Erie Elementary School & Avid4 Adventure Outdoor Intensive

Avid4 Adventure is very pleased to be coming to Erie Elementary to deliver the Outdoor Education Intensive. The “Intensive” is an outdoor education, on-campus immersion program bringing four stations that students will rotate through during one full day. Coming to Erie Elementary will be a portable rock climbing wall, a mountain bike skills course, a kayak paddle tank, and a Leave No Trace outdoor classroom.

Schedule for the Week

Each student will spend an entire day participating at the intensive. On their assigned day, students should report to their regular class, after which they will be divided into small groups and head outside to the field.

• 10/24/11: Kindergarten
• 10/25/11: All 1^st Grade Classes
• 10/26/11: All 2^nd Grade Classes
• 10/27/11: All 3^rd Grade Classes
• 10/28/11: All 4^th Grade Classes

Daily Schedule (subject to modification)

                          Introduction- Meet in regular classroom, Break into groups, Go outside, Program Introduction

                          Activity 1

                          Snack

                          Activity 2

                          Lunch

                          Activity 3

                          Break

                          Activity 4

                          Final Assembly

3:35 PM- 4:35 PM                            After School Program- Continue reading for more information.

What to Bring

Avid4 Adventure will provide all necessary outdoor and safety equipment. On the one day of the week that your student participates, he/she should bring:

• Sack lunch and a snack packed in a bag with your child’s name on the outside. Cafeteria will provide a sack lunch for those on the free/ reduced lunch program.
• Clothing appropriate for the weather to be outside all day. This should include rain gear (poncho, rain jacket, etc.) if there is any chance of rain, and a warm layer.
• Extra set of clothing and shoes packed in a day pack or bag
• Sunscreen
• Non-breakable full water bottle

Weather Contingencies

We will make every effort to conduct the Intensive even in inclement weather. Weather is a very real part of every outdoor experience and thus can provide great learning opportunities. We have activity modifications and will have tents and other shelters available for group activities if weather dictates. If the Intensive needs to be delayed or canceled due to severe weather, we will have a message at our website at www.avid4.com beginning at 6:30.

Safety

Avid4 Adventure prides itself in offering creative and instructive recreational opportunities.  From climbing and hiking to kayaking and biking, participants can experience a variety of activities.  However, please remember that all adventure activities, including those offered by Avid4, include inherent and other risks. These risks come with the territory, and are part of any recreation and adventure opportunity your child may participate in.  That is why at Avid4, we focus on running a quality program, to mitigate these risks and dangers:

• We hire staff that is proficient and tested in their area of instruction and trained in first aid and CPR.
• We have developed a risk management plan to monitor & address risks and activities in our programs.
• We inspect all of our equipment regularly.
• We precede activities with a talk about potential risks and how to avoid or minimize those risks.
• We have staff to participant ratios that provide for individualized attention and constant group management.
• Participants are oriented to the concept that safety is a top priority, and each participant becomes a member of the “safety team”. This increases hazard awareness as well as personal responsibility.
• Avid4 has written activity protocols to promote consistency and address inherent risks.
• Avid4 programs are age and ability appropriate. We believe that it’s much more important to have a great time than it is to “reach the top”. 

Please contact us if you have any further questions, or would like to review our risk management plan.

Kindergarten Program

We have arranged for a special modified half day Outdoor Intensive for Kindergarteners that will run during their regularly scheduled day. This program runs with smaller groups and a lower student to staff ratio. Additionally, Kindergarteners do not participate in the biking element.

Parent Observers or Helpers Welcome

If you would like to observe the program in action, you are welcome to do so either on your child’s day of participation or otherwise. If you come by, please check in with the office first to get a Visitor badge, and then let our staff know that you are there as well.

After School Parents and Siblings Participation

From 3:35 PM- 4:35 PM after the Avid4 Adventure program, the portion of the student body that participated that day is invited to bring their parents and siblings to the Intensive area to participate with them. Since the Outdoor Intensive must immediately move to another school, there will not be an after school program on the last day. Participants in the last day’s program are welcome to come to an after school program on any of the other days. This provides a chance for kids to show their parents what they have learned during their day at Avid4, as well as an opportunity for parents to get a few pointers from their kids as they try the activity! We ask that students only attend the after school program once. We highly encourage you to plan to attend this after school session. Parents or siblings that wish to try one of the activities will first be required to read and sign an Acknowledgment and Assumption of Risks & Release and Indemnity Agreement. This is the same form that parents signed for their kids before the Intensive. These will be available at the Intensive, or you can download it from the forms section of our website.

Questions: If you have further questions, please feel free to contact Avid4 Adventure:  www.avid4.com, info@avid4.com, or 720.249.2412. We are looking forward to a GREAT course!