Check-In & Check-Out Procedures

Check-In & Check-Out is where we first meet guardians and campers leave with their story of the day. These times are critical to the perception of both guardians and campers regarding their experience.

Check-In

Check-In is our students’ (and parents’) first impression of us. It is important to welcome and greet everyone as they walk in the door or approach your group. This is especially crucial for guaridans trusting us with their children and for kids who don’t know who you are!

Greetings are also a crucial security procedure. If someone arrives who should not be there, greeting them right away will ensure you will be the first to identify and respond to them with positivity. This can help deescalate a potentially negative situation and will distance them from participants.

Remember Be friendly. Smile. Learn and use names. This is one of the only times guardians see you with their children.

Check-In Tips:

• Greet arriving participants with your name and request theirs. Let them know you’re happy to meet them or glad to see them again. Use their name again as soon as possible.
• Determine which group they are in, if necessary.
• If you are traveling that day, tell participants and parents where you are going. Again use their names frequently.
• Smoothly integrate new arrivals into the group’s activity-in-progress.
• Keep students engaged with sit-down circle activities that are safe, well- planned, and theme-related. Check with your Coordinator if you need ideas.
• Early in the program, provide fair experiences and avoid winner/loser games to prevent early drama.
• Keep volume down, a must in noisy locations.
• Set positive tone for the day.

Check-In Procedures:

• Check waiver release. Participants without one must have it filled out before program begins.
• Ensure student is on roster and has complete participant information. If they aren’t on roster, check with Coordinator for proper paperwork. Do not write their name on the roster without checking with your Coordinator first!
• Get legal names. Don’t use nicknames for Check-In.
• Check to see if participants have any personal gear that is breakable, valuable, or potentially distracting or hazardous (e.g. phone, camera, carving knife, etc). Make a plan with parent and participant for boundaries of its use and care, or politely request that the parent take it home for safekeeping.
• Ask the person dropping off for the names of all custodial, legal guardians of the child who could possibly pick up (grandparents, neighbors, babysitter, etc). Note these on the roster.
• Remind the person dropping off that all people picking up a child must be on our list and must show photo ID every day (yes, everyone; yes, every day).
• Double-check emergency contact phone numbers.
• Remind the person dropping off about program pick-up time.
• Clarify any medical or behavioral issues and notes.
• Identify medications that must stay with student (EpiPens, inhalers, insulin injectors, etc).
• Inform Coordinator of student medications.