Plan For Operation
Camper Wellbeing
● Brit HaMachane /Ramah Community Agreement: Please go over the Brit Hamachaneh with your campers. Campers each have the power to create positive – and negative – realities for their peers and staff. We are committed to fostering a culture of kindness at camp and need the active participation of everyone to make this a reality. We will be returning to these principles with campers at the start of camp and throughout the summer as appropriate.
● Staff Training: A significant component of working to ensure camper safety and wellbeing at camp is through staff training and support. This will occur during staff week before campers arrive and throughout the summer. We do some training in-house, with our Directors, Yoetzot and others, as well as through bringing expert consultants and trainers.
Our training will help us make our policies and values a reality in camp. You are welcome to read over our staff policies here on our website.
● Sending Your Kid to Camp: It can be difficult to let our kids go. We encourage you to see camp as a safe place in which your kids can grow and thrive. We have a robust team of adults who are all a part of our camper care team. This includes our Directors and team of five yoatzot who meet regularly during camp to coordinate and respond to the needs of our campers.
Your child’s yoetzet is your best, first stop for all camper care needs. Please see the Summer Services email for more information.
● Photos: Camp photos will be posted 3 to 4 times per week in your campintouch portal. We will do our best to include photos of every camper each week.
Please note, some campers do not like to be photographed while others run to the camera – we try to honour both! This means that your camper may be in fewer photos than peers by his or her choice at the time.
There are some items that are important to note that you should not bring to camp:
PHONES: Please, please, please do not send or allow your camper to bring a phone to camp. Nothing detracts more from the camp experience than having phones in the bunks. They detract from the growth of interpersonal relationships andfrom the power of experiencing the moment at camp. Any phones that are found will be confiscated, labeled, and left locked until the end of the summer. If you are concerned about communication with your camper, please reach out to your camper’s yoetzet.
No Cooking Items: Please do not send any cooking items to camp. These include hotpots, snack masters and any other cooking devices. These items present a serious risk for burns and fire, in addition to the concerns over pests, allergies andkashrut. All cooking items will be confiscated and donated to a local community resource centre.
No Drinks: Last summer we permitted campers to bring their own drinks to camp. This was possible due to the fact that all campers were dropped off at camp. We are not able to accommodate bringing cases of drinks up to camp. The water at camp is very good to drink– but if your camper is concerned about the taste, please consider purchasing drink flavouring drops like Mio.
No Spitz/ Sunflower Seeds: Please do not send spitz/sunflower seeds to camp. These are problematic due to hygiene, camp cleanliness, and allergy-related issues.
COVID Updates
*Campers should please bring 25-50 disposable medical masks in case of COVID cases at camp.
The province is moving beyond the crisis phase of the pandemic and is adapting into a new phase of co-existing with COVID-19. Illness is part of the regular camp experience and we are well equipped to deal with illness and injury at camp with three full time nurses and a doctor on site. Camp is a congregate living environment in which illness can travel more quickly through camp. And, it is always our priority and obligation to protect the health and safety of all campers and staff.
We are prepared for the possibility that COVID-19 may enter camp this summer and prepared to support anyone affected by this illness along with all other illnesses that may enter camp
We ask your help in taking reasonable measures before campers and staff arrive at camp, trying to limit your unmasked exposure.
Pre Camp Testing
- Rapid Test 3 days before camp, and day of camp starting (June 26 and 29 for those starting camp on June 29th). These will be taken at home, photographed and emailed to camp. Please send an email to [email protected] which shares your child/children’s names, and a photo with the rapid test that includes your child’s name and date.
- No rapid testing is needed for anyone who was COVID positive within 28 days. We will need proof of the COVID illness, this can be sent to the same email as test results with either a picture or medical note. Please send an email to [email protected].
- We strongly recommend doing rapid tests at least 10-14 days before the start of camp. In case someone has an asymptomatic case, then the isolation countdown can start then and hopefully can start camp on time.
- If someone has COVID in the 10 days before camp starts, then they need to stay home until they are 10 days post being positive. If someone’s sibling tests positive please contact camp; [email protected] and a member of the medical team will call you.
- If anyone has any new viral symptoms (for example: fever, new cough or sore throat) we are asking them to stay home until they have 24 hour of no symptoms and a negative COVID test. I.e. they can attend when symptoms resolve if COVID negative.
Other COVID-related information:
- Staff members are permitted to leave camp for days off; the leadership will be setting and sharing guidelines with all camp staff to try to mitigate risk of bringing COVID into camp.
- We will be limiting guests in camp; anyone entering will be at the discretion of the medical team and Camp Director.
- We will place an emphasis on hygiene; hand washing and cabin cleanliness.
- Illness does come into camp. Our plan is to decrease the risk as much as possible.
- Our medical team is comfortable treating all conditions.
- We are adhering to the guidance of public health; we take the health and safety of our community very seriously.
Managing COVID At Camp:
- We will not be cohorting and masking as we did last summer in the first few weeks.
- There will be no active screening for COVID-19 by testing as there was last year.
- We will be managing symptoms as we always have with illness at camp.
- We will not be testing everyone with covid-like symptoms.
- Once in camp, campers or staff will be tested if the doctor feels the results will impact management of the individual.
If a camper or counsellor is found to have COVID through testing – public health has provided guidance on management:
- 5 days of isolation and then will need to be masked for 5 further days.
- Days 5-10 can participate in camp activities masked; camper will need to remain sleeping and eating in isolation.
- We will monitor for symptoms and manage accordingly.
If someone in your child’s cohort has tested positive for COVID, you will receive an email from camp, letting you know that the plan for your child’s cabin is that they will be masked when indoors with other cohorts. Your child’s cabin will be eating outside of the chadar ochel, during the isolation time.
We do have space for some isolation at camp. If there are multiple cases, public health will be involved to help manage. There is a possibility that some campers may need to go home for isolation but we are hoping this will not be the case.
As with everything in the past 2 years, the landscape can change. We are entering this summer with a clear evidence based plan while always allowing flexibility.
Reminder of when medical staff will call parents/guardians:
- Camper is staying overnight in the marp, eg. for fever, vomiting, concussion, strep throat
- Camper has to leave camp for any testing, eg. x-ray or blood work
- Camper is recommended to start a new medication
- Worsening of health conditions
