Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD) has been working closely with Sisters School District since fall to determine how to best support students and families during the 20/21 school year due to the impacts of COVID.

While elementary students were able to return to in-person learning rather quickly, middle-school students remained in comprehensive distance learning (CDL) for months. Since November, SPRD has offered a specialized day camp, Camp SPRD, that is designed for middle-school youth to support their CDL needs. Thanks to a close partnership with Sisters Middle School and through grants made possible by Better Together, this program was offered for 11 weeks at no charge.

While grant dollars have been exhausted and students have transitioned into hybrid learning (two days at-home learning and two days in-school learning), the program remains open, with a new format.

Camp SPRD now runs Monday through Thursday with a Monday/Wednesday and Tuesday/Thursday option to support the hybrid-learning schedule. The morning hours are dedicated to school work while afternoon is all about play. Throughout camp, students have made a variety of crafts, as well as created a few new games including the current favorite, giant four-square. Additionally, camp staff have stayed in close contact with Sisters Middle School staff. This open line of communication helps to ensure students are set up for success.

While there is now a weekly registration fee, SPRD has been able to keep the fee nominal thanks to local option levy tax dollars.

“We are incredibly lucky to have such a supportive community here in Sisters,” said SPRD Executive Director Jennifer Holland. “Thanks to district residents who passed the local option levy in 2018, we have been able to continue creating programs that make a positive impact on youth even during these extraordinary times.”

For more information about Camp SPRD or other district programs, visit www.sistersrecreation.com or call SPRD at 541-549-2091.