January 2021 Parent Communication

January 5, 2021

Dear Yavneh Parents, 

I hope that this letter finds your family healthy. At Yavneh we have been doing a lot of planning and want to start sharing some of our initial thoughts about this coming summer. Our plan is to both send specific updates every month and have a COVID preparedness section in our bi-monthly newsletter, Eshkolit.

Thank you for enrolling your children in Kayitz ‘21. Our enrollment is incredibly strong and we have limited spaces to fill. If you know a current 3rd through 5th grader who might be interested in camp for this summer, please send them our way.

COVID information is continually evolving and our Task Force remains a source for guidance and advice as we move towards this summer. We continue to consult this committee as a valued resource and remain positive that we will be able to have a spectacular summer in Northwood. 

The health and safety of our campers and staff are a top priority, and we strive to encompass the best practices in the MESH (mental, emotional and social health) sphere of childhood development. Please reach out to Miriam Loren (Director of Camper Care), or myself if you have any questions or concerns.

In order to allow you to begin to make your own family preparations for summer, in this communication, we will focus on

1) Drop-Off Days

2) Transportation and Luggage

3) Visiting Day

DROP-OFF DAYS
(first day of camp and first day of second session)

NOTE: Following current best practices, on the first day of camp, parents will probably NOT be allowed to come into camp, enter the bunks, and unpack their campers.

We ask that you read the transportation options below and that ALL families fill out the TRANSPORTATION SURVEY (link below) so we can get a sense of how your child will arrive and depart. This decision is non-binding and we will send out transportation registration information in early March. 

Transportation – FLIGHTS
Flying (Manchester and Logan/Boston)

Our Task Force believes that flying with proper medical precautions can be a safe option for campers and staff. Southwest Airlines, which flies into Manchester, NH, has released their flight schedules through Monday, August 16 (yes, one day off from our last day…). If you are ready to purchase your tickets, we recommend that you do so now as ticket prices seem to be relatively low. Please remember that purchasing tickets on Southwest gives you great flexibility.

While we will offer transfers from Boston’s Logan Airport, our preference is that campers fly into Manchester, NH. We realize that for campers flying a great distance this may not be possible.

All families who use our airport service will be charged a fee for airport transfers:

• $40 for the first child and $25 for siblings each way, to and from Manchester.
• $70 for the first child and $40 for siblings each way, to and from Boston/Logan. 

Please connect with Tammy Schneider if you have any questions about flights. 

Transportation – BUSES

NYC Area Buses
We are assessing our options to safely transport NYC area campers to camp. We’d like to get a sense of how many campers would take the buses from the NYC area (stops in southern CT; Westchester county; Manhattan).

Eastern Massachusetts/Rhode Island Buses
Traditionally, most families from the Boston area drive their children to camp. For this summer, this will still be an option. As of this writing, anybody who is not a camper or staff member will not be allowed to come into the main part of camp. If you drive your child to camp, you will drop off at a designated spot and then promptly leave. This year, extra staff will assist your child with unpacking and getting settled. Parents will not go to campers’ bunks.

We want to assess if there is enough interest to run transportation from the Boston area. There would be centrally located stops (Sharon, Newton, Lexington, and Peabody) in both directions.
We have run buses to Newton and Sharon on the last day of camp and they usually fill up. 

Transportation – LUGGAGE SERVICE

Last summer, we planned to run a luggage service that would pick up all luggage a few days before camp begins. We are still exploring our options and this choice is even more supported in the current climate. Once we have a sense of our numbers for all buses, we will communicate with parents about our plans on how luggage will be transported to and from camp.

VISITING DAY

(applies to full summer campers)

Right now, Visiting Day is scheduled for Sunday, July 25, 2021, from 10 AM – 4 PM. We are not able to say with complete assurance that it will happen or what adjustments might need to be made in order to hold an in-person Visiting Day safely. Hanhallah (Leadership Team) and the COVID Task Force need more information about how the vaccine roll out will work over the next 60-90 days. If, for safety reasons, the Task Force advises us not to hold an in-person Visiting Day, we will make arrangements for all full season campers to “see” their families over video chat.

We acknowledge that many parents make a weekend out of coming to New Hampshire. Our recommendation is that if you book accommodations now, you pay special attention to the refund policies of the places that you are booking.

Our plan is to communicate again in the spring about Visiting Day. 

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Tammy or me with any questions about transportation.
Only 175 more days until Kayitz 2021 begins!

Bil