Summer Program Handbook for Parents/Guardians
A New Leaf and pip and pickles farm
www.anewleafnashville.org
Director: Amanda Reschke, farm.education@anewleafschool.org
Director of Communications and Admissions: Lisa Welgreen, 615-560-1533, admin@anewleafschool.org
Welcome to Summer at Pip and Pickles Farm!
Please take a moment to carefully read through all of our handbook. Everyone having all the important information will set us up for an amazing summer
Forms and Contracts:
The following must all be completed for each student before they attend camp:
Complete and Submit “Summer 24 Photo Release Form”
Complete and Submit “Summer 24 Camper Information Form”
Read and sign “Summer 24 Waiver”
Include any particular information that will help understand your child
Update any allergy information in your child’s Brightwheel profile. Please also send a detailed email with all allergy requirements, medications, and procedures
Make sure that all parents, caretakers, emergency contacts and approved pickups’ details are in Brightwheel. We will not be able to release a child to someone who is not on their list of approved pickups.
Make sure that anyone who is dropping off or collecting your child has the Brightwheel app downloaded to their phone and is logged in ahead of time. We use the app to sign the children in and out every day.
At the beginning of each week, your child will be given a wristband in their group’s color. Please make sure that your child keeps this on for the whole week of camp.
Drop-off and pick-up:
Strategy:
We must have an efficient flow of cars so it is important that you take Old Hickory to get onto Pecan Valley road. Please pull into the first driveway as indicated on the map below:
When you enter the gates please make sure to pull up as close as possible to the car in front of you and turn your engine off.
Once everyone has turned off their cars and the gates are secured, we bring the QR code to each driver so that they can sign their campers in or out.
In the morning children will receive the signal to exit their car with their backpack on and will walk up the grassy field towards the gates and our activity field. Please make sure that they remain in the car until we give the signal.
Times for Arrival and Departure
It is very important that we do not have cars waiting in the road!
This is why we have a window of time for carline: 9:00 to 9:30am and 3:30 to 4pm. Please do not all plan to arrive for 9am and line up ahead of time. The carline must be flowing.
We ask that you pick your preferred arrival time on the first day. If you end up waiting in the road on the first day, come at a different time the next day. This usually takes care of the problems for the next days. However if we have more issues with cars having to wait in the road, we may have to email you a plan of action.
For pick-up, we ask that you create a big, easy to read sign with your children’s names and place them on the dashboard or hold them up once you have stopped so that we can call your children rapidly at pick-up.
Thank you for your collaboration with this!
All Preparations must be done at home before leaving for camp apply sunblock and insect repellent at home before getting in the car and leaving.
Carline has to be efficient. Consider this as a race car pit stop. Your child must have her or his backpack and lunch box on the lap (or nearby) filled with all necessary items required.
When you arrive and we give the safety signal, you may get out of your car and help your child out if it makes it faster. If there is an issue, you will be instructed to park on the grass until the carline is over and we can come help with the transition. As a general rule, we discourage stopping to park on the property for safety reasons as it limits visibility for other drivers.
If you are late
Late Arrival: If you arrive after 9:30 please call Lisa at : 615-707-3904 and she will come down and get your children signed in.
Late Pick up fee: If you arrive after 4pm there will be a late fee of $15, this will be billed directly to your Brightwheel account.
Health and Safety procedures:
For the benefit of all children in the program, a child who has a contagious illness, vomiting, pink eye, diarrhea, or has had fever over 99.4 cannot return to camp for one full day (must be 24 hours symptoms free).
If a child develops a sickness or a contagious condition while at camp, the child will be placed in isolation, and you or your emergency contact will be called to come pick up your child immediately.
If your child needs to take medication while at camp, provide a copy of the doctor’s instructions and dose of the medicine as well as a signed note from you allowing us to administer said medication.
Also ask the doctor to list over the counter medication that your child may take and bring those with the prescribed medication all labeled with you child’s name. We cannot administer medicine that isn’t brought by you unless it is first aid. We cannot administer any medicine that isn’t approved by a doctor with a note.
Ticks - illnesses spread by ticks are serious, but when diagnosed can be treated with antibiotics. Because ticks live in grassy and wooded areas they are always going to be a part of our nature school and farm camp experience. Here are some ways you can help to protect your child from ticks.
Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol, or 2-undecanone.
Treat clothing and gear, such as boots, pants and socks with products containing 0.5% permethrin.
Check for ticks daily, especially under the arms, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, behind the knees, between the legs, around the waist, and on the hairline and scalp.
Bathe children daily and use tick repellent soaps containing tea tree oil, eucalyptus or peppermint.
Save the tick in a ziplock in the fridge for a few weeks in case symptoms (fever/rash) should arise.
Here are some products that might prove useful in our mitigation efforts.
Special tweezers to remove ticks safely The bacteria that causes Lyme lives in the body of the infected tick so this little "tick crowbar" will lever them off.
Permethrin spray for pants, socks and boots Using this stuff on just shoes and socks will reduce tick bites by 70%.
Belongings: what to send and not send
Everything must be labeled with the child’s full name.
A comfortable backpack in which to HOLD ALL of their belongings inside.
A non-spill, insulated, LARGE water bottle filled with water with a valve that the child can operate to drink and refill. This bottle should sit in a bottle pocket on the backpack. We recommend metal bottles as they keep the water cold longer. No-one likes to drink hot water on a scorching summer day!
A nutritious packed lunch in an insulated lunch bag with ice packs that the child will carry separately and hand over for storage until lunch. Make sure the full name is written in large lettering on the outside of the lunch bag.
One full change of clothes including shoes: ideally a walking pair on the feet at arrival and water shoes in the backpack. Please include a waterproof bag to bring home wet clothes in.
Clothes
Clothes that can get dirty and dry quickly.
We recommend “quick dry” clothes where possible.
A sun hat that provides good cover.
Comfortable shoes: ideally a walking pair on the feet at arrival and water shoes in the backpack.
Children must be able to put on their own shoes themselves. They must be appropriate shoes for hiking and running and all shoes must be closed toed!
FOOD
Please do not send candy or gum (choking hazard), or unhealthy sweets including sodas (mood hazard).
We will not serve food (we will have some on hand for emergencies).
Send a comprehensive lunch in a box inside an insulated lunch bag with an ice pack: make sure that you include grains, protein, vegetables, fruits, energy bars, and other healthy items. We do our best to reduce our carbon footprint on the planet. Using reusable containers & lunch bags /boxes, and minimizing packaged items helps you do your part. We are a trash free school so any packaging that you send with your child’s lunch will return home in their lunch boxes at the end of the day.
Usually campers may bring items that are on the allergy list. We supervise lunch very closely and wash hands thoroughly before and after so that there are no exchanges of allergens between campers. If we have a case of a child with an airborne allergy to a food item, we will advise by email and text of a potential exception to that rule.
What campers should NOT bring with them:
Campers should not bring:
cellular phones
smart watches
jewelry
valuables
toys
special clothing that cannot get dirty or ruined to camp
Sunscreen and Bug spray, we proved the following for reapplication at midday:
Student guidance during social-emotional development:
We use the pyramid model of social-emotional development to teach appropriate and respectful ways to treat each other. To promote healthy and enjoyable behaviors, actions, and words and to avoid conflicts, we will: 1-discuss rules; 2- acknowledge and support what is effective; 3- promote cooperation, sharing, taking turns, empathy, and talking through problems and finding solutions together.
Inappropriate behavior may result in temporary removal of privileges with redirection. This is a time when counselors assess the needs of the camper and use the strength of their relationship to help the camper grow.
If the camper is not responsive, if behaviors remain unacceptable, or if the camper does not follow directions, we will discuss the situation and problems with the parents/guardians and create a plan of action.
In case of a biting incident, we will give a call to the parents of the aggressor as soon as we have consoled the victim and asked a few questions about what happened. We handle biting incidents very seriously. The aggressor loses the privilege of being with classmates. Do not be surprised if you get a call out of the blue and that we require that you pick up your child to go home. If your child gets bit, you will be glad to know that we have taken it seriously and reduced the likelihood that such behavior would return. .
If the plan of action isn’t successful, exclusion from the program will be considered.
Discrimination:
We do not discriminate against anyone based on disabilities, race, religious beliefs, national origin, or gender.
At camp, appropriate behavior and language are fundamental for creating a positive and inclusive environment. Campers should strive to treat each other with respect, kindness, and empathy, fostering a sense of camaraderie and friendship. This means refraining from bullying, teasing, or excluding others and instead, actively engaging in activities that promote teamwork and cooperation. Additionally, using inclusive language that respects everyone's backgrounds, beliefs, and identities is essential. Campers should be mindful of their words, avoiding offensive or hurtful language, and instead, choosing words that uplift and encourage their peers. It's important to note that if a camper does not behave accordingly, we reserve the right to ask you to come and collect them. By embodying these values of respect and inclusivity, campers can forge meaningful connections and make lasting memories during their time at camp.
If unacceptable behavior is ongoing your child will forfeit the right to return to future camps.
Emergency procedures:
Here are the highlights of our procedures
INJURY
In our camp contract, we ask that you grant permission to our employees to perform first aid and CPR if needed, as well as grant permission for your child to receive emergency medical treatment by a paramedic, first responder, pediatrician, or emergency room physician and consent to transportation via ambulance when we deem it necessary to the emergency room and that you consent to all necessary appropriate medical treatments.
All of our employees are Infant, Child, and Adult First Aid and CPR trained and certified.
In the event of an injury, we administer first aid. If it is an injury that requires cleaning blood or a fall we write a report that we present to you to sign at car line. If the child cries and is uncomfortable, we reach out to you on Brightwheel or by phone. If the injury involves a hit on the head we call you immediately to inform you and discuss the details and procedure. If any injury requires medical assistance, we call 911. We also appoint someone to call you and we use every means at our disposal to get in touch with you and your emergency contacts.
When there is stormy weather:
1- We will come inside.
2- A staff member will check The Weather Channel and trusted severe weather sources for a local update on the weather.
3- If the need arises we will take shelter in our storm shelter within the farmhouse.
Local specific risks
Wildlife is often seen around the farm: wasps, bees, mosquitoes, chiggers, ticks, spiders, foxes, raccoons, marmots, snakes, deer, hawks, owls, and more. We use the following methods to protect ourselves from adverse encounters or negative effects.
We apply insect repellent outside. We sit on tarps/quilts instead of directly on the grass as much as possible. We sweep our areas to remove insect and spider nests. A bee sting can occur while running on the grass. Wasps can be aggressive when they are running low on resources and thirsty. We look for nests and call the exterminator when we see them. We treat stings with ice and much sympathy. In case of an allergic reaction, we would use your provided Epipen, or Benadryl, call 911, and call you. Chiggers are minuscule so we cannot see them. They try to find the warmest parts of our bodies. We are not a good host for them and sadly they die while causing unpleasant itching. Rubbing the itchy site with ice is the best way to soothe the skin. Benadryl at home can also work wonders.
We suggest that your children take a bath and scrub their skin every night. Soaking can dislodge chiggers and ticks that have not yet embedded, and also give you the opportunity to make a thorough search to find ticks. Ticks like to hide in our hair, around our ears, but also anywhere on our bodies. Look for them every night, remove them, and find a good way to flush them away so that they do not return.
We tend to scare other animals away by making so much noise and vibrations. When we see them they are usually fleeing. If your child were to be bit by an animal we will treat the bite, call 911, and call you.
The trees are often lined with poison ivy. We look for it and remove it manually in areas where we frequently walk. We teach the children how to recognize it and avoid it. Keep in mind that poison ivy allergy is less frequent than peanut allergy.
We have trees of all sizes on the property and we eat and play under their shade. We look for dangerous limbs, and diseased or dead trees and take those down. However, tree or limb fall is unpredictable and we cannot eliminate this risk entirely.
Creek access will be supervised closely.
Special needs
If your child has special needs, we will write an individualized plan to serve your child as best as possible during an emergency.