Greetings and Welcome!

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Thank you for registering your child for our 2023-24 Garey Park Monthly Program on SATURDAYS with Earth Native. This page provides important information about preparing your child for this program; we know it’s long, but please read it thoroughly!

 

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2023-24 Saturday Monthly Dates: 

September 30

October 28

November 25

December 16

January 27

February 24

March 23

April 27

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Please mark these dates on your calendar. Dates are also available on the program webpage.

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Class Location:

Garey Park, 6450 RM 2243, Georgetown, TX 78628

 

Drop-off and Pick-up Instructions - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY.

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When you arrive at the gate to Garey Park on the first day of class, you will be greeted by an Earth Native staff member and issued a paper pass that will allow you to enter and exit the park for class pick-up and drop-off for the school year. Please do not discard this pass as you will need it for entry and exit all school year. If different vehicles/individuals will be doing the pick-up and drop-off please let the staff member know at the gate so they can issue you a second pass at that time.

 

WAIVER: The gate staff will also confirm that you have completed the City of Georgetown Liability Waiver. If you have not already completed this waiver for the city, please take one minute to complete this waiver now. This is a separate step outside of registering for the program that needs to be completed in order for your child to attend the program.

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After entering the park continue straight to the roundabout. You will continue heading straight through the roundabout towards 'Garey House'. After you pass between two ponds, you will see Garey House to your left and a large parking lot on your right side. Park here and follow signs to the 'Sign-In Area' for class.

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IMPORTANT NOTE: Earth Native’s contract with the City of Georgetown includes park entry for Pick-Up and Drop-Off ONLY. If your family visits the park outside of an official program day, or if a parent/sibling decides to stay in the park before or after pick-up, you will need to pay regular park entry fees and get a regular park pass for your vehicle's windshield. Fees are $2 Resident/$4 Non-resident per person.
Children ages 3 and under are free. Your Earth Native pick-up and drop-off pass is valid ONLY for that purpose and does not allow you to park and leave your vehicle to hike or complete any other activity.

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Please call our main number at 512-299-8870 if you have any questions about the sign-in location or have trouble finding it. You can also refer to this Google Maps Link and/or see maps at the bottom of the page!

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Your Instructors:

Jessica Ruiz - 512-222-9241

Rosemary Arvizu - 210-850-1160

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Times:

​​Drop-off: 9:00am

​Pick-up: 3:00pm

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Communication: 

Our Group Email: gareyparksaturdaymonthly@earthnativeschool.com

Please add this group email address to your email contacts to avoid the emails going to your spam folder in the future. This email group will be used to contact parents about the program logistics, story of the day, or schedule changes, etc. Although we try to communicate by email at least a week in advance, sometimes emails will go out with shorter notice. 

 

What to Bring:

There are a few essentials for each student to bring each day of class in order for them and everyone else to remain happy and healthy during our adventures:

 

Bring to Each Class *Please label all clothing and gear

• Backpack (Size appropriate to child that can fit all of their personal items including their lunch and water)

• Full Water Bottle

  • If you ordered an Earth Native water bottle during registration it will be given to you at sign-in on the first day of class.

• Lunch & healthy snacks

• Appropriate clothing and shoes (more info below)

• Journal/sketchbook and writing utensil

• Bug Spray & Sunscreen (highly recommended in warmer months)

• Water shoes – in addition to their regular footwear (highly recommended if they are not wearing shoes that can comfortably get wet)

• Change of clothing (Your child will very likely be wet/dirty after class)

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Clothing – weather appropriate

We definitely have a focus on immersing our students and ourselves in the natural world. In light of this, earth tones or camouflage are great choices. We have found that the students who don’t need to worry about “getting dirty” because of their clothes, tend to allow themselves to have deep experiences with the natural world that they otherwise might not. So we recommend that you do not send your kids to class in clothing that they or you feel uncomfortable with them getting dirty and stained. 

 

In cold or cold-wet weather, clothes should be of wool and/or synthetic layers that will stay warm when wet. Cotton or cotton blends won’t do when the weather turns cold. A warm hat is a must, as are a raincoat and rain pants, even if they only get used here and there. Synthetic or wool long underwear are used by nearly all of our students and staff. PLEASE NO COTTON UNDERLAYERS ON COLD WINTER DAYS!

 

In warm dry weather, cotton is OK (in fact it’s the best!).  Please send along sunscreen, sunhat, etc., as appropriate for the day and your child’s needs. Shoes that can accommodate wading are recommended. Please have your child’s sunscreen applied before they arrive. Bug spray is highly recommended during warm months.

 

Shoes

We require that all students have closed-toe shoes (not sandals/flip-flops/tevas/etc.) for class. If weather and terrain permit, we do at times allow students (with instructor permission) to go barefoot. Boots or hiking shoes are the choice of many students. Boots should have good traction ideally. Closed-toe sandals like Keens are also a good choice as the kids can go in and out of the water without worrying about their shoes getting soaked. If you send your child in shoes that are not suited to get fully immersed in water it is recommended that they have water shoes in their backpacks that they can change into when wading in the creeks. Unfortunately, creeks are major avenues for trash to flow and collect and it is not uncommon for us to encounter hazards like broken glass or shards of rusted metal in the creek beds we frequent. Therefore, generally we require students to have some type of footwear on when walking or playing in the creeks. 

 

~Our basic maxim is “There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing!”

Please encourage your child to come well prepared to be outside ALL day.~ 

 

 

Lost and Found:

We request that you write names on backpacks, clothing, lunch boxes, etc., as we have noticed that sometimes students don’t recognize that these personal belongings have disappeared. We cannot be ultimately responsible for re-connecting unlabeled items to their owners. If a name is visible on the item, instructors will notify the owner. If you have lost an item please notify the program instructors who will make an effort to find your item. We will keep unclaimed Lost and Found items for no more than one month at our office. If you request us to hold something, we can hold it for up to one month.  Unclaimed items will go to charity or be given to other ENWS community members.

 

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Health / Illness Guidelines:

Please follow these guidelines to help prevent the spread of communicable diseases at Earth Native School:

 

If a child or adult has had any of the following within 24 hours of class he/she should not come to Earth Native School:

• Fever

• Vomiting

• Diarrhea

• A communicable illness (e.g. chicken pox, flu, COVID-19)

 

Illness

If a student becomes ill (in accordance with the above health policy) while at Earth Native School, an Earth Native staff member will separate the student from the group and attempt to contact the student’s parent or guardian to come pick up the student. If unable to reach the family, we will subsequently contact the emergency contact person to come pick up the student.

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Student Code of Conduct & Dismissal Policy:

We must clearly state that there are certain behaviors that are unacceptable at Earth Native Youth Programs. Though we don’t expect that these behaviors will occur, we feel it’s necessary to be very clear about them.

 

• Students will not display violent, harmful, or abusive behavior at school, whether it is directed at other students, staff, the public, or themselves.

• Students will listen to the requests of instructors and follow them. If students are unable to do this, it puts themselves and others at risk.

 

At the beginning of each year, students and staff will create Community Agreements acknowledging the above and more specific guidelines. Once the agreements are made, all will be held accountable. Staff will mentor students in upholding the agreements. If students don’t follow the agreements, staff will determine what option best fits the circumstance. The following is a list of possible options that instructors will use. The first two options will always be incorporated – ranging from a gentle reminder like a hand on a shoulder, to a heart-to-heart conversation, or, if needed for safety, instructors may need to simply say, “Stop!” Instructors commonly strive to co-create solutions with students, but in some unusual cases (when physical and/or emotional safety is at risk) a decision may not be open to negotiation (though we are willing to hear the student’s perspective afterward).  Respect, understanding, and communication will be priorities in all situations.

 

Instructor responses to student behavior when it is not consistent with agreements (listed from gentlest response to most severe)

1. Remind the child of the agreement

2. Support the child in shifting their behavior or creating a new agreement.

3. Contact the parent after class. (Parents often can help staff and students understand each other more fully)

 

If needed for safety or to maintain a healthy learning environment for all, Earth Native School reserves the right to: 

4. Call the parent during class to pick up their child.

5. Ask a child to “take a class off”. 

6. Dismiss the student from the program. – This would occur only if the previous steps are not effective or if a very serious infraction occurs.

 

Though it is rare for Earth Native School to have serious behavior or discipline problem with a student, it is necessary for us to let families know about our dismissal policy in the unlikely event that we do encounter difficulties.

 

 

Absences:

It is completely understandable that your child may miss some days of class. It is not necessary to inform us if your child will not be at class. If you still wish to do so, please contact your child’s Instructor directly via text/call instead of emailing anyone in the office, as it is likely that the message will not be received in time to notify your instructor. 

 

 

Class Cancellation Policy:

Although we rarely need to do so, we reserve the right to cancel a program or change a program's duration or location due to unforeseen events such as severe weather. Earth Native School is not responsible for costs associated in these cases.  If class is canceled due to severe weather, we will not have a "make up" day, and refunds will not be given for these cancellations. We will do everything we can to run a class, including moving the location of class if possible. Cancellation of one program does NOT have to mean cancellation of others on the same day. A different start time/location/etc. could be a huge difference in determining cancellation or not. 

 

 

Inclement Weather Procedure: (in case of severe storms, ice, flooding…)​

• We will post the closure or delay on our program webpage online.

• We will send out an email and text announcing the delay or closure as soon as the decision has been made.

• Questions about potential class cancellation can be directed to info@earthnativeschool.com or 512-299-8870.

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No Early Arrival/Late Pickup:
Although our staff is on-site both before and after sign-in and sign-out, they are NOT available to supervise children outside of the arrival and pick-up times indicated above. This time is used for program planning and debrief, and it is critical to us being able to provide each individual student and the group with the best class possible. We know that this is challenging for some parents, and appreciate your understanding.

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Late Pick-up Fees:

Additional fees will be charged to parents who are more than 15 minutes late to pickup at a rate of $2 per minute. Parents who are less than 20 minutes late will be given one verbal warning before being charged. 

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Hopefully most of your questions about the Garey Park Monthly Program have been answered here, though we invite you to please call us with anything further you need to get the year started on the right foot. We are proud of the commitment of so many families to our programs and thank all of you for your continued support. 

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If you have any questions, please contact us at (512) 299-8870 or via e-mail at Info@EarthNativeSchool.com

We look forward to seeing you this fall!

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