Parent Handbook Full Day Animals in Our World Contains Camp Joey drop-off and pickup information and Camp policies.

Transcription

1 Parent Handbook Full Day Animals in Our World Contains Camp Joey drop-off and pickup information and Camp policies. Important Phone Numbers Monsanto Education Gallery (314) Laura Seger, Camp Director (314) Director s Cell phone (314) Registration Information (314) , option 6 Education Department Fax (314) Zoo Switchboard (314)

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS WELCOME LETTER... 3 CAMP CHECKLIST... 4 ID CARD... 4 CAMP JOEY HOURS... 4 CAMP JOEY DROP-OFF AND PICKUP PROCEDURES... 5 WHAT IF I HAVE CHILDREN IN BOTH CAMPS?... 5 DAILY DROP-OFF AND PICKUP... 5 CAMP BASICS... 7 CAMPER GROUPS AND ACTIVITIES... 7 BUDDIES... 7 WHAT TO BRING TO CAMP EVERY DAY... 7 WHAT TO WEAR TO CAMP EVERYDAY... 7 OPTIONAL ITEMS CAMPERS MAY BRING... 7 WHAT NOT TO BRING... 7 LUNCH... 8 TRASH-FREE LUNCH TIPS!... 8 QUIET TIME... 8 CAMP JOEY POLICIES... 9 BATHROOM BREAKS... 9 MEDICATION... 9 SPECIAL NEEDS... 9 SAFETY AND FIRST-AID/MEDICAL EMERGENCIES... 9 FOOD ALLERGIES AND SPECIAL DIETS RAINY WEATHER VERY HOT WEATHER ARRIVING LATE OR LEAVING EARLY ABSENT FROM CAMP BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT/EXPECTATIONS EXPECTATIONS:

3 Welcome Letter Spring 2018 Dear Parent(s), Congratulations! Your child(ren) will spend five fun-filled days at the Saint Louis Zoo with Camp Joey! The mission of Camp Joey and all of our Education Programs is to nurture respect for animals and their habitats and to promote conservation action. Campers learn that we are all one family within our living world through hands-on, eco-friendly activities, live animal contact, and much more! The theme for Camp Joey this year is Animals in Our World. Campers will be learning how to care for animals as we explore animals in our homes, our backyards, at the zoo, and in the wild. On the first day of camp you will receive an Activity Summary Packet. This packet will contain information about the Camp Joey staff, more details about the daily Camp Joey schedule, as well as ideas to encourage discussion and expansion of Camp activities at home. In order to make Camp a fun and exciting learning experience for your camper(s), please carefully read through this handbook and the activity packet. Your cooperation in helping us provide your child with a quality Camp experience is appreciated. If you have questions about your Camp registration, please call the Education Department at (314) , option 6. If you have any questions about your child s Camp experience, please call the Camp Director at (314) Sincerely, Laura Seger and the Camp Joey Staff 3

4 Camp Checklist IMMEDIATELY Review your registration report to determine the week of Camp and the session (Half Day a.m., 4 th of July Mini Week, or Full Day) for which you are registered. You may have received your 2 nd or 3 rd choice. BEFORE CAMP Read this handbook and the session information and review pertinent information with your child. Make sure to familiarize yourself with our drop-off and pick up procedures. Collect any cereal boxes. We will be using them to make recycled covers for our camp journals. Do you have any empty plastic water bottles or clean white adult size tube socks at home? Save them and bring them to Camp on Monday to turn into dog toys and other recycled material crafts. DAILY Bring registration report (on Monday or your first day). Complete the pink Car ID Card and place in windshield daily. Check out some of our myth-busting information about idling on page 6. If applicable, bring a note with any changes to your Camp Health Information or Contact Information. ID Card (PINK) Camper Car Identification Card You should receive three Camper Car Identification cards in the mail to help us to facilitate camper drop-off and pick-up. Please print your child's FIRST and LAST name with a black marker on one of these cards and tape it to the inside of your windshield. This card will allow you to pull into the Zoo s parking lot for drop-off Monday. It will also identify you as a person approved to pick up your child. If someone other than you will drop off or pick up your child, please give him or her one of the Camper Car Identification Cards, marked with the camper's first and last name. Please note that for your child s safety we will not release a child to anyone without this identification card, until we contact a parent for approval. If the individual is listed as an approved contact on the campers health/information form, we will ask to see a driver s license as proof of identity. If you are carpooling Thank You! You can write more than one child s name on the card if they fit or use more than one card in your windshield. Please let camp staff know if you need additional Identification Cards. Camp Joey Hours Full day sessions: Monday Friday, 8:30 a.m. 3:00 p.m. 4

5 Camp Joey Drop-Off and Pick-Up Procedures WHAT IF I HAVE CHILDREN IN BOTH CAMP JOEY & CAMP KANGAZOO? Drop off and pick up your Camp Joey camper(s) first. Camp Joey is considerably smaller than Camp Kangazoo, so Camp Joey drop off and pick up often proceeds quicker. DAILY DROP-OFF/PICK-UP MONDAY DROP-OFF (8:15-8:45 a.m.) On Monday, please park in the North Parking Lot (on Government Drive) and escort your child inside the Living World building, downstairs to the Monsanto Education Gallery (on the right at the bottom of the stairs). Tell the parking attendant that you are dropping off your child for Camp Joey and you will be allowed to park temporarily for no charge (Monday morning only). Please wait with your child to check in and help change into and check the sizing of the Camp T-shirt. Shirt exchanges can usually be made at this time. You may leave after check in or stay with your camper in our classroom until the start of camp. All parents will be asked to leave promptly at 9:00 a.m. Best Way to Enter Park for Drop Off/Pick Up Drop Off/ Pick Up Area in front of North Entrance TUE FRI DROP OFF (8:15-8:45 a.m.) After the first day, please drop off your camper at 8:15 a.m. at the designated area in front of the North Entrance on Government Drive. If you enter Forest Park from Hampton, exit the traffic circle onto Wells Drive. Follow Wells past the Zoo and take the first right onto Government Drive, after you pass the entrance to Kennedy Forest. You will be positioned to pull up to either the waiting line (in the right turn lane of the parking lot) or the drop-off/pick-up area along the yellow curb in front of the Living World building. If you are the first person in line, pull up to the Camp Joey drop-off/pick-up stop sign on the sidewalk. Please be mindful not to block the entrances and exits to the parking lot. Please wait in your car for a Camp staff member to help your child(ren) out of the vehicle. Do not drop off your child unless Camp staff is there. If you arrive late and there are no staff members present, you will need to park and escort your camper(s) to the Monsanto Education Gallery. 5

6 MONDAY FRIDAY PICK-UP (2:45-3:15 p.m.) If you are picking up your child on foot: Pick-up will occur at the Monsanto Education Gallery on the lower level of the Living World building beginning at 2:45 p.m. for full day sessions. You will need to have your pink Camp Joey Car ID Card in your hand. We will not release campers to individuals without the card, unless we see photo ID and/or call a parent for verification. If you are picking up your child by car: Pick-up will occur on the NORTH side of the Zoo, in the same location as drop-off, beginning at 2:45 p.m. for full day sessions. Enter Wells Drive from Hampton Avenue. Follow Wells past the Zoo and take the first right onto Government Drive, after you pass the entrance to Kennedy Forest. Follow on Government Dr and enter waiting line area (right turn lane for the parking lot). Stop before parking lot entrance (don t block the entrance.) A camp educator will direct you forward to the pick-up area once space is available. Do not enter into the parking lot for pick-up or block the entrances/exits to the parking lot. Anyone who picks up a camper must display the pink Camp Joey Camper Car Identification card. We will not release campers to cars without the pink ID card. If you don t have the pink ID card we must see a photo ID that matches an approved pick-up contact, or call a parent for verification. We will radio the names on the pink Car ID cards down to the staff in the Monsanto Education Gallery and the staff will escort children out in the order the cars have arrived. Please wait in your car for a Camp staff member to help your child(ren) into the vehicle. Our pick up procedures are designed to provide the safest possible environment for you, your children, and our other zoo guests. Idling during Drop-Off/Pick-Up Please note: To protect air quality, a local ordinance prohibits idling for more than 10 minutes. If you arrive before the line starts moving, please turn off your car until you see the line moving. Did you know? An idling car creates twice the emissions of a car in motion. Idling 15 minutes per weekday can cost you up to $100 in wasted gas over the course of a year. American drivers use more than 2 billion gallons of fuel each year while idling. If you are going to be idling for more than 10 seconds, it is more fuel efficient and better for the environment to turn off your car. Running late or stuck in traffic? Please Call! Monsanto Education Gallery (314) Director s cell phone (314) Please keep calling until you reach someone. 6

7 Camp Basics CAMPER GROUPS AND ACTIVITIES Campers are divided, by birthdate, into three groups of up to ten campers: Kangaroos, Wallabies, and Bandicoots. Some activities will take place in this smaller group setting and some will take place all together. BUDDIES If you indicated on the Camp Registration form that your child would like to be grouped with a buddy we will make sure that those two children are placed in the same group based on the younger buddy s birthdate. If you would like your child to be grouped with a buddy, but did not indicate it on the form, call the Camp Director at least two weeks before your camp session begins and we will try to accommodate your request. If more than one buddy was indicated on the form we will use the first name listed as the buddy. Please remember that Camp is a wonderful opportunity to make new friends. All campers will be assigned a cubby to store their belongings. Please clearly mark ALL items with your child s first and last name. WHAT TO BRING TO CAMP EVERY DAY TRASH-FREE LUNCH (that does NOT need refrigeration or reheating and is NUT FREE) WATER BOTTLE (OPTIONAL we take frequent water breaks at the drinking fountain, but your child may like his or her own water bottle for lunch) A TOWEL, BLANKET, OR THIN MAT for quiet time (Even if your child does not nap they will need a comfortable place to rest during quiet time. We prefer to keep the sleep item the whole week so please do not bring a blanket that your child will miss at night.) A BACKPACK OR BAG (a convenient way to carry belongings to and from camp) WHAT TO WEAR TO CAMP EVERY DAY CAMP T-SHIRT (or t-shirt of similar color) COMFORTABLE SHORTS OR LIGHTWEIGHT PANTS (keep in mind that we do sometimes get messy at camp wearing old clothing is strongly recommended) ATHLETIC SHOES & SOCKS (No sandals or flip flops) SUN SCREEN AND INSECT REPELLENT (OPTIONAL must be applied by a parent) OPTIONAL ITEMS CAMPERS MAY BRING OLD CELL PHONES (if you have them the Zoo collects and recycles these) CEREAL BOXES (we reuse the boxes to make journal covers) EMPTY WATER BOTTLES or CLEAN ADULT WHITE TUBE SOCKS (we will be making recycled material crafts and dog toys) WHAT NOT TO BRING MONEY (if wishing to purchase an extra t-shirt please pay a Camp staff member when you drop off or pick up your camper) OTHER SNACKS (campers are provided with daily snacks see page 10 if your child has food allergies or special dietary needs) BOOKS/TOYS/ELECTRONICS/CELL PHONES 7

8 LUNCH Campers attending the full day sessions of Camp Joey are expected to bring a lunch that does not require refrigeration or reheating. We do provide water, so packing a drink at lunch is not necessary. Camp Joey is a NUT-FREE facility, please be sure to carefully check labels for nuts (including but not limited to: coconut, walnut, cashew, peanut, peanut butter, etc.) *If you have included sunbutter or soybutter please leave a note or label the item so that we know it is not peanut butter. TRASH FREE LUNCH Because the St. Louis Zoo is a conservation organization that cares about preserving animals and their habitats, we strongly encourage you to help us reduce the amount of trash produced each day at lunch. We believe that packing a trash-free lunch is a simple way that children and adults can make a difference for the environment. Our staff will be modeling earth-friendly behavior by bringing lunches that are trash-free. You can participate too by using washable containers, reusing lunch boxes or bags, and making sure any disposable packaging is made of recyclable or compostable material. We will teach the campers to separate their waste into trash, recycling, and compost. Paper towels, napkins, and fruit and vegetable waste will be composted at Camp and the compost used as natural fertilizer. We require the help of parents, as the shoppers and lunch-packers, to make this activity work. When you shop with your camper, try to plan lunches that will result in minimal waste. Purchasing single serving packages of snacks and then packing them in a reusable container for Camp (and throwing away the package at home) is not helpful. The goal is to minimize trash and conserve resources on Earth, not just to eliminate trash at Camp. Trash-Free Lunch Tips! It s easy (and cheap) being Green! Purchase bulk items rather than individual servings. Look at the packaging. Is it recyclable? Biodegradable? Or is it a package inside of a package inside of a package? Serve beverages in a thermos, aluminum can, or recyclable plastic bottle, rather than drink boxes or pouches. Water is also served at Camp in reusable cups. Use washable containers instead of one-use plastic baggies. (or wash and re-use the baggies) Get your camper involved in making choices at the grocery store and in packing their lunch. For a super earth-friendly lunch try adding some organic or locally grown products! QUIET TIME Lunch each day will be followed by a 45 minute quiet time. This is an opportunity for campers to rest or take a nap. There will be a story read aloud followed by peaceful music for those campers who choose not to nap. On Monday please send a blanket or towel that can remain in their cubby for the whole camp week. The blanket or towel will be sent home with them on the last day of camp. Please talk to our staff if you have any preferences or concerns about quite time or rest. 8

9 Camp Joey Policies BATHROOM BREAKS We will never be far from a restroom while at the Zoo, and we have planned bathroom breaks throughout the day. We expect that children attending Camp Joey will be able to attend to their own bathroom needs. If a child has an accident, we have some spare clothing that the child can change into, and we will send the wet clothing home with the child. Please help your child succeed by dressing them in shorts or pants that are easy to pull up and down for toileting. Single-occupancy, unisex restrooms are also available upon request. MEDICATION While Zoo staff cannot administer medication, however, we can check to make sure that each child takes their medication. If your child needs to take medication during Camp hours, please pack their medication in a zip-top bag with a note specifying when and how the medication should be taken. If your child has a severe allergy requiring an Epi-pen or other special medical needs, please notify the Camp Director in advance. SPECIAL NEEDS Camp Joey will never use your child s medical or health information to selectively register children for Camp. We will make every effort to accommodate your child s needs and give them an unforgettable Camp experience. We do ask you to be honest and forthcoming with information about your child s needs so that we can accommodate. We maintain a staff-tocamper ratio of approximately 1:4. If your child requires assistance eating or using the bathroom, if he/she uses a wheelchair, requires more attention than a 1:4 ratio can provide, or requires primarily one-on-one attention, please consider sending an aide to camp (no fee required) to help your child. This will allow your child s Camp counselors to fairly divide their attention amongst the whole camper group. Please notify the Camp Director in advance about accommodations required for your child. SAFETY AND FIRST-AID/MEDICAL EMERGENCIES Your camper s safety is our primary concern at Camp Joey. To that end we keep our camp group size small, limiting it to ten campers. Each group has at least two adult instructors plus a teen volunteer. One instructor leads the group while the second instructor walks alongside the group and the volunteer follows at the end. When we take bathroom breaks outside the classroom, there are always two staff or a staff member and a volunteer present to supervise in the restroom. The Camp staff and all of the Zoo Security staff are certified in first-aid and CPR. We also have medics from St. Louis Children s Hospital on grounds every day. If your child is injured at Camp, the staff will take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that the child s medical needs are met. In the event of a serious injury, the staff will immediately notify emergency crews and you or your emergency contact. For minor injuries or ailments, a note will be sent home with your child describing the situation and actions taken. 9

10 FOOD ALLERGIES AND SPECIAL DIETS One of the following snacks is provided at Camp each day: pretzels, goldfish, animal crackers, popsicles, and grapes. All provided snacks will be peanut-free and tree nut-free and processed in a peanut-free and tree nut-free facility, as well as vegetarian and kosher. If your child has any other food allergies or special dietary needs, you are welcome to send a daily snack with them. You may call the Camp Director to discuss the snacks provided. RAINY WEATHER If rain is in the forecast and you are concerned about your child getting wet, send your camper with rain gear. Keep in mind that on a hot day, the campers usually appreciate getting a little wet and rain gear can be very hot to wear. However, if possible, Camp activities will be moved inside until the rain stops. Moving from one activity to another and drop-off/pickup may require spending some time in the rain. In severe storms with lightning, high winds, etc. campers will all be moved indoors until the threat has passed. VERY HOT WEATHER Camp includes both indoor and outdoor activities each day. To combat the heat, campers have many opportunities to drink water. There are several opportunities throughout Camp for children to get wet and engage in water play. Please keep this in mind when suggesting which clothing and shoes your child should wear to Camp. Non-leather tennis shoes are the best choice. Getting wet is a great way to cool off on those very hot days. Remember, it wasn t that long ago that everyone lived without air conditioning and kids played outside all day! ARRIVING LATE OR LEAVING EARLY If your child needs to arrive late or leave early please contact the Camp Director with the details as soon as possible, and we will try to make this convenient for you. ABSENT FROM CAMP Please notify the Camp Director of all absences as soon as possible. Please call (314) or (314) and keep calling until you reach someone. BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT/EXPECTATIONS We desire a fun and productive Camp atmosphere, and do not want one child's inappropriate behavior to infringe upon other children's Camp experience. In most cases, the children are eager to participate in the Camp activities and they respect each other. Please review the following expectations with your camper before his/her first day of Camp. EXPECTATIONS: Be kind to other campers, staff, and animals. Participate in activities. Follow group directions. Play safely. Consequences may include reminders, redirection, or a brief break from the activity. If your child continues the inappropriate behavior, we may call you to discuss the behavior or ask you to pick up your child from Camp. 10