BERNARDS TWP., NJ _ As of 8:30 a.m. on Monday, April 5, online and in-person registration will begin for Bernards Township’s popular summer recreation program for grades K-5. There will be three program locations this year, at Southard Park, Pleasant Valley Park and Dunham Park.
The program is scheduled to be held daily from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for six weeks, from Monday through Friday, from June 21 through July 30, 2021. No program will be held on Monday, July 5.
The $425 fee for the program is for the entire six weeks and includes all entertainment, special activities, one program t-shirt and one drawstring bag. The cost will not be prorated for time unattended.
The program is run each summer by the Bernards Township Parks & Recreation department for students who will be entering kindergarten through grade 5 in the fall. Sports, art and crafts, and special activities such magic, music and Bernards Township library activities are planned.
Online registration requires payment by credit card. In person registration is cash or check only. Please make check payable to “Bernards Township”
Details on Bernards Township website
Details outlining the program are on the Parks & Recreation page for the Bernards Township website. Registration will be simultaneously conducted online and in person.
Visit www.bernards.org to register online using a credit card. Those applying for the program are advised to complete the household information before registration day if the family is new, inactive or are missing pertinent information, such as dates of birth.
In-person registration
Parents may also register at the Bernards Township recreation department from Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The department is located at the town hall at 1 Collyer Lane, Basking Ridge.
Parents should bring with them proof of Bernards Township residency (drivers license, utility bill), a copy of your child’s birth certificate or passport, a completed summer recreation program registration form, and check or money order (no cash) made payable to “Bernards Township.
All sites will be grades K-5th. You will register for the site you wish your child to attend. If registration at your chosen site is full, you may enroll your child on the waitlist. You may also register for an alternate site.
Parents who sign up will receive a confirmation receipt immediately following registration. The confirmation receipt also serves as payment receipt and contains the township’s tax identification number for your tax purposes.
If the family’s name is placed on a wait list, the receipt will indicate the waitlist number. Parents will be contacted only if a space becomes available and at that time given a date by which to pay the fee and complete the registration process. If payment and required forms are not received by the requested date, the opening will be offered to the next person on the wait list.
To request a refund and withdraw from the program, contact the recreation department in writing by sending an email request to [email protected]. Full payment refunds, less a $10 administrative fee per child, will only be processed if requested before Friday, April 30, at 4:30 pm There will be no refunds after April 30, according to the parks department. Refunds processing may take four to six weeks.
Non-resident registration
Non-residents may register for the program beginning May 3 if space is available. Cost would be $475 per child.
COVID-19 precautions
The department will follow all CDC recommendations and NJ Department of Health guidelines regarding the safe operation of the summer program under COVID-19 guidelines. Health and safety precautions to expect are: mandatory face coverings during non-strenuous activities and times when social distancing is not feasible, daily COVID-19 screening, and frequent disinfecting of shared equipment and supplies. The recreation department is still waiting for final COVID protocols for summer programs. The township will email those protocols as soon as they have been finalized by the state health department.
