Since 2010 ESQ’s registration system makes receipts available to parents at any time! All you have to do is login to https://fortuna.uwaterloo.ca/weconnect/ and click on “Receipt Last Year”! That’s your tax receipt! For confirmation of any programs run in 2013, just select “Receipt Current”.
If you registered for a program that ran in 2013, but you paid in 2012 those registrations will show on both receipts! That’s completely normal! Use the 2012 receipt for the payment, and the 2013 for the confirmation of enrollment!
We’ve also had lots of parent s ask if our programs qualify for the arts or fitness tax credits. Unfortunately we are STEM experts, not tax experts, so we would recommend you speak with a tax professional to confirm – however our program’s primary focus is hands-on STEM!
If you have any other questions regarding receipts, or if you are having trouble logging into the registration system please email esqinfo@uwaterloo.ca!
Please note that we are NOT able to email copies of receipts – you must have access to the registration system to print your receipt!
]]>Below we have listed some tips to remember when registering for ESQ Summer camps!
1) Camps are organized by grade level. Please register your child using the grade that they will be going into in September 2013! (So if your child is currently in grade 2, but will be going into grade 3 they should be registered for Suzuki!)
2) Program offerings are done by city. In our registration system you will be asked to select what city you are located in, and you will only see the options available for that city. You can change this by restarting the registration process.
3) At the Waterloo campus ONLY you can register for multiple weeks of camp, without having your child repeat any programming.
- Grades 1 & 2: Banting has A, B and C camps that run each week. (3 options)
- Grades 3 & 4: Suzuki has A, B and C camps and the grade 3&4 Science and Technology camp that run each week. (4 options)
- Grades 5 & 6: Newton has an A and B camp and the Payette Technology camp (3 options)
- Grades 7-9: Only one Edison camp, and one Tesla Technology camp run each week. (2 options)
4) ESQ will not be running camp on the Canada Holiday, July 1st, or the August Civic holiday, August 5th. These weeks of camp will begin on the Tuesday, and is available at a discounted rate.
5) If your family registers for a total of 3 weeks you are eligable for a $20.00 per week discount! This discount is applied as a refund after registration.
If your child is currently in High School, but they still want to be at UW check out our brand new Catalyst program at http://catalyst.uwaterloo.ca/.
We look forward to seeing you this summer!
]]>In May we had 26 university staff start planning and designing programs. With the help of 17 high school staff, 5 managers and 3 program assistants these activities would reach over 2,200 campers in Waterloo and the other communities we operate in.
From September 2011 to today we have engaged over 20,000 youth through school workshops, birthday parties, Winter and March Break camps, and other community events.
This was all made possible with the support of University of Waterloo, and the ESQ partners who include:
Finally, we'd like to thank you, the ESQ parents for sending your kids to us each summer, and giving us the opportunity to increase your child’s confidence in science and engineering.
So what’s next?
We'll be taking the next week off to re-energize, then we’ll be back running birthday parties, workshops, and possibly even some new weekend programming, all the while preparing to make 2013 the best ESQ Summer since 2012.
In the meantime, you can see some of the photos taken by our staff at our flickr page. We'll be posting more photos in the coming weeks, along with announcing what we do next on our facebook, twitter and email list.
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If you’re not using twitter, and are curious about it, the following is a quick guide we’ve written about twitter:
What is twitter?
It’s an online resource for posting short updates with pertinent information for upcoming events, recaps of past events and links to media. Each Twitter post allows for 140 characters, meaning that you have only 140 letters and spaces to get your information out. But it also allows for the addition of photos, video, lists, favourites and internet links.
Some popular twitter feeds that might give you a sense for how it works is:
-CBC
-NHL
Why would I follow someone? What does it mean to be followed?
Twitter also allows you to follow and be followed. Following someone means that you will be able to see their tweets and respond and interact with them if you choose. All these tweets appear in your timeline. Being followed means that people can read your tweets and interact with you.
Twitter Basics and shorthands
@ESQCamps, this is the username or handle and is a way to connect with others by searching for their handle. You can mention people by inserting their name in your post like so:
“Hey @ESQCamps, do you have any registration spots left in Suzuki for the last week of July?”
By including a handle, your message will appear in their timeline, even if they aren’t following you.
So if @scherem wants to write a message that @ESQCamps would see, they would write a tweet that says:
“Hey @ESQcamps are you full for the summer?”
Even if @ESQCamps isn’t following @scherem, this message will appear in their timeline.
RT: stands for re-tweet. Re-tweets are a way to share something someone else has already posted.
“I totally agree!!! RT @ESQCamps: Doing workshops with students about the importance of sticking with Math and Science….they create so many opportunities!”
In this example, @ESQCamps’ posted the original information, and I agree and want to share the information with my followers. . The letters RT let the reader know that you are repeating this information.
Posting media is equally as simple. There will be an icon underneath the tweet box (where you enter your post) with a camera icon. Click this icon and select your image to be attached. Keep in mind that attaching anything like a photo, video or link will take up a few characters in your post. Usually around 15, so plan your words accordingly to save space for that perfect supporting picture.
Finally the # or hashtag…..these things are cool! Adding a hashtag like, #ESQCAMPS, to the end of a post allows for that post to be searched as well as show up on the trending (or popular) lists. If a hashtag gets used a lot, then it will be part of the trending list which twitter keeps track of and posts publicly.
See some search results by clicking or searching the following in the Twitter search bar:
Try creating a twitter account, you can follow your favourite scientists, companies, Summer Camps…..AHEM… @ESQCamps…….sorry, where was I? Right…scientists, companies, schools, community leaders. All of these people and places are getting themselves organized on Twitter. It’s a great way to stay connected an up to date
You can see who ESQ follows here! We’d be honored if you would
Here are a few more guides on how to use twitter:
Twitter Basics by Twitter
CNET’s Guide to Twitter by CNET
Twitter For Beginners by Twittip
Twitter | Common Craft by Common Craft
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In 2011, our Telsa (grade 7-9) technology camp staff made the following video to get the campers excited about the week and also to outline what they were doing in the camp that summer.
Like our engineering & science camps, the currliculum changes year to year. Each year the campers do some form of video editing, electronics (soldering) and graphic design activities, but the final product will be different.
If you want to learn more about our technology camps, take a look at some other sample activities from past years.
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