Happy New Year! We are looking forward to brighter days in 2021. As we move forward to planning our summer 2021 in person summer camp, we are determining the most efficient ways to increase healthy and safety. COVID-19 has changed the way we interact with the world. We are hopeful that as the vaccine penetrates through our society, this pandemic may began to subside and we may begin to incorporate our regularly scheduled programming in the safest way possible. As we learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine and its availability, we wanted to let you know the steps we are taking to remain one of the healthiest and safest place for your child this summer. Our goal is to make it as easy as possible for all of our staff to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
We believe our staff may have access to the vaccine as early as March. With this goal in mind, we are advocating that state regulatory agencies prioritize counselors as frontline workers, so they can receive the vaccine sooner than later.We will also do our best to make sure vaccination is at no cost to our staff. We strongly believe that this is the right thing to do for you and your family. We hope that by assisting all of our staff with access and encouraging them to get the vaccine, even more families like yours will have confidence in our counselors’ care and the health and safety of our spaces.
We remain committed to everyone’s health and safety within and outside of Adventures on The Hill throughout this pandemic. Thank you for your continued support and dedication to our program.
On behalf of the entire team at Adventures on The Hill, we’d like to take a moment to say thank you again for your loyalty and support. The past several months has been unlike anything we’ve ever experienced, and we’re working hard to evolve so we can continue to show up in a meaningful way for your family, our employees and communities. As you no doubt have heard, states and municipalities across the country are developing guidelines to re-open once it is deemed safe to do so. While the DC Government has not finalized its guidelines and timeline for camps which are deemed an essential business (the current order expires May 15th), we have begun to order the many first aid, cleaning and sanitization supplies we will need to deliver on our expanded commitment to cleanliness. We want to continue to bring you the service and convenience you need, even if it may look a little different than it has in the past. As cities and states begin to share plans to reopen, we’d like to share an update on how we’re thinking about our camps.
It really can’t be said enough—your child’s health, and the health of our employees, are our priority. And every decision we make is through that lens. We want to be sure that the approach we are taking to open camp this summer is thoughtful, and that we’re creating a camp environment that is safe for everyone. We plan to open and operate on time beginning June 22nd. We will operate under restrictions and specific guidance on health and safety practices. We have many new systems, equipment, and policies to evolve our best practices to the appropriate levels to combat the coronavirus. We will definitely make disinfecting the camps spaces and training our entire team on the new hour-by-hour routine our priority. This will all be detailed once the final decisions are made and these guidances are released.
Preparing to Open
As a guide based on guidance from OSSE, below are some of the operational changes and enhanced safety precautions we’re considering during our initial opening period.
- Families will be met at the door and every child will have their temperature checked and recorded.
- Health screening for all employees will be conducted upon arrival.
- Social distancing practices in all areas of the camp space & increased spacing between tables and chairs.
- Mandatory designated hand washing times throughout each day.
- Protective equipment including face masks and gloves for employees who interact with the children.
- A phased approach to outdoor play
- Parent pledge to certify that your child or no member of your household is or has been sick recently.
Thank you again for your support and hanging in there with us as we navigate this challenge. Stay committed, stay healthy, and start preparing for camp this summer. It is just around the corner, but we’ll be ready.
We would like everyone to keep in mind that we do not operate at DCPS schools and have already been cleared to operate. Many camps in the area operate at DCPS schools which may not open this summer. This means that their will be an influx to our camp. We encourage registration as soon as possible to avoid being waitlisted. We will communicate with parents as soon as we have any more updates. If you have any additional questions, we are happy to help.
