A Parent s Guide to Junior Adventure Camp 1
Dear Parents/Guardians, Welcome to York Parks & Recreation Department s Junior Adventure Camp! We are so pleased that you have chosen this program for your family. JAC provides children with the opportunity to engage in fun activities, while forming new friendships with other children and a positive relationship with our counselors. Here at Junior Adventure Camp, we encourage all campers to participate in activities and experiences that strive to benefit them emotionally, physically and socially. This parent s guidebook was written to help you better understand our program and policies. Whether this is your child s first or third year with us, we ask that you read and thoroughly understand this handbook. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email our director s at yorkparks.jac17@gmail.com. The safety and well-being of your child is just as important to us as it is to you. We hope that you understand and appreciate our policies, as they directly relate to the safety and well-being of your child. We look forward to your cooperation in helping us provide a fun and safe JAC experience for your child(ren)! Sincerely, Anna Schindler and Laura Cannata (JAC Directors) 2
Important Contact Information Phone: (207)-363-1040 Email: yorkparks.jac17@gmail.com Robin Cogger (Assistant Director of YPR): rcogger@yorkmaine.org Junior Adventure Camp Hours Monday-Friday 7:30am-5:30pm (Parks and Rec hours 8:30am-4:30pm) CAMP INFORMATION Junior Adventure Camp is located at Village Elementary School in York, ME. (124 York St.) JAC is for ages 3 1/2-8 years old. **We would like to remind all participants that JAC is a PEANUT FREE CAMP! CAMP PAYMENTS There is an enrollment fee of $35.00 per family. Resident fees: $105 per week or $30 per day. Non-resident fees: $110 per week or $35 per day. ***Field Trip costs are additional - we try to keep them at a reasonable rate each week. NOTICES Emails will be sent weekly to inform parents/guardians of upcoming field trips. We ask that you check your email often, as this is our main form of communication with you. STAFF Be sure to check out our staff introduction video on The York Park s and Recreation Department website! 3
CAMP SCHEDULE Drop off time is between 7:30-9:00am. We ask that you please try to drop your child off no later than this, as it can sometimes interfere with our field trip schedule, etc. If your child has previous commitments (i.e. doctor s appointments, different camps, etc.) please let the directors know, and we will try our best to work our schedule around this. Pick up time is between 4:30-5:30pm. We ask that you respect our closing time of 5:30pm, and if for some reason you may be later, please contact the directors. If you would like to pick your child up earlier, please let one of the director s know, as we may be on a field trip until as late as 4:30pm. WHAT SHOULD I PACK FOR MY CHILD? We recommend all children bring a backpack with: A water bottle Lunch and 2 snacks Bathing suit (please bring this everyday, because on hot days we will go in the sprinkler! Towel Closed toed shoes Change of clothes Sunscreen! FIELD TRIPS All field trips will be announced in advance using our email system. Trips are subject to change based on weather or other unforeseen circumstances. Field trip fees are NOT included in weekly fees; we try and keep the additional fee at a reasonable rate for all families. There is a limit to the number of campers 4
we can take on field trips. Since field trips fill up fast, please be sure to register your camper promptly. **Please note that payment must be received at the time of registration in order for a spot to be reserved for your child. On field trip days, every camper in attendance must participate on the trip. We cannot leave campers and staff behind. Our staff to camper ratios are based on full participation. Departure: Be sure to check the departure time on the weekly schedule so you arrive to camp before the bus leaves. Return Time: For all field trips, we will return to camp no later than 4:30pm. **All field trips require our staff and campers to wear their designated field trip shirt. This shirt will have the York Parks and Recreation Logo easily readable, which will help counselors identify campers in busy places. The cost of this shirt is included in your fees, and will be given to your camper on their first day of camp.** BEACH DAYS We will head to Harbor Beach in York, ME every Wednesday (weather permitting.) We typically leave for the beach around 9:30am, and stay there for lunch. As we do everyday, we ask you to have your child sun-screened and dressed in their bathing suit BEFORE coming to camp. (We will re-apply throughout the day.) It is also very important that your child has their own water bottle! WATER SAFETY Our campers safety is our top priority. When we are at the beach, we station multiple counselors in the water and at the water s edge in order to supervise swimming campers from multiple vantage points. Counselors in the water will enforce our camp rule that campers go no deeper than their belly button. 5
FOOD We ask that you pack your child with a lunch, TWO snacks, and plenty of water. We have a morning snack at 9:30am and an afternoon snack at 3:30pm. Please keep in mind we are a peanut/ tree-nut free camp!! TOYS AND ELECTRONICS Please check with staff before bringing any toys, game devices, collectable cards, ipods, etc. to camp. We may offer special times for these items, but in the past they have become points for problems. JAC is not responsible for lost or stolen items. BEHAVIOR All children are expected to behave in a proper and respectful manner. We will not tolerate any hitting, name calling, foul language, destruction of property, or any other behavior deemed inappropriate by the staff. In accordance with the severity and frequency of the behavior, the Parks & Recreation Department reserves the right to dismiss any child from the program. ILLNESS/INJURY Over half of our counselors and directors are CPR/First Aid Certified. If a child becomes ill or injured while in our care, the camp directors, Laura and Anna, will first attempt to contact the Parent(s)/Guardian(s). If we cannot reach the Parent(s)/Guardian(s), we will begin contacting the camper s Emergency Contacts. In the unlikely event that your child requires immediate medical attention, we will transport your child to the nearest hospital. 6
**SIGN-IN AND SIGN-OUT PROCEDURES** Upon arrival each day, each camper MUST be signed in at the director s table by their Parent/Guardian. The person dropping them off must accompany campers to the check-in area. At the end of the day, Parents/Guardians MUST sign their camper(s) out at the director s table. If a camper is going to be picked up by someone other than their parent/guardian, the directors must have a signed note from the parent/guardian prior to pick-up time, including the intended person s name. Director s will also require they bring proper identification (driver s license, etc.). Your child will not be allowed to leave JAC with anyone other than a parent/guardian, without prior permission. 7