Staff Policies and Procedures

These Staff policies and procedures are a very brief overview of the Staff development handbook.

This summary of the staff handbook is designed to give you a basic understanding of how we define awesome staff.

This will help you determine if you will be a good fit for the FLJDC awesome team of staff.

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PARENTS/GUARDIANS OF STAFF: We strongly encourage the parents of staff to be familiar with these policies.
The 'camp parents of staff agreement' includes the staff agreement, staff handbook and all FLJDC policies in effect now or adopted in the future. Parents of all minor staff (under 18) will have to sign the agreement in order for the minor to be employed or volunteer at FLJDC.

FLJDC treats all staff equally and with respect, welcomes all staff into the staff team and expects that all staff will share the team spirit and effort to make camp a wonderful safe place for all. All FLJDC staff expectations and requirements are documented, can be seen online at any time and are explained during staff development. FLJDC communicates directly with its staff and volunteers including minors, and expects a healthy communication between staff and their parents/ guardians.

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Mission:
To provide the children and parents of the Jewish community of North Jersey with a safe, fun, educational, Jewish summer experience, in a non-judgmental environment.

To provide the best day camp experience in North Jersey by the demonstration of excellence and attention to detail in all aspects of camp, practicing a Kids First philosophy.

To give each child a positive Jewish experience which will be remembered by and impact each child in adulthood. 

Goals:
To affect each camper in a positive manner and encourage personal character growth.
To teach campers basic life skills, develop in campers awareness of their abilities, assist in making new friendships and connections, promote overcoming a challenging situation and connect all these to Jewish values, that G-d wants us to be the best we can be in every area of our life.

Value of Kids First: FLJDC is operated for the maximum benefit of campers, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Awesome staff make it their primary responsibility is to serve the campers in their care and place their own needs second to the campers. Awesome staff behavior always reflects a kids first value. Efforts will always be made by FLJDC to provide for staff needs to ensure a safe, fun and fulfilling work experience. 

Morning arrival and end of camp:
Working hours are 8:30 am to 4:15 pm Monday through Friday
Early care staff arrive at camp by 7:55am.
Arriving any later results in a deduction in pay commensurate with the missed time. Repeat
offenses may result in termination of employment.

All staff members who are not on morning care duty arrive at Camp by 8:30am for daily staff
meeting to prepare for the day. All counselors are in their bunk room by 8:45am to greet and
supervise arriving campers. Arriving late or not being in bunk room on time results in a deduction
in pay commensurate with the missed time. Repeat offenses may result in termination of
employment.

Camp ends at 4:15pm every day. Awesome Staff do not leave camp until all their campers have been picked
up, or been brought to after care no earlier than 4:15pm. Leaving early from camp, without express
prior approval from a Supervisor, results in a deduction in pay commensurate with the missed
time. Repeat offenses may result in termination of employment.

After care ends at 6:00pm.

Greetings at camp: Greeting people lets them know you noticed them. Our greeting values for kids and staff are based on the Jewish value of how people should greet each other.

Greeting children: Awesome Staff always warmly greet children by first or preferred name with big smiles and loud
hellos, making light conversation when possible.

Awesome counselors greet each child every morning using the following steps:

1. Say good morning with a big smile, using the Child's first name loud enough for everyone present to hear.

2.  Take a moment to make meaningful eye contact with each child.

3. Give the child a verbal compliment that proves you noticed them.

4. Offer safe, reassuring physical touch like hand shake, high five or fist bump. 

Greeting other staff: Awesome staff always greet each other with big smiles using first names, being warm and welcoming. We greet each other this way every time we see each other during the day even multiple times on the same day.

Jewish Discovery: We have a daily Jewish discovery program for each division, in which campers and
staff participate in daily prayers, stories, and learning. Counselors help campers make blessings on food,
before and after each meal and snack.

Daily review/exit ticket: Every day before staff leave camp, an exit ticket is completed, which is reviewed by the team
leader of the division. The exit ticket is a Google form which includes questions about your day's experience as well as your campers, and any other aspects of camp that you discover need attention or fixing. Counselors are
encouraged to offer the honest and constructive feedback needed to provide a great summer experience
for all. The team leader takes written notes of counselors feedback and gets back to you by phone the same
evening or during camp the next day, whichever is most effective. Counselors are encouraged to be
honest and share their best and honest ideas and feedback with their team leader.

Punctuality: In order for the bunk to be prompt to activities, awesome counselors always have their daily
schedule on their person and wear a working watch. If a bunk is late to activities, lunch, snack, or
to buses, those campers may miss camp activities. This will create disappointment and discontent among
campers and may ultimately reflect on the counselors job performance. Smart watches or cell phones are not
allowed.

Supervision: Awesome Staff NEVER leave a child or group of children unsupervised even for just a moment! There
is never an excuse for leaving a child unsupervised. This applies to all divisions and bunks. Leaving children
unsupervised shall be grounds for immediate dismissal.

Participation: Awesome Staff actively and enthusiastically participate in ALL of their bunk’s activities.
Awesome Staff eagerly excite their children for the activities on the schedule.

Lunch and Snack: Awesome Counselors ensure that ALL kids in their bunk get food and eat lunch and snacks.
Considering our Kids First philosophy, awesome staff never eat lunch or snack before ALL their campers have food,
and always eat lunch and snacks WITH their campers, never alone or with other staff.

Swimming: Awesome Counselors swim with their campers or sit with no more than 1 fellow counselor at the edge of
the pool, or other critical area as determined by directors and team leader. Counselors serve as
supervisors while campers are swimming or playing at the pool. Counselors also enforce all pool rules for
all campers while at the pool.

Bus Rides: Awesome Counselors sit with campers on every bus ride to the pool and trips. There is always one counselor
every three rows. Awesome Counselors never sit with each other on a bus, sleep, or otherwise tune out from the campers on the bus.

Attendance: Awesome Counselors take daily written attendance and always know the face count of their campers for
that day, keeping in mind kids who come late or leave early. In addition to daily written attendance, written
attendance is also required every single time we go off site.

Physical Ability: Awesome Staff are always in good health, well rested, and physically able to perform the duties of
their job on a daily basis. Awesome Staff do not come to camp if sick, injured, or unable to perform staff duties as
determined by the camp directors.

Absences: Awesome staff understand that the staff team and their campers rely and depend on them, and are therefore always at camp every day, and are on time to camp and staff meetings, with no absences.

Awesome staff understand that absences, lateness, or early departure are acceptable under extenuating circumstances that have been approved by the Camp Director in advance if possible. And that if written approval is not received from the Camp Director, the absence, lateness, or early departure may result in termination of employment.

Awesome staff understand that approval for absence is not granted for any of the following circumstances: family vacation, doctor’s appointment, driver’s test, saying goodbyes to a friend, shopping for school, etc. Any of these should be scheduled outside of camp hours. In the rare occasion of an emergency situation where an absence/lateness/early departure is approved by the Camp Director, the staff member finds his/her own suitable replacement who is approved by the Camp Director. A co-counselor does not qualify as a suitable replacement. If the directors feel that the safety or quality of the program is compromised due to staff missing time from camp, they may (but are not required to) replace staff members permanently.

After Hours: During the camp season, staff are not allowed to associate with campers in any way after
camp hours. Staff may not go to children's homes, babysit, or transport campers without written permission
from parents and camp directors. If it is necessary to transport a camper in a personal vehicle, staff must
first obtain permission from the camp director then from parents in writing. Any written permission must be filed
with the camp office. Awesome staff understand that this is in order to protect the welfare of children and staff.

Dress Code and Appearance: Unaltered, current summer camp staff shirts are worn every day. As we are a Jewish
camp organized in the spirit of Chabad, our dress code is inspired by Jewish tradition, mutual respect, and
camp spirit. The standards for our staff include policies which require certain parts of our body to be
covered and displayed properly.

Male Staff:
1. A kippah, hat, or cap covering your head at all times, even during sports.
2. Current season’s unaltered camp staff t-shirt is required daily.
3. Pants or shorts to the knees at all times, no bathing suits (except at the pool).
4. No piercing and/or tattoo is visible in camp. Any piercings removed or covered, and tattoos covered during camp.

Female Staff:
1. Current season’s unaltered camp staff t-shirt is required daily.
2. Skirts that cover the knees at all times. Please do not wear shorts or skirts that don't cover the knees.
3. Leggings may be worn underneath a skirt that covers the knees.
4. Pierced ears (one piercing in each ear) are acceptable piercing to be visible in camp. All
other piercing removed or covered and tattoos covered.

Abuse, Discipline, Endangerment: Awesome staff know that the safety and wellbeing of campers and staff is a number one priority. The deprivation of food or water, a child or group of children being left alone without supervision, or subjected to threats, ridicule, or endangerment, and/or physical, verbal, or psychological abuse of any child, group or staff member, shall be cause for immediate dismissal from camp.

Relationships: Any behavior that is sexual, inappropriate, includes intimate displays of affection, or creates a compromising situation at camp are cause for immediate dismissal. Awesome staff know that their personal relationships are conducted on personal time outside of camp. Social/sexual relationships and experiences of staff are never discussed in camp. Questions or conversation initiated by campers that are sexual in nature, are inappropriate or invade the privacy of an individual, are not answered or engaged in by staff, and should be referred to the Camp Director.

Personal Space: Staff never touch a child or another staff member in ways that make the recipient feel uncomfortable. Other than diapering, children are never touched in areas of their bodies that are normally covered by a bathing suit. Awesome staff are never alone with a single child unobserved by other staff or children.

Prohibited items and behaviors: Cigarettes, alcohol, tobacco, any sort of vaping device, eCigs, drugs, pills and weapons are all strictly prohibited at camp and are grounds for immediate dismissal if brought to camp, regardless if substance is legal or not. Staff use or possession at camp of alcohol, tobacco, vapes, eCigs, vape cartridges, drugs or the presence of weapons negatively impact campers and therefore are strictly prohibited. Staff never use these substances during camp hours and/or on camp premises. Staff never talk about these items in camp with campers or other staff. If a camper raises a question about prohibited items, staff refer the camper to the team leader or directors. If staff raise this topic, other staff should remind them that these things negatively affect campers and staff and that conversation on this topic should be stopped.

Because of the camp’s close ties with the community, awesome staff always present a positive image outside of camp hours as well. As such, it is expected that staff do not use, possess or display the use on social media of any prohibited items in public areas where they may be observed by campers or their families.

Right to search: By accepting any type of staff position at FLJDC, staff allow the camp director the right to search their belongings if there is reasonable suspicion that staff are in possession of items that will negatively affect children and/or other staff.

Drug Testing: Staff may be asked to submit a drug test at random, or if there is reason or suspicion to believe that the staff member is, or has been, involved in the consumption of non-medical substances during their agreed upon employment period. Failure to test, or a positive result, may lead to immediate termination.

Harassment: We follow a zero-tolerance policy. The Camp is free of harassment, bias and discrimination
of any kind, these go against the fabric of the Jewish values that awesome staff work so hard to role-model. Any acts that are or may be perceived as harassment are strictly prohibited and are grounds for immediate dismissal from camp.

Cleanliness: Awesome staff always present a clean and neat appearance and practice good personal hygiene. This includes but is not limited to: laundered clothing, pleasant body odor, good breath, etc. . Staff are also responsible for the
cleanliness of their bunk room, lunch table, and assigned program areas.

Animals: Pets are not allowed in Camp.

Pictures: Pictures of staff may be used in camp promotional material. Staff never take pictures of
campers using a non-camp device.

Camper Belongings: Awesome counselors always help campers keep their belongings clean and neat. Counselors
help campers keep their belongings from getting lost or ruined, and make sure that children bring their
belongings home daily, unless otherwise instructed by parents.

Camper Phone Use: Campers are not permitted to have cell phones in camp, and counselors are
empowered through the team leader to enforce this policy. Campers' phones should be kept in the office until the end of the day. If a child needs to make a call, it is done from the camp office and only with permission from a Camp Director. Staff do not authorize campers to make phone calls.

Camp Radios: We use two-way radios for communication at camp. Each counselor gets a camp radio,
which allows them to communicate with other counselors in their division and their division head. Each
staff member is responsible for their radio which costs $175.00. Awesome counselors know that camp Radios are used for work related communication only, not social exchanges, and keep the airwaves clear for important camp communication. Awesome staff never allow campers to use or hold onto camp radios. Radios are left to charge in the staff room daily.

Staff Cell Phones: Awesome staff role model the 'no cell phone policy for campers' by never having any cell phone on them during camp hours. This also allows counselors to properly focus on kids with zero distractions. Personal staff cell phones are kept in the staff room in a camp provided phone pocket designated for each staff member.

This policy also applies when out on camp trips and at the pool. On overnights, counselors may take their phones for use only at night after campers have gone to sleep. Awesome counselors never use cell phones while on duty on an overnight, on a bus, or in the presence of campers. A first infraction of cell phone policy will result in being dismissed early that day with a deduction of pay for hours missed. Two infractions of this policy shall be grounds for dismissal.

Camper Privacy: Awesome staff never blog, tweet, comment, text, snap, insta, TikTok or share feelings, opinions, frustrations, or emotions about camp, other staff, campers, or camp parents with anyone outside of camp, regardless of the communication device, platform, or in person. Awesome staff never gossip about camp, campers or parents with
other staff or anyone outside of camp. Awesome staff have a solution oriented conversation about campers and
camp situations with other staff pertinent to the specific situation and with the intent of discovering a
solution. Awesome staff take care never to share, and to properly secure, shred, and dispose, of any personal
camper information that they may possess during camp.

Personal Sports Equipment: Staff do not need to bring personal sports equipment of any kind to camp. Awesome staff ask team leaders and directors for equipment that they think that camp may benefit from.

Grievance Procedure for staff: Awesome staff members use the following procedures to resolve work related problems:
Attempt to solve the problem directly with the individual.
Discuss the situation with their team leader.
Submit a written statement to a Camp Director, explaining the situation.
Request an individual meeting with a Camp Director.

Awesome staff follow these procedures ASAP without allowing a situation to balloon out of control.

Discipline Procedure for Campers:

The following disciplinary action for minor offenses by a camper will take place:
1. A verbal warning from the bunk's counselor.
2. Parents will be contacted on the second offense and a behavioral report card (BRC) will be
completed.
3. Third offense, the parent needs to meet with the Camp social worker and complete a written
behavioral contract.
4. Fourth offense, suspension from camp and the parents will need to meet with a camp social worker.
The team (which includes the parents) will decide if the camp is still an appropriate environment for the camper and a second behavioral contract (BC) needs to be signed. This BC will include language of permanent expulsion from the camp.
5. Each incident will also be documented, reported to the parents, and kept on file.

The following disciplinary action for major offenses (any form of physical abuse or name calling) by a
camper will take place:
1. Parents will be contacted and BRC will be completed and signed by camp staff and parents.
2. The parents need to meet with the Camp Director and/or social worker and complete a written
behavioral contract.
3. Suspension from camp, and the parents will need to meet with the Camp Director and/or social worker. The team (which includes the parents) will decide if the camp is still an appropriate environment for the camper and a second behavioral contract (BC) needs to be signed. This BC will include language of permanent expulsion from the camp.
4. Each incident will be documented, reported to the parents, and kept on file.

Medication: Staff do not keep any medicines on their person for safety reasons, not even their own medication, with the exception of the Epi-pen, inhaler, insulin or other emergency life saving medication based on instruction from individual parents.

Staff are required to fill out a health history and let us know if medication will be taken at, or during camp. All medications are kept in the health center, which is where staff and children go to take medications when needed. The exception to this is lifesaving medication (as mentioned above) which should be on hand at all times with staff trained to use said medications. In this case medications must be documented in the camp office and health center and be brought back to the health center daily after camp hours are over.

Medical Insurance & Injuries: Staff is covered by worker’s compensation insurance when an accident occurs while on duty. Summer staff is required to provide their own medical coverage; FLJDC’s health and accident insurance does not cover staff. Accidents that result from unauthorized activities are not covered by worker’s compensation. Any accident occurring at camp relating to campers or staff must be documented with an injury report form and turned into the camp health director.

Visitors: Staff never have any visitors at camp.

Authorized Pick Up: Awesome staff never dismiss campers early without permission from the camp office and
checking out in the office before leaving. Even if a parent comes to you, you must make sure to send the
parent to the office to check out BEFORE you let the child go. Campers are never released to anyone, no matter how they are related to the camper, unless they are on the authorized pick up list.

Parents of campers: We encourage open communication with campers' parents via Camp Directors and/or Camp Office. Awesome Staff know to limit communication with camper parents to non-problem related matters. Awesome Staff don't communicate camper issues directly with parents; this must go through the Camp Directors who will help in every way possible. Any communication or requests initiated by parents to the counselor should be reported to Camp Office or Directors, so we are all on the same page and can help each other serve the campers and their parents.

Food & Allergies: Awesome counselors do not eat lunch or snack before, or while serving the campers. Staff always
use disposable gloves when serving food to the campers or helping with lunch.
We are a nut-free, and seed-free camp.

Awesome counselors know their children's allergies and before giving children food, staff read the label or find out that there are no nuts, seeds or traces of any allergic ingredients in the food based on their campers needs and parents instructions. All food brought to camp must be Kosher and Pareve (non-dairy).

If staff have any questions about food or allergies, they err on the side of caution and check with the Camp Office and/or Camp health director.

Children and staff are never allowed to bring food containing nuts or seeds to camp. Children and staff may
not share any food with each other, for reasons of health and kosher dietary laws. If any campers bring
food that is not nut and seed free, staff must take it away and bring it to the office immediately; staff make
sure that the office manager knows who brought the food, so a message can be sent to parents to avoid sending these foods again.

Unethical Conduct: It is our goal to encourage a safe and honorable environment. Theft of any kind,
money, goods, materials, or supplies shall be cause for dismissal.

Respect: Awesome camp staff focus on role-modeling the Jewish value of respect, for one another, camp equipment, the environment, and camp property.

If staff notice campers disrespecting each other, camp equipment, property or the environment in any way, it is the staff opportunity to stop the campers and explain what is wrong with that kind of behavior and redirect the children to positive behavior. A report with the office may be required in this case as determined by the staff and camp policy.

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