The Teachers' Role at Camp

Click here to download a copy of the Teachers' Role at Camp Highland in Word format

Arrival Day

We will be awaiting your arrival at 10:30 am on the first day of your program. We have staff meetings, inservices and work projects on these days, so if you arrive a good deal of time before this we are often not ready for you. If you know you will be much earlier or later than 10:30 am, please let us know and we will adjust our schedule to fit yours.

Once you arrive at camp, please know exactly how many students you have with you. The Instructors will take the students off of the busses and on a brief orientation tour followed by a discussion of the rules and expectations at Camp Highland. During this time the teachers will meet with the Camp Highland Directors to discuss details of the coming week. Please have all of your paperwork and payment ready at this time, so we can prepare an invoice for you. We'll give you a teacher packet for the week, including the week's schedule and an evaluation form for you to fill out. After this, we will move you into your rooms and then it is off to the dining hall for lunch. You will have two meetings in the afternoon with our Instructors, and the week is on its way!

Departure Day

We'll have a brief meeting on the morning of the last day to discuss how the week went and your thoughts on the program, Instructors, and students. Please arrange to have your busses here on the last day of the program no later than 10:00 am, so we can have them loaded up and ready for a 10:30 am departure. If you want to have lunch in the dining hall on the last day, please have your busses here no later than 11:00 am so we can load them up for an 11:45 departure time.

Number of Teachers

At least one of the adults attending Camp Highland must be a certified teacher employed by the school in attendance. One adult chaperone must attend camp for every 30 students. If you plan on leaving the camp property for a short time during your visit, please bring a cellular phone or pager so we can reach you in case of an emergency.

Teacher Accommodations

Camp Highland has arranged for Highland Springs Resort to provide two complimentary resort rooms for teachers during the program dates based on room availability and current cleaning schedules. Rooms will include at least two beds, a private bathroom, heating and air conditioning, and a telephone. Beds include sheets, blankets, and pillows, so you don't need to bring a sleeping bag. For any additional rooms there will be a charge of $50.00 per night for each room. Please note on your Program Request Form if you need extra rooms.

Telephones

There are pay phones on the property and telephones are available in the resort rooms for a refundable $10.00 deposit, but long distance phone calls are expensive and are charged to your room at the resort rate. We suggest bringing a calling card with you to save money. Teachers are responsible for their own long distance bills. Outside phone calls coming into the resort must go through the voice mail system, so make sure the party calling knows your room extension number. In case of an emergency, the Camp Highland's private line may be used.

Teachers in Classes

We encourage teachers to be involved in camp functions. We feel that your week here should be a positive experience for both students and teachers. Instructors will invite you to participate in activities, so do not be surprised if you are canoeing, rock climbing or team building with your students. Our only request is that you help maintain positive student behavior and comply with safety standards set by our staff.

Infirmary Duty

On the occasion that a student becomes ill and is checked into the infirmary for any length of time, including an overnight period, an accompanying teacher will be expected to stay in the infirmary to help supervise the child. This may include sleeping overnight in the infirmary. This allows the Camp Highland Medic to easily respond to other illnesses or emergencies in camp without leaving the student in the infirmary unsupervised.

Teacher Time

Each afternoon, excluding the first day of program, there will be an hour and 15 minutes block where you are needed to supervise your students. This is a great opportunity to spend time with students in a capacity that may not be available in a typical school setting. We have indoor and outdoor facilities for you if you'd like to: play games, create arts and crafts projects, sing songs, have your students write in their journals, etc. We have playing balls, hula hoops, and other props at your disposal. We ask that you do not allow students to go back to their cabins during this time unless they are supervised.

Dining Room Supervision

Meals are regularly the most hectic time of the day, so your help here is especially appreciated. Teachers will be expected to be on time to Breakfast and Dinner and to supervise a table by themselves if necessary. Once in the dining hall, please help us out by following these rules:

An adult must be at each table. Students will be assigned a table at each meal ensuring that they have the opportunity to meet and talk to different students, possibly from other schools. At times, we may have fewer adults than tables in the dining hall. We ask that you keep an eye on adjacent tables without an adult.
Students may not get up from the table without your permission. Reasons they may need to get up are for food, to see the Medic, or to go to the restroom.
Encourage the students at your table to make wise food choices, and hold them accountable for eating what they take before going back for more.
Students getting up from the table for seconds on food may go one at a time.
If a student must use the restroom during the meal, they must go with a buddy.
If a student needs to use the restroom after seconds is over, you must accompany them.

Teacher Forms

All of these forms are due one month (30 days) before your arrival so that we have ample time to prepare for your program needs. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE RECEIVE THESE FORMS 30 DAYS IN ADVANCE. You can fax, e-mail or send these in to us, but please make sure they are in on time. These forms are in the appendix of your School Packet or may be downloaded online on the Teacher's Paperwork Page.

Program Request Form: due one month (30 days) before your arrival.
Cabin and Trail Group Assignments: due one month (30 days) before your arrival.
T-shirt and Visor Order Form: due one month (30 days) before your arrival.

Student Forms

Student Forms are due on the day of arrival. They include the Consent/Health History Form, the Medication Form and the Discipline Agreement. Please make sure that:

Every student has a signed Consent/Health History Form
Every student has a signed Discipline Agreement
All of these forms are grouped as a school - not individual classes, and alphabetized.
If a student brought medication they have a signed Medication Form, and it is in the bag with the medicine.

A student without the correct form will be given until 6:00 p.m. the day of arrival to correct this situation. If the situation cannot be resolved by then, the parent or teacher will be responsible for transporting them home. You are expressly responsible for correcting any mistakes in the Student Forms.

The Discipline Agreement Form is for your use only to educate the students of our rules and policies. Please have your each student read this form with his or her parent or guardian, sign the form, and return it to you. We will collect these forms on the first day, as well.

Historically, the Medication Form presents the most trouble:

If a student is bringing over the counter medicine, only the parent needs to sign the form.
If the medication is prescription, a doctor's signature is required as well as the parent's.
All of the medication must be in its original container.
The dosage amounts on the package must be identical to those on the Medication Form.
When you arrive, the medication must be in a container (ziplock) along with the Medication Form. No medication should be in student luggage!

If any of the above requirements are not met we cannot administer the student's medication. In this situation we will hand the medication and form back to you, leaving you with express responsibility of resolving the situation, administering the medication yourself, or transporting the student home.

Student Discipline

We expect students to be on their best behavior while visiting our school. Exploratory learning provides a unique opportunity for students who may find difficulty in a typical classroom setting. Our program is set up to reward positive behavior instead of focusing on inappropriate behavior. In some cases, students may have difficulty adjusting to their time with us. If their actions are detrimental to the experience of other students and staff, we follow a three-strike policy:

Strike 1: The student and a staff member will discuss any poor choices, the impact these choices have on other members of our community, and solutions to avoid similar situations from arising in the future. The student will most likely miss an activity during these discussions, and accompanying teachers will be informed of actions taken by the staff.
Strike 2: The student will meet with a Director to discuss any inappropriate behavior and to review the contract that was signed prior to the student's visit. The teachers and parents are contacted at this point and made aware of the strike and of the possible consequences of an additional strike. The student will miss a nighttime activity.
Strike 3: A student who breaks their own contract will be responsible for the consequences. This may include expulsion.

ANY INFRACTION WHICH PUTS A STUDENT'S OR STAFF MEMBER'S SAFETY IN JEOPARDY WILL RESULT IN THE IMMEDIATE EXPULSION OF THE STUDENT.

For our discipline system to work effectively, we need the cooperation of both the parents and teachers. When a student gets a second strike, we will ask for the teacher's assistance in making sure that the situation is handled as constructively as possible. In the unfortunate case of expulsion, the parents will be called upon to transport their student from camp. If the parent is unable to do this, it is the teacher's responsibility to transport the student off the camp property. Please discuss these policies with your students in class.

We thank you in advance for your assistance with these issues. Your preparedness and attention to detail directly affect the quality of your students' experience.