Parent Information. NY YMCA Camp Overnight Camps. (Greenkill, McAlister & Talcott)

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1 Parent Information NY YMCA Camp Overnight Camps (Greenkill, McAlister & Talcott) Welcome to the NY YMCA Camp! We are very much looking forward to another exciting summer. The partnership between parents, guardians and the camp staff is crucial in providing all of our campers with a safe, pleasant and rewarding experience. To make sure that you have all the information you need, we have created several important documents: (1) The Parent Information Packet (this document): Contains GENERAL information for the parents of overnight campers, whether they are in one of our traditional programs (Camp McAlister or Talcott) or one of our specialty sports/arts programs (Camp Greenkill or BOLD/GOLD). (2) Program Fact Sheets (found on your Camp InTouch Account): These information sheets contain information that is SPECIFIC to your child s program (for example, what to pack for camp). Contacting Camp No matter which camp program your child attends, all communication happens through our main office. Office Hours September - June July - August Our regular office hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 5:00pm The office will be open 7 days a week from 9:00am to 5:00pm P.O. Box Big Pond Road Huguenot, NY phone: fax: camps@ymcanyc.org If, in the event of a family emergency, you need to contact your child after regular business hours, please call the main number. The voice mail message includes a number you may call in the case of emergencies. So that we can allocate our resources appropriately, we ask that parents utilize the emergency number only for true emergencies. All other after hours calls will be returned as quickly as possible the following day. pg. 1

2 Registration & Fee Payments Please ensure that all camp fees are paid by June 1, Credit Card Payments You are also able to make payment on Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover through your Camp In Touch account online. Check & Money Order Payments Checks or Money Orders are made payable to New York YMCA Camp. Please note there is a $30.00 fee for any personal check returned to us unpaid. Personal checks are not accepted if a check has been returned to us unpaid in the past. Medical Forms All required forms can be accessed via your Camp In Touch account. Please download and read the instruction sheet labeled Read Me First for detailed information about how, when and in what format forms need to be completed. All forms are due on June 1, If you are registering after June 1, they are due within two weeks of your registration. If you have questions about the forms, please do not hesitate to call the office at for assistance. Please note that per NY State Department of Health guidelines, your child will not be able to attend camp if required forms are not completed. Medications All medication must be given to the camp Health Administrator, Camp Director, or designee for administering. Please make sure that all medication (prescription and non-prescription) is sent in its original container and properly marked with the camper s name. We cannot accept a Ziploc bag with loose prescriptions in it. Prescription medication must be written for the child for whom it is intended. If your child uses an inhaler or has an Epipen we ask that you send two, this way your child s counselor can carry one with them and we can keep one in the Health Office for backup. Tip: Please send a sufficient supply of medication to ensure that the child will not run out while at camp. If your child requires a nebulizer, you must send the machine to camp because we do not have that equipment on site. Changing or Adding Sessions If unforeseen circumstances arise and it is necessary for your child to change sessions, you must notify the main office as soon as possible. Changes will be made if space is available. It is our hope that your child will love camp so much, that they will be eager for more time. Provided there is room in later sessions, we are very happy to have them extend their stay. However, advanced notice is required! Please notify the office NO LATER THAN Wednesday of the week before the session you would like to add so that we can manage all of the administrative details in time to make the added session as fun and successful as the first! Payment in full is required at the time of extension either by certified check, money order, cash or credit card. pg. 2

3 Refunds Parents who notify us of a cancellation by June 1st will receive a refund of all but $ (per session). No refunds will be given after that time. If extenuating circumstances require a camper to leave camp prematurely you may request a refund for the remaining part of their stay. All requests are subject to approval by the Executive Director. Please consider contributing any refund to the camp scholarship fund if your child needs to leave camp early. Thank you. Buddy Request Camp is for making new friends. We understand that campers sometimes attend with a friend. In order to request to room together, both campers must request each other on the application form and only one request is permitted per camper. They must be the same age and gender. We strive to meet all requests and reserve the right to make the cabin assignments. Labeling your camper s luggage All luggage and bags should be clearly labeled on the outside with the camper s name and the camp they will be attending--camp McAlister (traditional sleepaway, ages 7-11, and CITs) Camp Talcott (traditional sleepaway, ages 11-15, and BOLD/GOLD); Camp Greenkill (all specialty camps, including Gymnastics, Volleyball, Judo, Soccer and Broadway Workshop). Marking Individual Items: All personal items and clothing should be clearly labeled with your child s full name. TIP: Use a Laundry or permanent marker. All luggage and bags should be clearly labeled on the outside. Transportation The big day is finally here.arriving at camp! Please complete the electronic transportation form in your Camp InTouch Account by June 1st. Participants have the choice of providing their own transportation or using the camp transportation we offer. Arrival by Bus: Bus transportation to and from camp is available from four different locations across NYC. Buses to camp pick up on the first Sunday of each session at the times specified below : Bronx YMCA 2 Castle Hill Ave., Bronx, NY Check-in 11:30; Departure 12:00 PM Park Slope Armory YMCA-Brooklyn th St., Brooklyn NY Check-in 10:30; Departure 11:00 AM West Side YMCA--Manhattan 5 West 63 rd St., New York, NY Check-in 11:30; Departure 12:00 AM Cross Island YMCA-Queens Hillside Ave., Bellerose, NY Check-in 10:30; Departure 11:00 AM pg. 3

4 Bus Fees Round-Trip Fare...$96.00 One-Way Fare... $48.00 (Information on Departing by bus can be found later in this packet). There are several important rules to make sure arrivals proceed smoothly & on time. 1. Arrive at the YMCA at least 1/2 hour before expected bus departure or arrival. A staff member will assist you with check-in and collect medications and any health forms with last minute changes. 2. Please do not leave your children until the bus departs to camp. 3. Ensure your car is parked legally - we are not responsible for cars parked illegally. 4. Do NOT block bus parking area - buses MUST be parked next to curb before any loading or unloading can occur. 5. The first meal of a session will be dinner on Sunday. Please send healthy snacks (no nut products please, we are a nut free camp) and a drink with your child for the bus ride. Arrival by Car: Arrival Time - Sundays, 12:00pm 2:00pm Please follow the directions to camp. Driving directions can be downloaded from Camp In Touch. If you are using a GPS Camp s Address is 160 Big Pond Road, Huguenot, NY We like everyone to be available to meet and greet new arrivals so please try to arrive in the time window above. Early arrivals will be asked to wait until 12:00 noon before they will be allowed to officially check in. Please abide by the following rules to ensure car arrival is a safe and efficient process: 1. Obey designated speed limits (SLOW) and follow instructions given by camp staff. 2. Park only in designated spaces. 3. Give right-of-way to cars arriving in camp. 4. Do not pass any vehicles while on camp property--be patient while driving. 5. If you get delayed for any reason, please call to notify us so that we can plan appropriately. Arrival by Plane Camp can provide airport pick-ups, with four week s notice. Please call for details. Nearest airports are Stewart International in Newburgh, NY or Newark International in Newark, NJ. There is an additional charge for this service. Vehicle Safety Rules for Campers The following rules are very important for maintaining safety, and we ask that you review them with your child before their departure to camp: 1. Children will be required to maintain appropriate behavior and volume levels while on the bus/van. 2. Children will be required to remain seated while on the bus/van. 3. Children will be required to wear seat belts while in the bus/van, if equipped. 4. In case of emergency, children will be instructed to follow the Camp Director or Camp Staff s instructions. Changes to Arrival/Departure Plans If you need to add/drop the bus as a means of arriving at camp, please notify the office by NO LATER than the Monday before the start of your child s session. The address: camps@ymcanyc.org. If you are arriving by car and experience an unexpected delay that will result in arrival after 2:30 pm, please call the camp office to let us know you are on your way. The phone is pg. 4

5 Medical Services On-site medical care is available 24-hours a day with a Nurse or Emergency Medical Technician. We reserve the right to call a physician when necessary. Rest assured that if your child sustains an injury, or becomes ill and requires off-site medical attention, you will be contacted as soon as possible. Additionally, if your child does not need off-site medical attention, but would benefit from an overnight stay in our on-site health center, you will notified. The cost for off-site medical services, including x-rays, is covered by our Camps insurance - up to $5, for accidents and dental. Illness is covered up to $750, except for conditions that existed before the child came to camp. If a child is required to stay overnight in a hospital or if a surgical procedure is required, our insurance is supplemental to the parent s or guardian s up to the limits noted above. Mail and Phone Calls Campers love to receive cheerful mail! The correct address is: Camper FULL Name (Session #), Name of Camp and Cabin (if you know it), PO Box 622, 160 Big Pond Road, Huguenot, NY Please try to write to your child at least twice during a session. Upbeat letters and postcards mailed in advance is a great idea for first time campers. Letters to your camper saying how much you miss them are potentially unhelpful. Instead write about how proud you are that s/he is at camp! TIP: Consider mailing the first letter the Friday before s/he checks-in. Make sure you indicate the session number. Letters home: Make your expectations clear to your child about writing home to you. We will encourage, but do not insist that campers to write home. An service is available through your Camp In Touch account. Please note that this allows your child to receive s that will be printed and delivered daily - keep in mind you child cannot respond via . Photos: Photos will be available to view through your Camp In Touch account after 8:00pm Monday, Wednesday, Fridays. Care Packages: Families are encouraged to send care packages to their campers. Items such as letters, pictures, and books are a great way to let your child know you are thinking of them. Please remember that camp is a nut free facility and are NOT allowed at camp. Care packages found to contain nuts will be collected by camp staff and given back to the camper upon their departure from camp. pg. 5

6 Phone Calls: Because our camp programs vary greatly, so do our policies regarding phones and phone calls. Please see the information sheet specific to your child s camp program for specific policies. However, regardless of program, please remember that some of the most important parts of the camp experience are being away from home, re-connecting with nature, unplugging, and learning to live independently. To minimize homesickness and to ensure a traditional camp experience, campers are discouraged from making or receiving calls. Please help us by explaining this to your child prior to check-in day, so s/he understands the policy and the reasons behind it. Parents are allowed to call the main office and speak to a staff member to check on how your child is doing, but remember, no news is good news! We do ask that check-in calls be made during the morning hours (between 9:30am-11:30am), so that your call can be returned before the end of the day. Please be assured that if a camp staff member has a question or concern about your child, they will contact you. Visitation Day: Visitation days are every Saturday, 10:00am to 5:00pm and advanced notification of your visit is required. Campers may be visited by Parent/Guardian/other authorized adults and photo ID must be presented. All campers leaving camp will need to be signed out and in by the Camp Director or designee. Pets: Thank you for not bringing pets onto camp property. Departure All good things must end until next year! Do not forget that all of our one- and two-week sessions end on a FRIDAY. (One Exception - Judo ends on Saturday). Leaving by Bus: Campers board buses for departure no later than 2:00pm on the last FRIDAY of the session. Our estimated time of arrival in NYC for each bus is below: Manhattan/West Side YMCA 4:00 PM Brooklyn/Park Slope Armory YMCA 5:00 PM Bronx YMCA 4:00 PM Queens/Cross Island YMCA 5:00 PM To ensure a smooth pick-up, please remember to: 1. Arrive at least a 1/2 hour before expected bus departure or arrival. 2. Ensure your car is parked legally - we are not responsible for illegally parked cars 3. Do not block bus parking area - buses MUST be parked next to curb before any loading or unloading can occur. 4. If your child is being picked up by someone other than the parent/guardian, please remember to complete the Alternate Pick Up Form. Also the person picking up your child MUST provide photo identification. We will not be able to release your child to anyone without ID. 5. If you get delayed for any reason, please call to notify us so that we can plan appropriately and inform your child of your schedule. pg. 6

7 Departure by Car: Departure Time Friday 12:00-2:00 To give us time to get bus campers safely on the road, please try not to arrive before 12:00 noon. Also, please remember to abide by the following rules: 1. Park in designated spaces only. 2. Give right-of-way to cars arriving in camp. 3. Do not pass any vehicles while on camp property--be patient while driving. 4. If your child is being picked up by someone other than the parent/guardian, please remember to complete the Alternate Pick Up Form. Also the person picking up your child MUST provide photo identification. We will not be able to release your child to anyone without ID. Changes to departure plans: If you need to change the plans you have made for departure, please notify the office by by Monday of departure week. The is: For unexpected changes on the day of departure, please call the main office at Luggage at Departure: When picking up your child, please be sure that they have all of their belongings, including crafts, sleeping bag and laundry bag before you leave. Don t forget any medications! Tipping: It is against the YMCA policies and our principles of operation to have the staff accept tips of any kind. Thank you for respecting this policy. If you would like to support camp, please donate to our Annual Support Campaign and provide the gift of a camp experience to a child! Lost and Found Our staff members will do their best to make sure your child packs all of their belongings upon departure. We try to ensure that campers go home with all of their own possessions and only theirs! That is why it is so important to label everything! Lost and found is held for one session and then donated to charity. If upon your child's return home, you find you are missing something or have something which does not belong to you, please call the camp office with a description of the items. We will try to find lost items. If we are able to locate missing items and return them to you, please reimburse us for the postage. For sanitary reasons items like socks, underwear and toiletries will be thrown out. Thank you for understanding this policy. Permits and Accreditation Information Our programs are permitted to operate by the Orange County Department of Health and are inspected a minimum of two times each camping season. A permit is issued yearly, and copies of these permits are available at each camp office. You can also find a copy at the Orange County Health Department Office. The office is located at 124 Main Street, Goshen, NY 10924, phone number (845) New York YMCA Camp is accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA). This ensures the highest standards in areas of administration, program activities, transportation, facilities and personnel. pg. 7