5th Grade Science Camp?...

[Kiana]

Our school chooses to have high school teenagers supervise our 10 and 11 year old 5th graders at science camp. This camp is 80 miles from our home. The camp mixes schools in the cabins. So my child may be sleeping with children that we dont know while being supervised by a teenager we dont know. The camp is Monday - Friday and they can not take a cell phone. I just cant let my daughter go. I would go along if they would let me but the answer is NO. Am I alone on this one? Thanks for your thoughts.
Kiana

 

[jtee]

Kiana, if you don't feel comfortable with it, then don't let your daughter go, but investigate it so you know you are making the right decision based on good information.

My question how is this different than going to a summer camp?

Our 11 year old daughter has gone to various different camps for the past 3 years and both my wife and I feel that it has been a great experience for her and she wants to be a camp counselor herself when she gets older (she may change her mind of course). Most camps are run by professional adults who supervise the young adult camp counselors, so it is not like such camps are run by teenagers. In part, these camps are also training teenagers to be mentors to younger children who look up to them as leaders.

 

[Kiana]

Hi jtee, thanks for the reply. My guess is its not different than going to summer camp. We live in California and while I am sure there is some overnight summer camp program, we dont know anyone who has attended it. This is what I found out when I investigated - the camp is a 30 minute car ride to any emergency facility. Which didnt help with the nerves.

 

[jtee]

Having a camp for children that is a 30 minute drive from medical help, I must say, that is extremely unusual based on my experience. Where is this camp located at?

 

[musicmom]

That sucks because it sounds so cool. I would not allow it either only because a teenager is NOT capable of monitoring children. They are only children themselves. They should allow chaperone's that are background checked. (my children's school background checks all volenteers and chaperon's)
Can you drive the child and pick them back up? Or find another camp or something. Good luck. I stand behind you on this one.

 

[Trina]

I would not be comfortable with that situation either, but before nixing it all together, do more research. Contact whomever is directing this trip and find out all the details first. If in fact, there truly are only teenage chaperones, my child would not be going.

My DS (11) went to Nature's Classroom this past October. The entire 6th grade in our district goes every year. It's a Science/Nature program where the kids sleep in cabins and are gone for 5 days. However, it is run and chaperoned by teachers and parents with a nurse on staff. I was nervous at first, because it's out in the boonies and DS has asthma and severe food allergies, but after I spoke with the food director and staff leaders I felt confident of DS's safety. He went and had a blast.

 

[FooserX]

I don't see any problem with it...but that's just me. I don't freak out over the same things other parents do.

 

[Kaytee]

I'm with Fooser, sounds like a normal camp experience to me. If you send your child to a YMCA camp, it will be adults i charge (but not as a leader in front of the little ones) the teenages (usaully senior high school through about 20) are the camp counselors. 30 minutes from a hospital is not that far in the scheme of things. Heck up until last year my nearest one was about 45 minutes away. I am sure there is a nurse on staff though. Any camp I have ever seen has a 24 hour live there nurse who would be able to handle nay medical emergency until the child either gets to the hospital or until an ambulance gets there if something did happen.

 

[jenilouise]

Okay I was a counselor at science camp in high school and college. Possibly even the one she would go to as it was in California. There are naturalists and teachers not just teens. The girls and boys are on different sides of the camp. There are phones at the camp if something should happen however cell phones are not permitted (and if it is in the mountains like the one I went to there is no reception anyways). There are usually two counselors to a cabin with 7-10 kids as well as the teachers and the naturalists who are always there supervising. they take night shifts walking the grounds too so as no kids sneak out and before lights out there is a mandatory head count. Many of the counselors return several years in a row so they know the drill. The counselors have to be good kids- from grades to general behavior they are checked out. It's a really awesome experience (I went as a 5th grader also) and also a very safe one.

If you do let her go make sure you have Wint-O-Green Lifesavers when she gets home. She will have a really cool trick to show you. Everyone who has gone to Science Camp remembers that if nothing else. That and the SCAT song.

 

[Kaytee]

I know the lifesavers thing!!!!! I forgot about it until now! I bet Nichole would get kick out of it!

 

[jenilouise]

I was just thinking I should buy some and show my kids.