Dear Camp Families,

I’d like to welcome or welcome you back to Templed Hills Camp.  I am Jill Frey, the Executive Director of Outdoor Ministries for the Heartland Conference of the United Church of Christ and I get to work with the volunteer directors and staff for all of the great summer camp programs we offer here.  I began in this position in October of 2019, so last summer I got to meet many of you virtually and am looking forward to experiencing camp in person with most of you this summer.

Thank you for putting your trust and faith is us by sending your camper to summer camp this summer.  We take that responsibility seriously every year and this year especially. My intent is that this newsletter will help you to prepare for a successful camp session. Enclosed you will find articles on check-in and check-out, health and safety, Covid-19 mitigation strategies, a packing list, and communication.  If you have any further questions, please contact me at jill@heartlanducc.org, 1-800-282-0740 ext. 3, or call/fax/text my direct line 740-901-0734.

I agree completely with the CDC’s recent statement about summer camps, “Youth and summer camps can play an important role in the lives of children, including supporting their social, emotional, and physical development.  Camps provide an opportunity for children to try new activities, develop relationships and social skills, and be physically active.”

Here at Templed Hills camp, we say that Camp is FUN! FAITH! and COMMUNITY! Camp is a special experience where we gather and learn how to live in community, growing as faithful disciples and responsible stewards, following Jesus' call to extravagantly love all God's children and creation. If you'd like to learn more about the outcomes we are working towards, you can read more here.

Thank you for choosing our camp program to provide those opportunities and more to your camper this summer.

Yours in Christ,

Jill

Jill C. Frey

she/her/hers

Executive Director of Outdoor Ministries

Heartland Conference, United Church of Christ

Serving Ohio, West Virginia, and Northern Kentucky

jill@heartlanducc.org

www.heartlanducc.org

Conference phone: 800-282-0740 or 614-885-0722 ext 103

Direct line: 740-901-0734 (calls, text, and fax)

We have developed a robust plan to reduce the spread of Covid-19 at camp following the most current CDC guidelines.  Please click here to read the full current plan and remember that if the CDC alters their recommendations or other opportunities become available to us, we may update this plan.

Here is an overview of what you need to know:

You and your camper will need to:

• Get fully vaccinated two weeks prior to camp, if eligible and possible.
• Not attend camp if you have been exposed to or tested positive for Covid-19, have any symptoms of Covid-19.
  • You will be able to transfer all of your fees to 2022 or another session in 2021 after you are well, or a full refund if you prefer.
  • Please contact Jill Frey, Executive Director of Outdoor Ministries, as soon as possible prior to camp if this occurs at jill@heartlanducc.org or 740-901-0734.
• Monitor your camper's health 14 days prior to camp, fill out this form, and bring it to camp with you.
• Reduce your exposure to Covid-19 14 days prior to camp by:
  • wearing a mask at all times when outside of your household
  • avoid crowds or activities where you are not able to keep 6ft distance from non-household members
  • Refrain from indoor social gatherings or eating or drinking anywhere with people outside of your household?
• Unvaccinated campers should have a negative Covid-19 test 3 days prior to camp, prefer PCR. We will have rapid antigen tests at camp for campers who don't have one.
• Have no symptoms of or exposure to Covid-19 when you arrive at camp.
• Understand that campers will be exposed to campers in their "cabin group"  and do your part to keep the cabin group healthy by vigilantly monitoring health and exposure the 14 days prior to camp, as mentioned above.
• Provide multiple masks for your camper for each day.
• Be prepared to pick your camper up from camp if they become sick
• Be prepared to have your camper quarantine or isolate when they return home from camp if they are sick or exposed.

At camp we will:

• Check symptoms daily.
• Participate closely in cabin groups for meals and activities.
• Activities with other cabin groups will be outside, distanced and masked, as much as possible. These activities will be limited from previous years.
• Wear masks when indoors, not able to maintain a distance of 6 feet from other cabin groups, and other times as required
• Isolate campers who become ill and notify parents at the time of the report.
• Quarantine, as a cabin group, campers who have been exposed to an ill camper and will notify parents at the time of pick up. Quarantine cabin groups will continue with most activities, just more separate from other cabin groups.
• Cabin groups without an ill camper will not have been exposed.
• Have Fun! Grow in Faith! Connect with new and old Friends and Christ!

General Health Updates and Information:

• If your camper has had any updates to their health, medications, emergency contacts, who will pick them up from camp, or anything similar, please fill out this form.  If possible email it to summer.camp@heartlanducc.org one week prior to camp.  Or bring on opening day if necessary. 
• If your camper has asthma, please fill out this form.  If possible email it to summer.camp@heartlanducc.org one week prior to camp.  Or bring on opening day if necessary.
• If your camper is attending Grands and Family and someone other than the camper's parents registered them, please fill out this form. If possible email it to summer.camp@heartlanducc.org one week prior to camp.  Or bring on opening day if necessary.
• If your camper has any medications they need to bring to camp, remember they must be in the original packaging and be current and not expired.  If it is a prescription, it must have a prescription label with the camper's name. It will be given according to the label. If medication is to be given different from the label, a Dr's note must be accompanied.
• Adults' medication must also be locked. If Adults want to keep their medications in their possession and not turn it in to the Health Supervisor for safekeeping, they must bring a container with a lock on it to hold the medicine, show the medication and box to the Health Supervisor on check-in and agree to keep it locked up at all times.

• Camp Arrival and drop off will be "drive-through"
• Families will not be able to walk around camp or go to the camper's cabin area. Consider coming on June 5th DIY camp or August Parker Ridge Family camp.
• Camp Arrival, Starting at 3 pm – watch your email for your family’s designated time
  • Only adult members of campers’ family may drop non-driving participants off. Exception will be made for Grands and Family event
  • No Carpooling this year
  • We will use a “drive through drop off” procedure this year.
  • Families will be assigned a 15 minute window to arrive. Watch your email one week before your camp session.
  • Please do not arrive early as we only have room for a certain amount of families. If you arrive early, please go into Bellville for some ice cream, coffee, or enjoy the park.
  • Campers will complete a health check during this time.
    • Submit COVID-19 pre-camp monitoring and health update form (see article above for link to form).
    • Review health forms and any health concerns
    • Review who will be picking the camper up at the end of the week.
    • Take temperature and assess symptoms for contagious disease.
    • Collect any medication
      • Please note any medication must be in original containers with legible original labels that are current, not expired.
      • Prescription labels must be in the campers’ name and will be given according to those directions.
      • Over-the-counter medicine for minor campers must also be accompanied by parents’ directions that are in alignment with directions on the packaging.  If medicine needs to be given in a manner that is not consistent with package labeling, a signed and dated note from a physician must be submitted.
    • Any camper with a fever over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, any other Covid-19 symptom not explained by a chronic condition, or who has been exposed to someone with COVID-19and is not fully vaccinated against Covid-19, will not be admitted into camp and be sent home.
    • Any camper sent home may receive a refund or reschedule for later in the summer.?
  • Camper and the parent will meet one counselor.  They will assist the camper with luggage and escort them to their cabin group.
• Camp pick-up will be a similar drive-through pick-up.  Only a legal custodial parent/guardian or other approved and expected person will be allowed to pick the child up.

Please mark all belongings with the camper's name

PLEASE DO NOT BRING

Snacks, electrical appliances (such as radios, TVs, hair dryers/curling irons, power tools), pets, firearms or weapons of any kind, firecrackers, explosives or igniters, non-prescribed drugs, alcohol, pagers, cell phones (a time to turn off/leave behind cells; Templed Hills has a phone for emergencies. See communication section below).

• Campers love to get mail at camp! If you are sending mail to camp, it is best to mail it by Wednesday or sooner to be sure it arrives while your camper is still here. You may want to send it by the end of the week before your camper comes to camp. Please address your letter following this example:

Camper's name

Name of the camp session (ex: Choir)

5734 Durbin Rd, PO Box 575

Bellville, OH 44813

• Email your campers! You can send a one-way message to your camper (they cannot reply to you) by sending emails to: summer.camp@heartlanducc.org.  Please put the name of the camp session and your camper's name in the Subject line (ex: Sports 10-12 – Jazmin Jones). Emails will be distributed daily during regular mail call. 
• Please do not tell your camper they can call home from camp. Usually, campers cannot take or make phone calls at camp. However, your campers’ Director will be available to talk to you should something unexpected come up.
• If you need to get ahold of someone at camp while your child is at camp, please contact Jill Frey, Executive Director of Outdoor Ministries at 740-901-0734. She will be at camp most of the time. She will answer your question if possible or contact your campers Director or Counselor and relay any message. If needed they can call you back when they have gathered the information you need and are available.
• We will call you if your child is in the Health Center and is determined to have possible Covid-19 symptoms and/or tests positive, if they require medical care by a professional outside of camp, or if there is a severe behavior or another issue.
• Please call us if there is a change in who will be picking your camper up at the end of the week. Please contact Jill Frey, Executive Director of Outdoor Ministries at 740-901-0734.

A general note about mail/email:

Please keep your message focused on general news and questions regarding your camper's experience. What means the most to the camper is simply hearing from you. Please don't share too many details of what's happening at home that the camper is missing. There is something very "immediate" about a message that seems to increase homesickness in some of our campers.

Other questions?

• If you have a question about the specific program in which your camper will be participating, please contact the camp director listed in your camp confirmation letter.
• If you have a question about your registration or fees, please contact the Heartland Conference at 800-282-0740, ext. 202 or 203. Please note that your camper will not be allowed to stay at camp if their fee is not paid in full.

Thank you for your support of this life-changing ministry!