Nursery Camp Manual 2021 - Beth Tfiloh Camps

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Nursery Camp Manual 2021

©1943-2020 Beth Tfiloh Camps

Welcome to Beth Tfiloh Camps
                                                                                              2
                WELCOME TO BETH TFILOH CAMPS

We are thrilled that you have decided to send your child to our camp this year. We have a lot of
exciting activities and programs planned this year, but the success of our camp relies on our
relationship with you. This Nursery Camp Manual will answer many of your questions about the
camp and how it will function this summer. Please let us know if you have any further questions
and we will be happy to answer them.

Our commitment to you and your children is extremely important. If your child’s summer camp
experience doesn’t meet your camper’s expectations or needs, let us know. Please feel comfortable
calling to discuss your experience at camp, negative or positive. Your feedback allows us to
continue to make BT Camps “a great place for kids to grow.”

Thank you for choosing BT Camps for the summer of 2021.

Shalom,

Sam Bloom
BT Camps Director

Communication
2
CONTACT US
We are happy to have you contact us at any time by phone or email to discuss the camp program in
general or your child in particular. To contact Nursery Camp, you have three options;
1. Nursery Camp office at 410-413-2500
2. BT Camps main camp number at 410-517-3451 where you can speak to Sam Bloom,
Camp Director. Note that counselors are unavailable to talk on the phone during the
camp day.

Additionally, we welcome questions and comments by email. If you have a question about BT
Camps in Reisterstown, please email Sam Bloom, Director, at sam@btcamps.org. Because we’re
busy making sure campers are having a great summer, please allow 48 hours for email replies. For
urgent matters, call us immediately.

NEWSLETTER

A Nursery Camp newsletter will be sent home with your camper every Friday. In addition, be sure
to download the BT Camps App to view camp photos.

IMPORTANT CAMP DATES

june june august july august
25
Friday
28
Monday
13Friday

open house Opening day Closing day
12 to 3 pm

Nursery Camp will hold an Open House at Old Court Road from 12:00 – 3:00pm.on Friday, June
25th. You will be able to tour the facility and meet your child’s counselors and the Nursery Camp
Director.

Coming to camp
2
CAMP LOCATION

Nursery Camp is held in the preschool area of Beth Tfiloh’s Lower School.

VISITING CAMP

We have an open door policy on visiting the camp. However, due to the security and age of the
Nursery Camp camper we do request that parent’s phone ahead first to ensure that a visit is
appropriate on that day AND we ask that parents minimize the amount of time that is spent at the
school, as it can upset the other campers whose parent is not at the school.

DIRECTIONS TO CAMP

1. Take I-695 to EXIT 22, Greenspring Avenue. Be in the rightmost left turn lane.
2. Make a LEFT onto Greenspring Avenue.
3. Make a RIGHT onto Old Court Road.
4. Make a RIGHT onto the Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School West Entrance
5. Drive up the road into the Lower School parking lot.

BILLING and ACCOUNTS

All questions about fees and account balances should be directed to the Sherri Fox at 410-413-2208
from 10:00 to 3:00pm. on Monday through Thursday or before 12:00pm on Friday. No child may
attend camp until all fees have been paid in full. Tuition balances are due in full by April 14, 2021.
After April 14, all tuition payments must be in the form of cash, cashier’s check, money order, or
credit card. No personal checks will be accepted.

LUNCH/SNACK

All Nursery Campers will eat lunch at camp. Send a dairy lunch with your child clearly marked
with your camper’s name. All rooms are equipped with a small refrigerator. The camp will provide
snack.

Beth Tfiloh School and Nursery Camp require that the lunch you send must be peanut-free. On
Fridays a pizza lunch is served, but of course you can send lunch if your child would prefer. For
concerns about potential allergens please contact the camp to obtain a vendor list of where we
procure our products. There is no sharing of food at camp.

As part of the Friday Kabbalat Shabbat program, challah will be served to each camper.

Bunking
2
WHAT IS A BUNK

At BT Camps, a bunk indicates a group of children that have a common program, age, grade or
leadership. Each bunk has one Head Counselor who is a teacher and one additional Counselor who
is either a college student or a high school upperclassman.

BUNK ASSIGNMENTS
Campers are bunked according to the age the camper will enter for the 2021 school year. Your bunk
requests help determine the makeup of each bunk. Your child will be placed with at least one of the
two choices you requested on your registration form. About one week before the beginning of the
camping season, expect to receive notification of your child's bunk assignment. This information
will be printed on a luggage tag to be attached to your child’s backpack.

TYPICAL CAMP CLOTHING
Campers should come to camp wearing a bathing suit under their clothing. Towels and water shoes
should be brought to camp each day along with a plastic bag. If your camper wears diapers please
bring wipes and diapers in a labeled bag to be left at the camp. Campers must wear rubber-soled
shoes every day so as to provide solid footing. We strongly suggest sneakers. Sandals and “heelies”
are prohibited. Crocs can be worn for water play only.
Provide two full change of clothing for your child, to remain at camp for the entire summer unless
soiled. Include a sweatshirt or sweater in case of a change in weather and a smock or shirt to be
used as necessary during Arts and Crafts. Pack these items in a labeled zip-topped bag and bring it
to the Open House on June 25. All clothing worn to camp or left in camp should be clearly labeled
with the child’s name. Additionally, many campers have items of clothing which they favor more
than others. While a camper may want to wear these items to camp, please keep in mind that
clothing can get dirty or stained in a camp setting. We recommend sending campers to camp only in
clothing that they will not be sorely missed, or with item that are not irreplaceable.

Toys, cell phones, games, radios, cards, water guns or similar equipment should not be brought to
camp under any circumstances. Staff members have been instructed to collect these items from
campers if they are seen and in use during the camp day. Items collected will be returned to
campers as they depart in the afternoon. Experience tells us that when valuables are brought to
camp there is a strong chance they could be damaged or lost with little hope of recovery.

Clothing and transportation
MORNING DROP OFF 2
In the morning you may bring your camper to his/her bunkroom. Please do not park your car in the
carpool lane. Campers should not arrive before 9:00am.

AFTERNOON PICK UP
We ask all parents to park your cars and come to the school entrance to get your camper at the end
of their camp day. All campers will be brought to the school entrance for dismissal. Please be
prompt at pick-up. NOTE: In order for us to supervise appropriately, if you are more than 5 minutes
late to pick up your child, you will be charged a $20.00 fee, which will go towards our BT Camps
program and planning funds.

To enhance the camper’s feeling of security, please make certain that each camper is familiar with
each driver in his/her carpool before the camp season begins. Campers will only be released to
those adults listed on your registration form who are allowed to pick up your child, and a valid
driver’s license must be presented at this time.

OUR PROGRAM

Our program will include a variety of activities such as physical play, Arts and Crafts, Singing,
Nature, and Jewish culture. Camp is not at all like a nursery school. The program is interactive,
outdoors, and activity oriented. Expect to see your child active and immersed in programming, not
simply receiving “daycare”. We use indoor rooms primarily for programming during bad weather.
We consider the room a “home base”, or a “bunk house” to use a camp term.

What sets BT Camps’ Nursery Camp apart from the competition are the resources we share with the
Day Camp in Reisterstown. Campers will receive the same high quality instruction during activities
that the older campers receive. Every day instructional staff from Reisterstown will visit Nursery
Camp. With many campers coming year after year to our Day Camp, we know parents will be
happy with the quality and variety of programming these experienced instructors provide.

For those of you that are new to Beth Tfiloh Camps, we’d like you to know that all instructors are
certified teachers in the activity they lead.

Programming
SAMPLE ACTIVITIES and SCHEDULE
2
A day in the life of a BT Camper at Nursery Camp – Below we have provided a quick look at our daily schedule,
though much more will happen throughout a day and a week. In addition, every Friday, campers have Kabbalat
Shabbat. You will receive a program schedule for your campers’ bunk prior to the start of camp.

1st Drop off
The campers will go straight to the gym for "Flag-Raising," a traditional summer-camp activity, this is where the
campers will come together as a community and start their day. As a community they will sing Hatikva and Pledge
Allegiance to the flag. This is the time to get the entire camp’s energy flowing. From the moment the campers get
out of the car to the moment Flag-raising is over, our goal is to get them excited for the day ahead of them.

Next
Your child will go back to their bunkrooms to drop off their items and sing Modeh Ani with their group.

First Activity:
Two’s will have water play as their first activity depending on the day of the week. Other activities could include
Nature, Dry Play, Movement, Arts and Crafts, and Sports.

Snack will be distributed at their first activity’s location.

Second Activity.
Three’s and Fours’ will have water play during the Second Activity, depending on the day of the week. Other
activities could include Nature, Dry Play, Movement, Arts and Crafts, and Sports.

Lunch Time: 12:00pm

Nap Time: 1:00

***Friday's will be a bit of an exception. We will convene for a Shabbat sing-a-long for either Snack or Lunch. We
will gather as a community outside in the field or inside based on weather.

Activities explanation: The following listed activities and their details can be substituted at any time, as we hope to
have special guests and visitors that will bring even more excitement to our camper’s experience.

 Water Play – Out door, non-pool water free play. Two-year-old’s will be scheduled for water play as their
first activity depending on the day of the week. We ask that if you child is scheduled for water play,
regardless of the time, they come to camp wearing water play outfit under their normal cloths.

 Nature and Arts & Crafts – Sometimes this these two activities will be hand in hand and sometimes they
will be totally different. Nature is a powerful force and has many attributes. Campers may find objects on
a nature walk they might find fascinating which we will use as an art project. The administration will
monitor each bunk, but allow each head counselor the autonomy to listen to the children and make the
choice of doing a strictly nature activity, arts & crafts, or combination.

 Sports and Movement – We will be out on the field playing soccer, T-Ball and more. In the gym playing
basketball. We will also have movement activities, which will either be kids Yoga, or curated songs the
campers know and will be able to sing and dance along with.