June Parent News

Hey ILC parents,…This is it!  Summer is just about here and we are happy to report that as of June 1st we are back at camp once again!  Words cannot even begin to explain how wonderful it feels to return to our home away from home.  We are sooooo EXCITED for your children’s arrival on June 28th.  We have amazing plans for this summer including new evening activities, an awesome Color War theme, Tribals, a teen trip to Toronto and Niagara Falls in session 3, and much more.  Let us just say, we have some awesome plans to make summer 2014 the GREATEST, and we cannot wait to share it all with your children!

Summer 2014 parents, have you sent us all of your forms yet?  Please make sure we have received your children’s profile, medical, and transportation forms, as well as your travel itinerary if you plan to be away while your kids are here at camp.  You can fill out the profile and transportation forms directly online by logging into your CampMinder account.  The medical form is not on our website so please be sure to fill out the form enclosed in your folder.  If you misplaced it, just click “Forms & Mailings” in the “Families” section of our website to download a new one. 

Speaking of photos and emails, don’t forget that by registering with CampMinder you can view our daily summer photos and weekly videos, as well as send emails to your children.  We ask that only immediate family members email our campers because too much information from home can create unnecessary homesickness.

Now that we are back up at camp, please be sure to mail any outstanding forms or payments directly to our SUMMER ADDRESS in Starrucca, PA.  Do not use the New York return envelopes any longer, as that mail takes awhile to be forwarded to us at camp.

Well, that’s about it for now!  We look forward to meeting many of our new families at our OPEN HOUSE here at camp on Saturday, June 14th, at 11am sharp.   We cannot wait to see the rest of our Island Lakers shortly afterwards!  ILC U HERE!!!

Medication Policy

As you can probably imagine, dispensing medications and vitamins to campers is a big undertaking.  In order to fulfill our goal of doing so in a safe manner, we are asking that all parents abide by the policy laid out here.  The following guidelines are in place in order to ensure the health and well-being of each camper.  Please adhere to them.

No medication, vitamins, or supplements may be kept in the bunk.  This includes, but is not limited to, chewable vitamins, Tylenol, aspirin, cold and cough remedies, eye drops, ear drops, creams, nasal sprays, etc…

All medication, vitamins, and supplements, must be sent to camp at least one week prior to the camper’s arrival.  We cannot guarantee that medications, vitamins, and supplements brought to camp on the day of the camper’s arrival will be dispensed on a timely basis.

All medication, including vitamins must be accompanied by a letter from a physician, physician’s assistant, or nurse practitioner or it must be in the original prescription bottle with administration instructions clearly written.  Nothing will be dispensed without written instructions from a health care professional or the original prescription bottle.  This includes both regularly scheduled medications and those taken on an as needed basis.

Medication taken through inhalers may be brought to camp by the camper and the camper may keep a rescue inhaler with him/her or in the bunk.

Medication for diabetes and growth hormones may be brought to camp with the camper or given to the person in charge of the bus pick-up location.

All vitamins and supplements will only be dispensed with doctor’s instructions and must be in their original packaging.

Please do not send standard OTC (over the counter) medications as we stock them in our infirmary and supply them to any camper who may need them.

We do not stock Claritin, Allegra, other allergy medicines, or Lactaid Pills that are taken on an as needed basis.  Please send these in advance with a doctor’s note.

With your help we can ensure the safe and efficient delivery of medications and vitamins to all of our campers.  Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Summer Reminders

Summer 2014 is right around the corner!  According to our Island Lake website and app, only 45 more days until camp begins!  Excitement builds as the thrill of summer approaches!  We move our offices up to camp the last weekend of May.  As of June 1st, all correspondence should go directly to our summer address in Starrucca, PA.

By now, all families enrolled in summer 2014 at Island Lake should have received our spring mailing.  Enclosed were our camper, parent, and activities handbooks, our medication policy, an Open House flyer, and a few other forms.  If your child is new to ILC this summer, please return the bottom portion of the Open House flyer if you will be joining us at camp on Saturday, June 14th at 11am.  We’re very excited to meet many of our new Island Lakers and their families that day.

With summer right around the corner, many of you have probably started your camp shopping and hey, if you’re really organized, perhaps you’ve even begun the packing process!  Be sure to refer to your Packing List and Suggested Equipment List that were enclosed in your winter folder to assist you with this big ol’ fun task.  If you’ve misplaced these forms, you can retrieve them here on our website under “Island Lake Families” and then “forms and mailings”.  Don’t forget to label all items of clothing and equipment, too.

Parents, we highly recommend that you read all literature that we send to you since a majority of the answers to your questions can be found there.  Our winter folder, spring mailing, and monthly newsletters provide a great deal of important information that will help prepare you and your children for a fantastic summer 2014.  If you have any additional questions, feel free to contact us at our winter office until May 30th and our summer office after June 1st.

Looking forward to the most amazing, fantastic, spectacular, wonderful, awesome, unbelievable, exciting, memorable summer ever at Island Lake!  ILC U THERE!!!

Cool Camper News

Wilson & Howard 1 Wilson & Howard 2

Claire Wilson and Sophia Howard (previously in G9) both qualified for the
Nastar National Ski Racing Championships and met up with one another in
Aspen, Colorado for the national race. Claire and Sophia both competed in
the silver division and Claire Wilson happily came in first place, winning
the national silver 12-13 year old division. The girls were joined by many
members of the US Ski Team including Ted Ligety (who served as the race
pacesetter and signed their bibs)! On the podium, Claire is joined by US
Olympians Bode Miller, Steven Nyman, and Nolan Kasper. After the days’ races
were through, both girls enjoyed exploring Snowmass and ending the day in
the hot tub.

 

May Parent News

Wow, how did May sneak up on us so quickly?  With spring in the air, excitement is building and summer 2014 right around the corner!  Yay!  As of June 1st, all correspondence should go directly to our summer address at camp.

If your child is enrolled for summer 2014 at Island Lake, please be sure to fill out your Profile and Transportation Forms, either by filling out the hard copies you received in your folder or fill out the forms right here on our website.  All forms were due on May 1st.  If you choose to fill them out online, just click the “CampMinder Login” and either enter your email address and password or click “First Time Users- Create Account.” The Medical Form is not on our website so please be sure to fill out the form enclosed in your folder and mail it back to us as soon as possible.

By now you should have received your “Spring Mailing” in the postal mail.  Enclosed in this mailing is your Parent Handbook, Camper Handbook, Activities Handbook, Medication Policy letter, travel itinerary form, Open House flyer (if your child is a 1st time camper this summer), as well as a flyer about our online photos, videos, & emails.  Whether you are returning or are new to the Island Lake family, please make sure you and your child(ren) take a few minutes to sit down and read this spring mailing thoroughly, as we always add new information.

Are you a returning parent who has not yet signed up your child(ren) for this upcoming summer at Island Lake?  If so, please, please, please do not put it off any longer.  Some of our bunks are now completely full.  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 each and every year. Please don’t let that happen to your child.  If you don’t have a registration form handy, click “Island Lake Families” at the top of the page, then click “Forms & Mailings” and print the “2014 Enrollment Form”.

To all current Island Lake families, we look forward to an amazing summer 2014 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 (after June 1st contact us at 570-798-2550).  And last but not least, to all…. ILC U THERE!

Creating Advantage in College- Article

The attached link is for a very interesting article regarding the relevance of sleep away camp and adjusting to college later on in life.  Enjoy the read!

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/smores-and-more/201112/creating-advantage-in-college

Open House

All new camp families are invited to attend our Open House at camp on Saturday, June 14th. The day will begin with group walking tours around camp at 11 am sharp, followed by a big lunch buffet. After lunch we will host a Q&A for the parents while the children play organized games in the gym and circus. This is a wonderful time for the children and staff to start meeting one another and developing friendships. Open House is an excellent opportunity for new families to familiarize themselves with Island Lake.

The day will begin promptly at 11am and should end by 3:00 pm. Please leave your pets at home. If you have a camper coming to Island Lake for the first time, an additional Open House flyer will be included in your spring mailing shortly. Please send back the bottom portion of that flyer so we know that your family will be attending our Open House.

Please use only our directions to camp. MapQuest, Google Maps, and your GPS system will put you on dirt roads and may get you lost!  Our directions can be found in your winter folder and on our website under “Island Lake Families” and then “Forms & Mailings”.

We look forward to meeting many of our new Island Lakers and their families on June 14th!  ILC U THERE!

April Parent News

Dear Island Lake Parents,…Wow, how did April sneak up on us so quickly?  With spring in the air, excitement is building with summer 2014 right around the corner!  Yay!  As of June 1st, all correspondence should go to our summer address where we will be busy preparing for your children’s arrival on June 28th (once again, Yay!).

If your child is already enrolled for summer 2014, please be sure to fill out your Profile and Transportation Forms either in your folder or here on our website.  Just click the “CampMinder Login” link on our homepage and you will be prompted to enter your email address and password.  First time users can click “First Time Users – Create Account” below the login link.  If your child is a returning camper, we suggest you use the same password that you use to access our summer photos and send emails to your child.  You will then have access to the Profile and Transportation Forms.  The Medical Form is not on our website so please be sure to fill out the one enclosed in your folder.

Have you registered your child for this upcoming summer?  If not and you 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 each and every year. Please don’t let that happen to your child. It only takes a few minutes to fill out the registration form and send it in to our NY office with a deposit. If you don’t have one handy, click “Island Lake Families” and then “Forms & Mailings” to the left of the page and print the “2014 Enrollment Form”.

As a reminder to all of our summer 2014 families, please be sure to read our monthly newsletters.  The newsletters provide lots of information important to your child(ren)’s upcoming summer.  Our newsletter link is located right here on our website, and all summer 2014 families will also receive their very own hard copy of our monthly newsletter at the start of each month in the mail.

In the next few weeks we will be sending you our big spring mailing.  This will include a camper handbook, parent handbook, activities handbook, our medication policy, information about emailing your child, viewing photos and videos on the web, and lots of other important camp information.  Please be sure to read through this packet, as there is a lot of important info enclosed for you, the parents, as well as your child.

Well, that’s about it for now.  Enjoy your navigation through our site checking out all of our fun-filled activities and smiling faces.  Our camp offers a program that furthers your child’s growth, independence, and sense of decision-making while simultaneously giving them the responsibility to create their own exciting summer.  To all current Island Lake families, we look forward to an amazing summer 2014 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 all,…ILC U THERE!

Attention Flying Campers

If your children are coming to camp via the airport, this is important.  We must coordinate all of our campers’ flights to ensure an easy travel day for everyone.  All South Florida campers should travel together on the same JetBlue flights to and from Fort Lauderdale & Newark.  South Florida Jet Blue flights are as follows:

TO CAMP:  Fort Lauderdale to Newark:  Jet Blue Flight #306:  Departs at 9:40am & arrives at 12:35pm

FROM CAMP:  Newark to Fort Lauderdale:  Jet Blue Flight #505:  Departs at 1:30pm & arrives at 4:28pm

All campers traveling from Paris to Newark should fly strictly on United Airlines UA56/UA905 to camp and UA904 from camp.

Campers traveling from St. Louis will fly on United Airlines #4099 to camp and #4628 from camp.

For all other flying campers, please contact Wendy prior to booking flights in order to confirm arrival and departure times.  She can be reached at 954-688-9527 or wendy@islandlake.com.  Please don’t wait much longer to book your children’s flight.  Prices escalate as the travel dates approach.

Once you’ve confirmed flights with Wendy and you book them, please email her a copy of your children’s flight information.  If your children are flying to/from Ft. Lauderdale, please forward her a copy of those tickets, as well.

When booking your flights, please make any necessary “unaccompanied minor” arrangements for both inbound and outbound flights.  If your child will be taking the group flight from Ft. Lauderdale on opening day (June 28th), then there is no need to arrange for an unaccompanied minor for that trip.  We will have a staff member meet you at the airport in Ft. Lauderdale and fly to Newark with the kids.  Please make sure that you do make unaccompanied minor arrangements for the return trip back to Florida.

For all other flights, please make any necessary unaccompanied minor arrangements to/from Newark.

If you have any additional travel questions, feel free to contact Wendy at 954-688-9527 or wendy@islandlake.com.