Summer at Key Family Welcome Guide

Parking is available in the main Carroll House Parking Lot, with overflow parking available in the gravel lot along Hillsmere Drive. DO NOT, under any circumstances, park in the Student Parking Lot or on Dove Lane. Please adhere to the following:

• Drive slowly when approaching and entering the Key School campus.
• Be alert to the many children of all ages who may be walking near your vehicle.
• Do not leave cars unattended with the motor running anywhere on campus.
• Do not park or turn around in residential driveways or make illegal U-turns on any community street.
• Be aware of traffic patterns and signage on and around campus. When entering the main parking lot, there is only ONE ENTRANCE from Hillsmere Dr. and ONE EXIT onto Carroll Dr.  

Drop-Off: The doors to our buildings are locked after the drop-off period. Please contact the camp office if your child will be absent from camp.

• On Mondays, park and check in at the “Welcome Area” outside the camp office. Counselors will be available to escort you to your camp. Drop-off begins as early as 8:30 on Mondays.
• Drop-off is at 8:50 Tuesdays through Fridays. Parents/guardians should walk campers to their camp’s home base and remain with their camper until they are checked in to their camp.
• For afternoon-only campers, drop-off is at 12:25 on Mondays and 12:30 Tuesdays through Fridays.

Pick-Up: Counselors will ask you for the 4-digit family code you created during registration. Campers will not be released without it. Your code can be found on the attached Account Statement or by logging into your account. From the Homepage, click View Details under submitted registrations, open the “Household Form”, and scroll to the bottom. The code will remain the same throughout the summer for every child in your account. Anyone picking your child up must have this code, so please share it with them.

• Afternoon and full-day campers must be picked up at 3:30 from their camp’s home base unless they are pre-registered for After Care. We allow a 15-minute grace period for pick-up.
• Campers not picked up by 3:45 will be taken to After Care. Since they are not pre-registered, the credit card on file will be automatically charged $30 per child. Traffic can be unpredictable, so please have a backup plan if you anticipate being late. After Care fees will not be waived due to traffic delays.
• Morning-only campers must be picked up promptly at 12:00 from their camp location. After Care is not available for morning-only camps, and late fees may be charged per camper beginning at 12:10.

Late Camp Arrival / Early Pick-Up:

• For a late arrival, pull into the main parking lot and call 443-321-2575 to let us know you have arrived. Since the buildings are locked, we will call over to your camper’s counselor so they can meet you at the front door of your camp building to let you in.
• For an early pick-up, call 443-321-2575 when you arrive. A counselor will bring your camper and their belongings to the front door of the camp building. It may take 5 to 10 minutes for them to meet you.

Camper Self Sign Out: Rising 6th to 8th graders may sign out of camp each day on their own with permission from a parent or guardian. A parent/guardian must fill out this form, which is valid for the entire summer.

• Campers are expected to live within an appropriate walking/biking distance.
• Campers will dismiss at 12:00 if they are only attending a morning camp or at 3:30 for an afternoon or full-day camp.
• Once released, Summer at KEY will no longer be supervising the camper, and they are expected to leave the Key School campus or Fusco Athletic Park premises.
• If the camper should not sign out on any specific day, you must notify the camp office by noon that day.
• If we encounter bad weather at dismissal, the camper will not be released until it is deemed safe. We will notify the parent/guardian. The camper may be enrolled in the After Care Program until it is safe for them to leave or until someone has arrived for pick up, and fees will apply. 

Hours are from 3:45 to 5:30. The cost is $20/day. Pre-registration is required, and space is limited. We do not offer after care for camps ending at 12:00.

• Campers entering grades 2 to 8 in the fall will be based in Katharine Hall. Campers aged 3 ½ to entering 1st grade will be based in the First School. There will be signage around campus to help you find your way. We cannot accommodate sibling or friend requests.
• You must pre-register for After Care at least one week (by 9 a.m.) before your camp week begins.
• Refunds will not be given for unused After Care days or for registrations dropped within one week of the start of the camp week.
• A small, pre-packaged nut-free snack will be provided. If your child has any other food allergies, please send a snack with them.
• Late pick-up fees begin at 5:30, with a flat fee of $15.00. There will be an additional $1 per minute added after 5:40 and $5 per minute after 6:00. Late charges are billed per camper and charged to the credit card on file.
• Campers remaining at 5:40 will be brought to the camp office to wait for their pick-up.
• Repeated lateness may result in families not being able to continue in After Care. Consider having a backup plan in place if you are running late. We will not waive late fees because of traffic.  

Label everything your camper brings to camp. Summer at KEY will not be responsible for loss or breakage of any items brought to camp. Campers should bring/wear the following:

• Backpack for belongings - campers may need to transport items with them throughout the day.
• Beach towels for camps that have water activities.
• Labeled sunscreen - campers should come to camp with sunscreen applied. Counselors will support reapplication throughout the day as needed. Indoor-based camps will also take outside breaks.
• Labeled, refillable water bottle.
• Nut-free lunch if staying all day and nut-free snacks for morning/afternoon breaks. We do not have refrigerators or microwaves available.
• Secure, closed-back shoes, such as tennis shoes or sandals with a back strap. Flip flops or any open-backed shoes are not allowed.
• Water shoes, or shoes that can get wet, for programs involving water activities.
• Athletic shoes for all sports programs - see camp descriptions for other requirements.
• Please do not send extras like toys, trading cards, gaming systems, etc. If your camper has a cell phone, it must remain in their backpack. Your camper should speak with their counselor to make arrangements if they need to contact you. The same policy applies to smart watches; campers must refrain from using them to access the internet, text, or make calls during the camp day. If a camper is unable to follow this expectation, the smart watch will need to remain in their backpack for the remainder of the day.

Lost & Found:  Any items found at camp will be brought to the lost and found in the Manse near the camp office. If we find an item with your camper’s name on it, the camp office will contact you. Any item remaining at camp on July 31, labeled or not, will be donated to charity unless prior arrangements have been made. 

The Health Office is a place where campers who become ill or suffer minor injuries at camp may briefly rest. It is staffed by a nurse from 8:30 to 3:30 on Mondays and from 8:45 to 3:45 on Tuesdays through Fridays. If the nurse determines a camper should go home, the parent or guardian will be contacted. If they cannot be reached, the emergency contact will be called. We require that campers have someone who can be at camp within one hour to pick them up, making it important to have plans with emergency contacts in place.

Action Plans for Medical Conditions
If your camper has asthma, severe food allergies, seizures, bee sting allergies, diabetes, or any other serious medical condition, the appropriate Action Plan form is required to be returned to the Health Office at least two weeks before the start date of their first camp.

Medication Policy
Families are encouraged to administer medication at home when possible. If any medication (prescribed or over-the-counter) must be taken at camp, a Maryland State School Medication Administration Authorization Form must be completed, signed by a medical professional and by a parent or guardian, and turned in to the nurse along with the medication. For more details, visit our website.

All medications should be picked up on the camper’s last day of camp. If your camper is in After Care on the last day of a camp session, their medications should be picked up from the camp office. If not picked up within one week of the close of camp, the unused and unclaimed medication will be disposed of properly.

Immunization Policy
As long as your camper is currently enrolled in a public or private school in the United States, simply supply the name of the school on the registration form. If your camper has not yet entered school or is enrolled in a school outside of the US, a complete immunization record must be submitted to the Health Office as soon as possible. The nurse must verify that the camper complies with the immunization requirements for Maryland.

If the camper is exempt from immunizations due to a medical contraindication, an immunization record signed by a licensed health care provider must be submitted. Campers not immunized according to Maryland state guidelines due to personal or religious objections will not be permitted to attend Summer at KEY.

Illness Protocols
Campers with any symptoms of an infectious illness, including respiratory, gastrointestinal, or communicable infections, should not attend camp. Campers must be without a fever (less than 100°F) for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication before returning to camp. For more details, visit our website.

Camp communication is sent primarily via email.  Make sure your preferred email address is in your account. To ensure our emails don’t land in your spam folder, please take a moment to add our email address, summer@keyschool.org,  to your safe sender list. In case of emergencies (e.g., severe weather), both text and email alerts will be sent. Weekly tests are conducted to ensure we have your correct information. Please update your contact details if they change after registration.

Parents/guardians are always the primary point of contact in any situation. We require at least one emergency contact, which must be someone other than a parent or guardian. 

The safety of campers and staff is our top priority. Activities, arrivals, and dismissals may be impacted by inclement weather.

• Campers will take breaks in shady spots and/or indoors on high-heat days. We follow the MD Department of Health regulations on Code Orange/Red days with time limits on outdoor activity.
• In light rain, most outdoor activities can carry on as normal. With inclement weather, including but not limited to heavy rain, thunder, and lightning, campers will be brought indoors. Less severe weather may also result in outdoor camps moving to an indoor space with modified activities.
• We will evaluate severe weather watches on a case-by-case basis, but families should be prepared for possible early dismissals. In these rare events, families will be notified via text and email.
• For sudden severe weather events or warnings, there may not be time for early dismissal. In this instance, we will shelter in place until the storm has passed and it is safe to be back outside. If this happens during drop-off or pick-up, feel free to come inside the nearest building. 

Summer at KEY is nut-restricted, and foods containing nuts are prohibited. Carefully check the labels of the items you send for lunch and snacks.

• Food sharing is not allowed. Although birthdays are special, please refrain from sending food to share.
• All cooking camps use nut-free ingredients, but other food allergies or restrictions cannot be accommodated. Contact the camp office before registering if your child has other dietary concerns. 

Summer at Key is licensed by the State of Maryland, which requires all campers to be at least 3½ years of age and potty-trained in order to attend camp. If the camp office discovers a registered camper does not meet this age requirement, the family will be contacted, and the registration will be cancelled.

Campers must be fully potty-trained. A camper is considered potty-trained if they wear regular underwear (not training pants or pull-ups), manage bathroom needs independently, and practice basic hygiene. To support our youngest campers, counselors provide frequent bathroom reminders and scheduled breaks. Their camps will have toilets either in or just outside the classroom. Parents/guardians will be notified if a camper has an accident. Repeated accidents may lead to early pick-up or dismissal from the program without refund. 

We strive to create a safe and positive environment for all campers and staff. To foster a positive experience, counselors will share behavior expectations with the campers at the start of each camp. If inappropriate or disruptive behavior arises, appropriate steps will be determined on a case-by-case basis, beginning with counselor intervention and moving to senior staff as needed. If the behavior persists, parents or guardians may be called to pick up the camper. Serious or repeated issues may result in dismissal without a refund or re-enrollment.