Vacation Church School Volunteer Information
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Welcome to Vacation Church School, 2012!
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Heather Ferguson |
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Thank you for volunteering your time and talents for Vacation Church School, 2012! We are grateful for your service and truly appreciate your willingness to share your many gifts with our children. VCS could not happen or be successful without our volunteers!
We hope you are able to join us for the VCS 2012 Volunteer Orientation and Luncheon on Sunday, May 6. We will meet in the UPC Fellowship Hall following the 11a.m. worship service for lunch and a discussion of VCS. Childcare will be provided. Please RSVP to the Evite invitation you received via email or contact Laura Baxley () to let us know whether or not you will be there.
We hope that the information posted here and on our VCS Participant Web Page (hereafter referred to as Participant Information) will answer any questions you may have about your week at VCS. The Participant Information features general schedules, our new carpool line drop off/pick up procedures, activity lists, class rosters, snack menu and other items of interest to campers and their parents. We hope you will take time to read this information, and we will discuss much of it at the Volunteer Orientation and Luncheon on May 6.
This Volunteer supplement features details about each group's schedules, Group Leader and Activity Leader responsibilities, contact information for fellow volunteers, and more. We will discuss this on May 6, but we hope that the written information is helpful as well.
We have done our best to assign volunteers to their preferences. We appreciate your flexibility and your willingness to pitch in and make VCS 2012 a great success. Our Volunteer Database lists volunteer assignments, phone numbers and emails. We want you to have the ability to contact your fellow volunteers if needed. Because the database contains this information, however, we have protected it with a password. That password will be emailed to you once we have made volunteer assignments. If you do not have it or you are unable to access the database for any reason, please contact Heather Ferguson or Laura Baxley.
At Camp New Hope
We want to make your experience with VCS as easy and as rewarding as possible. At Volunteer Orientation, you will receive printed materials tailored to your volunteer role. We will also provide copies of vital information (rosters, schedules, maps, etc.) at each station at Camp New Hope for your convenience.
Included in that information will be contact information for Allis Rodelli, Laura Baxley, and Heather Ferguson. You may contact us at any time if you need assistance or have questions at any point. We will all have our cell phones at Camp New Hope as well, and we will check in with you frequently throughout the day.
We are here to help and support you, so please let us know what we can do!
Five Day Format
VCS 2012 will span all five days of the week. We will meet Monday through Thursday at Camp New Hope. On Friday, VCS attendees will participate in Project 5000, a hands-on service project that supports the IFC. Please note that FRIDAY WILL BE A SHORTER DAY; CHILD PICKUP BEGINS AT 12:00 NOON. There is more detail in the Participant Information about all of our format changes and projects. For full group schedules, click here.
New this year, all VCS classes will come together as a group at the beginning of and at the end of each camp day for an All Camp Gathering. These gatherings provide a chance for different age groups to interact with and get to know one another. We hope it will foster an even greater sense of community.
Additionally, at Camp New Hope this year, each group of children (3s/4s - 2nd/3rd) will rotate through five different stations over the course of their camp day. Each group's schedule is the same each day at Camp New Hope. Group Leaders will remain with their classes the entire day, but at each station, additional volunteers will lead the activities and crafts.3-and-4 year olds and 4th and 5th graders will have their own standing classes (see schedules) for more details).
The five different stations are:
- Recreation and Snack
- Storytelling
- Music
- Pavilion Crafts
- Mission
Childcare for Children of VCS Volunteers
Nursery childcare will be provided for children under 3 years on days you volunteer. The Monday - Thursday nursery is located inside New Hope Presbyterian Church (see map) and staffed with babysitters hired and paid by UPC. Please park at the church and walk your child into the nursery located through the left-hand front entrance door to the church. Childcare for VCS volunteers is available beginning at 8:15 am. On Friday, childcare will be located at UPC in classroom #137 (UPPS 3's), downstairs to the left.
For the safety of your children, we ask that you please complete an informational form for each child that will be cared for in the nursery.
If you are volunteering at Camp New Hope and have children participating in VCS, you may bring your children to the Recreation field (see map) as early as 8:15 am. There we will have childcare and games. The childcare workers will take the children to their group gathering spots at 8:45 am. At the end of the day, Youth Volunteers will gather children of VCS volunteers and bring them again to the Recreation field, where childcare is available until 1 pm. On Friday, childcare will also be available until 1 pm to allow you time for cleanup.
Take a Break!
The VCS Snack Committee will have special snacks for VCS Volunteers in the Dogwood Building. We highly encourage you to take time from your busy day to refresh yourselves and enjoy a break. We will also deliver a snack to your station in case you are unable to get away.
If you are a Group Leader, please coordinate your break with your fellow team members. There will be additional adult hands at each station, so please take one "block" for each adult and youth helper to take some time out. Because some of the craft projects may require a lot of adult help, we would encourage you to try to take your break during Recreation, Music, or Storytelling first.
If you are volunteering in a station, please make sure you take one "block" out, as well. If you find you need extra hands for this purpose, please let Heather, Allis, or Laura know.
Snacks, Water, and Allergy Information
Snacks will be served in a designated area this year in a combined Snack/Recreation time slot. For more details and a full snack menu, please see the information available in the Participant Information.
IF YOU ARE A SNACK VOLUNTEER OR A GROUP LEADER, PLEASE MAKE SURE ALL CHILDREN WASH OR SANITIZE THEIR HANDS BEFORE EATING SNACK.
There will be water stations in several areas throughout Camp New Hope. If you are a Group Leader, please encourage the children in your group to drink water whenever they pass a station. We want to make sure everyone stays well hydrated and healthy.
Children who have food or other allergies will wear yellow bracelets. If you are VCS Logistics Volunteer or a Group Leader, please assist in identifying these children and make sure they have bracelets. Logistics Volunteers will try to assist during check-in. Group Leaders, please check your rosters each day to make sure children with allergies are identified.
If a child with allergies requires an Epi-pen, inhaler or other medication on-site, it should be clearly labeled and given to the Group Leader and placed in the Group Leader backpack. Please communicate to Heather, Laura or Allis if you have a child with medications in your group.
Handling an Emergency
In
the event of a medical emergency, remain calm but call for onsite help
immediately:
- Heather Ferguson -336.254.6108
- Laura Baxley - 919.274.2037
- Allis Rodelli - 980.297.5380
If possible, bring the child to the Pavilion for additional assistance.
If you need to call 911, make it easy for the ambulance to find you.
New Hope Camp & Conference Center
4805 N Carolina 86, Chapel Hill, NC 27514
919.942.4716
Station Volunteers - Crafts, Recreation, and Storytelling
Music
Beth Visser will provide Music leadership for 1st through 5th grade. Participants in these age groups will have Music in the Dogwood building (see map).
Music for 3- and 4-year olds and Kindergarteners will be provided each day by Kristen Stewart.
Throughout the week, all VCS participants will learn a special song to share in worship at UPC on Sunday, July 1. We hope campers will be able to attend the 11:00 a.m. worship service to help bring VCS back to UPC!
Storytelling/Mission
Heather Ferguson will lead and coordinate Storytelling this year. Each day, VCS participants will explore biblical stories that remind us of God's call for us to be grateful and generous. These lessons are the cornerstones for many of our crafts and activities throughout the week. For more information on these texts, please refer to the Participant Information.
Recreation
This year in Recreation, participants will play traditional games such as kickball and soccer. We will also have hula hoops, balls, and other toys for our younger campers. Volunteers in this station will help organize teams, explain the rules of the games, and just have fun playing with the groups.
The Recreation team will also staff a parachute station adjacent to the Pavilion Craft area. Children who finish their craft before their group's time slot is over will join in the fun with the parachute until it is time to move to their next station.
Pavilion Crafts
Pavilion Crafts take place in (you guessed it) the large pavilion at the center of Camp New Hope. Here, participants will focus on one larger craft or art project each day. VCS Planning Committee Volunteers who have tested and prepared these projects will head up this area, and will be able to direct all volunteers throughout the day. We will also demonstrate these projects at our Volunteer Orientation, and detailed instruction sheets will be provided for all Pavilion Craft station volunteers.
Mission
In this station, participants will begin to learn what it means to put our beliefs into action. We will be learning about how God is active in the world through people caring for creation and for one another. There will be active, hands-on projects at this station that are filled with purpose and meaning!
Logistics for Group Leaders
General Information
We will provide each team of Group Leaders with a backpack. This backpack will travel with you and your students, and it will contain a roster (including contact and allergy information), first aid supplies, sunscreen, bug spray, and portable snacks. You will also have some room to store other items children in your group might bring.
You do not need to transport any crafts or art projects from station to station. CRAFTS WILL BE COLLECTED BY VCS VOLUNTEERS AND KEPT UNTIL THURSDAY, WHEN THEY WILL BE SENT HOME ALL AT ONCE. Parents using the new carpool line will receive these items there; parents who choose to walk and pick up their children may retrieve their child's craft bag in the Dogwood Building on Thursday.
Carpool Line Protocol
For a full description of the new carpool line drop off/pick up system, please see the map, diagram and explanation in the Participant Information.
Ideally, one Group Leader will participate each day in the morning and afternoon carpool lines at Camp New Hope. In the morning, this Group Leader will wait near the carpool line in a designated area as children in his/her group arrive. The Group Leader will verify the children's attendance, distribute nametags, and verify allergy information where needed. After a few children have gathered, a Youth Volunteer will take the group of children to the official gathering spot at the morning All-Camp Gathering, where the other Group Leader(s) will wait for their arrival.
In the afternoon, Group Leaders should remain with their group in designated areas after the All Camp Gathering as children are picked up for the day. As children are picked up by their parents or called for carpool line, please indicate on your roster sheet that they have been picked up for the day.
On Friday, volunteer structure will change a bit, and we ask for your flexibility as we assign an adult volunteer to each "family group" during Project 5000. Volunteers may gather in the Fellowship Hall as they arrive in the morning. Youth Volunteers will be escorting children from the carpool line to the Fellowship Hall.
Group Schedules
We hope our format changes will make your job as Group Leader even more enjoyable. As Group Leaders, the children will look to you for guidance and assistance throughout the day.
Because our carpool line will begin at 8:45 a.m. this year, we ask that you arrive at your group gathering station or your carpool line area no later than 8:30 a.m. each morning. Childcare will be available for children of volunteers beginning at 8:15 a.m. (see section on childcare above for details). At the morning All-Camp Gathering, a leader will present the story featured for the day. These stories will be available online so that you can familiarize yourself with them prior to VCS. There is also a list of our daily lessons available in the Participant Information.
Group Leadership teams will consist of at least two adults. We hope to place at least one Youth Volunteer with each age group, as well. During morning and afternoon carpool line times, we hope that one Group Leader can be present at the carpool line site to assist the children in your group. (Please see the carpool line information above, as well the Participant Information for more details).
As Group Leaders, you are also responsible for keeping your group on schedule (link to full schedules) at Camp New Hope. To ensure smooth transitions between stations, please be aware of the time and allow a few minutes for cleanup and rotation before heading on to the next station.
3-and 4-year old Group Leaders - Special Information
Parents have been asked to notify us if there are children in your group that are not yet potty trained. We will let you know if this situation arises and discuss how to handle it. Also, because most 3-year-olds are still learning potty skills, parents will likely send extra clothes in case of an accident. At Camp New Hope, 3- and 4-year old group leaders will have two backpacks - one containing the same supplies as other groups, and one specifically for changes of clothes, wipes, etc. This backpack can be transported to UPC for Friday's Project 5000 event.
This year, the 3-and-4 year olds will have their own special area for the days at Camp New Hope. Your group will join in during the beginning and ending All-Camp Gatherings with everyone, but then will adjourn to your tents (see map). Representatives from Crafts, Storytelling, Mission, Recreation and Music will come to you at the appropriate times (see schedule).
On Friday, 3-and-4 year olds will gather in the UPC Fellowship Hall with all VCS participants for snack and the storytelling/play in Vance Barron Hall. At 9:50 am, 3-and 4-year olds will leave Vance Barron Hall with their Group Leaders and adjourn to classroom # 137 (current 3-year-old church school room) during Project 5000. Here, you will lead your group in a church-wide scavenger hunt, which will be provided for you. The scavenger hunt will end on the playground, where you can remain with your group until 11:00am, when they will rejoin us in the Sanctuary for Communion and Music (see Friday Schedule).
4th and 5th Grade Group Leaders - Special Information
Please note: Thses details are subject to change.
4th and 5th graders will continue to meet at the Back Pavilion Monday-Thursday at Camp New Hope. On Monday, a storyteller will come to your pavilion to tell your group all of the parables we will study throughout the week.
All of your supplies will be provided for you in your shelter. We believe we have packed adequate supplies; however, if you find you need something at any time, please just come to the Craft station at the front of Camp New Hope for extra supplies. (You will have to ask at both Craft stations; the extra supplies are stored in the station hosting the craft.)
As Group Leaders, you will be instructing and leading all crafts and art projects for your group. We will have instructions and examples of crafts for you at Orientation, and detailed instruction sheets will be provided at Camp New Hope. If you need help at any time, however, please just contact Heather Ferguson, Laura Baxley or Allis Rodelli.
On Tuesday, your group will have time to swim in the Camp New Hope pool. There are lifeguards on duty, but we ask that at least one Group Leader stay with the group during that time (you do not have to swim, but please remain in the pool area).
On Thursday, your group will take a special field trip to SEEDS in Durham. SEEDS is a non-profit community garden whose goal is to teach people to care for the earth, themselves and each other through a variety of garden-based programs. We will post additional information as it is available.
At the end of each day at Camp New Hope, your group will come to the front part of the camp for Music and the All Camp Gathering. Parents may pick up their children in the carpool line at the front of camp, or they may park at New Hope Presbyterian Church and walk up.
VCS logistics volunteers will transport your campers' crafts to the front part of camp, where they will be available on Thursday to take home.
Friday Volunteers
VCS attendees will have the opportunity to participate in several meaningful activities on Friday (click here for full schedule). All will experience the story of the Feeding of the 5000 in a new way as UPC Youth lead us in a participatory play. After participating in Project 5000 (more details below), children will convene in the sanctuary to come to table and take communion. Finally, participants will rehearse their music for Sunday worship, and then sing other songs and participate in other activities in the Sanctuary while awaiting pickup. The Friday carpool line will operate directly from the Sanctuary to the side parking lot.
During Project 5000, the Fellowship Hall will be set up like a food mart, with food arranged on the floor by category. The children will be divided into "families/teams" and tasked with selecting a variety of food items specifically designed to meet the needs of a family of four for two days. For our purposes, teams will be told that they have to fill their boxes under a budget of $25.
Last year was our first experience with Project 5000 and it was a huge success. We hope to again make it a fun learning experience for all and ask in advance for your willingness to help fill gaps where you see them.
Volunteers will help with Project 5000 in the following tasks:
- Distributing stickers to children as they arrive to assign them to their "team"
- Distributing shopping tools (list, pencil, calculator) and giving shopping bags to team members
- Providing instruction and assistance to teams, checking in with teams periodically
- Assisting in the checkout process to ensure all items have been included and to calculate the total cost of selected items. Assist teams with item selection if some items are missing from their "purchase"
- Assisting teams in the packing of their boxes and delivery of their completed boxes to the designated "shipping area"
- Keeping a running count of the number of completed boxes brought to the "shipping area"
At the end of the day, we will need volunteers to help:
- Pack up boxes and excess food items into awaiting SUVs for delivery to IFC
- Take down signage and straighten up the Fellowship Hall
Thank you again for dedicating your time and talents to VCS.
Let us know what we can do to make your experience the best it can be.
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Latest update: 2012/2/22
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