COVID-19 Announcements 2020

July 16, 2020
The health and safety of our campers and staff is our highest priority year after year, but even more so this year. It is important to us that you understand all the decisions and changes that we will make in order for you to make an informed decision to attend camp this summer. The information and guidelines from the state and governor are subject to change as you well know in this fluctuant COVID-19 environment, and we will monitor the information and adjust our protocols up until the day camp opens. Please know that we are working prayerfully around the clock as a family, alongside the camp community, and with our medical team to create the best practices for summer 2020! Ultimately, the choice to come to camp this summer is up to you and we want you to feel confident in that decision after reading the information we are providing.

You may be aware Governor Abbott put a pause June 25th on the further reopening of businesses in Texas. Businesses that already have protocols to operate may do so at that level. Since we are operating under the Governor’s protocols for Residential and Overnight Camps, no change is required. We are continuing to open as planned and should anything change, we will notify you immediately by email.

2nd Term Opening has been delayed until Sunday, July 19th (same arrival times).

2nd Term Aides Arrival will be Saturday, July 18th at 2:00pm.

2nd Term Closing Day will still be July 29, 2020.

We will email 2nd Term families soon with more details or if there are any other changes. Thank you for your amazing patience, we know this is extremely inconvenient. Our top priority is continuing to keep our campers, counselors, staff, and all their families safe throughout this challenging time.

5th Term at Camp Mystic Cypress Lake will open as scheduled on Saturday, July 18th.

5th Term Arrival Times:
10:00AM – 11:00AM: Joyful Noise, Easy Does It, Lakeside
11:00AM – 12:00PM: Snuggle Inn, Suite Dreams, Ladybug Lodge, Twinkle Hut
 

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May 27th, 2020
We were thrilled to hear Governor Abbott open up camps for the summer! The following are our revised dates for 2020:

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Social Distancing
Cohorts: We will organize the campers by grade level throughout the term which will enable us to practice social distancing. Their cabin will be their immediate cohort and then the grade levels will be the larger cohort.

Opening Day
3rd Term 2020 Arrival Times (by cohort):

• 9:00AM – completed 7th, 8th, and 9th grades
• 10:00AM – completed 5th and 6th grades
• 11:00AM – completed 4th grade
• 12:00PM – completed 2nd and 3rd grades

If you have siblings in different cohorts, please come at the designated time that is most convenient for you. If you need to arrive later than your designated time, please let us know.

We will send you 2 luggage tags to help with the ease of our Opening Day. Please attach luggage tags to your trunk and duffle bag. Only 1 trunk and 1 duffle, no loose items! The duffle bag can be as large as needed to accommodate pillows and fans.

Pre-Camp
Partner with us the week before camp and do your best to social distance away from non-family members, wearing a face mask around non-family members, and avoiding any non-essential travel. We are also asking you to complete a daily temperature check for 7 days prior to your arrival.

Thank you all for your continued love and support! We are looking forward to a great summer! We will continue to update as information becomes available. As always, don’t hesitate reaching out to us at any time. 830-238-4660 or office@campmystic.com.

 

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May 8th, 2020
The health and safety of our campers and staff is our highest priority year after year, but even more so this year. It is important to us that you understand all the decisions and changes that we will make in order for you to make an informed decision to attend camp this summer. The information and guidelines from the state and governor are subject to change as you well know in this fluctuant COVID-19 environment, and we will monitor the information and adjust our protocols up until the day camp opens. Please know that we are working prayerfully around the clock as a family, alongside the camp community, and with our medical team to create the best practices for summer 2020! Ultimately, the choice to come to camp this summer is up to you and we want you to feel confident in that decision after reading the information we are providing.

Most of our parents have expressed a desire for their daughters to come to camp but if you have hesitations about this summer you do have options. You can transfer your balance to next year or receive a full refund should you choose to cancel. We understand that you need to make the choice that is best for your family.

At this point, we believe it is best to delay the camp start dates until July, and we have modified all of our terms to short 13 day sessions.

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Our updated dates for 2020:

 

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We understand that some of the dates may pose problems for some families. Again, payments are refundable in full. Also, all of our tuitions will be the same cost for each term. If there is a specific date conflict and you wish to move to a different term for this summer, we will try hard to accommodate it.

Our plan this summer is to screen campers, counselors and staff as they arrive, have minimal interaction outside of camp once everyone is here, and increase preventative measures at camp. These are the changes we will be making this summer:

• • Opening Day
    1. We will have a “Drive Through Opening Day”. We will recommend just campers and one parent driver for the drop off. All parents will be asked to stay in the car at drop off. We will assist in unloading camper belongings from your car at a designated spot after you drop off your camper.
    2. We will be performing health screenings as campers come into camp. This will include temperature checks and a questionnaire about symptoms and contact with anyone who may have had the virus.
    3. All buses will be canceled for 2020 as we do not have the capacity to properly screen each camper in each city before they get on the bus.
    4. No airport pickups this year.
    5. We will have staggered drop off times by age groups (more info to follow).
    6. We will be giving much more detailed instructions prior to Opening Day.

 

• • Precautions at Camp
    1. Daily temperature checks will be conducted every morning by the counselors in the cabin.
    2. Increased staff training about health concerns. Which will include recognizing the symptoms, reporting to the nurses, and increased cleaning practices in the cabin.
    3. Updated fever protocols. We will isolate a camper if needed after full assessment and monitor for further needs.
    4. Increased amount of hand sanitizer stations. Squirt in/squirt out of dining hall and activities.
    5. Emphasis on more hand-washing for campers, counselors, and staff.
    6. Cleaning heavy traffic areas more frequently. Bathrooms in general areas, doorknobs on certain buildings, chairs at all camp events, and heavily used activity equipment.
    7. Deep cleaning of the camp in between sessions.

 

• • Restrictions on Staff
    1. Our kitchen staff, wranglers and maintenance staff will have much less interaction with the rest of camp this summer.
    2. Our counselor time off will be focused within our 725 acres, as we will be trying to minimize any interaction outside of camp. We are working on ways that they will be able to get the rest they need without leaving camp.

 

• • Comings and Goings
    1. In past years, we did allow some campers to be able to leave for a short amount of time to attend an important school or family function and then return to camp. This year we will not be able to allow it, as it does increase the chance of the virus coming in.
    2. Campers arriving late and campers leaving early are okay.

 

• • Deliveries & Mail
    1. We are working with our delivery companies to make sure that they have safeguards in place to help prevent the virus from coming into camp.
    2. This summer, we are not allowing packages. Only US mail and email will be allowed.

 

• Closing
  1. This year’s awards ceremony with be campers only.
  2. Organized drive through pick up procedures similar to opening day, where parents will be asked to remain in their cars, and we can load all trunks and other belongings in.
  3. We also recommend having the camper quarantine when they get home for 10 to 14 days.

These things may change, either by a mandate from the Texas government, from things getting better as the summer goes along, or medical innovations that could help us better fight the virus.

We know these months of worry and uncertainty have been hard on all of you. Thank you for being so supportive of us and hopeful about camp. You inspire us, and we want you to know how blessed we are to partner with such wonderful families.

If you have any questions or concerns about your daughter attending camp this summer, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. You may call or email us at 830-238-4660 or office@campmystic.com.

Please take care of yourselves and continue to pray for faith, resilience, and for the care and love of one another. We trust that God’s faithfulness will sustain us as always. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.” Romans 8:28