2024 Camp FUNtastic Parent Handbook

CAMP FUNTASTIC 20

Wild Adventure PARENT HANDBOOK

Hello, Parents and Caregivers,

Welcome to Summer Camp FUNtastic 2024! We are excited to bring another summer filled with fun! As there are plenty of camps to choose from within the community, we want to thank you for choosing and trusting Douglasville’s Parks and Recreation to provide quality service and activities. Our team has worked hard to provide a safe, educational, and exciting environment through our various backgrounds in youth development.

You will hardly find an exceptional summer camp experience that happens coincidentally; it entails meticulous planning, training, and implementation. The City of Douglasville’s Parks and Recreation Department has been honored to bring in staff members who are passionate and excited to make this a memorable summer for our campers. Many of our staff members are college students and teachers with developing and prosperous futures in the field of educating our youth. Our entire staff must complete a national background check and complete extensive training/orientation sessions that are geared toward the groups of children we will oversee such as CPR and Mandated Reporter Certifications.

The theme this summer is The Great Exploration, filled with activities and experiences that will introduce them and spark new interests. Inside this parent guide, you will find weekly themes, highlight activities, and field trips our campers will be sure to enjoy. In order to make this the best summer possible, we will need support from camp families to help effectively implement our policies and procedures. Please use this book as a reference throughout the summer and do not hesitate to contact us should any questions arise. Our goal this year is to create a memorable summer, with excitement to hear the notorious question, “What did you do this summer?”

Thank you,

Dantez Bennamon Recreation Program Manager

OUR MISSION

Our mission is to enhance the quality of life in our community and all who interact with our park system, programs, and services.

OUR VISION

We will provide optimum recreational facilities and quality programs to ensure a standard of excellence for all.

DOUGLASVILLE PARKS AND RECREATION CAMP FUNTASTIC

OUR MISSION

Our mission is to inspire children to learn and grow through whole-child connectedness. Our goal is to support individual skills and abilities, disrupt the loss of the learning curve, and provide a peace of mind for working parents.

OUR VISION

Our vision aims to ensure children will grow and reach their full potential while engaging in new experiences that are beneficial both individually and collectively.

OUR PURPOSE

Camp FUNTastic offers a reprieve for children to escape personal burdens and everyday issues that many of our campers may face at home. Many of our campers return each year, truly finding a home away from home. Our purpose is to provide a safe and encouraging environment that values children while offering positive guidance and encouragement.

Our campers will learn to communicate with their peers and authority figures in a mutually respectful manner. We make an effort to develop social, emotional, and physical skills that will encourage our future to believe in themselves.

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

IMPORTANT DATES OF OPERATION

Camp FUNTastic will operate from June 3rd to July 26th. This excludes the day of June 19th and the week of July 1st through 5th. Campers can be dropped off as early as 7 am and should be picked up before 6 pm; our time for structured activities will be from 9 am to about 5 pm. The last FULL week of camp is July 24th through 28th: Douglas County Students Return on August 2nd, so camp will end on August 1st

WEEKLY THEMES AND LOCATIONS

WEEK 1 June 3rd

Hometown Heroes

JESSIE DAVIS PARK

WEEK 2 June 10th

Play ball!

HUNTER PARK

WEEK 3 June 17th

Back to the Future

HUNTER PARK

WEEK 4 June 24th

Survivor Week

HUNTER PARK

AGE GROUPS AND NAMES

WEEK 5 July 8th

Out of this World

HUNTER PARK

WEEK 6 July 15th

Shark Week

HUNTER PARK

WEEK 7 July 22th

Going Green

HUNTER PARK

To comply with the State of Georgia’s recommended classroom ratio sizes, the Camp FUNTastic child-to-staff ratio for each age group is 1 counselor for every 10 campers. Group designation is determined upon the child’s age as of the first day of camp (June 3rd).

Ages 5 to 6 - Lil’ Explorers

Ages 7 to 8 - Wild Wanderers

Ages 9 to 10 - Thrill Seekers

Ages 11 to 12 - Great Globetrotters

JUNE SCHEDULE

JULY SCHEDULE

OTHER SUMMER ACTIVITIES

OUR WILD ADVENTURE

College Football HOF (7-12) $10

Duncan Park

Regal Movies

Spivey Splash $10

Tree Top Quest (7-12) $10

Tellus Science Museum (7-12) $10

Children’s Museum (5-6) $10

Duncan Park

Duncan Park

Atlanta Braves Game $10

Independence America's

A FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION

Camp will not be held on the 4th of July - come celebrate with us!

PARADE - 10AM

Downtown Douglasville from Fairburn Rd to Douglasville Town Green

FESTIVAL - 11AM Douglasville Town Green, 6840 Church St.

FIREWORKS AT DUSK Arbor Place Mall and surrounding areas

MEDICAL INFORMATION

MEDICAL/ALLERGY INFO

It is vital to complete/verify medical information prior to the start of camp with accurate and up-to-date information. ALL medication must be selfadministered with staff supervision; campers should only come to camp with daily doses as there will be no proper place to store medication. The information used to register will be kept with administrative personnel, on-site, and accessible to staff on every offsite field trip.

It is our obligation to ensure the safety and well-being of our campers is at the forefront of our daily operations Should your child have any dietary restrictions/preferences or allergies, this should also be noted in each child’s registration information.

MEDICATION POLICY

In the event of a medical scenario, a camper who requires medication of any kind, the following guidelines should be followed:

All medications are administered by the child under the center staff’s supervision.

Send ONLY the amount for ONE DAY.

Prescription medications must be in the original container. Medications can only be dispensed if the child’s name is clearly printed on the label. We cannot allow anyone (including siblings) to share prescribed medications.

Give the medicine to the Summer Camp Coordinators or Camp Desk Staff at the time of check-in with the camper’s name on it. Please do not send medication with your child, including aspirin. All parents must meet with the Camp Coordinators to go over medication procedures.

A Medication Release Form must be completed at registration and kept on file at the recreation center, acknowledging that the participant may take their medication while attending the camp.

MEDICAL INFORMATION CONT.

SICK POLICY

The attendance of a child who is ill or shows symptoms of a communicable disease will be prohibited and will be enforced. Symptoms can include (but are not limited to) high fever (99.5°+), pink eye, unexplained vomiting, diarrhea, dry coughing, etc. If your child becomes sick during the camp day, you will be notified to pick them up. No over-the-counter medication will be given.

CAMPER DRESS CODE

The primary responsibility for a camper’s attire rests with the camper and their guardian(s). Camp FUNTastic is responsible for ensuring that attire does not interfere with the safety or health of any camper. All participants of summer camp should be given the most amount of freedom in self-expression through clothes; while keeping in mind that there will be various opportunities to “dress up” throughout the summer (Jersey Day, Pajama Day, Talent Show, etc.).

Summer camp will include lots of outdoor/dynamic activities throughout the camp day. With this, campers should be dressed in clothing that is suitable for extended walking, jumping, squatting, reaching, and bending, in the hot and humid weather that is June and July.

CAMPERS MUST WEAR

Shirts with breathability, suitable for summertime. Bottoms that cover underwear. Could include pants, sweatpants, leggings, shorts, etc.

Shoes that are closed-toe with a heel for camper’s safety.

CAMPERS MAY WEAR

Athletic attire

Leggings, yoga pants, and distressed jeans

Swimwear, that complies with the Camper Dress Code, when visiting swim/water sites

Other articles of clothing that follow the principles of the Camper Dress Code Policy

CAMPERS MAY NOT WEAR

Articles of clothing that could be deemed offensive, intimidating, or vulgar. Visible underwear

Clothing with violent images/language or depictions of

CAMPER DRESS CODE

CONT.

DRESS CODE ENFORCEMENT

The dress code enforcement for campers will closely follow the regulations and procedures followed within Douglas County Schools. Implementation will remain consistent for each age group. Campers will not be removed from the daily activities because of a dress code violation, though, a parent/guardian could be given a strong suggestion for compliant alternatives. Enforcement should only be made to ensure the safety of campers and should never “single out” or “body shame” because of their gender, age, body size, race, or body maturity. Consistent dress code offenses will be managed individually.

OFFSITE ACTIVITIES

WILD ADVENTURE

To max out the amount of fun we have this summer, various field trips have been planned each week. These field trip reservations have been included in the payment for the week; if you are registered for the week of camp, your child is automatically counted as a participant. Extra money for snacks, arcade games, etc. is allowed but should be kept to a minimum as staff will not be held responsible for lost/stolen money.

Information on the following week’s field trip will be sent out the Friday prior; information will include the physical address, departure from facility time, expected arrival to the location, and scheduled arrival back to the facility. Please be mindful that there is a possibility that we may exceed our field trip time due to unforeseen occurrences the day of. If we find our return to the facility is delayed, coordinators will reach out to parents to provide comfort and patience as we travel back as soon as possible. A Parks and Recreation Professional will be present and notified at the facility to keep parents informed and updated on arrival.

PROCEDURES

DROP OFF AND PICKUP PROCEDURES

Every child who attends camp must be signed in and out each day they will attend. Only individuals listed on the Participant Information Form will have clearance to sign campers in/out of camp. Please ensure that your contact information, found in REC1, is correct and up to date as this is what we will use if a parent/guardian should need to be reached. No exceptions will be made to individuals who are not found on the registration information; should an individual need to be added, please add them to the registrant sheet and notify your child counselor in advance. Your child's four-digit code, created by the parent/guardian, and a signature will be required to sign in/out every day.

LATE PICK-UP POLICY

All children must be picked up by 6:00pm each day. For every minute past 6:05pm EST, a late pick-up fee will accrue at the rate of $1 per minute until sign-out. The official time will be the time found at the front desk.

POSITIVE DISCIPLINE GUIDE

In an effort to encourage corrective behavior, we will now begin to implement a positive disciplinary procedure. We recognize the importance of using redirection and alternative forms of discipline to promote healthy/effective growth. Below, you will find the first steps of our guide to demonstrating positive discipline. To follow is our 5-step Process for managing inappropriate behavior.

5 STEP PROCESS

1

VERBAL WARNING The participants will be reminded of the appropriate behavior and expectations from the staff.

2.

WRITTEN WARNING The participant's parent/guardian will receive a write-up detailing their behavior.

3

WRITTEN WARNING WITH PARENT MEETING The Camp Coordinator will meet with the parent, to discuss the incident and alternative forms of positive reinforcement.

4.

1 DAY SUSPENSION: The participant will be suspended for 1 day

5

3 - DAY SUSPENSION PENDING REMOVAL FROM THE PROGRAM: The participant will be suspended for 3 days

In cases of behavior deemed extreme or repetitive by the staff, participants could be suspended or expelled from the program immediately, regardless of the number of previous offenses.

WAYS TO DEMONSTRATE POSITIVE DISCIPLINE

Setting

Limits

Have clear and consistent rules your children can follow. Be sure to explain these rules in age-appropriate terms they can understand Set high expectations from the first moment, our campers will rise to them.

1.

Know when not to respond

Making a connection builds trust with campers, and that trust will be important when things go left. When counselor are connected to the campers and there is a mutual respect, the need for discipline is minimal.

3.

Understand the meaning behind the behavior

Figure out why the camper is misbehaving Let your camper finish the story before helping to solve the problem. Then try to find the best solution together.

2.

3. 4. 5.

5.

4. Ignoring bad behavior can be an effective way of stopping it Ignoring bad behavior can also teach children natural consequences of their actions.

Expect imperfect behavior

Make an effort to connect

Emphasize the positives with campers and manage the negatives. Do not over emphasize the negatives. Campers need to know when they do something bad and when they do something good.

POINT OF CONTACT

The City of Douglasville’s Parks and Recreation Department has been honored to bring in staff members who are committed and eager to make this a memorable summer for you and your child. Many of our staff members are teachers, and college students with a bright future in the field of educating our youth. Our entire staff must complete a national background check, extensive training/orientation, and complete a CPR/First Aid Training session specific to children we will oversee. Our staff is conscious of rules, regulations, safety and emergency protocol, efficiency in high-energy environments, diversity, and providing excellent customer service. Thank you for trusting in us to deliver quality service to you and the future of our community.

If at any time, you have a concern, complaint, or suggestion about our program or staff, please address a Summer Camp Coordinator on-site. Should the problem continue, please notify the Recreation Program Manager on site.

CONTACT INFORMATION

PEOPLE

Dantez Bennamon Recreation Program Manager

Bennamonm@douglasvillega.gov

470.493.4355

PARKS

Ike Owings Community Center

8830 Gurley Road

Douglasville, Georgia 30135

770.920.3007

Alice J. Hawthorne Comm. Center

7775 Malone Street

Douglasville, Georgia 30134

770.920.3008

Please sign this portion of the Parent Handbook and return it at the Parents’ Night: Meet & Greet on May 29th at 6:00pm.

BY SIGNING THIS PAGE, I, THE UNDERSIGNED, HEREBY DECLARE AND AFFIRM THAT:

I am the parent/legal guardian of the youth named above (hereinafter referred to as "Child" or “Camper”), who is under my care and responsibility.

I agree to and shall encourage the rules and expectations set forth in the Camp FUNTastic Parent Handbook above. I hereby consent and give authority to the participation of my Child in the scheduled youth activities of the Camp, and all other activities which are supervised and customarily associated with Camp FUNTastic.

I hereby declare and affirm that my Child is physically fit to take part in Camp FUNTastic’s activities and my Child has no known illness or adverse medical condition that would render him/her unfit to participate therein, other than the information specified in the medical information above.

I shall immediately advise the Program and/or Camp Coordinators in writing, should I discover any illness, adverse medical condition, or any other physical defect that would render my Child unfit to participate in the recreational and sporting activities of Camp FUNTastic.

Authorization for Medical Treatment

I understand that in case of medical emergencies involving my Child, I shall be notified right away. In case any of my provided contact information is unreachable, I authorize the City of Douglasville’s Parks and Recreation Department to call any doctor to provide the necessary medical attention to my child.

Print Full Name Signature Date