Camp Guide – Catholic University (Brookland, NE D.C.)

Have questions or want more information? We’re standing by to help you!

• • Email: customercare@headfirstcamps.com
  • Phone Number: (202) 981-5123

CAMPERS SHOULD ARRIVE – ALL PROGRAMS

• • Wearing Sunscreen
    • Apply sunscreen before arrival at camp and pack sunscreen for your camper
  • Wearing Sneakers or closed-back shoes
    • No flip flops or sandals
  • Wearing a Bathing Suit for Water Play

Please leave cell phones, iPads, gaming devices, other electronic devices, trading cards, toys and stuffed animals, sports equipment and irreplaceable items at home.

WHAT TO BRING – ALL PROGRAMS

• Lunch
  • Pack in a sealed lunch box with your camper’s name and plastic/disposable utensils and napkins
  • Lunch boxes will be kept indoors in a cool place but will not be refrigerated – please include a cold pack
  • Campers may not share food items so please pack unique items for each child if siblings are present
  • Each camper will have one snack provided daily
    • The provided snack will be Goldfish crackers. Campers are welcome to bring their own snack if these options don’t meet their needs. We recommend families with campers who have specific food allergies or sensitivities pack their own snack to eat.
  • For any additional information please refer to the lunch section below
• Water Bottle
  • Campers will be outdoors for a large portion of the day. Please be sure to send your camper with plenty of water and/or a water bottle to refill throughout the day.
  • Water coolers are available throughout the day for refills.
  • Campers will not be allowed to share water bottles, and we encourage you to pack enough water for the day if you are uncomfortable with your camper using camp/facility provided hydration stations.
• Change of Clothes
•  Sunscreen
  • If you would like your camper to use a specific type of sunscreen or has any allergies to common sunscreen, please send your camper with their own sunscreen in a labeled Ziploc bag for reapplication throughout the day
  • In case of forgotten sunscreen, Headfirst will provide sunscreen for campers
  • Campers will be outside a lot during the day, if you pack sunscreen, be sure to pack an ample amount
  • Sunscreen will stay in camper backpacks and taken out for use

Please be sure to label all items that are sent to camp with your camper(s) name. Any item with a name tag will be sent home, and any lost items will be tracked down to the best of our abilities.

Please leave all non-camp related items at home. Including cell phones, iPads, gaming devices, other electronic devices, trading cards, toys and stuffed animals, sports equipment and irreplaceable items.

*Any items without a name tag, will be posted on our Lost & Found section on the blog each Thursday. Please contact customer care if you recognize any items as yours and we will be sure to place in the campers bag before leaving on Friday.

No swim is offered at our Catholic University Campus; all campers will participate in daily water play. Campers should come to camp wearing their bathing suits. In a bag, they should bring a towel and a change of clothes.

We have one carpool wave for both morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up. Please see below for additional details.

We’re located at 600 Taylor St. NE, Washington, DC 20017, on the campus of the Catholic University’s DuFour Athletic Center. Drop-off and pick-up will be at the main entrance to the DuFour Athletic Center off of Bates Road NE. Once on campus, simply follow the Headfirst signs. Please note, this carpool location is slightly different from the summer of 2022.

Morning Arrival (Drop-off)

Our regular camp hours are 9:00am – 3:00pm.

Please arrive on campus no earlier than your designated drop-off time. Morning carpool will begin at 8:30am and end by 9:00am.

Afternoon Dismissal (Pick-up)

To help us keep the line moving, be sure to place a completed carpool Pick-up Placard on the passenger side of your dashboard during afternoon pick-up, and ensure that all pick-up people are listed as Authorized Drivers. To print a placard or add authorized drivers to your account, please go to the “Forms” section of your parent dashboard account. If you do not have your carpool Pick-up Placard during afternoon carpool, you will be required to show a photo ID that matches a name on our Authorized Driver list.

Without this Pick-up Placard, proper Authorized Driver status, or a photo ID our staff will be required to go through our pick-up authorization process, which will add wait time to your pick-up experience.

• AM Drop-off: 8:30 am – 9:00 am
• PM Pick-up: 2:30 pm – 3:00 pm

Lunch and Snack

• Pack in a sealed lunch box with your camper’s name and plastic/disposable utensils and napkins
• Lunch boxes will be kept indoors in a cool place but will not be refrigerated – please include a cold pack
• Campers may not share food items so please pack unique items for each child if siblings are present
• Each camper will have one snack provided daily
  • The provided snack will be Goldfish crackers. Campers are welcome to bring their own snack if these options don’t meet their needs. We recommend families with campers who have specific food allergies or sensitivities pack their own snack to eat.

We do not have a fridge on-site for our campers to store their lunch boxes or a microwave on-site for our campers to heat up their lunch. Lunches will be stored indoors during the camp day, but may be outside briefly during morning carpool. Therefore, if you are sending your camper with food that needs to be kept at a cooler temperature, we ask that you include an ice pack in your camper’s lunch box. We also ask that you do not send your camper with any lunch items that require reheating.

Also, please include any utensils or other items your camper may need to eat their lunch, as we do not supply utensils.

*If your camper has food allergies, please refer to section below, Life-Threating Food Allergies, for more information

For camper safety, Headfirst Summer Camps provides a table during lunch and/or snack that is free from both peanuts and tree nuts, which we call the Allergy-Free Table. If you indicated during the registration process that your camper has a life-threatening food allergy, your camper is automatically assigned to the Allergy-Free Table. If you do not want your camper to sit at the Allergy-Free Table, we request that you complete “Allergy-Free Table Waiver” section of the Enrollment Questions form.

To complete the waiver, please do the following:

• In the Parent Dashboard, select the Forms tab. Click on your camper’s name, and then select the Enrollment Questions form. Select yes and read the instructional text and questions, and select either Yes or No at the bottom of the page.
  • By selecting Yes, you agree that your child will sit at the Allergy-Free Table with other children and counselors who experience similar food allergies. You also agree that your child will bring a lunch and/or snack that is free from peanuts and tree nuts.
  • By selecting No, you agree that even though your child has a peanut, tree nut, or other food allergy, and may be seated with campers whose lunch and/or snack may contain these common food allergens, you do not feel it is necessary for your child to sit at the Allergy-Free Table.

Please contact us with any questions or concerns.

MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION AND AUTHORIZATION INSTRUCTIONS

** FOR CAMPERS WHO BRING MEDICATION THAT NEEDS TO BE ADMINISTERED ONSITE **

Please follow the instructions below carefully. If you have any questions, contact us at (202) 625-1921 or customercare@headfirstcamps.com.

If your child is bringing medication to camp, please follow these instructions so we may ensure your child’s safety at all times at our camps.

1. Clearly mark the medication with your child’s first and last name.
2. Complete and print out the Medication Administration and Authorization form in the Parent Dashboard (instructions below).
3. Place both of the above into a one-gallon zip lock bag. Seal the bag.
4. With a permanent marker, please neatly write your child’s first and last name on the outside of the bag.

Upon your arrival at camp on Monday, hand the bag – with both the medication and completed form inside – to the person who greets you at your car or check-in table. We will then walk your child directly to the camp Safety Coordinator.

1. If your camper’s medication must be with them at all times (e.g., an EpiPen or inhaler), the Safety Coordinator will place it in an Emergency Fanny Pack and give it to their counselor, who will wear it on his/her person at all times. If your camper changes groups or transfers into another activity that is supervised by another counselor, the medication will be transferred to the counselor supervising your camper and his/her group. The Safety Coordinator will also provide your child with a temporary red bracelet (this will happen each morning at check-in). We will mark the bracelet with your child’s name on it so his or her identity can be matched to the medication for the duration of the camp day.
2. If your camper’s medication does not need to be with them throughout the entire day, the medication will remain with our Safety Coordinator so s/he may supervise the medication administration at the appropriate time(s) of day.

Important Notes:

1. The Headfirst Companies will supervise medical administration but will not administer medication directly, with the exception of campers who bring their own EpiPen and are suffering from anaphylaxis, and campers who bring their own inhaler and are suffering from an asthma exacerbation.
2. All medication will be returned at the end of each week. If your camper is attending multiple weeks, please bring the medication back each Monday.
3. If you believe your camper’s medical condition requires additional consideration beyond what was previously outlined, please contact us directly so we may discuss the establishment of a tailored medical management plan.

To complete the “Medication Administration Authorization” form:

• In the Parent Dashboard, select the “Forms” tab
• Click on your camper’s name, and then select the form named “Medication Administration Authorization”
• Click on the “Download Medication Administration Authorization form” link
• Print and complete the document
• Scan and upload the document by following the same uploading steps (in the Forms section), and selecting the “Choose File…” button to select completed and scanned copy to upload
• Include the copy you printed out in your camper’s zip lock bag with his/her medicine

*This form is for self-administration, if you would prefer to allow on-site staff to administer the medication, please contact Customer Care for a revised form.

Extended care is offered on a weekly-basis in the morning and afternoon. Campers can be dropped off as early as 7:30am and picked up any time before 6pm. The children in our Extended Day enjoy a variety of activities, including sports, crafts, and board games, so they’ll come home happy (and tired!).

Snack will be provided by Headfirst – Goldfish crackers. Campers are welcome to bring their own snack if these don’t meet their needs. We recommend families with campers who have specific food allergies or sensitivities pack their own snack to eat.

To enroll, just add the Extended Day option through the Parent Dashboard on your Camper Application or over the phone.

Available by the week only.

• AM Extended Day Tuition: $90/week
• PM Extended Day Tuition: $165/week

SAMPLE EXTENDED DAY SCHEDULE:

AMX and PMX Pick Up & Drop Off Instructions

Pull through the usual carpool lane and someone will greet you.

For drop off, be sure to place a completed carpool Pick-up Placard on the passenger side of your dashboard, and ensure that all pick-up people are listed as Authorized Drivers. We will bring your camper to your car.

If you’d like to request that your camper be in a group with another camper, you are able to submit a “Buddy Request” anytime between registration and June 1st. To submit a buddy request, fill out the form titled “Buddy Requests” in your parent dashboard account.

Each year, we are joined by campers who come to camp with friends, those who come to camp not knowing anyone and many campers who are new to the area altogether. For all categories of campers, and the many in between, we strive to create a culture and group dynamic that aids each child in achieving their personal best and in expanding his or her social comfort zone.

Our Buddy Policy allows families to make limited requests for their child to be paired with friends — while also ensuring that each camp group can be arranged thoughtfully and balanced in such a way that every member of that group is set up to enjoy and make the most of every day with us.

We do our best to accommodate buddy requests as we know how important this can be to our campers. The number of buddies that we guarantee varies by both camper age and the program for which you’re enrolling – please see the table below for more information.