Camp Guide – Seven Locks (Bethesda)

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

• • Email: customercare@headfirstcamps.com.
  • Phone Number: (202)625-1921

• Masks
  • Masks are optional for campers based on family preference. We encourage campers of all ages to wear masks if they can do so safely. Staff are required to wear face masks at all times when indoors.
• Water Bottle
  • Campers will be outdoors for a large portion of the day this year. 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.
    • Please note these hydration stations will be cleaned and sanitized daily for the safety of your camper and our staff
• Snack
  • Junior Day Campers will have morning snack provided.
    • Snack – choice of Goldfish crackers or pretzels. 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.
• Sunscreen
  • Apply sunscreen before arrival at camp
  • Campers will be outdoors for a large portion of the day. Please pack plenty of sunscreen in a labeled Ziploc bag for reapplication throughout the day
  • Sunscreen will stay in camper backpacks and taken out for use
• Sneakers or closed-back shoes
  • No flip flops or sandals

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

Due to health and safety recommendations from federal, local and site partners, we will be unable to save any lost items that do not have a name on them.

Please be sure to label all items that are sent to camp with your camper(s). Any item with a name tag will be sent home.

Updated Policy: Masks Now Required During Carpool
Due to Governor Hogan’s recent mask order, all authorized drivers will now be required to wear a mask during Headfirst carpool pick-up and drop-off to ensure the safety of campers, staff and families.

We’re located at 9500 Seven Locks Rd, Bethesda, MD 20817, on the campus of Seven Locks Elementary. Once on campus, simply follow the Headfirst signs.

In the interest of camper safety and maintaining an efficient carpool process, we ask that camp families stay in the car while in the carpool lane.

Morning Arrival (Drop-off)

Our regular camp hours are 9:00am – 12:00pm. Please arrive on campus no earlier than 8:40am. Morning carpool will begin at 8:45am and end by 9:00am.

Dismissal (Pick-up)

Please arrive on campus no earlier than 11:40am for carpool to begin at 11:45am.

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 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.

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

Half Day Junior Day Campers will not have lunch at camp. Morning snack will be provided by Headfirst.

The Waiver and Pre-Camp Health Status Certification forms are both required to participate in Summer 2020 programming. 

• If you have multiple campers registered, please fill out separate forms for each camper.
• All Camper Forms can be completed electronically! You can access all forms through the Parent Dashboard by selecting the “Forms” tab on the left side of the page.

All Camper Health Forms can be completed electronically! You can access this form through the Parent Dashboard and then:

• Select the “Forms” tab at the top of the page
• Click the form named “Health Forms”
• Fill out that form through the portal. Please note: no documents need to be provided or uploaded for this form.
• Click “Submit” to finish the form
• If you have multiple campers registered, repeat the above for each with their respective health forms

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. 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. 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 bag (including the form) 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 the blank Medication Administration & Authorization form” link
• Print and complete the document
• Scan and upload the document by following the same uploading steps (in the Health Forms section), and selecting the “Browse…” 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

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, we request that you complete the Allergy-Free Table Waiver, to indicate whether or not you wish for your child to sit at this table during lunch/snack.

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 Allergy-Free Table Waiver form. 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.

If you’d like to request that your camper be in a group with another camper, you are able to submit a “Buddy Request”. 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.