Dear Summer Connections Families,
First and foremost, we hope that you and your loved ones are safe and healthy. We are very excited to spend the summer with your child/children as we know this pandemic has been stressful to many and recognize that socializing and interacting with peers can be a healthy way for children to cope with stress and connect with others, particularly after spending quite a bit of time at home.
The health and safety of our campers and staff remain our highest priority. Below, you will find a summary of actions we are taking to help ensure we are lowering COVID-19 risk as much as possible.
- Proof of vaccine is required. All eligible staff and campers are required to show proof of COVID vaccination.
- Participants must also provide a negative COVID-19 test (PCR or rapid antigen) 72 hours prior to the start of the program for which they are registered. If a participant is registered for two weeks, they will test one time, for four weeks, two times, and for six weeks, three times. . To search for testing locations within your community, please click here.
- Intensifying cleaning and disinfection practices within our facilities and premises by cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces (e.g., playground equipment, handrails and door handles), cleaning and disinfecting objects if they are shared (e.g., art supplies, sports equipment, toys, and games), and ensuring safe and correct use and storage of disinfectants.
- Keeping campers in small groups where we will make every attempt to practice social distancing inside and outside the classroom. We will mark off safe distances throughout facilities to help keep participants appropriately spaced.
- Limiting the number of items that are shared or touched between campers and staff. It is important that all participants bring their own water bottle, sunscreen, and other personal items. Participants will not be allowed to share sunscreen bottles.
- Promoting healthy hygiene practices by teaching campers the importance of washing their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, monitoring campers to make sure they are washing their hands, providing campers with hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol when they don’t have easy access to soap and water, encouraging children to cover their coughs and sneezes with a tissue or to use the inside of their elbow, and posting signs about these healthy habits around the camp facility.
- Requesting that staff and campers wear a cloth face covering as feasible, and in times when physical distancing is difficult. Face coverings will not be required while eating or drinking or during water play. Frequent breaks will be utilized during days of extreme heat.
- If a child does get sick at camp, we have identified an area where they can rest, be watched after, and safely isolated from others. We will communicate with parents or caretakers directly and, if necessary, arrange for the child to be picked-up from camp.
We ask that you help us protect the health of campers this summer. Anyone who is sick or was sick with COVID-19 or recently in contact with someone with COVID-19 in the last 14 days— including staff, campers, and families— should not come to camp. Be on the lookout for symptoms of COVID-19, which include fever, cough, shortness of breath, chills, muscle pain, sore throat, and loss of taste or smell. Call your doctor if you think you or a family member is sick.
If you have a specific question about this plan or COVID-19, please contact me for more information. You can also find more information about COVID-19 at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.
We look forward to seeing you soon.
Thank you and stay healthy,
Holly Alasio, M.Ed, RN, CSN
