Parent Notification of Camper Sickness, Injury or Behavioral Problems

We want to share with you our policy for notification in the event your child becomes sick or injured during their stay at camp, or in the event that behavioral issues arise of which you need to be notified.

Bumps and scrapes, upset tummies and headaches are not unusual in camp. If you multiply your own child’s incidence of little things times 70 and throw in a little homesickness here and about, you can imagine that the nurse keeps quite busy most days. It just isn’t practical to conference with you every time we put on a Band-Aid or an icepack.

If a camper has just a quick bout of something routine or a bug we know is going around, or if it is a scrape, bump, bruise, or twist that just needs some cleaning, ice, a Band-Aid, and/or a little TLC and rest, we will not normally phone you.

We will phone you if your child sees a physician for any reason. Sometimes, especially if the problem is complex, the physician may wish to talk directly with you. Usually in a non-emergency we will phone you before we go to the doctor. 

We will also phone you if a minor condition lingers for several days, if there is an acute episode of a chronic condition (e.g. severe allergy, asthma attack, diabetic crisis), involves a high fever over 101 degrees, or is an injury or sickness beyond the ordinary day-to-day health room visit.

Normally, unless an emergency, the nurse will be making these phone calls in the evening, or early the next day if it is late at night. And, as always, the nurse, counselor, and directors are very willing to speak with you at anytime.

If a child has behavioral issues, the first step is for the counselor and/or instructor to deal with the incidents including any appropriate consequences such as apologies, loss of privileges, early curfew, extra duties, etc. Many campers make mistakes in judgment or get overly excited, and we understand that happens and deal with it as such. However, if problems continue, the child together with the counselor and/or instructor will meet with the program director or head counselor to try to resolve the problems and set out a corrective course of action. Usually at this point we will give the parent a call to let them know there has been a problem. Almost always, this is the end of the matter and life is good again. If the behavior continues or is of an especially serious nature, the director will become part of the circle. At this point, the parents will be notified of the problem and <br>both the camper and the parent will be apprised as to what behavior expectations must be met and maintained in order for the camper to remain at camp for the duration of the session.

Rev 11/16/05