Classroom Five

About the Program

CR5 Team: Sotweed Schneble, Barbara Chu, Jessica Moskowitz, Rosie Bochenek, Sarah Cook and Laura Garcia

We will meet and spend 30 minutes at the drop-off location checking in, playing, and planning our morning together. 

We will then have a Community Meeting during which we discuss where we’re going and what we’re doing, any special projects we have planned, safety issues, and anything else the children want to discuss. 

We’ll then give out partners, gather our backpacks and begin our day of outdoor adventures! We will only go to one or two close-by sites each day. 

We attempt to balance physical activity and downtime, which will include listening to stories, singing, digging in the sand, snack time, and art projects that will often incorporate our daily nature finds. Some days we’ll pitch a tent and make pretend fires. Other plans include tree climbing, fort building, face painting, working in our journals, singing songs, participating in movement activities, and whatever else the children are interested in. 

This is a truly fun program that we as teachers love. The fresh air, the community building, and the empowerment children feel when they climb that tree or hike up that hill all make it a refreshingly rural experience in our beautiful but often restricted big city. We will explore new places together and perhaps your children will be able to show you a few new places in San Francisco by the end of the Summer!

Class meeting times:

Morning Program: Mondays-Fridays 9am-1pm

Afternoon Program: 1-5:30pm at The Little School (pick-up anytime before 5:30pm). 

For offsite weeks: Please arrive at our daily destination as close to 9:00 a.m. as possible, and no later than 9:30am. Staggered pick-ups/drop-offs off-site require teachers to use their phones, delay transitions, and otherwise impact the whole group’s timing and supervision. If you have an appointment or other scheduled and non-flexible commitment, please communicate with us at least one day in advance so teachers can plan the best time and place to meet with you, and minimize distractions and disruptions for the group. If your child is enrolled in the afternoon program, you can also drop them off at school for the afternoon program at 1:30pm. Please be sure to sign your child in before leaving them at camp. 

Staff contact information:

• CR5's contact - ProCare Messaging is the best way to reach us during the program.

• We will have our cell phone with us at each location (415) 617 5818, from 8:45am to 1:30pm. After 1:30pm, please call the Little School main number, (415) 567-0430. 

• TeachersCR5@littleschool.org

Some Things To Note:

• We will be able to give/receive limited information while with the children. Please use ProCare to communicate short, pertinent information, like any changes in drop-off or pick-up information, forgot lunch/water bottle, issues that may impact your child's emotional state on a given day etc.

• Please use email for more detailed or lengthy conversations regarding your child and to inform teachers of planned future absence and events and to request in person meetings.

• Drop-off time is between 9:00-9:15

• Pick-up time is between 12:50-1:00

Children enrolled in the afternoon program will be transported via Zum van back to Little School at 1:30 pm for cozy time. They will always be accompanied by a teacher.

Reminder: There is no camp on June 19th and July 4th

Important Parking Note:

• Please note that parking is very difficult, especially during the summer months. Please park legally and please leave yourself plenty of time to get here for both drop-off and pickup. 

• Depending on the destination we may provide curbside to assist with the lack of parking spots.

What to Wear and What to Bring

• Your child should bring a backpack that they will carry every day. This should be well-fitted to your child and should be big enough to contain: 

  •  A set of labeled extra clothes (socks, underwear, pants, shirt)

  •  A small, durable bottle full of water (no juice please- the wasps love juice!)

  • A bag lunch - We ask that instead of packing your child’s lunch in a lunchbox, you put it directly into the backpack, which makes the backpack easier to carry. We are a no nut school, so any packed food items need to be tree nut and peanut free.

• Please dress your child in comfortable layers: sturdy/comfortable/covered shoes (no crocs or sandals), pants (not shorts or skirts), T-shirt, sweatshirt, and even a jacket and hat (if necessary). Ankles and legs need to be covered to protect from poison oak, nettle bushes, and ticks (all of these are especially prevalent in summer).

• Please be sure to label ALL items, clothing, water bottles, backpacks, etc. to avoid losing and/or mixing children’s items up. (Mabel's Labels is a fundraising partner - Visit http://campaigns.mabelslabels.com/ and choose The Little School!)

• Please apply sunscreen to your child before or at drop off

• Optional morning snack - We will provide a mid morning snack of a fruit or vegetable, a grain and a protein (cheese, sunflower butter, dried chickpeas etc). If your child would prefer a snack from home, you are welcome to pack and label an extra mid-morning snack. Please let the teachers know if there is anything we should know about food preferences or allergies. 

Rainy Days

We plan to miss out on the outdoors only in the event of unsafe weather conditions or extreme cold and wet days. Please send your child with the appropriate outdoor wear which could include rain boots, rain jacket and rain pants on wet days. We will meet at Little School if the conditions are not safe for us to be outdoors. We will send a ProCare message by 8:15 am to all summer camp families to let you know our plans. 

In the event that it begins to rain we will find a sheltered place to hang out in.  For example, we will be under trees in the West Woods in the Presidio. 

Rain Gear ideas:

**Splashy Nylon Children's One Piece Rainsuits and MudStopper Coveralls

**Puddle Gear by Abeko

**Polarn O. Pyret

**L.L.Bean

**REI

Separation and Saying Goodbye

If you think separation and saying goodbye might be tricky for your child, please let the teachers know ahead of time and we can make individual plans. These things may be helpful:

• Talk about school a few times

• Give specific information – teachers’ names, routines of the day

• Read the CR5 Summer social story a few times before your child’s first day

• Emphasize that you will always come back

• Acknowledge any feelings your child may show.

• Remind your child that, even with the above feelings, you know they will learn to say goodbye

• Remind your child that the teacher will keep them safe and help them feel better

• Try to remain confident yourself

• Make a clear, definite departure even if your child resists

Afternoon Care Information 

Location: Afternoon care will take place in Classroom 4. Children will be grouped with incoming CR 4 and CR 5 students.

Arrival: Children will return to Little School via Zum transportation. Upon arrival, they will be met in front of the school and escorted to the classroom by staff.

Rest Time:

• A daily rest period will follow arrival to LS. Arrival estimate around 1:15-1:30pm.

• Some children may fall asleep during this time. In accordance with licensing regulations, staff will not wake sleeping children during the napping period; they must wake naturally.
  

• Due to the physically active nature of the morning (e.g., hiking), some children may temporarily resume napping even if they no longer nap at home. Please discuss with teachers if you have a different plan for your child.

• Soft sheets and blankets will be available upon request.

• The classroom environment will be kept calm and quiet to support rest.

• Children who do not fall asleep will be expected to rest quietly with access to books or other soothing activities.

• After approximately 20 minutes, those who remain awake may begin quiet tabletop activities.

Afternoon Activities:

• Open choice activities will begin around 2:00–2:15 p.m.

• Weather permitting, children will transition to the yard around 4:00 p.m.

• Outdoor time will continue until approximately 5:00 p.m.

End-of-Day Pick-Up Location: The final pick-up location will be at the Blue Couch in the foyer. Please feel free to pick up your child when it is convenient for you. You will find our schedule above so you will know where to find us.

We're excited to provide a calm, nurturing environment where your intrepid adventurer can unwind after a fun-filled morning of exploration and hiking. We want to support you and your child in having a successful transition from school each day! Thank you for helping us maintain clear and efficient communication!