La Porte County Family YMCA Summer Adventure Camp LA PORTE COUNTY FAMILY YMCA 901 MICHIGAN AVENUE LA PORTE, IN 46350 (219) 325-9622 www.lpymca.org PARENT HANDBOOK 2012
p. 13 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Mission and Goals p. 1 II. Counselors p. 2 Print Child s Name: III. Camp Location and Phone Number p. 2 IV. Cost/Hours/Days p. 3 A. Internal Revenue Service p. 3 B. Registration p. 3 V. Schedules A. Daily Schedule p. 4 B. Swim Days p. 4 C. Field Trips p. 4 D. Check-In/Pick-Up p. 5 VI. Survival Tips for Campers A. What to Wear & Bring p. 6 B. What NOT to Bring p. 6 VII. Survival Tips for Parents A. Behavior Management & Discipline Policy p. 7 Parent Handbook Acknowledgement Form *Must be signed and turned in prior to attendance of camp I/We acknowledge that we have read, understand and agree to follow the policies governing the La Porte County Family YMCA 2012 Summer Camp Parent Handbook and Camp Counselor Code of Conduct. We also understand that violating any rules, regulations/ policies, or displaying conduct disrespectful to the Y staff or other children will result in an immediate meeting with the Camp Director and further options will be discussed. VIII. Distribution of Medication Policy p. 8 IX. A Word From the Coordinator p. 9 X. Counselor Code of Conduct p. 10 Parent s Signature(s) XI. Directions to La Lumiere p. 11 XII. Final Checklist for Camp p. 12 XIII. Parent Handbook Acknowledgement p. 13
XII. Final Checklist for Camp p. 12 I. Mission Statement: p. 1 Things that need to be completed/turned in before first day of camp: 1. Emergency Contact Card 2. Registration Card/Papers 3. Weekly fee paid 4. Acknowledgement form from parent handbook 5. Completed Immunization Record by doctor s office Final Reminders for Camp Payment for upcoming week of camp is due by 10 p.m. the Friday prior. Keep contact information up-to-date. Make sure to Drop-Off/Pick-Up ON TIME. Have photo ID ready for pick-up. Send child in loose fitting, light colored, PLAY clothes. They will get messy!!! Children MUST wear closed toed shoes (NO SANDALS/CROCS). Pack sack lunch and water/drink EVERYDAY. Pack sunscreen/bug spray EVERYDAY. Pack extra clothes EVERYDAY. No electronics should be brought to camp. No Gum or Candy. Monday/Wednesday are swim days for grades K-3. Tuesday/Friday are swim days for grades 4 and above. Bring swimsuit and towel on swim day. Wear orange camp shirt on field trip days. The LaPorte County Family YMCA s mission is to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all. Our Goals: To provide a fun experience for each child on a daily basis. To help campers realize their full potential. This means giving them the opportunity to be creative and to grow. To develop each child s confidence, leadership, and achievements by participating in several group activities. To help campers work and play together. This includes helping them to relate to others and recognizing the differences that make each person special. To help develop friendships with the other children and the counselors. To reinforce the Y s core values of caring, honesty, responsibility, and respect into each camper s daily lives. To help each child learn to make positive decisions. It is our desire for each child to have the traditional Y camping experience. Our hope is that years from now, your child will look back on his or her time at the Y summer camp and remember it as a very special time in his or her life. Day Camp is an adventure in outdoor living! Children experience quality camping that includes archery, canoeing, swimming, fishing, arts & crafts, a high ropes course, counselor and group skits, singing, hiking, weekly field trips, crazy games, water balloon fights, and tons more! All children MUST be toilet trained
As a general rule, children are not allowed to call home unless there is an emergency or a disciplinary problem. Please do not give your child permission to call home during the day. II. Counselors Training: p. 2 XI. Directions to La Lumiere p. 11 The La Porte County Family YMCA Camp Staff undergo an intense pre-camp training, which includes CPR, First Aid, blood borne pathogen training, emergency procedures, and in-house training through our insurance company The Redwoods Group. All counselors have a TB test and are given a drug test. The Y believes strongly in preparing these young men and women to work with your children. All applicants also have a Criminal Background Check and National Sex Offender Check before being hired. CAMP III. Camp Location and Phone Number In collaboration with La Lumiere School, Y Day Camp will be held at the La Lumiere campus, which has over 140 acres of land and is located about 10 miles north of La Porte perfect for a true camp experience!! Transportation: Transportation to and from camp is provided by the Y each day at no additional cost. The bus will leave the Y at 8:45 a.m. and will return no later than 4 p.m. daily. PLEASE BE PROMPT WHEN DROPPING OFF/ PICKING UP! Phone Number: There are no phones at La Lumiere. The Camp Director will have a cell phone with him at all times. The Camp Director MUST keep the line clear in case of an emergency. Directions to camp coming from the City of La Porte Drive north on IN-39 4.8 mi Shortly after crossing U.S. Route 20, 0.5 mi turn right onto W 650 N heading east Take first left to stay on W 650 N 0.5 mi Turn left onto N Wilhem Rd 0.3 mi Arrive at 6796 N Wilhem Rd, La Lumiere School If you have an EMERGENCY and need to get a hold of your child, you may contact the Y front desk, and they will immediately relay the message to the Camp Director. The phone number for the Y is (219) 325-9622.
X. Counselor Code of Conduct p. 10 IV. Cost/Hours/Days p. 3 La Porte County Family YMCA Day Camp Counselor Code Of Conduct This insert contains the camp counselor s Code Of Conduct. Each counselor MUST read and sign this before they are put on the payroll. Please read the Code of Conduct so that you better understand some of the responsibilities of the camp counselor. Please pay close attention to #18 and #19. Sincerely, YMCA Staff Price: $85/week* for Y members $115/week* for non-member Additional $10 field trip fee Because of the operation of Summer Camp, we are unable to offer multi-camp discounts. A $10 late fee will be assessed to camp fees that are not received by 10 p.m. Friday the week PRIOR to attendance. (This helps the camp staff plan for supplies, bussing and counselor scheduling. Because of the counselor-to-camper ratio issues, we cannot prorate payments for partial weeks, unless we do not hold camp due to a holiday. Once a camper is registered for a particular week, there will be a $20 charge to move camper from registered week to another week unless for medical reasons. Must have a note from the doctor to not incur the transfer charge. Parents are responsible for keeping track of childcare expenses for tax purposes. The Y does not provide individual statements of expenses for parents. Please keep all receipts for your records. Receipts can also be emailed to your home at the time of payment. Registration: Registration for camp can be for as many or as few weeks as desired. As part of the registration process, there is an emergency contact card that must be filled out for each child. Any allergies, special needs or medical information that the camp director should know must be completed by the parent prior to the camper attending camp. Also, you will be asked to provide a list of people who are authorized to sign kids out of camp at the end of the day. Only people listed on the emergency contact card will be allowed to pick up your child. Please have ALL people picking child up, including parents, bring photo ID EVERYDAY. Children will not be given to anyone without ID.
Hours/Days of Camp: p. 4 IX. A Word From the Director p. 9 Summer Camp is open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m.- 6 p.m. at the Y and 6:30 a.m.-6 p.m. at remote locations. Camp runs June 7-Aug. 13 (no camp July 4). * All children MUST be picked up by the 6 p.m. or you will be charged an overtime fee of $1.00 per minute per child, payable the day of incident (no exceptions). V. Schedules Daily Schedule: 6:00-8:30 Sign-In/Drop-Off 8:30-8:45 a.m. Opening Ceremonies 8:45-9 a.m. Load Buses 9-9:15 a.m. Travel to La Lumiere 9:15-Noon Camp Activities Noon-12:30 p.m. Lunch 12:30-2 p.m. More Camp Activities 2-4 p.m. Swim/Snack/Games 4-6 p.m. Sign-Out/Pick-Up *On your child s swim day, they will be traveling back to the Y at 1:30 p.m. Also, all K-1 campers will return EACH day to the Y at 1:30 p.m. ** Please note that the sample schedule listed is just that a sample. Activities and times will vary from day to day based on age groups. As you can tell, there is not much time to just sit around. This camp offers a wide variety of activities, from high-energy activities to low-energy activities. Swim Days: Your child will swim according to the following schedule: Grades K-3 swim on Mondays and Wednesdays. Grades 4 & up - Swim on Tuesdays and Fridays. Please send your child with a swimsuit and towel each swim day. Once again, we are looking forward to the beautiful weather Indiana summers afford. I want to thank you so much for considering Y Summer Adventure Camp this year. Very few things get me as excited as I do for camp and everything it has to offer: archery, high ropes, fishing, canoeing, swimming, arts and crafts, songs, skits, enjoying the outdoors and just having a blast with awesome people. For those of you who I have not gotten the opportunity to meet yet, my name is Caleb Animal Addie. I am the Y s new Program Coordinator and Camp Director for this summer. Along with attending many camps as an adolescent, I have spent summers working as a resident counselor at Camp Crosley in Indiana and Camp Cobbossee in Maine. I am a firm believer that camp experiences remain with you forever and that camp offers unparalleled opportunities for growth, learning and building self confidence. The Summer Adventure Camp offers safe, value-based programs led by caring staff. The Y works hard to create a nurturing environment that emphasizes caring, honesty, respect and responsibility. I am positive that you will hear endless stories about new friends, exciting adventures and amazing staff. Please do not hesitate contact me with any questions. I look forward to learning all of your faces and welcoming all of your children to Summer Adventure Camp! I can be reached by phone at (219) 325-9622 or by e-mail at programs@lpymca.org. See you this summer! Caleb Animal Addie Program Coordinator Camp Director
VIII. Distribution of Medication Policy p. 8 Field Trips: p. 5 We ask that you please consider that if your child is currently taking medication for behavior modification during the school year, that they are not taken off of their medicine during the summer. Medication consistency helps avoid behavior problems. Also consider that many medications need time to build up in your system to work, and after an extended absence, the body will have to start over again during the beginning of the next school year. Prior to the administration of medication, food supplement or modified diet, the camp shall: 1.) Secure written instructions from a licensed physician for administration. 2.) Secure written, signed, dated Medication Authorization Form from the parent. 3.) Medicines brought to camp must be in the original prescription container and contain only the amount given for one day. All medicines shall be taken home every night and signed in every morning. No exceptions!! On Thursday of each week (unless otherwise noted), the campers will be taking a field trip. Only children paying the field trip fee will be allowed to go on the field trip. No other care is provided for children not attending. It is recommended that you send a few dollars with your child for a drink, snack or souvenir. Please make sure that your child is wearing his/ her Y field trip t-shirt on these days. This will make it easier for the counselors to keep their children in their assigned groups. More information will be handed out about each trip when the time nears. Check-In/Pick-Up: Check-In for the La Porte Y location is from 6-8:30 a.m. in the Swanson Gymnasium and Pick-Up is from 4-6 p.m. in the Youth Activity Center. Please use the Michigan Avenue entrance for Check-In and Pick-Up. Check-In for our outreach locations is from 6:30-8:15 a.m. and Pick-Up is from 4:30-6 p.m. When dropping your child off, please sign your child in at the sign-in table every time! It is required that you sign your child in and out daily. (Camp must be paid in advance.) Please let everyone know who will be picking up your child from camp that they will be asked to show photo identification upon sign-out. Please keep in mind that the safety of our campers is our top priority. By signing them in and out and with the ID method, safety will prevail! Only individuals listed on the emergency contact card will be able to pick up your child. NO EXCEPTIONS!!! Parents may also drop off their child at La Lumiere or request to pick up the child from camp early if they make staff aware of this ahead of time.
VI. Survival Tips for Campers What to Wear & What to Bring: p. 6 VII. Survival Tips for Parents Behavior Management & Discipline Policy: p. 7 Light-colored clothes Tennis Shoes* Sack Lunch (Refrigerator or Microwave not available) Water Bottles Swimsuit**/Towel***/Goggles Sunscreen/Bug Repellant Jacket or Sweatshirt Backpack for all items Extra set of clothes * TENNIS SHOES are a must!!! Please keep in mind that at camp the campers are outdoors most of the day. No sandals, open toe shoes, or Crocs. ** ALL young ladies attending camp MUST wear a ONE (1) piece bathing suit or tankini. *** There is no longer a towel service at the Y so your child will need to make sure to bring one! What NOT to Bring: Campers will not be allowed to bring toys from home. DO NOT send radios, personal music players, Heelies, personal gaming systems, game/ trading cards, cell phones, digital cameras or any other valuable with your child to camp. The Y is not responsible for lost or stolen items. No gum or candy! Please label everything: jackets, lunch boxes, swimsuits, water bottles, sunscreen, etc. Items left behind will be donated within one week to Goodwill. Parents may make arrangements to drop off any forgotten item at La Lumiere throughout the day. Lost and found bins will in the Youth Activity Center. Discipline is viewed as guidance, not punishment. When a camper is not behaving appropriately, the counselor will try to redirect the camper with positive encouragement. If positive encouragement does not redirect the camper, the camper will be given a time out from an activity. If the inappropriate behavior continues, a discussion with the Camp Director will then take place. Fun and safety are high priorities here at the Y and we must do everything we can to provide ALL of the children in our care with the summer camp atmosphere that he/ she is looking for. As a last resort, we reserve the right to call parents to pick up their child from camp if he or she does not respond to our intervention. We will make every attempt to work with parents to modify inappropriate behavior, as long as that behavior does not directly interfere with the camp experience of another child. If a child cannot abide by camp rules, he or she may be discharged from the program. Our camp follows a Three (3) Strike policy for a child s dismissal. If a child is expelled from camp for bad behavior, refunds are not issued. Please realize that we do not call parents just because a camper had to be talked to several times from his/her counselor. Part of the camp experience is to grow and to learn to play with others. A call is usually for a serious matter and is done only when either the child and parents have received warnings about his behavior, when the camper commits a first offense that is extreme (damage to the facility, etc.) or when the camper has infringed on the rights of another camper.