Countdown to Camp: 2022 Community Updates

In order for camp to best support the emotional, physical and social wellbeing of your child this summer, please complete the Camper Care Intake Form.

Check out our awesome camper care team!

Summer 2022 Forms are now available in your CampMinder account.

• Due Now
  • Camper Care Intake Form
  • Ramah Day Camp Travel Form
  • Medical Forms (Health History, Physical, Immunizations and Health Insurance)
  • Friendship request (Note: Friendship request forms will not be considered until the Camper Care Intake Form is completed.)
• Due 6/1
  • COVID-19 Vaccination Card
  • Ramah Day Camp – Summer 2022 Brit

The “Camp Ramah in WI & IL” App provides a one stop shop for staying in touch
with camp this summer, including:

• Customized News Feed for your camper(s)’ eidah (age group)
• Transportation updates
• Camp photos
• Calendar to keep track of key dates
• Contact information
• And much more!

Download the app today! Check your email for the registration code or email registrar@ramahwisconsin.com.

Door-to-door transportation is provided for families that live within Ramah Day Camp’s bus boundaries and are accessible by school bus. Boundaries include many of the northern Chicago suburbs and are subject to change. For questions, email the Transportation Coordinator at bus@ramahday.com.

Bus Routes
Approximate pickup times are located in the bus information emails to be sent in June. In the afternoon, buses depart from camp by 3:15pm.

Bus Absences
In the event of an absence, call the camp office at (847) 537-9700 as soon as possible.

Late Arrivals
A camper not riding the morning bus may be dropped off at camp after 9:00am.

Early Departures
Parents can make arrangements to pick up a camper by sending an email to the Transportation Coordinator (bus@ramahday.com) or calling the camp office at (847) 537-9700 before 12:00pm the day of the change. In most cases, your camper will be ready in the camp office at the time requested.

Bus Expectations
Campers should:

• Be ready and waiting outside five minutes prior to pickup time.
• Stay seated on the bus.
• Be kind and friendly to others.
• Participate in bus activities.
• Refrain from screaming or yelling.
• Keep the bus clean and free of debris.
• Be ready on the bus to exit at your stop.

Emails
Camp will be emailing important information throughout the season. Additionally, weekly emails from Ramah Day Camp will be sent on Fridays. For any questions, concerns or updates regarding your camper, you may email the camp office at office@ramahday.com.

Phone Calls
Ramah Day Camp’s Leadership Team welcomes parent phone calls each day. If you need to check in on your camper, call the camp office at (847) 537-9700. Our team will get back to you promptly. Call with any question, concerns or updates.

Website
Visit our website at www.ramahday.com to view your Family Dashboard for resources including our community updates and the camp calendar. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

• We can and will be allowed to operate safely.
• Our camp community will be fully vaccinated and boosted for COVID-19 (requirement for all eligible individuals).
• Testing will be an important part of our strategy to diagnose and prevent transmission of COVID-19.
• Camp will be open, including camper field trips out of camp and specialists in camp
• COVID-19 is likely to present itself at camp.
• Low positivity and hospitalization rates in our communities. No new significant variant emerges.

The National Ramah Commission Medical Committee and Camp Ramah in Wisconsin/Ramah Day Camp Medical Committee have a long-established history of robust vaccination requirements. These vaccination requirements have been developed and are regularly reviewed based on the latest recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

In support of our commitment to the health and safety of all members of our community, all COVID-19 vaccine-eligible campers (those greater than 5 years of age), staff members, and visitors must complete the primary COVID-19 vaccination series prior to the beginning of their summer camp season. In addition, a booster vaccine is required for those individual greater than 12 years of age prior to the beginning of their summer camp season.

Note: We strongly encourage individuals ages 5-11 years of age to get a booster and for community members 50 and up to get a second booster prior to the camp season.
Any vaccine authorized for use in the U.S., currently Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson, or combinations thereof are acceptable.

• Please inform our team of any COVID-19 infections that your child may have had prior to camp. In addition, please ensure that any chronic conditions that present like COVID-19 symptoms, such as: allergies, asthma, chronic fatigue, chronic cough, etc. are documented in your Health History form prior to the start of camp.
• Your Health History form on CampMinder can be edited at any time. If your child has recently contracted COVID-19, please update their Health History.

• Assuming camper feels well enough to participate in camp activities, has no fever and is negative for COVID-19 (rapid antigen test acceptable), they may attend camp.
• We reserve the right to ask campers to mask to promote communal health and wellness.

There will not be a daily symptom screener. Please monitor your child for symptoms and keep them home if they are sick. Campers and staff who come to camp symptomatic will be sent home.

Bus to Camp

Chicago Buses: Due to the Chicago coach bus ventilation system and bus density, we are requiring campers to mask on the bus to/from camp.

Suburban Buses:  Masking is encouraged but not required on buses to/from suburban (non-Chicago) destinations.

At Camp

Masking is optional once campers arrive at camp. We support those campers who choose to remain masked throughout the camp day. We will work to maximize time outdoors and minimize indoor contact, whenever possible. 

Please note the language we use here. We believe it is helpful to think of this in terms of ‘when’ not ‘if.’ We know that the current variants are extremely transmissible, and despite all our best efforts, COVID is likely to find its way into our camp community at some point this summer. When that occurs: 

• Campers who arrive at camp symptomatic – fevers, vomiting, significant respiratory congestion, or feeling too unwell to participate in camp activities – will be sent home immediately.
• Campers who develop symptoms – fevers, vomiting, significant respiratory congestion, or feel too unwell to participate in camp activities during the camp day – will immediately be sent to the nurse and asked to wear a mask. Parents/guardians will be called to pick them up.
• All symptomatic individuals will need to be picked up from camp within 1 hour of notification (they will not be permitted to ride the bus).
• Until the time of their pick up, all symptomatic individuals will move to a dedicated outdoor area. 
• In accordance with CDC guidelines, and in consultation with our medical committee, anyone who tests positive may return to camp on Day 6 after initial symptom-onset or positive COVID-19 test result, if they are without fever for 24 hours (without fever-reducing medications) and improving symptoms AND they produce a negative rapid test result on Day 5. If they test positive on Day 5, they can test daily and return to camp on the day following a negative test. All campers can return on Day 10. Upon return to camp, that individual must maintain masking protocols according to the current CDC and local health department guidelines.

Campers who miss more than 3 days of camp due to a positive COVID-19 test will receive a partial prorated credit for the summer 2023 program.

In the case of symptoms that could be consistent with COVID and the camper is sent home because of these symptoms or develops these symptoms at home, the following is required to return to camp:

• A negative COVID test (PCR preferred but rapid antigen acceptable if needed) 

AND

• Resolution of symptoms for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicine.

If there is a confirmed case in a camper or staff’s home, they will be closely monitored for symptoms. Campers and staff who develop even mild symptoms should stay home and get tested. Rapid antigen or PCR testing are acceptable, but PCR is preferred. Test results should be sent to nurse@ramahday.com.

Asymptomatic, vaccinated, exposed campers and staff do not need to quarantine. They must test on day 5 (Rapid antigen or PCR testing are acceptable, but PCR is preferred). Test results should be sent to nurse@ramahday.com.

Asymptomatic, unvaccinated, exposed campers and staff do not need to quarantine. They must wear a well-fitted mask for 10 days when indoors and must test on days 1, 3 and 5 (Rapid antigen or PCR testing are acceptable, but PCR is preferred). Test results should be sent to nurse@ramahday.com.

In the interim, they will participate in all routine daily activities with other members of the community.

Any camper who misses camp due to a positive case of COVID-19 will receive a prorated tuition credit for the time missed, to be used as a credit for summer 2023.

We are proud of our ongoing work to ensure the well-being of everyone under our care. Our top priority is the physical, emotional, social and spiritual health and safety of our camp community. We want to ensure you are aware of the following:

• We’ve added a full time camper care professional to our summer team. Dina Greenberg will serve as our Summer Site Director of Camper Care.
• Our Camper Care policies, published in our Staff Handbook, are shared with staff prior to the start of camp, reviewed during staff training week, and referenced as needed throughout the summer. Our policies and procedures are re-evaluated annually to ensure best practices.
• We have established a Mental Health Committee to partner with our year-round professional team and community leaders in the fields of mental health to consult and support our work with campers and staff on an ongoing basis.
• The Aleinu: Safeguarding Our Children campaign is a program of Sacred Spaces that enables youth serving organizations to implement ten Best Practices for child protection. Camp Ramah in Wisconsin / Ramah Day Camp in Chicagoland has participated in the Chicago area cohort.
• Awarded Yedid Nefesh Grant from Foundation for Jewish Camp to address MESSH in holistic ways. Supporting Camp Ramah to hire qualified mental health professionals on staff, enhance counselor training, integrate wellness programming into activity areas.
• All of our staff and year round professionals are extensively trained in issues of health and safety pre-camp and throughout the summer, including recent Youth Mental Health First Aid certifications.

The health and physical safety of our campers is our number one priority!

• We partner closely with the Secure Community Network, a project of the Jewish Federations of North America – including special Jewish summer camp guidance
• We continue to maintain our strong relationship with the Wheeling Police Department, including pre-summer site visit, staff week training and periodic visits and check-ins throughout the summer
• Through JUF, Foundation for Jewish Camp and National Ramah Commission we continue to monitor local and national security developments
• New for Summer 2022: We are adding two full-time armed security guards who will be on site at all times campers are at camp. Security service is being provided by Houston Protection Service.
• We have a comprehensive security plan in place including security cameras and perimeter fence
• We undergo emergency training with all of our staff and campers

Medication at Camp
If your camper needs any medication administered at camp, send the medication with your camper on the first day of camp and email the Infirmary at nurse@ramahday.com. All medication should have clear directions of dosage and the time it is needed included with the medication itself or emailed to the infirmary. The nursing staff will administer medications to your camper. Feel free to call the camp office to discuss any specific needs.

Allergies
Notify camp of any allergies your camper may have in order to prepare our staff to handle any special dietary needs, medications, EpiPens and Auvi-Qs. Ramah Day Camp will do its best to accommodate any camper with allergies. The severity of a camper’s allergy may require individual meetings and action plans. All staff will go through training during orientation week on how to manage allergies and administer emergency medication. If you need an EpiPen, Auvi-Q, etc. to travel on the bus, let the camp office know.

Infirmary
Ramah Day Camp has a registered nurse on staff at all times. Nurses will handle all infirmary needs and dispense all medications.

Sick Campers
If your camper is sick and needs to be sent home, the nurse will contact you. Families are expected to pick up their camper within one hour from the time they are contacted. Any camper with a fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or unexplained severe symptoms will be sent home and will not be able to return until they are fever and symptom free for 24 hours.