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Parent Guide |
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Office Hours |
September - December: Monday to Friday 11 PM - 4:30 PM
January - June: Monday to Friday 11 AM - 4:30 PM Sat 11 AM - 1 PM
July - August : Monday - Friday 7:00 AM - 6:30 PM |
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Morning Drop Off |
Begins at 8:25 unless you are enrolled in the Early AM Drop Off Program (see the next topic for information). You may drop off your child anytime after 8:25 however please remember that on trip days our groups will be leaving promptly at 9:00 AM for their destination and we dont want them to miss it, right? |
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Early AM Drop Off |
Yawn.Hows 7:30 AM sound? You can send breakfast with them (we like decaf :). Staff will be here to hang with them until their counselors arrive. Additional fee required because we couldnt get them to work that early otherwise. |
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End Of The Day Pick Up |
Anyone authorized to pick up your camper should arrive at the following times: Pre-School 3:25 PM and all other camps at 4:15 PM. Just to make sure there is no confusion, once again 4:15 PM. If you are going to be late or need to pick up early, please call the camp office at 718.251.6200 by 3:00 PM to let us know and we?ll make sure that your kids wont be nervous. A little loving goes a long way. If you cannot pick up by 4:30, you can enroll in the Late Stay Afternoon Program (see the next topic). |
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Late Stay Pick Up |
You have to work late or even better your camper loves camp so much you cant get them to leave. They can stay until 6:30 PM. Well give them some snack and drink to keep their energy up and theyll have a blast with the Late Stay staff. Additional fee required because we couldnt get them to stay after such long hot days. |
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Parking At The Camp |
Mornings are never a problem because parents drop their kids and leave pretty quickly. In the afternoon however there are a lot of buses and a whole lot of cars. That can make for a nice traffic jam. Our suggestion if at all possible is to park outside the lot to avoid any getting caught up in outgoing traffic. Parking is available right outside the lot to either side and is legal. Do not park in front of the door or even double park as you wait for someone to come out. Its very dangerous and can cause a lot of extra traffic backup. |
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First Day Of Camp |
Always an exciting and sometimes nervous day for parents and campers. Whether you?re bringing your camper or they travel on the bus, please make sure to have them wear their Mill Basin Day Camp t-shirt and make sure that they have their group assignment cards which you should have been sent. When you and/or they arrive, staff will be in the lobby to greet everyone and direct them to their groups. Signs will also be posted as you arrive. Please stay as long as you feel is necessary so that you can talk to the counselor, but please then say your goodbye and allow the group to begin their first. Feel free to call the camp office if your nervous and would like us to check on your camper. |
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Picture Days |
Stars: Check Your Trip Calendar
Please have your camper wearing their camp t-shirt and a smile that day.
What if my child is absent that day or is not registered for that day of the week?
No camper should miss picture day. So, the best thing to do is to call the camp office the morning of their scheduled picture day and get an approximate time for their groups pictures. You can bring your camper over to the camp to take their individual and group shot. If you cannot make it that day, there will be a make up date for all individual shots only. Of course you can still receive a group shot although your camper wont be in it. Pictures will be available for purchase in August! |
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What To Pack Each Day |
As part of your welcome packet you should have received a Camper Checklist. While every child is different, we strongly recommend that you follow the list to be sure that your campers have what they need. Please note that if a child forgets something, such as lunch, we will do whatever we can to see to it that your camper has whatever they need. Please ask the camp office for a copy of the checklist if you dont have it. |
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Day Trips |
Each camp has its own unique trip schedule and trip day(s). This is done so that you can register for a schedule that does not include trip days. For Pre-School and Adventures Camps, trips are on Thursdays only, are usually only half days in length and are to local attractions. For Stars, trip day is on Tuesday and are both half and full day trips. Explorers trip are mostly Monday and Wednesdays although some trips might be on other days. Teen Quest trips are scheduled throughout the week. (A complete trip list, with dates, time of trip and recommended spending money will be distributed prior to the beginning of camp. Please note that if you are not registered for trip days or if your camper is not planning on attending the trip, there is no camp for them that day unless it is a half day trip and you would like to bring them in for the other half of the day.) |
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Overnight Trips (Explorers & Teens) |
Overnight trips are for Explorers and Teen Quest camps only. For Explorers, there are 2 trips planned, each being 2 days and 1 night in length. For Teens, there are 3 trips, with the length of stay varying, depending on the trip. A full trip itinerary, with all destinations, what to pack list, spending money, etc will be mailed prior to start of camp. An in depth discussion on these trips will be presented at the pre camp parents meeting. |
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Forms Needed to Begin Camp |
Health & Medical Form (2 sided form, signed by parent) Really, really important that you get this in. No doctor, or medical staff person will treat patients without this form signed by you and your doctor. We also cant allow campers to attend unless we have this.
Day Trip Permission Slip (signed by parent)
Overnight Trip Permission Slip (signed by parent & camper) |
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Permission Slips For Day & Overnight Trips |
The New York City Department of Health and Day Camp Division requires that parents sign a trip consent form for your camper. The trip consent form lists only the destination and location of each trip. If your camper is registered for trip days, you will need to sign and return this form to the camp office prior to the start of camp. Make sure you read and sign the ones that you are registered for. Of course you can change this at any time, but if you dont we cannot take your camper on a trip and youll have to come to the camp to pick them up. |
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Emergency Procedures & Call To Parents |
What is an emergency? We realize that each person views emergencies differently. At Mill Basin Day Camp, we define an emergency as a situation that requires us to call a parent or someone that is listed on the registration form as Emergency Contacts. Lets hope that there never is one, but in the event that a situation arises that requires emergency attention, the following steps will be taken. First, our staff will see to and take whatever action is called for in the situation. Next, we will attempt to contact the people listed on the form. Of course, our office can and will call parents for anything that our professional staff feel requires one. An example could be a bump on the head, a splinter, stomach ache or even a quickie call for a camper that might need to hear a parents voice to help them through the day. If you have a personal reason that you feel requires a call, please speak to us anytime. |
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Bus Service Pickup & Drop Off |
Bus pickup and drop off is available to you in most cases door to door. However, depending on the street that you live on, it may be necessary for the bus to stop in a spot other than in front of your house. For example, it might have to stop across the street or on your corner. While we work very closely with the bus company (Superior Bus Service for anyone wishing to do a background check), to make pickups and drop off times and locations as convenient as possible, please remember that we cannot make changes to the bus route or schedule to accommodate a single camper. Morning pick up and afternoon drop off are done in the opposite order. For example, if a camper is the first to be picked up each day, they will be the last to be dropped off in the afternoon.
What time will my camper be picked up and dropped off? A few days before your campers first day, you will receive a phone call from the camp office with an approximate time to have your camper ready, your bus number and the bus counselors name. For the first several days, please allow about 20 - 30 minutes from the time you receive. It takes time to get all the pickups exact, so we ask that you be patient and have your camper ready. If your camper is not coming to camp on a day that they are scheduled to attend, you MUST call the camp office before 7:00 AM and leave a message that he/she is not coming and does not need to be picked up. In the afternoon, all buses will be leaving the camp at 4:30 PM. Please arrange to have someone at the drop off area beginning at 4:30 PM. This way you can assure yourself of being there on time and it will give the person who is meeting the bus a more accurate time for drop off each day. If you do not want your camper to take the bus service home on a particular day, you MUST call the camp office by 3:00 PM. In some cases, mini vans will be used. A bus counselor will be present on each bus, both AM & PM. Please make sure to walk your child to the steps of the bus and to receive them as well. Bus counselors cannot walk the campers to doors or across the street for the simple reason that we cannot leave the bus unattended. If we are aware of a problem with a specific bus, such as a mechanical issue or traffic problem, we may be able to call you to let you know if the bus will be very late. Otherwise you can call the camp office and we can contact the bus via radio. However, we ask all parents to be patient.
NOTE: IT WILL TAKE SEVERAL DAYS TO GET A GOOD WORKING SCHEDULE AND THE BUS WILL PROBABLY BE LATE FOR THOSE DAYS, SO WE ASK THAT EVERYONE BE PATIENT DURING THAT TIME. |
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Breakfast Lunch & Snack |
Breakfast: is served every day to Pre-School campers only. They can have cereal (not sugared) and milk, bread and cheese or jam. Juice and milk are also there for the kids to choose from. We recommend you still feed them breakfast at home in case they dont like what were serving so at least they eat some sort of breakfast. Lunch: All campers are to bring lunch with them each day. Lunches you send should have the lunch they like, a drink and a small snack. The lunches will be refrigerated until lunch time and then returned to the campers. Please do not send any food that needs to be heated or micro-waved. There are 2 barbecue hot dog days and 2 pizza days that we will be serving so check your schedules for the dates but please feel free to send in lunch those days as well if your camper does not eat whats being served. Please use the camp lunch bag if possible and write your campers name on it. On some trips, lunch will be brought to the trip site in coolers to remain fresh.
Snack: Is given every day to Pre-School, Adventure and Stars campers. It could be a bag of chips, pretzels or cookies. We hand out different kinds each day to keep the campers interested. A flavored juice will also be handed out with each snack. Seconds and extras are available but well try and limit the sugar wherever possible. Please feel free to send your own snack with them as well which will be refrigerated.
All food provided by Mill Basin Day Camp is Kosher. If your camper has a dietary concern or allergies, please let us know so that we can make the proper arrangements for them. |
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Calling Office & Leaving Messages |
During camp hours, your phone calls will be answered by a live person, not a recording. They will be happy to answer as many questions as possible. However, during those hours, we cant promise that youll be able to speak to a director right away. They are out in the field supervising their groups and activities. In most cases, someone will call you back at the end of the day or in the evening. When you call and you need to speak to a director and they are not available, it would help if you told the office staff why your calling and when and where you can be reached later on. If you call after camp hours, make sure to leave your name, your campers name and group, along with the reason for your call. We will make every effort to return your call as soon as possible. |
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Parent Meetings |
Each camp has its own unique program. There are different dates for each camp group and you will receive a letter when those dates are announced. At the meetings you will be able to pick up your campers, bag, t-shirt, water bottle, lunch box and schedule. The directors of each camp will be there to answer your questions and we will talk about your campers upcoming summer. If you have campers in 2 different age groups, you only have to come to 1 meeting if you like and you can pick up all the stuff at one time. PLEASE NOTE THAT IN ORDER TO ATTEND THE MEETING AND RECEIVE THE CAMP GEAR, ALL BALANCES MUST BE PAID IN FULL. |
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Siblings |
If you have a child in Pre-School Camp and others in older camps, you can pick them up at regular 4:15 PM dismissal time. If you have an Explorer or Teen Camper on a late stay or overnight trip and others in younger camps, you will need to pick up the younger ones at the regular dismissal time (4:15) before coming back to get the ones returning from their trip |
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Medication & Medical Issues |
If your camper has any medical or special needs such as diet, medications (asthma pump, insulin etc.) we would be happy to sit down with you to discuss them with you. In most cases we are able to assist with storing, supervising and dispensing medication to campers who might need them during the summer. Please make sure to submit you medical form to the camp office that is completely filled out and signed by both parents and your family physician. |
