JSMCR Camp Expectations and Acknowledgement

Camper and Family Acknowledgement

When you (the camper) and your family have read this document, please complete the form (at the bottom of this page), indicating that you have read and understood the camp expectations. The form contains a space where you can ask questions of Mathworks faculty and staff. Please note that both the camper and a family member must complete the acknowledgment form together before the camper can be checked in to camp.

We look forward to seeing you in camp this summer!

3 April 2024

Dear Family Member of a Mathworks Camper,

Welcome to Math Camp! We are excited to have your child in our Junior Summer Math Camp-Residential (JSMCR) in a few weeks and look forward to an exciting and enriching experience. We are committed to making the JSMCR a great experience that will prepare your child for future challenges in whatever area they choose to pursue.

We wanted to share some information about what to expect in camp. In the following pages you will find our daily camp schedule, information about what to bring, and general expectations for campers – and their families – that help us create a supportive camp community where all campers feel welcome and work together.

In writing this document we addressed you, the family of the soon-to-be JSMCR camper, but the information in this document is for the family and the camper alike, and we hope you will review it together.

Thank you for your attention to the information and expectations outlined here, and we look forward to meeting you and your child. Most importantly, thank you for the hard work you have done as a parent or guardian. We are impressed every year with the students who apply for our camps; the fact that your child has been invited to attend points to the great work that both you and your child have already done, and we hope to build on this even more during the summer.

Sincerely,

Max Warshauer
max@txstate.edu 
 

OUR MISSION

Our goal is to provide an experience that will enrich your child academically by:

• Helping them understand mathematical ideas deeply
• Building powerful thinking habits, including asking questions, learning from mistakes, and following the flow of ideas 
• Enhancing individual and collaborative problem-solving skills
• Deepening their curiosity about advanced mathematics and its applications
• Developing background and skills for mathematical and scientific research
• Develop a foundation in mathematics that will develop their critical thinking abilities in whatever area they choose to pursue.

We also hope to develop broader intellectual and personal strengths, including: 

• Curiosity and empathy for different ideas and perspectives
• A desire to learn from one’s peers, and to support them in their learning 
• Appreciation for the gifts and dedication of the counselors, staff, campus support personnel, faculty, and benefactors who help make our camp possible
• Independence and confidence in one’s ability to have a physically, emotionally, and socially healthy lifestyle away from home
• A desire to use knowledge to make the world a better place 

In this document we outline our expectations for your child’s participation in camp and how everyone contributes to making this such a unique learning environment. We welcome any questions you have about this document; please do not hesitate to contact us at mathworks@txstate.edu if we can clarify any of the expectations discussed here.

JSMCR DAILY SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE

MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. 

Note: San Marcos has a city-wide curfew for minors under 18 from 11:00 PM to 6:00 AM. We observe this curfew and require all campers to be in the dormitory by 11:00 PM.

FRIDAY: Schedule from 7:00 AM to 2:00 PM is the same as Monday through Thursday. At 2:00 PM campers have a short break. At 4:00 PM we have a Colloquium for the entire camp, followed by a picnic at 5:15 PM at San Marcos City Park.

SATURDAY: On Saturday we have an excursion for the camp from mid-morning to late afternoon. All meals on Saturday are provided by Mathworks. 

SUNDAY: On Sunday mornings and afternoons, campers have unstructured time for study, recreation, or social activities. Campers may attend church services locally if they choose. At 5:00 PM, we resume the Monday-to-Thursday camp schedule, with dinner followed by a study group session.

During the week, good times for families to contact campers by phone or video call are during lunch, during recreation time in the afternoons, during dinner, or after study group.
 

CAMP POLICIES AND EXPECTATIONS

We do our utmost to make sure that every camper has an enjoyable experience in camp, has plenty of opportunities to learn and grow, feels connected to the camp community and other campers, and feels safe on our campus. To support this, we have a few expectations for campers and families. We keep this list short because we want camp to be a fun learning experience and not like school. We want to give our campers the chance to develop independence and good judgment and be prepared to face any future challenges they may encounter. But the following items are important in building a cohesive and nurturing camp community.

Family Expectations

1. Maintaining continuity of the camp community and of your child’s experience in camp is of utmost importance to us. Campers participating in JSMCR are expected to be in camp for the duration of the program and not to leave camp or miss class or camp outings, including weekend activities, to participate in other activities, such as summer courses, other camps or competitions, or family vacations. Exceptions can be made for emergencies.
2. Summer camps at Texas State have a duty to ensure campers’ safety and have strict policies regarding visitors. If you need to visit your child in camp or if you are picking up your child other than at the end of camp, you must provide advance notice to Mathworks staff. If arranging to pick up your child in advance, please use the form at this link to provide details at least 48 hours in advance. If you have an emergency inquiry, please call Mathworks at (512) 245-3439; outside of business hours, please call your child’s counselor. You will be provided their contact information as we get closer to opening day. If leaving a voice message, please include the full name of your child.
3. If you come to see or pick up your child other than opening day or move-out day, remain in the dorm lobby and ask a counselor to bring your child to you. People other than JSMCR campers, counselors, faculty, and staff are not permitted in residential areas of the dorm for any reason other than move-in and move-out.
4. Mathworks reserves the right to determine that the reason a camper plans to leave camp is a non-emergency. If provided 48 hours’ advance notice of your plans, we will let you know if this is a concern. If a camper leaves camp for a non-emergency reason (with or without notice), Mathworks reserves the right to withdraw the camper from JSMCR.
5. Specifically, please do not pick up your child from camp to shop for items they forgot to bring. There is a Target store and an H-E-B within walking distance of campus, and counselors regularly schedule excursions to take students shopping during recreation time.
6. If you would like to mail something to your child, you may send it to [your child’s full name], care of Mathworks, ASB South 110, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX 78666. Please be sure to provide your child’s full name on the package.
7. Please refrain from contacting your child during class, research, or study group time except in emergencies.
8. Sending your child to camp requires that you authorize Texas State University to provide medical care in the case of an emergency. If your child needs emergency treatment, we will notify you as soon as possible. We ask that your child have a copy or photo of their insurance card with them in case there is a need for medical treatment for any reason. We are not liable for any medical costs incurred during camp. If your child has an acute need for mental health treatment, we will contact you and request that you pick up your child and seek appropriate assistance.

Camper Expectations

1. Campers are expected to follow all safety instructions from camp faculty, staff, and counselors.
2. San Marcos has a city-wide 11:00 PM curfew for minors under the age of 18. All campers must be in the dorm and check in with their counselors by 10:00 PM for lights out.
3. Campers may leave camp only under the care of a parent or guardian. Any camper who leaves camp for any reason, for any amount of time, must check out with their counselor, and must check in with their counselor upon return.
4. Campers are expected to be present and on time for all classes, study groups, and camp events unless otherwise arranged with their counselor or camp faculty.
5. Campers will be in a study group of approximately four students, with one designated counselor, for the duration of JSMCR. Students are intentionally placed into study groups with different hometowns, schools, cultural backgrounds, and prior math experiences. Part of the challenge and joy of JSMCR is learning to work and learn together with students from diverse backgrounds.
6. Campers should be considerate and respectful of one another at all times. We want campers to make new friends - the relationships built in camp can last a lifetime. Bullying, spreading personal rumors, or excluding other campers socially is absolutely not allowed.
7. Each camper’s roommate will probably be someone they do not know from prior to camp. We try to ensure this is the case! Campers should get to know their peers and understand and respect each other’s needs when it comes to things like lighting, noise, clutter, and personal space. If there is a conflict with one’s roommate, roommates should work together to try to resolve the problem. If that doesn’t work, our counselors are there to help, as are the faculty.
8. If there is a guest other than one’s roommate in the dorm room, the door must remain open at a 90-degree angle.
9. Everyone needs to help keep the lobby clean and free of trash.  This is important so that we can continue to get the “best” dorm on campus. Campers will be expected to sweep and thoroughly clean their room during move-out at the end of camp.
10. We reserve the right to send a camper home if our faculty finds them to have engaged in any behavior that is illegal, unsafe, or threatening to the camp community. Examples of behavior that will result in automatic withdrawal from camp include:

• Possession or use of any substances that are illegal for minors, including alcohol, tobacco, vapes, and recreational drugs
• Any physical violence or self-harm
• Any threats of physical violence toward other campers; any expression of intention to hurt oneself 
• Theft of other campers’ money or personal belongings
• Sexual conduct of any kind, including sexual assault or sexual harassment
• Bullying or ostracization of other campers
• Mistreatment of other campers on the basis of race, ethnicity, sex, gender expression, sexual orientation, religion, or background

WHAT TO BRING TO CAMP

Our campers will live in a dormitory within comfortable walking distance of all buildings where students will have classes, meals, and recreational activities. The dorm has separate wings for girls and boys and has a shared restroom with showers on each wing. The dormitory also has a spacious common area where campers can socialize, and a small kitchen where they can prepare meals or snacks if they wish.

Campers usually eat most of their meals in the campus dining hall, and the cost of breakfast, lunch, and dinner for each day of camp is included in the program fees.

When packing clothes, please note that San Marcos tends to be hot for most of the summer; daily high temperatures average around 95°F during June and July.

Suggested items to bring include:

• Enough clothing to last for approximately 7–10 days. Our dormitory is equipped with washers and dryers that campers can use free of charge, but there can be competition for the machines at peak times.
• Appropriate bedding (sheets, blankets, pillow) for an extra-long twin-size bed
• Warm clothes in case the air conditioning in the dormitory runs cold
• A jacket and/or umbrella for rainy days
• Two pairs of shoes, including at least one pair of athletic shoes and at least one pair suitable for our river tubing trip
• Swimwear
• Reusable water bottle
• A towel
• Sunscreen
• Insect repellent
• High-efficiency (HE) laundry detergent and any other items needed for laundry
• Laundry bag or collapsible laundry hamper
• Clothes hangers
• A shower bucket with toiletries and shower shoes if desired
• Personal items (glasses, contact lens case, soap, deodorant, hygiene items)
• Personal medications
• Mobile device and charger

Items that are recommended but not required:

• Laptop computer, if available
• Power strip or surge protector
• Musical instruments for our camp talent show
• Athletic gear
• Board and card games
• A debit or credit card to cover incidental expenses

Items that campers are not permitted to bring:

• Drugs and alcohol, including vapes
• Weapons
• Bicycles
• Scooters
• Skateboards
• Automobiles
• Televisions
• Valuables and irreplaceable personal items (strongly discouraged). Mathworks is not liable for the loss or theft of any personal items.
• Extra cash, other than what you will keep on your person. We strongly discourage bringing any more than $20 in cash.

As a general rule, if an item would not be permitted in a school building (for example, because it is distracting, age-inappropriate, or unsafe), please do not permit your child to bring it to camp.