Preparing For Summer Camp Horseshoe

Transcription

1 Parent Pack Preparing For Summer Camp Horseshoe Camp Communications If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us. If calling by phone, it s best to reach us between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm. SUMMER Camp Horseshoe 4151 Camp Bryn Afon Road Rhinelander, WI FAX WEBSITE: fun@camphorseshoe.com WINTER Camp Horseshoe PO Box 1938 Highland Park, IL FAX

2 Important Notes Important Dates April 1 Final Payment Due May 1 Camper Profile Form, Medical Form, Cabin Request Form & Travel Information Form Due* June 16 Camp Begins July 11 First Session Ends July Visiting Weekend July 13 Second Session Begins August 8 Camp Ends *Please send all forms to camp: Camp Horseshoe, PO Box 1938, Highland Park, IL Other Reminders Hotel reservations for Visiting Weekend Make travel arrangements for campers flying to Chicago or Rhinelander Order camp clothes Write a short welcoming letter to your child, mail in advance Cabin Assignments Cabin assignments are done shortly before the campers arrive. Campers should request 3 cabin mates on the Cabin Request Card. We will try and honor at least one of those requests. We value the importance to children of being with their friends. We also value the importance of making new friends and the importance of avoiding cliques and learning to accept others. All of this is the essence of the camp experience. The bottom line is always the campers well being and happiness. Trust us to provide that and please convey that assurance to your children before they come to camp. ALL CABIN REQUESTS MUST BE MADE ON THE ENCLOSED CABIN REQUEST CARD AND RETURNED NO LATER THEN MAY 1, Homesickness Every child adjusts to being away from home for an extended period of time differently and experiences some degree of homesickness or missing family, friends, and familiar routines. This separation process is important to one s growth and can be a challenge for some campers. A parent can help by reassuring their child that they are loved, talking positively about independence and separation, and not promising them that they can call or come home if they are lonesome. Discuss camp is a positive way by discussing living in a cabin with peers or the activities that they may want to take while at camp. Parents should prepare themselves for separation. Each summer we visit with more child-sick parents than we do with homesick campers! Always call us with your concerns about your child s adjustment to camp and be assured that we will call you if we feel it is necessary.

3 Departure Chicago Area Campers DEPARTURE DATE TIME WILL DEPART FROM Monday, June 16th 9:30am Niles North High School Parking Lot Sunday, July 13th 9:30am 9800 N. Lawler Ave., Skokie *Please arrive at least 30 minutes prior to departure time BAGGAGE Camp Baggage Express will pick up trunks and duffels a few days before the start of camp. You will be contacted a week or two in advance with pick-up information and schedules. Camp Baggage Express can be reached at BAGGAGE KEYS If you choose to lock your son s trunk or duffel, please send us a set of keys or the combination by June 10th. Please label the keys clearly with the camper s name. LUNCH Lunch will be provided by camp, so do not pack lunch for your son. MEDICATION Any camper requiring medication during the bus trip should present the counselor with the medication in a bag clearly marked with the camper s name and instructions. Out-of-Town Campers FLIGHT Please contact us prior to booking your flights. Please book your flights early to take advantage of the best fares. Campers may fly into Chicago s O Hare airport (ORD) or directly to Central Wisconsin Airport (CWA) or Rhinelander Airport (RHI). Horseshoe staff will be waiting at the terminal to greet campers. BAGGAGE Baggage for out-of-town campers should be sent to camp by UPS. Please contact UPS one week prior to the start of the session for pick up. UPS recommends shipping duffels in boxes. Please label with address clearly marked on outside and inside of box and duffel. SHIP BAGS TO: Campers Name, Camp Horseshoe, 4151 Camp Bryn Afon Road, Rhinelander, WI BAGGAGE KEYS If you choose to lock your son s trunk or duffel, please send us a set of keys or the combination by June 10th. Please label the keys clearly with the camper s name.

4 What To Bring What To Bring LABEL CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT Please remember to label all clothing, shoes and equipment with your son s first and last name. Don t forget to label the laundry bags, roller hockey equipment, tennis racquet, baseball glove, clothing worn on the bus and flashlight. LAUNDRY Camper laundry is done by a laundry service. Laundry is sent out once a week and returns the following day. Although we have an excellent laundry service, it is still camp laundry. Please do not send any clothes you would be concerned about if it were to get damaged in the laundry. CANTEEN AND POCKET MONEY Each camper has a prepaid canteen account of $150 for four weeks and $250 for eight weeks. The campers account covers: 1. Trip Days: Throughout the summer campers will go on 3-5 day trips to various attractions in the Northwoods including horseback riding, golfing, bowling, movies, water parks, and more! Admission to these attractions as well as spending money for each camper (generally $5-10) will be withdrawn from the canteen account. 2. Personal Items: Campers needing to restock on toothpaste, shampoo, batteries, postage or other essentials can do so in the camp office. 3. Drinks: Twice daily campers can come to the office to purchase a cold sports drink or bottle of water. The total amount of drinks purchased will be withdrawn from the campers account. Unused portion of the account will be credited to your sons account. If you wish to send your camper with some extra cash please keep it to a minimum. Campers can keep pocket money in their own envelope in the camp office. We will not be responsible for any money left in the cabins What NOT To Bring Almost every type of electronic device is NOT allowed at camp. As a rule, any item that can: send and receive a phone call, play a DVD or video content, access the Internet or send or receive is not permitted. Apple is phasing out ipods without video and wi-fi capabilities. As a result, we will only allow video ipods as long as all video content is deleted prior to camp. We are not responsible for damage and/or loss to these items. Examples of items NOT ALLOWED at camp are: PSP s, cell phones, iphones, ipod Touch, ipod video, tv s, DVD players, Palm Pilots, Blackberries, Treos, portable and/or internet devices, video recorders, expensive cameras, walkie talkie, 2 way radios, portable video/dvd game players. Any items brought to camp on the above list will be confiscated and held in the camp office. We are not responsible for damage and/or loss to these items. While many of us use these items in our daily lives, we feel they are not appropriate or needed in camp life. The beauty of camp is that it is not home, and we are not allowing these items because of our goals of fostering camper interaction and development. Although we do allow campers to have Gameboys, ipod s without video and small CD players in their cabins, we are not responsible for damage and/or loss to these items. If the ipod or MP3 player has the capacity to play videos, ALL VIDEOS MUST BE REMOVED BEFORE CAMP. Campers are not allowed, under any circumstances, to bring knives, matches, lighters, water guns, food or gum to camp.

5 Visiting Weekend July 11th & July 12th Visiting Weekend is a significant event during the camping season. It gives you and your child a chance to spend quality time together, see camp in action and to meet your son s counselors and cabin mates. On Friday, July 11th, please join us in camp for our Council Horseshoe. Our gates will open after dinner, at 6:30pm and we will ask the parents to say goodnight by 9:00. On Saturday, we have in camp festivities from 10:00 until 3:00. We will begin our day with a morning full of activities, followed by a cookout lunch and an afternoon of fun-filled camp events. Eight week campers must be back in camp no later than 9:00pm. In early July you will receive a letter with the details of Visiting Weekend. If you have any questions, please give us a call. DIRECTIONS TO CAMP Take I-94 towards Milwaukee; bypass Milwaukee on I-894, continuing on I-94 to Madison. Approximately 30 miles north of Madison, take the WI-78/I-39 North exit (exit #108), which will merge you into US-51 North. Follow US-51 N, approximately 150 miles to the US-8 exit; turn right onto US-8 E; stay on US-8 E (approx. 20 miles) crossing the intersection of Hwy-47, US-8 E then turns into Bus. 8. Continue on Bus. 8 thru town; just past Wal-Mart is Eisenhower Parkway (Walgreens is on the corner), turn left. Turn left at the next stop light on to the Hwy 17 bypass. At the next light, Timber Drive/Hwy C, turn right. Follow Timber Dr/Hwy C about 5 miles to Camp Bryn Afon Rd. Turn left on Camp Bryn Afon Rd. and follow into camp. FIRST AND SECOND SESSION CAMPERS Campers going home at the end of the first session will be leaving camp in the morning on Friday, July 11th. Campers attending second session will be arriving at camp on Sunday afternoon, July 13th. If you will be picking your son up at camp or bringing your son to camp and would like to spend visiting weekend with us, you are welcome to. PETS No pets are permitted at camp at any time. PLACES TO STAY If you haven t done so already, we suggest making your reservations at this time. Americinn Motel Comfort Inn Super 8 Motel Best Western Claridge Motor Inn Holiday Inn Express Holiday Acres Resort For more hotels & resorts, contact the Rhinelander Chamber of Commerce: FUN TIPPING Staff members are NOT allowed to accept gratuities. Please do not put staff members in a compromising position. If you feel it is necessary, some other form of expression of your gratitude may be employed such as a small token or better yet, a letter of thanks is still the nicest way to show your appreciation.

6 Writing ing & Your Child We believe in old fashioned letter writing at Camp Horseshoe. Campers love to get mail, just like parents love to get mail. We require our campers to write home twice a week, usually on Monday and Thursdays. We recommend sending pre-addressed, stamped envelopes for our younger campers. Remember, our rural post office is swamped in the summer and mail sometimes takes a week to arrive home. When writing to your son, a good way to start every letter is to discuss camp activities, especially the ones your child has mentioned to you in his letters. Comments such as How s your basketball coming along? ; Your counselor sounds great, will help your son adjust to the newness of camp and show that you have truly listened to what your child has said. Try and avoid phrases such as The house seems empty without you and If only you were here. Although these sentiments may be true, they can only make your child miss you more. A better way to express your feeling might be to say We ll have to tryout that great backhand when you get home or By August, you ll be able to teach me how to golf. When you receive letters from your son, remember camp life has its ups and downs, just as life at home and the child who today Hates Steven who sleeps next to me may tomorrow think Steven will be my best friend forever. Finally, save the letters your son sends you from camp. Years from now, you will be able to read them together and relive those childhood memories. We are sure you will discover that Camp Horseshoe is more than a summer camp; it is an experience of a lifetime. FAXES Please do not fax letters to your son. Faxes will not be delivered to campers. Please let all relatives know of this policy. PACKAGE POLICY Your son s gift for the summer is the privilege of going to camp. He will be coming to camp with everything he needs. Therefore: No care packages of any kind can be accepted for any camper during the summer! This includes padded mailing envelopes, flat envelopes, boxes, books and magazines. Packages can create unhealthy competition among campers and an overwhelming amount of unnecessary garbage around camp. Our policy of NO Packages extends to all parents, relatives and friends. In order to ensure fairness, this rule will be strictly enforced. Packages will be refused and sent back to sender at their own expense. If address is unavailable, contents will be donated to local charity. As always, your cooperation is greatly appreciated. We will make every effort to provide your son with anything he needs. If there is something we cannot provide (glasses, etc.) please call the office to make arrangements to send it to camp. The Exception: Birthdays. If your son has a birthday at camp, please feel free to send a package that does NOT include any candy, food or gum. He will have a special cake and a celebration at camp. PHONE CALLS Campers are not permitted to use the telephone, except on a camper s birthday or in an emergency. We have found it is very disruptive for a child who is learning to get the most out of the summer if he knows a phone call is available. For a child prone to homesickness, phone contact almost always is regressive. Please do not hesitate to call Fran, Jordan, Chris (Asst. Director) or your son s counselor with any questions you may have. The camp number is:

7 Medical Info. Our Health Center is staffed by 2 nurses who live on the camp grounds and doctors who rotate throughout the summer. Our medical staff operates the health center with the utmost professionalism, providing each camper with the necessary care and compassion. Camp Horseshoe is located 5 minutes away from Rhinelander s state-of-the-art clinic and hospital. MEDICAL FORMS In order to ensure that our health center staff can accurately care for your child, you must complete the Horseshoe Medical Form by May 1, The Horseshoe Medical Form is filled out on our website by login into your CampMinder account. Information will be ed to you with information on how to login or you can go to com and click on CampMinder Login. Once the online medical form is completed, you will print 2 pages to be sent to camp. The Parent Authorization page will need to be completed and signed and your sons physician will complete the Physicians Examination form. In the event your child will need a prescription medication or treatment at the local clinic or hospital, it is imperative that we have your insurance information and credit card information. Both forms must be signed and returned by May 1, Your son s physical examination must have been completed within the last 12 months. If your child has been exposed to any communicable disease after May 25, 2008, please be sure to communicate this information with us. No child will be admitted to camp unless the medical form has been completed and we have received both a signed Physicians Examination form and a signed Parents Authorization form. MEDICATION At Horseshoe all medication in pill form must be pre-packaged by CampMeds, Inc. We will require you to have all medication in pill form processed through CampMeds Inc. Medications that are in pill form are individually packaged and sealed according to date and time of administration by the CampMeds pharmacy. This method of dispensing medicine during camp will minimize potential med errors, ensuring that every camper gets the correct medication and dosage, at the right time, on the right day. We are confident that this program will help us achieve our primary goal; the health, well-being and safety of your child. Enclosed is a letter from CampMeds Inc. outlining their services and procedures. Please read it carefully. If you have any questions, please contact CampMeds Inc. at (954) or info@campmeds.com Liquid, aerosols and injectables should be sent directly to camp at least one week before your child arrives. Send to Camp Horseshoe Health Center, 4151 Camp Bryn Afon Road, Rhinelander, WI Please write out detailed instructions and leave prescription medication in their original packaging. Be sure to send an ample supply for the summer. Please Note: Our camp stocks most over the counter items such as Tylenol, Advil, Benadryl, etc. GOING ON VACATION Please be sure to leave us the dates and a phone number where you can be reached.

8 Online Information Stay in Touch this Summer with Online Photos & Newsletter RETURNING PARENTS: If you had an account last summer, you can continue to use your old username and password. Simply sign in and click on the Photo Gallery button. The first time you visit the site you will be prompted to update your contact information and re-activate your account. To set up a new account and visit our Online Community: 1. Go to our website at 2. Click the Camper Photos button* 3. Click the Register Now link 4. Enter your Pre-Approved Registration Code: 08shoemadness 5. Fill out all the required information 6. View pictures of your camper! Get Started Today * For your camper s safety, please do not share the Pre-Approved Registration code above. Frequently Asked Questions How do I view pictures? Follow the instructions above except, after registering, simply sign in and click on the Photo Gallery button. Photos are kept in folders found on the left side of the page below the words Image Folders. Click on any folder to see the pictures within that folder. Can other relatives use these services? Certainly. Once you have set up your account, you will be able to invite other people to access these services. What do I do if I lost my username and password? You can get it online by going to and clicking on the link Lost Your Password? (to the left of the page below the sign in button). You will receive an with your username and password within a few minutes. QUESTIONS OR PROBLEMS? Please call Bunk 1 at or go to Stay Connected... We go to great lengths to make the Camp Horseshoe website a place where camp families want to return to time and again. Whether you are using the site as a resource for important camp communications and downloadable forms, or as a fun outlet to see photos, read news, or keep in touch with fellow campers and staff Be sure to log-on to: