SENIOR
OUTPOST HANDBOOK
Welcome
to Outpost Summer Camp!
Summer camp is
an exciting time for campers, parents, staff and the directors of camp! Here at OSC, we are committed to each
camper in our program having a summer full of fun, friends, adventures and
positive experiences. This
Senior Outpost handbook is designed to prepare both campers and
parents for their first summer at Outpost Summer Camp.
Please read this information carefully. Everything that follows is addressed to
the Senior Outpost camper, while information geared specifically towards parents
is noted with “Parents:” If you
have any questions after reading this guide, please call us at (858)
842-4900.
We are looking forward to seeing you this
summer!
Table
of Contents
·
Getting ready for the Senior Outpost
Program
·
Open House
·
Transportation on the Outpost
Express
·
What happens on the first
day?
First day on the van
Morning Campfire
Lunch
Afternoon Campfire
·
The Senior Outpost
Activities
Rockclimbing
Sailing
Challenge and Ropes Course
Beach
Swimming
Other activities
·
Clothing
·
Lost and Found
·
Medical
Information
·
Parent Visits
·
Family Picnic
·
Other important
information
·
Communication with our
directors
·
Benefits of Outpost Summer
Camp
Getting
Ready for the Senior Outpost Program
The Senior
Outpost Adventure Program is specifically designed for campers entering the
6th-9th grades. We’ve chosen to
build our program around exciting outdoor activities that emphasize challenge,
positive risk taking and a sense of support and encouragement among the
group.
What does this mean? It
means that our Senior Outpost campers will travel all over San Diego,
experiencing rockclimbing, sailing, high ropes, going to the beach,
swimming, and having an incredible time!
Our groups are led by the best counselors around, and friendships are
often made at camp that last forever.
How do you get ready for camp? Bring a smile, a positive attitude, and a
willingness to try new activities and meet new friends. Everything else will follow from
there!
Open
House
On the Saturday
before each session, we hold an Open House for all families. The Open House is held at camp, and is
an opportunity to meet the staff, see where camp is held and pick up your camp
t-shirts. This is the best
opportunity to learn what to expect at Outpost Summer Camp. You received an invitation to the Open
House with your confirmation information.
First Session:
Saturday, June 19, 9AM – 11AM
Second Session: Saturday, July
10, 9AM – 11AM
Third Session:
Saturday, July 31, 9AM – 11AM
One of the
quality services OUTPOST SUMMER CAMPS provides for its campers is door-to-door
transportation within our designated pick-up area. Our vans are driven by our
Senior Counselors, who each hold a current California Class B license and have
maintained a perfect driving record.
We have extensive training in the vans prior to camp. Outpost Summer Camps is certified by the DMV as a licensed driver
trainer. All of the vans have seat
belts and the drivers take care to see that everyone is correctly buckled up.
The drivers inspect the vans each morning before the routes
begin.
THE WEEKEND BEFORE EACH SESSION
BEGINS, our counselors practice their
routes and will contact you as to the approximate pick-up time (between
8:00 and 9:00AM). Our driver will
come by your home and leave a note at your door telling you his/her name and
what time to expect the van the first day of camp. If you have not heard from a
driver by the Saturday evening before the first day, please call the
office. Also, you may have two
drivers — one driver for Mon-Wed-Fri and one for Tues-Thurs. Don't be surprised if you have two
drivers stop by on their practice runs. In some areas, we do not pick-up
door-to-door, but have pick-up spots.
The drivers will call these families with an approximate pick up
time. Please contact the office if
you have any questions about your area.
The camp fun begins on the van and
most of the campers love the drive.
We work hard to make the trips to and from camp as short as
possible. Although the routes are
carefully planned, they take more time on the first few days of each
session. Some of our younger
children are riding a van for the very first time and need a little more
attention, and some parents are sending their children off for the very first
time, and they need a little more attention too!
Parents: For all absences, please
call the office before 7:30 AM that day.
This way,
the driver will not come by your home and disturb you. If you call before we’re in the office,
please leave a message on our voice mail.
Parents: A responsible adult
must be at the entrance to your home to receive your camper when he/she
returns from camp. We do not assume any responsibility for
your camper other than dropping him/her off at your house. Special instructions for pick-up or
drop-off must be approved by the camp office. Please do not make any special
arrangements with the driver. You
must call the camp office.
Parents: Here are some basic guidelines to
keep in mind regarding our transportation service:
1.
If you need to pick up your camper
early from camp, please call the office, preferably the day before. This makes it easier for the counselor
to have your camper available at the correct time. You must sign your camper out with a
director.
2.
If you need to bring your camper
into camp late, please call the office (the day before if possible) so we can
coordinate getting your camper together with his group. Be sure to sign-in your child with a
director.
3.
There are some residences that we
consider to be "inaccessible" (i.e., private driveways or winding, narrow
roads), even though the address might be in our regular pick-up area. We will let you know if this is a
problem.
4.
Pick-up at one address and drop-off
at another address may be possible only if both are within the boundaries of the
same van route.
5.
Pick-up and drop-off times that the
drivers give you the weekend before camp starts are approximate. Please have your child ready at least 10
minutes before the designated pick-up time, and please be sure someone is at
home at least 10 minutes before the anticipated drop-off time. The times will become regular as the
drivers learn the neighborhoods better.
6.
Please call the
office if your child is going to be absent —
don't
just tell the driver (drivers can be absent, or might
forget.)
7.
Any changes, such as drop-off at a
neighbor's house, must be cleared with the office, not the
driver.
8.
Campers are not allowed to switch
vans to or from camp. If campers
are going to someone else's home to stay overnight, or to another destination,
then outside transportation must be provided by the
parent. Vans are limited to 15
passengers only!
9.
Special pick-up and drop-off times
cannot always be arranged.
What
Happens on the First Day?
On the first day
of camp, all campers will meet their counselors and the other campers in their
group. Although meeting new people
and trying out new things is fun, we understand that being comfortable in those
first few moments of camp is important to having a great summer, and our staff
do everything they can to help alleviate “first day jitters.” It is on this day, in fact, that the
special friendships and pride in the group start to form.
During the first
few days of camp, counselors take extra time to familiarize their groups with
camp and to help each camper feel like he/she belongs. So that all of our campers know what to
expect on the first day of Outpost Summer Camp, here are some highlights:
The
First Day on the Van
The van will
arrive to pick you up at the time given to you by the driver on the weekend
before the first day of camp.
Please make sure you are ready on time for the van, that you are wearing
closed-toe shoes, and that you have your lunch with you, along with a backpack
for any of your personal items.
Please also keep in mind that the van routes could run a few minutes late
on the first few days as the drivers (and campers!) get more familiar with the
morning routine.
Morning
Campfire
When you arrive
at camp, you will meet your counselors and the other campers in the group at the
Logs for Morning Campfire. Morning
Campfire is the kick-off to the camp day, with songs, cheers, and skits that get
everyone ready for a fun and exciting day at camp. Be ready to participate – it is
fun!
After Campfire you’ll will work together to create a group name and a
group identity. It is in these
first few days that everyone gets to know one another. We play some name games and do some
“icebreakers,“ because at Outpost Summer Camp we value
everyone getting to know everyone else at camp immediately.
Campers bring
their lunches every day to camp and store them with the groups' lunches in a
shady spot. Refrigeration is not
available so please bring non-perishable items. Bring a sack lunch rather than a lunch
box, so you don’t have to remember to take it home. Do not bring thermos bottles; they are
not necessary since we provide a cold drink at camp. Feel free to bring an additional drink
if there are any allergies about which you are concerned.
Afternoon
Campfire
At the end of
the day, groups meet at the Logs for Afternoon Campfire. Counselors bring their groups up at
Campfire and tell of their adventures, often challenging other groups to find
their Fort or their hidden group flag.
Afternoon Campfire is a loud and exciting show of group and camp pride
and is a wonderful close to a fun-filled day.
At the end of Campfire on the first couple days of camp, your van driver
will come up front and call every camper in his/her van group’s name. Then everyone will board the van for the
ride home. This is to ensure that
our younger campers don’t get nervous about remembering names after a long
exciting day.
The
Senior Outpost Activities
Rockclimbing
(twice per
session)
Rockclimbing
is held at Mission Trails Regional Park, where climbers have been enjoying the
natural challenges of the many vertical routes for over 30 years. We set up a top-roped climb and a long
rappel, and all participants are taught basic climbing techniques prior to
participation.
Each climber wears a harness and helmet, and is individually belayed by
an instructor. Belaying is a safety
technique in which the climber is attached to a rope which goes up through a
system of anchoring devices and back down to the instructor. Using this system, if and when a climber
falls, he/she is held securely in place by the belayer. Each
of our climbs and rappels is belayed by an experienced rockclimbing instructor.
Sailing
(once per
session)
Sailing is
held at the Mission Bay Aquatic Center, home to many
different types of watersports. We chose sailing because of the many
technical and mental challenges involved in the activity.
Campers wear PFDs and are taught basic sailing
techniques prior to participation.
We use 2 person sabots and everyone gets many opportunities to guide the
boats and learn the skills that make a good sailor!
Challenge Course and
High Ropes (once each
per session)
Each Senior Outpost group
participates in a comprehensive teambuilding program each session. Groups visit our on-site challenge
course at the beginning of the session, working together to solve “initiative”
activities that involve all the campers solving puzzles and “conquering”
challenges. After completing the
challenge course, we travel to UCSD and use their High Ropes course – a 50 foot
Alpine Tower located on campus.
Campers wear full body harnesses and helmets and participate in various
challenging events designed to develop teamwork and positive risk-taking
skills.
Beach Days
(twice per
session)
We visit the
beach twice per session. Campers
need to bring their swimsuits and towels.
Bodyboards and soft boards are permitted (no
surfboards). We have a ton of fun
beach activities that we participate in on these days. Remember your
sunscreen!
Swimming
We swim at
the new Del Norte High School pool almost every day (except days we are out of
camp all day), located minutes from camp.
We assess all campers’ swimming ability on the first swimming day so we
can provide the safest environment for everyone. Bring your swimsuit and be ready to cool
off and have fun!
Other
Activities
Senior
Outpost also visits other areas surrounding the Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve, as well as places like Santee Lakes for paddleboating or Felicita Park in Escondido.
Clothing
At Outpost
Summer Camp, we have hands on experience in the outdoors. Because of this, we usually come home
dirty! We recommend that you
wear old clothes that are ready to be worn out.
All campers must wear closed toe
shoes that can get dirty or wet.
Shorts are ideal for hot days, unless you are highly susceptible to
sunburn. Please do not bring
expensive sweaters, towels or any unnecessary items that could easily become
lost. Bringing money to camp is not
necessary, however, there may be special occasions (potluck lunches, pizza
parties, etc) in which a small amount may be requested by the group counselor in
advance.
Parents: Two camp shirts will be handed out
at the Open House held the Saturday before your camper’s first day. One shirt will be a Senior Outpost cotton shirt. The other is a Senior Outpost rash guard that can be worn to any of the water activities. The shirts
given will be the size designated on your child’s enrollment form. If you need to exchange them for another
size, please return them unwashed and unworn along with a note stating the
camper's name and size desired. We
will send new ones home with your camper the next day. Additional shirts can be purchased
through the camp office.
Lost
and Found
Campers do not need to bring
anything to camp each day other than a sack lunch unless it is okayed by their counselor in advance. Personal equipment such as stereos and
music players, cell phones, game equipment or other electronics are not
permitted at camp.
Although the staff will try to
prevent articles from getting lost, please be responsible for your own
belongings. At the end of each day
we hold up any lost and found articles for the campers to claim. Every attempt is made to return labeled
clothing to their owners, but we cannot be held responsible for personal
belongings brought from home. In
the Fall, we collect the labeled lost and found and
contact you if we have found something belonging to you. Unclaimed items are
given to a children's charity.
Parents: The safety and well being of your
child is of utmost importance to us.
Since your child will be in our care, it is extremely important that we
are prepared to assist him/her at any time should a medical problem or emergency
arise. You have supplied this
information on your camper's enrollment and health history form. If there is any condition or problem
about which you feel the office or your child's counselor needs to know, please
call the office with that information.
All of our Senior Counselors have
First Aid and CPR Certificates and most of our Junior Counselors are certified
as well. Paramedics are also very
conveniently located if needed, and we have two excellent hospitals within ten
minutes of camp. In the event a
child is hurt at camp and needs emergency treatment, the staff will contact the
camper's parents, the emergency contact, and/or the family doctor. We feel that because we are in a day
camp setting and, in most instances, you are within an hour's drive from camp,
you are the initial contact. It
is important that in the event of an illness or injury you, or someone
designated by you, be available to come to camp to pick-up your
child.
OUTPOST SUMMER CAMPS' accident insurance covers, up
to our policy limits, any injuries received at camp to the extent that they are
not covered by any other health and/or accident insurance covering the
child.
Parents are welcome to visit camp,
but please call the office to set up a time for your visit. Since all days have special time
schedules, some are better for visiting.
Senior Outpost groups are often out of camp at remote locations at which
it can be difficult to arrange a parent visit. At camp itself, meet a director at the
Clubhouse and he or she will take you to where your
child and his/her group is located.
Family
Picnic
Parents: A great way to visit camp and meet
your camper’s counselors and friends is to attend our traditional FAMILY PICNIC
on Thursday, August 12th, 2010.
This is an informal gathering that lasts from 6:15PM until 7:30PM. Your camper will have a chance to
introduce you to his or her favorite activities and new friends through a
typical Campfire. Make sure you
bring a picnic dinner and a blanket (or beach chairs) to sit on! We sent an invitation to this Family
Picnic with your confirmation packet, & will send a reminder home later in
the summer.
Other
Important Information for Parents
1.
Please do not send any equipment,
toys or anything valuable such as radios and tape recorders. We strongly request that all cell phones also be left at home. Our
directors have cell phones and all our staff have radios - we are in constant contact with parents if necessary. All knives, weapons, drugs and alcohol
are prohibited. Jewelry and watches should also be left at
home.
2.
Pictures are taken once each
session. If your camper is absent
he/she will not be in the picture.
The camper will, however, receive a picture of his group with his
counselors and friends.
3.
No make-up days can be given for any
reason.
4.
Our camp policy prohibits staff from
accepting monetary and expensive gifts from parents.
5.
Please remember that the campers do
spend time in the sun everyday. We
strongly recommend that you have your camper apply sunscreen at home in the
morning and consider sending your camper with a hat if he or she has sensitive
skin!
6.
The counselors give the campers
frequent opportunities to drink water during the day. When the group goes hiking or out of
camp to sunny locations, counselors carry squirt bottles with water.
Communication
with Our Directors
Outpost Summer
Camp is a family owned business, and as such we are dedicated to providing a
program of the highest quality. We
welcome your comments, suggestions, questions and feedback, at all times. Please
do not hesitate to contact us earlier rather than later if you have something
you wish to discuss with us. Often,
we are able to address any issues more successfully if we are contacted
immediately.
Benefits
of Outpost Summer Camp
We’re proud of
our program and what we do for kids.
Here are some “key messages” that define our
program:
Camp is a caring community!
Our campers experience belonging and are part of a true community –
getting along with others, accepting differences, and working together. The joys of acceptance and sharing
prompt our campers to try out new positive behavior like choosing new friends,
expressing caring thoughts about others and successfully resolving
conflicts.
Camp is a safe and nurturing environment for children. Kids are at less risk when they have a
sense of community, intergenerational relationships, and first-hand
experiences. Our trained and caring
staff help each of our campers feel loved, capable and
included.
Camp is a vital element in a child’s education! Children connect with the natural
world directly at Outpost Summer Camp – not through the filters of television,
computers or movie screens.
Discovery, exploration, and active participation are the methods of
learning at camp!
Thank you for trusting
us with your child this summer.
We look forward to
meeting you!
Call us with any
questions – (858) 842-4900
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