Outdoor Education Center. Parent Handbook

Transcription

1 House In The Wood Outdoor Education Center Rowe Elementary School Parent Handbook House In The Wood Operated by Northwestern Settlement 3300 Bay Road Delavan, WI

2 Table of Contents 2 A Guide For Parents and Guardians 3 House in the Wood Basic Information 4 Letter to the Scholar 6 Testimonials 7 Packing List A GUIDE FOR PARENTS AND GUARDIANS Dear Parents and Guardians, We are eagerly looking forward to the arrival of your child and his or her class at the House In The Wood! The following is a brief overview to familiarize you with the House In The Wood and our educational program. History: House In The Wood began as a summer only program run by Northwestern University Settlement in We bought our current site in We opened up our year around program in We started our House In The Wood Outdoor Education Program in We are located on a 23 acre peninsula that juts out into Lake Delavan. We currently have seven cabins, a dining hall, a large meeting building, and an administrative building that includes offices and a health center. We have trails, a bird watching room and a nature center for our curriculum. What is Outdoor Education? Outdoor Education means using the environment as a learning tool. Educators are increasingly seeing the value of authentic learning, which is learning based in real-world experience. You can t bring a forest, meadow or marsh into the classroom. You must visit these communities to discover the many interrelationships between plants and animals. Nature is the living laboratory where Scholars can develop concerns for the environment by forming a relationship with it. It is our hope that by developing a relationship with nature, Scholars will gain an appreciation and a desire to be good stewards of our natural resources. Learning About Ourselves: Just as important as the awakening to the natural world, is the scholars awareness of who they are. At House In The Wood, scholars have the opportunity to work together as a team. They have the chance to grow in understanding, giving, caring, and sharing. Few scholars could participate in a week of working together outdoors without bringing home a deeper respect for each other and their classroom teachers. During a typical day your child will three outdoor lessons, which include activities centered on themes such as ecology, plants, animals, or water. For most scholars, their time spent at House In The Wood is an unforgettable experience. We appreciate your support and will do everything we can to make this a wonderful, memorable experience for your scholar. Sincerely, Val Wright, Executive Director Neal Prokop, Program Director and the Staff of House In The Wood

3 HOUSE IN THE WOOD BASIC INFORMATION LOCATION AND TRANSPORTATION: House In The Wood is located in Delavan, Wisconsin about two hours from Chicago. Your child will travel to House In The Wood in a school bus. They will be supervised by their teachers. CONTACTING YOUR CHILD: You can mail, or fax a letter to your child. Mail for scholars should be addressed to them at: House In The Wood, 3300 Bay Road, Delavan, WI Mail usually takes two to four days to arrive at House In The Wood. Please do not send packages. You can also send an to scholars@houseinthewood.org or a fax to All mail will be delivered to your child during their afternoon time in the cabin. Scholars will not be able to reply to your or fax, but they can write letters home if they choose. TELEPHONING YOUR CHILD: Scholars are NOT able to receive phone calls, except in emergencies. Scholars are NOT permitted to call home. Parents and guardians will be notified immediately of severe behavior problems, accident, or illness. Please make sure that our contact information is current. Parents who wish to check on the progress of their child should call to talk to Ms. Val or Mr. Nathan. This number rings all over camp and is answered throughout the day. Any cell phones that scholars have brought to House In The Wood will be collected on the first day and returned when the scholars arrive back in Chicago. BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS: If a scholar displays behavior problems at House in the Wood, our staff, Rowe teachers and Rowe administration will work together to determine actions that need to be taken. Should all parties decide that a scholar should no longer be at House in the Wood, we will call the parents of the scholar and inform them that they must come to House in the Wood to pick up their scholar. SUPERVISION: Your child will be supervised closely by teachers from your child s school or by House In The Wood staff at all times. Our fully trained and qualified staff will supervise your child throughout the day. HOUSING: The scholars are housed in comfortable cabins with electricity, heat, and clean restrooms. Showers are either in their cabins or a few steps away in the shower house. Supervision in the cabins is provided by teachers from your school and our cabin counselors. FOOD: Please do not pack food with your child. Three hot meals and two snacks are served each day and your child will not go hungry. Parents may send supplemental food only if their child has medical dietary restrictions. Food should be sent with teachers and will be coordinated by our health and kitchen staff throughout the week. MEDICAL CARE: In the case of accident or illness, a parent or guardian will be contacted immediately. Each Administrative staff member has been trained in First Aid and CPR. We have basic first-aid supplies and over-the counter medicine on site. We have health protocols signed by our camp doctor and we have a camp nurse who stops in daily and is on call 24/7. We have health staff certified as a first responder who is on-site 24/7 to help with daily medications and emergencies. Our Town of Delavan fire and rescue squad responds promptly to emergencies and we are within 30 minutes from a hospital. SCHOLAR MEDICATIONS AND MEDICAL BILLS: Please give all medications IN THE ORIGINAL BOTTLE to the teacher. Make sure that there is enough medication to last the full five days. Parents are responsible for their child s health care bills if a doctor visit or new medication is required. Please include a copy of your medical insurance card with the health form that you are submitting to the teacher for House In The Wood. WHAT TO BRING: A list of recommended clothing and equipment is included in this handbook. ONLINE PREPARATION WITH YOUR CHILD A Walk in the Woods. Go for a discovery walk in the woods. This interactive website is in Spanish too.

4 OUR HOMESICKNESS APPROACH House In The Wood is often a child's first time away from home, so it is normal for a few scholars to feel homesick. The vast majority of scholars who experience homesickness finish the week successfully. As scholars overcome homesickness, they build confidence, independence and positive memories of individual and shared experiences. At House In The Wood, we use various techniques to assist scholars struggling with separation. Our main objective is to occupy scholars with regularly scheduled activities such as hikes, evening programs, cabin time, and games. Should a scholar's homesickness persist, a teacher or trail leader or counselor will counsel the scholar individually. Below are some techniques we commonly employ with homesick scholars: Encourage a homesick scholar to write a letter home about all the fun things they are doing at House In The Wood. Assign a special job (such as Time Keeper, Equipment Carrier, etc.) to occupy a homesick student during day hikes. Read stories to scholars prior to bedtime to help scholars fall asleep. Ensure that homesick scholars sleep in a bunk near a good friend. If necessary, parents or guardians may be contacted to discuss a strategy for confronting homesickness. A NOTE TO PARENTS ABOUT HOMESICKNESS Before your child leaves for House In The Wood, take time to discuss being away from home. Create positive expectations and answer their questions and concerns. Let your child know that they will be busy participating in activities and collectin g experiences that will make their return home even more exciting. If you have specific concerns about homesickness, please contact your child's teacher about special arrangements. SUMMER PROGRAMS: Northwestern Settlement and House In The Wood offer one and two week Summer Camp sessions for children ages Our summer program includes activities such as swimming, boating, arts and crafts, team sports, nature, campfires, singing songs and more. If you are interested please contact us by at summercamp@houseinthewood.org or by phone at (262) A LETTER TO THE SCHOLAR Dear Scholar You ll be coming soon to the House In The Wood for a five day field trip. You re probably wondering just what to expect, and whether you ll have a good time. We ll try to answer some of your questions here. House In The Wood is an outdoor classroom with seven cabins, a dining hall, and several other special buildings. All of this is tucked into House In The Wood s 23 acres of forest and grass on a peninsula that is surrounded by Lake Delavan. There are raccoons, opossums, deer, and groundhogs if you know where to look. We also have a marsh and lake filled with lots of interesting critters that you will learn more about while you re here. To make the most of your stay with us, we need your help. It can be the best week of your life if you will observe the rules of House In The Wood, be thoughtful of others, and keep your eyes open and your mind tuned to what you may see and do. Be ready for everything and willing to try new things. You ll go on a Night Hike and learn what it might be like to be a nocturnal animal. You ll learn more about your friends and more about yourself. And finally, you ll learn more about plants and animals and how you can help preserve the earth. We look forward to meeting you, to learning with you, and to having exciting adventures together. Now for some of those questions

5 Why is there a House In The Wood? We need to understand how we fit into the natural environment. This environment the air, water, plants, soil and wildlife - is important for our survival! It is easier to appreciate these things when you are out there in the middle of them. Will we learn stuff at the House In The Wood? Sure we will. We'll be learning more about math, social studies, science, art and language arts while exploring a 23-acre outdoor laboratory. But we think this is fun and we think you will too. We'll play some games and learn about animals and trees while we play. Who will teach us? You will do some teaching, your classroom teacher may do some, but mostly your leaders will be some very special trail leader or counselors who love House In The Wood and enjoy working with you. How can I help to make my visit the very best? 1. Carefully study the materials your parent provides about the House In The Wood 2. Come prepared for those wet and/or cold days with adequate clothing. 3. Bring your curiosity. 4. Be respectful to all - fellow Scholars, teachers, trail leader or counselor, plants and animals. Are they strict at the House In The Wood? Unless your words or actions hurt others, you will see what fun you can have when people cooperate and work together. On occasion, Scholars who have been unable to obey the rules will need to spend time with their teacher or another staff at House In The Wood. What happens if one of us gets sick, gets homesick, or needs daily medication? If you get sick or injured, we will take care of you in our health center and then we will call your parents. If you get homesick, we'll help you get over it. If you regularly need medicine from home, our health center person will make sure that you get it. Will we have some free time? Yes. You will have free time just before supper where you can choose from a number of different things to do like basketball, soccer, playing cards or talking with your friends. You will also have quiet time in the cabin so bring along a good book to use in the cabin for those times. May we bring gum or food to the House In The Wood? Gum is not allowed. Do not bring food. You will be eating three meals and two snacks a day in our dining hall. Can parents visit me at House In The Wood? Not during your stay with us. You will be writing a postcard home to your parents to let them know that you have arrived safely at House In The Wood. Do I need money at the House In The Wood? No money is needed. What should I take with me?

6 Look on page six of this packet for a list of clothing and equipment you will need. Will I really enjoy myself there? Do birds fly? A little more about homesickness Home Is Where Your Bed Is Homesickness at House In The Wood is not unusual or impossible to overcome. For many scholars, the week represents the first or longest time spent away from home. With the help of past children, we've complied this list of tips and comments to help combat sadness about being away. You can: Talk to your teacher, a trail leader or counselor, or a good friend. Ask for information about the day's schedule, so you can look forward to specific activities. Write a letter home about all the things you've been doing at House In The Wood. Sleep on a bunk bed near a good friend. Keep occupied by playing games, hiking, participating in activities, and spending time with friends and cabin mates. Bring a special stuffed animal to keep you company at night. Think of all the fun things you're doing at House In The Wood and write them in a journal or tell a friend. Ask your cabin leader to read stories at bedtime to help you fall asleep. TESTIMONIALS From Kids to Kids: "Are you feeling homesick? If you are, don't worry, so was I!! Remember, it is only for 5 days, then you will see your family. I know 5 days seems like a really long time to be away from home, but believe me, it will go by fast!! There is one rule I think you should follow, don't let homesickness get in your way from having fun!!" Sara "[House In The Wood] is so much fun but it is hard to leave your home and you might get homesick... It will always go away when you play a game they have there. That is how I got rid of my homesickness. I went on a hike and felt better. At House In The Wood nothing can hurt you. Everything is safe." "If you start to feel homesick, I have some tips to help you get over it, or to keep you from being homesick. One is to list all of the fun things you did that day in order, or if you have things to send a letter, brainstorm what you are going to write. Another one is to talk to a friend who you know they will make you happy. Another thing is to think about things that make you happy. Think of things you might do the next day. So wipe off those tears, and sad faces and enjoy your week at House In The Wood." Kimberly "One way to not feel so bad is on your free time to go sit on your bed and write to your family. If you're lucky you might even get a letter back. Your parents probably miss you too. If you're getting really homesick tell your Cabin Leader and she/he might tell you something to get your mind off your family." Kaitlin

7 "The best way is to keep yourself occupied. Do that by hiking, playing, and singing. Don't be left alone, have fun with your cabin members." Alexander House In The Wood Packing List Essential Items: Field exploration is an important part of our program. Adequate clothing is essential. If you do not have some of the essential items, you should substitute. A poncho can be used for a raincoat. Two sweaters and a windbreaker can serve as a heavy jacket. Older but serviceable clothing is best. We urge that you NOT buy new clothing or equipment. Space is limited please bring only one duffle bag or suitcase and a sleeping bag/bedding. Mark luggage and each item of clothing with your child's name. Clothing Shoes 1 pair Boots 1 pair (or extra pair of shoes) Socks 5 pairs Underwear 5 pairs Shirts 5 Pants/shorts 3-4 pairs Heavy jacket or coat (regardless of weather) Rain coat or poncho Toiletry Kit Bath towel & wash cloth Soap Shampoo Tooth brush Tooth paste Sunscreen Comb or hairbrush Laundry bag or plastic garbage bag Optional Items Single-use or inexpensive camera Bathrobe/slippers Stuffed animal Letter writing materials (stationary, stamps, envelopes) Flashlight and batteries Do NOT Bring: Valuables, money, or jewelry BEDDING Sheets, blankets and pillows are provided FOOD We provide three meals and two snacks a day. Candy or gum Cell phones Electronic devices such as music/media players, games, tablets, etc. Knives or hatches Curling irons, hair dryers o aerosols Cologne or perfume