Summer Camp is Canceled

Summer Camp

On behalf of Kernersville Parks and Recreation (KPRD), we hope you and your family are safe and healthy during this time.

Over the last couple months we have been closely evaluating the COVID-19 situation and how it affects our programming, events and camp. We have found ourselves in a situation we never saw coming and our number one priority continues to be the health and safety of our staff and participants.

Unfortunately COVID-19 has created so many unforeseeable circumstances that frequently evolve and are out of our control. Therefore, it is with a heavy heart to announce we have decided to cancel our Summer Camp this year.

For our campers and our staff, being close is a part of how we do things at camp; riding in buses to field trips, caring for campers, swimming, high fives, hugs, meals, activities…6 ft. distancing just doesn’t allow us to provide our camp experience.

Our camp was never designed as a day care, but as a fun summer experience for kids to learn, grow and explore. Unfortunately, we do not have the structural or staffing resources to provide a quality camp experience under current CDC safety guidelines.

Below are examples from the CDC Draft Guidelines that helped lead us to our decision:

  • Cancel all field trips leaving the camp site, inter group events or extracurricular activities
    • (For KPRD this means no Library trips, pool days, trips to the parks, or much anticipated field trips. We would not be allowed to leave the building)
  • Staff and camper groups of 10 or less. Ensure groups are as static as possible by keeping the same staff with the same group each day, in the same room. Restrict mixing of groups.
    • (KPRD currently operates camp in one room upstairs and one gymnasium. Restricting one group to stay upstairs all day wouldn’t be fair to the child watching others in the gym below, or see friends they wouldn’t be allowed to co-mingle with)
  • Restrict non-essential visitors, volunteers, and activities involving multiple groups.
    • (For KPRD this means no outside visitors to come and host activities. We had a professional chef scheduled to host cooking lessons for the kids and an instructor coming in to teach the kids coding and robotics, among others. These activities would not be allowed.
  • Close communal spaces if possible
    • (For KPRD this would not be possible, our lobby and upstairs activity room is not only used for camp, but utilized by the office staff.)
  • Space all seating to 6ft apart and restrict shared use of space
    • (As stated, our facility has limited space, and would not be able to safely separate small groups. Our bathrooms are also communal use with 3 stalls in each bathroom)

 

We didn’t take this decision lightly, there were so many moving parts, so many variables, so many “what ifs” and so many things to be considered.

We encourage everyone in our community to take care of yourself and one another during these times. We will be shifting our focus to programs and activities we can safely introduce and offer as the phases allow, and we will try our best to serve you the best way we can.

 

We are in this together and we will come back stronger from this situation!

 

Sincerely,

 

Kernersville Parks and Recreation