WELCOME TO
E D I U G Y A R A M I R P R O F S E I L I M FA
WELCOME TO ESF AT HOME POD-VENTURES! Even though many of your children cannot physically be at school right now, it is still important that they learn, engage and connect with their friends! We are incredibly excited about ESF At Home POD-Ventures and everything it has in store for you and your family. Each day promises to be full of new experiences, exciting learning, and great fun. To ensure that you are ready to become a Primary Family and get your pod started, we have put together this Guidebook. Please be sure to read this booklet, as it outlines important information about ESF At Home POD-Ventures. We would like to extend a warm welcome to you and thank you for joining us on this new adventure. If there is anything we can do to ensure that you get the most out of your ESF Pod experience, please let us know anytime at info@esfcamps.com.
Michael J. Rouse
Executive Director & Co-Founder
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WHO WE ARE ESF Summer Camps has been a vital influence in the camping industry since its evolution in 1982. The ESF dream was the inspiration of brothers Michael and Bill Rouse. Their motive in founding the organization was to create a camp filled with non-stop action and pure fun for children of all ages. The dream came to life with the creation of their first camp for children in 1982 at The Haverford School in Haverford, PA. The two-week tennis camp sold out and from this success, ESF (Education, Sports, and Fun) Summer Camps was born. Over three decades have passed and the organization has grown from 1 camp with 35 campers to more than 70 summer camps with over 3,000 campers. Traditional values and goals are reflected in every aspect of ESF Camps. From our carefully planned programs to our emphasis on individual achievement in a family atmosphere, ESF is truly a special place for campers and their families. That is why so many of our campers return year after year. All ESF camps fill up quickly and have waiting lists of children interested in attending. This is the best reward ESF can receive. The ESF Team is comprised of dedicated professionals who are in the forefront of their respective fields and are motivated by a passion for superior performance and quality service. Together, they continue to keep the dream alive and bring limitless adventures to children of all ages. Their motivation and driving force ultimately comes from the happy faces, the good times, the new experiences and the knowledge that ESF remains true to making every child feel special. When a summer at ESF helps children to learn, to grow and to discover new talents within themselves, the ESF Team realizes that they have accomplished their mission!
OUR VISION Design and operate the world’s best experiences that fuel optimism and happiness in the young and the “young at heart”, their families, our team, and the communities we serve in order to enhance their lives while inspiring others to do the same.
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OUR MISSION Provide the finest camp experience for people of all ages - an experience that will be remembered for a lifetime. ESF is committed to quality and excellence in everything that we do. We provide carefully designed programs and activities, a dedicated, experienced and well-trained staff, along with a caring, safe environment with premier facilities. Through education, sports, and fun, we offer opportunities for campers and staff members to believe in themselves and to achieve their full potential.
OUR VIRTUES OF CHARACTER These are the character muscles that must be exercised individually to drive the right behaviors within our organization: • Positivity • Kindness • Respect • Gratitude • Effort • Resiliency • Trustworthiness • Community
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Doing your best to juggle it all? We know that you want your children to enjoy learning, stay engaged, and socialize with friends. Let ESF At Home POD-Ventures help! We are committed to finding ways to keep families and children connected through the formation of At Home Pods that will provide academic support, enrichment, recreational & athletic activities, and opportunities for play and camaraderie.
HOW IT WORKS Gather your friends to form your pod and we’ll do the rest! All you need is a pod of 2–8 children ranging from K–5th grades and a highly trained ESF team member will come to your home and deliver quality instruction, homework help, athletic skill development, recreational games and academic enrichment. We understand that everyone’s schedules and timetables are unique. So whether your child is participating in virtual, hybrid or in-person learning, we provide flexible scheduling options to accommodate the unique needs of your pod and your child’s academic learning structure.
STRICT SAFETY GUIDELINES Safety, health, and well-being are our top priority and we’ve put protocols and mandates into place to ensure your child’s and our Instructors’ safety and security. From daily health screenings, hand washing protocols, mask-wearing, and more, you can rest assured that your child is in the best of care. Please review our COVID policies and compliance guidelines for ESF At Home POD-Ventures.
SMALL PODS STAY TOGETHER EVERY DAY
SCREEN STUDENTS AND INSTRUCTORS DAILY
TEACH AND REINFORCE HANDWASHING & SANITIZING
LIMIT SHARING OF SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT
ALERT ESF IN CASE OF STUDENT/FAMILY MEMBER ILLNESS
FACE COVERINGS ARE TO BE WORN BY INSTRUCTORS AT ALL TIMES
INSTRUCTOR TRAINING
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TIPS FOR CREATING YOUR POD As the Primary Family, there are a few things to consider when creating a successful pod: •C hoosing your pod members is very important. You may have between 2 and 8 students in the pod, but you should consider the school requirements, learning styles, and social-emotional needs of each student to be sure that the pod will work effectively for everyone. •A pod consisting of students in the same grade is suggested, as this will allow them to work together on assignments and engage in age appropriate activities. However, this is not a requirement and our instructors will adjust appropriately to the educational and social needs of all pod members. •Y ou will want to determine a schedule that meets the needs of all the pod members. We offer 10 hour, 20 hour, and 30 hour per week packages. Once you choose your package, you can determine how you want to schedule those hours during the week. Days and times can be flexible based on your pod’s needs, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. There is a 4-week minimum required. Please note: Pods do not operate on the weekends. •C hoosing which activities are most appropriate for your pod should be based on your school’s current educational model, including whether students are participating in virtual, hybrid or in-person school learning. Activities may include distance learning supervision, homework help, athletic skill development, recreational games or academic enrichment. •Y ou should determine who hosts the pod at their home. You might want to host the pod at your home exclusively or you may want to rotate to other homes within the pod on a daily or weekly basis. Host homes should have ample indoor and outdoor space based on the size of the pod. •Y ou are responsible for registering the pod and submitting payment. You will then work independently with the other pod families to collect payments. •P od members should have similar comfort levels with our ESF COVID-19 safety precautions. All instructors and students will complete a daily health screening that covers the questions outlined by the CDC (i.e. symptoms, contact with individuals, travel, etc.), and will be asked to report their temperature daily, prior to arriving at the pod location. Instructors will be required to wear face masks, practice good handwashing, and immediately report any symptoms or close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19. Other safety precautions deemed essential for your pod can be discussed in more detail. •A ll pod members should have access to transportation, as our Instructors will not be permitted to transport any children.
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INFO FOR YOUR FELLOW POD FAMILIES Once you have created your pod, you can share with them the following important information: •A parent/guardian is required to be at home while the ESF instructor is there. While you are not responsible for supervising the students, it is important that you are available in case of an emergency. •A ny food allergies should be shared with the pod families and snacks/lunch should be adjusted appropriately to keep students safe. •A ny special needs and/or medical conditions should be shared with the pod families. Any medication administration should be handled by the parent/ guardian at the hosting home. • I f there are pets in any of the hosting homes, you will want to ensure that the students in your pod do not have any pet allergies and that the pet is friendly with strangers. • I t is the responsibility of the Instructor to supervise the students in the pod during the scheduled hours. The Instructor should not be asked to do any housecleaning, care for pets, care for siblings that are not part of the pod, or any other non-programming tasks. • I f your Instructor is sick, we will notify the Primary Family as soon as possible. The Primary Family will be responsible for notifying the other participants in the pod. In order to manage contact tracing and exposure, ESF will not send a replacement for that day. A credit will be applied to your pod’s account if there are no services provided for that day. • Pod families will be asked to abide by our “Family Commitment”
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• Complete the daily health screening questionnaire.
• Monitor your student’s health each day.
• Communicate with our staff openly about health concerns.
• Follow all policies and procedures to support a healthy community.
ESF AT HOME POD-VENTURES ADMINISTRATION AND STAFF ESF Instructors are comprised of highly experienced and dedicated teachers and college students possessing a deep commitment to the development of each child. Our experienced team of professionals are available to come to your home to support your child’s academic, athletic and social development. All ESF Team members are hand-selected and background checked. They also receive ongoing training and support. For daily questions while your Pod is in session, please contact: • Michelle Sklar, ESF At Home POD-Ventures Director msklar@esfcamps.com 609-548-5401 For questions regarding registration and payment, please contact: • ESF Customer Engagement Specialists info@esfcamps.com 800-529-CAMP (2267)
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CODE OF CONDUCT ESF encourages fun, friendship and safety in a positive atmosphere. We have established behavior guidelines that revolve around the “Three R’s” that all campers follow: 1. Respect yourself 2. Respect others 3. Respect your environment
NETIQUETTE FOR VIRTUAL LEARNING • Treat other students online as you would like to be treated yourself. • Don’t engage in cyberbullying. • Never reveal personal information online. • Dress appropriately and be aware of your background. • Avoid inappropriate or objectionable language. • Protect your own privacy and keep the privacy of others. • Be polite, respectful, and an attentive listener. • Be helpful and understanding of everyone’s tech abilities. • Remember that using technology is a privilege!
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FOR PARENTS At ESF, Inc., we are committed to protecting the privacy of children who use our websites and platforms. We respect your right as a parent to understand our information practices, including the types of personal information we may collect from children, the uses to which we may put that information, and whether and with whom we may share that information. Read ESF’s Children’s Online Privacy Policy below for details on our practices. Our Internet Safety and Security tips that are detailed in this handbook and are designed to help start a dialog with your child(ren) about staying safe online, while enjoying all that online experiences have to offer.
CHILDREN’S PRIVACY POLICY ESF, Inc. is committed to protecting the privacy of children who use our websites and platforms. ESF’s Children’s Online Privacy Policy explains our information collection, disclosure, and parental consent practices with respect to the information provided by children under the age of 13 (“child” or “children”), and uses terms that are defined in ESF’s general Privacy Policy. This policy is in accordance with the U.S. Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”), and outlines our practices in the United States regarding children’s personal information. For more information about COPPA and general tips about protecting children’s online privacy, please click link to Protecting Your Child’s Privacy Online.
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A E V A H T A E ! R E G R U T N E V D PO