Dear Explorations Campers and Parents,
With the beginning of camp just around the corner, we are sending to your attention “housekeeping details” for your further consideration.
Explorations Camp 2019 takes place at Loyola High School, 2477 West Broadway, just below Sherbrooke Street, in Notre Dame de Grace. Session 1 begins on Monday, July 1, Canada Day, at 8:30 am. Any campers who cannot attend on the first of July will be welcome to begin on Tuesday, July 2. Session 2 will begin Monday, July 15th, and end on Friday, July 26.
Drop Off
Explorations Camp supervised drop-off will begin each morning at 8:00 am at the side entrance of Loyola located at 2477 West Broadway. Campers will be greeted by Staff and Camp Assistants in green Explorations T-shirts. They will assist your child or children from your car and take them directly into the building. We remind you that there will be no parking in the Drop-Off Zone as we want to accommodate families as quickly as possible. There is on street parking available nearby, or paid parking in the Loyola / Concordia parking lot adjacent.
Junior Campers will be escorted by the camp assistants to their classrooms where they will meet their Junior Activity Leaders and their Camp Assistant.
Intermediate Campers will gather on the second floor where they will meet with their Period 1 Activity Leaders (signs will be posted for each Activity). Intermediate campers are asked to bring with them a printout of their chosen activities (as confirmed by your completed Amilia confirmation of registration). Please message us as soon as possible, info@explorationscamp.ca if you cannot locate the confirmation of your child’s chosen Activities.
Panorama Campers will meet as per an itinerary to be provided daily during camp. In most instances they will meet at McGill’s Roddick Gates on Sherbrooke Street West and McGill College Avenue at 8:30 am.
End of Day Pick Up
Campers will be dismissed daily at 4:00 pm. Further details as to how and where to meet your child will be sent to you mid-week before camp starts. Written parental permission is required for any early dismissals (email info@explorationscamp.ca). A majority of Staff normally finishes their day at 4:15 pm. Any camper still waiting for pickup after 4:15 will automatically be included in our Extended Care program at a rate of $6 per day (see below for further details).
Extended Care
Extended Care is offered from 4:00 to 6:00 pm at a weekly charge of $60, or on as needed basis, at a cost of $6 each day. A dollar per minute late penalty will be charged for late pickups after 6:00. You can register and pre-pay for this service by using our Online Registration service (available on our Registration Website). If you choose to use our Extended Care on a casual basis, you will be invoiced at the end of each Session. Pick up from Extended Care will be via the Loyola side door at 2477 West Broadway, or at the nearby Coffey Park, weather permitting.
Intermediate Schedule
The morning program starts at 8:30 and continues until 10:00. There will be a 15 minute supervised break from 10:00 to 10:15 at the end of which Activity Leaders assemble their groups for the second morning activity from 10:15 to 11:45. Supervised lunch alternates with a supervised “group A” play session from 11:45 until 12:20 and for “group B” from 12:25 to 1:00. Activity Leaders will then assemble their campers before the beginning of the afternoon activity, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm.
Camp T-Shirts
Your child will receive an Explorations Camp T-Shirt at some point during the first day. We would ask that you have them wear their T-Shirt daily as it allows us to quickly identify our campers should we leave the building, even if it is for a quick visit to the park across the street. Supplementary T-shirts can also be purchased.
Food
Campers should bring lunch, as well as snacks, drinks, etc. for the morning and afternoon breaks. Campers are not permitted off campus during lunch unless supervised by parents. A catered brown-bag lunch service will be available from Solly the Caterer. You are invited to download Solly’s menu and application form from our home page, www.explorationscamp.ca or you can call Solly’s directly at 514-485-8818.
Please be advised that we attempt to be a peanut-free and nut-controlled environment. Please do NOT send snacks or lunches that contain nuts or peanuts.
Lost and Found
At the beginning of camp we will notify you of our “lost and found” location. Please note that Explorations cannot be held responsible for valuable items that campers may choose to bring to camp (computer games, electronics, hand-held devices, etc.).
Absence or Late Arrival
If your child is going to be late or absent for all or even part of the day, please email us at info@explorationscamp.ca . Campers who arrive late are asked to report to the Explorations Camp Office before joining their scheduled activity group.
Our Camp Office
For security reasons, parents wishing to visit during camp hours are asked to check in at our Explorations Camp Office, situated by the stairwell on the second floor. Visitors are asked to use only the West Broadway entrance to enter and exit the building during regular camp hours.
Health and Medication Information
Please advise the camp of any pre-existing health issues or concerns. Any medication that you wish to have on-hand in our camp office should be accompanied with your signed permission. Epi-Pens should be transported in an identified pouch or plastic baggie and carried by the camper. Only Administrators or Activity Leaders will administer medications. Parents should not allow their children to bring medications to school without signed permission.
Field Trips
You were asked to indicate your field trip permission during the registration process (for trips within the vicinity of Loyola High School). Permission for other special activities or trips will be requested as the occasion arises. Information regarding the destination and purpose of the trip will be provided in advance.
Bi-Monthly Newsletters, Twitter and Facebook
You will be receiving an emailed newsletter every two weeks offering highlights of activities and programs from the previous weeks. Please be advised that our two open houses will take place during the second Friday of each session –details and a program to follow. You are also invited to follow us on our Explorations Facebook page.
Please note that we will be posting photos of our many exciting activities and special events throughout the four weeks of camp. If, for any reason, you wish that your child’s photo not be included in our social media transmissions, newsletter or web pages, please advise the Explorations office in writing. It is, of course, the policy of Explorations not to use full names nor provide any specific information that might identify your child to the outside world. That being said, social media, including group photos, when used appropriately and as inclusively as possible, provide the opportunity for children to share with their families and friends, highlights of exciting and engaging moments that they are experiencing daily.
So there you have it. I am looking forward to seeing you all, beginning July 1, and yes, I will be one of the many, standing on the sidewalk, greeting you and your children, as we begin another amazing summer at Explorations Camp.
