Journeys Camp

Journeys is a unique program at Belmont Day that offers campers a chance to experience the world outside of BDS with their fellow campers. Each day, the Journeys program meets in the Barn before getting on their school bus to head to the destination of their daily trip. These activities include but are not limited to swimming, sailing, climbing, running, walking, hiking, canoeing, riding amusement park rides, playing sports, solving puzzles, visiting museums, etc. For us, Journeys is an important opportunity for our oldest campers to gain independence and try new things.

The structure of each day depends on the scheduled trip and is determined by the Journeys Unit Leader in conjunction with the Journeys staff, the Director of Summer Programs, and the program staff at the site the group is visiting. Our goal is to leave campus by 9:30 a.m. and return at 3 p.m. for a free swim. Swim lessons are not offered as a part of this program.

There may be times during Journeys trips when campers are unsupervised. At some locations, children are assigned a peer group, along with a check-in location, mandatory check-in times, and directions in case of an emergency. This self-accountability is an important developmental part of the program and offers opportunities for campers to learn and grow into young adults.

Journeys campers must participate in the entire week of the program. We do not provide on-site alternative programming for children who cannot or do not wish to participate in one of the scheduled activities. If you need to schedule an appointment during the time that your child is enrolled in Journeys, please do so before 9 a.m. or after 3:30 p.m. Otherwise, you will need to keep your child home from camp for the entire day.

Since Journeys campers will spend time on a bus each day, children may bring with them things to do during travel, including electronics, if they wish. Anything that children bring with them is only for use on the bus and is not the responsibility of Belmont Day School or its staff. We reserve the right to take away or restrict specific items on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the counselors.

If your child is interested in our program, but you anticipate they will need assistance in participating fully, please contact the director to determine if Belmont Day is the right fit and, if so, how to make your child’s experience successful. Because we travel off campus every day on a school bus, we are less able to successfully meet the mental, emotional, and health needs of some campers.

Trip Itineraries
Your Journeys itinerary will be sent out before your session. Each week’s calendar is often not solidified until a week or two before the session. Trips are subject to change and sometimes do based on weather or other circumstances that may interfere with the success of a scheduled trip. We will communicate any change in trip destination and do our best to look ahead at the weather to give you a heads-up as to what days might need to be shifted.

Swimming
Journeys campers return to Belmont Day each day after their scheduled trip. Most days, they return in time to take part in a free swim period prior to leaving for the day. Children enrolled in Journeys do not participate in swimming lessons.

In order to participate in a Journeys session that includes activities on the water (the beach, canoeing/kayaking), children must be able to swim 75 yards (three lengths of the pool) without stopping and without the aid of a floatation device. They will be swim tested on their first day of camp.

Waivers
Some of the locations that we visit require individually signed waivers from parents/guardians. If this is the case, you will be sent the waiver ahead of time to sign and return. Please do this in a timely manner so that we ensure all participants are able to participate in every aspect of the program.

Transportation
LocalMotion is our summer transportation company, and campers will travel by school bus daily.

Extended Day
Extended day provides a safe, relaxed environment for children to begin and/or end their day. Children may do arts and crafts projects, play field and board games, read stories, and play with friends. Families are welcome to sign up for mornings, afternoons, or both. Our morning care is complimentary. However, in order to ensure the safety of the children participating, we do ask that you sign up so we know how many children to expect and can staff appropriately. There is an additional fee for afternoon extended day.

Morning extended day begins at 7:45 and ends at 8:30 a.m. Afternoon extended day begins at 4 p.m. and ends at 5:30 p.m. There is no morning extended day during Post-Camp week.

Food
We are a nut-safe and allergy-prepared facility. Nothing we serve contains nuts or peanuts. We ask that you not include any items containing nuts or peanuts when preparing lunches.

We provide:

• A frozen treat (popsicle, ice cream sandwich, Italian ice, etc.) for all children at the end of the day
• Afternoon snack and milk or juice for all children staying in afternoon extended day
• Lunch: You must pack a lunch for your Journeys camper. Please send your child’s lunch in an insulated bag with an ice pack, if necessary, as refrigeration is not available.

We ask that you only send food for your child to camp. Please don’t send food for the whole group for any reason.

Health and Wellness
We have a registered nurse on staff at camp. The nurse is scheduled to be here each day that camp is in session to attend to all camp medical needs.

The camp nurse reviews all health records, compiles confidential concern lists for our staff, trains our staff on medical policies and procedures, and sees any camper or staff member that needs medical attention during their time at camp. The nurse can also be a resource to you should you have questions or concerns about your child’s health or well-being.

In addition to our nurse, Journeys staff are First Aid and CPR certified. Our swim staff are all lifeguard certified which includes First Aid, CPR, and AED certification. Journeys has a Unit Leader on each trip that is responsible for oversight and healthcare. For any trip that includes aquatics, a lifeguard will join for the day to oversee water safety. The Journeys group takes a medical kit with them daily that includes, if necessary, medication that needs to be, or may need to be, administered while away from Belmont Day School. Examples of emergency medications that the group would carry daily are EpiPens and inhalers.

We also work with a consulting physician that reviews and updates our standing orders annually and is available by phone to our nurse and camp staff in the event of a medical issue needing her input or expertise.

Group Placement and Friend Requests
There is only one coed group of Journeys campers. All children enrolled in Journeys during a particular week will spend their time together. 

The Journeys program coordinator is over 21 years old and has demonstrated experience leading children on trips. Our goal is for all Journeys staff to be 20+, and they are legally required to be at least 18 years old. Usually, these are returning camp staff members with experience in our program and a desire to work with Journeys campers. They receive additional safety training around supervising transport and in areas where the public is present.

Payment is due based on the following schedule:

• 25% due upon enrollment until April 15
• 50% of the balance is due April 15 or upon enrollment between April 15 and May 15
• 75% of the balance is due May 15 or upon enrollment between May 16 and June 15
• 100% of the balance is due before June 15 or upon enrollment after June 15

CampMinder allows you to keep a card on file that we will charge for you at these payment deadlines.

We are willing to work with any family on payment plans if this schedule does not work for you. Please contact Director of Summer Programs Zach d’Arbeloff to establish a payment plan or discuss financial assistance to ensure your tuition is paid by your child’s first day of camp.

Refunds

Full refunds are only given in the case of a medical or family emergency that was unforeseen, regardless of the date of the event.

Partial refunds may be available as follows:

• $100 per 2-week session administrative fee is non-refundable until April 15
• 25% per session is non-refundable after April 15
• Tuition is not refundable within two weeks of the session start date

School extension for snow days:
If school runs later than expected because of snow days or other missed days, Belmont Day will prorate a session for the days that school is still in session, provided the family decides to attend school and not camp. This should not affect Journeys programs, which begin in late July.