Health and Safety: Camp Policies

 

We are deeply committed to the safety and care of each and every camper and Staff member on the mountain. We do our very best to maintain the health and safety of each camper by providing adequate rest, sleep, hydration and healthy eating along with constant and caring supervision.

Camp Varsity is inspected and licensed each year by the Madison County Health Department. Our year-round staff participates in continuing professional development. All Camp staff hold current certifications in First Aid, CPR, and AED by the American Red Cross. All Camp lifeguards hold current certification from the American Red Cross. All Camp staff holding current First Aid, CPR and AED certifications participate in pre-season, on site refreshers provided by the Madison County EMS.

A healthy and positive camp experience begins at home! Keep sick campers home: If your camper is not feeling well, please do not send them to Camp. Campers that arrive sick or with symptoms will be asked to go home.

Please discuss with your child about how to take care of their health while at Camp. Encourage them to talk with their counselors if they are feeling unwell.

Throughout each week, camper health care is supervised by our off-site (but local) Camp R.N. Trained medical assistants are onsite during the week. The Camp Nurse or trained med team staff can provide certain over the counter medications as needed, first aid, extra sunscreen, bug spray, a friendly game of cards or just some extra care.

Any prescription medications are administered by trained staff as written by your campers physician.

Campers are expected to apply their own bug spray and sunscreen with support of their counselors.

MEDICATIONS

Medications are checked in with the Camp R.N. during Sunday Check-in. You can pick up your camper’s medications at the check-out table on Saturday morning. We do not keep or hold empty medication bottles unless directed to do so when you drop off your camper.

Please leave unnecessary over the counter medications at home (ie: tylenol, advil) for the week. We are stocked well with OTC’s in our Clinic.

Medications at Camp are given out the following times:

*Please communicate with your camper what meals or times they should expect to be taking their medication*

  • before breakfast (7:30-8 am)

  • before lunch (12:15-12:45 pm)

  • and before dinner (5:30-6:00 pm)

  • before bedtime ( 8:45 - 9 p.m.)

ALL medicines, prescription and non-prescription OTCs must

  • Be checked in with the Camp Nurse on Sunday along with a completed/signed by your child’s physician Medication Authorization Form.

  • Be packed in a clear Ziplock bag with your camper’s First and Last name

All prescription medicines must

  • Be in original package with camper’s first and last name, medication name, and physician’s instructions. We will not make exceptions to this.

All non-prescription medicines (OTC’s, vitamins, supplements, allergy medicines, melatonin, etc):

  • You will need to bring a Medication Authorization Form completed/signed by your child’s physician indicating information about dosage and time of day to administer the medication.

  • Must be an unopened bottle

We are required to follow the directions on all medicines unless we have a note from a physician authorizing something different. If the bottle indicates ‘Adult Use Only’ and it is checked in camper, we cannot and will not administer it. This is a common issue with Melatonin. If you request a higher or lower dosage than what is listed on the medication directions, you’ll need a doctor’s note.

For the safety of all campers from having access to medications, all medications for campers and staff (OTC’s and prescriptions) must be kept at the Nurse Station in a locking cabinet.

Exceptions to this policy is made for epi-pens, inhalers, and diabetic supplies. If your camper needs to carry any of these items on them, please indicate this on the Medication Form and discuss this with the R.N. during camper check-in.

We will not accept or administer OTC’s or Prescription meds that are:

  • brought in pill organizers or pill dispensers

  • unlabeled, illegible, and/or loose medications

  • expired

  • prescribed to/for other people. Medication must be prescribed to the camper only and not other family members. If dispensing instructions changed, please ensure the label is updated by the pharmacy.

  • compounded or mixed/made-at home medications; We can administer medicines that have been compounded or mixed by a pharmacy, but we cannot administer medicines that were made/mixed at home or compounded together at home. Our nurses at camp are also unable to mix or compound medicines together here at Camp. If you need this, work with your pharmacy ahead of time to bring a pharmacy mixed medicine with you.

  • Broken or cut in half. We cannot administer medicines that are cut or broken into smaller doses than prescribed.

  • Essential Oils, homeopathics

Illness at Camp

In the event that your child becomes ill at Camp, you will be contacted. They will be monitored and cared for by our Camp Med Team, trained staff and Camp Directors. We will come up with a plan together and make arrangements for your child to go home. We have a local medical clinic nearby in the event that your child needs to be evaluated locally by a physician. Camp Staff will accompany your child to the clinic and we may ask that you meet our Camp Staff at the location offsite. Experienced doctors and specialists are within 10-30 minutes in nearby Madison, Culpeper and Charlottesville.

Medical expenses (doctor bills and prescriptions) for illness incurred while at Camp will be the responsibility of parent or guardian. 

urgent care

If your child requires urgent care or emergency medical care, we will make arrangements and you will be contacted. Camp Staff will accompany your child to the care facility until a parent/guardian or emergency contact arrives. A Camp Director along with the Camp Nurse will make the arrangements and manage any communication with home as needed. Medical expenses (doctor bills and prescriptions) for illness incurred while at Camp will be the responsibility of parent or guardian. 

Madison EMS and Madison Volunteer Fire and Rescue has response time of approximately 10 minutes to our property. They are able to provide necessary emergency care and/or transport to hospitals.

items from home

Camp is busy, messy, dirty, and is good old-fashioned FUN. Many items can easily get lost, misplaced, borrowed, and broken.

Please do not send valuable items to Camp. Camp Varsity and our Staff is not responsible for any of these items.

ELECTRONICS POLICY

Cell phones and other electronic devices with Wi-Fi capabilities are not permitted

This includes: laptops, e-readers, ipods, ipads, kindles, tables, fitbits, garmin, apple watches, gaming devices, etc. It is a longstanding policy that campers are distraction free from the internet, screens and devices.

We are incredibly proud and passionate for many reasons about keeping Camp un-plugged. We work hard to create and nurture a space worry-free from all the business and distractions of devices which drastically interfere with the beauty of the Camp experience and nature connection.

Any phones or devices brought to Camp that do not support our policies and interfere with the camper’s experience will be placed in a secure space in the Staff office and returned to the Camper upon their departure.

SUNSCREEN, BUG SPRAY, & HYGIENE

If you have a specific type of bug spray and sunscreen please bring those items in a ziplock bag with your Camper's name on it. These items will remain with your Camper in their backpack.

Staff members are there to help with tick checks, applying sunscreen and bug spray for the younger Campers as needed and older. Campers are reminded to do so regularly. If you prefer your Camper not wear sunscreen or bug spray, please let us know.

Campers have designated daily shower time at the end of the camp day. All skin abrasions, blisters, cuts, rashes, poison ivy and bug bites should be brought to the attention of a Staff member so that care can be given. Campers are regularly reminded and encouraged to clean hands before and after eating, as well as before and after activities. There are multiple locations throughout Camp for handwashing and multiple locations where hand sanitizer is available.

swim policy + water safety

Please let us know at Check-In if you have any concerns about your Camper's swimming abilities. 

At the beginning of each week, each Camper in the youngest cabins perform a basic swim check test. This isn't a scary or arduous swim test, it is simply a safety swim check for campers to swim in the deeper part of the swim area as well as access outside of the swim area for canoeing and paddle boarding. Our swim check is a lap accompanied with a counselor within our enclosed swim area and a water tread for a minute.

Any Camper who is a non-swimmer or not a strong swimmer will buddy up with a Staff Member at each Free Swim.

Each week during Staff meetings, review any Non-Swimmers (or not strong swimmer). This is critical that everyone on Staff knows of these Campers to ensure extra swim safety care and supervision. 

We follow a buddy system at Camp and this is especially critical in the Waterfront Area. Each camper must be with their buddy while in the Waterfront Area (this includes Free Swim Time and use of the Lake for canoeing and paddle boarding).

Staff members will always be in the water with the Campers. Our Staff is vigilant about making sure every Camper is with their swim buddy when in the water. There are multiple Staff members on Guard Duty at each Free Swim at the Waterfront and a Guard on a Kayak in the water. Certified Life Guards are present at every Free Swim.

BUDDY CHECK SYSTEM

Campers will receive a Buddy Tag number when they get to Camp. Every 15 minutes during Free Swim we perform safety checks we call a "Buddy Check". During a “Buddy Check”, campers call out their numbers quickly in order. Our “Buddy Check” lets us know that campers are safe.

missing home

Campers typically find a nice rhythm early on in the week and make themselves right at home. Some campers may have a harder time adjusting or may be missing home more than others. Our Staff take extra care with those campers that may need a little extra support, especially in those first few days of Camp.

If we have significant concerns that your child may be homesick or struggling for other reasons, we will be in touch with you as soon as possible. In these cases, we will call and explain what is happening here at Camp and work with you and your Camper to help come up with solutions. Likewise, if you receive a letter or any other indication that you Camper may be homesick or struggling, please let us know as soon as possible! 

camper and staff conduct

Camp Varsity is committed to providing a safe, fun, inclusive, nurturing and positive Camp experience for everyone. At Camp Varsity this means:

Respecting Yourself: Caring and respecting ourselves includes taking care of our physical and mental well being.

Respecting Others: Treating all campers and Staff with courtesy and respect.

Respecting the Environment and the land: Camp Varsity cares for 125 acres of land and forested area. It is important to us that both our campers and Staff understand their role in stewardship of the land for future generations.

Dismissable Behavior

Camp Varsity reserves the right to dismiss and remove any camper or Staff member from Camp:

  • If their behavior compromises our ability to foster an environment that is safe, nurturing and positive for campers and Staff

  • If their behavior is deemed to be a threat to themselves or the safety of others

  • Any individual participating in inappropriate behavior such as: bullying, teasing, harassment (verbal, sexual, physical), sexual conduct, pranking or disrespect for other people

  • Campers must remain inside our Camp boundary and may not enter other cabins (this will be explained to campers when they arrive)

  • Stealing, vandalizing, defacing property, or intentionally damaging Camp property and equipment

  • Any individual bringing tobacco products, illegal drugs, abuse of prescription or nonprescription medicines, alcohol, weapons, guns, or fireworks

RESPONSIBILITY

Every conceivable effort is made to protect camper health and safety through training of Staff, inspection of equipment, and instruction to campers; however,  Camp assumes no responsibility for accident or illness. This includes visitors (family and friends of campers) as well as campers.