By AMY JONES / Special to the Reporter

ALABASTER – Alabaster City Schools officials are looking to do their part to help out working parents this summer by offering a nine-week summer camp for kids ages 5-12.

ACS Community Education Program Manager Ashley May said the camp, which will be open from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, will be offered at two locations — Creek View Elementary and Meadow View Elementary. The camp runs from June 6-Aug. 5.

Parents can choose which location their child attends, and families do not have to live in Alabaster for their children to attend the camp.

May said this is the third year for the camp, which the school system offers as “a service” for area parents.

“It’s a service we like to offer to our parents. And even for parents who don’t work, they want their kids to have something to do during the summer,” she said. “(The kids) are still on a schedule, still getting to interact with other kids. And most of our families are working families, so we provide somewhere for them to go while parents are at work.”

Camp attendance costs $150 per week per child. There is a reduced rate of $125 for children who receive free or reduced meals, or children of ACS employees. Field trips, weekly swim sessions and a T-shirt are included in the cost.

If a family elects to pay for the entire summer up front, that family will receive one week of camp for free, May said. That is a one-time cost of $1,200 per child, or $1,000 for children who attend on the reduced rate. That one-time payment is due the first day of camp.

Families may also register week by week and pay per week.

This summer, the camp’s overall theme is “Going for Gold.” Each week of camp will have its own theme within the overall theme, said Lacey Aman, who also works with ACS Community Education.

“The first week’s theme is sports. We’re doing all sports that week, then going to a Barons game,” Aman said.

Other field trips will include the Birmingham Zoo, the McWane Center, a movie and Oak Mountain Lanes for bowling, among others.

So far, there are about 20 campers total signed up. Aman said the limit is likely about 60 campers at each of the two sites. Last year’s camp saw 75 campers, and ACS officials are hoping to see 100 signed up this year, she said.

The camps will be led by aides from the Alabaster schools, and local high school and college students will serve as counselors, May said.

As for meals, Meadow View Elementary will offer breakfast and lunch to campers. Parents whose children attend the Creek View Elementary camp are welcome to take their children to Meadow View for breakfast before dropping them off at Creek View. Campers and staff at Creek View will be bussed to Meadow View daily for lunch. Meal costs are included in the attendance fees.

To register for the camp, visit Ezchildtrack.com/alabasterascp/parent. Registration fee is $50 for one child, $75 for two or more children. For more information on the camp, call 663-8444.