Dear Keewaydin Community,
The outbreak of COVID-19 has prompted several inquiries from parents about the potential disruption to our camps over the summer. Many of our alumni have also reached out to offer their support and encouragement and to inquire about how we are responding to this health crisis facing our country and our world.
Below is the correspondence sent last Friday morning to all parents of campers currently enrolled at each of our camps. In addition, we are in close communication with the Vermont schools who participate in KEEC (Keewaydin Environmental Education Center) in order to decide how we will proceed with that program this spring.
My thanks to you all for your continued support as we navigate the ever-changing landscape ahead.
Pete Hare
Executive Director
———————–
Letter to Parents (represents merged content of letters to account for camp-specific information)
Dear Keewaydin and Songadeewin Families,
We are deep into our preparations for the summer, including, as always, making sure that camp is
prepared to keep our campers healthy and safe during the summer. Given the level of attention focused on COVID-19, we want to reach out to you to let you know how we are preparing ourselves for the 2020 summer season.
Most importantly, we are reviewing all of our policies and protocols related to making sure that staff and campers arrive healthy and not potentially contagious; screening campers and staff when they arrive; maintaining a high level of hygiene and sanitation at camp; and providing the best possible health care for campers and staff while at camp.
To help achieve this at Dunmore and Songadeewin, we are working with the state public health department and our own consulting physician’s practice, as well as consulting with the recommendations of the CDC and the American Camp Association. At Temagami, we are working with Temiskaming Health Unit, and our consulting physicians, as well as following the recommendations of the CDC and the Ontario Camps Association. We are extremely fortunate to have experienced and high-quality medical staff at all the camps and to work with outstanding medical practices in Middlebury, and Temagami.
We recommend that families purchase trip cancellation insurance. A basic plan covers you, amongother reasons, if your child is ill or injured and can’t come to camp. If you get a “cancel for any reason” policy, you can cancel and get a refund for any reason. If you have not yet paid your tuition in full, you can get a trip cancellation policy with “cancel for any reason” from CampDoc, www.campdoc.com/protection-plan. The basic plan is available even if you have already paid tuition in full. For your own protection and for the best interests of Keewaydin, we urge you to purchase trip cancellation insurance as soon as possible.
In the unlikely event that that our summer camp programs have to be canceled or interrupted because of COVID-19 and your trip insurance does not cover your loss, Keewaydin will refund tuition paid for the portion of camp missed, with the exception of your $500 deposit.
With the heightened anxiety around the world related to COVID-19, we have one important element on our side: time. Camp doesn’t open for another three and a half months. In the meantime, there will be steady developments, new information, and clearer recommendations as COVID-19 runs its course in the US and around the world. We will be following these closely in order to be prepared to make the best decisions and we will give you updates as we have them!
Peter Hare Ellen Flight Emily Schoelzel
Executive Director Songadeewin Director Keewaydin Director