City of Woodstock Summer Activities

Parents Handbook 2016

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Summer Activities Parent Handbook 2016

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Contents To Contact us ................................................................................................................................................ 3 Welcome ....................................................................................................................................................... 4 High Five........................................................................................................................................................ 5 Our Summer Program Team ......................................................................................................................... 6 Summer Activities Staff Structure ............................................................................................................. 6 Program Leader Qualifications ................................................................................................................. 6 Quality Assurance ......................................................................................................................................... 6 The High Five Standard ............................................................................................................................. 6 Program Information .................................................................................................................................... 8 Sign In & Sign Out...................................................................................................................................... 8 Payment .................................................................................................................................................... 8 If your Child is unable to attend................................................................................................................ 8 Medication and Allergies .......................................................................................................................... 8 Prescribed Medication .............................................................................................................................. 8 Bathroom Assistance ................................................................................................................................ 8 Severe & Life Threatening Allergies .......................................................................................................... 8 Behaviour Management ........................................................................................................................... 9 Children with Extra Support Needs........................................................................................................... 9 Emergency Procedures ............................................................................................................................. 9 Participant Safety ...................................................................................................................................... 9 Swim & Water Safety .............................................................................................................................. 10 Out Trip Safety ........................................................................................................................................ 10 Sun & Water Smart ................................................................................................................................. 10 Weekly Schedules & Newsletters ........................................................................................................... 10 Lost and Found........................................................................................................................................ 10 Cancellation & Refund Policy .................................................................................................................. 10 Photography............................................................................................................................................ 11 Preparing your Child for camp .................................................................................................................... 12 New Campers (and parents!) .................................................................................................................. 12 Camp Call outs ........................................................................................................................................ 12 What to Bring to Day Camp .................................................................................................................... 12

Summer Activities Parent Handbook 2016

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What to Bring ...................................................................................................................................... 12 What NOT to Bring .................................................................................................................................. 12 Packing a Lunch & Snacks ....................................................................................................................... 12 Allergy Aware .......................................................................................................................................... 12 Eat Well, Get Moving .................................................................................................................................. 12 Food Safety ............................................................................................................................................. 13 Our Programs .............................................................................................................................................. 13 Summer day camp Program Hours ......................................................................................................... 13 Before and After Care ......................................................................................................................... 13 Program delivery ..................................................................................................................................... 13 Adventure Camp ......................................................................................................................................... 14 Location................................................................................................................................................... 14 What a day looks like .............................................................................................................................. 14 Drop off and Pick up Locations ............................................................................................................... 14 Lil Adventures Camp ................................................................................................................................... 14 Location................................................................................................................................................... 14 What a day looks like .............................................................................................................................. 14 Drop off and Pick up Locations ............................................................................................................... 14 Action Academy .......................................................................................................................................... 14 Location................................................................................................................................................... 14 What a day looks like .............................................................................................................................. 14 Drop off and Pick up Locations ............................................................................................................... 14 Goff Hall .............................................................................................................................................. 14 Splash and Play ........................................................................................................................................... 14 Spray and Play wading pool (4-7yrs) ....................................................................................................... 14 Location:.............................................................................................................................................. 14

Summer Activities Parent Handbook 2016

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To Contact us Southside Aquatic Centre

(519) 421-7665

To reach summer program staff please contact Southside Aquatic Centre. The reception staff will direct your call to the correct person. If you do not reach a person, please leave a message. Messages are checked on regular basis and dealt with immediately. To reach Summer Program supervisors during camp hours, please call Southside Aquatic Centre and you will be transferred directly to them. If E-mail is a better option feel free to E-mail [email protected].

Summer Activities Parent Handbook 2016

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Welcome Dear Parents and Guardians Welcome to another great year with our summer Activities programs. This year our program has grown to include lots of exciting, supervised, new programs and opportunities for children to participate in. It is our goal, as City of Woodstock recreation staff, to deliver not only a safe, quality program, but to also to help engage our participants in such a way that they have ample opportunities to grow as a person. If at any time you have any questions or concerns while your child is participating in our summer programs, our staff will be more than willing to help answer your questions and try to resolve your concerns. Please take the time to read through the parents hand book as it holds many answers to questions you many have. If you have any further questions please feel free to contact staff at Southside Aquatic Centre. Both the reception staff and leadership team can help answer your questions. We as a staff team look forward to making this a summer to remember for all of our participants.

Summer Activities Program Staff

Summer Activities Parent Handbook 2016

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High Five The City of Woodstock is committed to developing and delivering programs that are child centered and reflect our values of respect, diversity and inclusion. All of our camp staff are trained and certified in High Five: Healthy Child Development and our programs are evaluated regularly to ensure a high standard of quality. To learn more visit www.highfive.org. All camp staff is required to provide proof of certification in High Five: Principles of Healthy Child Development; to model the High Five principles; and to adhere to its guidelines for program planning.

High Five: Principles of Healthy Child Development Five Principles of Healthy Child Development: A Caring Adult Acts as a positive role model and allows the children to feel comfortable to challenge themselves. Play Encourages creativity, cooperation and FUN!! Friends Create a safe environment where children can learn to be part of a team, and feel welcome to discuss their feelings, learn new skills, and work out conflicts. Participation Involves children in the planning and implementation of activities, helping them to feel involved, independent, and competent. Mastery Develops self-esteem and positive identity in children. Three Program Design Guidelines:   

Developmentally Appropriate Safe Welcoming Diversity and Uniqueness

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Our Summer Program Team Summer Activities Staff Structure Summer activities within the City of Woodstock, are staff based on a ratio of 1:10 (staff: children) for children 6-12 yrs. of age. Any programs with children 4-5 years of age are staff based on a 1:8 ratio. All day camps have a site supervisor who is present during camp hours (8:30-4:30pm). The Site supervisors have many rolls which include maintaining safety standards as well as program quality and delivery. We also have trained volunteer leaders and Leaders in Training (LIT), who are part of our team to help with program delivery and safety supervision. All of our LIT and volunteers are interviewed, trained and supervised. They are never left alone with children.

Program Leader Qualifications When hiring Summer Activity staff, we are looking for students who want to work with children, they are not only responsible and great people but individuals who strive to provide the best experience for all of our participants. All of your Program leaders must hold the following, minimum qualifications:   

Principles of Healthy Child development Standard First Aid and CPR-C Safeguard (aquatic safety training for people who lead children in aquatic environments)

As these qualifications are the Minimum standard the majority of our leaders have experience and knowledge above that will help make our program successful. All program leaders will participate in many hours of training which will include, but not limited to the following topics:    

Program/Activity delivery Safety and Emergency training Behaviour management City Policy and Procedures

Quality Assurance The High Five Standard All of our camp programs are formally evaluated using the High Five Quality Experience Scanning Tool (QUEST). This is a statistically validated program evaluation used to monitor the quality of our children’s programs. The QUEST assessment requires that a program supervisor observe and score a program based on 27 different quality indicators, each receiving a score of 1 to 9. There are 5 categories of quality indicators:    

Leader-to-Child Interactions (counselors showing warmth, interest and care) Supervision and Safety (counselors are aware of other adults and where campers are) Child-to-Child Interactions (campers are acting respectfully and inclusively) Leader Behaviours & Interactions (with appropriate behavior and language)

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Program Characteristics and Supports (following a clear program plan; appropriate facility and equipment use)

All of our program assessments are logged into the High Five database and monitored and tracked to ensure a minimum quality standard and to address any areas of concern. We encourage parents to help us monitor program quality by discussing the program with your child. The appendix of this handbook contains a Parent Program Review, which includes both a Program Checklist as well as an Ask Your Child Questionnaire. Your feedback is always appreciated and will help to improve your child’s experience.

Program Information Sign In & Sign Out Your child must be signed into and out of camp each day by a parent or approved guardian. Children aged 10 and older may sign themselves out of camp with your written permission, previous to the first day of camp. Without prior written permission, we will not allow a child to leave unattended until we receive confirmation over the phone from a parent. When picking up your child from the program, you must initial your child’s attendance ID sheet and present photo ID every time to indicate that care has been handed over. If you require other adult/family members to pick up or drop off your child, sign in approval forms are available at Southside Aquatic Centre.

539-2382 ext 1616. Please inform us if your child will be arriving after 9:00am or not at all for the day. Campers may be at another site or on an out trip that requires the group waiting until all expected children have arrived.

Medication and Allergies Should your child have severe or life threatening allergies or require medications to be administered during our program; please contact us to make the necessary arrangements. The City of Woodstock, Recreation staff and facilities are not equipped to deal safely with the storage and administration of a variety of medicines and staff does not have medical training. Each situation shall be dealt with individually in order to minimize risk in transportation, storage, and administration of medication.

Payment

Prescribed Medication

All registration must be paid in full at the time of registration. Scheduled payments can be set up for our summer camp programs (Adventure Camp, Action Academy and Lil Adventures camps only). Please date checks for the following schedule.

City of Woodstock staff will supervise the taking of oral medication by participants, when it has been prescribed for use during camp hours; however we cannot administer or help the child with taking the medication. A current consent form, signed by the participant’s parent or guardian must be on file. All prescribed medication must be kept in the original package (box/bottle, etc) including a pharmacist label indicating proper dosage instructions and the child’s name. A medication administration form must also be filled out and signed by a parent before any child is given medication. These forms are available at Southside Aquatic Centre from reception staff.

Camp weeks July 4-8, 2016 July 11-15, 2016 July 18-22, 2016 July 25-29 Aug 2-5, 2016 Aug 8-12, 2016 Aug 15-19, 2016 Aug 22-26, 2016 Aug 29-Sep 2, 2016

Postdated payment dates June 17, 2016 June 30,, 2016 July 15, 2016 August 5,2016

If your Child is unable to attend If your child does not arrive at camp, our staff will follow up with a phone call. If you know your child will be absent please inform your child’s site supervisor or call and leave a message on our summer activities mailbox (519)

Bathroom Assistance When registering please let our staff know if your child may need bathroom Assistance.

Severe & Life Threatening Allergies Every reasonable attempt will be made to ensure that participants formally identified to the City of Woodstock as having a severe life 8

Summer Activities Parent Handbook 2016 threatening anaphylactic allergy are identified to Summer Activities staff. All Summer Activities staff have received training in the following: (i) anaphylactic allergies and their potential severity, (ii) recognition of the symptoms of anaphylaxis, (iii) administration of EpiPen® , (iv) recognition of the potential symptoms and/or warning signs of a participant in medical distress. Please note that EPI-Pens must be worn by the child at all times. City of Woodstock will not be storing any medications or EPI pens overnight.

Behaviour Management We encourage and support a team environment between our participants, leaders and volunteers. We have fun, play fair and show respect for ourselves and others. As members of the team, we follow 5 general behaviour expectations: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Keep your hands and feet to yourself Speak nicely/positively to each other Touch only what belongs to you Stay within the program area Listen to your leaders/instructors

It is our intention to maintain open communication between home and program staff. If your child is having difficulty following these rules, staff will talk to you about ways of helping your child be successful in the program. Your support is appreciated in having a follow up discussion with your child. By working together as a team, we can help your child enjoy and get the most out of their program experience and all it has to offer.

Children with Extra Support Needs The City of Woodstock is strongly committed to the principles of inclusion and integration where these principles support the growth and development of the child. If your child requires extra support to participate or manage a health condition, contact us so that we can ensure we

Version 1-03/18 do whatever is necessary to support their involvement. Our Inclusion Facilitator meets with all the parents and children who have identified themselves as needing extra support. Our process of “assessment” is intended to learn about your child and the specific coping mechanisms that work for him or her. Please indicate at the time of registration any diagnoses or special circumstances, and we will be in touch with you prior to camp to discuss what support we can put in place for your child. For questions or concerns or to arrange a meeting, please contact the Program supervisor at (519) 539-2382 ext. 1616 or [email protected]

Emergency Procedures All program sites and each camp staff member have access to first aid kits and the emergency medical services (911). Camp staff members are certified in first aid and CPR to the Standard First Aid Level and Level C CPR. In the unlikely event of a serious injury, emergency medical services will be called immediately to respond to the situation. You will be contacted immediately with information regarding the incident. If an ambulance is required to transport your child to the hospital, a member of our staff will accompany your child and remain with him/her until a parent arrives, so that a child is never left unattended.

Participant Safety Your child’s safety is our number one priority. We believe that hazard elimination is the key to prevention but also that participation in some activities involves risks. Our program leaders have designed their daily activities with safety in mind. Each program is reviewed by a member of our management team for safety as well as pace and balance throughout the day. Constant supervision is essential to our program to ensure safety standards are implemented and adhered to in each camp program. Each site

Summer Activities Parent Handbook 2016 also has a designated “Safety Officer” to ensure standards are met each day.

Swim & Water Safety Activities taking place in or around water are supervised by trained lifeguards. This also includes out-trip locations (like water parks and beaches). Many of our camp programs include swimming as an activity and children are expected to participate. All camps adhere to the pool swim test assessments with respect to access to the deep end as well as City of Woodstock guidelines for adult-to-child ratios. Campers who are 6 years and older will be allowed in the shallow part of the pool, and those who pass a swim test will be permitted in the deep end. If you have concerns about your child’s swimming abilities please talk to your Camp Leaders. You may send along a Personal Floatation Device (not water wings) if you wish. Most camp groups will not be swimming every day, so please refer to your camp’s newsletter for specific swim days.

Out Trip Safety Our Camps make frequent trips to neighbourhood and local facilities and attractions. For neighbourhood trips our campers may walk or ride public transport. For longer trips to local attractions we provide school bus transportation. Staff members receive training in managing groups off-site including loading and unloading buses as well as group supervision in public places. All off-site, locations are approved by management, advertised through the camp newsletter, and must have access to emergency medical services.

Sun & Water Smart Hats, sunglasses, shirts, and sunscreen are required for campers to protect themselves from the effects of the sun. We will regularly stop outdoor activities to have all campers reapply sunscreen; your child must apply

Version 1-03/18 his/her own sunscreen. Please ensure to send your child with a water bottle. During the camp day, your child will be encouraged to drink a full water bottle at least twice per day.

Weekly Schedules & Newsletters All Camps have an approved weekly schedule of events. Your child’s site supervisor can show you a copy or you can request to see a copy at Southside Aquatic Centre. Schedules are subject to change without notice based on a variety of factors. A newsletter is available online for each camp. The newsletters are available a week prior to the program (by Monday for the following week). The newsletters provide essential information on the camp activities and what to bring to camp, please look online at www.cityofwoodstock.ca under recreation/summer activities.

Lost and Found Staff will keep all found clothing on site till the end of the week, at which point it will be returned to Southside. Look for lost articles in our camp sites. Staff members will make efforts to reunite those items clearly labeled with their owners. Unfortunately, we are unable to retain items past the end of summer as we get ready for our fall programs. All unclaimed items are donated to charity. Please ensure that you label each item with your child’s full name so that we can help return it to him/her during camp.

Cancellation & Refund Policy It is extremely rare that a camp is cancelled due to low registration. If this happens, every effort will be made to find a suitable substitute for your child. If we are unable to provide a satisfactory substitute, your fees will be fully refunded. Late withdrawals are considered as withdrawals from the camp program less than seven days before the start of the program. Up until that point, withdrawal requests can be made through Southside Aquatic Centre. An administration fee will apply to all refunds ($25

Summer Activities Parent Handbook 2016 withdrawal fee). Late withdrawals must be approved by a member of the camp management team and may be granted under exceptional circumstances. Medical notes may be required for refund requests due to illness or injury.

Photography Staff will be taking pictures of participants in action so that they can be put into our weekly newsletter. Parents will be asked to sign a photo waiver the first day of camp. If for any reason you do not want your children’s picture to be taken, please advise program staff.

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Summer Activities Parent Handbook 2016

Preparing your Child for camp New Campers (and parents!) For those new to City of Woodstock, the first day of camp can be as scary as the first day of school. For that reason, we invite all campers and parents to join us at Goff Hall on Wed May 25, 2015 and/or Friday June 3rd, 2015 from 410pm for a drop-in open-house. The camp team will be there to meet your campers and answer questions.

Camp Call outs Our site supervisors will make weekly call-outs to parents, the purpose of the call is to say “hi”, provide a quick review of what to bring to camp and, if we have been fortunate enough to reach you, answer any questions you may have. If the site supervisor did not reach you directly, you can still talk to them on the first day.

What to Bring to Day Camp The following is a list of what to bring to camp. While it is prudent to provide for both rain and shine and all other eventualities, please remember that children must be able to carry their own belongings. We recommend a suitable sized back pack with comfortable straps. We do not recommend multiple bags.

What to Bring    

  



Back pack Lunch & two healthy snacks (for Parks of Fun, and Pool of Fun bring 1 snack) Water bottle Athletic footwear (campers do walk between activities and will play field games etc…) Indoor shoes for indoor camps Swimsuit & Towel Sun hat & sunscreen (sunscreen will be provided should a camper forget or misplace his/hers) Extra weather appropriate clothing (a little rain does not stop us from going outside!)

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What NOT to Bring Program leaders are not responsible for money or other valuables brought to camp. We strongly discourage participants from bringing any electronic devices (ie video games, iPod, cell phones, digital cameras, etc.) or any personal items from home.

Packing a Lunch & Snacks Please provide your child with a nutritious lunch, snacks, and plenty of drinks for a busy day of camp. Refrigeration is not available; therefore we recommend insulated lunch bags or packing a frozen drink box or ice pack in your child’s lunch to keep the food cold and fresh. As part of our attention to camper safety, we have regular water breaks, so please pack a water bottle.

Allergy Aware Due to the prevalence of nut allergies, we ask that parents of all campers refrain from sending peanut and other nut products to camp. During our camp call-outs, we may ask that you refrain from other food items should another child in your child’s camp have a severe, life threatening allergy to that food. We ask that you inform us of any allergies your child has with respect to food or the environment. Camp staff will assist these campers at lunch and snack times to sit in areas, and with others whose lunch and snacks are safe.

Eat Well, Get Moving All of our camps involve physical activity and children attending the camps should be supported with a healthy food choice for their snacks and lunch. The following tips are provided to help you prepare your child’s daily requirements while they are with us. Children have small tummies and high calorie needs and therefore should be offered a meal

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or snack every 2 to 3 hours. Each day your child is at camp, we will be stopping to eat lunch and two snacks (morning and afternoon). Our snack and lunch times have been standardized across all camps and with a few exceptions will eat lunch or snacks at the same time regardless of which camps they are registered in.

Any children who are not signed out by 4:30pm are checked into after care with other campers and your registration will be adjusted for the use of this service. Should you require lastminute late pick up, please call summer activates mailbox (519) 539-2382 ext. 1616 before 4:00pm so that we can update staff.

Use Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating to help you and your child plan and prepare balanced meals and snacks (the more colorful the better – think red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple). A balanced meal includes 3 to 4 of the 4 food groups, while a balanced snack includes 2 to 3 of the 4 food groups. One of the best ways to provide energy for the day is with foods high in protein.

Most of our camp activities begin by 9:00am, which may mean travel to a different site, space or facility. If you arrive after 9:00am please contact the Summer Activities mailbox (519) 539-2382 ext. 1616.

Ask your kids for their ideas – they will be more likely to eat it! Pack things that are easy to eat, ones that don’t require peeling or special tools and are packaged in easy-to-open packages. Children often also like to eat what their friends are eating – so share ideas. To keep teeth clean and healthy, choose foods like cheese and vegetables.

Food Safety It is important to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold by using insulated bottles and insulated lunch boxes. Campers do not have access to microwaves or refrigerators during camp.

Our Programs Summer day camp Program Hours Day Camps Before Care After Care

7:30am-4:30pm 7:30-8:30am 4:30-5:30pm

If not requiring before and after care, please sign in your child with camp leaders between 8:30-9:00am, and sign him/her out between 4:00-4:30pm.

Before and After Care Extend care is available each day for all Summer Camp participants. Your extended care fees are designated for either before, after care or both. We are unable to provide care before 7:30 a.m. and after 5:30 p.m. All before and after care participants will be dropped off at Goff Hall, and then brought to their camp by staff.

Program delivery All programs will be developed with the goal of having both full camp and age appropriate activities. For most activities the camp will be broken into smaller age appropriate groups so that staff have the opportunity to deliver programming that best suits their group.

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Adventure Camp

Action Academy

Location

Location

Band shell Pavilion-Southside Park

Goff Hall at the Woodstock District Community Complex 381 Finkle St Woodstock, ON N4V 1A3

What a day looks like Time 8:30-9:00am 9:00-9:10am 9:10-10:10am 10:2011:30am 12:0012:30pm 1:00-2:00pm 2:30-3:30pm 3:30-4:00pm 4:00-4:30pm

Activity Camp introduction/sign- in Transition to Programs area Themed Activities Outdoor play

Lunch Active energizer Themed Activities Outdoor play Transition to Community complex for sign- out

What a day looks like Time 8:30-9:00am 9:1010:10am 10:2011:30am 12:0012:30pm 1:00-2:00pm 2:30-3:30pm 3:30-4:00pm 4:00-4:30pm

Activity Camp introduction/sign- in Active energisers

Sports focus Lunch Active energizer Sports focus Cool down activates Sign- out

Drop-off and Pick-up Locations Drop-off and Pick-up Locations

Goff Hall

Community Complex

You will bring your child in through the main entrance of the Woodstock District Community Complex and sign in will be located at the entrance of Goff Hall.

Lil Adventures Camp Location Band shell Pavilion-Southside Park

What a day looks like Time 8:30-9:00am 9:00-9:10am

9:10-10:10am 10:20-11:30am 12:00-12:30pm 1:00-2:00pm 2:30-3:30pm 3:30-4:00pm 4:00-4:30pm

Activity Camp introduction/sign- in Transition to Programs area Themed Activities Outdoor play Lunch Active energizer Themed Activities Outdoor play Transition to Community complex for sign -out

Drop-off and Pick-up Locations Community Complex

Splash and Play Spray and Play wading pool (4-7yrs) 1pm-4pm

Location: Southside Aquatic Centre 315 Finkle st Time 1:001:45pm 2:003:30am 3:304:00pm

Activity Introduction/ Active games Active time in the wading pool Dry off and Pick up