Lake View YMCA Summer Day Camp Parent Handbook

Transcription

1 Lake View YMCA Summer Day Camp Parent Handbook

2 Table of Contents I. Welcome II. III. Policies and Procedures a. Character Values b. Absences and Tardiness c. Accidents d. Allergies e. Attire f. Camp Essentials g. Communication h. Early Dismissal i. Electronic Devices j. Emergency Forms k. Emergency Procedures l. Lost and Found m. Illness n. Medical Information o. Medicine Disbursement p. Parent Visits q. Parent Volunteers r. Potty-Trained s. Sign-in / Sign-out t. Swimming u. Pool and Locker Room Rules How We Work a. Camp Times b. Donations c. Field Trips d. Fee Assistance e. Field Trips f. Payment Policy g. Program Fees h. Ratios i. Schedule of Day j. Snacks and Lunches k. Staffing l. Sunscreen m. Contact Information 2

3 Policies and Procedures Goal: Our programs are designed to develop the whole child spirit, mind, and body. Character Values Children in the YMCA take part in daily activities that demonstrate, reflect, and encourage the YMCA s four core values: Caring: We treat each other with true care and concern, and encourage others to follow our example. Honesty: We are honest in our words and actions. We teach others to do the same. Respect: We respect our camp environment by creating a place that is safe, fun, friendly, and hard working. We respect those around us by using positive words and positive actions. Responsibility: We take responsibility for ourselves, our words, and our actions. ***Emergency Forms All children are required to have a completed Emergency Information Packet on file that dictates authorized pick-up information, emergency contact information, current medical history, etc. All papers are required to be turned in when you register. All information on the packet must be completed before your child will be allowed to attend camp. Absences and Tardiness Our days are filled with fun from start to finish. To ensure your child has the best possible experience, please make every effort to be on time. If any child has not arrived by 9:00am and staff has not received a call alerting us of a possible late arrival, the YMCA will assume that the child is not attending and activities will begin as scheduled at 9:00am. Accidents All YMCA staff is First Aid and CPR certified. Minor injuries, such as cuts, bruises, and bug bites, will be appropriately treated by a certified camp counselor. Parents will be notified of the incident and the type of First Aid administered. For serious injuries, the counselor will contact the Camp Director immediately. The camp counselor will stay with the injured camper. The director will notify parent/guardian and EMS if needed. The remaining counselors will take responsibility for minimizing the accident as much as possible, and not alarming the other campers. Allergies Please include allergy information of any kind in your Emergency Information Packet. The YMCA does not allow children to share food due to a variety of food allergies. We are a nut free YMCA, so please refrain from packing your child s lunch with items that may contain peanuts, walnuts or any other kind of nuts. Attire Your child will be spending time outdoors throughout the summer. Please have them dress appropriately. We have found that children dressed in breathable layers works best, so that they may adjust their clothes for the temperature and their comfort. Socks and closed toed shoes are required. Day Camp t-shirts will only be handed out on field trip days. These t-shirts are required on field trip days. Each camper will receive one t-shirt for the summer. If your child comes to the YMCA on a 3

4 field trip day without a camp t-shirt you will be required to purchase a new one. You can purchase additional shirts for $5. Payment must be handled at the YMCA, and you must show your receipt at morning drop-off to receive your new shirt. Camp staff is not allowed to handle any type of payments. Camp Essentials All items brought to camp MUST be clearly marked, with a black permanent marker. Please include your child s first and last name. Camp gear includes: Daily: Backpack Athletic shoes and socks Water Bottle Drinks (No Soda) 2 snacks Lunch Sunscreen Swim Days: Swimsuit Swim Cap Towel Communication: We will inform you of any special activities via weekly newsletter so be sure to include your correct when registering. If you have questions about summer camp please contact the Y at and they assist with your questions. Early Dismissal If you need to pick your child up early from camp, we ask that you inform our staff when signing in for the day. This way we can make sure your child is ready when you come. If you are picking up prior to 4pm please go to the Lake View YMCA Family Desk. Allow extra time when picking up early, your child may not be on site, and may take longer to retrieve. Electronic Devices Please do not send your camper with any cell phones, video games, Nintendo DS, I-pods, etc. These items will be confiscated, and released to the adult picking up the child at the end of the day. The Lake View YMCA is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged electronics. Emergency Procedures All emergencies will follow the policies and procedures of the Lake View YMCA. Staff will ensure that all campers remain calm and follow the directions of the Lake View management staff. If your child is in an emergency situation, we will contact you immediately after contacting 911. Lost & Found We will make every effort to keep your child s belongings with him/her at all times. However, a Lost & Found box will be available at the sign-out station for all misplaced items each day. We will keep found items on site for a period of 1 week. 4

5 Illness If we feel that a child is too ill to attend camp for the day, or is too ill to finish the remainder of the day, we will call you, and you will be required to pick up your child within an hour. Medical Information All campers must have a physical exam within 12 months of camp. Medication Disbursement Prescription medication will be administered only after a medication form is properly filled out and signed. If a child has medication that needs to be administered, please talk to the on site director about the specifications. Over the counter medications will not be administered unless written consent is received from the parent and the child s doctor. All medication must be in the original container and clearly labeled with the child s first and last name, name of medication, time to administer and exact dosage. Only your child s site director will be able to administer medication to a child. Parent Visits The YMCA has an open door policy for the parents of all campers. Parents are invited, to visit the program sites. To ensure the best possible experience for you, and your child, please speak with your child s site director before your visit. Please do not bring pets into contact with any campers or staff. Potty-Trained All campers must be potty-trained prior to the first day of camp. Lake View YMCA staff is prohibited from changing any child s clothes or diaper. If your child is found to not be potty-trained he/she will be suspended from the summer camp program pending result of meeting with Youth Development Director. This will result in your child s dismissal from the summer camp program without refund. Sign-In and Out Procedures All authorized parents/guardians are required to sign-in their child at the start of camp, and to signout their child at the end of the camp day. Children are not permitted to leave without an authorized parent/guardian s signature. A photo ID is required for all authorized individuals upon pickup of the child. If someone, other than yourself, will be picking up your child, you are required to write their name on the Pick-up Form, and in the comment column on the daily sign-in sheet. Children, who are twelve years old and older, may sign themselves in and out after 4:00pm with the written consent of their parents. If you would like to pursue this, please speak to Ashley Kearney. *Please keep us updated with authorized pick-up and emergency phone numbers. Swimming Campers will swim on various days at the YMCA pool. The exact dates and times for swimming will be communicated to you. Since we work around a tight schedule, we ask that you please make every effort to have your child at camp on time for swim days. In addition, we ask that they come prepared with a swimsuit, towel, plastic bag to put their wet clothes in when finished and swim cap. The first day of all camp sessions campers will participate in a basic swim test facilitated by the Aquatic and Camp staff. Each camper will receive a swim rating the first day. If they pass the swim test they will wear a green cap and be allowed in the deep end. If they do not pass they will be required to wear a red bracelet and swim in the shallow end. *Swimming lessons are available year round for an additional charge, please contact our aquatics staff. 5

6 Pool and Locker Room Rules Pool Rules: 1. The lifeguard is the authority in the pool area. 2. Each child is to be with an adult (counselor) when entering and exiting the pool. 3. Children will sit on the pool deck as instructions are being given. 4. Children are not to hang onto the ropes or lap lanes. 5. Children will not play on pool steps or ladders. 6. Flips, back dives and back jumps are prohibited. 7. Children are to keep others in mind as they are in the pool. That includes kicking and splashing others, horseplay, and loud voices. 8. Toys and inflatable devices are prohibited from being in the YMCA pool or pool area. These items should be left at home. 9. No hanging on the wall by your feet. 10. No swimming under or through the lap lanes. 11. Individuals with hair below their ears are required to wear a swim cap. Locker Room Rules: 1. You must put your clothes in a locker. 2. All gum and candy must be thrown out before entering the pool area. 3. You must remove all bandages before entering the pool area. 4. Showers must be taken before and after swimming. 5. When entering and exiting the locker room or pool area, all swimmers must sit by the wall silently so they can hear instructions. 6. After swimming, campers will be instructed to line up before entering the locker rooms. 7. Children with open wounds may not swim until the wound in completely healed or has scabbed over. How We Work Camp Dates/Hours Camp Dates: Wednesday, June 22 nd - Friday, September 2 nd Camp Hours: Monday Friday, Pre Camp: 7am-9am, Camp: 9am-4pm, Post Camp: 4pm-6pm *Please be advised: Children are not permitted to be in the building past 6:00pm. Please make every effort to be on time. If you arrive late, a charge of $2 for every minute past 6:00pm will be assessed to your account. If you are late more than 3 times during the summer, a meeting will be called with the Youth Development Director, and may result in your child s dismissal from the summer camp program without a refund. Field Trips The children will be going on field trips throughout the summer. If you do not wish for your child to attend the field trip, please keep them home that day. We will not issue credits or refunds for missed days. Please let your child s camp counselor know if he/she is not attending the field trip. We ask that all parents have their children dropped off at camp no later than 9:00 am on field trip days. We are on a tight schedule and need to leave on time. We will not hold up the bus. For the safety of the children we do not allow parents to drop off or pick up from field trip sites. Children must wear their YMCA Day Camp T-shirt on field trip days. Failure to do so will result in a $5 fee to purchase a new t-shirt. Replacement shirts must be purchased at the YMCA, and t-shirt will be given at the sign-in table upon presentation of the receipt. 6

7 Please do not send money with your child, especially on field trip days, unless instructed so by the site director. Financial Assistance Organizations such as Action for Children also provide financial assistance to families. When organizations such as these are utilized for third party payments by camp families, approval must be received PRIOR to a camper s starting the program or the family will have to pay the camp fee in full. Please note: Action for Children does not cover all fees due. You will be responsible for all fees not covered by Action for Children. Payment Policy All camps require a non-transferable, non-refundable $50.00 deposit per week per child that must be paid for each week you register your child(ren). This is credited toward your camp fees. Full payment of camp fees are required the Monday prior to the first day of the camp week (for each week registered) if you do not sign up to draft for camp. Summer camp draft dates are as follows: Mini Week, Week 1, Week 2 and Week 3 will be drafted on May 15 th Week 4, Week 5 and Week 6 will be drafted on June 15 th Week 7, Week 8, Week 9 and Week 10 will be drafted on July 15 th A $10.00 late fee will be issued for each registered child if payment has not been made 7 days prior to the camp week they are attending. Refunds will be granted based on the following criteria: you request the refund in writing and you request the refund by June 1 st. All refunds will reflect the non-refundable deposit. Refunds requested before June 1 st will be issued. All refunds after June 1 st will be granted as long as it is for a valid medical reason, which must be accompanied by a doctor's note. There will be no refunds, credits or make-up days issued for single or multiple day(s) absences. *All refunds will reflect the non refundable deposit fee Program Fees The prices for the 2016 session for day camp are as follows: Kiddie Kamp: Early Bird Rates: M-F Member $158/wk; Non-Member $178/wk After May 2 nd Rates: M-F Member $173/wk; Non-Member $193/wk Lil Explorer/ Junior Adventure/Adventure Camps: Early Bird Rates: Member $230/wk; Non-Member $280/wk After May 2 nd Rates: Member $245/wk; Non-Member $295/wk Teen Camps: Early Bird Rates: Member $225/wk; Non-Member $280/wk After May 2 nd Rates: Member $240/wk; Non-Member $295/wk Specialty Camps/Sport Camps: Early Bird Rates: Member $235/wk; Non-Member $285/wk After May 2 nd Rates: Member $250/wk; Non-Member $300/wk 7

8 Ratios Camper Age Number of Staff Day-Only Campers Lifeguard ratio: 1/25 Schedule of Day Summer Camp is a super-lively, full-day enrichment program focused on quality, age-appropriate activities, safety, and fun. Campers will experience new discoveries, develop new skills, and make new friends. Our camp utilizes many of the local parks and schools in the Lakeview community. If you ever need to pick-up your child during the camp day, it is best to come in or contact the YMCA via phone prior to picking up your child. Your child may not be onsite at the Lake View YMCA, and our staff will help you locate where his/her group is or will be when you need to pick them up. Snacks and Lunch Please make sure your child brings two snacks, a bottle of water and a lunch every day. Also be sure to pack plenty of fluids (no soda), as children will be very active. We are a nut free YMCA, so please refrain from packing your child s lunch with items that contain nuts. Staffing Professionally trained and enthusiastic staff is the key ingredient to a positive camping experience at the YMCA. Each counselor is selected based on their skills, maturity, creativity, and sensitivity to the needs of all our camp participants. All of our counselors complete a background check and thorough training program prior to the start of camp, so you can rest assured your child s counselor will be a caring, positive role model. Sunscreen All children are required to bring sunscreen to camp. Be sure the bottle is labeled, in black permanent marker, with your child s first and last name. Please assist children in putting on sunscreen before arriving to camp. Your child will also have frequent opportunities to reapply the sunscreen themselves during the day. Please be aware that staff is not allowed to apply sunscreen on your child; the child must apply lotion by themselves. Contact Information Lake View YMCA 3333 N. Marshfield Ave. Chicago, IL (773) Ashley Kearney Youth Development Director ext akearney@ymcachicago.org 8