Our Commitment to Your Child’s Health at Summer Camp
Our Commitment to Your Child’s Health at Summer Camp
The health and safety of our campers is our top priority. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are taking extra efforts to manage your camper’s health and safety. We are focused on taking all reasonable measures to prevent the introduction and spread of COVID-19 in our camps.
We are strengthening our standard cleaning procedures while adding increased frequency measures, such as wiping down common touchpoints, eating areas, and activity equipment. Additionally, we are taking measures to address symptomatic campers by introducing a pre-camp health screener, daily temperature checks, and other protocols. You can view the complete list of our COVID-19 precautions by scrolling down this page.
This situation continues to change daily, and as such, we will adapt and adjust our protocols and procedures as we follow the guidance provided by the CDC and local health department in our efforts to help keep our campers, staff, and families safe.
Ultimately, the choice for your child to attend summer camp is a personal one, and you are in control. If you are uncomfortable with the risks of COVID-19 in a summer camp setting or having your child interact with our staff and other campers, we have several options available to you, including a full refund. We hope this information will help you make an informed decision about sending your child to camp at NFSSE.
Our COVID-19 Precautions at Camp
1. Keep it Clean
Every activity station is rigorously cleaned multiple times daily by staff according to our disinfectant protocol. We are overseeing this with visible hourly checklists at the entrance/exit of each space. Bathrooms are sanitized, floors are mopped, and surfaces disinfected. Additionally, each term change means we take the opportunity to perform a deep and intensive sanitizing protocol.
2. Temperature Checks
We will also monitor temperatures of each staff and camper upon arrival with an infrared thermometer. If a child’s temperature is elevated, we will lovingly isolate them in a safe, separate room with a staff member until a parent can pick them up.
3. Constant Hand Sanitization
We make hand sanitizer available in every room and throughout our outdoor activities. Our staff are trained to monitor each camper as they use hand sanitizer every time they enter and exit an activity space. This simple system keeps campers and staff hands sanitized throughout the day.
4. Staff and Camper Training
Our staff are trained on NFSSE policies and standards to stringently sanitize activity sites and ensure campers are complying with health safety protocols. On the first day of camp, staff will teach campers about good hygiene – including proper handwashing and sanitizing, cover the cough, hands-free high fives, and more — at an age-appropriate level. They will provide frequent reminders throughout the day. Wearing a mask is at the discretion of staff and parents.
5. Partnering with Parents
We know that you want the best for your child, and we want them to have the best experience possible at camp. That’s why we are asking any parent whose child has had a fever or illness within 72 hours of their term to contact our Camp Director to evaluate the best options for everyone’s health and safety. We also ask parents to monitor children’s temperatures each morning before leaving for camp and keep children home who are showing any symptoms of illness.
6. Limiting Exposure
To minimize opportunities for exposure, we are limiting access to the campus for nonparticipants, this includes camper families and vendors. Vendors are required to wear gloves and masks when providing services on-site and use designated entry points away from campers.
7. Hands-Free High Fives
Staff and campers will practice social distancing to the extent possible for each activity. We will forgo hugging, “high-fives,” and congregating closely. These will be replaced with practices that support our stringent focus on health safety and sanitation, such as air-hugs, air-fives, clapping and waving. We may even implement a hands-free happy dance!
8. Spread it Out
Throughout our program, including mealtimes, activities, and events, we are encouraging our campers and staff to ‘Spread it Out’ and follow good social distancing guidelines. Additionally, we will offer multiple, smaller activity groups of no more than 10 individuals, and eliminate large group gatherings.
9. Sharing isn’t Caring
We are restructuring activities to eliminate the need for campers to share items, such as paintbrushes in art, cutlery in culinary, brushes for horse grooming, and shovels for gardening. All equipment will be sanitized after use by a camper. If an item or toy cannot be sanitized, it will not be a part of the camp experience this year.
10. Visible Reminders
We will post highly-visible signage with words and pictures throughout the campus to remind campers and staff to practice our safety measures.
CDC Guidelines
The CDC continues to maintain that COVID-19 generally presents with mild symptoms, and appears to occur more commonly in adults than children.
For more information, you can visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention webpage.
The primary guidance of the CDC continues to revolve around the following best practices:
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
You can find more information about COVID-19 and its signs and symptoms at websites for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization.