WELCOME TO PANTHER CAMP 2014!
Dear Parents,
Welcome to Panther Day Camp for 3-5 year olds! We are
excited to be working with your child this summer. Included
in this letter you will find a lot of helpful information to
prepare your child for camp each day.
About us: Ms. Christina Damos is a Reading Specialist at
Prairie Trail School in Gurnee and works with grades 3-5.
This is her 8th year at Panther camp and has spent 10 years
with early childhood students.
Mrs. Melissa Messick is a substitute teacher in Gurnee
District 56. For the past two years she’s been in an Early
Childhood classroom, is the craft coordinator for local
Mothers of Preschoolers group, and volunteers for youth
ministries involving preschoolers.
Mrs. Susan (Sue) Lynch teaches PE (Wellness) at LFCDS in
Lake Forest along with being the Dir. of the after school
program, ESP. Sue has taught for 19 years and this will be
her final year at camp. We will miss her very much and wish
her luck on her new journey!
Ms. Suzanne Stanczak teaches PE (Wellness) at LFCDS in
Lake Forest. She joined us last year and we are glad to
have her back sharing her love of nature, being active, and
teaching sport activities.
We look forward to working with your children on creative
projects, early literacy skills, songs, building character,
playing sports/games, and having lots of fun!
Dates to keep in mind: Panther Camp runs from June 9-
August 15th. We are at camp each day from 9-2PM. We will
NOT meet on July 4th.
Drop off and pick up: Please drop off and pick up your child
by our classroom (just after the first campus building on the
left side) between 8:40 and 9AM. This is just past the circle
drive from last year (next entrance after it). There is a
teacher or counselor who will walk your child to and from the
vehicle. This year, the classrooms will be through a new
entrance next to the art building. We begin getting ready for
pick–up around 1:35.
Lunch and snack: A snack will be provided each morning
around 10:30 a.m. Your child will need to bring a lunch each
day that will be eaten around 11:30. Since the lunches are
kept in backpacks until lunchtime, you may wish to include a
cold pack in your child’s lunch. Please clearly mark any
cold packs or reusable lunch boxes with your child’s name
so that we can send these things home with them at the end
of the day. Your child may also wish to bring a water bottle
with them each day since we spend some time outside each
morning. We do take bathroom/water breaks before and
after lunch and throughout the day. Nut products are NOT
allowed.
Wednesday cookout:
Each Wednesday, we will have a cookout! If your child wants
to eat a hamburger or hotdog on Wednesday, please include
the DEFROSTED meat and a bun in your child’s lunchbox.
The hamburgers or hotdog will be grilled at lunchtime.
Bags or backpacks: Please send your child to camp each
day with a backpack or bag so that they can take home
projects, lunch box, water bottle, etc.
Names on EVERYTHING would be appreciated: i.e.: tennis
racket, skates, towel, and bathing suit. It has been helpful to
pack a separate skating bag.
Clothing: Throughout the week, we will be in our classroom
which is air conditioned, outside on the playground,
swimming in the pool, skating at the ice rink, and playing
tennis. Many of these activities are optional, but we
encourage you to send your child with appropriate clothing
each day. Your child should wear comfortable clothing that
can get dirty on the playground equipment. Please send
your child with an extra change of clothes (shorts, socks,
shirt, and underpants) in the event of an emergency. Please
put them in a Ziploc bag with your child’s name on it and
keep it in their backpack.
Ice Skating: Twice a week, we have the option of going iceskating. If your child wants to ice skate, you will need to send
ice skates and a HELMET. All children need to wear a
helmet when ice-skating. We can send the helmet home with
your child each day so that they can use it at home. It is
around fifty degrees in the ice rink, so it is best that your
child has sweat pants and/or a light jacket or zipper hoodie.
Swimming: Two days a week, we will go swimming. Your
child has the option of swimming with a counselor (there will
be a one to one ratio of counselors to children for this age
group). Please send your child IN their bathing suit with a
towel, and life jacket if needed on days that we swim. In the
pool area, we have noodles and kick boards to use.
After swimming, children will change into their clothes and
bathing suits will be wrapped in towels or placed in baggies if
provided by the parent.
Sunscreen/bug spray: We recommend that you apply a
waterproof sunscreen to your child before bringing him/her to
camp. Time does not allow us to apply sunscreen to each
child and we do not have sunscreen available for general
use. At least one hour of each rain-free day will be spent
outside.
Other notes for optional activities: Considering ageappropriate activities, you may see differences in the ECC &
ages 6-12 year old programs.
Monday-Tennis and Art
Tuesday- Swim, Art, and Skate
Wednesday- Art, Cookout, Tennis
Thursday-Swim and play in gym
Friday- Art and Skate
We look forward to meeting you and getting to know your
child/children!
If you have any questions, please let us know!
Happy summer!