Article written and photograph taken by Dylan Schnur
Edgewood Club All Sports Camp, located in River Vale, NJ, has hosted its second year of camp for 4-12 year olds. Edgewood has successfully been operating under COVID-19 Camp Policies and Procedures. Campers may choose to attend the summer camp from 8 AM – 2 PM or 8 AM – 4 PM.
As part of the CDC guidelines, all camp staff are undergoing health checks, which includes “temperature checks, screening questions, and self-reporting” (CDC Guidelines). Each morning, head counselors are recording temperatures of their assigned group counselors and campers upon their arrival at camp.
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Staff members are trained to abide by COVID-19 protocol themselves and advise their campers to follow COVID-19 safety procedures. Counselors have been provided with a fanny pack containing hand-sanitizer, rubber gloves, additional face masks, and first aid kits.
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Hand sanitizer is also provided to all campers and counselors before and after sport activities and before and after lunch and snack. 25 hand sanitizers have been placed throughout the camp, and expected to be frequently used by all camp participants.
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In bathrooms, campers and counselors must wash their hands for at least 20 seconds.
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Counselors must wear rubber gloves while filling water bottles, serving lunches and snacks, and when providing first aid to campers and counselors.
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Counselors are required to wear face masks everywhere, including inside the Clubhouse and outside at the pool area and lunchfield. However, campers are required to wear face masks inside the Clubhouse but are not required to wear face masks outside (CDC Guidelines).
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First Aid Kits contain bandages and anti-bacterial wipes.
Current counselors have shared the following thoughts about the many COVID-19 safety expectations at Edgewood:
Counselor Mary Petito from Red Group: “In terms of protocols, I think that the camp definitely stressed it. We did try our best where it was needed. It was definitely a challenge, considering how many kids there were, but it was completely doable.”
Counselor Jacob Steinberg from Orange Group: “Edgewood and the administrators have done their very best to adhere to the protocols as best as possible. Having all the counselors wearing masks, having kids’ temperatures checked every morning, and using frequent hand-sanitizer throughout the day has definitely been very beneficial.”
While COVID-19 protocols like hand-washing and temperatures are being implemented, the Edgewood Club All Sports Camp has also addressed the concern of social-distancing in the best way possible during circumstances like swimming, playing tennis, eating lunch, and arriving at camp.
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Pool: Though campers are permitted to swim, Edgewood has resolved concerns about COVID-19 spreading through pools by increasing the chlorine level in the pool, since the CDC states that the “disinfection of water (with chlorine or bromine) should inactivate the virus” (CDC Guidelines).
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Tennis: All campers must bring their own tennis rackets and water bottles. Camp counselors and instructors are only allowed to clean up tennis equipment such as tennis balls and hoppers. Each group transitions throughout sports, so one group plays while another group gets a water-break–this helps the camp maintain small groups and implement social-distancing among campers.
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Lunch: Chairs and tables are cleaned with anti-bacterial wipes before campers proceed to lunch. No more than 8 campers are allowed at one table.
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Arrival and Dismissal: Campers are arranged in single-file and spaced six feet apart from each other.
The dedicated efforts by all staff members and campers in following COVID-19 protocol has earned the All Edgewood Sports Camp official recognition from the New Jersey State Health Department with a Camp Satisfactory placard. Camp Director Nicole Moore was very impressed with her staff in helping her provide “a well-deserved safe, healthy and enjoyable summer for our campers!”