Plan March Break

Plan March Break

Overview

Locate research directory: Read .claude/kids-camp-planner.local.md to get the research_dir path (default: camp-research). All user data paths below are relative to this directory. The family profile is at <research_dir>/family-profile.md.

Plan camp coverage for the Ontario March break week (typically the third week of March). March break is a single week, making it simpler than summer planning but with its own considerations: limited availability, different provider landscape, and shorter planning window.

Planning Workflow

Step 1: Confirm March Break Dates

Ontario March break is set by the Ministry of Education. Determine the exact dates using the 3-Tier School Calendar Lookup:

1. Read the family profile from <research_dir>/family-profile.md for school board/school info
2. Tier 1 - Check internal library: Search ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/camp-planning/references/school-calendars/ for the family's school. If found, extract March break dates directly.
3. Tier 2 - Ask the user: If no internal data, ask: "Do you have the school calendar URL or PDF handy?" If provided, extract dates and save to internal library.
4. Tier 3 - Web search: If the user doesn't have it, search for "[school board] March break [year]". Download and save any PDF found. Extract dates and save to internal library.
5. For private schools, note that break dates may differ significantly from public boards.

Check calendar staleness: After loading calendar data, extract the school year from the ## YYYY-YYYY School Year header. Parse the end year (e.g., 2026 from "2025-2026"). If the current date is after September 1 of that end year, warn: "Calendar data for [board] is from [year]. The current year may have different PA days and breaks. Would you like to search for updated calendar data?" If the user says yes, run the 3-Tier School Calendar Lookup to find updated data.

Multi-school families: If children attend different schools, their March break dates may differ. Determine each child's break dates separately. On days when only some children are off, only those children need camp coverage (others are marked "In school"). The generate-annual-schedule script handles this automatically via build_annual_days_multi().

Typical pattern: Third Monday through Friday in March, but confirm annually as it occasionally shifts.

Private school extended breaks (CRITICAL): Some private schools have a longer March break than the public board. For example, German International School Toronto has a 2-week March break compared to TDSB's 1-week break. When the private school break is longer:

• Week 1 (overlapping with public board March break): March break camp programs will be widely available from all providers
• Week 2 (private school only, public schools in session): March break-specific programs will NOT be running. Fall back to:
  • General day camp operators offering weekly programs year-round
  • Before/after school care programs that accept drop-ins
  • PA day-style single-day programs (if any are running)
  • Parent/family coverage
• Present this split clearly to the user: "Week 1 has full March break program availability. Week 2 will have limited options since public schools are in session."
• Budget separately for each week since costs and provider types may differ significantly

Step 2: Check Family Availability

From the family profile, determine:

• Is the full week needed, or are parents taking time off for part of it?
• Any family trips planned during March break?
• Budget allocated for March break specifically

Present coverage needs:

March Break 2026: March 16-20
- Days needing coverage: [X] of 5
- Children needing coverage: [list]
- Budget for this period: $[X]

Step 3: Research March Break Programs

March break programs differ from summer camps:

Where to look:

• Municipal recreation departments (registration typically opens November-January)
• YMCA/YWCA March break camps
• Museums and science centres (ROM, Ontario Science Centre, local museums)
• Sports facilities and clubs
• Arts organizations (theatre companies, art galleries)
• Private camp operators (many summer camps run March break programs)
• Ski/outdoor recreation programs

March break considerations:

• Capacity is more limited than summer (fewer providers run March break programs)
• Registration opens earlier relative to the break (November-January)
• Costs may be higher per day than equivalent summer programs
• Indoor programming is more important (weather is unpredictable in March)
• Some programs offer half-week options

Step 4: Evaluate and Compare

For each March break option, collect:

• Full-week vs. daily registration available
• Hours (core hours, before/after care)
• Indoor vs. outdoor activity ratio
• Lunch included or bring-your-own
• Cost for the full week
• Location and commute time

Use the camp-planning skill's evaluation criteria for quality assessment.

Step 5: Build the Schedule

March break is a single week, so the schedule is simpler:

# March Break 2026 Schedule (March 16-20)

| Day | Child 1 | Child 2 | Dropoff | Pickup |
|-----|---------|---------|---------|--------|
| Mon | City Science Camp | City Science Camp | Parent 1, 8:30am | Parent 2, 4:30pm |
| Tue | City Science Camp | City Science Camp | Parent 1, 8:30am | Parent 2, 4:30pm |
| Wed | City Science Camp | City Science Camp | Parent 1, 8:30am | Grandparent, 3:00pm |
| Thu | City Science Camp | City Science Camp | Parent 1, 8:30am | Parent 2, 4:30pm |
| Fri | City Science Camp | City Science Camp | Parent 1, 8:30am | Parent 1, 4:00pm |

Step 6: Generate Output Files

Create or update:

1. <research_dir>/march-break-YYYY/schedule.md - Daily schedule
2. <research_dir>/march-break-YYYY/budget.md - Cost breakdown (use budget-optimization skill)
3. Provider files in <research_dir>/providers/ for any new providers

Step 7: Registration Reminders

March break programs fill quickly. Advise the user on:

• Registration deadlines for selected programs
• Backup options if first choice is full
• Waitlist strategies
• Whether to draft inquiry emails (use draft-email skill)

Key Differences from Summer Planning

Aspect	Summer	March Break
Duration	8-9 weeks	1 week
Provider availability	High	Limited
Registration timing	Jan-Feb	Nov-Jan
Weather factor	Outdoor-heavy	Indoor important
Cost per week	Standard	Sometimes higher
Half-week options	Rare	More common
Mixing providers	Common	Usually one provider

Daily cost note: March break programs often offer daily rates alongside weekly rates. When comparing, use daily costs ($40-90/day depending on provider) to accurately budget partial-week coverage. The budget calculator supports daily rates via --daily-rate and --days flags.

Additional Resources

For detailed private school March break test cases (including 2-week break scenarios with real GIST vs TDSB data), consult ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/camp-planning/references/private-school-test-cases.md (see Test Case 2: Extended March Break).

Related Skills

• Generate Annual Schedule - After finalizing March break plans, use the generate-annual-schedule skill to consolidate all school-break periods into one annual view.