At Camp Roots, it is our mission to provide children of all ages outdoor play and learning environments that nourish the mind, body and soul of all participants. It is understood by both the camper(s) and their corresponding guardian(s) that the Camp Rules are essential in order for us to collaboratively maintain a safe environment that allows everyone the opportunity to be free to play, learn, explore, and create.

Every parent/guardian is required to read the following information with his/her camper to be sure all rules/procedures are understood. Camp Roots reserves the right to suspend or expel any camper from the program who poses discipline problems, whether or not all of steps in our discipline procedure have been completed.

Commitment to Safety, Respect and Kindness

All participants in Camp Roots, including teachers and staff as well as children, are expected to act and speak in ways that are safe, respectful and kind toward themselves, other Camp Roots participants, visitors or staff of the park, and the park’s wild inhabitants. Teachers work actively with the children to continually develop ways of being safe, respectful and kind.

General Rules of Camp Roots

1. Safety is our #1 Rule. Follow all rules and instructions by camp staff promptly to ensure safety.

2. Show respect to all campers, staff, equipment and property. No put-downs, insults, aggressive behavior or teasing will be tolerated.

3. Fighting, hitting, theft, or destruction of camp property will not be tolerated.

4. Clean up after yourself.

5. Do not run away from staff supervision or leave the camp premises without a parent/guardian. Campers should ALWAYS be with their counselor/teacher unless they have permission to be elsewhere.

6. Always ask permission from a lead teacher to use the indoor restroom or get a drink from the water fountain. A lead teacher must go with you.

7. Avoid all forms of horseplay including piggyback rides, wrestling, hitting, kicking, pinching and picking each other up.

8. Only staff and campers are permitted in program areas.

9. Profanity or negative talk toward others will not be tolerated.

10. If you do not feel well, tell a teacher.

11. If there is a problem of any kind, notify a staff member immediately.

Camper Guidelines

• Hiking sticks must be shorter than you are tall
• Sticks to be carried and waved around must be shorter than your arm. Sticks may not be used to hit another person.
• Do not kill or damage living things!-Plants, Trees, Insects, Mushrooms, etc.
• Fall-Spring: no deeper than knees in lake. Summer: up to waist in designated areas.
• Be within sight and/or hearing distance of a teacher at all times
• No gun play
• No toys or electronics from home
• No petting dogs
• No sharing food
• No feeding the wild animals
• No digging in the grass/fields
• Do not eat plants/berries/mushrooms you find unless cleared by a teacher
• Do not throw things at people (unless as part of a mutually agreed-upon game)
• No exclusionary activities
• No horseplay on the trails
• No playing or yelling in the bathrooms
• Forest materials/treasures/creatures stay in the forest
• If animals/insects are moved from their home for observation, they must be put back where they were found
• Animals /Insects should be placed in a bug box for observation, rather than held in a hand
• Animals/Insects may be gently felt with one finger
• No screaming unless you’re hurt or need immediate help (yelling is fine, screaming means you’re in trouble!)
• Do not destroy others’ projects without their consent
• Do not dare or pressure others to do anything beyond where they feel safe
• No means no

Touching Policy

A touching policy is in place with the intent to provide rules around physical touch for all of our campers and staff.

Physical contact is appropriate if it:

• Occurs during light touch tag games- Consent is required
• Occurs when holding hands- Consent is required
• Occurs when giving a kind and gentle hug - Consent is required
• Occurs when helping a peer/student if they need a hand getting up or off of something.
• Includes safe touches. These are touches that keep children safe and are good for them, and that make children feel cared for and important. Safe touches can include hugging, pats on the back, and an arm around the shoulder. Safe touches can also include touches that might hurt, such as cleaning a cut or removing a splinter. Teachers will explain to children that in these instances, they are working to keep the child healthy, which makes it a safe touch.

Physical contact is inappropriate if it:

• Includes touching the groin, genital area, buttocks, breasts or any part of the body that may cause distress or embarrassment.
• Is non-consensual.
• Frightens, distresses or embarrasses a child or member of the teaching staff.
• Includes unsafe touches. These are touches that hurt child’s/teaching staff's body or feelings (for example, hitting, pushing, pinching, and kicking).
• Includes unwanted touches. These are touches that might be safe but that a child doesn't want from that person or at that moment. It is okay for a child to say "no" to an unwanted touch, even if it is from a familiar person.

Disciplinary Procedure

In order to ensure the quality of this program and safety of the campers, each camper must follow program rules. The following procedures will be followed when children misbehave or break camp rules. We reserve the right to bypass one or more steps in the process if a situation warrants. If a serious offense has occured, your camper will be sent home with a discipline slip. The discipline slip will need to be signed, dated and returned to camp the following camp day.

Campers are encouraged to practice those social skills that will allow them to resolve conflicts and meet their needs without the use of harmful or destructive behaviors. When disciplinary situations occur that require intervention, camp staff provides the child with clear explanations as to why specific behavior is inappropriate. They then help him/her find alternative behavior that fits within the camp guidelines of appropriate behaviors. These guidelines revolve around concerns for the safety of all members in camp.

Minor Offense:

May include:

• Disrespect of staff or participants
• Inappropriate behavior
• Failure to follow established camp rules and norms

Collaborative Disciplinary Procedure:
1st Offense: Discuss with camper about disruptive behavior. Teacher will collaborate with camper to plan alternative behavior options to try in the future.

2nd Offense: Time spent with Teacher, or time away from group if camper needs time alone, or to take a break. Lead Teacher will collaborate with camper and discuss alternative behavior options to utilize in the future.

3rd Offense: Meeting with Lead Teacher, necessary staff, parent(s)/guardian(s), and camper(s) involved.

If it is deemed necessary to remove camper from program, parent(s)/guardian(s) will be notified immediately; refunds will not be awarded under these circumstances.

Serious Offense:

May include:

• Endangering the well-being of themselves or others
• Swearing or verbal abuse of staff or participants
• Stealing or destruction of property
• General disregard for Teachers, Volunteers, or program regulations
• Acting aggressively toward others

Disciplinary Procedure:

1st Offense: Parent/guardian will be notified regarding the incident, and will be required to retrieve child for the day and sign-out from the Lead Teacher.

2nd Offense: Termination or suspension from the program will be at the Director’s discretion. No refunds will be awarded under these circumstances.