The February Edition of The North Star News

View in browser

Dear Camp Families,

If you are living in the northeast part of the U.S. you have experienced plenty of snow over the last few weeks, and camp is no exception. It is snow-covered under the pines right now but there's still plenty of work being done inside. Half of the bathrooms on The Line are being renovated with new flooring and fixtures. At the same time, we are working virtually with the rest of the director team to finalize programming, special events, evening activities, and staff training. It is an exciting time of year because the camp season isn't far away.

We appreciate all the camp families who got a jump on submitting the required and optional camper forms. All the forms can be accessed by logging into your CampMinder account. Here's a handy checklist of everything that is required and optional.

• Additional Options (Private Tennis Lessons and Linens)

• Bunk Request

• Camper and Family Profile

• Camper Medication Letter

• Emergency Medical Authorization Form (for EpiPens and inhalers)

• Health History (completed by parent)

• Parent Authorization Form

• Physician and Immunization Health Form (completed by a doctor)

• Transportation Form

We suggest you submit the Bunk Request Form as soon as possible as we continue to work on cabin placement. Keep in mind that if your child wants to be placed with a friend who isn't enrolled yet, we aren't able to save a spot for that friend. There is a wait list for all cabins in Session 2 (July 11 - 24), and many cabins are full or close to full for the rest of the camp season. If you know someone who intends to enroll their child or considering it for the upcoming camp season, encourage them to register soon while there is still space.

Don't hesitate to reach out to either one of us in the office at 207-998-4777 or by email with any questions or assistance needed about the upcoming camp season.

Warm regards,

Brooke and Steven

Family Handbook & COVID-19 Guidelines

The 2021 edition of the Family Handbook is now available. Download it by clicking here. You can also access it the next time you log into your CampMinder account by going to the "forms" section. The handbook is a valuable resource to get you and your child ready for the summer. Some of the many topics covered are - sending a letter to camp, sending an email, how to use Bunk Reply stationery, accessing our password-protected photo gallery, tips for packing, and more.

We purposely didn't include guidelines and protocols relating to COVID-19 because the state of Maine hasn't issued its protocols yet for sleepaway camps. That should be published shortly. We are expecting that the protocols will include the following:

• Negative PCR test taken at home 4 - 5 days prior to arrival.

• A quarantine period at home for a specified number of days prior to arrival.

• COVID-19 testing done at camp on arrival day and/or 4 - 5 days into the camp session.

Guidelines for this summer will be shared as soon as they are finalized and announced by the Maine Department of Health.

To best prepare for the 2021 camp season, we are excited to be working with Dr. Laura Blaisdell who is serving as North Star's lead consultant on opening camp safely. Dr. Blaisdell is a public-health trained pediatrician and has been a camp medical director for the past 20 years. Dr. Blaisdell regularly consults with the American Camp Association (ACA) and is widely regarded as one of the top experts on communicable-disease prevention at camps.

Camper Medication

We continue to partner with The Medicine Shoppe pharmacy in nearby Lewiston. If your child will be taking prescription or over-the-counter medication while at camp, you are required to order the medicine through The Medicine Shoppe. The only fee for using this service is a $1 fee per prescription. Over-the-counter medications are the same price you would pay by walking into the pharmacy for the same purchase. Partnering with The Medicine Shoppe allows us to comply with State, Federal, and American Camp Association regulations for the safe dispensing and handling of medication.

Click here to download the Camper Medication Letter that explains the process to order medication. It can also be found in the Forms section of your CampMinder account.

Virtual Campfire - Wednesday, March 10th

Mark your calendars for Wednesday, March 10th at 7:30 PM for a North Star Virtual Campfire. Last year's virtual events were festive and fun. Campers are encouraged to participate with a song, skit, or other talent.

Join us live or record your performance and share it with us via dropbox or google drive. If you are planning a performance with camp friends, it might be easier to pre-record it. We will have some staff performances as well. Email us to sign up to perform and let us know if any camp friends are joining you. Click here to register to join us for the virtual campfire that will be held on zoom.

March Madness Tournament

We are only a few weeks away from our annual March Madness Bracket Challenge. After the field of 68 is announced on Sunday, March 14th, we will email everyone directions to enter the contest. It's free to enter and open to all North Star campers and staff. The top 3 finishers will win some great North Star prizes.