Before and During Camp
The guidelines outlined below are things we can all do to keep our Nobles Day Camp Community safe.
We are asking all our campers, families and staff to consider low risk activities prior to and during their time at camp. These include:
- Wearing Masks, Social distancing and good hygiene practiced during travel, school, day camp and medical appointments.
- Following COVID safety guidelines at all activities and home visits
- Trying to avoid large crowds and social gatherings
Pre-screening of Staff and Campers
- Staff will report to camp between 8:15 AM and 8:30 AM and have filled out a health attestation questionnaire on their Cariina app that reports directly to the Health Office.
- Parents and Campers will be screened in their cars in our car line by a staff member that has been trained by our Camp Nurse under the direction of our Health Consultant. The screening will include a mobile app asking the parent questions and documenting their responses that includes the date and timestamp of screening, camper’s full name and responses to the following questions asked:
Today or in the past 24 hours, have you or any household members had any of the following symptoms?
- Fever (temperature of 100.0 F or above), felt feverish, or had chills?
- Cough?
- Sore throat?
- Difficult breathing?
- Gastrointestinal symptoms (diarrhea, nausea, vomiting)?
- Fatigue?
- Headache?
- New loss of smell/taste?
- New muscle aches?
- Any other signs of illness?
Have you been in close contact with anyone confirmed to have Coronavirus (Covid-19) in the past 14 days?
- Vendors - School business (UPS, Mail carriers, FedEX, Maintenance Providers, Faculty)
- All vendors and personnel will be directed to the Main Office to sign in and out, obtaining contact information. If they are interacting with the camp at any level they will be prescreened with a visual inspection and asked screening questions.
Group Sizes
- Campers entering PK through K (12 campers: 3 staff)
- Campers entering 1st grade (30 campers: 6 staff)
- Campers entering 2nd grade through 6th grade (30 campers : 5 staff)
- Campers entering 7th-10th grade (30 campers; 4 staff)
Group Locations will be defined by a designated outdoor space, indoor changing space, and bathroom.
- All indoor spaces have been measured and furniture positioned to allow appropriate physical distancing, hallways will be one way, all bathrooms used by limited persons at a time.
- All indoor spaces have been designated as our Emergency Shelter with 6 ft distancing available.
- Outdoor canopies and or trees will provide shade for each group, at their assigned outdoor meeting space.
- Group activities are highly encouraged to be outdoors whenever possible.
- Groups will not mix for activities, and there are no common indoor spaces.
- Extended Day Cohort Group
- Transportation (Bus or Van) Cohort Group and Seating Chart
Disinfecting of physical spaces and equipment:
- Disinfectants and Sanitizers will be clearly labeled and stored out of reach of campers.
- Designated staff will be responsible for regularly cleaning on a periodic schedule based on camp usage.
- Each morning before campers arrive and midday all high touch surfaces will be disinfected including fixed equipment and door handles. Doors will be propped open during camp hours to reduce touching these surfaces.
- Bathrooms will be disinfected midday and each evening.
- If table surfaces and chairs are used they will be sanitized between camper use.
- Each group and activity area will have their own water jug for filling campers water bottles. Counselors will supervise the sanitation and filling.
- Any shared equipment or supplies used within the group will be disinfected or sanitized on a daily basis by the group counselor.
- All Activity Specialists with shared equipment (archery, Ropes Course, Gymnastics, etc) are responsible for disinfecting equipment between users and groups.
- The Nobles School Cleaning Company (UG2) is responsible for all the ordering of disinfectants and sanitizers in accordance with the guidelines in Section 8 of the MRHS. The director of UG2 will also train staff in appropriate use of disinfectants and sanitizers.
PPE and Face Masks and Coverings
- All campers and staff will be required to wear a face mask or face covering at all times (other than designated mask breaks, eating snacks or lunch and swimming) and maintain six feet of physical distance with a camper or another staff member.
- Campers and Staff are to bring a minimum of two clean face masks or face coverings each day.
- In the event that handwashing sinks are not available, hand sanitizer will be readily available and used with parent permission.
- Gloves and masks will be available in bathrooms in the event a staff member must assist a camper in their toileting.
- Staff will be required to wear gloves when supporting campers with the application of sunscreen and bug repellent.
Lunches and Snacks
- Campers and Staff bring all of their own food that they can independently open and eat or they can purchase lunch through our Dining Services vendor (all food is individually wrapped). We will eat picnic style on the grass with their own cohort group. Individually wrapped popsicles will be an afternoon snack option.
- Campers and Staff bring their own water bottles and each group cohort will have their own water jug that staff will use to fill water bottles.
Staff Orientation
- Staff will be trained and oriented on how to support and maintain proper procedures for hand hygiene (upon arrival, after bathroom use, before and after eating, and before and after each activity), maintaining physical distancing, recognizing symptoms of illness, proper use of sanitizers and disinfectants, and the proper use of PPE.
- All staff will be 16 years of age and older. We are STRONGLY RECOMMENDING all staff will be fully vaccinated prior to the start of camp.
Parent Information
- Nobles Day Camp COVID-19 parent information has been shared on our website, by email to all registered parents, and incorporated in the Parent Camper Guide to inform our families of our protocols and expectations.
- The Parent Camper Guide and detailed drop-off and pick-up procedures will be e-mailed to each family in early June and reminders one week prior to the week they attend. These procedures will include the recommendation that the same family member when possible be the same person to pick-up/drop-off the camper(s) and that the pick-up person is a parent, legal guardian, or other individual designated in writing to have permission to pick up the camper. The drop-off driver will be responsible for being able to answer screening questions.
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Identifying and Handling the Sick
- If a staff member feels ill or they notice that a camper shows symptoms of illness, the person feeling ill must go to the health office to be assessed by the Health Supervisor. The Health Supervisor will further screen and assess within the designated isolation space. In the case of a staff member becoming symptomatic, a support staff will be assigned as back up to their group.
- The health center will be outside and is equipped with an isolation tent, designated bathroom, separate exit, independent air circulation and immediate access to PPE. Emergency contact numbers, local board of health, parent and camper numbers, are all located in the health center.
- The Health Supervisor will contact the symptomatic camper’s parents to be picked up. If there is a sibling in camp they must also go home at that time. The camper or staff member must remain in isolation until they are transported home.
- If it is determined that a person has been exposed to COVID-19, either at camp or in their household, and is deemed a close contact, they will be directed to self quarantine for 14 days.
- In the event that the person has confirmed COVID-19, the group cohort and others identified through contact tracing will be notified of their exposure and advised on quarantine protocols. The person with confirmed COVID-19 cannot return to camp without medical clearance from their physician.
- The Local Health Department will be notified of a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis by the Health Supervisor. The camp will follow LBOH guidance in regards to camp closing.
- Information will be distributed to parents through phone calls or conversations and written notices at pick up. The camp director will inform all staff directly in person or by phone call.
Staff Absence and Sick Leave
- Staff are informed to not come into work if they are not feeling well. The camp has support staff to cover their role while absent.
Senior Staff Personnel responsible for responding to COVID concerns for Nobles Day camp is Sheila Bennett, RN, Nobles Day Camp Head Nurse and Emily Parker, Director of Nobles Day Camp. All public statements and media relations are directed to the Head of School for further guidance.
It is important that all children have access to an authorized responsible adult that is within 30-45 minutes travel to camp at any time, just in case a camper pick-up is needed.
Camper/Staff member presents with symptom(s) while at Camp
In accord with MA DPH guidelines, if a child presents during Camp with a symptom(s) of COVID-19, they will be brought to the Health Center for evaluation, and then sent home with the expectation that they need to be seen by their primary care provider. The child’s medical provider will either rule out COVID-19 by providing an alternate diagnosis OR may recommend that the child be tested for COVID-19. If a child’s medical provider cannot determine that the symptom(s) is something other than COVID-19, then the child would need to either receive a negative COVID-19 test OR be quarantined at home for 10 days.
If there is a COVID-19 Positive Case at Camp
Sick children or staff members who have tested COVID-19 positive OR symptomatic and presumed by their medical provider to have COVID-19, must not return until they have met the criteria for discontinuing home isolation and have consulted with their medical provider. Camp will notify families and staff about exposure while maintaining confidentiality. In addition, the Dedham Health Department will be notified.
All campers and staff that have been in close contact with a COVID-19 positive or presumed positive case will be sent home and required to stay at home for 14 days after the last day of contact with the person who is sick.
In the circumstance of a reported COVID-19 positive Staff or Camper, all potentially exposed facility areas and equipment will be closed until professionally cleaned and disinfected.
We will continue to monitor MA DPH guidelines and will make updates to these procedures as the public health authorities update their guidance.
What is the definition of a “Close Contact”?
The CDC defines close contact as interactions within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes. Contact tracing will be carried out by trained staff in conjunction with the local health department.
What is the definition of a “Proximate Exposure”?
A proximate exposure is defined as interacting greater than 6 feet from an infected individual within a shared space.
Parents have the right to review background check, health care and discipline policies, our behavior management plan, and our grievance procedures upon request.
Nobles Day Camp is in compliance with regulations of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (105 CMR 430) and licensed by the Town of Dedham Board of Health. Information on these regulations may be obtained at 781.751.9220.
Once registration is processed, if the camper subsequently fails to attend, withdraws, experiences incomplete attendance for any reason, or is dismissed, no refund, transfer of tuition will be made.
Exceptions to this policy will be made for any medical related absences due to COVID-19. We will credit or refund the tuition for time lost and apply to the summer of 2022.