By Cristina Cabrera Jarro -
HOMESTEAD | It involved a lot of stress, cleaning and enforcing of rules but the small staff of the La Salle Educational Center managed to open its doors for in-person summer camp despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
For parents who live in the South Dade Labor Camp, most of whom work in agriculture or construction, the summer camp was their only option for keeping their children safe and cared for during summer vacation.
“We told families, 'Hey, we know this isn’t ideal, but this is what we have to deal with right now.' And everybody seemed to say, 'It’s better than nothing,'” said Monica Lauzurique, the center's director.
The camp ran from June 15 through August 7, 2020, with no child or faculty member reporting positive for COVID-19. Lauzurique said her teachers, Yancy Velasquez and Dulce Olvera Rivera, were key. They made sure to clean and enforce the rules “and that is what is keeping people healthy. That’s what’s keeping us going.”
Daily precautions included the wearing of masks, the use of hand sanitizer and frequent handwashing, and daily temperature checks and health inquiries. Most parents were on board, but one pushed back, saying the La Salle Center was being too strict.
“Keeping people safe doesn’t mean we’re doing it right; it just means we’re trying hard,” Lauzurique said.
In keeping with social distancing measures, the center had 30 spots available for the summer camp, 20 less than their usual capacity. Kids were supervised, educated, entertained and nourished (breakfast, lunch and snack included) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday — a schedule that benefited parents who, Lauzurique said, have not stopped working since the start of the pandemic.
The 30 campers were split into two groups of 15, each group in a separate classroom, with no crossovers allowed. Siblings were kept in the same classroom to prevent cross contamination at home. Classrooms were cleaned twice a day. Had a student gotten sick, that group's classroom would have shut down for 14 days.
“I don’t think there is a perfect way to do this and there are a lot of outside factors that I don’t control," Lauzurique said. "When they step outside of our bubble, we can’t control that. That’s where the tough part comes in.”
This year’s camp had a Time Traveler theme that gave kids the opportunity to explore American history. They revisited each decade since the 1930s by experiencing its music, inventions, and sports. Activities included learning how to swing dance (1930s), making comics (1950s), and making sand art (1990s).
“We did the '60s the other day and tie-dyed shirts and masks. Tie-dye is a thing with my kids,” said Lauzurique, noting that the activity is always a camp favorite.
The campers also got a "taste" of the decades with snacks like Twinkies (1930s), popcorn balls (1950s), and hot pockets (1980s).
And no summer camp is complete without some outdoor, watery fun. This year, instead of backyard slip-and-slides, the La Salle Center rented a giant waterslide for campers to play on.
“We still want them to have experiences outside of their own realities at home," said Lauzurique, "and we’re having fun, but it’s not the same.”