Brainerd Family YMCA 2019 Summer Day Camp Grades K-5 Parent Packet Zac Johnson, Camp Director Kristy Beerman, Day Camp Administrator zjohnson@blymca.org kbeerman@blymca.org Direct: 218-454-2558 Direct: 218-454-2576 Camp Cell: 218-838-7578
Summer 2019 WELCOME PARENTS Welcome to the Brainerd Family YMCA Summer Day Camp. We are glad that you ve chosen to spend some memorable moments with us this summer. We look forward to providing an exciting summer, filled with tremendous summertime experiences. We are committed to providing your child with a rewarding and memorable experience. We have hired role models for your children who will help build character, positive experiences and memories that will last a lifetime. Our staff is trained to display and encourage the values of caring, respect, honesty and responsibility throughout the daily activities and games of the camp curriculum. A YMCA summer can make an impression that lasts a lifetime! Whether you are new to the YMCA Summer Camp or a seasoned Y Camper, we are pleased to welcome you to the 2019 camp program. This parent handbook is designed to prepare and assist you with sending your child to summer camp. It contains helpful and pertinent information that will make camp a meaningful experience for your child as well as a valuable service to you, the parent. Please review this handbook carefully and review the camp rules and guidelines with your child. If we can provide you with any additional information or be of any service to you throughout the summer, please do not hesitate to contact the Camp Director. We have our own Facebook Page (Brainerd Family YMCA Day Camp) to keep everyone updated on our days. Please make sure you request to be part of our page! Our YMCA Summer Day Camp program has once again been invited to participate in the Summer Lunch program with ISD 181. This program allows our campers to receive free lunches if they choose everyday throughout the summer. Lunch will be served at Washington school each day around 11:45 (This program does not include field trip days, so lunches will need to be packed on those days.) The following forms are REQUIRED to be signed and on file before your child will be allowed to attend camp: 1. Registration form with payment in full enclosed 2. Parent Waiver 3. Permission Form 4. Emergency & Health Information Form 5. Sunscreen Form I m happy to share with you that Emma Peterson will be our new Summer Day Camp Coordinator. She has been part of camp for the last few years and I am excited to see where she takes us this year! Along with Emma and myself, we will have number of welcoming and caring staff. We take pride in helping your child grow and discover, and we are excited for another fun-filled summer! Sincerely, Zac Johnson Camp Director Day Camp Cell: 218-838-7578 E-mail: zjohnson@blymca.org
Program Description Leaders-in-Training Program (LIT) The LIT program is designed to serve youth entering grades 6-9 who are interested in having fun at camp while gaining new skills. An LIT is commonly referred to as junior counselors. The LIT s will be able to participate with the various activities of day camp, but will also be learning leadership skills under the supervision of assigned Day Camp Counselors. All potential LIT s must be approved by the Day Camp Director and Camp Coordinator prior to registering for the Day Camp program. Register early as spots are limited! Some of our activities included: weekly visits to The Senior Center, Habitat for Humanity, the Brainerd Public Library, Ruby s Pantry, and Operation Sandwich. I am always looking to add some more opportunities for our LIT s. If you have any suggestions, please pass them along! This program is to build character in each participant. Due to the fact that there will be training along the way, there will be a fee for the program. Since this is a leadership program, we would like to have the LIT s here on as a consistent basis as possible. It is difficult for staffing purposes and daily schedules if we have inconsistent LIT numbers. For this reason, we cannot have daily drop ins for the LIT program. The LIT s must register like all other camp participants. We count on them to be an essential part of our daily activities. LIT rate for Day Camp is 50% off regular camper rate. EXPECTATIONS: Be a role model of the YMCA Character Values: Caring, Honesty, Respect & Responsibility. Follow all YMCA rules and be an example to campers of good behavior. Participate fully and enthusiastically in all day camp activities and encourage campers to do so. Put the wishes of campers ahead of your own. Be an example for campers of safe behavior and help counselors think about safety first. Be extra eyes and ears for camp staff informing them of things they should know about good things as well as not so good things. Use good judgment. Remember, they are watching you. Help counselors as asked. Learn and lead at your own pace. Bring any problems or concerns to Day Camp staff. BOUNDARIES: Do not boss campers around. Do not be alone with campers you are always part of a counselor-lit team. Respect and honor counselor s decisions.
Sunscreen Policy YMCA day camp participants spend a great deal of time in the outdoors and are thereby exposed to the sun s harmful rays. Since it is our commitment to promote healthy spirits, minds, and bodies, we follow the following policies in this regard. All campers and staff will wear sunscreen with and SPF of at least 15 on all exposed skin, including lips, daily, even on cloudy days. Parents or legal guardians will be responsible for applying the first layer of sunscreen prior to morning drop off. Parents or legal guardians will be responsible for providing their children with enough sunscreen (in a sealed container) to take with them for later day applications. One container per child, please. Day camp staff will be responsible for ensuring thorough follow-up applications after 1 hour in the water, after two hours of activity in the sun, (due to perspiration), and/or any other time as needed. Please note, this will mean your child will have the sunscreen applied by day camp staff for them, or be instructed by the day camp staff to do so themselves. Please explain this to your child before camp. For campers who have fair skin, freckles, or tend to burn easily and tan little or not at all; we recommend an extra t-shirt to be brought to wear in the water for extra protection. The YMCA reserves the right to disallow anyone to participate in the day camp program at any time for failure to comply with this policy. YMCA Safety Practices The Brainerd Family YMCA takes the importance of the protection and safety of the children involved in programs seriously. The Brainerd Family YMCA has policies, procedures, and guidelines for staff members and volunteers who work with children. The following is a list of safety practices: YMCA staff members and volunteers immediately report any suspected abuse of children. The YMCA completes comprehensive pre-employment screening for staff members and volunteers, including employment reference checks and criminal history checks. All YMCA staff trainings include safety information, behavior management, as well as First Aid and CPR certifications. YMCA staff members are identifiable by a YMCA nametag and staff shirts. YMCA staff takes child safety seriously. Staff constantly count heads, perform roll call, and maintain visual contact with children at all times. YMCA staff never leaves children unsupervised. YMCA staff always remains aware of intruders, hazardous situations or areas, and unsafe practices. Children will always remain within visual and hearing range of YMCA staff. YMCA staff continues to reinforce the buddy system between children.
PAYMENT INFORMATION What Parents Need to Know Pre-Registration is required! All Campers must be registered with appropriate fees paid by the Thursday prior to the week attending. In an effort to maintain adequate staffing ratios, we will not accept any drop- ins. It is our policy that if a child is not registered for the program he or she cannot attend that day or week. So please make sure to always turn in your registrations in early! To make the payment process seamless on both ends (yours and the Y s), our regularly attending families will be set up in the auto-pay program. These draws will happen on the Thursday before each week of camp that you are registered for. Please see the front desk to set up an auto pay method. For your convenience, a drop box will be available at the front desk. Simply complete the appropriate registration form and drop it in the box. (full payment needs to be included, or a current credit card needs to be on file) For anyone who prefers to prepay for Summer Camp (and thereby opt out of the auto-pay program), full payments needs to be made at the time of registration. Full payment is due by the end of the business day on the Thursday. There are NO fee reductions for absent, sick, or partial days. Please contact the Day Camp Administrator if your child will not be attending. DROPPING OFF/ PICKING UP YOUR CHILD A parent/ authorized person must sign child (ren) in at the front desk when they arrive and out when they depart daily. If not signed in, the YMCA cannot be responsible for the child! Only authorized persons are allowed to pick up children. If someone other than an authorized person is picking up a child, please inform the Day Camp Administrator, the Day Camp Director, Camp Coordinator, and/or the front desk the day of. They should also be prepared to show a photo ID when picking up any children. Parents will be given 1 warning for a late pickup. Each time after there will be a LATE FEE of $1 per minute. Chronic late pick up is grounds for dismissal from the camp program. ABSENCES If you find that you will not be sending your child to a week of camp for which you preenrolled, please call the YMCA so that we may fill your child s spot. Please notify the YMCA in the event of an absence within a minimum of 24 hours. SWIMMING We will be swimming most days at camp. All campers will be required to take a swimming test before accessing the deep end of pools. Life jackets will be given to any child who appears to have lower level swimming abilities. HEAT POLICY Physical activity is limited when the heat index reaches 100 F. Children will remain indoors when the temperature is 102 or above. Campers are given frequent water breaks and are encouraged to bring water bottles, hats, sunglasses and sunscreen.
HEALTH & ILLNESS In the event your child is ill on a schedule day, please keep them home for the day. If a child becomes ill, the parent or authorized individual will be notified immediately to pick up the child within an hour. Sick children will be monitored and isolated, with necessary supervision, until designated pick up arrives. Please notify Zac Johnson, Camp Director, if your child contacts a communicable disease. The YMCA will administer prescription medication only WITH WRITTEN PARENTAL/GUARDIAN PERMISSION and instructions. All medications must be in the original container and clearly marked with the child s first name and last name, and MUST be given directly to a STAFF MEMBER. Aspirin or will not be given without the express, written permission of the child s physician. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES The following procedures will be followed in an emergency situation: o A staff member will administer immediate first aid. o A staff member will notify parent/guardian. o If parent/guardian cannot be reached, or a situation warrants immediate emergency assistance, the Camp Director or Staff will notify the designated physician and/or call the local emergency unit for treatment, accompany the child to the hospital, and stay until the parent/guardian arrives. o An incident report will be completed and kept on file at the YMCA. o Camp Counselors will have a cell phone on them at all times for emergencies. CAMPERS NEED Please pack or have your child wear athletic shoes to camp. We spend a lot of time in the gym as well as outside. Weather-appropriate clothing (hats are encouraged) Girls must wear a one-piece swimsuit or a two piece tankini If packing a lunch please be considerate of all the children in the program. Some children have certain food allergies and do our best to accommodate everyone. There is no sharing food. Campers do have access to reheat or refrigerate food. Campers may bring additional healthy snacks with them as we have a morning and afternoon snack. Waterproof sunscreen or sun block and bug spray. We recommend a waterproof, longwearing formula for best protection. YMCA staff will remind campers to apply sunscreen on a scheduled basis. Backpack Water bottle Swimsuit and towel Books, comics or picture books for our daily quiet reading time LABEL all items with camper s full name. Leave toys, knives, toy guns, water guns, etc. AT HOME. The YMCA has a zero tolerance policy for weapons, tobacco products, alcohol, drugs, etc. DAILY READING Please have your camper bring a book because we will read for at least 30 minutes every day. Camp does have books available for campers to borrow if needed.
HOT LUNCH PROGRAM This summer we will once again be participating in a community wide Summer Lunch Program. This means if interested, a hot lunch will be available free for all campers every day throughout the summer. Lunches will be served at 11:45 at Washington School. Lunches will not be available on any bused field trip day. Campers will need to bring a cold lunch on any designated field trip days where we will be off site during the lunch timeframe. Monthly menus are available on the parent information rack, which is located downstairs on the hallway wall in Day Camp area. LOST & FOUND The Brainerd Family YMCA will collect lost and found on a daily basis. It is the camper s responsibility to check the lost and found for misplaced items. Lost and found items will be kept for 2 weeks then taken to a local charity. The YMCA does not accept responsibility for lost or stolen items. FIELD TRIPS ONLY 70 KIDS ARE ALLOWED to attend each field trip due transportation and staffing concerns. A signed permission slip is required to attend certain field trips. Campers are allowed to bring extra money for field trips, but they are responsible for their own money. The YMCA staff are NOT responsible for lost or stolen money. Behavior guidelines are enforced on field trips, as well as at camp. Campers who cannot adhere to the rules may meet one or more of the consequences listed in discipline policy. We will be going on various walking field trips as well as bused field trips. There will be an extra charge of $8 for YMCA members and $14 for community-members on days with a bused field trip. If you do not wish to participate in the field trips, your child is unable to attend camp that day. Bused field trips will occur every week. Alternating days between Tuesdays and Thursdays. Campers must attend a MINIMUM OF THREE DAYS of camp if they wish to attend the field trip. Please pack a lunch on field trip days. BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS Camp staff and campers will create a set of rules which communicate the YMCA s expectation that each and every camper strive to be caring, honest, respectful, and responsible during the first week of camp. These will be posted at the Y for all to see. See Discipline Policy for action steps taken. When inappropriate behavior occurs staff will: redirect behavior, speak with the child to determine the cause/ resolution and when appropriate assign special responsibilities to help the child build self-esteem. Chronic behavior problems will lead to dismissal from camp. These behaviors include, but are not limited to: o Destroying or taking property of other children, staff, or that of the site. o Rudeness or discourteous behavior to other children or staff. o Causing physical and/or emotional harm to other children or staff. o Any camper who vandalizes, damages, or otherwise destroys YMCA equipment, WILL BE HELD RESPONSIBLE for making the appropriate repairs and amends.
Discipline Policy Step 1- Redirect: Staff will redirect the camper to more appropriate behavior. Inappropriate behavior could include: o Not treating other campers and/or staff with respect. Examples: swearing, pushing and shoving, name calling, confrontational attitude, and not following directions. o Not acting appropriately during camp. Examples: running in halls, leaving group without supervision. o Not obeying stated rules, disrespecting equipment or property. o Not behaving responsibly. Examples: lying, stealing, horseplay, creating a dangerous situation for themselves or others. o Any action or inaction that negatively affects other campers or staff. Step 2- Time Out: If a warning is ineffective, the child will sit out immediately for 5-10 minutes depending on the severity of their action. o The camper will be reminded of the behavior guidelines and day camp rules, and a discussion will take place. Step 3- Incident Report: If a time out is ineffective or the child continues to display inappropriate behavior, the counselor will complete an incident report. This report will be given to the camp director. The director will have the discretion of speaking to the camper and/or parent depending on the action. o If a child s behavior at any time threatens the immediate safety of them, other children, or staff the parent may be notified and expected to pick up the child immediately. Step 4- Parent Meeting: If problems persist, the parents will be contacted to meet with the camp director and other pertinent staff. Guidelines will be established for the child to remain in camp. o Continuing disruptive behavior may result in a 1-3 day suspension from the Summer Camp program. Step 5- Suspension: If established guidelines are not followed, the parents will be called to pick up their child. At this time, the camp director and parents will establish a timeframe for re-admittance to camp. Step 6- Dismissal: For the safety and enjoyment of all campers, the YMCA will dismiss a camper for unacceptable behavior upon return from suspension. The dismissal would result in loss of all program fees and exclude the camper from all other day camp sessions. o Expulsion from the Summer Camp program will be considered if a camper s disruptive behavior cannot be redirected Parents are notified about any inappropriate behavior experienced at Summer Camp when they pick their child up at the end of the day (or at work if necessary). The YMCA reserves the right to suspend any child from the program if necessary.
CHARACTER COUNTS The Brainerd Family YMCA Summer Camp has a strong focus on building the confidence of each child through character challenges that encourage personal growth and the development of strong values. Campers will build character this summer as they focus on the core values below. Caring Be kind and show concern for others. Express gratitude. Forgive others. Help those in need. Be compassionate. Honesty Do not cheat, steal, or deceive. Keep your promises. Be reliable Have the courage to do the right thing. Build a good reputation. Be loyal to your family, friends, and country. Respect Live by the Golden Rule. Value the abilities and characteristics of others. Use good manners. Be considerate of another s feeling. Honor everyone s dignity, privacy, and freedom. Be courteous and polite. Responsibility Do what you are supposed to do. Finish what you start. Always do your best. Exercise selfcontrol. Be accountable to your choices.