Parents and Students

Packing Tips and What to Bring:

• Chap Stick or lip balm
• Rain gear (plastic ponchos work well)
• Sleeping bag or blankets & sheets
• 2 pairs of athletic shoes or boots that can get very dirty
• Pillow
• Warm jacket or coat
• Towel
• 2 sweatshirts or sweaters
• Soap and shampoo
• Warm shirts
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Long pants (3 or 4 pairs)
• Brush or comb
• Pajamas or something to sleep in
• Deodorant
• Short sleeved shirts or T-shirts
• Hat with a brim or visor
• Underclothing
• Sunscreen
• 6 pairs of socks
• Bag for dirty clothes
• Water bottle

IMPORTANT: Please check the weather forecast and adjust packing accordingly. Rain, snow and sun are all possibilities depending on the time of year.

• Our curriculum is aligned with Next Gen Science Standards, and we pride ourselves in experiential education techniques that allow students to learn by exploring the natural world. Students will fill out a field journal along the way to document all they have learned while at camp.
• Students will be placed in “hike groups” that are assigned after arrival, with teacher support. Everyone will do two hikes/activities a day, each being 3 hours, Tuesday-Thursday. These classes are broken up by lunch and an hour recess.
• After dinner, students will go back with their cabins and participate in scheduled evening activities such as, Bonanza (skits and songs performed by Y staff), a Night Hike, Leadership Night (a cabin bonding activity where they get to know their cabin-mates better), and Skit Night, where they will get a chance to perform a cabin-made skit for the rest of camp!
• View a sample of our weekly schdule!

MISSING HOME: Going away to camp can sometimes be a challenging event for children. We understand parent concerns and will work with you to ensure that your child has a positive experience. Our first practice is very simple - PREVENTION. We find that keeping campers busy is the best anti-homesickness strategy. Sometimes, however, children still experience varying degrees of anxiety. We work to help missing home children overcome their difficulty. Most of the time we are successful. If your child is having a hard time adjusting, we will phone you to seek your support (you are the expert on your child).

Homesickness Tips:

• Have your child start small, try a sleepover at a trusted friend of family members house for a night.
• Let them know camp is a safe place where they get to try new things and have fun, pump up the experience for them!
• Have them take a comfort item from home to camp, like a stuffed animal or favorite blanket.

Ground/Cabins:

• YMCA Camps Marston and Raintree Ranch are located in the mountains of historic Julian. Our property is home to diverse species of flora and fauna.
• Camp Marston facilities include an athletic field, meeting lodge, dining hall, basketball court and more. Cabins house 24 campers and each lodge has 4 toilets and 4 showers, all with their own private stall.
• Raintree Ranch is perfect for smaller groups. Raintree boasts a rustic ranch house with a dining area as well as the larger “bunk house” and bathrooms are located inside the buildings.

Cabin Assignments:

• Cabin groups are made up with help from school administrators and teachers; their input and suggestions are taken into account in forming the cabin groups for the week. The school will put students in groups of six. These groupings will make up each cabin. Students will be with groups of students from their school, along with the other schools at camp as well (if applicable).

Shower & Sleeping Arrangements:

• Our cabins have 4 rooms of six bunks, where the students will sleep. Our staff sleep in the main living room, so they are easily accessible in case they are needed throughout the night. Each staff member has a radio in case they need to reach a Camp Coordinator throughout the night.
• Students will shower twice during the week (Tuesday & Wednesday). Our cabins have four showers each and have stall doors for privacy. All students will change behind these closed stall doors after they are finished showering so they may have their privacy.
• Showers are no more than 5 minutes, as we do need to get through everyone.

All meals are provided by camp food service staff and are served family style in our dining halls. Schools contract for meals beginning with lunch upon arrival through breakfast on the day of departure. A fruit/cereal bar at breakfast and a salad bar at lunch and dinner add to our healthy living philosophy.

Meal Menu:

• Our kitchen operates on a rotating menu designed to ensure that all meals are not only delicious but also nutritionally balanced. By continually refreshing our offerings, we keep meals varied while adhering to dietary guidelines that promote health and wellness.

Dietary Restrictions:

• We can accommodate most dietary restrictions, please make sure you note any allergies or restrictions your child may have on our Health History Form. We are a nut free facility. Please give our office a call, (760) 765-0642 if you would like to discuss your child’s diet or have any questions about our menu. For more serve or uncommon allergies/restrictions, contact our office to discuss them with our Food Service Director.

Health Center Information:

• The YMCA staff includes Health Care personnel, trained in CPR, First Aid and health care. A doctor is on call in nearby Julian, and the camp is serviced by a County Sheriff’s Ambulance 5 miles away. Safety is stressed from the beginning to the end of the camp experience with our “Truddy” system, complete orientations and practiced fire/emergency drills. Please contact the Outdoor Education Director in advance to discuss possible arrangements for children with special needs.

Medications:

• All medications, including over the counter medications are submitted to health care staff at check in (State Law). Prescription drugs must be in the original container with physician’s instructions. If there is more than one kind of medication, please place the original containers into a Ziploc bag labeled with camper’s name and school. You will be asked to provide complete written directions on dosage and frequency and verify instructions for dispensing your child’s medications during check-in.

Parent Contact while at Camp:

• Phone Calls Home: There is not an opportunity for campers to call home during the week. However, if a child is feeling anxious and asks to call home, we will make it happen! We want all campers and parents to feel comfortable with their experience. If a phone call helps, then we will find time in between activities to work that out. Our staff may also contact you in advance of child calling to discuss information about goals, behavior, homesickness, or even a special achievement.
• Visiting Days: We do not allow visiting days during the week, and only allow parents/family to visit on opening and closing days of each session. Coming to camp is a great step in fostering independence, and mid-week family visits can prove to be disruptive to that goal.
• Mail: Campers love receiving letters from home while at camp! Please send all letters to:
  Camper's Name, School Name
  YMCA CAMP MARSTON
  PO Box 2440
  Julian, CA 92036

Disciplinary Policies and Procedures:

• At camp, we foster an environment filled with friendship, respect and character development using positive techniques of guidance, including redirection, positive reinforcement and encouragement rather than competition, comparison and criticism. Campers who cannot live within the rules of the camp or are adversely affecting the experience of other children will be dismissed under the schoolteacher's guidance.
• Parents are then responsible for coming to camp and picking up their child.