EXPLO Senior | Essentials Guide for Day Students

EXPLO Senior | Essentials Guide for Day Students

GRADES 8-10 | SARAH LAWRENCE COLLEGE EXPLO Senior

2022 Essentials Guide for Day Students

CONTENTS

Communication

Dates + Deadlines

• Contacting EXPLO at the Exploration Center • Contacting EXPLO while on campus • Contacting or visiting your student • Emergency / after-hours contact information An easy reference to quickly find contact information and a guide to contacting EXPLO and your student:

At-a-glance summary of important dates and deadlines to help you plan your schedule and have an easy reference to deadlines for specific requirements:

• Session Start + End Dates • Important dates at-a-glance

• A view of campus activities • Contacting other families

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Travel + Preparations

Health + Medical

Getting ready to be on campus:

This section itemizes all the health and medical-related requirements and policies:

• Transportation Options • Day Student Registration • Early Arrivals • Evening Programming • Summer Packing Preparation

• Immunization + Medical Records • About the EXPLO Health Center

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Financials

Academics

To help you plan and keep track of payments and expenses:

To find out more about the learning experience:

• Payment of Bills • Miscellaneous Account • Student Spending

• Curricular Information • Making changes to courses + electives • Location of classrooms on campus

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The EXPLO Team on Campus

To learn more about life on campus, outside the classroom: Student Life on Campus

We have a 6:1 staff-to-student ratio on campus to make sure every student gets quality guidance and support as they live and learn at EXPLO. This section describes the types of staff members students can expect to interact with at the Program:

• Schedule • Use of personal electronic devices • Attendance + Check-in • Meals • Check-out Procedures • Swimming • Lost + Found

• Head of Program • Off ice of Student Life Staff

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Communication

Contacting EXPLO at the Exploration Center (EXPLO Headquarters)

TO REACH EXPLO BEFORE JUNE 22, 2022:

932 Washington St. Norwood, MA 02062 Office: +1 781.762.7400 Email: [email protected]

Contacting EXPLO while on campus at Sarah Lawrence College

TO REACH EXPLO FROM JUNE 22 – AUG 6, 2022:

EXPLO Senior Main Office: EXPLO Senior Nurse Fax:

+1 914.323.6300 +1 914.440.5284

EXPLO Senior Email:

[email protected]

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Contacting or visiting your student while at EXPLO PHONE + CELL PHONE POLICY While we encourage students to keep in touch with those close to them, we also want them to be fully engaged in our programming throughout the entire day and evening. Students may not use cell phones until the final Wednesday of the session. On the second Monday of the session, landline phones and computer labs will be available for phone calls and emails. Day students may not use cell phones while on campus or with the Program until the final Wednesday of the session. Day students should power off their phones and place them in a discreet location while on campus. Day students who use their phones or have them visible will have their phones confiscated and returned at the end of the day. Office phones will be available for phone calls home, if necessary.

PHONE MESSAGES

Phone messages for students can be left with our Main Office. Messages will be delivered at afternoon check-in.

EMAIL MESSAGES

Students may access personal email accounts during open hours in EXPLO computer labs beginning on the second Monday of each session.

VISITING THE STUDENT ON CAMPUS

Day students may not have visitors.

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Emergency / after-hours contact information

In the event of an emergency, families should contact our Office of Student Life and a Dean will make appropriate arrangements. After hours, call the Main Office at 914.323.6300 and you’ll be instructed on how to reach the Dean on Duty for true emergencies only.

A view of campus activities

We encourage families to explore the photo and video gallery that will be made available on our website. You can see what’s going on at the Program over the summer. We often post photos and videos of students and staff. We will notify you via email with login information when the galleries are ready.

Contacting other families

Some enrolled families want to make connections with other enrolled families in their area. The EXPLO Registrar will coordinate the communication between families. A requesting family who wants to connect with other families will send their information to the Registrar. The EXPLO Registrar reaches out to the families in the area (who fit the parameter) on behalf of the requesting family to open an introduction. Email addresses are on BCC, therefore are not revealed.

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Dates + Deadlines

Session Start + End Dates

SESSION 1

SESSION 2

START

END

START

END

EXPLO Senior 360° Day

Monday June 27, 2022

Thursday July 14, 2022

Monday July 18, 2022

Thursday August 4, 2022

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Important dates at-a-glance DUE APRIL 15, 2022 (For details, go to your Student Portal)

Payment — All bills must be paid in full by April 15, 2022 (or immediately for those enrolling after April 15, 2022, to hold space). CampDoc Medical Form — CampDoc Medical Formmust be received with complete information and up-to-date immunizations.

DUE JUNE 1, 2022 (For details, go to your Student Portal)

Arrival and departure info — Update your plans for arriving to and departing from campus.

Day Group Form — Indicate your day group preferences.

Parent/Guardian Comment Form — Help us learn about your child so we can support them on campus during the summer. Student Technology — Provide updated contact information so we know how to reach the student when cell phones are permitted on campus.

JUNE 26, 2022

Session 1 Day Student Registration Event — an orientation of the Program

JULY 17, 2022

Session 2 Day Student Registration Event — an orientation of the Program

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Travel + Preparations

Transportation Options

CAR DROP-OFF

Day students arrive at 8:15 a.m. each morning. The Day Program will describe drop-off procedures during registration.

CAR PICK-UP

Parents/guardians pick up their children at either 4:30 p.m. or 8:45 p.m. The pick-up location and procedure will be described at registration. Staff will be assigned to wait with students until their rides arrive. We ask parents/guardians to be patient and understanding of our staff ’s requests in monitoring the flow of traffic in the parking areas. If parents/ guardians need to pick up students outside of the 4:30 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. times, they should meet students at the Main Office to sign them out.

BY TRAIN

For students commuting to EXPLO by train, a staff member will walk students to and from the Bronxville Train Station daily (rain or shine!). In the morning, our staff member will be on the platform near the outbound ticket machines by 8:00 a.m., holding an EXPLO sign. Students departing by train will walk with a staff member and should arrive at the Bronxville station no later than 5:00 p.m.

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Day Student Registration We strongly encourage day students and their parents/guardians to attend the registration event preceding their session. Students at the registration event will have an opportunity to get to know EXPLO while parents learn about the EXPLO Senior schedule. Day students and their parents/guardians have the option of coming to campus for early registration on either Sunday, June 26 (for first session day students) or Sunday, July 17 (for second session day students). Registration will run from 4:00-5:00 p.m., followed by a meeting for new parents/guardians at 5:00 p.m.

Students who cannot attend the registration event will receive any necessary information to pass along to their parents/guardians on Monday.

To attend registration, follow directions to 1 Mead Way in Bronxville, NY, and drive to the Sarah Lawrence College campus. Once on campus, follow signs for “EXPLO.” Look for EXPLO staff to direct you and provide further instructions regarding parking and registration. As much as we love them, we ask that you please leave your pets at home.

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Early Arrivals For the convenience of families who wish to drop off their children prior to the 8:15 a.m. weekday check-in time, EXPLO will welcome students as early as 7:30 a.m. every morning at the Main Office. While no formal programming will be offered until the day officially commences, EXPLO staff will be available to greet and supervise students until day student check-in begins. There is no additional fee for early arrivals. Evening Programming Day students have the option to stay later to participate in evening events and activities for an additional evening programming fee of $40 which includes dinner. Students’ Miscellaneous Accounts will be automatically charged when they stay late. Students choosing to stay late must submit a Permission Form (found on the Student Portal) to their Day Advisors at the 8:30 a.m. morning check-in. If the student changes their mind after submitting the form, they must alert a Day Director to their change of plans, who will contact the parents/guardians.

CRUISE NIGHT

A final celebration for students is held once each session. Just like staying late, EXPLO encourages day students to take advantage of this opportunity to connect with the community. Parents/guardians should be aware that this evening can be later than others and look for information from the Program closer to the date of this final trip.

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Summer Packing Preparation We recommend a backpack to carry your personal items with you. Please label all bags with your child’s name and day group. Day students should also bring a towel and swimsuit if they plan to utilize the pool during available opportunities. Sports Equipment — EXPLO provides all the athletic equipment you’ll need during the summer, with the exception of mouthguards and soccer cleats. We strongly recommend that mouthguards be worn for a variety of sports, and it is best if you bring a pre-fitted mouthguard with you from home. Soccer cleats are highly recommended, but not required, for participation in the soccer elective. Feel free to bring your own racquets, gloves, shin guards, etc., though EXPLO will provide these. Closed-toe shoes — For all athletic activities, and some science and performing arts classes, closed-toe shoes are required. We recommend that every student come to EXPLO with a pair of sneakers. Musical instruments — If you enjoy playing, we encourage you to bring your instruments to share your music with students and staff. There are numerous opportunities throughout the summer to share your talents.

THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ARE NOT PERMITTED AT THE PROGRAM

Weapons — including toy weapons and pocket knives

Skateboards, scooters, and hoverboards — Our schedule is too full to make use of this type of equipment. Day students may commute on a bicycle. Expensive electronics — We discourage the use of laptops, iPads, Kindle Fires, or other items that may interfere with your full participation in the student community and activities offered at the Program. We will allow occasional use of technology for the purposes of reading or listening to music. Internet capabilities on any of these devices must be deactivated. (Internet access will be available through the Program’s computer labs on a daily basis beginning the second Monday of the session.)

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Health + Medical

Immunizations + Medical Records

Each student’s CampDoc Health Formmust be received no later than April 15, 2022, with complete information and up-to-date immunizations.

IMMUNIZATIONS

EXPLO requires that all students and faculty be immunized against communicable, preventable diseases in accordance with state regulations. Please note that to protect the safety of our community, EXPLO does not recognize or allow exemptions to these immunizations. For safety reasons, students whose completed medical forms have not been received by the Program will not be allowed to register on Arrival Day, nor will they be allowed to remain at the Program.

COVID-19

All enrolled students must be fully immunized against disease according to recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the Center for Disease Control (CDC), and state requirements. All EXPLO students must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 before attending EXPLO. This includes any “booster” shots for which a student is eligible based on the timing of their initial COVID-19 vaccination. For more information about required immunizations, please contact our Admission Office.

MENINGITIS VACCINATION

The New York Department of Health requires new college and secondary students who live in dormitories during the regular school year to obtain a meningitis vaccination. They have neither a requirement nor a recommendation for short-term dormitory life such as we have at EXPLO, but we do require families to review information regarding meningococcal disease and sign a waiver acknowledging they have reviewed this information.

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MEDICATION

New York regulations forbid student self-medication. Students who keep medication in pill form in their rooms or medication in non-pill form that has not been approved for such use by the Head Nurse will be subject to dismissal from the Program. Day students are advised to take their routine medication at home. If medication must be taken on campus, we must receive orders for the administration of the medication from your child’s physician. This includes multivitamins Medications in pill form — Students who plan on taking any medication in pill form (including vitamins) daily while at the Program are required to register with our pharmacy partner no later than June 1st in order to package that medicine and have it delivered to campus. This includes all medicine in pill form taken daily (whether prescription or over-the-counter/nonprescription, including vitamins), but does not include blister-packed medications like birth control. Medications in non-pill form — All medications in non-pill form (including inhalers, medicine in liquid form, and creams) MUST be brought to the Nurse at registration. Students may keep non-pill medications with them only if approved by the Head Nurse and accompanied by appropriate Medication Confirmation Forms. Other medications notes — EXPLO regularly stocks over-the-counter items such as generic Tylenol, Advil, Benadryl, Claritin, Allegra, and sunscreen for students to use for minor intermittent issues. Students may not keep such medications with them during the day, with the exception of sunscreen, which students are encouraged to keep with them and self-administer throughout the day. Similar to our procedures with the EXPLO medical forms, students who take pill-form medication on a regular basis will not be allowed to register with us at Registration if you have not already processed your child’s medication through our pharmacy partner. All medications that day students bring to the Programmust be held and dispensed by our nurses at the EXPLO Health Center. These include those prescription and over-the-counter medications a student takes during the day or in the evening (when staying late).

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INHALERS + EPI-PENS

Any student who is in need of an inhaler(s) will be asked to keep the inhaler(s) in the Health Office. If this presents a problem based on your child’s medical situation, please contact the Registrar prior to the start of the Program. Any student who is in need of an Epi-Pen will keep their Epi-Pen with them throughout the day. Our Health Office keeps a stock of Epi-Pens that can be used as a backup should the need arise.

About the EXPLO Health Center

An EXPLO Health Center is set up on campus exclusively for EXPLO staff and students. There will be nurses on duty 24/7.

Parents/guardians can contact the EXPLO Health Center by calling the Main Office.

Due to the age of our students, parents will not be notified in the event of basic first aid (cuts, bruises, and scrapes) or the administration of over-the-counter medicines for minor ailments such as an upset stomach, headache, or menstrual cramps. Parents can expect to be contacted prior to a child starting any new prescription such as antibiotics, illnesses that require an overnight stay in the Health Office, or in the event of an accident or serious injury that requires a child to be brought off-site for medical treatment.

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Financials

Payment of Bills

We expect the Program to be filled to capacity — as such, some students will be placed on a waitlist. If any payments are incomplete by April 15, 2022, spaces may be opened to students on the waitlist. Please contact the Registrar at 781.762.7400 with specific questions. After June 1, 2022, all payments must be made by a certified bank check, cash, or credit card. Students who have outstanding balances will not be allowed to register on Arrival Day, nor will they be allowed to remain at the Program.

Miscellaneous Account

Part of the tuition and fees paid by every EXPLO family goes to the student’s Miscellaneous Account. Students may not withdraw cash from the Miscellaneous Account. The initial amount typically serves the needs of most students attending the Program for three weeks. However, some families do find that the amount is insufficient for day students who frequently stay late. Families may increase the funds in a student’s account to any level they wish and/or may add to it at any time during the summer by sending a check to the Program. During the course of the Program, our banker will contact families if accounts drop below a level that would allow students to fully participate in the Program.

Refunds of unused Miscellaneous Account funds will be made in the fall to the person who paid the bill.

The Miscellaneous Account is established for the following purposes:

Lost items — All students will receive an EXPLO ID and an access card for use on campus. If a student loses one of these items the fee for replacement will be deducted from the student’s Miscellaneous Account. The fee for replacing an ID is $5 and the fee for replacing an access card is $15. Evening programming fee — Day students are required to be picked up by 4:30 p.m. Students who are not picked up by 5:30 p.m. will be required to join the rest of the students for the evening activities and will be provided with dinner. An automatic fee of $40 will be drawn from the Miscellaneous Account.

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Student Spending

Items sold on campus — Some non-essential items will be sold on-campus for cash, such as items for our students’ business classes and slices of pizza in our nighttime lounge. EXPLO Senior will allow students to charge some sundries, inexpensive items sold by EXPLO business classes, and slices of pizza using a debit or credit card. Note that international cards may be charged a transaction fee by the credit card company. Tipping of EXPLO staff — EXPLO has a no-tipping policy. However, the staff works hard all summer to support students and your words of gratitude are appreciated. You are also welcome to make a contribution to our scholarship fund. Students are strongly discouraged from bringing large amounts of cash to the Program, though most families do choose to send their children with spending money. While additional program expenses, such as off-campus field trips, are paid for using the student’s Miscellaneous Account and EXPLO students will never be asked to pay for any additional program expenses, there are opportunities throughout the summer to make independent purchases. Some students take the opportunity to go into the town of Bronxville with a few friends to buy a slice of pizza, a scoop of ice cream, or a local coffee beverage. Most parents/guardians and students have found that prepaid debit cards or a credit card with a spending cap are the best alternatives to cash. Whatever you decide works best for your family, we highly recommend talking about a budget with your child before they begin the Program. Students will also have occasional access to ATMs. Please note that students will not be able to receive funds for spending via wire transfers. If EXPLO is asked to hold cash or valuables for safekeeping, they will not be returned until the end of the session.

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Academics

At EXPLO, we encourage our students to choose novel activities that pique their curiosity. In doing so, they discover new skills, talents, and interests that they don’t always get to explore in school or at home.

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We aim to build their confidence and a lifelong love of learning just by trying new things, making mistakes, and learning to ask questions that not only explain, but also inspire.

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Curricular Information

EXPLO 360°

Students in our multi-course 360° Program choose frommore than 50 courses and electives — so they can explore more of what sparks their curiosity and start to step outside of their comfort zone.

EXPLO Senior 360° Courses + Electives

Making changes to courses + electives

Most students eagerly anticipate the courses and electives they’ve chosen before the summer, but we also encourage students to embrace their own changing interests. EXPLO Senior courses and electives are just one week long, so it’s too disruptive to students, instructors, and the rest of the class to make a course or electives change once the class has begun. However, students may freely choose new courses or electives prior to their start each week, provided there is still room in their desired class. Students who are interested in making a change should speak with an Instructional Coach within our Office of Teaching and Learning. In an effort to encourage our students to make independent decisions, students do not need parent/guardian permission to make these changes.

Location of classrooms on campus

Nearly all of EXPLO’s classroom spaces are located within a 10-minute walk from our lawn. Students will be walked by their instructors to the classrooms for the first few days of class, then will be encouraged to find their way on their own. Attendance is taken at the start of every class period.

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Student Life on Campus

EXPLO Senior at Sarah Lawrence College Bronxville, New York

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8:15 a.m. 8:30 a.m. 9:30 a.m. 11:45 a.m. 1:00 p.m. 2:45 p.m. 4:30 p.m. — Arrival — Day Group Huddle — Courses* — Lunch — Afternoon Electives — Clubs and Leagues or Explosé — Regular Day Dismissal Day weekday schedule (M-F)

*Students attend one course period in the morning, with a 10-15 minute break about halfway through the period.

Extended day schedule

If day students stay for evening programming, they can expect the following schedule:

— Afternoon Huddle — Flex/Free Time or the Ville — Dinner — Evening Events — Late Day Dismissal

4:30 p.m. 4:45 p.m. 5:45 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 8:45 p.m.

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Use of personal electronic devices While we appreciate the important place technology occupies in the lives of many of our students, the use of personal electronic devices can interfere with full involvement in the Program and could be construed as disrespectful or isolating. You can use these devices for your travel to and from the Program each day, but you need to keep them stored during the day. They may not be used during any class, activity, or meals. Students will receive more information on the appropriate use of these devices when they arrive. While not prohibited, we strongly discourage the use of tablets at EXPLO because they are a distraction from opportunities at the Program. If a day student chooses to bring a tablet, it may only be used during flex time and must not access an internet connection at any time. EXPLO reserves the right to confiscate and search any devices of students not meeting community expectations around the use of technology.

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Attendance + Check-in

Day students will meet with their Day Advisor every morning at 8:30 a.m. to check in and get information on the day’s events. They will meet in their designated meeting locations Monday–Friday, rain or shine.

Meals

WEEKDAY LUNCHES

Lunch is provided Monday through Friday. Day students who stay late will be provided dinner.

SPECIAL DIETARY NEEDS We work closely with the Sarah Lawrence College Dining Services to meet students’ needs. Foods are labeled for common allergies and Dining Services staff is available to meet with students as needed. EXPLO Senior recognizes the prevalence and severity of nut allergies. For this reason, we ask families to abstain from sending their children to the Program with items containing nuts. Though we will explain this policy to our students during the summer, we cannot guarantee error-free student compliance. As such, we encourage families whose children have severe allergies to nuts and other foods to contact the Head of Program prior to arriving on campus. Please alert us before May 1 to any special dietary needs. SNACKS Students can feel free to take snacks from the dining hall during meal times, such as fruit or baked goods. Due to their impact on restful sleep, energy drinks are not permitted to be consumed on campus.

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Check-out Procedures

All day students are required to check out prior to leaving campus at the end of the day, regardless of the time or method of departure. Students leaving at 4:30 p.m. or by car at 8:45 p.m. will check out with a staff member as they depart. On busier evenings, we may request all cars park in a designated location to manage the flow of traffic. Students being picked up outside of the usual pick-up times must sign out at the Main Office. We ask for the cooperation of all students and parents/guardians in making this system work effectively.

Swimming

There are a number of opportunities on-campus for students to swim while attending the Program, including access to the Sarah Lawrence College pool.

At the pool, students will be supervised by EXPLO staff and Sarah Lawrence College lifeguards. Our expectation is that students choosing to participate in a water activity will be comfortable swimming on their own without assistance. Students who are not comfortable in the water should not choose to participate in swimming activities.

Lost + Found

EXPLO begins packing up to leave Sarah Lawrence on the last day of the Program (Friday, August 5, 2022) and will be finished moving out by Sunday, August 7, 2022. We do have a lost and found at the Program and make every attempt to return lost items to students. If your student realizes they have lost something after leaving the Program, please call us as soon as possible to maximize the possibility of returning the item. We cannot store lost items for an indefinite period of time. The likelihood that we will be able to locate and return items after the end of August is very small. We encourage students to label all belongings before coming to the Program, which greatly increases the chances of return. EXPLO is not responsible for lost or stolen items. We strongly recommend leaving valuables at home.

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The EXPLO Team on Campus

Head of Program, EXPLO Senior

NATASHA PADILLA GODDARD. For over 25 years, Natasha has been

helping students and teachers find their voices, examine the richness of the human condition, and find inspiration through the written word. Prior to her work at EXPLO, Natasha was the Department Chair for English Language Arts at Wellesley Middle School, where she served on the School’s Leadership Team and the Academic Council for Wellesley Public Schools. While there, she diversified the curriculum with a myriad of books. She has taught at Moses Brown School, Noble and Greenough School, Northfield Mount Hermon Upward Bound, and University of Massachusetts/ Noble Upward Bound. Her work with students and educators in both public and

private schools with diverse student populations ignited her passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion — not only in curriculum building, but also in hiring practices, teacher evaluation, and pedagogy. Natasha began her EXPLO career as Dean of Students and went on to become Assistant Head before becoming Head of Program. She is a graduate of Bowdoin College, earned her Master’s in Teaching English from Columbia University Teachers College, and earned a second Master’s in Educational Leadership from Endicott College. She is the proud mom of three, a yoga enthusiast, and a passionate and award-winning soup chef.

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Office of Student Life Staff

DEAN OF STUDENTS EXPLO Deans live at the Program and are available to speak with parents/guardians as well as students. The Deans actively support and supervise the Day Directors and ensure the health and safety of the EXPLO community through planning, communication, and problem-solving. The Office of Student Life staff live at the Program and are available to students and parents/guardians every day to help deal with all types of issues, large and small.

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DAY DIRECTORS (DDs)

The Day Program is supervised by Day Directors (DDs). Working closely with our Dean of Students and Assistant Deans, they oversee our entire Day Program, checking in with each of the DAs multiple times a day to be sure that all students are doing well and that any problems that have arisen are being dealt with appropriately.

If you have a question or concern about your child, please contact a Day Director by calling the Main Office.

Day Directors live at the Program and are available by phone or in person to speak with parents/guardians as well as students. The DDs actively support and supervise the Day Advisors and ensure the health and safety of the EXPLO community through planning, communication, and problem-solving.

DAY ADVISORS (DAs)

Students are assigned to a day group, which is overseen by a Day Advisor (DA). The group will meet each weekday morning at 8:30 a.m. and multiple times throughout the day. DAs can help resolve questions or concerns and will keep abreast of students’ general well- being and progress, as well as lead and plan group activities.

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