COVID-SAFETY PROTOCOLS – Initial Communication
CAMP ABNAKI – SUMMER 2021
The first session of Summer 2021 is less than 100 days away! After the disappointment of canceling the 2020 summer camp season, we are excited to journey towards this summer and we are so happy that your family will be joining us.
You know how much fun camp can be – but did you know that camp is much more than just fun?
By choosing Camp Abnaki, you are empowering your child to get up, get outside, and explore the world beyond your home. This is especially true this summer, following a year of quarantining, self-distancing, virtual learning, and Zoom gatherings with friends and family. Doesn’t time outside, under the sun, away from computer screens, in the beauty of North Hero sound absolutely perfect? The social, emotional, and physical benefits camp provides are more beneficial this summer than ever before. We’re thrilled to be open, honored that you have chosen us, and are dedicated to helping your child build his confidence, grow in his independence, and form lifelong friendships.
The fun of camp is definitely needed, but we must remain a community that prioritizes safety. While COVID-19 is unlike any other challenge we’ve faced, we’re confident that by following best practices shared by the YMCA of the USA and the American Camp Association, and guidelines set forth by the CDC and state health authorities, we will provide our campers with safe, beneficial, and unforgettable experiences.
INITIAL COVID-SAFETY PROTOCOLS
This is the first of several planned COVID-safety communications with you, our camp family. This message allows us to share our initial COVID-Safety Protocols (CSPs) for this summer:
- Reducing the total number of campers and staff at camp each session to the current state capacity restriction of 75%. This reduction allows for greater space between one another when gathered inside for meals or other activities.
- Capitalizing on our outdoor facilities and moving more classes, activities, and meals to outside spaces. Wednesday Night Cookouts are many campers’ favorite meals – with additional covered picnic tables we will be able to offer more opportunities to eat outside rain or shine.
- Proper masking will be enforced this summer. Shown to be the most effective way to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, we will adhere to clear masking protocols. Specifics expectations will be included in later communications – along with some pretty cool designs for Camp Abnaki masks and gaiters that will be available in the Camp Store.
- Engaging others in our community from a distance. This summer our motto will be “Spread Out to Hang Out.” With camp’s 89 acres, certainly, we can come together, make friends, and have a great time while honoring social-distancing guidelines.
- Handwashing has always been an expectation at camp. This summer, we are holding to the expectation much more intentionally – building additional handwashing stations and assigning cabin groups to specific, supervised stations for washing hands before meals.
These protocols are intentional, yet broad for now and flexible as we move forward, encounter inevitable changes, and are provided additional guidelines from the experts. We hope our initial CSPs offer our families assurance that this summer will be both fun AND safe. Fewer people, outside, masked, social-distanced, and regular handwashing – these proactive steps have been proven extremely effective at mitigating the risk of COVID-19 spread and infection.
In the coming weeks and months, we will be digging deeper into the steps our families and staff can take leading up to camp, we will root our protocols in our core values, and we will offer a more detailed plan of this summer’s policies and procedures. We thank you for your understanding and patience as we seek to communicate clearly and effectively – and we thank you for your trust in us and partnership with us as we prepare for Summer 2021.
