ANNOUNCEMENT   July 14, 2020

Dear San Joaquin County Schools,   

I hope this letter finds you, your students, families, and communities healthy and safe.  I know the last few months have been filled with much uncertainty as we all work to rethink how best to serve our students during the age of COVID-19. 

At this time, the recommendations from the San Joaquin County Public Health Officer and those contained in SJCOE’s 2020-2021 School Year Planning: A Guide to Address the Challenges of COVID-19 cannot be safely achieved in a residential camp setting. Due to these concerns, the San Joaquin County Office of Education will not be operating our Outdoor Education program at Jones Gulch for the 2020-2021 school year. 

This decision was made with great difficulty based on the importance of this essential, immersive experience.  With this mind, the STEM department is working hard to design a menu of “outdoor education” experiences which may be offered virtually to compliment a student’s STEM experiences. 

We appreciate your flexibility and ongoing support of our program. We will share our virtual options as they are finalized. Please contact us if you have any questions.  

Sincerely, 

Lissa Gilmore, Coordinator

Announcement:  4/7/2020

Dear San Joaquin County Schools,

Since receiving new guidance and recommendations from the State of California related to schools and the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE) has made the decision to extend the closure of its schools and facilities to the public through the end of the 2019-20 school year. 

Unfortunately, that decision includes Science Camp. All scheduled Science Camp trips have been canceled for the remainder of 2019-20.

The decision was made in the best interest of students, staff, and our community. By following state and regional orders to stay at home, we are making an impact by slowing the spread of COVID-19 in our communities and preventing potential strain on our health care system.  These steps can help save lives.

We know that students have been looking forward to going to Science Camp for a very long time, and they worked hard to raise money to attend. Parents and teachers also put in long hours bringing everything together. We understand how disappointing it is, because we feel the same way, too.

  Thank you in advance for your understanding and support during this difficult time.