SumFun News

July 29, 2008 

Camp shirts are meant to be worn  Just a friendly reminder to all of our campers.  SumFUN campers are expected to wear their camp shirts everyday.  Thank you for your cooperation.

To tip or not to tip, that is the question  Every year parents ask us if it is expected or appropriate to tip their child’s counselors.  The answer is “no” and “yes”!  While tips are not expected, they are certainly appreciated and appropriate.  All of our counselors are either high school or college students who work all summer.  Our counselors are young people who choose to work with children and young teens during their summer break.  We are very proud of our counselor staff and are very fortunate to have such mature and kind young adults working here and serving as role models for our campers.

So, you want to be a CIT next summer CITs (Counselors in Training) are former campers who are going into 9th or 10th grade.  Most CITs serve as a CIT for two years.  Occasionally, we will move a second year CIT to a counselor position. Current campers and CITs who are interested  in being a CIT for Summer FUNdamentals 2009 should look on our website (www.bdms.org) in February to download and print an application. Applicants will need to provide letters of recommendation.  An applicant’s behavior while a camper here at SumFUN  will weigh heavily in the decision to accept him/her as a CIT. 

Counselor positions for 2009  Counselors and second year CITs who are interested in being a counselor next summer need to download and print an application from our website www.bdms.org. Look for applications at the end of January, 2009.

Last week activities We have planned special activities for the last week of camp.  These special events will be scheduled during swim time to help alleviate the problem of not having the pool available to us during week six. 

Tuesday, 8/5—The Orange County Youth Leadership Academy is planning a Field Day for all of our campers.  All campers will participate during their sports/swimming time.

Wednesday, 8/6— Our end of camp show will be held today at 2pm in Hudson Hall.  Performances from our drama, dance and cheer programs will be presented.

Thursday, 8/7— A surprise is being planned for all campers during sports time today.  HINT: All campers need a bathing suit and a pair of socks to participate!

 July 24, 2008

As our first week of session two and our fourth week of camp comes to a close, we want to make you aware of some changes to the schedule for the final week of camp.

Last week activities We have planned special activities for the last week of camp.  These special events will be scheduled during swim time to help alleviate the problem of not having the pool available to us week six. 

Tuesday, 8/5—The Orange County Youth Leadership Academy is planning a Field Day for all of our campers.  All campers will participate during their sports time.

Wednesday, 8/6— Our end of camp show will be held today at 2pm in Hudson Hall.  Performances from our drama, dance and cheer programs will be presented.

Thursday, 8/7— A surprise is being planned for all campers during sports time today.  I guarantee it will be a blast!

Session Two schedule set Today was the deadline for schedule changes.  We are unable to change any camper’s schedule.  Thank you for your cooperation.

Cell phone reminder Parents are asked to remind their children that CELL PHONES ARE NOT TO BE USED DURING CAMP!  If a camper doesn’t feel well, is having a problem at camp or needs to check on dismissal arrangements; s/he needs to go to the nurse, a counselor or a director and an adult from camp will contact the parents. THIS POLICY IS TO PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN!  If a child is unwell or upset, the camp staff MUST know about it so we can address it.  Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

Performance is on WEDNESDAY this session Just a second reminder that our end of session show will be on WEDNESDAY, 8/6 at 2pm.

Christmas in July  Well, we’ve had enough precipitation for it to be Christmas...just the wrong kind.  Come celebrate the season TOMORROW, 7/25  by dressing up in your favorite Christmas/holiday garb.  (Be sure to keep cool at the same time!)

Check out the menu Don’t forget to access our weekly menu at www.bdms.org.  Under the Summer Program link is a SumFUNMenu link.

 July 21, 2008

Welcome to Summer FUNdamentals 2008, session two! We ‘re glad to have you here!

Camp Procedures and Policies: Please read the following carefully:

Drop off:  All campers who are dropped off between 7:30 - 8:30, should be dropped off at Bishop Dunn.  After 8:30, 5th and 6th graders should be taken to the Kaplan Annex.  All other campers report to BDMS.

Pick up: All campers are dismissed from Bishop Dunn.  Regular dismissal time is 4:00 and extension  rates begin at 4:15.  Children who are not picked up by 4:15, will automatically be placed in our extended care program.

Extended Care: Morning extension begins at 7:30...please do not drop off your children prior to 7:30!  All extension children should be dropped off at BDMS.  Afternoon extension is from 4:15-5:30. at Bishop Dunn.**Please note: that for any child picked up after 5:30, there will be a flat rate of $5 per child for each 15 minutes.

Late Drop Off: If you drop your child off between 8:50—9:00, please escort your child to his/her first activity.  Any child who is dropped off after 9:00, needs to be escorted into the building and signed in by a parent or guardian at the front desk of BDMS.

Camp Nurse/Medication:  Mrs. Pallazzo will be available for consultation or to drop off medication every morning in her office at BDMS from 9:00-9:30.  No medication, including pain relievers, can be given to campers without a doctor’s note.

Camp Discipline Policy :  We are firm believers that a safe camp is a happy camp!  Please refer to the July 2nd newsletter at www.bdms.org to read the policy.

Schedule Changes: Requests for program changes must be made by filling out a form available at the front desk. Requests will only be accepted Wednesday 7/23 and Thursday, 7/24.  Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

No swimming Due to conflicts with the MSMC Swim Camp, there will be no swimming week six of Summer FUNdamentals.  Alternate activities are being planned for those students who are swimming session two.

Performance classes Parents and campers are reminded that if a camper is signed up for drama or dance, s/he needs to be here for the complete three weeks in order to perform in the final show

Bishop Dunn is going green In an effort to conserve paper, the remainder of the summer’s newsletters will be posted on our website www.bdms.org.  A few paper copies of each newsletter will be made available at the front desk.

DROP OFF CHANGE: Since MSMC soccer camp begins at the Kaplan Center next week, we ask that you please drop off your 5th and 6th graders at the Annex door (the door on the side of the Kaplan Center) rather than the front door starting Monday.  You can drop them off there after 8:30 a.m.

 EARLY PICKUP TIMES: If you need to pick up your child early from camp, please come to the front lobby no later than 3:30 p.m.  We will then give you a slip and send you to the correct class for pick-up.  This will keep our dismissal time orderly and cause less confusion.

WELCOME TEACHERS!  In case you were wondering who is teaching all of our wonderful classes at camp this year, we wanted to introduce this summer’s teaching staff members. They are:  AM Reading - Stephanie Negron, Ellen O’Leary, and Alissa Pagan;                      Gr. 1—Colleen LoCasto; PK/K—Karen Powles; Science—Matt Barbero; Drama—Mary Birnbryer; Arts and Crafts—Melissa Broe; Reading/Computers —Christina Castro; Art/K’Nex—Liz Damiano; Dance—Katelyn DelConte; Art—Donna Delconte; 8th grade prog./K’nex—John Garzione; Spanish—Lisa Johnson; Chess—Ernie Johnson; Math—Danielle Lang; Sports—Courtney Mazza; Computers/Table Tennis—Caitlin Stamp;  and Drama—Amanda Terzi.  In our next newsletter, we’ll tell you the names of all our counselors.

END OF SESSION PERFORMANCE:  Next Thursday, July 17th, we will be holding our traditional end of session drama/dance/cheer program at Hudson Hall beginning at 2 p.m. and ending at 3 p.m. (approximately).  All families are invited to come see their campers perform the plays, dances and cheers they’ve been working hard on for the last 3 weeks.  Also, the art classes will show their work in a special slide show and the K/PK program will be putting on their own special drama performance Caps for Sale! 

ONLY A FEW OPENINGS LEFT FOR 2ND SESSION! If you are not signed up for the second session yet and would like to, there are still some openings in grades 5 through 8.  Sorry, but PK through 4th grade are all filled up!  Deadline is tomorrow—Friday, July 11th.

PATRIOTIC DAY !  Remember to wear your red, white and blue Friday for patriotic day!

Cell phones at camp: Cell phones are not allowed at Summer FUNdamentals.  Parents who want their children to have phones for emergency purposes must tell their children to keep phones in bags.  THERE IS TO BE NO CALLING OR TEXT MESSAGING DURING CAMP.  If a camper has a cell phone out during a class or between activities, the teacher or supervisor will confiscate the phone and return it to the parents at the end of the day.

We do move in rain!  Unless there is thunder and/or lightning, campers will continue to move from one building to another as usual.  You may want to send your child with a rain slicker or waterproof jacket on rainy days.

Swimming schedule change: Due to a scheduling conflict with a MSMC program, there will be no swimming the last week of camp (8/4-8/8).  However, we are working on some alternate (and just as fun) activities for that week.

Extension bills to be mailed. Starting this week, extension bills will be mailed to your home.  Please send payments promptly to help keep summer billing up to date.

Drive carefully and lock up