What Parents Need To Know During Camp
As Parents and the Catalina Sea Camp Staff, we share a common goal. Like you, we want your camper to have an amazing experience at camp – to make new friends, try new things, develop new skills and, most importantly, to have fun! We know that you, the parents, are powerful partners in the camp experience. With your support of camp values and camp policies, campers are much better prepared to fully engage in the camp community and to get the most out of camp. We, in turn, know that it is important for us to communicate with you about your camper.
There are many things you can do to help prepare your child for her or his time away from home. Once camp starts, however, the best thing you can do is relax. Camp is a place for campers to learn to be more self-reliant, to gain self-confidence, to develop strong decision-making skills and to become fully involved in a new community. Camp is time away from home, a time for campers to be on their own. Parents of veteran campers know this but first-time camp parents might need more information. We encourage you to browse this page to get an idea of what to expect for your camper once camp starts. You can navigate by clicking on the links below.
Adjusting to Camp
As is the case with any life transition, many campers – especially first-time campers – will have an adjustment period when they arrive at camp. It may be difficult for some campers to shift from family as primary group to cabin as primary group. This experience with temporary separation is an important part of every child’s development, and our program is designed to involve and engage all campers in the camp environment immediately upon their arrival, and to anticipate the relocation needs of individual campers.
Initially, you may receive some sad and lonely letters from you camper, describing how much he or she misses you and how terrible things are. Be patient. These letters only indicate that your camper is working through the adjustment process. It’s important to let children work through this process on their own, with the support of the counselors and camp staff. Dealing with this transition on their own helps campers to develop self-confidence and self-sufficiency. And, in most cases, with the lag-time of mail, by the time you receive the letter your camper is having a great time. Of course, if you receive such a letter and have concerns, we encourage you to call the Summer Camp Directors to check-in on your camper. Rarely do adjustment problems persist, but when they do we have been very successful in working with the parents by phone to problem-solve together.
Homesickness
For some campers, the adjustment process of camp may be more difficult and persistent and may lead to more severe homesickness. Homesickness is often a normal part of adjusting to life away from home. Homesickness may have physical symptoms such as stomachache, headache or loss of appetite but the core issue is adjustment to a new environment. Our counselors and staff are trained to deal with homesickness and we will always do our best to help campers.
Communicating With Your Camper
You can communicate with your camper at camp via e-mail and regular mail. Communication is great, campers always love to hear from their families! We definitely encourage you to write or e-mail your camper regularly. Over-communication, however, can be negative. It can send the message that you don’t think your camper can manage alone or it can make it harder for her or him to focus on the camp program and the camp community. Use good judgment.
A Note On Content:
Campers love to receive letters and e-mails that are informative and positive: what’s going on with the family, how their favorite sports team is doing, what the best summer blockbusters are, etc. These always brighten a camper’s day. It’s also great to express confidence that your camper can succeed on his or her own and to pass along your excitement about all the fun things she or he is doing. Lonely letters dwelling on how much the family misses your camper, on the other hand, aren’t helpful. They often do more harm than good, and can pull your camper away from the camp program.
If you have any important information that you need to communicate to your camper – especially any information that will invoke an emotional response (i.e. the family is moving, a death in the family, the dog is sick, etc.) – please don’t send it in a letter or e-mail but, instead, call the Camp Directors so we can discuss with you the best way to inform your camper. Again, we want to work with you to ensure your camper has a great camp experience and to promote his or her personal growth. Receiving emotional news in a letter while far from home can be a shocking, traumatic experience for a child or teenager; we want to assist you so you can communicate with you camper in the best possible way.
E-Mail:
You can e-mail your camper by setting up an account with ecamp. This allows you to send your camper one e-mail per day. Due to the large number of campers, campers cannot respond to the e-mails.
Mail:
Mail can be sent to your camper at:
Your Camper’s Name
Team Number (you will receive this at camp check-in)
c/o Catalina Sea Camp
P.O. Box 796
Avalon, CA 90704
Mail is delivered to camp Monday-Saturday and distributed to campers daily.
Campers are also encouraged to send letters home to you. They can drop their letters off at a mail box in camp and we will deliver them to the Post Office for mailing every day. Stamps and postcards are available in the camp store. Many campers also bring stamps, stationary and the like with them to camp.
PLEASE DO NOT SEND CARE PACKAGES! Campers can buy snacks, drinks and Sea Camp gear at the camp store. The Food Service Department provides three square meals per day, with many options always available, and snacks throughout the day.
If your camper forgets to bring something to camp, you may obviously ship that to them. UPS is the best bet, our UPS address is:
Your Camper’s Name
Team Number
1 Toyon Rd.
Avalon, CA 90704
Telephone Policy
Campers may not receive phone calls. Please do not call camp and ask to speak to your camper. If your camper is having serious adjustment problems, or if any other concern arises, we will always call you. Return campers will tell you that not having access to a telephone is not an issue at all, in fact it’s something they love about camp. Much of the magic of camp comes from being completely engrossed in the camp community, camp program and camp friends.
Additionally, please DO NOT send a cell phone with your camper. If a camper brings a cell phone, it will be taken away for the duration of camp and returned on departure day.
All of this does not mean we are not always available or do not want to communicate with you. If you want to check-in on your camper or if you have any concerns, we encourage you to call the Camp Directors at any time for an update.
Emergencies
In case of an emergency or any essential communication, we are happy to arrange a time for your camper to be near a phone, as appropriate. Our camp secretary is on duty from 8-5 Monday-Friday and a counselor staffs the phone every night from 6:30-9 pm and on weekends. Additionally, the directors have a camp phone on in their house 24-hours-a-day. Our number is 310.510.1622.
Food Service
Our Food Service staff provides three high-quality, well-balanced meals per day. Meals always include a variety of options, including vegetarian items and a salad bar. Campers eat family-style in our dining hall with a counselor at the head of each table. There are separate rooms for the As (12-13-year-olds), Bs (14-15-year-olds) and Cs (16-17-year-olds).
We also often dine in our Barbecue area, where campers sit at picnic tables and eat buffet-style. Barbecues are favorites among campers and staff alike, where the Food Service Staff freshly prepares amazing meals of menus like grilled chicken, hamburgers, ribs, fajitas, stir fry, even eggs and pancakes at breakfast, right in front of the campers and staff!
The food service staff also provides a variety of snacks and beverages to campers throughout the day and at night.
We do our utmost to accommodate food allergies and special dietary needs. If this is an issue, you are encouraged to contact the Summer Camp Director, Paul Kupferman, or call him at 909.625.6194.
The Food Service Staff does a great job of changing the menu often and providing the campers with a wide variety of meals during the session. The food is high quality and there is always plenty of it! Please DO NOT send additional food and snacks with your camper as these attract insects and rodents.
Camp Store
Before camp, you can set a camp store limit against a credit card, or sending a check, separate from the tuition check, to the mainland office. We recommend a maximum of $100. The store then works on a debit system against the camper’s store credit. Your credit card is charged at the end of camp for any purchases made during camp up to the limit you set. For accounts paid by check, any money left in the store account once the session ends is given back. The store contains a variety of snacks, bottled water, soda, Sea Camp shirts and sweatshirts, hats and personal hygiene items.
Laundry
We have campers' laundry professionally cleaned by a Laundry Service in the town of Avalon twice during the camp session. Individual camper's laundry can be done at the laundry facilities in camp in case of emergency.
Parent's Day
Parent's Day is a wonderful opportunity for you and your family to visit your camper, meet our incredible counselors and instructors and see the Sea Camp program and campus. The day will include a luncheon and all guests will have the opportunity to snorkel and kayak in the afternoon. We expect about 300 guests on Parent's day. Because of the large numbers, we must limit each camper to three guests. To help defray the cost of shoreboat transportation and lunch, there is a $20 charge per guest.
Parent's day is held on the last Sunday of each session. Parents and guests must RSVP by calling the Sea Camp Office at 310.510.1622.
You must arrange your own travel to and from Avalon. You should make your reservation early, we recommend at least two weeks prior to Parent's Day. Plan to arrive in Avalon no later than 11:00 a.m. in order to catch the Shoreboats to camp.
For Boat Transportation to Avalon, call Catalina Express at 310.510.1212
For Helicopter Transportation to Avalon, call Island Express at 310.510.2525
Shoreboats will begin departing the Avalon Boat Dock - called the Mole - at 10:00 a.m and depart at intervals of every 20 minutes. Please arrive at the Mole no later than 11:00 a.m. to ensure that all guests get to camp as soon as possible. Shoreboats will leave Toyon Bay for the return trip to Avalon from approximately 3:00 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. The Shoreboat ride takes about 20 minutes, please allow plenty of time to catch your return transportation to the mainland.
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