PARENT HANDBOOK Important information about your child’s camp experience, with answers to many of your questions. PLEASE READ THIS NOW AND KEEP IT HANDY ALL SUMMER. Campus Kids Summer Camp at Blair Academy Contact us here from June 9 to August 11 Phone: 973-845-9260 or 908-362-0062 Fax: 973-845-9262 or 908-362-0064 P.O. Box 369 Blairstown, NJ 07825 The first camper session begins Monday, June 24. Camp ends Friday, August 9. Camp is open Monday through Friday. No change for July 4th holiday. Camp is open Thursday, July 4th. Regular camp bus schedule runs on Friday, July 5 and Monday, July 8. E-mail: [email protected]
Transcript
PARENT HANDBOOK Important information about your child’s camp experience,
with answers to many of your questions.
PLEASE READ THIS NOW AND
KEEP IT HANDY ALL SUMMER.
Campus Kids Summer Camp at Blair Academy
Contact us here from June 9 to August 11
Phone: 973-845-9260 or 908-362-0062 Fax: 973-845-9262 or 908-362-0064
P.O. Box 369 Blairstown, NJ 07825
The first camper session begins Monday, June 24. Camp ends Friday, August 9. Camp is open Monday through Friday.
No change for July 4th holiday. Camp is open Thursday, July 4th. Regular camp bus schedule runs on Friday, July 5 and Monday, July 8.
Page 3 —Summer Office Information —Summer Camp Address & Phone Page 4 —Bookmark these Web Pages Page 5 —Communicating with your Camper —Receiving Letters from Home Page 6 —One-way e-mail to your camper —Phone calls from your camper Page 7 —Cell phones —Settling In Page 8 —Transportation Page 9 —If You Are Picking Up/Dropping Off Your Child At Camp —Summer Office Location at Blair —Parents Visiting Camp —Visitation Restrictions Page 10 —“Home Missing” —”Camper Choice” Programming Page 11 —Making Friends at Camp —Camper Behavior —Camper Questions & Sensitive Issues Page 12 —Medications —Medical Situations At Camp —Billing for Medical Services Page 13 —In-Line Skates, Skateboard Safety Equipment —Water Guns —These Things Are Not Appropriate —Do Not Bring These Either —Music Players —Electronic Games - Not Allowed —Appropriate Clothing —”Court Shoes” Required
Page 14 —Put Name On All Belongings —Laundry —Valuables In Camp —Money At Camp —Camp T-Shirts —CK Online Store —CK Gear at Camp Page 15 —Meals and Snacks —Camp Canteen —Food Is Not Allowed in Camper Rooms —Camp Website —Camp Newspaper (“Sundial”) —Camp Shows Page 16 —Weekend Adventures —Sport Specialties —Tipping of Staff is Prohibited Page 17 —Bunk Groups —Dorms —Which Dorms for Which Bunk Groups? —Wildlife Page 18 —Ticks —Questions About Camper Progress —Extending your child’s stay —Tours for Prospective Campers —2020 Priority Enrollments —Camp Reunion Page 19 —Contacts after camp —Web link reminders Page 20 —The American Camp Association (ACA) —The Blair Academy Campus —Blair Academy Improvements Enclosures: —Summer Camp Driving Directions —One-Way E-mail Program —Laundry Request Form
You need the access code to use this email service and
we ask that you only share it with those
relatives and friends who should send
email to your camper.
Campers receive their emails in printed
form once a day (about 5:00 PM at regular camp mail
call). We print out the day’s emails only once, be-
tween 2:30 and 3:00 PM. (Emails received after this
time will be printed the next day.) Campers are not
able to send reply emails.
This service is provided by Campus Kids at no charge
to you. You can read more details on the enclosed
flyer.
PHONE CALLS FROM YOUR CAMPER
Most summer camps have restrictive phone policies compared to Campus Kids. We allow
campers to call home and ask that you support this by following our policies and procedures.
It is expected that campers will make no more than one phone call home per day at the time described below.
If you need to have your camper call you at a different time, please call the camp office so we can arrange this.
Of course, we are flexible about the limit of one phone call per day if parents live in different locations or a
parent is traveling.
Many of our campers bring cell phones to camp (see more details on page 7). These are stored by the counse-
lors while at camp, but your camper may use this phone for their call home to you. For campers who don’t yet
have their own cell phones, some parents buy an inexpensive pre-paid cell phone. (Or maybe you have an old
phone that you could activate for the summer.) For our younger campers in particular (Freshmen and Sopho-
mores) we have some camp-owned pre-paid cell phones that we let them use free-of-charge. Counselors will
assist campers in making calls home.
Camper calls will be between dinner and Clubs: 6:40 to 7:10 PM.
(If your camper is in the Thursday night show, they probably will not have time to call you because they
must go right from dinner to the theatre.)
We appreciate your help in limiting phone calls to no more than five minutes because Clubs and evening activ-
ities (or a camper show) will be starting right after this. Let us know if you have any concerns about phone
calls. Phone calls home are optional, so you may decide not to have your camper call every evening.
Please do not ask your camper to put a counselor on the phone. Counselors are taking care of the entire group
and are organizing the start of evening activities.
If you have a question, feel free to call the camp office and we will assist you or arrange for the head counselor
(division leader) or bunk counselor to call you back.
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SETTLING IN (an option, not a requirement) You may come to camp on the Saturday morning prior to your camper’s first day — to
bring clothing and bedding and help them “settle in” to the dorm. This is optional; it’s okay
if you decide not to do this. There is room on the buses for clothing and equipment and the
staff help campers get unpacked and comfortably settled in their rooms. *See note below
about medications.
Our “Settling In Saturdays” are the following, FROM 10:00 AM TO NOON. Staff are not available at other
times.
Saturday Saturday Saturday
JUNE 22 JULY 6 JULY 20
You do not have to call ahead to tell us you are coming. During the hours of 10AM to Noon, staff will be on
duty at the front gate to direct you, and other staff will be in the dorms to assist you. Please plan to complete
your settling in between 10AM and Noon. On the first settling-in (June 22) our entire staff will be on duty
because we are still conducting our staff orientation. For the other two settling-in days, however, a smaller
group of staff will be working, so you possibly may not meet your camper’s bunk counselors on those days.
IF YOU ARE HELPING YOUR CAMPER PUT UP POSTERS in his/her room, please use the blue “painter’s
tape” that is available in each dorm (ask the counselors). Other tapes — scotch, masking, duct, etc. — as well
as tacks or pins, should not be used.
*If your camper will have prescription medication at camp, we strongly suggest that you come to the settling
in activity so that you can drop off the medication and speak to one of our camp nurses.
CELL PHONES Campers may bring their cell phone to camp only if the following guidelines are followed:
• All camper cell phones are kept in a “cell phone box” that the bunk counselors keep. They are brought out
for the after-dinner call home to parents, then stored away again. Campers are not permitted to hold onto
their phones and must let their bunk counselors store them.
• Cell phones may be used only for the call home to parents at the designated time (see previous
page).
• Campers may neither receive calls on their cell phones nor spend time checking voice mail or
sending/receiving texts, etc. They also may not access the Internet while at camp.
• Campers will not have access to our campus wi-fi.
• Cell phone batteries should not need to be charged because they are used for no more than four
brief calls during the week. If a phone needs charging, will do our best to accommodate that need.
If a camper brings a cell phone, then they may have that phone on the bus rides to and from camp.
We remind parents and campers that Campus Kids accepts no responsibility for damage
or loss of personal items. This includes cell phones, regardless of their value or what
might cause the damage or loss. If you allow the cell phone to be brought to camp, it is
completely at your own risk. Thank you for your understanding.
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TRANSPORTATION (Lots of important details here.)
Information about your specific bus stop is being sent separately.
MONDAY MORNINGS. Please be at the pick-up location at least ten minutes
prior to the designated departure time. This allows us to load the vehicle
and depart on time. THE BUS CANNOT WAIT BECAUSE IT IS MAKING OTHER STOPS!
If this is your child’s first summer at Campus Kids, the bus counselors will offer them a seat up front on
that first Monday so the counselors can chat with your camper and help them feel comfortable until they
get to camp and meet their own bunk group of counselors and campers. Of course, if your child already
knows someone else on the bus, they may choose to sit with that friend instead.
FRIDAY AFTERNOONS. It is important that you be at the drop-off location ON TIME so that the bus can
continue on to the next stop. We do not leave a camper unless the parent or other authorized adult is at the
bus stop. If the bus cannot wait, the camper remains on the bus (with the Campus Kids bus counselors)
and rides to the end of the line. You should call the camp office and we will help make arrangements for a
safe rendezvous between you and your camper.
Please help us maintain safety by doing the following.
Walk up to the bus counselor and introduce yourself every
Friday afternoon. Do not leave until the bus counselor has checked
off your child’s name on the list. Do not wait in your car for your
child to come to you. The bus counselor must know that your child is
going home with the proper person.
IF SOMEONE OTHER THAN A PARENT/GUARDIAN IS PICKING UP YOUR CHILD, WE MUST BE
NOTIFIED IN ADVANCE, IN WRITING, BY THE PARENT. We will not release your child to anyone
other than a parent/guardian or person designated by the parent/guardian. You can send us a note/email prior
to camp, on the bus Monday morning (check to be sure we actually receive it), or during the week.
Our bus schedules are timed to be as accurate as possible. We know that delays can be very frustrating.
Traffic tie-ups and rain cause delays. We ask you to bear with us under these circumstances.
IF YOU KNOW THAT YOUR CHILD WILL NOT BE ON THE BUS,
PLEASE NOTIFY US IMMEDIATELY SO WE CAN TELL THE BUS
COUNSELOR NOT TO WAIT FOR YOU.
EARLY NOTIFICATION FROM YOU IS EXTREMELY HELPFUL. UP-
DATED BUS ROSTERS ARE PRINTED EACH THURSDAY FOR THE FOL-
LOWING FRIDAY AND MONDAY.
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IF YOU ARE PICKING UP OR DROPPING OFF YOUR
CHILD AT CAMP — ALWAYS CHECK IN AT THE CAMP
OFFICE
MONDAYS. Please arrive between 9:00 and 10:00 AM (call us if you need an earlier time). Park in a
parking lot, but not along a driveway with yellow curbs or at a Blair faculty member’s home. Come
directly to the camp office on the first floor of Annie Hall to let us know you have arrived. Your camper
will wait there with counselors to greet the campers arriving on the buses and join his/her bunk group.
FRIDAYS. Please arrive after the busses have departed, 4:00 PM. Park in one of the parking lots, NOT in
roadways with yellow curbs or at a Blair faculty member’s home. Come first to the camp office in Annie
Hall to let us know you have arrived and are taking your child. YOU MUST SIGN YOUR CHILD OUT!
If you leave without checking out at the office we will be looking for your child. It is okay if you are
going to be later than 5:30 PM, but we would appreciate a call to tell us when you are arriving.
Thank you for your cooperation with these arrangements, which help us ensure the safety of our campers. NOTE: If your camper normally rides the camp bus and you want to change this on a particular Monday or
Friday, please let us know in advance! Contact us no later than Thursday for transportation changes on the
upcoming Friday and Monday. Switching to another Campus Kids bus can be accommodated if space is
available. However, sometimes a bus is already at full capacity; we will let you know.
SUMMER CAMP OFFICE LOCATION on the Blair Academy campus.
When you enter the Park Street gate of Blair Academy, please do NOT park at the
admissions office lot. Park in one of the other parking lots on campus. The Campus Kids
summer office is in the middle of the campus in ANNIE HALL (on “the bowl” right
by the Armstrong-Hipkins performing arts center). Use the “summer driving
directions” in this handbook to find your way over to the Campus Kids office (you’ll also
find the directions at the Forms Library of our website). Here is a helpful online campus
map: www.campuskids.com/map
PARENTS VISITING CAMP WHILE IN SESSION Parents are welcome to visit camp. Please follow these guidelines:
Do not plan a visit on your child’s first day. This is a transition day for campers and it is important to let
them settle in and get to know the other campers and staff. It would be best to visit after your child’s first
week.
Call the camp office at least one day in advance to arrange for the visit.
Upon arrival, go first to the camp office (in Annie Hall) to check in and receive a Visitor Name Tag.
Do not take your camper away from their group or out of camp without checking in at the camp office.
Parents may not go into the dorms on the weekdays.
VISITATION RESTRICTIONS
If your camper is enrolled for part of the summer but wants to visit camp during a different week, we have to
say, “Sorry, we cannot accommodate such visits.” Having campers in camp who are not enrolled for that week
puts extra responsibilities onto our staff, distracts from the attention they can give to the enrolled campers, and
presents concerns regarding safety and supervision. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
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“HOME MISSING” Everybody misses their home, family, friends, pets, neighborhood, familiar routines, favorite foods, and even
their mobile phone, when they go away. This is normal, although each person expresses feelings differently.
Part of the reason for going to sleep-away camp is to experience these feelings, learn how to be
okay with them, and become a more independent, self-confident person.
Our staff is sensitive, caring and concerned about your child’s feelings and is supportive in every
way possible. We help campers make friends, keep them actively involved in fun activities, main-
tain safety, and are always present with a listening ear. We consider it part of our job to help each
camper deal successfully with feelings of missing home.
Sometimes a camper’s adjustment to missing home can be difficult. While this is hard for the
camper, it can be even more difficult for the parent at home, wondering if you have done the right
thing and if you should “rescue” your child from their dilemma. We understand your feelings and
how difficult it can be to watch this going on from a distance. Please rest assured that we do not
mind your calls to us and that we would certainly call you if anything were really wrong. We
want this to be a successful experience for your child!
We ask, in talking to your camper and writing letters, that you help your camper focus on the fun
activities and friends at camp. Tell them how much you love them, and that you are also proud of
them for taking this big step of going to sleep-away camp. Encourage them to talk with their
counselors and not to be shy or ashamed about their feelings.
We believe that it is a mistake to say, “If you can’t make it I’ll take you home.” Once you have
said that — once your child hears that the possibility exists — it becomes difficult for them to deal with
missing home. They may not even try to adjust to camp and may simply wait for your deadline to arrive when
you must make good on your promise. The next time your child tries to be away from home — whether at
another camp or at college — it may be even more difficult to deal with the separation. Please think about
whether intense feelings of missing each other are more significant for you or your child. Sometimes a child
who is actually able to deal with “home missing”, is struggling much more with the sadness they can sense in
a parent, creating feelings of guilt and responsibility.
The key to our success is trust and communication. Trust us to care for your child. Trust that we will contact
you if something is really wrong. Feel free to call and talk with us. Together, we will help your child take this
important step in growing up.
“CAMPER CHOICE” PROGRAMMING
Our “camper choice” method of scheduling activities allows each camper to choose almost
every activity every day. This reflects our belief that, given freedom of choice under counselor
guidance, campers will explore new activities and will be able to concentrate in areas of greater
interest. In response to the needs of our campers, our camp activity schedule changes every day!
There are a great variety of activities offered at Campus Kids, but please realize that every camper will not
have time to do every activity. If you have concerns about your camper’s activity schedule, feel free to call
our camp office. We are glad to have your input and answer your questions.
In addition to our regular activity choices, we offer “multi-day options” (MDOs), which allow a camper to
choose an activity to do three days in a row with the same counselors and campers. This allows us to teach
some skills with more continuity and consistency and/or to accomplish some special projects. We will tell
your camper all about this when it is time to make activity choices.
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MAKING FRIENDS AT CAMP One of the best things about camp is meeting and
making new friends. Our expectation is that everyone
is nice to everyone else. We live in “families”, called
bunk groups, each having up to 12 girls or boys and
their two or three counselors. They have great times
together, but like any family there can be rough patch-
es. We take the time at camp to talk through problems
and encourage constructive, verbal solutions. We help
everyone get along together, never to exclude or
ostracize another person. We value individuality and
support each person. We ask parents to speak with
their campers about being open to and accepting of
this diversity among people and to view this as one of
the best parts of going to camp.
CAMPER BEHAVIOR
We have good campers and we generally experience
few significant behavior problems. However, you and
your camper should know that we have clear
expectations regarding behavior. These include
following the safety rules in camp and cooperating
with the counselors and other adult staff. Everyone is
expected to be friendly and courteous to others. Name
-calling, harassment, scape-goating, bullying or other
negative behavior is not allowed; neither is hitting nor
malicious pranks. Everyone is expected to be
respectful of personal and camp property. Campers
must comply with their designated bedtimes.
Most behavior issues at Campus Kids are minor and
are handled by discussion or taking breaks. In the
case of more serious infractions or situations that
could threaten someone’s physical or emotional well-
being, we would contact you for help in solving the
problem. Campers whose behavior cannot be correct-
ed and who are a threat to others will be sent home.
CAMPER QUESTIONS & SENSITIVE ISSUES
Residential summer camp, where counselors and other camp leaders are trusted role models, is conducive to
kids asking questions about a variety of topics. This is an aspect of camp that seems obvious, but that is often
overlooked in conversations between camp staff and parents.
At camp, friendships among campers and their relationships with staff are strong because of the time we spend
together. Camp time is quality and quantity time and it quickly builds bonds of trust. Campers usually trust
each other and their counselors. They talk about things that are important in their lives and raise questions
about such topics as friendships, relationships, homesickness, values, families, health, fitness, personal safety,
sex, identity, school, future goals, social justice, contemporary issues . . . the list goes on. Some of these topics
are routine, others more complex because they touch deeply into personal, family and religious values.
We take advantage of the many “teachable moments” at camp, but also understand that our staff has to main-
tain professional boundaries. For that reason we provide training and supervision about conversations with
campers and answering their questions. When counselors come to us for guidance, as we expect them to do,
we sometimes have a senior staff member join a bunk group for a conversation, to provide a more experienced
perspective that goes beyond what we permit our counselors to discuss.
We raise this topic here because we want you to know that this is a big part of camp and we are constantly uti-
lizing our experience and professional judgment to do the right thing for our campers and staff. If you have
questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact us at any time. Likewise, we may sometimes reach out to you
for input and guidance.
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MEDICATIONS
In accordance with State law and Campus Kids safety
guidelines, we follow strict procedures regarding any
medication, whether prescription or over-the-counter.
All medication administration is done under the direct
supervision of our camp nurses (RN’s). If you are sending medication to camp, please follow
these guidelines:
• YOU MUST COMPLETE THE “MEDICATION
AUTHORIZATION” form (already sent to you and
available at our online “forms library”). Mail or fax
it to camp. A separate form is required for each
medication.
• Medications must be in their original containers.
• Dosage changes cannot be made without written
authorization (fax okay) from you and/
or your physician.
• It is helpful if you have a supply of
medication at home to give to your
child on the weekends. That is much
better than sending one container back
and forth to camp each week. Pharmacists will give
you an extra container with label so you can split
your supply between camp and home.
• If your child will be carrying an inhaler at camp, we
urge you to send an extra one for our nurses to keep
in case your camper misplaces theirs. As you already know from reading the health infor-
mation we have sent to you, our physician has ap-
proved certain over-the-counter medications for our
health staff to use in camp. YOU DO NOT HAVE
TO SEND UP YOUR OWN SUPPLY OF THESE
APPROVED MEDS. We have them in stock at our
camp Health Center. Call us if you have questions.
EXTRA FORM FOR
PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS
In addition to the Medication Authorization Form that
must be signed by a parent for each of a camper’s
medications (OTC or prescription), an additional au-
thorization from the prescribing physician is required
for prescription meds your camper needs to take at
camp.
We have already sent you this: Physician Authoriza-
tion for Prescription Medications. This form must al-
so be sent to us for prescription meds only.
We are sorry for this extra step in the paperwork
chain, but it allows our Registered Nurses to have un-
ambiguous, legal authorization to provide medical ser-
vices to your camper.
MEDICAL SITUATIONS
AT CAMP
Health and safety are top priorities at
Campus Kids and both the N. J. State De-
partment of Health and the American
Camp Association check to be sure our health and
safety procedures are in place. Our camp nurses, who
are R.N.’s, oversee a program of prevention and, if
necessary, treatment, in cooperation with our local
physician, hospital and EMS. If your camper requires
treatment from an outside medical provider (doctor’s
office, hospital, EMS) we will notify you. We will
also call you for any of the following: fever over
101.0°, vomiting, severe dehydration, rash of un-
known origin, any condition requiring nursing care for
more than 24 hours, medication issues. One of the
camp nurses may also call to notify you of other
situations and/or to ask for your input. Sometimes,
because we allow phone calls home, your camper tells
you “I don’t feel well” before they tell us. In this case,
please ask them to notify the counselors and, if you
wish, call the camp office.
BILLING FOR MEDICAL
SERVICES
We do not charge parents for medical services provided
at camp. However, charges incurred through outside
medical providers are billed to you. IF YOU HAVE PROVIDED us with a very clear copy
(front and back) of your camper’s insurance card AND
our medical provider (Skylands Medical) or hospital
(Newton Medical Center, part of the Atlantic Health
System) has a contract with your insurance company,
THEN the in-network rate and the expense will be sub-
mitted to your insurance.
IF YOU HAVE NOT PROVIDED us with a clear copy
of your insurance card, then our medical provider
(Skylands Medical) will charge us (Campus Kids) a spe-
cial self-pay rate and we will bill you so that you can
reimburse Campus Kids.
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SAFETY EQUIPMENT
REQUIRED FOR IN-
LINE SKATING &
SKATEBOARDING
Skateboarding and longboarding are
offered at our CK Skate Park and oth-
er areas of the campus as a regular camp activity. We
have skateboards and longboards for campers, as well
as the safety equipment. Campers may bring their own
boards, if they wish (and bring your safe-
ty equipment). We REQUIRE that every
participant wears ALL of this protective
gear: helmet, knee pads, elbow pads and
wrist guards! No exceptions will be
made, regardless of the camper’s proficiency. Camp
does not provide inline skates, but these are permissi-
ble, if your camper wants to bring them.
WATER GUNS (“super soakers”, etc.) Any water guns brought to camp are stored by the
staff in one central location and brought out only for
supervised water fights (which we do have). Campers
are not permitted to keep water guns in their rooms.
Spilled water causes damage and is a safety hazard.
Please mark your camper’s name on the water gun.
THESE ARE NOT APPROPRIATE
Certain items are inappropriate in a children’s camp.
These include clothing, posters or music that depict or
promote violence, drugs, alcohol, smoking, sexual
activity, bigotry, overt political statements, etc. We do
not permit these items to be displayed/played and we
send them home with the camper on Friday.
DO NOT BRING THESE EITHER
Campers are not allowed to have these items in camp:
