Town of Halfmoon Recreation Department
Mara Sweeter, Recreation Director
Shannyn McCarthy, Assistant Director
2 Halfmoon Town Plaza
Halfmoon, NY 12065
518 -371-7410, ext. 2700
 

The information below is for the 2008 Summer Program.  For more detailed information, please see our Summer Brochure/Parent Handbook.  Brochures will become available starting April 1, 2008.  For specific questions, please contact the Recreation Office.

You must be a resident of the Town of Halfmoon to register for any of our
Summer Programs and EVERYONE must submit new immunization records
for our records before registering.

•     Pavilion Summer Program (Entering grade 1-3)

•     Mechanicville Summer Program (Entering grades 4-6)

•     Skano Summer Program (Entering grades 7-10, age limit of 15)

•     Before and After Summer Program

•     Tot Summer Program (Ages 3-5, not completed Kindergarten)

•     How to Register & Payment Policy / Registration Dates

•     Lessons

•     What to Wear & Bring

•     Expected Behavior

•     Refunds

•     Transportation / Busing

•     2008 Bus Schedule/Parent Reminders

•     Registration Forms

Pavilion Summer Program
(For children entering grades 1-3 in the fall)

This program is located behind the Halfmoon Town Hall on Harris Road, Halfmoon.  Activities offered include trips, lessons, arts and crafts, swimming and other recreational, social and educational experiences.

Children may use site phones for emergencies only.  We also run a before & after care program at the Halfmoon Hall Pavilion, 7am to 9am and again 3pm to 6pm.

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Mechanicville Summer Program
(For children entering grades 4-6 in the fall)

This program is located at the Mechanicville Elementary School, 25 Kniskern Avenue, Mechanicville.  Children are offered a variety of recreational, social, and educational activities including trips, lessons, swimming, open gym and arts and crafts.

Children may use site phones for emergencies only.  We also run a before & after care program at the Halfmoon Hall Pavilion, 7am to 9am and again 3pm to 6pm.

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Lessons

The Summer Program offers a variety of lessons for youths to attend during camp hours.  Lessons are held once a week.  They are to be paid in full at registration and are NON-REFUNDABLE.  If your child is interested in taking a lesson, you must register before June 8th.

Note: Lessons WILL conflict with trips.  Since lessons are non-refundable and trips are refundable, lessons take precedence over trips.  If you sign your child up for a trip when they are assigned to a lesson, they will be sent to the lesson unless a note is handed in that day specifically stating you prefer your child to go on the trip.  Instructors are responsible for scheduling make-up days.

LESSONS WILL CONFLICT WITH TRIPS, PLEASE PLAN ACCORDINGLY.  IF YOU PREFER YOUR CHILD TO GO ON TRIPS SO NOT SIGN THEM UP FOR LESSONS!

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What to Bring / Wear

Please bring / wear clothing appropriate for the activity or trip.  Swimsuits, towels, sun protection, tote bags, ... SHOULD ALL BE LABELED & BROUGHT NO MATTER WHAT KIND OF WEATHER.

Big Trip Days - Please plan appropriately.  Wear Recreation T-shirts and check permission slips for times of departures & arrivals.  LABEL all belongings.  Money given to a child will be his/her responsibility.  A waist or money pouch is suggested.

** Due to the nature of activities, we suggest that your child WEAR SNEAKERS DAILY.  DO NOT send your child in flip-flops or sandals.

Please realize that you child is at Recreation Day Camp and not at school.  Everything is open to view / hands of all campers.  There are no separate rooms or lockers to keep money, toys, clothing, etc.  HALFMOON RECREATION IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR LOST OR STOLEN ITEMS.  DO NOT BRING ANY TOYS / ITEMS TO REC.

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Expected Behavior

Responsibilities of Parent & Child:

Please prepare your child for camp.  Explain all rules and regulations to him/her.  Talk with your child about wanting or not wanting to spend his/her summer with us.  Please make us aware of any problems that your child may be experiencing at Day Camp.  Parents must guide their child(ren) to display appropriate, acceptable behavior.  The child must be prepared to be accountable for his/her actions.  Parents should known and understand the rules their children are expected to follow and be aware of the consequences for any violations.  (See section Three Strikes Plan)

Please talk with your child about responsibility and safety:

• For him / herself and actions and language toward staff and other campers

• For his / her belongings; all clothing, uniforms, towels, etc. (LABEL)

• For his/ her money; do not send small children with lunch or spending money in hand, it will NOT last long.  Please plan, waist pouch or money pouch is recommended.

• For his / her respect of the building / facility they are in.

Appropriate Behaviors:

• Non-aggressive actions

• Respectful of others, staff and equipment

• Uses appropriate language

Behavior Rules On The Bus:

• Remain in seats at all times

• Respect others.  Keep your hands to yourself.

• All objects inside bus windows.

• Keep the bus clean (no garbage / writing on the seats)

• Listen to all Bus Drivers, Counselors, Trip Coordinators, etc.

• Keep feet out of the aisles; no changing seats

• Listen carefully to all role-calls whenever necessary

• Eating / drinking on the bus is at the discretion of Bus Driver

Any damage / vandalism charges at a recreation site, on a bus, or
at a field trip will be paid by the child / parent

Behavior Rules On All Trips:

• Always listen for directions from Counselors & Trip Coordinators

• Make sure you can always see your counselor

• Always go with a Buddy, Never Alone!

• Keep track of the time (lunches; departures)

• Be aware of the 1st Aid Station and alert counselors of any problems

• Wear your Recreation T-shirt on all major trips and whenever possible

• Bring bag lunches on all trips. (Coolers are too heavy and buying is often too expensive)

• If your child is dismissed form camp, all program fees will be forfeited.  Trip feed will be refunding as long as they are $5.00 or more.

• Wear appropriate clothing (sneakers at all times, appropriate bathing suits, etc.)

• No glass bottles!

"Three Strikes You're Out" Plan

1. Warning: Staff separates child from group and rules / policies are reinforced.  Considered a WARNING; child sits in the office, a call to parent is made.

2. Strike One: Staff fills out Referral Form, calls the parent, and removes the child from camp for one day.

3. Strike Two: Staff fills out Referral Form, calls the parents, and removed the child from camp for one week.

4. Strike Three: Staff fills out Referral Form, calls the parent, and removes the child from camp for the remainder of the Summer Program.

Depending on the severity of the inappropriate behavior, one or all of the above steps may be skipped.  A child may be removed immediately without warning or referral at the Directors discretion (Records are kept).  Any staff member can give referrals on a bus, trips, lesson, or site.  If a parent is unable to pick up a child due to his / her Referral, they will remain in the office until their ride is available.

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Refunds

• Missed trips are refunded by the end of September (no request required)

• To minimize processing cost, NO TRIP REFUNDS will be issued for $5.00 or less

• In the event a trip vendor will not refund money for absent children to the Town of Halfmoon, the Town will not be able to provide a refund to the child to the missed trip.

• ALL OTHER REFUNDS (lessons, registration fee, wrap around fees) must be requested.  All requests must be submitted in writing and received in our office BY July 3, 2008.

• Emailed & faced requests will NOT be honored.  Requests must be dropped off to our office or sent by mail.

• Refund requests received AFTER July 3, 2008 WILL NOT BE HONORED

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Bus Transportation

Due to the addition of a third site this year and all the changes necessary to accommodate this year of growth, we will not be entertaining any requests for additional bus stops.  Instead, below is a list of all bus stops we will be utilizing this year.  Each but stop has been assigned a number.  Please have your child memorize their but STOP number, not their route number.  At registration you will be asked to sign up for a bus stop.  This will help us establish how the buses will run.

After registration is complete, we will then be able to determine the actual bus routes depending on how many children sign up for each bus stop.  Once the bus routes have been established, all participants in the program will be mailed a full bus schedule including approximate times for pick up.  We will not estimate times for drop offs in the afternoons.  Anyone picking up a child from a bus stop will need to be at the bus stop at 3:05pm the first couple of days of camp to determine drop off times.

DO NOT CONTACT SHENENDEHOWA TRANSPORTATION.

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