GirlSummer Frequently Asked Questions

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I have paid my deposit. When is the final payment due?

Final payment for the program is due by June 1, 2010. Please note that you will not receive an additional reminder regarding these deadlines. Use the payment stub at the bottom of your confirmation letter to submit your payment. Full payment must be made before a class schedule will be completed for your daughter. The Health and Registration Form along with the Consent form must be returned by June 1 as well.

What should my daughter bring to the program each day?

Please be sure that your daughter comes to the program each day with a full water bottle and a back pack. Tennis players will need a racquet and sneakers each day, and swimmers need a suit and towel. Please be sure your child comes to the program in the morning with a generous application of sunscreen. Due to possible allergic reactions, it is recommended that your child bring her own sunscreen for re-application during the day; the sunscreen should be kept in your daughter’s back pack.

When will my daughter receive her schedule?

Your daughter will receive her schedule on the first day of her session (Monday) when she checks in for the first time. Please do not call about schedules prior to the first day; we will not have information to share with you until the first day of each session.

What if my daughter does not like her assigned class schedule? What is the procedure for changing a class?

During Sessions 1 & 2, Tosha Grimmer, our assistant director, will have worked to create a schedule for each girl.  On Tuesday morning, we will have a drop/add period when girls may make reasonable requests for class changes. Please note that we ask that the girls advocate for themselves during this process and request that you allow your child to approach us with her request. Classes for Sessions 3 & 4 will not be changed as they are only one week in length.

A note about scheduling: Tosha does an incredible job trying to balance all of the requests she receives with the reality of scheduling. It may help for you to understand a bit about the process: registration forms are numbered in order of receipt and scheduling is done on a first arrived/first scheduled basis. Therefore, if your daughter’s registration form arrived in late winter, she has a lower number than someone whose registration form arrived in late spring. Class choices are filled using these numbers; that is why some classes are closed by the time we get to your daughter’s registration form. Complications also arise when “Annie,” whose registration form is #7 wants to be in the same classes with “Sally,” whose registration form is #168. Obviously it would not be fair to all of the girls with numbers in between #7 and #168 if we honored “Annie’s” request and moved “Sally” up to be with “Annie.” This is why your daughter may not be placed with the friend she listed on her registration form. Further complicating the process is that girls are now listing multiple friends they would like to be with at GirlSummer. I hope that our program participants are open and receptive to meeting new people and sharing new experiences if it is not possible to honor their specific scheduling requests. 

How may I reach the director and assistant director once the program is in session?

The GirlSummer program office is located in the library inside the art building on the Emma Willard campus. Morgan Storms, director, and Tosha Grimmer, assistant director, will staff the office along with the help of our assistants. You may reach us in the office at (518 ) 833-1387 or on the director’s cell phone at (518) 852-6580. Office hours are weekdays from 8:15 a.m.–5 p.m. If you have a question or concern, please call us during those hours.

Who are the key staff members who will be supervising my child?

In addition to our outstanding faculty, your child will be supervised by Morgan Storms (director), a NYS certified teacher in elementary education who has been a teacher/administrator in both public and private schools in Albany and New York City, and Tosha Grimmer (assistant director), instructor of teacher education at the College of Saint Rose and doctoral student at the University at Albany (former kindergarten and third grade teacher at the Children’s School at Emma Willard).

What is the morning drop-off procedure?

Please enter the campus through the Pawling Avenue entrance and take your first right. Continue until you see a parking lot on your right. Parents may park in the lot or pull up to the turn-around on the left for a quick drop-off or pick-up. Please do not park in the turn-around area. Please also note that the speed limit on campus is 5 mph and you are asked to adhere to that limit at all times for the safety of the children. Please also note that this procedure may change; we will provide instructions should the procedure change.

What is the sign-in procedure?

All GirlSummer participants need to be signed in and out each day by a staff member stationed in the art building. Girls should immediately report to the art building upon arrival. Drop-off begins at 8:30 a.m.; please do not drop your daughter off before 8:30 a.m. as there is no one to supervise your daughter until 8:30 a.m.

What is the sign-out procedure?

Girls will report back to the art building at the end of the day to sign-out. Everyone must sign-out. They will then proceed to the parking area for pick-up. The director and assistant director will supervise dismissal along with Emma Willard security personnel. Kindly follow their instructions and directions. Dismissal begins at 2:45 p.m. and ends at 3 p.m. Please be prompt! At 3 p.m., anyone who does not have a parent in the pick-up queue will be sent to the GirlSummer office to await your arrival. Please note that there is a late fee of $10 for every 15 minutes past 3 p.m. (or fraction thereof). As a courtesy to our staff, this policy will be strictly enforced, please call if you will be late for any reason.

What if I need to pick up my daughter early from the program?

If you need to pick up your daughter before the end of the day, please let us know in writing in the morning and then plan to meet your daughter in the GirlSummer office in the library at the appointed hour.

What if my daughter is going to be absent or late?

If your daughter is going to be absent or late, please call our office at (518) 833-1387 or (518) 852-6580.

Is there an after hours program?

There is, but enrollment is limited. This program allows for an extension of the GirlSummer day for those who sign up in advance for the program. Morgan Storms, the director, will oversee this program along with several staff members. Extended hours participants will sign out at 2:45 p.m. and will then meet their teachers in the GirlSummer office. We will take attendance, and then go to the gym/pool until 4 p.m. for swimming and/or gym games. From 4–5 p.m., we will return to the art building to relax until pick-up time (girls are encouraged to bring a book). Pick-up is at 5 p.m. each day in the art building. Should you need to pick up earlier than 5 p.m., please let us know in writing so we may meet you in the GirlSummer office at the appointed hour. As a courtesy to our staff, end-of-day pick up is promptly at 5 p.m. There is a late fee of $10 for every 15 minutes past 5 p.m. (or fraction thereof).

What is the campus store policy this summer?

GirlSummer participants will not have access to the campus store during program hours (8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.). Girls are welcome to visit the store with a grown-up before or after the camp day.

When will T-shirts be distributed?

GirlSummer T-shirts will be distributed at the end of the first week of each session.

What should I, as a parent, do if I need to be on campus during the session?

Parents need to wear a name tag if they are on campus during the day. The name tag indicates that the parent has requested and received permission to be on campus. Please stop by the GirlSummer office in the library for a name tag when you are visiting the campus.

What do I do if my daughter has misplaced an item?

We will set up a lost and found area in the library where the Girlsummer office is located. Lost items will be collected until the end of the session and will be shown to all campers during morning meeting on the last day in the hope that they will be recognized and retrieved by the owner. Please have your daughter check the library if she is missing anything. Please make a special effort to ensure that your daughter has all of her belongings (tennis racket, water bottle, clothing, etc.) by the last day of Session 4, August 13. All items must be claimed by August 13; all items not claimed by the end of the day will be donated to a local shelter.

My daughter has a food allergy. What do I need to do to ensure her safety while attending the program?

Because of the increase in variety and severity of food allergies, GirlSummer can no longer promise to accommodate all food allergies. Girls with food allergies are invited to attend the program but are encouraged to pack and bring their own food to ensure their safety. Refrigeration space will be made available. Girls with allergies who attend the program must be able to self-monitor and take responsibility for their own safety. There will be no financial adjustment made for girls who do not participate in the lunch program.

What happens in the event of severe weather at pick-up time?

If there is a severe thunderstorm in the area, girls will not be brought to the parking area for dismissal. Parents will need to meet their child inside the art building hallway and escort them outside.

I understand that the late fee policy will be strictly enforced this summer. What exactly does that mean?

End-of-day pick up begins at 2:45 p.m. and ends at 3 p.m. Anyone who does not have a parent in the pick-up queue by 3 p.m. will be asked to return to the art building. Parents may then meet their child inside the art building and will be asked to pay a late fee of $10 for every 15 minutes past 3 p.m. (or fraction thereof). As a courtesy to our staff, this policy will be strictly enforced this summer. This policy also applies to our extended hours program. Pick up from the extended hours program is promptly at 5 p.m., and there will be a fee of $10 assessed for every 15 minutes past 5 p.m. (or fraction thereof). Payment is expected at the time of late pick-up.

My daughter has a friend/cousin who will be visiting while my daughter is attending GirlSummer. May the friend/cousin visit the day program for a day or two?

Because of security and insurance concerns, visitors are not able to participate inthe program. Only registered program participants may be on campus.

What if I have concerns about something that has happened to my daughter either at home or during the program?

Our goal is to provide a fun-filled, interesting, stimulating, and safe environment for your child at GirlSummer. Please give us a call if there is a change in your child’s world that may affect her at GirlSummer (something at home or at the program). We want to do our best to ensure that your child has a successful and positive experience each and every day. The program telephone numbers are listed above.