GROWTH. RECOGNITION. ACHIEVEMENT. CHARACTER. ENCOURAGEMENT ORIENTATION PACKET KRAFT FAMILY YMCA

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1 CAMP G.R.A.C.E GROWTH. RECOGNITION. ACHIEVEMENT. CHARACTER. ENCOURAGEMENT ORIENTATION PACKET KRAFT FAMILY YMCA

2 CAMP G.R.A.C.E. ORIENTATION PACKET / SUMMER TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE ONE Welcome PAGE TWO Camp Location Camp Hours & How to Contact Camp What to Send to Camp A Day at Camp G.R.A.C.E PAGE THREE Drop off & Pick up Pick up Cards Late Fees Camper Groupings and huddle themes Inclement weather PAGE FOUR Swimming Medication Information Parent Communication PAGE FIVE What Makes Camp Special? - Character Traits & Beads - Field trips - Family Fun days - Toys at camp PAGE SIX Meet our staff WELCOME TO CAMP G.R.A.C.E! Thank you for choosing to spend your summer with us at the Kraft Y! We understand the significance of your decision to send your child to camp, and we are excited that you have chosen Camp G.R.A.C.E. Our leadership staff and counselor team approaches every day with imagination, innovation, and best of all, fun! At camp, we will focus on camper achievement, relationship formation, and creating a sense of belonging for all campers. Your child will experience days full of games, swimming, arts and crafts, sports, and opportunities to begin lifelong friendships! They will spend their day with creative, energetic counselors that your child can look to as great role models. At Camp G.R.A.C.E., campers are grouped by age, allowing staff to create safe, intentional experiences and allowing kids confidence to thrive. We are here because we love kids and believe that by creating a unique environment in which every child is valued, we strengthen your family and our community. This Welcome Packet is intended to help you navigate your child s summer experience. Please look through the information and don t hesitate to let us know should you have any questions or concerns. You can reach us by or phone at Brandon.Teal@YMCAtriangle.org or We are looking forward to helping your child have the best summer ever!

3 CAMP G.R.A.C.E. ORIENTATION PACKET / SUMMER CAMP LOCATION: Our Building Blocks Session of Camp G.R.A.C.E is located at the shelter at the Kraft Family YMCA at 8921 Holly Springs rd. Apex, NC Our Social Skills Session of Camp G.R.A.C.E. has a new location this year! We will be at Apex Elementary School at 700 Tingen Rd. Apex, NC (bus loop) CAMP HOURS & HOW TO CONTACT CAMP: Camp G.R.A.C.E. is open from 9a.m.-4:00p.m. If you need to reach camp for any reason during the day, please call our camp phone at: For less urgent questions or communication you may Brandon at Brandon.Teal@YMCAtriangle.org WHAT TO SEND TO CAMP: -A morning snack, lunch, and an afternoon snack (if possible, please avoid sending products that are processed with nuts). Lunches are stored inside. Please pack food/drinks that do not need special heating/cooling and in a sturdy lunch box with ice packs. -A refillable water bottle -Weather appropriate clothing and closed-toe tennis shoes -Wear sunscreen (if you would like your child to reapply throughout the day, spray sunscreen works best as our staff can assist with the spray). -Water shoes, swim-suit, towel, goggles -A change of clothes -Please pack these items in a labeled bag! -Please label everything you send with your child. -Diapers, wipes, cream (if your child needs them. Please pack extras just to be safe) -Long pants on Wednesdays (optional). We ride horses on Wednesdays and it is recommended campers wear long pants when riding horses. DAILY SPECIAL ACTIVITIES MONDAY- YOGA We love the peace and fun yoga brings to camp TUESDAY- MUSIC THERAPY Voices Together will be coming to camp to provide a time of interactive music with our campers WEDNESDAY- HORSE THERAPY Horses for Hope brings their horses to the trail we have next to camp G.R.A.C.E. and each camper has the opportunity to ride a horse. THURSDAY- (BB) DOG THERAPY (SS) FIELD TRIPS FRIDAY- WATER FUN DAYS Campers have the chance to play on our slipn-slide and do many other water activities Horses for hope seeks to build hope, increase selfesteem and to enhance the joy and inspiration for life in all individuals who participate in their programs. Voices together music therapy sessions focus on helping campers improve their social skills, develop communication, improve self-esteem and self-control, and reduce anxiety. Music therapy is beneficial for children with a wide range of needs. We are so thankful to partner with such great organizations!

4 CAMP G.R.A.C.E. ORIENTATION PACKET / SUMMER DROP OFF & PICK UP: Building Blocks: Rides In and Out at Camp G.R.A.C.E is located at the shelter. Pick up and drop off will run carpool style, in the mornings a staff member will greet you and escort your child in to camp and in the afternoons you will be greeted by one of our leadership staff and a counselor will walk your child out to your car. Social Skills: Rides In and Out at Camp G.R.A.C.E is located at the Apex Elementary bus loop. Pick up and drop off will run carpool style, in the mornings a staff member will greet you and escort your child in to camp and in the afternoons you will be greeted by one of our leadership staff and a counselor will walk your child out to your car. Rides In for Camp G.R.A.C.E. runs from 9:00-9:30 a.m. Rides Out for our Social Skills Session of Camp G.R.A.C.E. runs from 3:30-4:00 p.m. Rides Out for our Building Blocks Session of Camp G.R.A.C.E. will begin at 2:00p.m. Although our new camp hours are until 4:00p.m, we understand that your individual child may prefer the shorter camp day that we have had in the past. Please feel free to ask Brandon if you have any questions! PICK UP CARDS: All parents/guardians are issued a pick-up card at orientation and/or on the first day your child s first day of camp. This card acts like a photo ID. Cards will only be issued to those on the authorized pick-up list. You must present a picture ID in order to receive your pick-up card from camp. All returning campers will be issued new cards as the cards change colors each year. LATE FEES: Parents who arrive late to pick up their children will be charged a late fee of $5 for the first 10 minutes and an additional $1 for every minute thereafter. Late fees are to be paid at the time of pick-up. Cash or checks made payable to the YMCA are acceptable forms of payment. INCLEMENT WEATHER: If we are expecting inclement weather during the day or if it begins to rain, we will modify our schedule to have indoor activities. If a thunderstorm occurs, we will not be swimming. Our camp is equipped with a weather radio and if any kind of weather warning arises, we will make our way safely in to the main building. On code red days, YMCA day camps will modify our camp schedule for afternoon activities. Campers will avoid activities in the heat as much as possible during the most critical times. CAMPER GROUPINGS AND THEMES: Building Blocks Kaleidoscope Explosion Rockin Red Squares Youngest huddle Gleamin Gold Diamonds Younger Huddle Groovin Green Circles Middle huddle Social Skills Camp G.R.A.C.E Superhero Summer Red Super Spidermans Youngest Huddle Yellow Warrior Wolverines Younger Huddle Green Heroic Hulks Middle Huddle

5 CAMP G.R.A.C.E. ORIENTATION PACKET / SUMMER Blastin Blue Triangles Oldest huddle Blue Courageous Captains Oldest Huddle

6 CAMP G.R.A.C.E. ORIENTATION PACKET / SUMMER SWIMMING: During your child s session at camp, they will swim each day. To ensure water safety, campers will take a swim test on the first day of the session. Color-coded swim bands will be issued upon completion of the swim test to enable life guards to differentiate swimmers of different abilities. Social Skills Sessions will take a bus from Apex Elementary to Kraft for swimming. Each camper will wear a lifejacket- unless they are able to pass the swim test. All campers have the opportunity to swim test during the first few days of camp. Goggles are not allowed to be worn during the swim test. All campers have the opportunity to swim test during the first few days of camp. Goggles are not allowed to be worn during the swim test. To receive a yellow band, your child must be able to swim to the halfway point of the pool, putting their face in the water, without goggles, and tread water for 30 seconds with his/her ears out of the water. If your child wears diapers or pull-ups; they must wear swim diapers in the pool. If swim diapers are not packed, your child will not be able to swim. (please pack extras just in case!). MEDICATION INFORMATION: In order for our staff to administer medicine during program hours to any camper we need the following: A completed and signed Medication Form. All prescription medication must be kept in the original pharmacy container with its prescription label. The container should include the doctor s name, name of medication, procedures for use, and the child s name. A written and dated note from your physician for any over the counter medicine. All medication must be checked in at the program office by the parent/guardian. If your child has an epi-pen or an inhaler, these items must also be accompanied with a completed medication form and checked in at the camp office. Please note that if your child attends multiple programs, we are not able to move medications between programs/sites nor are we able to allow campers to transport medications between programs/sites. We will transport medicine on camp field trips, if applicable. PARENT COMMUNICATION: We strongly value positive, open communication between our staff and our parents. We hope to get to know our parents and families in a variety of ways throughout the summer, as we will enjoy getting to know your campers and want to share their triumphs and discoveries with you! Each day, we send campers home with a camper update card that gives details about your child s day. Counselors will fill out camper cards for each child in their huddle and include what activities the campers did during the day and provide comments on the camper s day. At Camp G.R.A.C.E. we fully believe that a picture is worth a thousand words. We love to capture moments throughout the day. We communicate through our Closed Facebook Group with updates, pictures, and videos. Our group is called: Camp GRACE We will also post pictures on our Shutterfly account. You will get an invitation to join both of these closed groups.

7 CAMP G.R.A.C.E. ORIENTATION PACKET / SUMMER What Makes YMCA Camp Special? Character Traits & Beads: The YMCA believes strongly in character development and in teaching our campers the importance of our five core character traits: respect, responsibility, caring, honesty, and faith. We spend time reinforcing these traits at camp by pointing out campers who display these traits throughout the day and by rewarding campers with beads. Children participating in social skills will have an opportunity to earn beads throughout their day in our program. Beads are used throughout YMCA programs as a way to reinforce good behavior and praise children regularly. Campers are encouraged to think of their own creative beads to award to other campers/counselors during Bead Time. Field Trips: Social Skills Session will be taking field trips every Thursday of each two week session. Our field trip schedule for 2018 is: Social skills (session 1): Thursday, 7/5 Animal EdVentures Thursday, 7/12 Jumpstreet! Cary (requires wavier) Social skills (session 2): Thursday, 8/2 BounceU (requires waiver) Thursday, 8/9 NC Museum of Natural Sciences MISSION OF THE YMCA: To put Christian principle into practice through programs that build healthy SPIRIT, MIND & BODY FOR ALL. FAMILY FUN DAYS: Family das will be the last Friday of each two week session. On family day, we incite each camper s family to join us for lunch and a special afternoon assembly. This is a great time to connect with other parents, their campers, and our counselors. Family days begin at 1p.m. at the Camp G.R.A.C.E. shelter for lunch. Parents are welcome to bring a special lunch for their camper when they come if they wish Dates for each session: Building Blocks (session 1): Friday, June 29 th Social Skills (session 1): Friday, July 13 th Building Blocks (session 2): Friday, July 27 th Social Skills (session 2): Friday, August 10 th TOYS AT CAMP We have lots of fun toys and activities at camp to engage your child. Please use your discretion when sending your child to camp with any extra toys. We ask that campers keep toys in their book bags unless it is rides in/ rides out. On the other hand, please send your child with tools that will help them to feel more comfortable at camp. If your child has a particular toy or a special item that is beneficial to them when relaxing, we would love for you to send it to camp with them!

8 CAMP G.R.A.C.E. ORIENTATION PACKET / SUMMER MEET YOUR CAMP G.R.A.C.E. STAFF Brandon Teal Brandon Beloti Director Elaina Brown Brown Camron McNeil Reese Earl Anna Taranto Jordan Dye Head Counseor Head Counselor Will McHenry Makala Bertrand Maddie Dahlgren Samantha Saenz Payton Chopp Hayden Parker Gracyn Ashley Pettengale

9 CAMP G.R.A.C.E. ORIENTATION PACKET / SUMMER Sam Doncaster Lydia Hall Sharlene Sanderson