 Frequently
Asked Questions
Q:
HOW DO I REGISTER MY CHILD FOR CAMP?
A: To register your child, you must send us a completed
registration
card and a $500 deposit. Payment can be made
by check, cash, Master Card, Visa or American Express.
Or, you can use our secure on-line
registration form.
Q.
CAN CAMP RIVERBEND PROVIDE REFERENCES?
A. Yes! Please contact
us and we will put you in touch with a current Camp family
who lives in your area and has a child the same age as
yours.
Q.
WHAT TYPE OF BUS WILL MY CHILD RIDE TO CAMP?
A. We
use 16-passenger yellow school buses.
Q. WHO DRIVES THE CAMP BUS?
A.
Some of our bus drivers are counselors and some are professional
bus drivers, but all of them have a Commercial
Driver's
License (CDL) with a special certification to drive passengers.
To earn a CDL, a driver must go through a rigorous application
process. A bus driver must be at least 21 years
old, have a good driving record for the past three years,
submit fingerprints to the State Police, pass a physical
exam, take a written test, and pass a comprehensive
road test which includes demonstrations of safety awareness!
Our insurance company checks the driving record of every
bus driver every year. Each bus also has a riding counselor,
who is responsible for supervising campers on the bus.
Q:
HOW LONG IS THE BUS RIDE
TO CAMP?
A:
We try to arrange our bus
routes so each camper's trip is as short as possible.
The buses pick up the campers who live farthest away and
work their way towards Camp. Most bus routes begin around
8:30 a.m., and arrive at Camp around 9:15 a.m. We dismiss
at 4:15 p.m. and almost all buses have delivered their
campers home by 5:00 p.m. Your exact pick-up and drop-off
time will depend on your town and your place in the bus
route.
Q. WILL MY CHILD WEAR A SEATBELT?
A. Yes! All campers
and staff wear seatbelts at all times.
Q. WHAT IF THERE IS A PROBLEM
ON THE BUS?
A. We communicate
with buses via two-way radios and cell phones. We
can talk to any bus at any moment and the buses can call
us with any questions. Buses call in at the end
of every trip, so we know that everyone is home safely.
Q:
WHO IS MY CHILD'S COUNSELOR?
A:
We take pride in our mature,
talented counselor staff. Group head counselors are teachers,
or college juniors or seniors who have trained with us
in prior summers. Assistant group counselors are college
students. There is no CIT program. No high school students
supervise campers. Prospective counselors
are carefully screened; we verify past work history and
talk to their past employers and references. Then all
staff members, new and returning, are trained over 4 days
before Camp starts. Our staff training teaches safety
rules for camp, techniques for working with groups of
children and fun games and activities to do with campers.
Q. WHAT IS THE STAFF TO CAMPER RATIO?
A. There is one
counselor for every 5 campers throughout Camp.
Each group of 16-18 campers has two counselors.
Pre-school and kindergarten groups have three counselors.
Senior staff supervise six to ten camper groups and spend
considerable time with campers. Activity instructors
and swimming instructors interact with campers throughout
the day.
Q:
CAN MY CHILD BE IN A GROUP
WITH HER FRIEND? A:
Yes, if the friend is the
same sex and in the same grade as your child. (Pre-school
and kindergarten groups are co-ed). On the registration
card is a space where you can list friends with whom your
child would like to spend the summer.
Q:
WHAT IS THE TIPPING POLICY
AT CAMP RIVERBEND? A:
Tipping is totally voluntary.
Our counselors do not expect, but are grateful for, any
gifts. With or without a money gift, our counselors
appreciate personal notes from camp families, expressing
their appreciation for the summer's work.
Q.
WHAT WILL MY CHILD DO AT CAMP?
A. Campers do a
wide variety of activities each day and throughout each
week. Swimming is an important part of each day
(see below). There are 7 activity periods each day.
Our instructors teach a wide variety of skills in
creative crafts, team and individual sports, performing
arts, team building, performing arts and nature.
Click here to take our virtual Camp
Tour.
Most groups also have a daily period that we call
PIY ("Pick It Yourself"). Counselors, with input
from their campers, plan a group activity. PIY might
be a game of t-ball, arts and crafts, a hike in the woods,
or rehearsing a group skit.
Q. CAN MY CHILD CHOOSE HIS OWN ACTIVITIES?
A. Yes! Individual
campers can choose their favorite activities during club
time after lunch Monday through Thursday. Campers
entering 4th grade and up choose a cluster of related
activities (such as drama, music and dance or basketball,
baseball and tennis) two afternoons a week in our
Tracking program. During the rest of the Camp day,
groups are assigned to specific activities.
Q:
WILL MY CHILD LEARN TO SWIM
AT CAMP RIVERBEND?
A:
Yes! We pride ourselves on
our excellent swim instruction program. Each camper has
a swim lesson every day. Children are grouped for swim
lessons based on their swimming ability. Lesson groups
are small, with about 6-8 campers, taught by a swimming
instructor and an assistant. We have 20 lifeguards on
staff who teach swimming skills and guard free swims.
Each child has 1 hour of swimming daily (a 20 minute lesson
and a 40 minute free swim).
Q.
WHAT OTHER KINDS OF ACTIVITIES DO CAMPERS DO?
A. We have regular special events for all campers.
Each Friday is a special day, with performing artists,
ice cream socials or counselor talent shows. In
years past we have imported "snow" for sledding
in July, built and raced cardboard boats, and served giant
pizza-sized pancakes. Our annual carnival is a special
day for all. Special days like these provide fun
and excitement for campers. Camp Riverbend does not have
color war.
Q:
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT RAINS?
A:
We
have indoor locations for all campers on rainy days. We continue
with our regular program inside. Instead of swim lessons in the
pool, our waterfront staff might demonstrate safety techniques on a
rainy day. Canoeing instructors might teach paddling techniques
inside.
Q:
WHAT HAPPENS IF MY CHILD
FEELS SICK AT CAMP? A:
We have a full time registered
nurse. A camper who feels sick will go to the nurse, who
evaluates his condition. Then the nurse will either contact
the child's parents to pick him up, or treat the child
with over-the-counter remedies (according to parental
pre-authorization.) Our Camp nurse also treats basic injuries
that occur during the day, such as bug bites, scrapes,
etc. In case of serious injury, our Camp doctor is on
call, and we are aided by the Warren Township Rescue Squad.
The Camp nurse administers all medication (prescription
and over-the-counter) to campers who require it during
the day.
Q:
WHAT IS YOUR SECURITY POLICY
FOR CAMPERS? A:
When registering, parents are asked to select a secret
password. To take home a camper, any adult picking him
up must sign out and give us the password.
No camper will be released
to any adult without his or her password. All visitors
to Camp must sign in at the Camp office and get a visitor
tag.
Q. HOW IMPORTANT IS CAMPER SAFETY?
A.
Camper safety is our number
one priority! We are accredited by the American Camp Association
and the New Jersey Department of Health. We undergo
rigorous inspections annually for safety by local and state
officials, who evaluate every aspect of Camp, including
sanitation, transportation, food safety, staff qualifications,
fire prevention and medical record keeping. Through
the American Camp Association, we keep current with the
newest developments in camp safety and operations.
We are committed to keeping Camp Riverbend as safe and secure
as possible.
Q.
I WORK FULL TIME AND CAN'T WAIT FOR THE CAMP BUS.
DO YOU OFFER EXTRA HOURS?
A. Yes, we have
an optional extended day program. You can bring your
camper here as early as 8:00 a.m., and pick up as late as
6:00 p.m. Counselors supervise extended day campers
in games, swimming, crafts, sports and quiet activities.
There is no extra fee for the extended day program, if you
use it instead of bus transportation.
Q:
CAN I VISIT MY CHILD DURING
THE SUMMER?
A:
Yes! We are happy to
open our doors to parents (and grandparents and baby brothers
and aunts) almost every day of Camp.
Q.
WHO RUNS CAMP RIVERBEND? A.
Camp Riverbend has been owned by the Breene Family since
1962. Our Camp directors, Harold and Marianne
Breene, and their children, Roger Breene, Jill Breene Cheng,
Paul Breene, Robin Breene Hetrick, Debbie Breene and
Miriam Peretsman, supervise every aspect of the daily operation
of Camp. Their involvement guarantees personalized
attention to the needs of your family, and will insure a
fantastic summer for your camper and you!
Q. WHAT ELSE MAKES
CAMP RIVERBEND SPECIAL? A.
Our philosophy builds "confidence, not
competition!" We honor each camper's
talents and efforts. Children in today's
world are under tremendous pressure to achieve in every
area. Camp Riverbend is a place where they can be
themselves, explore the world and learn new skills in a
fun and supportive environment. We encourage every
camper to participate in all activities. We applaud
every achievement, from a camper's first at-bat to a grand-slam
home run!
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