Camps 2016 PARENT INFORMATION PACKET

Transcription

1 Camps 2016 PARENT INFORMATION PACKET Please review all enclosed materials and retain them for your records. Contents: 1 Important Dates and Deadlines 2 Contact Information 3 Drop-Off and Pick-Up Procedures 4 What to Bring 5 6 Frequently Asked Questions 7 Directions This camp complies with regulations of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and is licensed by the Board of Health. Founding Sponsor of Harbor Discoveries Camps: 12-15

2 1 Summer 2016 Harbor Discoveries Camps Sessions July 5 8 July July JUNIOR SENIOR ADVANCED (entering grades 4 and 5) (entering grades 6 and 7) (entering grades 8 and 9) New Balance Foundation Mammal Mentors Coastal Quest Fins, Claws and Paws Something s Fishy No Senior programs these weeks. Aquarist in Training I New Balance Foundation Mammal Mentors July August 1 5 Tidepool Trekkers Animania Schooner Adventures (two-week program) (entering grades 8 10) August 8 12 August August No Junior programs these weeks. River Meets the Sea Mysterious Ocean Shoreline Safari Aquarist in Training II Marine Science 101 (two-week program) (entering grades 8 10) Payment Information and Deadlines May 27, 2016: Final payment due PAYMENT BY CREDIT CARD Your balance can be viewed, and payments via credit card can be made online, using the information in your confirmation . Please contact us if you need this re-sent. You may also pay over the phone by calling Central Reservations at PAYMENT BY CHECK Make payable to New England Aquarium and send to: New England Aquarium, Camps Programs Office Central Wharf, Boston, MA Please write the camper s reservation number in the memo of your check. If a payment deadline is not met, please call ASAP! We will attempt to contact you prior to offering your spot to other registrants, but if we are unable to connect with you, your space may be forfeited. Other Important Dates May 27, 2016: Camp packets due June 25, 2016 (9 a.m. 12 p.m.): Camp Open House! Meet the camp staff, learn about what to expect and ask questions. The open house will be held in the Aquarium s Ocean Center (see map) and you may come and go at any point.

3 2 Contact Information While your camper is at Harbor Discoveries camp, the camp cell phone should be your primary means of contacting us. Camp administrative staff will have the phone at all times during the week. However, please note that the camp cell phone is not regularly monitored when Harbor Discoveries is not actively in session. Any questions you have prior to your camper s week of camp should be directed to the camp address, or directly to the camp director. Camp Director dbadger@neaq.org General Camp Line harbordiscoveries@neaq.org Aquarium Central Reservations Use this number to pay for camp via credit card. Camp cell phone for use during your child s program

4 3 Temporary Parking Policy During drop-off and pick-up times, vehicles may park in the semi-circle in front of the Aquarium. Please display your parking permit on your dashboard. Monday morning check-in is more timeconsuming than any other morning. You may only park temporarily. If you want to speak to instructors at length, please plan on parking in the parking garage at your own expense. Temporary parking permits are valid at the following times: CHECK-IN Monday Thursday, 8:45 a.m. 9:10 a.m. Early drop-off is available Monday through Thursday (8 a.m. 8:40 a.m.) for $25 per day. If you would like to purchase, please go to your Parent Dashboard to enroll. Enrolling before the day of camp will provide a $5 discount. CHECK-OUT Monday Wednesday, 4:45 p.m. 5:10 p.m. Friday, 12:45 p.m. 1:10 p.m. If you are running late, please call the camp cell at Morning Drop-Off Campers who have purchased early drop-off may arrive at the Ocean Center between 8:00 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. A staff member will provide supervision, but no programming. Campers who have not purchased early drop off should arrive between 8:45 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. If you arrive earlier, you will need to wait with your child until the doors open at 8:45 a.m. Campers should not be dropped off before 8:00 a.m., as we cannot provide supervision. Afternoon Pick-Up You may park temporarily in the front plaza of the Aquarium to pick up your child. Please display your parking permit on your dashboard for Aquarium security. Pick-up time is Monday through Wednesday, 4:45 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday, 12:45 p.m. to 1 p.m. Please notify the camp office at if you will be late picking up your child. Please note: You or any individual permitted to pick up your camper must show an ID and physically sign your camper out of camp every day. Late Pick-Ups If the camp office is not aware that you will be late for pick-up and you are unreachable, we reserve the option to bring your camper to the Boston Police Station located near Government Center for continued supervision if they have not been picked up by 5:20 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and 1:20 p.m. on Friday. Your child will be without Aquarium staff supervision at that time. Early Pick-Ups If you should need to pick up your child early, please call at least 48 hours in advance. A staff person will call you back to make the necessary arrangements. Please note that an early release may not always be possible to arrange due to the many offsite activities planned. (No refunds or price adjustments will be made.)

5 4 What to Bring Below you will find a list of items for campers to bring on their first day of camp. In addition, we have provided a list for tidepooling field trips and for the overnight. Please note that these packing lists contain most of the items your camper will need, however each week s packing lists will depend on the week s agenda and you will be given specific packing lists at the end of each day. MONDAY PACKING LIST Mondays are typically onsite. Backpack Sneakers (or closed-toe shoes) Sweatshirt Medications* TYPICAL FIELD TRIP PACKING LIST Lists will vary based on destinations, staff will hand out specific lists each afternoon. Water bottle (each camper gets a Harbor Discoveries water bottle on Monday) Swimsuit Towel Water shoes (or old shoes that can get wet and muddy) Dry change of clothes and shoes Sun block (optional we will also bring some) Bug spray (optional we will also bring some) Raincoat or any other apparel suited for the day s forecast Plastic bag to store wet belongings Backpack Medications* TYPICAL OVERNIGHT PACKING LIST Sleeping bag Pillow Toothbrush, toothpaste and other personal toiletries Pajamas or clothes to sleep in Clothes for Friday Sleeping pad (optional) Small stuffed animal (optional) Flashlight (optional) Medications* *Please send medications only if necessary. If you send any medications with your camper (OTC or prescribed) they must be in their original container and handed to the instructors at check-in to be stored in a locked container until needed. Campers who have been prescribed an EpiPen must bring it to camp every day. Any campers bringing medicine must fill out a Medications Form from the camper packet. Extra forms will be available at check-in if needed. Do Not Bring ipods or personal stereos such as CD, MP3 and DVD players, video game systems and headphones Expensive jewelry Money (no purchase of food or souvenirs will be allowed during programs) Candy and gum Cellular phones** Trading cards Knives, weapons, etc. **Bringing cell phones to camp is strictly prohibited. If you have a specific reason why your camper needs to bring a cell phone to camp, please notify us prior to attending camp. Staff will keep all camper cell phones in a locked location while they are attending camp and phones will be returned at the end of the day.

6 5 Frequently Asked Questions Who are my camper s instructors? Harbor Discoveries staff is composed of both individuals who have been campers for years and those who found us through their passion and interest in marine science education. Our Counselors In Training (CIT) are high school students who have aged out of our camp but wish to add to their experiences by returning as CITs. Our lead instructors are all college graduates who hold degrees in marine/environmental science, education or a related field and have experience with camps or informal education. All of our lead instructors are first aid and CPR certified, and several of our lead staff members are lifeguard certified. All Harbor Discoveries personnel have passed Criminal Offender Report Information (CORI) and Sex Offender Report Information (SORI) requirements. What will my camper s schedule be? Although each camp session s itinerary will vary, they all follow a similar weekly structure: 9:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. Monday: Campers spend the day getting to know their fellow campers and instructors through games and activities onsite and in the Aquarium exhibits. Instructors will explain the schedule for the week. 9:00 a.m. 5:00 pm Tuesday and Wednesday: Field trips and/or in-depth Aquarium experiences. During any camp session, field trips and Aquarium experiences are determined by factors such as tides, transportation schedules, accessibility and the week s theme. 9:00 a.m. drop-off Thursday: Field trip and overnight! Campers will arrive on Thursday morning with gear for both a field trip and an overnight experience (we provide the tents). Overnight locations vary from camping on Cape Cod or the Boston Harbor Islands to sleeping in the Aquarium! 1:00 p.m. pick-up Friday: Campers will wake up at their overnight location and pack up their gear. Activities for Friday depend on the overnight location. How can I be sure that my camper gets their requested lunch? Harbor Discoveries lunches are ordered from the Aquarium Café and orders must be placed the week prior to camp. If you submit your packet on time, your camper will get their desired lunch. Campers who turn packets in late cannot be guaranteed their requested lunch. What if my camper dislikes their lunch choice? If a camper is unhappy with their lunch on Monday, they can notify an instructor and it will be changed for the remainder of that camp session. Please note that change requests must be submitted to our Café by 1:00 p.m. in order for the change to be in effect for the following day. What meals will be served during the overnight? Campers will continue to receive their requested lunch on Thursday. For dinner, campers will be served hot dogs and Boca burgers (if camping) and pasta and salad (if sleeping in the Aquarium).

7 6 Breakfast and lunch will be provided on Friday. What if my camper needs to leave early one day? Most of the camp s agenda involves activities away from the classroom, even on Mondays, and thus it is often difficult to schedule an early pick-up for campers. If you absolutely have to pick your camper up early, please contact the camp office prior to your child attending camp so that we may coordinate with the instructors. In general, we ask that you please try not to plan for early pick-ups as it disrupts the activities and may be difficult to arrange. How can I be on the carpool list and how can I obtain the list? As part of the camp paperwork you submit, you are asked if you would like to be on the carpool list. you are asked if you would like to be on the carpool list. If you select yes, you will automatically be added to the carpool list for each week your camper attends camp. Carpool lists will be handed out at the open house and then updates will be distributed upon request. We urge you to turn in your packet in a timely manner so that families have plenty of time to plan for carpooling. How can I provide feedback regarding my camper s experience at camp or my experience with camp registration? At the end of every week we send out an with a link to a survey for you to fill out. The survey has questions for both you and your camper to provide any feedback you wish. If you wish to provide feedback during your camper s session, please contact harbordiscoveries@neaq.org. What if my camper has reservations about attending the overnight? What if I have reservations about my camper attending the overnight? Our camp strives to provide a comfortable and safe experience for all of our campers. The camp week is structured in such a way that each activity is building upon the others until the ultimate mega experience: the overnight. Our experience has shown that the overnight is almost always a camper s favorite part of their week and sometimes of their summer. What if my camper or I need to be reached during the overnight? All of our staff members, including CITs, carry their own cell phones, so there will be roughly 10 cell phones with the group at all times. We do not give out staff cell phone numbers, however our administrative staff is on call during each overnight and will have the camp cell phone with them at all times while camp is in session. If you need to contact your camper during an overnight, you should call the camp cell phone at and we will get in touch with the staff to deliver any necessary messages or to have your camper return your call. Do I need to bring an ID to check my camper in or out? Yes, as do any other individuals who you have given permission to drop off and pick up your camper. Where do we go for pick-up and drop-off? The Aquarium s Harborside Learning Lab. (See map on page 7.)

8 7 Directions to the Aquarium The Aquarium is located at 1 Central Wharf, Boston, MA near the Marriott Hotel and close to Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market. NOTE: The camp classrooms are located on the bottom floor of the Harbor Garage. DO NOT PARK IN THE GARAGE FOR PICK-UP/DROP-OFF unless you plan to pay the full amount. We cannot validate parking for camp participants families. FROM THE SOUTH (I-93 NORTHBOUND) Take I-93 northbound. Take Exit 23, marked Gov t Center. North End, Aquarium, Quincy Market. Turn left at Surface Road and continue for three blocks. Turn left at Milk Street and the Aquarium will be straight ahead. FROM THE NORTH (I-93 SOUTHBOUND) Take I-93 southbound to Exit 24 A-B (Callahan Tunnel/Government Center), which is the first exit after you enter the Thomas P. O Neill Jr. Tunnel. Take the right or A side of the divided exit (Government Center). Stay left to turn onto Surface Road at the light. Go two blocks to Milk Street and turn left. The Aquarium will be straight ahead. FROM THE WEST (I-90 EAST TO I-93 NORTHBOUND) Take the Mass Turnpike to I-93 North. Take Exit 23 off I-93, marked Gov t Center. North End, Aquarium, Quincy Market. Turn left at Surface Road and continue for three blocks. Turn left at Milk Street and the Aquarium will be straight ahead. Meet at the entrance to the Harborside Learning Lab in the Ocean Center New England Aquarium