Drop-Off & Pick-Up Guidelines
Please drive at a safe speed while on campus, not exceeding 10 mph, to maintain safety throughout the designated driving areas and parking lots.
Childhood Magic:
Drop-Off: 8:30am-8:45am
Please park in the Early Childhood parking lot and walk your child to the gate and say your goodbyes. You will be asked to sign your child in.
Pick-Up: 1:00pm-1:15pm (Morning Program), 3:00pm-3:15pm (Aftercare/Nap Program)
A late fee of $1 per minute will be charged for children picked up after 3:00pm.
Please park in the Early Childhood parking lot and pick your child up from the classroom. You will be asked to sign your child out.
Late Drop-Off:
To support the rhythmic life of each camper, on-time arrival is important. Arriving late may affect your camper’s day adversely and be disruptive to other campers in general. Childhood Magic campers who arrive late should be walked to the gate and say your goodbyes. You will be asked to sign your child in.
Please notify the Camp Director if your camper is going to be absent.
Theme Camps:
Drop-Off: 8:30am-8:45am
Drop-off is at the Grades 1-8 parking lot. You may drop-off your child at the carpool line or you may walk your child in. Your camper will be directed to their morning gathering spot.
If you wish to drop your child off in the carpool line, please stay to the right and pull as far forward as you can before stopping your car.
If you wish you walk your child in, please park on the left side of the lot and walk your child in.
Please do not leave your child on the playground unattended before camp begins.
Pick-Up: 3:00pm-3:15pm
A late fee of $1 per minute will be charged for children picked up after 3:00pm.
Pick-Up is at the Grades 1-8 carpool line. Children will be waiting outside at the gathering area near the carpool line. Please have your child’s name written in large black letters on a card on your dashboard.
Late Drop-Off:
To support the rhythmic life of each camper, on-time arrival is important. Arriving late may affect your camper’s day adversely and be disruptive to other campers in general.
Campers arriving after 8:45am must go to the Main Office for drop-off and will be escorted to the appropriate classroom. Campers who arrive late may not be able to join their group mid-activity and may be asked to wait at the Main Office or with the Camp Director so as not to disrupt other campers and/or staff.
Please notify the Camp Director if your camper is going to be absent.
What to Bring to Camp
Please send items needed for Camp in a backpack. All items should be labeled.
Childhood Magic & Theme Camps:
Water Bottle
Healthy Snack & Lunch
Sunhat
Extra Set of Clothes
Natural Insect Repellent
Sunscreen
Rain Gear (rain jacket, pants, boots), if needed
Childhood Magic campers enrolled in the Afternoon Program should also bring:
a small pillow, blanket, and fitted crib sheet (or nap mat)
a small stuffed toy/lovey (optional; for naptime only)
All personal toys, games, and valuables should be left at home.
Dress & Media
Clothing should be functional, comfortable, and weather-appropriate. Please be mindful that clothing and shoes may get wet or dirty.
Athletic shoes are the best choice for footwear; shoes should have non-slip soles and be sturdy enough for vigorous outdoor play.
Clothing, backpacks, water bottles, and lunchboxes should not include:
media imagery or text (movie, cartoon, video game characters – such as Marvel superheroes, Disney princesses, Minecraft, etc)
sports logos
advertisements or brand logos/slogans
symbols or imagery related to alcohol, drugs, sex or violence
Keeping Camp free from media allows us to create a comforting and welcoming environment that allows campers to be themselves and engage more fully their imagination and creativity.
Food, Drink & Allergies
Please pack a nutritious lunch and two small snacks that do not require refrigeration or heating (lunch should be brought in an insulated lunch container).
Please do not send candy, chocolate, foods high refined sugar, or “junk food”. Please only bring water to drink.
Parents and guardians must alert the Camp Director of any allergies and fill out the emergency information forms when registering for Summer Camp. If your child requires emergency allergy medication (such as an EpiPen), please ensure it is labeled and give this to the Camp Counselor on the first day of camp.
Campers may occasionally be offered a healthy snack such as fresh fruit, 100% fruit popsicles, or organic lemonade. Campers will not share food, and camp staff will be made aware of any allergies reported in the registration form.
Medication
Camp staff are not permitted to administer any medication without written parental permission. Approval for administering medicine, including homeopathic remedies, aspirin, or topical first aid treatments is part of the registration form.
Campers are not allowed to self-administer any medications.
Phones, Smart Watches & Other Electronic Devices
Emerson Waldorf School does not permit the use of cell phones, smartphones, handheld games, music devices, smart watches, tablets, or other electronics during camp.
Campers may not bring a cell phone, smartwatch, or other electronics to camp. If unapproved use of a cell phone, smartwatch, or other electronic device is discovered during camp, the device will be confiscated and returned to parent or guardian.
Emerson Waldorf School is not liable for loss, damage, or theft of any device brought to camp
Injury & Illness
First Aid and CPR certified staff and counselors are present for every camp session.
In the event of illness or minor injury at camp staff will assess the situation and administer aid as needed (ice, band aids, etc.). Staff will notify parents when the situation warrants further medical care or parent involvement.
Campers in Childhood Magic will receive aid in their classroom and campers in Themed Camps will be sent to the Main Office.
In the event of an emergency, the school will contact the emergency contact and will call 9-1-1 if necessary.
A child who is ill should be kept at home and families should notify the Main Office if a camper is staying home. Children should remain at home for 24 hours after a fever breaks and after any vomiting or diarrhea.
Any child who contracts a contagious illness such as measles, mumps, chickenpox, strep throat or Covid-19, must be kept at home until the illness is no longer in the contiguous state. A note from your health care provider stating the date your child may return to school is required to be submitted to the Main Office prior to the child’s return.
Conduct, Discipline, and Dismissal:
Childhood Magic:
If a camper shows distress through aggressive, dangerous, or inappropriate behavior, the Camp Director will meet with the parents. If the behavior continues after the parent meeting, a second infarction may result in the camper being asked not to return to Camp.
If a camper is enrolled in the Aftercare/ Nap Program, they are expected to participate in a quiet and restful manner that does not interfere with other campers. Campers are encouraged to completely relax and, if they can, to sleep. If a camper is unable to rest quietly and is disruptive to other campers, they will be asked to participate in the morning program which dismisses at 1:00pm.
Theme Camps:
We expect that children will misbehave from time to time and we strive to create a safe environment in which children are given tools to control their own behavior. If disruptive behavior is unresponsive to classroom management and respectful conversation with the camper, the camper may be removed from their camp classroom and sent to the Main Office. The Camp Director will complete a Behavior Incident Report and contact the parents. A camper who cannot maintain the social, emotional, or physical graces necessary to be at camp may be given the opportunity to go home and start fresh the next day, and a parent meeting may be requested by the Camp Director. If the behavior continues after an early dismissal or parent meeting, a second infarction may result in the camper being asked not to return to Camp.
More severe behavior may involve the intent to cause harm and will result in removal from the camp, a Behavior Incident Report, and contact with parents. This sort of behavior includes:
We do not allow any kind of play that includes forceful or careless physical contact. This includes: hitting, pushing, shoving, butting, kicking. Physical violence, no matter how minor, will be stopped immediately to prevent serious escalation. Fighting or injury may result in immediate dismissal.
Parent/Caregiver Practices:
There are certain agreements about the way we resolve our differences by which everyone must abide:
We acknowledge the importance of open, constructive and direct communication.
We will operate according to the belief that truth will emerge from a process based on caring, creative, critical thinking and a willingness to accept and challenge one’s own viewpoints as well as accepting the views of others.
We seek to find solutions that always keep concern for the children in focus and which balance a willingness to be flexible with staying true to the core values of Waldorf education.
We respect the importance of time, patience and due process in achieving lasting resolutions at EWS for the purpose of strengthening our community.
Above all, we believe that disputes can only be resolved when there is a genuine desire and effort on the part of everyone involved to understand the various viewpoints and a commitment to work through the differences that underlie our disagreements.
Campers currently enrolled at or who have applied to attend Emerson Waldorf School:
If a disciplinary situation escalates, the Director of Education may be consulted and asked to participate in communication with parents and/or campers. Information about behavior and discipline, including Behavior Incident Reports, may be shared with school faculty and staff, especially if it is more severe in nature. This information will be included in the student file for currently enrolled students, and in the applicant file for those who have applied to attend Emerson Waldorf School.
Channels of Communication
The Emerson Waldorf School believes in direct, meaningful, person-to-person communication. Please contact the Camp Director via phone or email with any questions, concerns, or to share important information. Drop-off and pick-up are not usually the appropriate time to communicate and camp staff are usually busy with tasks that do not allow them to give you their full attention.
Campers are only permitted to use school phones if they have a note or permission from Camp Staff. School phones are for school business and emergency communications. The school offices are not responsible for relaying any non-emergency messages.
Registration and Cancellation
Registration for EWS Summer Camp will be posted in January and current EWS families will have priority registration. Registration is available for the general public two weeks after it opens for current EWS families.
Spaces in our camps are limited in order to provide a quality experience for campers. If your plans change before May 1st, a cancellation fee of $100 will be deducted from any refund. After May 1st, no refunds will be given unless your child’s spot is taken by another camper. Emergencies and unavoidable conflicts will be addressed by the camp director on a case-by-case basis.
Refunds will not be given for campers who are unable to follow camp rules and are asked not to return to Camp. This includes violent or inappropriate behavior directed toward other campers or camp staff.
Contact Information
Address:
6211 New Jericho Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
Phone: 919-967-1858
Website:
www.emersonwaldorf.org/summercamps
Camp Director: