Parent Frequently Asked Questions

1. Where will my child be sleeping?
   Our education centre has two dormitory corridors, one for the girls and one for the boys. Each dorm room contains four beds. Each bed has a plastic mattress cover and a plastic covered pillow. Your child will need to bring his/her own sleeping bag and a pillowcase. (See our photo gallery.) 
   
   The teachers' rooms are located between the two corridors, providing supervision for both. Scanlon Creek's standing policy is that a student found in the wrong corridor will be immediately sent home.


2. How much time will he/she be spending outdoors?
   Most of our programs take place outside. Usually there is a 20 minute to half hour indoor introduction to the activity, then the students go outside (rain or shine) to participate. Programs are cancelled for severely cold weather, high winds, or thunderstorms only. (See a list of our programs.)


3. What clothing should my child bring?
   Clothing should match the weather. You can review our personal equipment list to find out exactly what your child will need. Note: All students are requested to bring indoor shoes or slippers to wear in the building. Due to health regulations, no one is allowed into the dining room without appropriate footwear. 


4. Can I call my child to make sure everything is OK?
   Phone calls are not permitted due to the logistics of having up to 60 students receiving or making calls.  Rest assured that no news is good news. If any problems or concerns arise with your child, our staff with notify you immediately. PLEASE DO NOT SEND A CELL PHONE WITH YOUR CHILD.


5. What if there is an emergency and I need to contact my child?
   If you have a family emergency telephone your child's school. The principal will make sure that you are able to contact your child.


6. What if my child has food or other allergies?
   Make sure that you list all known allergies on your child's Health Form.  Send any required medications (e.g. epipens, puffers, etc.) with your child. Please note: If you have stated that your child needs these medications, he/she MUST have them in possession while at Scanlon Creek.  We are a completely nut-free/peanut-free facility.  All food allergies will be accommodated by our food services staff as long as you have listed them on your child's health form.


7. My child requires kosher/halal meats.  How will this be accommodated?
   All students requiring kosher or halal will be considered vegetarian - our kitchen is not able to provide kosher or halal foods. Vegetarian alternatives will be available at every meal. 


8. What about snacks?
   We recommend that teachers take up a collection and purchase bulk snacks or pizza for their students' snacks. However, some classes choose to bring individual snacks.  In this case, please make sure that any snack your child brings is nut-free/peanut-free. Instruct your child that he/she is not allowed to have any food in his/her dorm room. For sanitary reasons, teachers will collect all snacks from the students and place them in a central location to be distributed at the appropriate time. Please do not send any beverages for your child's snack, as Scanlon staff will provide a fruit-flavoured drink with their evening snack.


9. Is it safe to drink the tap water?
   The drinking water at Scanlon is completely safe. It comes from a deep well on the property and in accordance with drinking water regulations goes through a comprehensive water treatment system. Samples are tested weekly in order to ensure the purity of our drinking water.  Students may bring a reusable water bottle, but please do not send bottled water with your child.


10. Who will be supervising my child?
    Your child's school has provided a minimum of two teachers, one male and one female, to supervise the students for their entire stay. Most classes are divided into two groups for all of our outdoor programs. Each group is led by a Scanlon staff person and accompanied by one of the "home school" teachers. All matters of discipline are the responsibility of the home school teachers.


11. What will my child be learning at your outdoor centre?
    Your child's teacher, in consultation with our staff, has chosen the programs that the class will participate in during their stay. Our programs have close curriculum connections to complement the topics being studied by your child. Click on this link to see our list of programs.


12. What will the weather be like?
    Often the weather at our outdoor centre is different than where you live. Check out our local weather link for current conditions.