2012 Catalog for 5th-10th graders

Information for Parents

Travel Details

International students attending the Hong Kong site need to obtain a passport and complete appropriate travel documents which will be detailed after registration. Hong Kong does require that students obtain a student visa.  The staff at HKUST will facilitate student visa applications. Complete information about visa application will be sent to you after registration. Students are responsible for booking their travel. CTY staff will meet students who have requested Shuttle Service at the Hong Kong International airport and accompany them to the site. This service costs $100. More detailed information about travel will be sent to families in site packets.

Working with a Child who is Reluctant to Attend

Many first-time students are apprehensive about attending. They may feel unsure about being away from home for three weeks (especially if they are traveling to a foreign country) or about spending so much of their summer on academics. This puts parents in a difficult position. There is a fine line between encouraging children to overcome normal apprehension about a new experience and forcing them into a situation for which they are not yet ready. Many initially anxious students later report being grateful that their parents encouraged them to attend, however, we do not recommend sending a very reluctant child to the program.

Supporting Your Child

Parents are a vital component of a successful summer. Often, both the demanding nature of the academic program and the residential setting are new to students. We encourage you, well in advance of the session, to discuss with summer programs staff any issues that may affect your child's experience in the classroom or residence hall. Keep in mind that issues that have not been significant in regular school could be in the summer program setting.

During the summer we encourage parents to call site administrators if a child is encountering difficulties so that we may work together to help the student. The program in Hong Kong will have an academic counselor to work with students who are encountering challenges during the program.

Homesick Students

Living away from home, especially for the first time, can be difficult for some students. Staff members make every effort to create a supportive environment and are trained to help students who are having trouble adjusting to life in the program. If your child becomes homesick, be sure to contact a site administrator for ideas on helping your child adapt to the new environment. Please give your child a few days to become comfortable in the program; nearly all students who initially experience homesickness ultimately succeed at and enjoy their summer experience.

Students with Learning, Physical, or Medical Disabilities

.Open communication between CTY and parents is essential to meeting students’ needs. If your child has a learning, physical, dietary, mental health or other medical issue that requires accommodations, awareness, or support, you must contact CTY staff at 410-735-6215 or cty-disabilities@jhu.edu to discuss those needs in the context of the academic, social, and residential aspects of the CTY program. CTY is committed to providing reasonable, appropriate, and necessary accommodations for qualified students with disabilities.

For reasonable accommodations to be provided, current documentation from a qualified individual knowledgeable about the student’s disability should be submitted to our office by May 15. Requests made outside of this timeline may adversely affect our ability to provide accommodations and in certain circumstances may prevent a child from participating in our program. You must contact our office every year, even if your child received accommodations in a past CTY program, or was evaluated by CTY’s Diagnostic and Counseling Center. Information of this nature is privileged and is not shared between departments at CTY without your written release.

Documentation should include the diagnosis of the disability, a description of the specific functional limitations as they pertain to both the academic and residential settings, and recommended accommodations. Further guidelines on documentation can be found on our web site. Questions regarding needed documentation can also be directed to CTY Disability Services at 410-735-6215 or cty-disabilities@jhu.edu.

Costs for personal attendants, personally prescribed devices, or services which involve travel and other expenses are the responsibility of the student’s family.

For further information regarding accommodations at CTY Summer Programs, please visit our summer accommodations page.

Students with Special Dietary Needs

If your child needs special dietary arrangements due to severe allergies or other medical issues, you must contact CTY staff at 410-735-6215 or cty-disabilities@jhu.edu by May 15 in order to discuss reasonable accommodations in the context of the CTY program and site your child is attending. For dietary arrangements requests unrelated to severe allergies or medical issues, contact ctysummer@jhu.edu.

Further information on food allergy management at CTY is available on our web site.