LOGISTICS/WHAT TO BRING
Dear June 17-21 UAS families,
This webpage covers logistics and what to bring to our Pop-Up Bakery: The Great Squad Baking Week program. Please read the dropoff/pickup information carefully. And to hear more juicy details about the activities for the week, have a look below at the letter for your Squad member(s).
Safety is paramount at the Squad; please help reinforce our safety and conduct rules by sharing the Squad letter below with your children. As we tell our Squad members, we don’t make rules for the sake of making rules--we make them so that we stay safe as we criss-cross the city and look out for each other. We really appreciate your support.
PROGRAM LOCATION: TEMPLE MICAH, 2829 WISCONSIN AVE NW
Hours: 8:30-4:15
DROPOFF: Dropoff begins at 8:30am and ends at 9:00 at the front entrance to Temple Micah. Please pull into the parking lot or into a parking space on Wisconsin Ave. and walk your child to us. If your older Squad member will arrive or leave the program independently, please tell us ahead of time.
You’re always welcome to come check out our space, but if you’ll arrive at a time that we’re not outside waiting, please let us know so that a UAS staffer can let you in. The synagogue is locked and the staff is in charge of the buzzer system; we don’t want to overburden them.
PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW SQUAD MEMBERS TO WALK ACROSS THE PARKING LOT UNESCORTED. We have lots of cars coming in and out, including Temple Micah staff, and we must stay safe. We’ll do our best to get you out quickly.
PICKUP: Pickup is 4:15-4:30pm in the same place. Please be on time; we are contractually obligated to vacate our space. We also strive to keep overhead costs low, and when we charge/collect late fees, it adds to our administrative burden. There is no aftercare this week.
PICK-UP AUTHORIZATION: We will not release your child to anyone—including another UAS parent—unless we have permission from a parent or legal guardian. If you let us know in advance, we’ll include the info on our printed rosters. Otherwise, if someone other than the morning dropoff adult is picking up your child, please let us know when we see you so we can note it on our rosters.
WHAT SQUAD MEMBERS SHOULD BRING
--A bag lunch that minimizes trash and has reusable containers whenever possible. We often eat in the woods or at green spaces that don't have trash cans, so we take all our trash with us. We provide morning and afternoon snacks (e.g., fresh fruit, bars, cheesesticks) to keep brains and bodies fueled for adventure.
--A refillable water bottle, minimum 16-ounce size (please make sure it doesn’t leak).
--A lightweight backpack to hold the lunch, water bottle, and any extra layers/rain jacket, if necessary.
--Weather-appropriate clothes, hats, and comfortable shoes for hiking and walking. We do lots of walking! Comfortable, prepared kids = maximum adventure. **We visit spray parks each week in the summer. If you pack a swimsuit and small towel on Monday, your Squad member can leave it at our rental space all week and only pack it for an adventure when necessary.
--For younger children, if relevant: a change of clothes in a plastic bag, in case your child sometimes wets or soils him/herself. We get muddy and have spills, but we generally only need to change clothes if a child has an accident.
**ALLERGY PROTOCOL** If your child has an allergy that might require intervention (e.g., Benadryl, EpiPen), please email me with the protocol that staff should follow in case of an allergic reaction. I am happy to discuss this, too, but written documentation ensures that we're on the same page, and that I can easily pass this info to our Squad leaders.
Snacks. None of our snacks contain nuts, but some carry a disclaimer saying the product may contain traces of nuts. If you don't serve snacks with these labels at home, please let us know and send extra snacks with your child. Squad members and Squad leaders DO bring lunches that carry nut products; we discourage food sharing and encourage hand-washing after meals, but we are not a nut-free environment.
Sunscreen and bug spray. Please be sure to apply sunscreen & bug spray to your Squad members before they arrive. Though we have some on hand to help Squad members reapply later in the day, we can get out on our adventures sooner if everyone has it applied before arriving at the program.
Tick checks. Squad leaders will do basic tick checks upon returning from the woods or tall grass, but please keep in mind that it's always best to do a full body check at home that evening. You'll know ahead of time when we're hiking, in which case please use your best judgement for what you'd like your Squad member(s) to wear. For ultimate tick safety, dress your Squad member in light colored, lightweight, long pants and long sleeves and braid or tie up long hair. On our website, we have now published our own UAS Tick Protocol, which will provide more information for how we will work to keep your Squad members safe this summer. Other detailed guidelines can be found here.
STAFF BIOS can be found here.
Thanks and please don't forget to share the Squad letter below!
SQUAD LETTER
Dear Squad members,
Welcome to Urban Adventure Squad's Pop-Up Bakery week! This is our third year kicking off summer break by creating an Urban Adventure Squad pop-up. Each day we'll work on a new baking project--some savory and some sweet. Squad members will experience community-based, hands-on learning under the guidance of special guest educators including Pastry Chef Cecile Mouthen from Breadfurst, Executive Chef Patrick Curran from Casolare Ristorante + Bar, Pastry Chef Nikia from Wagshal's Spring Valley, Chef/Owner Ruth Gresser from Pizzeria Paradiso Spring Valley, and more. Middle School Leaders will enjoy a few separate and more advanced workshops and activities, then will have the opportunity to share what they've learned with younger Squad members. Everyone will get to hike in the woods, visit spray parks, and work on recipes in the beautiful kitchen at Temple Micah.
Did you know baking uses a ton of science? Each ingredient has a job to do and we're going to find out which ingredients work together best to create delicious baked goods. How are ingredients different in a cookie dough versus a pizza dough? By the end of this week, you'll know the answer!
All of our guest educators, field trips, and practice will culminate on Friday, when we face the challenge of creating THREE different recipes in one day during our Baking Bonanza. We'll work in teams with the help of Squad leaders and food industry expert Peter Fox, General Manager of Wagshal's in Spring Valley. It will be a busy and delicious day when we put all of our skills and creativity to the test. We'll work hard, then enjoy our tasty treats during a celebration of all we've learned during The Great Squad Baking Week!
For maximum fun and adventure, we need to keep a few things in mind.
Dear June 17-21 UAS families,
This webpage covers logistics and what to bring to our Pop-Up Bakery: The Great Squad Baking Week program. Please read the dropoff/pickup information carefully. And to hear more juicy details about the activities for the week, have a look below at the letter for your Squad member(s).
Safety is paramount at the Squad; please help reinforce our safety and conduct rules by sharing the Squad letter below with your children. As we tell our Squad members, we don’t make rules for the sake of making rules--we make them so that we stay safe as we criss-cross the city and look out for each other. We really appreciate your support.
PROGRAM LOCATION: TEMPLE MICAH, 2829 WISCONSIN AVE NW
Hours: 8:30-4:15
DROPOFF: Dropoff begins at 8:30am and ends at 9:00 at the front entrance to Temple Micah. Please pull into the parking lot or into a parking space on Wisconsin Ave. and walk your child to us. If your older Squad member will arrive or leave the program independently, please tell us ahead of time.
You’re always welcome to come check out our space, but if you’ll arrive at a time that we’re not outside waiting, please let us know so that a UAS staffer can let you in. The synagogue is locked and the staff is in charge of the buzzer system; we don’t want to overburden them.
PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW SQUAD MEMBERS TO WALK ACROSS THE PARKING LOT UNESCORTED. We have lots of cars coming in and out, including Temple Micah staff, and we must stay safe. We’ll do our best to get you out quickly.
PICKUP: Pickup is 4:15-4:30pm in the same place. Please be on time; we are contractually obligated to vacate our space. We also strive to keep overhead costs low, and when we charge/collect late fees, it adds to our administrative burden. There is no aftercare this week.
PICK-UP AUTHORIZATION: We will not release your child to anyone—including another UAS parent—unless we have permission from a parent or legal guardian. If you let us know in advance, we’ll include the info on our printed rosters. Otherwise, if someone other than the morning dropoff adult is picking up your child, please let us know when we see you so we can note it on our rosters.
WHAT SQUAD MEMBERS SHOULD BRING
--A bag lunch that minimizes trash and has reusable containers whenever possible. We often eat in the woods or at green spaces that don't have trash cans, so we take all our trash with us. We provide morning and afternoon snacks (e.g., fresh fruit, bars, cheesesticks) to keep brains and bodies fueled for adventure.
--A refillable water bottle, minimum 16-ounce size (please make sure it doesn’t leak).
--A lightweight backpack to hold the lunch, water bottle, and any extra layers/rain jacket, if necessary.
--Weather-appropriate clothes, hats, and comfortable shoes for hiking and walking. We do lots of walking! Comfortable, prepared kids = maximum adventure. **We visit spray parks each week in the summer. If you pack a swimsuit and small towel on Monday, your Squad member can leave it at our rental space all week and only pack it for an adventure when necessary.
--For younger children, if relevant: a change of clothes in a plastic bag, in case your child sometimes wets or soils him/herself. We get muddy and have spills, but we generally only need to change clothes if a child has an accident.
**ALLERGY PROTOCOL** If your child has an allergy that might require intervention (e.g., Benadryl, EpiPen), please email me with the protocol that staff should follow in case of an allergic reaction. I am happy to discuss this, too, but written documentation ensures that we're on the same page, and that I can easily pass this info to our Squad leaders.
Snacks. None of our snacks contain nuts, but some carry a disclaimer saying the product may contain traces of nuts. If you don't serve snacks with these labels at home, please let us know and send extra snacks with your child. Squad members and Squad leaders DO bring lunches that carry nut products; we discourage food sharing and encourage hand-washing after meals, but we are not a nut-free environment.
Sunscreen and bug spray. Please be sure to apply sunscreen & bug spray to your Squad members before they arrive. Though we have some on hand to help Squad members reapply later in the day, we can get out on our adventures sooner if everyone has it applied before arriving at the program.
Tick checks. Squad leaders will do basic tick checks upon returning from the woods or tall grass, but please keep in mind that it's always best to do a full body check at home that evening. You'll know ahead of time when we're hiking, in which case please use your best judgement for what you'd like your Squad member(s) to wear. For ultimate tick safety, dress your Squad member in light colored, lightweight, long pants and long sleeves and braid or tie up long hair. On our website, we have now published our own UAS Tick Protocol, which will provide more information for how we will work to keep your Squad members safe this summer. Other detailed guidelines can be found here.
STAFF BIOS can be found here.
Thanks and please don't forget to share the Squad letter below!
SQUAD LETTER
Dear Squad members,
Welcome to Urban Adventure Squad's Pop-Up Bakery week! This is our third year kicking off summer break by creating an Urban Adventure Squad pop-up. Each day we'll work on a new baking project--some savory and some sweet. Squad members will experience community-based, hands-on learning under the guidance of special guest educators including Pastry Chef Cecile Mouthen from Breadfurst, Executive Chef Patrick Curran from Casolare Ristorante + Bar, Pastry Chef Nikia from Wagshal's Spring Valley, Chef/Owner Ruth Gresser from Pizzeria Paradiso Spring Valley, and more. Middle School Leaders will enjoy a few separate and more advanced workshops and activities, then will have the opportunity to share what they've learned with younger Squad members. Everyone will get to hike in the woods, visit spray parks, and work on recipes in the beautiful kitchen at Temple Micah.
Did you know baking uses a ton of science? Each ingredient has a job to do and we're going to find out which ingredients work together best to create delicious baked goods. How are ingredients different in a cookie dough versus a pizza dough? By the end of this week, you'll know the answer!
All of our guest educators, field trips, and practice will culminate on Friday, when we face the challenge of creating THREE different recipes in one day during our Baking Bonanza. We'll work in teams with the help of Squad leaders and food industry expert Peter Fox, General Manager of Wagshal's in Spring Valley. It will be a busy and delicious day when we put all of our skills and creativity to the test. We'll work hard, then enjoy our tasty treats during a celebration of all we've learned during The Great Squad Baking Week!
For maximum fun and adventure, we need to keep a few things in mind.
- Follow our safety rules! This is important for our safety and for our enjoyment:
- If a Squad leader calls your name, stop and answer right away.
- No running ahead of our group or hiding.
- Stay in the white lines when crossing the street.
- Eat a good breakfast and stay hydrated--you need to take care of your brain and your body for a great day with the Squad.
- Check the weather to make sure you’re wearing comfortable, appropriate clothes and shoes. We do lots of walking!
- Don’t be nervous. We’re a friendly, welcoming Squad, and we’re all in this together!