Summer 2017 Dear Camper and Parents: Welcome to the Wilmette Park District's Great Gillson Camp! Camps begin the week of June 12. All camp forms are attached and must be filled out and submitted to your camp director on or before June 12. A copy of the general information parent manual and camp forms can also be found on the park district s website at www.wilmettepark.org/camp-forms Forms can be filled out online and emailed to your camp director OR you can complete the form online, download it and return it to your camp director in person. The forms may be copied if your child is in multiple camps. PLEASE NOTE: Camp Information Day will be held on Thursday, June 8, 6:00 to 7:30pm, at Lakeview Center in Gillson Park. Your camp director and assistant directors will be available to answer all of your questions, collect camp forms and discuss content of camp. Great Gillson Day Camp will begin on Monday, June 12 for Session I 8-week and 4-week campers. Session II 4-week campers start Monday, July 10. Camp will start in full swing, so make sure your child is wearing his/her swimming suit under their camp clothing and comes to camp with a towel and lunch. Starting Monday, June 12, the camp director and assistant directors can be reached via email at greatgillson@wilpark.org. Emails will be checked prior to the start of the camp day and at the end of the camp day and responded to accordingly. We are looking forward to meeting you, and we know we will be spending an enjoyable and exciting summer together! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at (847) 920-3925 or lthomas@wilpark.org. Sincerely, Lindsay Thomas, CPRP General Recreation Supervisor Wilmette Park District
W I L M E T T E P A R K D I S T R I C T GREAT GILLSON DAY CAMP INFORMATION
TABLE OF CONTENTS Page DATES OF CAMP... 3 TIME OF CAMP... 3 LOCATION OF CAMP... 3 CAMP STAFF... 3 GILLSON CAMP HOTLINE... 3 CAMP INFORMATION DAY... 3 EARLY BIRD... 3 TRANSPORTATION... 3 CAMP ATTIRE... 3 FIRST DAY PROCEDURES... 3 DROP-OFF & PICK-UP... 4 DROP-OFF FOR SUMMER SCHOOL CAMPERS... 4 RAINY DAYS... 4 NEWSLETTERS... 4 FREE SWIM... 4 BEACH DAYS... 4 SAILING... 4 SUNSCREEN... 5 LUNCHES... 5 GROUP SWITCHING... 5
DATES OF CAMP TIME OF CAMP Monday through Friday 8 Weeks: June 12 August 4 (NO CAMP JULY 4) 4 Weeks, Session I: June 12 July 7 (NO CAMP JULY 4) 4 Weeks, Session II: July 10 August 4 Full-Day Camp 9:00am 2:30pm Summer School Campers 11:30am 2:30pm CAMP ENDS AT 2:30 PM. PLEASE PICK-UP PROMPTLY. LOCATION OF CAMP Gillson Park Lake Avenue and Lake Michigan, Wilmette CAMP STAFF Director Assistant Directors Sarah Peck Jack McWilliams & Connor Rothstein GILLSON CAMP HOTLINE (847) 853-7715 Please contact the Gillson Camp Hotline for information about camp events, to report absences or tardiness, or for any other questions you may have that pertain specifically to Great Gillson Day Camp. CAMP INFORMATION DAY On Thursday, June 8, 6:00 to 7:30pm at the Lakeview Center in Gillson Park, camp directors will be on hand to answer questions, collect camp forms and discuss content of camp. EARLY BIRD Great Gillson campers registered for the Early Bird program, beginning at 8:00 am, should be brought to the lower level of the Lakeview Center next to Wallace Bowl in Gillson Park. Entry should be made off of Lake Avenue. A staff member will be present to greet you. Children should NOT be dropped off at the circle drive at the main entrance to the Lakeview Center. Your child may not be dropped off early unless he/she is enrolled in the Early Bird Program. TRANSPORTATION Children bicycling to camp must remember to bring a lock to secure their bicycles. CAMP ATTIRE Camp T-shirts will be distributed the first week of camp. Campers are encouraged to wear them as often as possible. Camp T-shirts must be worn on field trip days. Remember to include a change of clothes, undergarments, and a towel each day. Comfortable shoes are a must as campers will be doing plenty of walking. Shoes must be worn at all times unless the camper is at the beach or pool. FIRST DAY PROCEDURES The counselors will be greeting the campers on the sandy area of the west parking lot, north of Wallace Bowl. Please enter the beach parking area via Lake Avenue and continue to the drop-off location. In case of rain, please proceed to the circle drive in front of the Lakeview Center or park and walk your child inside. Remember to send your child in his/her swimsuit with a towel and a change of clothes. You will also need to send a lunch and beverage. Beverages will not be provided. During the first week of camp, your child will receive a lunch bag for daily use. Page 3
DROP-OFF & PICK-UP The drop-off and pick-up of campers is done on the sandy area of the west parking lot, north of Wallace Bowl. Entry is made via Lake Avenue. Please take caution and drive slowly as this is a public parking lot with many small children and their parents. Campers should not be dropped off before 9:00am unless they are in the Early Bird Program. Pull into the parking lot and a counselor will open the car door for your child to enter/exit. If your child is not picked up promptly at the end of camp, parents will be charged a late fee of $10.00 for every fifteen (15) minutes after 2:30pm. The fee must be paid immediately to the Camp Director. If a parent continues to be late, the child may be dropped from the program. Campers who walk or ride bikes should arrive no sooner than 8:45am and should report directly to the Wallace Bowl on days of good weather. During inclement weather, they should report to the Lakeview Center. DROP-OFF FOR SUMMER SCHOOL CAMPERS The School District will provide busing to camp only for those students who attend through third period. If your child is not attending all three periods, it is the parents responsibility to provide transportation from school to camp. Drop-offs must be made at the Gillson Camp office in the Lakeview Center. Please park and walk your child inside the lower level of the Lakeview Center. RAINY DAYS Camp will meet indoors at the Lakeview Center on rainy days. The drop-off and pick-up location will be at the Center also. Access is gained via Lake Avenue. Please proceed to the circle drive in front of the Lakeview Center or park and walk your child inside. NEWSLETTERS A camp newsletter will be emailed home weekly. This will include special events, activities and schedules for your camper. FREE SWIM Campers will participate in free swim at Centennial Pool once a week, weather permitting. All campers will wear a colored wristband to identify their camp at the pool. Centennial Pool staff will assess campers swimming ability on the first trip to the pool. Those campers assessed to only swim in the zero depth pool will be required to wear an additional red wristband. Only flotation devices provided by Centennial Pool are allowed. If your camper is in need of a floatation device, please inform your camp director. BEACH DAYS A beach swimming permission slip is included in your camp packet. Please fill out and return to your camp director. Those campers not permitted to swim at the beach will be required to wear an additional red wristband. SAILING Sailing is offered to all Great Gillson campers and is organized by the Wilmette Park District sailing staff. In order for a camper to participate in sailing, the enclosed Sailing Permission Form must be signed by a parent/guardian and returned by the first day of camp. Sailing lessons are scheduled on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Campers will sail once a week. Sailing is contingent on water and weather conditions and the discretion of the Sailing Supervisor. Page 4
SUNSCREEN Please apply sunscreen to your child prior to drop-off at camp. If a reapplication is necessary or you would prefer that your child applies his/her sunscreen after swimming or periodically throughout the day, please send the sunscreen to camp, labeled with your child s name. PLEASE DO NOT SEND INSECT REPELLENT TO CAMP WITH YOUR CHILD. LUNCHES Campers are to bring their lunch and beverage each day. Beverages will not be provided. Lunches should be labeled and sent to camp in the lunch bag provided by the Wilmette Park District. Lunches are stored indoors, but are not refrigerated. GROUP SWITCHING Group switching is not encouraged. All requests received by the Camp Supervisor prior to April 21 have been honored as best as possible. If a group switch is needed after camp begins, it must be made in writing and received the first week of camp. A switch will only be made if the integrity of groups can remain intact. After the first week, NO CHANGES WILL BE MADE. Page 5