Camp Lael 2016

Each year, the 6th grade class attends a four-day Outdoor Education class as part of our science curriculum. The dates for this year’s class are Tuesday September 20th through Friday, September 23rd. We will stay the night at camp on Thursday, September 22nd. The other three days we will leave the school at 8:30am and return to school in time for dismissal. The cost of the class is $125.00 per student, which includes all of the educational experiences, lunch each day, dinner Thursday evening, overnight lodging, breakfast Friday morning, and all the materials used throughout the four days. Transportation costs through GLTA will be $5.00, for a total of $130.00. The permission slip is being sent home with this letter. Please let Mrs. Clemens or me know if the cost presents a hardship, and we will work something out.

Peter McCreedy and his associates will be teaching this class. They are very knowledgeable in the field of ecology, and they make the topics come alive for the students. Students will learn first-hand about natural foods, sustainability of our environment, habitats, blacksmithing, woodworking, canoeing, pond and swamp life, and many other topics. The experience is a highlight of 6th grade, and what we learn will be useful in our science class for the rest of the year.

Students should wear clothes that can get dirty. No uniforms are required. A second pair of old shoes or water boots and sock are recommended because when we are in the swamps, feet often get wet. We will be outside rain or shine, so they should dress for the weather. Bring rain gear if the weather report calls for it, and a sweatshirt or jacket for cool mornings. Binoculars, field guides, hand lenses, and a refillable water bottle are fine to bring. For Thursday night students will need a sleeping bag and pillow, a toothbrush and towel, and clothes to wear on Friday. We will not be taking showers at camp, so shampoo, etc. will not be needed. Students are welcome to bring fishing poles and tackle on Thursday. DO NOT BRING laptops, iPods, tablets, or other gaming devices.

We will need a parent volunteer for our class each day, plus a dad for the boy’s cabin and a mom for each girl’s cabin on Thursday night. Your commitment would be from about 8:45 to 3:00 each day (Thursday until about 5:00pm). The overnight shift is from about 5:00pm until about 8:30am the next morning. We can accommodate parents who need to leave early Friday morning for work. Because of the nature of our class, no siblings allowed. Please use the attached slip to let me know if you can volunteer. We get such a fantastic response from our parent volunteers that it is necessary to ask you to pay $5.00 for lunch on the day you volunteer. Thank you in advance.

I look forward to another educational, fun-filled Outdoor Education Camp experience. Thank you for your help and for making this opportunity possible. Your children and I appreciate it!

Camp Lael Permission Slip