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Frequently Asked Questions

1] I’m nervous about sending my little ones to camp… He/she is only 5-8 years old...who watches them and what’s their day like?

Absolutely... in fact The Camp is offering $100.00 off Session II enrollment.

2] Can I sign my kid(s) up for both sessions?

Yes… $75.00 /wk

3] Are weekly rates still available?

First, it's important to realize that our swim area is cordoned off from the rest of the river. [See photo gallery] The deepest part of the swim area is 4ft. Red Cross certified lifeguards are positioned at the edges of the docks. Older campers have to pass a rigorous swim test in order to gain access to the raft which lies slightly beyond the swim area. Lifeguards are positioned on the raft at all times. Campers can only enter the water with a swim buddy and corresponding name tags are placed on a buddy-board to insure an accurate count of all swimmers at all times. Every 5-10 minutes the head lifeguard blows the whistle, swimmers must stop what they're doing, find their buddy, and hold their hands up to be counted. This is known as a BUDDY CHECK. The count is then cross referenced with the corresponding name tags on the buddy board to maintain safety. This process repeats every 10 minutes or so...hour after hour...whenever there are children in the water.

4] How are my kids supervised in the river?

5] What should the kids bring to camp?

· lunch... in an "old-school" brown paper bag. [The new fangled containers take up too much room in the fridge!] FRIDAYS the campers may buy pizza slices [$1.00] courtesy of Apollo Pizza...we also have a soda machine.

· a bathing suit

· a towel

· sandals [don't bother with socks...your kids will lose them ...sandals are versatile and can be worn right into the water, on the basketball court and at the field]

sun block ... we also have extra just in case

First, they are divided into groups by age. Counselors are assigned to each group. The day is divided into 4 main program activities. Swimming, boating, sports, and Arts & Crafts / Academics. The campers participate in each activity for an hour, and then rotate. At 2:30pm, we have what's called "free choice" and the campers can pick whatever activity they liked the best, and do more of that!

6] What do the kids do all day?

11] Who are the people running this camp, and do they know anything about kids?

The Recreation Camp Derby, CT.

Understand that the campers are divided into groups by age...so the 5s and 6s stay with the 5s and 6s...the 7s and 8s stay with the 7s and 8s etc. as they go from activity to activity. Each group gets its own adult counselor (usually a certified teacher) and then usually 1 or 2 other college/high school age counselors. The counselors stay with their campers all day...escorting them from program activity to program activity, down to the waterfront, up for lunch, out to the basketball court, across to the field, into the Rec. room etc. Furthermore, each program [i.e. Activities Program, Waterfront Program, etc] has its own adult director [ALL of whom are certified teachers]. For example, if your child is 5, he/she would be in the “red group”. The red group head counselor is a CT. certified teacher. There are typically 2 other counselors also assigned to the red group on a daily basis. [The State of Connecticut mandates a ratio of1 counselor for every 12 campers]. Our Activities Director would then be overseeing the head counselor and other counselors during whatever activity the campers were engaged in. The same holds true for the waterfront. We have an entire staff of Red-Cross certified lifeguards and small craft safety (boating) instructors manning the waterfront at all times; but then our Waterfront Director or myself oversees the lifeguards and boating instructors. I’m proud to say that as Camp Director for the past 6 years, either myself or my Waterfront Director has been on the waterfront every minute that a child has been in the water. At the Recreation Camp, we take safety very seriously, have had a flawless safety record for 91 years, and have earned our reputation as the safest place to swim in the Valley.

The little guys don't get to go boating...they're not big enough to paddle a kayak, canoe, or sail...etc. We do however load them into canoes from time to time and explore the shoreline...looking for turtles, ducks, fish or lost treasure. ALL boaters wear life vests regardless of age...and a lifeguard paddles the canoe.... Sometimes we even take them out into the middle of the river or all the way across to Shelton and back...Sometimes we take them for rides on the paddle boats while the older kids are doing outdoor sports and not on the waterfront......again, an adult paddles the boat...

7] Do the campers in the red and yellow groups [ages 5-8] do boating?

We just blow a whistle and tell them to run for it...kinda’ like a real-life version of the video game “Frogger”!!!

ONLY KIDDING !!!

As a gift from the Derby Police, we were given crossing guard vests and stop signs along with a Crossing Guard Certification Course for the staff… So, when the time comes, the adults walk out onto Rt. 34 with their vests and stop signs, stop all oncoming traffic in both directions, and then bring the kids on the crosswalk to the other side.

9] Speaking of Rt. 34, when the campers play at the field, how do they get across?

We actually now have our own parking lot and turn-a-round directly across the street from the camp. We recommend pulling into the lot, parking, and then walking your kid(s) across the crosswalk, along the new gravel sidewalk, and then into camp. Utilizing the turn-a-round lot across the street eliminates the need to back out onto Rt. 34 into oncoming traffic.

Let me say that again... Utilizing the turn-a-round lot across the street eliminates the need to back out onto Rt. 34 into oncoming traffic.

8] Rt. 34 is crazy. How do I drop off / pick up my kids?

No...we’ve had kids from Orange, Trumbull, Monroe, Waterbury, Naugatuck, etc. So long as you can get them there...we’ll take’em!!!

10] Do I have to be a resident of Derby, Ansonia, Shelton, Seymour or Oxford to send my kid(s) to this camp?

Name	Title	Qualifications
Mike Drew	Camp Director	· CT certified Social Studies Teacher [Grade 7-12] Bachelors Degree · Red Cross certified Lifeguard, Sailing, Kayaking and Canoeing and Rowing Instructor
Ron Napoli	Activities Director	· CT certified Social Studies Teacher [Grade 7-12] · Dual Master's Degrees [1-education / 1- political science]
Pedro DosSantos	Waterfront Director	· CT certified Elementary Education Teacher · Master's Degree in Education
Ray Byron	Sports & Fitness Director	· CT certified Business Teacher [Grade 7-12] Masters Degree, 6th Year and 092 Administrator’s Certification
Joanne Mumley	Counselor	· CT certified English Teacher [grade 7-12] · Masters Degree in Education
Manuel Cadena	Counselor	· CT certified Spanish Teacher [grade 7-12] · CT certified soccer instructor
Sergio Guererra	Counselor	· CT certified Athletic Trainer