Happy March! Our summer 2017 countdown has kicked into gear and lucky for us, summer, and for that matter camp, will approach before we know it. 115 more days as of March 1^st! Wow, we’re almost at the double-digit mark!

Any day now all summer 2017 families should receive a letter regarding forms, a Medical Form, as well as your monthly newsletter. Both a parent and a physician, as required by Pennsylvania law, must complete the Medical Form. On our website we have TONS of information to prepare you and your children for this summer. There are forms online that we request you fill out promptly via your CampMinder account. The Profile Form helps us guide your children when they choose their activities and put together their schedules. The Transportation Form lets us know which bus your children will be taking to camp. If we do not receive the Transportation Form in our office by May 1st, we will have to assign a bus to your children. In June, we will send you detailed information on the bus locations, along with luggage tags that you will use to mark your children’s bags. You can access all of our other forms on our website at islandlake.com and then clicking “Island Lake Families,” and “Forms & Mailings.”

A reminder to our summer ‘16 and ’17 families, don’t forget to read our monthly newsletters. You can access them here on our website or at the start of every month in your mailbox in hard copy form. The newsletters provide important information for parents, as well as campers, including enrollment and availability updates.

Speaking of enrollment, if you haven’t yet registered your child for summer 2017 but plan to do so, please, please, please do not put it off any longer. We truly do not want to turn away any of our devoted campers and it’s very difficult for us when forced to do so every year. Don’t let that happen to your child. Some bunks are already full! It only takes a few minutes to fill out the registration form, we promise! If you don’t have one handy, click “Island Lake Families”, “Forms & Mailings” and then print the “2017 Enrollment Form”.

To all current Island Lake families, we look forward to an amazing summer 2017 with your children. To all prospective families, feel free to contact us if you have any questions after browsing our website: 800-869-6083 or 914-769-6060. And last but not least, to one and all…. ILC U THERE!

Hi Island Lake Families! It’s hard to believe that it’s that time of year already. “What time of year” you may be asking? Well, I’ll tell you. It’s time for our flying campers’ parents to start booking their flights to and from Island Lake this summer! The following is all of the info you need whether your child is flying domestically, from South Florida, or internationally.

In order to facilitate a smooth travel day for our campers, we’d like everyone to arrive at and depart from NEWARK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT within the same time frame. We ask that all children arrive and depart from Newark as close to 12 o’clock noon as possible. By keeping flights within these parameters we are able to ensure that our campers are at the airport for a minimal amount of time. Please contact Wendy prior to booking your children’s tickets to confirm flight times: 954-688-9527 or wendy@islandlake.com. Upon booking your children’s flights, e-mail Wendy a copy of your children’s tickets.

SOUTH FLORIDA FAMILIES– For South Florida families, we ask that you book your children on the same JetBlue flights so our Florida children can travel together. Once you book these flights, please forward a copy of the tickets to Wendy.

TO CAMP: JetBlue #306 Ft. Lauderdale to Newark 9:10am-12:05pm

FROM CAMP: JetBlue #305 Newark to Ft. Lauderdale 3:45pm- 6:47pm

INTERNATIONAL FAMILIES- We understand that children flying from international locations have limited flights to choose from. However, it is extremely important that you choose a flight that arrives at Newark airport as close to 12 o’clock noon as possible. We understand that it is a long day for your children, especially with the time change, so it is to their benefit to arrive at Newark early in the day so they can travel to camp with our other flying campers.

Regarding international return flights, we understand that the only departure times are usually in the evening hours. Please try to book your children to return as early in the evening as possible. We will provide staff and a camp vehicle to take those children with later flights to the airport separately from campers flying domestic earlier in the day.

FOR ALL FLYING CAMPERS- When booking flights, you will need to schedule “unaccompanied minor” arrangements for children under the age specific to each airline. An Island Lake staff member will escort children who fly as unaccompanied minors from their gate upon arrival and to their departure gate for their return trip. We will provide a staff member’s name and identification information for you to share with the airlines in June.   If your children are older and there are no unaccompanied minors on your children’s flight, our staff will meet those campers at the security checkpoint upon their arrival.

CAMP DATES

SESSION 1: Saturday, June 24- Saturday, July 22

SESSION 2: Saturday, July 22- Saturday, August 12

As a reminder, please contact Wendy to discuss your children’s arrival and departure flight times prior issuing your children’s tickets: wendy@islandlake.com. After booking your children’s flights, e-mail Wendy a copy of the ticket. Additional traveling day information will be sent to you in June, prior to the start of camp. If you have any questions with regards to your children’s travel to/from camp, please contact Wendy and she will be happy to help you further. We look forward to making your children’s travel days as smooth as possible.