Conewago-Londonderry

Outdoor Education Program

Parent-Student Handbook

2010

Conewago-Londonderry Outdoor Education

LowerDauphinSchool District

Dear Parent(s),

We are pleased and proud to be able once again to offer our Outdoor Education Program to the students in our school. The response from children and parents has been gratifying. It is particularly exciting to see a group of children so enthusiastic about the project and ready to accept the responsibility that has been built into the program.

Our planning for the project has been extensive. We have consulted with several outdoor education projects in Pennsylvania and surrounding states. Through our experience over the years, we have built a program that is particularly well suited to our goals, students, curriculum, and facilities. This has been no easy task! The planning staff has spent many after school and late night hours working out details to ensure a quality program.

This booklet is designed for the purpose of giving you additional information about the Outdoor Education Program. The following pages are a general outline of some aspects of the program; it would be impossible to include all the details that have been planned. (For example, the master daily schedule accounts for every minute of the day for each child and is much more complete than the one presented in this booklet.)

We feel that your child is, indeed, fortunate to be included in this program and will benefit greatly in many ways. As with all educational experiences, your interest and concern in the program can increase its effectiveness many fold. We hope that this booklet, as well as the informational meeting for parents held on April 1st at Londonderry will answer many of the questions you have concerning the Outdoor Education Program. The staff stands ready to answer any additional questions.

Sincerely,

The Outdoor Education Staff

Mr. Michael LauschMr. Ed Gnall Mr. Matt Hoover

Mr. Randy Garrett Ms. Michelle O’Donnell Mrs. Molly Bering

Mrs. Cindy Markham Mr. Glen Lightner Ms. Karli Ness

Mrs. Lynn PattonMrs. Lara Davies

Overview of Outdoor Education

What is Outdoor Education?

Outdoor Education is a learning experience that utilizes the natural outdoor setting as a laboratory. Children will study first hand the natural sciences and the conservation of natural resources.

What form will the Conewago-Londonderry Program take?

Our program will be a resident type program with the children leaving from school on a Monday morning and returning to school Friday afternoon.

Why go outdoors?

How did you learn that fire is hot? Did you first understand how hot the stove was by listening to your mother’s warnings or did you get the real meaning of the term “hot” only after you touched it?

Some of the subjects to be studied are: animal life, trees and plants, rocks, water, and conservation. Direct contact with the natural setting promotes student involvement and “learning by doing.”

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a walk in the woods can be worth a thousand pictures of a woodland.

What are the goals of the school’s Outdoor Education Program?

The Outdoor Education Program has numerous goals. Three of the major objectives are:

  1. To provide the children fist hand contact with the principle of natural science. Throughout the program an emphasis will be placed on conservation and man’s relationship with nature. It is an opportunity to gain an appreciation of the beauty of nature and to understand the seriousness of the problem of pollution in our natural environment.
  2. To provide an opportunity for practical application of knowledge and skills learned in the classroom. This includes areas of Social Studies, Mathematics, Language Arts, Music, Art, and Physical Education, in addition to Science.
  3. To provide an opportunity for children to live, plan, work, and share responsibility together. Children will be encouraged to become self-reliant in this setting away from home and will be expected to practice good citizenship in a democratic community of peers. All children will be expected to carry out duties in the cabins, dining hall, and on the campgrounds.

Is this program the same as summer camping?

While it is expected that children will receive enjoyment from living together in the out-of-doors and will develop a variety of interests, the Outdoor Education Program is not to be confused with summer camping. Summer camping is generally associated with recreation programs while the Outdoor Education Program is under the direction of the school and is primarily concerned with education.

We will have concentrated sessions in each of the following areas of study:

  1. Pond and Stream4. TeamBuilding
  2. Orienteering5. Weather

3. Go Green6. Environmental Awareness

There will be mini-sessions in:

  1. Horsemanship
  2. Campfire cooking
  3. Boating safety
  4. Amazing Race Directions

Facilities

The site for the Outdoor Education Program will be CampHebron, near Dauphin, at the foot of Peter’s Mountain (see the map on next page).

CampHebron

957 Camp Hebron Road

Halifax, PA17032

Your child will appreciate an encouraging letter sent to him or her. Letters should be sent early in the week in order to ensure that they arrive on time.

The telephone number is 896-3441, 1-800-864-7747. Parents are requested not to call except in case of emergency.

A short stay away from parental supervision is a valuable experience in each child’s developmental process. This experience should help promote maturity and responsible independence. For these reasons, parents are requested not to visit the children during the five-day period.

Children will be sleeping in cabins that accommodate nine children and two counselors. There are two separate cabin areas, one for boys and one for girls. Cabins have bunks with mattresses, electricity, toilet facilities, sink, shower, and heater. Other facilities at Camp include several pavilions, a central dining hall with kitchen, nurse’s room, outdoor amphitheatre, display area, recreation area, lake, stream, craft house, and various other facilities.

Staff

The full time instructional staff consists of eight professional staff members of LowerDauphinSchool District from Conewago and Londonderry schools. Qualified high school students will help the teachers supervise the groups. A nurse and kitchen staff will be housed in the main lodge. A minimum of three staff personnel from CampHebron will be on duty. Each cabin will have two counselors (some high school students, some parents of Conewago or Londonderry students) who will remain with the cabin group throughout the five-day period.

In addition to professional staff and high school counselors, several education majors from local colleges and universities will supplement our staff.

A few of the counselors’ responsibilities are:

  1. Have complete charge of his/her cabin group at all times.
  2. Aid the instructor during group instructional periods.
  3. Be the group leader and help build a cooperative atmosphere.
  4. Participate in the evaluation at the end of each day.
  5. Give helpful hints to improve the program at staff meetings.
  6. Inform children of camp procedures.

Transportation

School buses will be used to transport the students as well as equipment and luggage to and from CampHebron. Students should arrive at Conewago by 8:30 a.m. Monday morning, as we will be departing from school at 9:00. We will leave CampHebron on Friday at 1:15 p.m. and arrive at your child’s home schoolbetween 2:00 and2:15 p.m.There will be an additional options page sent home regarding pick-up of your child and luggage which should be returned by April 30th.

Expense

The expense for each child is $44.00, and this fee is the only expense throughout the five-day Outdoor Education Project. Please note there is an additional $2 fee for your child’s campt-shirt that is separate from the $44.00. The permission slip and camp fees (including t-shirt $) should have been forwarded to the school by its due date of March 26th, 2010..

Please do not send any additional funds with your child to camp.

Health

From the hour the children arrive at CampHebron until the hour they leave, a nurse will be on duty around the clock. There will also be a doctor on call at all times. All medicines and provisions for treatment of accidents will be available in the first aid room.

A health form for each child must be completed by his/her parents and returned to the school by the Friday before we depart for camp. The school nurse will note children with allergies and any other special medical needs. Due to the excitement during the week, emotions will be extremely high. It is expected that there may be some instances of bed-wetting. If this does happen, children should tell the cabin counselor immediately in the morning before going to breakfast.

The campsite has been state-inspected and has been given approval to operate. Water, buildings, utilities, and other facilities are safe and in good operating condition.

A capable team of cooks for our camp will provide us with three well-balanced meals a day for each student.

A group insurance plan will be in effect for all children during the five-day program. This insurance will provide full accident and hospitalization protection.

Dining Procedures

Everyone eats in a central dining hall where the children and counselors from each cabin will sit together at the same table. Each meal is served buffet-style, with cabin groups being called two at a time to pick up their food. Students take one serving the first time through the line, and once everyone has been served, they may return for seconds.

During each meal good table manners, combined with quiet conversation, is expected. After each meal there is an opportunity for group singing and/or journaling until staff dismisses tables.

Each day students will have assigned duties for setting tables and cleaning up afterwards.

There is an additional form for parent volunteers to team with camp kitchen staff in preparing meals. If you can help us for a day or two, please return the form to school as soon as possible.

Remember to clearly label all items with the student’s first and last names:

BeddingEquipment

 Sleeping bag or heavy blanket Water bottle/canteen

Single sheets (if no sleeping bag) Pencil

2 Bath towels Flashlight

2 Wash cloths

Pillow case and pillow

ClothingOptional Items

2 Sweatshirts Backpack/Knapsack

Light to medium weight jacket Magnifying glass

4-5 shirts Camera/film

2-3 pairs jeans or sweatpants Compass

2-3 pairs shorts Binoculars

5-7 pairs of socks Fishing pole

5-7 pairs of underwear Insect repellant

Belt Fishing gear

Shoes for hiking

Sneakers

Warm pajamas

Raincoat

Hat

ToiletriesDO NOT BRING

Toothbrush Knives/guns

Toothpaste Radios/CD players/Ipods/cell phones

Soap (soapbox) Candy/gum/snacks

Deodorant Comic books

Brush, comb Playing cards

Shampoo Toys

Kleenex Money

Laundry bag, pillow case,  Jewelry or any valuables

or other bag for soiled clothing Video games

*We recommend that perfumes and scented lotions be left at home, as they attract bugs and mosquitoes.

*We hope that none of the items on the list will have to be especially purchased for this trip. Logical substitutes are acceptable and welcome.

Cabin Rules

LIGHTS OUT AND COMPLETE SILENCE BETWEEN 10:00 PM AND 7:00 AM.

Each student is to remain in his/her cabin, in bed, the entire night.

Keep your cabin clean.

Each person is responsible for keeping his own things in order and making his own bed BEFORE cabin inspection each morning.

The last person in the cabin should check to see that lights are turned out and windows are closed.

Food is not to be taken into the cabin UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.

Bouncing or jumping on beds and pillow fights are strictly forbidden.

Be considerate in restrooms and showers.

Only regular conversational tones are to be used inside cabins.

REMAIN WITH YOUR COUNSELOR AT ALL TIMES.

Obey your counselor.

Do your duties promptly and without being told.

  1. Each child is responsible for keeping his/her bunk and the area around it

clean.

2. Shower and toilet facilities are to be kept neat and clean at all times.

3. Suitcases and other belongings should be placed on the bunks at clean

up time to facilitate the job of the cabin sweeper.

4. Children are to be assigned daily to:

  1. Sweep cabin
  2. Empty trash
  3. Scour wash basins
  4. Tidy area surrounding cabin