Parent/Guardian Manual
Welcome!
We are extremely excited for another summer of Bobcat Summer Youth Camp at Montana State University, Campus Recreation. Thank you for registering your camper with us! We look forward to being a part of your child’s summer.
Through our program, we are committed to giving campers a diverse recreational experience. We will be focusing on the activity theme-of-the-week each morning while afternoon activities will vary.
Please take the time to read this manual. It contains important information to ensure a successful camp for all parties.
Mission Statement
Campus Recreation Bobcat Summer Youth Camp is designed to give each camper the opportunity to learn new things while having fun in a safe and engaging environment. This camp is for children going into grades 1- 6 and promotes active lifestyles, cooperation, skill development, and a lifelong love of recreation.
Camp Contacts
- Camp season phone times: 8:30am-3:30pm (M-F)
- Cell phone: 406-579-1067
- Camp Email: campusrecyouth@montana.edu
Tax Information
ID Number: 81-6010045
Address: PO Box 173360 Bozeman, MT 59717
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Camper Group
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Age
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Max Enrollment
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|---|---|---|
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Kits
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1st & 2nd Grade
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20* campers
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Jr. Cats
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3rd & 4th Grade
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20* campers
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|
Bobcats
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5th & 6th Grade
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20* campers
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*Numbers of spots available may differ before registration opens due to scholarship spots being reserved.
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Monday - Friday
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|---|---|
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8:30 am - 9am
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Drop-Off If dropping off after 10am, parents/guardians are responsible for meeting their child's group wherever they are on campus. Be sure to communicate ahead of time with a counselor as their group may no longer be at the drop off location. |
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9am - 10am
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All Camp Games
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10am - 12pm
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Snack and theme activities
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12pm - 12:30pm
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Lunch
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12:30pm - 3pm
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Theme activities
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3pm - 3:30pm
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Pick-up If picking up before 3pm, parents/guardians are responsible for meeting their child's group wherever they are on campus. Be sure to communicate ahead of time with a counselor as their group may not be at the pick-up location before 3pm. |
Each week, campers take part in fitness activities, outdoor adventures, educational sessions and craft activities which go with the camp theme.
We utilize our wonderful MSU campus much of the time, but some weeks we may go on mini adventures over to the Galligator Trail or Museum of the Rockies!
Class Dojo
In an emergency, we will use ClassDojo to inform families of the location and status of an age group immediately. Families are encouraged to register for an account to receive alerts. We do not always have access to our registration system or a desktop computer to send a mass email during emergencies.
ClassDojo helps counselors safely and instantly message parents. They can communicate a campers’ behavior patterns throughout the day. Counselors also bring parents to the camp day experience by sharing photos, videos, and announcements via the app.
ClassDojo is free and works on all devices such as smart phones, tablets, and desktop computers. Outside of camp hours, staff are not expected to reply to families via ClassDojo and all communications should be directed to campusrecyouth@montana.edu.
Swim Days
Information on swim days at the Student Wellness Center is Coming Soon! We also do plenty of water balloons, water wars, and slip n slide activities that your camper will surely still love.
Weekly Activities
The activities planned each week will vary based on the theme but we will also play classic camp games each week. A detailed schedule of our planned activities, field trips, and weekly guests will be emailed out to the adult who registered the child(ren) each week on the Thursday before their registered week of camp.
Please note that at any time we may have to alter the activities due to unforeseen circumstances.
Check-in and Check-out Policy and Procedure
A check-in and check-out sheet will remain with the Lead Counselors at all times. This sheet will list each child’s name, age, allergies, parent phone numbers, and who is allowed to pick them up. We will require an initial from this individual for both check-in and check-out. All parents/guardians/approved persons must be prepared to show proof of identity via a driver’s license or other state/federal ID when they sign a camper out.
No one under the age of 18 may sign a camper in or out, including siblings. Campers may not sign themselves in or out.
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Name and Age
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Allowed Pick-up
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Allergies
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Contact
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Mon.
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Tues.
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Weds.
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Thurs.
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Fri.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Joe Camper
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Jane Camper, Dan Camper, Grandma Camper
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Peanuts
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123-456-789
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in
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out
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in
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out
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in
|
|
Sally Camp
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Babysitter Name, Grandma Camp
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none
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123-456-789
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in
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out
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in
|
out
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in
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Drop-off & Pick up
Drop-off: between 8:30am - 9am daily
Location: Montana State University Campus, Outside of South Dome
Check-in procedures: Staff will sign campers in each day and make sure they have everything they need for the day before parents/guardians leave. This is required daily.
Pick-up: Between 3pm-3:30pm
Location: Montana State University Campus, Outside of North Dome
Check-out procedures: Staff will sign campers out and ensure that the person picking them up is listed as a pickup person on our rosters.
Parking on Campus
General Parking Guidelines:
Please use the parking garage on campus for drop-off and pick-up. Parking services will not ticket you if you are parked in the garage during the hours below:
Morning Parking : 8am - 9am
This is the window of time for free parking. Check in starts at 8:30am!
Afternoon Parking: 2:30pm - 3:30pm
Vehicles parked without passes for an extended time are subject to ticketing and towing by University Parking Services. BSYC is not responsible for tickets given to families outside of the above time frames and designated areas.
Transportation During Camp Hours
Due to the increase in transportation costs, we will not be taking any long-distance field trips.
What to Bring to Camp
Below is a list of items campers must bring each day and a list of suggested items:
Required Daily Items:
- Tennis shoes or sandals with straps - no flip flops or slides.
- Athletic clothing - we will be very active!
- A cold lunch - we will not have access to a microwave or refrigerator.
- Lots of snacks - campers eat more food than parents anticipate.
- Water bottle
- Sunscreen - spray sunscreen only!
- Jacket and/or sweatshirt - rain or shine, we play outside!
- Backpack or bag
- Swimming suit & towel - for water activity days!
Suggested Daily Items:
- Hat
- Change of clothes
Items to Leave at home:
- Personal toys
- All cell phones and electronics
- Money
Free Play
During these times we provide equipment and supervision, however, we do not provide instruction. This gives campers the opportunity to engage in freely chosen and camper-directed activities. Counselors can jump in and play if asked by campers, otherwise, they will supervise. We will limit free play and provide campers with guided activities most of the time, however, we want to make you aware of this commitment at our camp. Specific times you may see free play is during drop-off, lunch (after they have eaten), and pick-up.
Counselor Cell phone Use
You may see our counselors using their cell phones periodically throughout the camp day. We provide counselors their curriculum and schedule through online portals. This allows them to reference information throughout the day. Due to having so many moving parts to our camp we often have to relay information from the office to our counselors. We do this via text messaging; this is the quickest and most efficient way to make sure we are all on the same page. Counselors will communicate with families through the ClassDojo app. Campers may not contact families using counselors personal cell phones, nor are counselors permitted to give out personal contact information.
Restroom Use
Anytime we are in the Student Wellness Center we will use those restroom facilities. If we are located further away on campus, we will utilize other campus facilities. Counselors will accompany campers into multi-use restrooms to provide supervision. When a single-use restroom is utilized, Counselors will send one child in at a time and provide supervision from outside.
Counselor Safety Training
At Bobcat Summer Youth Camp we are committed to doing everything we can to keep your child safe. Each of our counselors and staff members are trained in the following ways:
- American Red Cross - Adult and Pediatric CPR/AED and First Aid Training
- Bobcat Summer Youth Camp Emergency Action Plan
- Bobcat Summer Youth Camp policies and procedures
- Curriculum, instruction, and coaching techniques and guidelines
- Child Safety Training facilitated by trained professionals
- Leadership, Communication and Behavior management training
In addition to the above training, a background check is done on each staff member.
Camp Staff
One of the goals in creating Bobcat Summer Youth Camp is to provide a quality professional experience for students at Montana State University. The Lead Counselors and Counselors are all students or recent graduates of Montana State University. Bobcat Summer Youth Camp creates an environment for them to apply the skills, abilities, and knowledge they learn in the classroom out in the field. All counselors are encouraged to take on leadership roles in creating curriculum, adapting it to each age group, and executing it in the field.
Executive Camp Director
The Executive Camp Director is responsible for overseeing all of Bobcat Summer Youth Camp by creating the camp curriculum outline, overseeing all camp staff, and ensuring camp policies and risk management procedures are properly followed.
Camp Directors
Camp Directors oversee most day-to-day camp operations, they are the main contact for counselors while camp is in session. They are responsible for making sure camp runs smoothly throughout the day.
Lead Counselors
Lead Counselors assist in improving and expanding existing curriculum, policies, guidelines, and procedures. They are responsible for supervising and assisting other counselors throughout the camp day.
Counselors
Counselors are responsible for executing the camp curriculum and mentoring, coaching and providing a safe environment for all campers.