Quick Reference Guide Camp Check-in: July 15th > 2:30-3:00 pm *Parent Meeting at 3:00 pm Survival 101 Camp Check-out: July 20th > 12:30 pm *Group Lunch at 12:00 pm How to stay connected with your camper: >Email: campers@eagle-bluff.org Put your camper's name in the Subject Line >Snail Mail: Camper's Name, Camp Name, Eagle Bluff 28097 Goodview Dr. Lanesboro, MN 55949 >Daily Photos: Uploaded on Flickr. A unique URL will be emailed to you before camp starts. >Phone Message: 507.467.2437 If you have any questions during the camp week, please do not hesitate to contact Jenna or Becca by phone (listed above) or email: camps@eagle-bluff.org! Camp Checklist Medication Permission Form (if needed): Complete and e/mail in this optional form or bring with to camp check-in Review packing list and behavior expectations Page 1 Check the Google Sheets Document from your email for the amount due at check-in.
Survival 101 Packing List Campers, you are responsible for bringing personal items and clothing that are appropriate for the season. You will be spending a lot of time outdoors, so it is important to come prepared for all types of weather. Survival 101: Camper Info Page 2 Clothing & Gear Check the weather forecast as you are packing for the week! Shorts (5-6) T-shirts (5-6) Sweatshirt (2-3) Long pants (2-3 pairs) Underwear (6) Socks (5-6) Pajamas Rain jacket Swimsuit or swimming clothes* (1-2) Shoes** (outdoor, swimming, & indoor) A hat Water bottle A durable backpack for the camp out (e.g. most school backpacks) Optional Camera*** Medication Permission Form Twin fitted sheet Cards/Games Journal Sunglasses Quiet activity such as a book, magazine, word puzzles, etc. Wrist watch Please leave at home Cell phones, tablets, ipods, etc. Hair dryer Money Snacks: pop, candy, gum, etc. Tobacco, alcohol, firearms, drugs Personal Items Pillow & Sleeping Bag Towel (1-2, Showers vs swimming) Shampoo & Conditioner, Soap Toothbrush and toothpaste Brush or comb Deodorant Contacts & Glasses Sunscreen & Bug Spray Headlamp (Preferred over a flashlight) *Swimming Suit/Swimming Clothes: All male campers must wear boxer type swim trunks and bring a t-shirt or tank to wear. Female campers can wear a one-piece swimming suit, or a modest bikini. However, a shirt must also be worn over the bikini top. A pair of shorts and t- shirt can be worn in place of a swimming suit. >Swimming at Eagle Bluff: A favorite camp activity for many is wading and swimming in the Root River. At our swimming location, there is a slow current with water depths between one and six feet. Campers will be wearing PFDs for swimming no matter their swimming ability. **Shoes: For swimming, canoeing, and exploring the ponds/river, shoes with a backing must be worn-- flip flops and Crocs are not allowed for water activities. Water shoes, Tevas, Keens, Chacos, or an old pair of tennis shoes works well as these shoes WILL get wet and probably dirty. You will also want to bring a pair of tennis shoes for our activities on land and a comfortable pair for in the dorms. ***Camera: Please read the section on Page 7 about Camp Photos.
Eagle Bluff welcomes you to the 2018 Survival 101 Camp! Survival 101: Camper Info Page 3 We are looking forward to seeing you at Eagle Bluff this summer! Some of the week s highlights include: Camping out along the Root River, possibily even in your own shelter Traversing Eagle Bluff's ropes course & climbing wall Scoring a bull's-eye at the archery range & the rifle range Testing out your survival skills in a game of BONKERS Within this packet you will find the information and details needed to prepare for all of those exciting activities and more. The bright, colorful page is intended to be a go-to reference guide with important dates and times, the contact information for parents, and the packing list. The remainder of the packet includes details about camp life at Eagle Bluff and Behavior Expectations. Parents/guardians, please look over all the materials carefully and review them with your child. If you have any questions before camp starts, don t hesitate to contact Eagle Bluff. We look forward to seeing you soon! -The Eagle Bluff Camp Staff: Jenna, Becca, Lara, Rachel, Janie, Henry, Lindsay, James, & Hannah
Survival 101: Camper Info Page 4 Survival 101 Behavior Expectations We re getting unplugged! So please leave cell phones at home! Campers are only allowed to make phone calls if there is an emergency. An Eagle Bluff staff member will facilitate the process and the call will be made from our phones. Your space is yours Their space is theirs! Campers are only allowed in their dorm room. If you want to hang out together to talk or play games, you can do so in the commons area (i.e. hallway, homeroom, picnic tables). For the most part, there is no room changing. If you request a room change, a staff member must approve of the change. Campers need their beauty sleep! Lights out for Survival 101 campers is at 10 PM every night. We ask that all campers start getting ready for bed a half hour before lights out. Snacks are the best...but not in your room! As we live in a fairly rural setting, snacks and other beverages attract extra, unwanted animal attention. So if you bring food or drinks to camp, it will be stored in the office and given back at the end of camp. And to make sure your stomach stays happy, we will be providing snacks throughout the day and night. We need to protect our feet shoes are essential! Campers must wear shoes at all times except while in the dorm. Get down with the 4 Respects! Eagle Bluff expects campers to follow the 4 respects. 1. Respect Yourself. 2. Respect Others. 3. Respect Eagle Bluff Equipment. 4. Respect the Environment. Campers will be given 15 minute time-outs for poor behavior choices. Repeat offenders will receive a call home and if the behavior continues the camper will be sent home. Severe misconduct which puts yourself, others, or property in danger will result in you being sent home immediately. Steps of Consequences. 1. Verbal warning & redirecting 2. Removal from activity 3. Call home to parent/guardian 4. Get picked up by a parent/guardian
Arrival and Check-In: *Arrival and check-in is on Sunday July 15th in the Dorm Lobby from 2:30-3:00 PM.* Survival 101: Parent Info Page 5 During check-in, you will receive a more detailed camp schedule, the chance to talk with any staff about questions or concerns you may have, and the opportunity to help your camper settle into their dorm room. Carpooling to camp with a friend is more than acceptable just make sure that your camper has all of the required forms and meds, if needed, for check-in. Directions to Eagle Bluff: From the north, south, or west: Take Hwy 52 to Fountain. Follow brown directional signs to turn left and travel 8 miles east on Hwy 8. Turn left on County Rd 21 and travel 1 1/4 miles. Turn right on Goodview Dr (gravel) and travel 2 1/2 miles to the Eagle Bluff Campus. From the east: Take State Hwy 16 to Lanesboro. Go north on Hwy 250 (Parkway Ave) for about a 1/2 mile until you are approaching downtown. Turn left on County Rd 8 (Between Root River Outfitters and Mrs. B's Inn) and travel 2 miles. Follow brown directional signs to turn right on County Rd 21 (blacktop) and travel 1 1/4 miles. Turn right on Goodview Dr (gravel) and travel 2 1/2 miles to the Eagle Bluff Campus. Upon arrival, please park in the large parking lot (to the left) and follow the walking path to the dorm for check-in (to the right). Camp Payment: Survival 101 required at minimum a $100, non-refundable deposit at the time of camp registration. If only the deposit has been paid, the remaining balance will be paid at camp check-in. That remaining amount can be paid via cash, check, or credit card. Checks can be made payable to Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center. Check the Google Sheets Document from your email for the amount due at check-in. **Cancellation Policy**: Cancellations made 15 days prior to the start of camp will receive a full refund less the deposit. Cancellations made less than 15 days will be charged the full amount. Medications & Medication Permission Form: Eagle Bluff will hold and dispense all camper medication, including over the counter medications. If your camper will need to take medication during camp, a Medication Permission Form will need to be completed, signed, and returned at the time of check-in. Medication must be in its original container. The prescription medication container must include camper's name, dosages, and times. Forms are available online on the Summer Camps page, or contact Eagle Bluff to obtain a copy.
The Dorm Rooms: Survival 101: Parent Info Page 6 Campers will be staying in our dormitory. Each room can house eight people and has its own shower, toilet, two sinks, and storage cubbies. The camp coordinator has taken into account any roommate preferences listed on your camper s registration form. No food or beverages are allowed in the dorm room. Please do not send any candy or other snack items as there may be campers with severe food allergies who may come in contact with the item. Campers will be spending a good amount of time outdoors. Refer to the packing list and bring clothing and outerwear appropriate for the weather. Activities are held outside rain or shine, and being prepared is key! Campers are not allowed to use the phone while attending camp. If there is an emergency or behavioral problem, Eagle Bluff will the contact parents/guardians directly. We strongly encourage a camp free from cell phones. Please leave cell phones at home! Dining Hall: We aim to create meals that are full of flavor and nutrition, prepared from scratch whenever possible, and utilizing locally sourced ingredients. Campers will be involved in our FoodWISE program, which encourages kids to take what they eat, and eat what they take. Campers will assist with clearing the dining hall table and weighing their food waste at each meal. If your child has food allergies or dietary needs that weren't noted on their registration form, please contact Eagle Bluff prior to your arrival so the kitchen staff can make the appropriate accommodations. Stay connected to your camper: The quick reference guide has all of the information for keeping track of your child while they re at camp. Feel free to share this information with other family members and friends if they re interested. We ll be posting pictures to a private Flickr album, accessible via a shared link. The link will be emailed to parents the week before camp starts. Each day staff will upload photos, and it s a great way to see pictures of your child throughout the week while at their activities! You may contact your camper through the mail or email. Typically, emails received before 4:00 pm are delivered the same day. Emails received after 4:00 pm will be delivered the following day. You may call Eagle Bluff s main phone to talk to an Eagle Bluff staff member or to leave a message, but we will not be letting the campers use the phone while attending camp. If there is an emergency or behavioral problem, an Eagle Bluff staff member will contact the parents/guardians directly. If you need to contact the Summer Camps Coordinators, use the info below: Jenna Moon & Becca Jacobson 507-467-2437 or 888-800-9558 camps@eagle-bluff.org
Departure: *The last day of camp is Friday July 20th with an official pick-up time of 12:30 PM.* Survival 101: Parent Info Page 7 But you are welcome to join us on campus earlier for: > Lunch with family & friends: 12:00 PM Friends and family are invited to a group lunch on the last day of camp. Lunch will be served in the dining hall at 12:00 PM on July 20th. Parents and other family are welcomed to join their camper for the meal dinner. Meal price is $6 per person, kids four and under eat free. Sign up for the meal will take place at check-in. If you can t attend the group lunch, the official pick-up time is 12:30 PM. The camper needs to check-out with an Eagle Bluff staff member before heading home. At check-in we will be asking for the name/s of the person/s picking up your child and their contact information. We will need confirmation from the camper before they leave that they are heading home with the correct person/s. If they leave without confirmation, we will be calling the camper's parents to confirm their safe departure. Gift Shop: Eagle Bluff s gift shop will be open on the last day of camp from 11:30 AM - 12:45 PM. Items in the gift shop range in prices from $0.25 to $30.00. Campers will not need any money during the week. Camp Photos: Eagle Bluff camp staff will be taking photographs of the campers during activities, meals, & free time. A few of the photos will be posted in the Flickr album throughout the week, but the majority of the camp photos will be uploaded to a separate Flickr album. Parents will receive access to the photo album about one week after camp ends, upon completion of our parent survey, free of charge.
Survival 101: Parent Info Page 8 Homesickness Prevention Tips Prevention is the best treatment! Well parents, be assured that feeling homesick is a totally normal feeling for your child to experience and it helps them grow as a person. And for some children coming to Survival 101 Camp, it s their first camp experience! Nevertheless, I have four ways you can help prevent or lessen the experiences of homesickness for your child, some of which happen before they even arrive for their stay at camp. 1. Talk about it before camp. This is one of the best things you can do to help your child! Just because you bring up the idea of homesickness, doesn t mean it s going to happen. In fact, it often helps to talk about it beforehand as it normalizes the feeling. Research shows 90% of children at camp feel homesick at some time. By discussing it with your child ahead of time, they ll be able to recognize their feelings and know that it s alright to have them. After all, homesickness is a part of growing up! 2. Have a practice trip away from home. We ve all heard the old adage Practice makes perfect! See if you can find a relative or a family friend that s willing to have your child for a two- to three-day stay if they ve never been away from home before without a parent. It s a great way for them to see how they ll react being separated from you, and if issues do arise, you can address them ahead of time. 3. Don t make any Phone Call or Pick-up Deals. Homesickness tends to show up most often during a camper s down-time, since they re less distracted. However, most of the time these feelings will go away once immersed in another activity. But if you ve promised your child they can call you when they re feeling down, you re most likely hurting your child more. Talking on the phone is one of the last things camp staff have found to be helpful. It just tends to make the child s emotions all come to the fore-front. Furthermore, if children know they have a way out to leave camp early, they re more likely to take it. And not only does this let your child opt out of dealing with their normal emotions, it can also make them think that you don t have the confidence that they ll be able survive the week in a new experience without you by their side. 4. Word your letters and emails with care! I think it s great that parents send notes to their child while they re away at camp, but the composer needs to think carefully about the letter s contents. Keep things light and happy, and don t focus so much on what s happening at home or how much you miss them but rather on how much fun they re having at camp. More of: Wow, you got to go catch frogs today! I bet it was really exciting to wade through the pond to catch them! and less of: We went out to eat at your favorite restaurant last night because we missed you so much, but I bet you had a good day, too. Please consider these four tips when preparing for your child s camp, and they ll have a much better chance of enjoying themselves to the fullest! Visit the American Camp Association s website for more great tips on how help prevent homesickness.