Gettysburg's BEST After School & Summer Camp — Local services in Gettysburg

Our 5 year old daughter has, on more than one occasion, self-professed that she all she wants to do is “play all day”; within 5 minutes of her waking up I might hear, “Will you play with me?” or “Can I go outside?”. I’m fortunate enough to be able to work from home during this pandemic, however I don’t have flexibility with hours and my husband works outside of the home. Before summer camp I wasn’t able to concentrate fully on work and my daughter was spending more and more time in front of a screen until one day I realized she spent nearly a whole day watching cartoons on her tablet; she was only 4 at the time! So, though we of course had our concerns, when Gettysburg’s Best After School Program was able to open for the summer and explained the sanitation and safety precautions they would be taking, I knew that it was going to be what was best for her. I was doubly concerned with her being one of the youngest campers (just about to enter kindergarten) but the entire experience has been positive from the start. She has amazing coaches that seem to truly care for and like her. She has gotten exposed to school-like work such as addition and fractions; she gets to do fun crafts like making her own slime or ice cream, she gets to play with Barbies, she gets to go to the park and, she gets to participate in a weekly karate class. And these are just a few of the fun things she has done at camp this summer (did I mention she got to hold an alligator!). She’s also gotten the opportunity to learn about respect, earn good behavior points towards prizes, and vie for student of the day or week, all things that instill pride and self-esteem. Finally, while this may not be what we hoped for our daughter, she has also gotten exposed to the new things she has to know and do to navigate through life at the moment -- she knows about proper hand washing and sanitizing, she understands what germs are, she knows to stay 6 feet away from others, she knows how to “air hug”, she’s completely comfortable wearing a mask, and she’s accustomed to getting her temperature taken daily. These things, while not ideal, are all going to be a huge benefit to her as we prepare to send her to kindergarten in a few weeks. We are very grateful to Gettysburg’s Best After School for taking care of our daughter while we work and for giving her an outlet to expend energy, learn, and have fun, all in a safe...

Our oldest son started at Dubbs Karate about 7 years ago when he was just shy of his 4th birthday. He stayedn in classes until he was a bit older and began to participate in other sports. There is no doubt in my mind that the physical and mental skills he learned at Dubbs have contributed to his success as a student, friend, athlete, and teammate.

A year ago, we moved from Arendtsville to Gettysburg a few weeks before the start of school, and we noticed that Dubbs had expanded to include an afterschool program. I wasted no time contacing Sensei Fannon, because I knew the quality of care that my children would receive. I could count on lots of engaging activities, coach involvment, and consistent communication.

Fast forward to the ever changing landscape of education this year, Dubbs is ALWAYS has a plan for whatever situation parents are facing. What a blessing it is to know that before I can start to worry, Dubbs is reaching out to parents with a plan to make sure children have a safe and nuturing place where their kids can go for virtual learning.

In addition to being eternally grateful to Dubbs for being a resoirce for parents and children in our community, Dubbs is consistently involved in the community; supporting the schools donation drives for supplies (and the teachers with treats), supporting the Gettysburg SPCA with donation drives of pet supplies, and publicly supporting Gettysburg's small businesses. These are just a FEW things that I have noticed over the years, and trust me, there are many more examples.

We are lucky as parents and community members to have Dubbs as a local institution! Thank you Sensei Fannon, April and to all of your staff...

My oldest son spent at least 2-3 summers at Gettysburg Best before he was "dismissed" for behaviors for the remaining week or so of that summer. It was not communicated with me that he would be unable to return for any future camp programs, just that he was not to return for that particular summer program. So, being that a Hanover location was now available, I signed my oldest up for this 2025 summer camp, as well as my youngest (for his first time). This registration was completed in 01/2025. My deposit was accepted; I received my confirmation email. Then, on 5/13/25, I received a random and rather rude TEXT MESSAGE informing me that NEITHER of my sons would be welcome at any of their locations due to the previous dismissal. This is MAY... the literal month that my kids get out of school... I need summer care for my kids because my husband and I work! Again, I do understand policies and while I may disagree with the reasoning of my oldest's dismissal, I was understanding of it. However, I think it's completely ridiculous to black ball him completely, as kids do act like kids.. and kids (EVERYONE) have/has capacity to change [behaviors]. But to also say my youngest is not allowed to come when you do not even have any experience with him??! Ridiculous. Poor business. Sad. These "coaches" do not properly know how to manage kids. They put on their friendly faces with their thumbs up and "kiddo" this and "kiddo" that, but that's where it ends. Unbelievably disappointed in this company with their lack of respect shown to a returning customer. Completely unprofessional as evidence by the late notice and form of...