Running a summer camp can be a challenge at many levels. Throw in a pandemic and the challenge requires a lot more planning than usual.
For Jamie Sirkin, director of Summer Trails Day Camp and Summer Trails Baseball Camp in Somers, this year”™s season is proceeding in a business-at-somewhat-normal manner.
“Camp is going to look a little different this summer, but it”™s our goal for it not to feel any different,” she said. “We”™re really committed to the physical and emotional development of children and to maintaining an environment that”™s filled with fun and joy. There are best practices.”
Of course, social distancing protocols were not designed with rambunctious children in mind. Sirkin is relying on a guidance issued by the state government to balance health concerns with normal childhood activities.
“Some of the things that we”™re doing is eliminating our bus transportation this summer,” she said. “We are having all of our campers and all of our staff bring bagged lunch. And on rainy days, we”™re going to follow the school model that they follow for snow days where you get a phone call from the superintendent in the morning saying that we may be closed today or may have a late arrival or an early dismissal.”
Sirkin said that Summer Trails was “super lucky” that most of its parents have been dropping off and picking up their children, so relatively few adults will have their schedules disrupted. She also observed that many parents are still working from home this summer, which enables them to serve double-duty as chauffeur for the young campers.
All programs will be conducted almost entirely outdoors in order to mitigate potential viral transmissions within enclosed spaces. Sirkin also made arrangements to ensure a clean camping environment.
“We have contracted with a cleaning company who”™s going to disinfect our buildings every evening, in addition to our enhanced maintenance staff and cleaning staff that we have during the day,” she said. “We”™re going to keep smaller group sizes and we”™re not going to have groups mixing with other groups for activities during the day.”
Intercamp sporting events, a longtime staple between Summer Trails and other regional camps, will not be scheduled this summer, and Sirkin”™s campers will not be making day trips to local attractions.
Sirkin also operates the South Woods Upstate sleepaway camp, but the state did not issue a guidance on the status of such camps and it appears unlikely that endeavor will be able to operate this summer.
To ensure her camp counselors are up to speed on what will be expected of them during this unusual summer, Sirkin pushed back the Summer Trails opening day by two weeks to July 13 for expanded training.
“Summer Trails always had a virtual component to our staff training, so we are just enhancing that program this summer,” she said. “And we”™ve added a combination of in-person and virtual Zoom staff training prior to camp beginning. We anticipate that we will have more counselors this year and that we will run with a lower capacity of campers this summer, so that we can really provide extra attention.”
Sirkin acknowledged the isolating aspects of the pandemic”™s quarantine guidelines have been difficult for many children. She viewed the camp experience as being of crucial importance to these youngsters.
“Even with these social distancing messages and measures, we know that they need to be outside and socializing with other kids,” she said. “They need to rebuild their self-esteem, they need to remember how to make friends and how to share. And we know that by them participating in camp they”™re going to be set up better for school reentry in the fall.”
