We will be following guidelines and recommendations from the State of Vermont, The American Camp Association, and the CDC this summer. A team of counselors, medical professionals, and camp friends that have been working on ways that we can safely operate camp since the beginning of the year. Please read through this page to help you, and you child/children understand more about what summer 2021 will look like.

 The good news is that almost all of the usual activities that make Killooleet, Killooleet, will be able to run in some form. We will still have sings, camp fires, barter day, spag & congo bars this summer! We are introducing some protective measures for the safety of our community:

• Where possible all activities will take place outside. We have purchased dozens of tents of various sizes to protect against the weather.

• We have increased ventilation in all of the cabins and many of the indoor spaces. We have also installed extra hand-washing and sanitizing stations, temporary bathrooms, and have some dedicated spaces for camper and staff isolation if required.

• Campers will be required to wear masks when indoors and with others that are not in their family group / cohort, and also outside when 6ft of distance cannot be maintained. Wearing masks, being outside and keeping distance will be our three pillars of safety.

• Daily symptom screening and temperature checks will happen in the cabin each morning, and extra hand washing or sanitizing will become a part of routines throughout the day.

• The dining porch will be at a reduced capacity, with a large eating tent added outside. Campers will probably eat with their cabin group for the entire summer, and meal times may be staggered. Extra precautions will be taken to maintain safe distancing, and avoiding high touch surfaces and objects, when eating.

• Hike days and overnight trips will still happen in some form, though we will probably be staying closer to home, and only going to uncrowded spaces. We will be monitoring the case numbers in our local area and the state as whole, and this will guide our decisions.

• We plan to conduct regular testing of campers and staff throughout the summer. Parents will be notified immediately of any positive results.

• We are encouraging all of our staff to get vaccinated before June 29, and will assist any international staff that want to get vaccinated when they arrive in the US.

• We will be monitoring advice and guidelines as the summer progresses, and hope to loosen some of these restrictions after the first few weeks.

 You can download our 2021 packing list right here. Along with the usual things, there are a few other considerations to think about this year:

• Please have your child bring at least 10 washable face masks - all labeled with their name or initials

• We would also like it if you could send them with their own thermometer - for daily temperature checks.

• You may want to pack extra waterproof clothing and rain gear, as we will be spending a lot of time outdoors this summer.

• Consider sending your child with fewer toys and games to reduce clutter in the cabin.

 Camp Arrival will be different this summer, and there are some things that we’d like you to do before you leave for camp.

• We will be running busses as usual, but they will be operating at 50% capacity and the bus company are using extra cleaning and air-flow protocols. Please be at the pick up location in Manhattan by 8:45am, and Tarrytown by 9:30am.

• If you are arriving by car we ask you to travel to Killooleet as directly as possible, and ideally with no stops. Plan to drop you child / children off in the staff parking lot and say a quick goodbye there. We are trying to reduce the number of people we have on campus. We may be allotting ‘arrival windows’ to those who are driving. We will be in contact to confirm this.

• If you haven’t done so already, please fill out our transportation survey so we know how you are getting to camp.

No matter how your child is getting to camp, there are some things that we need EVERYONE to do for the 14 days before arrival. These are MANDATORY rules from the state of Vermont.

For the 14 days before camp, maintain as strict a cohort as possible outside of mandatory school and direct work requirements, wearing face masks when with anyone not in your household, and conducting any interactions with those outside your cohort outdoors. Do not attend gatherings with other households. Do not attend funerals, weddings, or family events (even visits to family members living outside your household). Do not have playdates or participate in team sports, attend recitals or other such gatherings.

Evidence of a negative PCR test taken within the three days before arrival (and as close to arrival as possible) will be required. We will also ask you to take your child’s temperature and screen for symptoms daily during the 14 days.

Download and print our Preparing for Camp form to record temperatures, and get some other preparation tips.

We are making some changes on some of the usual things we do over the summer. Here are some things that you need to know:

• We won’t be allowing any parent visits this summer. Instead we will schedule some time over the summer for you to video chat with your child from camp. We will be in touch to set this up.

• Expect the phone lines to be busier as a result of this, and try to keep you calls to 3 minutes during meals, to give a chance for others to get through.

• We will need to change our usual system for packages this summer, and ask you to be mindful when sending packages as this is an area where it is hard to have equality. Consider sending fewer packages, and consider sending a package addressed to the whole cabin for them to share. We still encourage you to write letters and postcards, and send them as often as you can.

 Thank you for taking the time to read through this. Please see the checklist below for a list of things to do before the summer begins:

1. Register you child online, even if you have filled out a paper application

2. Fill out the transportation survey

3. Download and submit your health forms and send us the blue card

4. Send us payment, by check or via credit card

5. Take a look at the packing list and make sure you have at least 10 masks, a thermometer, and extra rain gear

6. Download & print the Preparing for Camp form so you can log temperatures

7. Find out where you can get a PCR test

8. Make a plan for minimizing your interactions, outside of your cohort, for the 14 days before camp

9. Talk to your child / children about what they can expect at camp this summer. Knowing how camp has changed will help manage anxiety and homesickness.

10. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns. We are here to help!