Dear Camp Families,

I hope you are well.  With the camp season quickly approaching we are getting very excited about welcoming your campers back to camp.  

We’ve spent the past several months carefully considering our COVID-related policy options for this summer. Our hope is to make camp accessible and safe for all and to give kids a full camp experience while limiting and providing an antidote to the many hindrances that COVID has imposed on their lives for the past couple of years. It is also our hope that all campers will be able to complete their full session without any need for quarantine or isolation and to leave camp infection-free.  In making our policy decisions, we have taken into account the experiences of schools and other community organizations during the winter surge, the current rise in cases in our region, the latest information about the impact of COVID and the COVID vaccination on children and the current guidance provided by the CDC and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 

In consultation with our board of managers, we have determined that the best course of action in light of current guidance is to require all campers and staff to be up-to-date on their COVID vaccinations to be a part of camp this summer unless granted a medical exemption.  Commonwealth of Massachusetts COVID guidance distinguishes significantly between those who are up-to-date on their COVID vaccinations and those who are not. Protocols triggered by campers or staff who are not up to date with their COVID vaccinations would significantly increase the risk that campers would not be able to complete their full stay at Hi-Rock and would limit our ability to give campers an experience that closely approximates our pre-COVID summer camp program.

The Massachusetts definition of “up-to-date” on COVID vaccinations is as follows:

• Completed the primary series of Pfizer, Moderna or J&J vaccine AND a booster dose OR

• Completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine within the last 5 months OR
• Completed the primary series of J&J vaccine within the last 2 months
• We will also accept international campers considered up-to-date using other vaccines accepted by the World Health Organization

All campers and staff will be required to meet this definition by the time they arrive at camp.  Campers under twelve are not currently eligible for the booster but will be required to have completed the primary series of the vaccine.  

For those who have not yet been vaccinated who wish to complete the vaccination series before the start of camp, please note that campers will be considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their final dose in the primary series.  The primary Pfizer series requires two doses administered 3-8 weeks apart and the primary Moderna series requires two doses administered 4-8 weeks apart.  With this in mind, campers who have not yet been vaccinated will need to receive their first dose of Pfizer at least five weeks prior to their first day of camp or their first dose of Moderna six weeks prior to their first day of camp.  For those more who will be eligible for a booster by the time they arrive at camp, they will be considered “up-to-date” immediately following their receipt of the booster.  

We will continue to monitor the COVID situation and relevant state and CDC guidance and may modify our policies as circumstances change.  Any changes will be communicated to registered families immediately.  

Please contact me with any questions or concerns you might have in the office at 413-528-1227 x3001 or via email at executive@camphirock.org.  Please also direct any inquiries related to medical exemptions to me. 

Sincerely,

Jessica Speer-Holmes

Executive Director