WELCOME TO PANTHER CAMP 2015!
Dear Parents,
Welcome to Panther Day Camp for 3-5 year olds! We are excited to be working with your child this summer. Included in this letter you will find a lot of helpful information to prepare your child for camp each day.
About us: Ms. Christina Damos is a Reading Specialist at Prairie Trail School in Gurnee and works with grades 3-5. This is her 10th year at Panther camp and has spent 10 years with early childhood students.
Mrs. Melissa Messick is a substitute teacher in Gurnee District 56. For the past two years she’s been in an Early Childhood classroom, is the craft coordinator for local Mothers of Preschoolers group, and volunteers for youth ministries involving preschoolers.
Angie Bongratz is a special education Para-professional in an early childhood classroom at Spaulding School in Gurnee. She is joining us for a second year and we are lucky to have her back.
Also joining us are two Gurnee District 56 staff, Ms. Kaitlin Spaeth and returning for another fun summer Ms. Kristina Gopp. They bring so many wonderful games to our campers and are full of energy.
Dates to keep in mind: Panther Camp runs from June 6-August 12. We are at camp each day from 9-2PM. We will NOT meet on July 4th. Please check the website weekly to see what days we swim, skate, and if there are any special notes.
Drop off and pick up: Please drop off and pick up your child by our classroom (the first circle drive on the left when you enter the campus) between 8:40 and 9AM. There is a teacher or counselor who will walk your child to and from the vehicle. We will walk your child to the vehicle quickly to help keep traffic moving smoothly. We begin getting ready for pick–up around 1:35 and will be outside waiting at the circle drive about 1:35-1:40.
Lunch and snack: A Freeze Pop snack will be provided each morning around 10:30 a.m. Your child will need to bring a lunch each day that will be eaten around 11:30. Since the lunches are kept in backpacks until lunchtime, you may wish to include a cold pack in your child’s lunch. Please clearly mark any cold packs or reusable lunch boxes with your child’s name so that we can send these things home with them. Your child may also wish to bring a water bottle with them since we spend some time outside each morning. We take bathroom/water breaks before and after lunch and throughout the day. Nut products are NOT allowed.
Wednesday cookout: Each Wednesday, we will have a cookout! If your child wants to eat a hamburger or hotdog on Wednesday, please include the DEFROSTED meat and a bun in your child’s lunchbox. The hamburgers or hotdog will be grilled at lunchtime.
Bags or backpacks: Please send your child to camp each day with a backpack or bag so that they can take home projects, lunch box, water bottle, etc.
Names on EVERYTHING would be appreciated: i.e.: tennis racket, skates, towel, and bathing suit. It has been helpful to pack a separate skating bag. This bag can be kept at camp if you wish.
Clothing: Throughout the week, we will be in our classroom which is air conditioned, outside on the playground, swimming in the pool, skating at the ice rink, and playing tennis. Many of these activities are optional, but we encourage you to send your child with appropriate clothing each day. Your child should wear comfortable clothing that can get dirty on the playground equipment. Please send your child with an extra change of clothes (shorts, socks, shirt, and underpants) in the event of an emergency. Please put them in a Ziploc bag with your child’s name on it and keep it in their backpack.
Ice Skating: If your child wants to ice skate, you will need to send ice skates and a HELMET. All children need to wear a helmet when ice-skating. We can send the helmet home with your child each day so that they can use it at home. It is around fifty degrees in the ice rink, so it is best that your child has sweat pants and/or a light jacket or zipper hoodie. You may leave a labeled bag for skating at camp.
Swimming: Two days a week, we will go swimming. Your child has the option of swimming with a counselor (there will be a one to one ratio of counselors to children for this age group). Please send your child IN their bathing suit with a towel, and life jacket if needed on days that we swim. In the pool area, we have noodles and kick boards to use.
After swimming, children will change into their clothes and bathing suits will be wrapped in towels or placed in baggies if provided by the parent.
Sunscreen/bug spray: We recommend that you apply a waterproof sunscreen to your child before bringing him/her to camp. Time does not allow us to apply sunscreen to each child and we do not have sunscreen available for general use. At least one hour of each rain-free day will be spent outside.
Other notes for optional activities: Considering age-appropriate activities, you may see differences in the ECC & ages 6-12 year old programs. We also take campers to the tennis court as weather permits. Feel free to leave a labeled tennis racquet at camp if your child would like to participate.
The camp schedule at LFA changes weekly so please check the websites for swimming, skating, and other updates.
We look forward to meeting you and getting to know your child/children!
If you have any questions, please let us know!
Happy summer!