Policies and Procedures
Purpose:
At Crossfield Summer Day Camp, our policies and procedures are meticulously crafted with one goal in mind: ensuring the happiness and safety of both our cherished campers and dedicated staff. Our board of directors and staff diligently uphold these standards, fostering an environment where every child can thrive and every team member can flourish. From thrilling adventures to cherished memories, we prioritize the well-being of our community above all else.
Program Overview:
The Crossfield Summer Day Camp is set out to provide a fun, adventurous and friend filled summer to children of the community. We also strive to be a welcoming learning environment for many local kids first jobs in both the coordinator and counselor roles. The day camp runs for six weeks through the summer with one week being short at only four days. Each week will include splash park days and a field trip day as well as crafts and games everyday. Children between the ages of 5 and 12 are welcome. The hours of operation are 9:00am to 3:00pm with aftercare available for an additional cost until 5:00pm.
Health and Safety Policies:
We have outlined the following policies to ensure the safety and health of all staff and campers attending day camp. These policies are extremely important and need to be followed. Procedural violation will result in the camper being removed from day camp.
Any camper showing signs of illness including but not limited to; fever, cough, vomiting and congestion will not be able to attend day camp. The coordinator has the ability to request a doctor's note at any time to ensure the health and safety for all campers. Campers will not be permitted to return to day camp until symptoms have subsided or a doctor's note has been received. If a camper is brought to day camp unwell the parent will be contacted to collect and no refund will be provided for missing days. Please contact staff if your child is unwell and is unable to attend.
In the instance of a medical emergency, 911 will be called. Any ambulance charges will be the responsibility of the parent or guardian of the camper. The campers emergency contact will be called immediately. All staff are first aid trained and will be able to handle situations until turning over to first responders if the situation requires it.
There will be a first aid kit brought to every event as well as kept on sight by the Crossfield summer day camp staff. Staff will manage and maintain the safety of all camp activities.
The Crossfield summer day camp does provide lunch at an additional fee as well as a free pizza day and candy on specific days. All allergies are to be outlined on the campers registration form in order to help staff avoid possible cross-contamination. We cannot guarantee that any food will be completely allergen-free and if the camper has an extreme allergy it is our recommendation that the camper does not eat from the concession. All staff are trained to administer epinephrine injections in cases of anaphylaxis and will always call 911 if an epinephrine injection is administered. Please inform staff if your camper carries an epinephrine injection device and where it is located incase of emergency.
Staff and Supervision Policies:
Our staff consists of coordinators and counselors. The coordinators are the primary supervisors throughout the course of day camp. They are the supervisors for both the counselors and campers. The coordinators will take the lead on the majority of games and activities as well as coordinate all trips. Coordinators are responsible for all day to day events and will handle any issues that come up on a day to day basis. Our board of directors are volunteers and will be contacted if the coordinators require additional support or are requested by parents or guardians.
We ensure that the campers will be supervised at all times maintaining the maximum of 1 to 10 ratio. However at the Crossfield Summer day camp we strive to maintain a 1 to 8 ratio and 1 to 5 ratio during field trips.
Campers are required to wear day camp standard hats when leaving the facility. This will include all field trip days and splash park days. Staff can also require campers to wear hats when going outside to ensure their safety in the summer heat. These hats are required to attend day camp and do come at an additional cost. The staff may require parents or guardians to purchase another hat if the camper arrives without it. These hats are important to be able to easily identify campers when in heavily crowded areas and is a requirement to participate in day camp events.
If a camper is making it difficult for staff to supervise the given camper as well as other campers by; running away, hiding, or consistently wandering off. A conversation will be had with the parent or guardian at pick up or over the phone. If the behaviour continues this will count as a warning. Please see Three Strike Warning Policy for more details.
Registration and Enrollment Policies:
The Crossfield summer day camp aims to provide a fun and fantastic summer to all campers. There is a two week period that is reserved for the residents of Crossfield only. If a camper is registered from another area during this two week period the coordinators will reach out mentioning the mistake and explain that the campers will be refunded if the week sells out in order to offer the spot to a Crossfield resident.
Registration is offered online through Jotform. We understand that not everyone will feel comfortable providing payment online. In this situation please reach out to the coordinators at crossfield.daycamp@gmail.com to request a document. This must be dropped off to staff along with a cheque or cash and will only be accepted if pre-approved through email.
We cannot hold any spots at the Crossfield summer day camp. All spots are on a first come first serve basis and there will be no exceptions.
At the time of registration all medical and behavioural forms must be provided. Staff will make any mandatory adjustments based on individual children's needs and this can only be done if all information is provided upon registration. If something is missed on the registration forms or something changes before their time at day camp please email staff.
The latest a camper can be enrolled in day camp is the Thursday prior the week they wish to attend. The camper must be paid in full by this date as payment and registration will not be accepted the day of attendance.
The day camp welcomes kids between the ages of 5 and 12. The rule for our day camp is "Children must be turning five or thirteen within a week of the week they are registered for." This means that they can either turn five or thirteen the week before they are registered, the week they are registered for, or within a week after the week they are registered for.
Refunds and Aftercare:
At the Crossfield summer day camp we understand that unforeseen circumstances come up. However as the day camp is a non profit it is important that we are able to make an attempt to fill any empty spots prior to the start of day camp.
All requests for refunds must be submitted to the coordinator through email two weeks prior to the start date of the campers attendance. All requests will be forwarded to the board of directors for approval. The board of directors may request certain documents to support the reason for refund. If the request is within 14 days of the start date $75 of the registration charge will be kept.
Aftercare must be booked prior to the day it is intended for. Aftercare is nonrefundable or transferable. There will be an additional cost if the child is picked up later then the aftercare pick up time. The child will not be able to return to day camp until the late fee is paid. The late fee is $1 per minute late.
Behavioural Expectations and Consequences:
We strive to make the Crossfield Summer Day Camp a safe and welcoming environment that fosters new friendships and amazing memories. The first day of each week there will be a dedicated time for the campers to create their own rules for the following week. We find that the campers creating their own rules mean they often are more likely to follow them. These rules will follow along the lines of; using proper language, listening to staff, being kind to others, no physical violence, and absolutely no bullying.
Three Strike Policy
A strike will be given if a camper makes day camp an unsafe or unfriendly environment. This will include but is not limited to bullying, cursing, hitting, and/or disrespecting staff. The coordinators will decide if the campers behaviour deserves a strike. If the first strike is given it will be communicated with the parents at pick up or over the phone.
The second strike will be given if the camper continues inappropriate behaviour during day camp. This will be communicated with the parent or guardian at pick up or over the phone as well as given a paper copy of the incident and strike. This will result in the camper not being able to attend the next day of camp. This will include field trip days. There will be no refund in this circumstance.
When the third strike is given the parents will be contacted at the time of the incident and asked to come collect the camper. The camper will not be able to return for the duration of the summer and based on the situation may not be permitted to return in following years. There will be no refund in this circumstance.
Communication Policies:
The primary contact for the day camp will be crossfield.daycamp@gmail.com email. This email is monitored during working hours through the middle of May to the end of August. Parents will receive all information about the week as well as any updates through this email. If parents have any questions or concerns please contact the coordinators through this email. We also ask that you let staff know if your child will be missing from any given day. If you do not let staff know you can expect a phone call to check in and make sure everything is okay. This phone call will happen 15 minutes after 9:00 am.
Newsletters are provided via email the week prior to your child's attendance. This will outline the plans for the week as well as any additional materials required such as swimsuit or clothes for messy crafts. These will also include the dates for pizza days and dress up days. These are important to read so that your camper can be prepared for the day. If you do not receive one please reach out to staff.
Transportation Policy:
At the Crossfield Summer Day Camp we take pride in our field trip Fridays. To arrive at the different field trips the day camp will rent a school bus for the day.
All campers are required to ride on the school bus. This ensures the day will run smoothly and that we can keep staff focused on their group of campers and not collecting or dropping off campers at individual vehicles.
Campers are required to arrive on time on Fridays. The bus will leave at 9:00am and will leave even if campers are missing. Parents or guardians can expect a phone call at 8:55am to ensure the camper will arrive on time and be able to take part in the fun day.
Special Needs and Accommodations:
At the Crossfield Summer Day Camp we strive to be as inclusive of every camper's needs however with a limited staff there are some accommodations that cannot be met. These situations will be met on a case by case basis. Campers will not be able to attend day camp if we are not confident that the child will have a fair and safe experience at day camp while prioritizing all campers.
Privacy and Confidentiality:
The privacy of all campers and parents is of the utmost priority to us.
Each parent or guardian will be asked during the registration process if the coordinators or counselors are allowed to take photos of the children for Facebook and website purposes. These photos will never appear on staff's personal social media. If a parent denies photos to be taken of their camper we can ensure that we take this very seriously and there will never be a photo taken of that camper.
Staff will keep a binder of parental and guardian contact information as well as campers medical information. This information will be kept on file throughout the duration of the summer. At the end of the summer all contact paperwork is shredded.
Staff will keep record of all accidents that happen throughout the duration of the summer. These forms are kept on file for a minimum of three years in a secure location.
Miscellaneous:
Sunscreen and bug spray are not required to be provided by the parent or guardian. If you do send your camper with individual sunscreen or bug spray please ensure it is marked with the child's name. The Crossfield Summer Day Camp is not responsible for any lost or forgotten sunscreen or bug spray sent with the camper.
There will be a lost and found area at the front desk. All items will be kept until the last day of day camp in which all forgotten items will be thrown out or donated. The Crossfield Summer Day Camp is not responsible for any lost or forgotten items.
Hydration is extremely important for the safety of all children in the heat of the summer. Please ensure all campers are sent with individual water bottles that are well labeled.