

Any suspected or confirmed contagious illness such as RSV, hand- foot- mouth disease, etc.

 

Your child may return to camp when they are symptom free for at least 24 hours without the use of medication, or when cleared to do so by a medical professional. Children should be well enough to participate in all planned activities before they return to camp. 

 

If the 24hr mark from your child’s last symptom falls after the start of the camp day, they may not attend camp at any point that day. For example: If your child is sent home from camp at 10:30 am on a Monday because they vomited, they may not return to camp until Wednesday even if they do not vomit again. 

 

If an illness requires the use of antibiotics as part of the child’s treatment plan, the child may not return to camp until at least 24hrs. after receiving their first dose of the antibiotic. 

 

If a child is tested for any contagious illness such as whooping cough, strep, etc., they may not return to camp while lab results are still pending. 

 

We understand that children may frequently become ill especially during the preschool years as they are building their immune systems. We also understand that it can be inconvenient to keep your child at home due to illness, so we encourage families to plan a backup childcare arrangement for such instances.  Illness can affect children differently and oftentimes a child may appear to be completely well shortly after exhibiting symptoms of an illness but may still be contagious. It is imperative that everyone adhere to our sick policy and keep children home when the sick policy dictates that they should in order to decrease the spread of illness throughout our building.

 

If teachers notice behaviors or other indicators that a child is not feeling well, they may send a message to inform the family of the concern. If the child does not have a fever or any other symptom outlined in our sick policy, it will not be required for the child to be picked up early but you may do so at your own discretion. 

 

Behavior Policy

Shine Summer Camp is committed to providing a safe, supportive, and positive environment where children can learn, play, and grow. We understand that children develop at different rates, and our behavior guidance practices are designed to be developmentally appropriate, respectful, and focused on teaching skills while maintaining safety for all children and staff.

 

Behavior expectations are based on each child’s developmental level:

Ages 1–3: Children are closely supervised and supported through redirection, comfort, and modeling as they learn to communicate and manage emotions.

Ages 4–5: Children receive guidance with sharing, following routines, and expressing emotions appropriately.

Ages 6–9: Children are expected to follow program rules, respect others, and use appropriate communication and problem-solving skills.

 

Positive Behavior Guidance

Shine staff use evidence-based, positive strategies to guide behavior, including:

Clear and consistent rules

 

Modeling respectful behavior

Positive reinforcement and encouragement

Redirection to appropriate activities

Teaching social and emotional skills

Predictable routines and transitions

Shine does not use corporal punishment, shaming, humiliation, or harsh discipline.

 

Program Rules

To ensure safety and respect, all children are expected to:

Use safe hands, feet, and bodies

 

Follow staff directions

Treat peers, staff, and materials with respect

Remain with their assigned group

Use appropriate language and behavior

 

Responding to Challenging Behavior

When challenging or unsafe behavior occurs, staff will:

Provide verbal guidance and redirection

Briefly remove the child from the activity to calm and reset (under supervision)

Offer individual support strategies

Communicate with parents/guardians if behavior continues

 

Parents/guardians may be contacted immediately if a child:

Displays aggressive or unsafe behavior

Causes or attempts to cause injury

Repeatedly ignores safety rules

Attempts to leave the supervised area

 

Suspension or Dismissal

While Shine strives to support every child, the safety of all participants is our top priority. Shine reserves the right to suspend or dismiss a child if behavior:

Poses a continued safety risk to the child, peers, or staff

Persists despite intervention and family collaboration

 

Decisions are made thoughtfully and in the best interest of the group. No refunds for missed hours, day, or weeks of camp will be given due to behavior related concerns.

 

Family Partnership

Positive behavior support is most effective when families and staff work together. Families agree to communicate openly, respond promptly to concerns, and support consistent expectations at home and camp.