Dear Grade 7 Parents and Guardians,
This message provides information about our upcoming class overnight trip to Quinipet Retreat Center on Shelter Island, NY.
We will leave D-E on coach buses at approximately 8:30 AM on Wednesday, September 28 and return at approximately 3 PM on Friday, September 30. We will travel on the LIE then take a ferry from the north fork of Long Island to Shelter Island. This will be our seventh year taking this very outdoorsy trip, which is immensely enjoyed by our students and chaperone teachers and staff alike!
Our Grade 7 HomeBase teachers, camp facilitators, and local scientists will be working with the students at the camp and on the island. The students will be engaged in activities that include team building, problem solving, scientific study and plain old fun. Students can look forward to:
- team building, problem solving and rock climbing
- learning about the local marine life during a visit to the Cornell Research Center.
- the Quogue Wildlife Preserve bringing birds of prey for us to learn from, and see up close.
- a local deep sea diver showing artifacts from different wrecks in the Long Island Sound and challenge the students to discover the cause of a local wreck.
- kayaking, eating s’mores and singing songs around a campfire.
Sleeping & Eating Arrangements:
We sleep and eat at Camp Quinipet. Our HomeBase teachers will make the room assignments. There are two types of “dorms”. Some of the dorms are larger stand alone houses with several bedrooms, each sleeping three to six students. The two other dorms have three large rooms with ten bunks in each room. The dorms also have common sitting areas/living rooms and shared bathrooms. Our teachers sleep in their own rooms which are located in the same houses as the students.
Food at Quinipet is served cafeteria style and features a hot and cold child-friendly menu.*For students with food concerns please see last paragraph below.
What to Bring:
You can click here to download a Packing List or find this Packing List PDF on www.d-e.org/middle. Basically, students need to dress for the weather, be ready to be outside and active, and wear clothes that can get dirty. It is a good idea to dress in layers.
Students need to bring a sleeping bag, pillow and towels. They also need to bring their own toiletries.
Students should leave all valuables at home, with the exception of a cell phone if they already have one. Jewelry is not allowed to be worn during the activities so all jewelry should be left at home as well.
Please note the following, final important considerations:
- Please contact me if your child has food allergies or dietary restrictions. I already asked the students.
- We will hold the students cell phones during the trip, except during the evening free time around8:30 or 9 each night. At this time, they have an hour in which they can call home, before bedtime.
- You should have already completed and returned the Quinipet liability form. If you have not, I will give a copy to your child this week for you to fill out and return.
- There will be a full time nurse on staff for us at Quinipet. If your child takes medication, please give me the medication in an original bottle that has the name of the medication and the dosage on the bottle. The nurse will distribute the medication as prescribed.
I am really looking forward to this trip. The students and teachers bond as a grade. We integrate new students, learn some science and have fun. Please feel free to call me if you have any questions or concerns, 201-227-3236. I will also be available at Back to School night, on Thursday, September 22nd if you want to talk to me about the trip. During a class meeting today, I will be talking to the students about the trip as well.
Sincerely,
Liz Traub
Grade 7 Dean