We want to share a summer of smiles with your 3-5 year olds! In the mornings we will be working on a bunch of fun activities such as keychain making, watercolor painting, and collaborative table cloth making. All of our meals will be done picnic-style, either on our beautiful beds of clover or atop picnic tables in our play yard. The afternoons will be filled with water play. There will be kiddie pools and sprinklers on so that the kids can cool off in a fun and playful way. Everyday there will also be plenty of time for free play while at camp. The kids will have full access to our collection of mini bikes, free rein in our play yard, and the ability to explore the woods close by. Join us for one week, two weeks, or the whole summer!

Sisi Richard is a junior at Wheaton college studying Early Childhood Education. She subs in our preschool during her school breaks and was an assistant counselor for the preschool camp last summer. She loves doing crafts with the kids and seeing all the kids smile. She’s excited to see all the fun we will have during summer camp this year.

Anna Slezak is loving her first year as an After School teacher at the Center School and is looking forward to spending full days with the summer campers.

When Anna is not with her own kids, teaching, or being a student herself, she is in her studio creating. She loves sharing her hobbies and interests with the students, and in turn, learning all the things they teach her!

Come join us as we delve into the magical realm. Who are the wee folk who live at the Center School? We will explore the land looking for signs of fairies, gnomes, and elves. Using materials found around us we will build fairy houses and offer the wee folk gifts. We will also have art projects like decorating fairy wings, and read books to learn more about who the wee folk are.

Rebecca Golden has been a teacher at the Center School since 2005, currently teaching in our outdoor K/1 class. She is so excited to share her love of nature, plants, and wilderness activities this summer. When not teaching, Rebecca can be found playing with her kids, in her garden growing things to add to her herbal apothecary, or dancing.

Calling all kids who love pirates, dragons and fairies! Get ready to create a play to be performed in a forest theater. Kids will have the opportunity to develop their own performance style in an atmosphere of fun and total acceptance. Come play on the mermaid slip and slide, build fairy houses, make crowns, swords and shields. Kids can explore an extensive costume closet for inspiration, and have fun with whatever size role they wish, as well as make special treats and decorations to host family and friends for their original play on the last day of camp! Join us for one week or both, as each will be a unique experience!

Beverly Ketch currently works in the Center School preschool, but in her spare time she is the creator of the children's page for the Montague Reporter, the director of Lovelight Children's Theater, and founder of the annual Fairy House Day on Avenue A in Turners Falls. She loves to write poetry and has made two records of her music.

Come explore and create with us! During this camp, kids will spend time playing games and exploring our beautiful campus. We will use the surrounding nature to inspire and influence our creative endeavors. Each week will be a fun, unique experience. Join us for one or both!

Rebecca Golden has been a teacher at the Center School since 2005, currently teaching in our outdoor K/1 class. She is so excited to share her love of nature, plants, and wilderness activities this summer. When not teaching, Rebecca can be found playing with her kids, in her garden growing things to add to her herbal apothecary, or dancing.

Join us for a camp full of creation and explorations. We will make friendship bracelets, find and draw local flora and fauna on campus, and create treasures and forts with things we find in the forest! We will spend time hiking on campus, so bring your hiking shoes and your best bug deterrent and get ready for some woodsy fun!

Amy (she/her) is a current Center School teacher in our Forest program. Throughout her 15 years at the school, she has worked as an intern in Middles, worked with the Uppers team, taught After School, Preschool and this is her third year teaching in the forest.

When she isn’t building castles, fires and mudslides in the woods, she enjoys baking, sewing, gardening, and singing made up songs really loud, and wearing her cat around the house like a parrot. You might see her out with her childTess (a super awesome Upper) paddling on the water, or riding bikes through the forest (the cat prefers to stay at home).

Anna Slezak is loving her first year as an After School teacher at the Center School and is looking forward to spending full days with the summer campers.

When Anna is not with her own kids, teaching, or being a student herself, she is in her studio creating. She loves sharing her hobbies and interests with the students, and in turn, learning all the things they teach her!

During this week of camp we will explore our forest base camp and find spaces to create forts! We will draw plans for our construction ideas and make models out of clay! We will put our problem solving skills to the test as we work collaboratively in bringing our fort ideas to life using sticks, logs, fabric, and other found and natural materials. Before, after, and during our building you’ll find us busy at play, reveling in the magic of a nature fort!

Val Driscoll is a current Center School teacher in our K/1 Forest program. They come to us from the Smith College Center for Early Childhood Education at Fort Hill, where they spent 11 years as the art studio teacher. Some of Val's favorite things include the changing seasons, a sewing project, hot coffee in a special mug, the ocean, thrift stores, and tacos.

Cynthia Kelly has enjoyed at the Center School for the last year. When she's not at school, subbing in the Primes classrooms or organizing games and fun in After School, you can find her at the dek hockey rink or by the lake fishing.

Welcome to Baking Camp - Desserts! During this week, our mornings will be filled with creating some of your favorite treats, and some you've possibly never tried before. We'll make classic treats like lemon squares, chocolate cream pie, and whoopie pies, and we will make more challenging bakes like pain au chocolate and cream puffs. We'll learn the science behind why egg whites whip into a fluffy cloud, why cream can whip into a frothy pillow, and why salt and chocolate taste so good together. We will spend the second part of the day playing games and splashing in water.

Sara Johnson is in her 15th year as a teacher at The Center School. Sara loves cooking and baking in her spare time.

Maeve Johnson is an eleventh grade student at Stoneleigh Burnham School and an alum of The Center School. Maeve has been baking for her whole life and has taken many baking classes, including at King Arthur Baking School. This is her third year of teaching baking camp.

Please note that this camp is for students entering grades 3-7 during week 4 (July 15th-19th) and for students entering grades 5-8 during week 3 (July 8th-12th).

The call to adventure arises again! Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy pen and paper roleplaying game built and played collaboratively from the ground up. Players will work together to build a shared world full of magic and mystery, create personalized characters, and embark on quests big and small, learning group problem-solving skills in an empowering environment peppered with tidbits from math, science, philosophy, and history. Learn the fundamentals of dungeoncraft, flex your creative muscles, and leave with new skills applicable to any walk of life! No prior knowledge of roleplaying games necessary; materials provided.

Scrivener Lamb is a game developer, childcare professional, collaborative storyteller, and full-time housecat appreciator currently based in Chicopee. They worked at the Common School from 2014 to 2020 and have freelanced as a youth Dungeon Master since 2018, running games for private clients and for the Jones and Agawam Libraries. This will be their first time at the Center School!

Shields! Swords! Sheikah Slates and more! In this week-long camp, campers will spend the morning crafting gear from their favorite fantasy worlds out of cardboard. Whether you love Breath of the Wild or Lord of the Rings or another fantasy world, come to camp and make the accessories you need to begin your epic adventures. In the afternoons, we will head into the woods and fields for open-ended imaginative play with our gear. Camper-led quests and challenges are encouraged!

Welcome to Clay Camp, a one-week summer camp designed for kids who love to get their hands dirty and minds inspired! This camp is more than just a pottery class; it's an adventurous journey into the world of artistic expression through the mesmerizing medium of clay. Our camp offers a unique blend of fun, creativity, and learning, where every child can explore their artistic potential in a lively and supportive environment.

Each day of the camp promises an exciting exploration into the world of ceramics. Our young artists will dive into an array of pottery-making techniques, including the use of coils, slabs, colored slips, and glazes to create both functional wares and abstract sculptures. The aim is to provide a hands-on experience that balances structured learning with ample freedom, allowing each child to discover and hone their creative Voice.

We believe that the natural world is a boundless source of inspiration, and we encourage our campers to use this to inform their work with clay. Our curriculum includes outdoor explorations where kids can draw direct connections between the environment and their artistic creations. Additionally, our campers will get a chance to learn about both historical and contemporary ceramic artists, offering them a broader perspective of the diverse styles and techniques in the world of ceramics.

The week will culminate in an informal exhibition on the last day of camp, where students can proudly display and admire the artwork they have created. This showcase is a celebration of their hard work, creativity, and new skills acquired during the week. At the end of the week, each camper will bring home their unique kiln-fired pottery pieces.

Olivia Brooks is a potter and educator from Berkeley, California. She first discovered ceramics as a high school student and has worked with clay ever since. She received a BA from Bennington college with an emphasis in ceramics in 2016 and a Masters in Education from Mills college in 2020. Since graduating she has continued developing her studio practice, teaching clay classes to adults and children and furthering her knowledge of kiln operation and glaze chemistry. In addition to her creative pursuits, Olivia is currently teaching 2nd/3rd grade at the Center School.

Tayler Jones is in her third year working with The Center School. She loves to be creative and sharing that joy with children, currently in our preschool classroom. Before that she was our resident After School craft guru and has helped many creative ideas bloom into artistic endeavors.

Whether we are kicking up into handstands or throwing down the "Reverse" card in Uno, we will be making moves. You are invited to participate in a variety of games, sports, and activities such as soccer, Chess, Hide and Seek, Charades, relay races, Pictionary, parkour, hiking, and more!

Vanessa (she/her) was born and raised in Greenfield, MA and is a Center School Alum and current Center School teacher. Vanessa values play time and movement. For many years she coached gymnastics and parkour at The Y. She has spent most of her summers working as a camp counselor and supervisor at several different programs in Greenfield. In her spare time she enjoys sitting by a fire, fishing, bird watching, gardening, and eating.

Cynthia Kelly has enjoyed at the Center School for the last year. When she's not at school, subbing in the Primes classrooms or organizing games and fun in After School, you can find her at the dek hockey rink or by the lake fishing.

Lego is an abbreviation of the Danish phrase “leg godt,” which means play well. In this camp we will PLAY WELL with these magical, modular building bits. In the mornings, we will try our hands at teacher-led and student-initiated building challenges like bridges, models of everyday objects and limited-piece prompts. In the afternoons, we will have the chance to play outdoors, cool off in the slip and slide, have plenty of free-build time and enjoy inspiration from the wide world of Lego master builders. Come build!

Cynthia Kelly has enjoyed at the Center School for the last year. When she's not at school, subbing in the Primes classrooms or organizing games and fun in After School, you can find her at the dek hockey rink or by the lake fishing.

Diving into the wonderful worlds of crime fighting turtles, web slinging heros, giant robots and even more than you could possibly dream of. This camp is for students who want to learn in depth about different stories, artists, and genres surrounding the visual art of drawing. We will be doing different drawing and character building exercises each day. I will give students the creative techniques to make their visual stories come to life. By the end of the week, each student will create a small story of characters to call their own.

Meaghan has been a licensed mental health counselor for over a decade and is the current School Counselor at the Center School. Meaghan loves the outdoors and you can often find her hiking locally, backpacking in the white mountains, tracking, seeing live music and spending time with her family. Meaghan is excited to join the summer camp staff at the Center School this summer!

In this movement-based camp we will be playing a variety of team-based games and tag games like capture the flag, tic tac toe relay races, ultimate tag, basketball and many more. This camp will have the kids learning how to work together and cooperate with their teammates and to come up with strategies together. Come join us for this week of fun and learning new games! We are excited to spend the week with you playing so many games!

Cynthia Kelly has enjoyed at the Center School for the last year. When she's not at school, subbing in the Primes classrooms or organizing games and fun in After School, you can find her at the dek hockey rink or by the lake fishing.

Welcome to a magical miniature world camp, where imagination knows no bounds! Calling all creative minds aged 8-12 for a summer filled with tiny wonders. Join us on a whimsical journey crafting enchanting fairy houses using nature-inspired materials. Dive into a culinary adventure with our Tiny Food Felting Fiesta, where you'll create adorable miniature pizzas, cupcakes, and ice creams. Explore the world of fabric and thread in our Mini Sewing Marvels workshop, designing tiny clothes and accessories. Unleash your artistic side with Polymer Clay Playtime, sculpting colorful miniatures that bring your imagination to life. Throughout the camp, stories, games, and laughter will accompany your crafting adventures, ensuring a magical experience. Get ready to make new friends, explore creativity, and take home a world of tiny treasures. Let the Miniature World Arts and Crafts Camp adventure begin!

Olivia Brooks is a potter and educator from Berkeley, California. She first discovered ceramics as a high school student and has worked with clay ever since. She received a BA from Bennington college with an emphasis in ceramics in 2016 and a Masters in Education from Mills college in 2020. Since graduating she has continued developing her studio practice, teaching clay classes to adults and children and furthering her knowledge of kiln operation and glaze chemistry. In addition to her creative pursuits, Olivia is currently teaching 2nd/3rd grade at the Center School.

Tayler Jones is in her third year working with The Center School. She loves to be creative and sharing that joy with children, currently in our preschool classroom. Before that she was our resident After School craft guru and has helped many creative ideas bloom into artistic endeavors.

Loosely based on the game show with the same name, this camp will challenge kids to think creatively when faced with daily prompts and challenges. Campers will have to build or draw or use the provided materials in some way to respond to the challenge. There will be prompts to follow for groups as well as individuals. The day will be full of innovation and invention along with time outside collecting supplies and playing games in the field.

Masking

Masking is optional for campers.

If a student, staff, or household member are exposed to Covid or test positive for Covid, they will need to follow the masking guidelines in the current CDC guidance.

Visitors to the school who are not members of the household of a current student or staff member will be asked to mask while indoors.

Masks must be dual or triple cloth or disposable surgical, n95, kn95, or kf94 mask that can fully cover your mouth and nose.

NO vented masks, gaiters, or bandanas are allowed.

Students and staff must stay home from school if they have the following COVID symptoms:

Fever (100.0° Fahrenheit or higher), chills, or shaking chills

Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

New loss of taste or smell

Muscle aches or body aches

Cough (not due to other known cause, such as chronic cough)

Sore throat, when in combination with other symptoms

Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea when in combination with other symptoms

Headache when in combination with other symptoms

Fatigue, when in combination with other symptoms

Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to other known causes, such as allergies) when in combination with other symptoms

If you cancel prior to 30 days before the first day of your camp, you will receive a full refund minus your nonrefundable deposit and a $6 credit card processing fee.

If you cancel 15-30 days before the first day of your camp, you will receive a 50% refund minus the nonrefundable deposit and a $6 credit card processing fee.

If you cancel fewer than 14 days before the first day of your camp, you will not receive a refund, unless the program is full and we are able to fill your spot, then you may receive a 50% refund, minus the nonrefundable deposit and a $6 credit card processing fee.

Refunds will not be given for absent or sick days.

Exceptions granted only in the case of a health emergency, evidenced by a written physician’s statement, restricting the child from attending camp for the entire session.

At Greenfield Center School, we expect that all members of our school community will treat each other with courtesy and respect. It is our policy to provide and maintain a learning environment that is free of bullying and any other verbal or physical misconduct that disrupts the learning environment or makes it unsafe.

The Greenfield Center School Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan, set forth below, is published in response to the recently enacted Massachusetts law and amendments thereto against bullying and is an integral part of our efforts to promote learning and to prevent behavior that can impede the learning
process. Our Plan articulates Greenfield Center School’s comprehensive approach to addressing bullying, cyber-bullying, and retaliation.

This Plan is consistent with broader protections at Greenfield Center School against discrimination, harassment, bullying, and retaliation that make up the daily interactions among students, faculty, and staff and which appear in our Handbook and Employee Personnel Policies.

It is important that this Plan be well understood by all members of the Greenfield Center School community. The Head of School or her/his designee is responsible for the implementation and administration of the Plan. Questions and concerns related to this Plan may be referred to her.

This plan applies to students, and members of school staff, including but not limited to, educators, administrators, school nurses, cafeteria workers, custodians, bus drivers, athletic coaches, advisors to an extracurricular activity, paraprofessionals and volunteers.

The development of this policy shall be in consultation with teachers, school staff, professional support personnel, school volunteers, students, parents and guardians. The policy will be distributed to all families who have a child attending the school. There is a 60-day comment period for all interested persons to comment on the amended plan.

The plan shall be reviewed and if necessary updated, biennially.

II. Policy Against Bullying, Cyber-Bullying, and Retaliation

The School will not tolerate any form of bullying or cyber-bullying, nor will we tolerate retaliation against any person who reports bullying, provides information during an investigation of bullying, or witnesses or has reliable information about bullying.

Bullying, cyber-bullying and retaliation are prohibited on school grounds and at school-sponsored events, activities, functions, and programs. Bullying, cyber- bullying and retaliation are also prohibited on school buses or vans and on other vehicles owned, leased, or used by the school, and through the use of technology or an electronic device owned, leased or used by the school.

In addition, bullying and cyber-bullying are prohibited at a location that is not school-related or through the use of technology or an electronic device that is not owned, leased, or used by the School, if the bullying creates a hostile environment at school for a targeted individual; infringes on the rights of a targeted individual at school; or materially and substantially disrupts the educational process or the orderly operation of the school.

Retaliation against a person who reports bullying, provides information during an investigation of bullying, or witnesses or has reliable information about bullying is prohibited.

False accusations of bullying or retaliation shall be subject to disciplinary action.

III. Definitions:

“Aggressor” is a student or any school personnel who engages in bullying, cyber-bullying, or retaliation.

“Bullying ”is the repeated use by one or more students or one or more school personnel of a written, verbal, or electronic expression or a physical act or gesture or any combination thereof, directed at a targeted individual that: (i) causes physical or emotional harm to the victim or damage to the victim’s property; (ii) places the victim in reasonable fear of harm to him or herself or of damage to his or her property; (iii) creates a hostile environment at school for the victim; (iv) infringes on the rights of the victim at school; or (v) materially and substantially disrupts the education process, orderly operation of a school, or the working environment at school.

“Cyber-bullying” is bullying through the use of technology or any electronic communication, which shall include, but not be limited to, any transfer of signs, signals, writing, images, sounds, data, or intelligence of any nature transmitted in whole or in part by a wire, radio, electromagnetic, photo electronic or photo optical system, including, but not limited to, electronic mail, internet communications, instant messages, or facsimile communications. Cyber-bullying shall also include (i) the creation of a web page or blog in which the creator assumes the identify of another person or (ii) the knowing impersonation of another person as the author of posted content or messages, if the creation or impersonation creates any of the conditions enumerated in the definition of bullying. Cyber-bullying shall also include the distribution by electronic means of a communication to more than one person or posting of material on an electronic medium that may be accessed by one or more persons, if the distribution or posting creates any of the conditions enumerated in the definition of bullying.

“Hostile Environment” is a situation in which bullying causes the school environment to be permeated with intimidation, ridicule, or insult that is sufficiently severe or pervasive to alter the conditions of the targeted individual’s education or working environment.

“Retaliation” is any form of intimidation, reprisal, or harassment directed against a targeted individual who reports bullying, provides information during an investigation of bullying, or witnesses or has reliable information about bullying or cooperates in an investigation in any way.

“Target” is a student or any school personnel against whom bullying, cyber- bullying, or retaliation has been perpetrated, a “victim”.

Legal Definitions and School Policy

It is important to bear in mind that stricter standards of behavior may apply under the Greenfield Center School’s policies in order to prevent verbal or physical misconduct before a student or school personnel have been subject to bullying as it is defined under the law. For example, although the law defines bullying as “repeated use” of certain expressions, acts, and/or gestures, the School reserves the right to apply disciplinary measures and other corrective action in the case of a single expression, act, or gesture, if the School determines that it is of sufficient severity to warrant disciplinary measures or other remedial action or that the repetition of that expression, act, or gesture might reasonably result in bullying as defined under the law.

Greenfield Center School recognizes that certain students may be more vulnerable to becoming a target of bullying or harassment based on actual or perceived differentiating characteristics, including race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, socioeconomic status, homelessness, academic status, gender identity or expression, physical appearance, pregnant or parenting status, sexual orientation, mental, physical, development or sensory disability or by association with a person who has or is perceived to have one or more of these characteristics. Vulnerable students shall be supported by teaching in each session on anti-bullying respect for diversity and providing regular check-ins with these students on their experience while at the Greenfield Center School.

IV. Prevention of Bullying and Cyber-Bullying

From the earliest grades at the Greenfield Center School, students learn that as members of our community, they have the right to be treated with courtesy and respect and owe courtesy and respect to all others in the school community. Our curriculum and work place practices emphasize respect for differences, and teachers are clear in their expectations for student behavior. When necessary, parents are notified and asked to reinforce standards for behavior within our school community.

From the first day of employment, school personnel are to understand that as a member of our community they have the right to be treated with courtesy and respect and owe courtesy and respect to all others in the school community.

Families receive the Handbook and are asked to read and review it each summer. This Handbook includes explicit policies around harassment, anti-hazing, and acceptable use of technology at the Greenfield Center School.

Morning Meetings are utilized to make sure that students are well informed about what is expected of them and to reinforce positive conduct. Age appropriate discussions addressing prevention, reporting and identifying bullying, cyber-bullying, and retaliation will be the subject of Morning Meetings early in each school year. These subjects shall be raised at Morning Meeting or on other occasions throughout the year as the need arises.

School personnel shall be trained in the prevention, reporting and identifying bullying, cyber-bullying, and retaliation.

V. Bullying and Cyber-Bullying Prevention Plan

Any Greenfield Center School employee shall immediately report any instance of bullying or retaliation the employee has witnessed or become aware of to the Head of School or her/his designee.

Any student, parent, guardian or other interested person may report any bullying or suspected bullying to the Head of School or her/his designee as soon as reasonably possible. The Head of School or her/his designee will complete the Bullying Incident Report Form.

If an instance of bullying is reported to an employee other than the Head of School, the employee shall immediately inform the Head of School or her/his designee.

Reports may be made anonymously, however, no disciplinary action shall be taken against a student solely on the basis of an anonymous report. The School urges students and their parents not to make reports anonymously. Although there are circumstances in which an anonymous report can be better than none at all, it is far more difficult to determine the facts of what occurred if complaints are made anonymously. Students and parents are encouraged to bear in mind that the School takes its policy against retaliation very seriously. Also, while the School cannot promise strict confidentiality because information must be shared in order to conduct an effective investigation, the School releases information concerning complaints of bullying, cyber-bullying, or retaliation only on a legitimate need-to-know basis.

Investigation

When a complaint of bullying, cyber-bullying, or retaliation is brought to the attention of the Head or her/his designee, an investigation will be commenced within 24 to 48 hours of receipt if at all possible. An assessment will be made as to whether any initial steps need to be taken to protect the well-being of the student and to prevent disruption of their learning environment while the investigation is being conducted. As appropriate, strategies such as increased supervision may be implemented to prevent further bullying, cyber-bullying, or retaliation during an investigation.

The Head of School or her/his designee should keep accurate documentation of all complaints received, including:

The name of the complainant


The status of the complainant (i.e. student, school personnel, third party)

The name of the alleged bully


The date the complaint was received

How the complaint was received (i.e., written, verbally)

The nature of the complaint (i.e. facts of the complaint)

The names of the witnesses who will be interviewed

The Head of School or her/his designee should ask appropriate questions of the complainant to gather all facts and to determine the level of support or protection needed by the targeted individual:

Who, what, when, where, how?

Is there any physical evidence (documents, texts, voicemail)?

What will restore the complainant’s sense of safety?

Does the complainant need protection? If so, what form should the protection take?

What professional services are appropriate to recommend or require?

Is notification to local law enforcement required?

It is the policy of the School to notify the parents of any student who is an alleged target of bullying, cyber-bullying, or retaliation and the parents of any student who may have been accused of engaging in such behavior promptly after a complaint has been made. All witnesses and the alleged bully should be reminded that retaliation is also a violation of school policy.

The alleged bully will be fairly warned that the misconduct will, if appropriate, be reported to local law enforcement or other appropriate governmental agencies.

Resolution, Notification, and Follow-Up

Following interviews and any other investigation undertaken, as the School deems appropriate, the Head of School or her/his designee will determine whether and to what extent the allegation of bullying, cyber-bulling, or retaliation has been substantiated. If it is determined that the policy set forth in this Plan has been violated, the Head of School or her/his designee will determine what disciplinary action and/or other remedial action is appropriate and how it will be implemented. It will also be determined what steps are necessary to make the targeted individual fee safe and protected in the school environment.

Depending on the circumstances of the case, if it is determined that bullying has occurred the Head of School or his/her designee may discipline the offending party by ordering: a. counseling;
b. schedule or class change;
c. stay away order;
d. an educational component;
e. a verbal warning;
f. a written warning;
g. suspension;
h. expulsion, or;
i. any other remedy deemed appropriate by the Head of School or his/her designee;
j. any discipline should be viewed in light of balancing accountability with the need to teach appropriate behavior.

If the incident involves students from more than one school, the school first informed of the bullying, or retaliation shall consistent with state and federal law, promptly notify the appropriate administrator of the other school or schools.

The goal of an investigation and any disciplinary or other remedial process that is imposed following that investigation is to correct the situation to the extent it is reasonably possible, to take such steps as can be taken to prevent a repetition of the incident, and to prevent the targets and others who participated in the investigation from being subject to retaliation.

In appropriate circumstances, such as when a crime may have been committed or when a child may have been subject to abuse or neglect of the type that is reportable under Section 51A of the Massachusetts laws, law enforcement or another appropriate government agency may be notified. Upon completion of the investigation, the Head of School, or his/her designee who conducted the investigation will meet individually with the target(s) of the alleged incident and the student (s) and their parents or school personnel against whom the complaint was made to report the results of the investigation and, where disciplinary or other corrective action is determined to be appropriate, to inform the parties of the steps that will be taken to correct the situation. The amount of information provided in these meetings may be limited by confidentiality laws protecting student or employee records.

Follow-up contacts will be made with any student found to have been targeted in violation of this policy and his/her parents to inquire as to whether there have been any further incidents or any further need for protected measures.

Bullying Prevention Plan – Educational and Professional Development Components

This bullying prevention plan shall be developed and updated biennially. There shall be notice of the plan updates to each family of a student attending the school and a public comment period.

Parents and guardians shall be informed about the bullying prevention curriculum of the school, specifically:

how parents and guardians can reinforce the curriculum at home and 
support the school and school plan;

dynamics of bullying; and, 


online safety and cyber-bullying. 


The school shall provide to students and parents or guardians, in age- appropriate terms and in the languages, which are most prevalent among the students, parents, or guardians, annual written notice of the student related sections of the plan.

The school shall provide annual written notice of the plan to all staff.

All staff shall be trained and provision for faculty and staff duties shall be included in the school employee handbook.

The Plan shall be posted on the website for each school.

The Head of School or his/her designee shall be responsible for the implementation and oversight of the plan

VI. Conclusion

This Plan is intended (1) to prevent bullying, cyber-bullying, and retaliation among individuals in our school community, (2) to encourage students and their parents and employees to have confidence in the School’s procedures and to come forward promptly whenever a student or employee is subject to conduct that is prohibited by this or any other School policy; and (3) to implement appropriate discipline and other corrective measures when they are warranted.

Written documentation of immunizations in accordance with the most current Department of Health immunization are required for all camp and camp staff. (CMR 430.152).

The following is a link to the MA Department of Health required immunizations which are the same as are required for attending public school:

Massachusetts Immunization Requirements for School

Please note that the Center School also has a vaccine mandate in place for all children ages 5 and up.

If you have any questions about vaccines, immunization recommendations, or suspect or confirmed cases of disease, please contact the MDPH Immunization Program at 888-658-2850 or 617-983-6800.

Meningococcal Disease and Camp Attendees: Commonly Asked Questions

When a child in the school has been identified with a life threatening food allergy, we will:

Keep a list of those students who have been prescribed an Epi-pen. An emergency treatment sheet with the child’s name, recent photograph, specific allergies, symptoms, and doctor‐approved protocol for response will be distributed to all faculty and staff. This plan will be posted in the child’s classroom, in a location accessible to only teachers.

Train all staff (once per year) on use of Epi‐pens, and review the list of children that have life-threatening food allergies and their emergency plans.

Store Epi-pens in an unlocked area accessible to the entire staff. Epi-pens and other appropriate medications will be brought on field trips off school grounds.

Immediately call 911 for all children who have been given epinephrine. Emergency personnel will be given access to the treatment sheet referred to above. In the absence of a parent, a Center School staff member will accompany a child to the emergency room, if possible.

Ask that all home-cooked food for school wide events be accompanied by a list of ingredients.

The school may restrict other ingredients (i.e. dairy), depending on other allergies in the student population at the time.

Encourage parents of children with life-threatening food allergies to provide alternative, safe food items for their children and to keep an extra supply of alternative, safe food items at school for unexpected events.

Communicate with families in classrooms with a child with life-threatening food allergies at the start of the year to raise awareness and outline expectations for the classmate’s parents, including any classroom‐wide restrictions.

Work to create a reduced‐risk classroom environment, depending on the specific allergy and age of the child, by providing either an allergen-free table or an allergen-free classroom.

Work to create a reduced risk environment by ensuring protocol for hand washing and table cleaning in the classrooms of children with allergies.

Implement a no-trade or share rule for food and utensils in our classes.

Consider alternatives to school birthday rituals that include food in classrooms with children with life-threatening food allergies.

Remind parents of children with life-threatening food allergies that the school will work to minimize the risk of exposure to a specific allergen, but that the school can never guarantee that cross‐contamination or mistakes will not happen.

Epi-Pen Self-Administration

A camper prescribed an epinephrine auto-injector for a known allergy or pre-existing medical condition may:

(a) Self-administer and carry an epinephrine auto-injector with them at all times for the purposes of self-administration if:

1. the camper is capable of self-administration; and

2. the health care consultant and camper's parent/guardian have given written approval.

(b) Receive an epinephrine auto-injection by someone other than the health care consultant or person who may give injections within their scope of practice if:

1. the health care consultant and camper's parent/guardian have given written approval; and

2. the health care supervisor or employee has completed a training developed by the camp's health care consultant in accordance with the requirements in 105 105 CMR 430 430.160.