Roughing It Day Camp : Parent Information : Camp Policies

Importance of the Bus
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Unsupervised Drop-Off
Curbstoners
Missing the Morning Bus
Late to the Afternoon Stop

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What to Bring
What NOT to Bring
What to Wear
KidChow

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General Camp Rules for Campers

Be considerate of others in what you say and do.
Cooperate with other campers and be supportive of one another.
Follow the instructions and directions of the Staff.
Stay with your camper group and do not wander off.
Gum is a safety hazard and is not allowed at camp.
Leave sticks and rocks on the ground where they belong.
Tread lightly upon the earth - Be considerate of the environment.
Leave your shoes on except when your counselor says you may go barefoot.
We do not allow campers to bring guests to camp. Guests may come with parents on Parent's Visiting Day or the July 4th Picnic.
Campers should dress to be outdoors all day. Expensive designer clothes, dangling or heavy earrings (they catch), and make-up are not needed or appropriate at camp.
Do not bring extra items from home to show/trade. They can be easily lost.
Firearms, dangerous weapons of any kind, illegal drugs, tobacco, alcohol are prohibited at camp and possession or use of any of the above items will result in immediate dismissal from camp.

Grouping

Campers are grouped according to age, gender, and year in school. We have found that the campers prefer it that way due to different interests. K and Pre-K ages 4-5½ are placed in coed groups of up to 15 campers with an adult counselor and a junior counselor (a high school student age 15-17). In Little Raccoons, our 2-week introductory program, campers are in multi-age/grade co-ed groups. Day campers are in groups of approximately 15 with an adult counselor. Little Raccoons, Kindergarten and CILTs (high school age) are coed groups. All other groups are divided by gender and grade.

Grouping is done at the discretion of the Directors. Parents are asked not to request that certain campers be together in the same group. One of the important life skills we teach -- helping campers learn to make new friends -- is facilitated by the group counselor. We have found, over 30 years, that campers adjust to the group much faster without a "buddy” to hang back with. Such requests can actually inhibit a shy or apprehensive child's adjustment to the other children in a new group. We appreciate parents' support in ensuring that campers come to camp ready and willing to be inclusive with everyone in their group.

Medication

Parents must give Roughing It written permission to administer prescription and non-prescription medication (such as aspirin, tylenol, and cold medicine) to a camper. For Epipens, inhalers, and prescription medication, Roughing It will also need to have instructions and permission from a doctor. All medication is kept with the group counselor and he or she will administer the medication to the camper as needed or directed.

Vacations

Taking your child out of camp for a trip can affect the continuity of the camp experience. There is no refund for days missed. We recommend that any camper who would miss a day in the first week of camp enroll in another session where he or she will be there for orientation, rules, and get-acquainted activities. We appreciate that our camper families plan their vacations around the camp session so their camper can be a part of our camp community in a consistent manner.

Registration Information & Refunds

Questions about refunds, and other registration information, can be found on the registration section of our website: http://www.roughingit.com/register.htm

Tips or Presents for Our Counselors

Roughing It does not allow our staff to accept monetary or expensive gifts from campers or camper families as a "tip” for doing a great job. We do pride ourselves on paying the best salaries of any camp in order to attract the very best staff. Tipping can really be very detrimental to staff morale and performance and unfair to other campers. If you would like to recognize a counselor's exceptional performance, it would be appropriate to call or send us a letter, allow your camper to make a card or small token of his or her appreciation, or make a small donation to the Roughing It Foundation to provide scholarships to children within our community who could not otherwise attend our camp.

Parents Are Invited to Camp!

We invite parents to visit camp on several days during the summer. We have an Independence Day Family Picnic on Monday, July 4th for our Day Camp, Horse Day Camp, and Ranch Camp Session I families. During Session II we have Parents' Visiting Day. Parents are welcome to come to camp on a drop-in basis. We would appreciate parents not coming during the first week of each new session, on the day of the overnight and on the last day of camp.