Burgess Outdoor Education, Sandwich, MA campburgessandhayward.com; Hale Reservation, Westwood

• Classes will include animal adaptations/wildlife ecology, geology, pond study, forest ecology, and wetland ecology/watershed science, team challenges/building activities, and field initiatives.

• This week is an excellent opportunity to grow personally by being independent and grow socially by living with a peer group. Camp Burgess is an engaging and supportive environment that encourages hands-on learning, self-expression, leadership building, and an appreciation for the natural world. By learning new skills, students will develop self confidence and self respect, based on an appreciation of their own worth as individuals. Students experience independence and problem solving skills as they live with and explore their interests with their peers.

• 1:14 staff:student ratio; Field teachers are college graduates & many are certified teachers.

• All 6th grade homeroom teachers are at EEW with learning groups during the day. Most will be spending the night.

• Parents chaperone sleep in the cabins with students with a 1:8 adult:child ratio. All cabins will have at least two adults overnight. If you are interested in chaperoning, please fill out this Parent Chaperone Interest form link, or email your child’s homeroom teacher or any 6th grade teacher.

• Students are constantly supervised.

• A nurse will be on-site for the entire time we are at Camp Burgess.

• All program staff carry first aid kits, walkie talkies/cell phones and are over 21 years old. They are all certified in CPR/AED and First Aid training, with extensive background checks.

• Please fill out the double-sided health form and sign it on the back. The health form will be given out as we get closer to EE Week.

• All medication, whether prescription or over-the-counter, must be in the original container with a label. Please put the medication into a Ziploc bag with your child’s name. Medications must be dropped off by a parent/guardian with the school nurse in the Health Office by the Friday before we leave.

• If your child has special dietary concerns (lactose-free, gluten-free, Kosher, Halal, vegetarian, vegan, severe allergies) and you would like to speak with someone at Camp Burgess, please contact Lois Adams, Food Service Director, at 508-428-2571 x133 in the weeks before EEW.

• Please provide the school (via the health form or contact the nurse directly) with any pertinent information about your child that we need to be aware of to accommodate your child.

• Hygiene – Time for showers is provided daily. Students should pack body and face towels, soap, toothpaste, a toothbrush, and other supplies. A full packing list will be provided as we get closer to the EEW date.

• Tuesday: Students will follow their usual arrival and departure schedules.

• Wednesday schedule: Students will arrive as usual, but will return to school at approximately 5 pm.

• Thursday morning - Friday afternoon: Students must be dropped off (at the regular school start time) by a parent/guardian because they will have an overnight bag with them and cannot bring that bag on the school bus. Students should be picked up at approximately 2 pm on Friday.

• Students are not permitted to bring cell phones to camp.

• In case of an emergency at home, please call JMS (508-660-7242) during the school day. The school will get in touch with us. For after-school hours or nighttime emergencies, parents can call the JMS EEW cell phone (the number will be provided before the trip, as the phone is not active at this time) and speak to a teacher.

• Student Packing List will be distributed with the other forms.

• Students should be able to carry their own baggage from the bus to their cabin. Plan for one large bag, a school-sized backpack, and a sleeping bag and a pillow (in another bag). Please do not use trash bags as luggage.

• Payment Schedule -

  • Due on or before: Friday, January 26 $200

  • Due on or before: Friday, April 5 $175

• All payments are refundable if your child does not attend Environmental Education Week. Credit card payment instructions are at the end of this handout.

• Cost per child includes:

  • all meals & snacks (students can pack their own lunches on Tuesday and Wednesday)

  • four days of direct instruction daily by the Environmental Education staff

  • transportation by bus to and from Hale and Burgess

  • 1 night in a cabin

  • Full-time nursing coverage

  • Environmental Education week t-shirt

• We would like all students to participate in Environmental Education Week. If a financial hardship prevents your child from attending, scholarships are available. Please contact Principal Ruggiero at cruggiero@walpole.k12.ma.us

• Health form, behavior form, packing list and additional information will be sent home closer to EEW. You can also visit the JMS website for these forms (not updated, yet) and other EEW information.

• If you have never used MYSCHOOLBUCKS.com, here is a quick tutorial on how to sign up.

  • Sign up using the email you have provided the school for your family. Once you have logged in, go to the school store tab at the top right of the screen. Select Featured Items. There you will see two tabs, one for each payment. You pay the first payment or both by selecting the buttons on this page.