Not all summer camps have opened this year, but the ones that did have been operating slightly different this summer.
Since COVID-19, it was feared that summer camps wouldn’t have opened at all.
Thankfully here in the West Island, some camps have decided upon registration despite COVID-19 fears.
The West Island blog went to visit Gérald-Godin day camp (public), Sunny Acres day camp (private) and Stagecoach West Island summer camp (performing arts) to find out how they are operating and maintaining social distancing this summer season.
We spoke with Jérémie Desrochers from Gérald-Godin where he mentions what has been implemented this summer. Some important features and changes you can see at its summer camp this year include; a new team specifically hired for cleaning everyday objects, an individual kit for each child with all their tools in which they can’t share (such as their pencils, rulers, their own badminton racket, etc), access to 16 sinks, no daycare service before and after camp, parents drop off their child outside (parents not allowed inside the building), sports are played only with balls that touch the feet. If touched by the hand by mistake the child is not allowed to move and must stay in place until further guidance.
Since Stagecoach is a performing arts camp, some of the new regulations differ from a camp like Gerald-Godin.
Johanne Hudon-Armstrong, principal director of Stagecoach West Island notes a screening process in which they take each child’s temperature and sanitize hands before entering the building, they have designated hula hoops on the ground distanced from each other in which the children must sit, they’ve also had to modify the show they typically put on for parents at the end of the week to instead be filmed digitally rather than a stage production.
Co-directors Justine Soles and Valerie Beland at Sunny Acres day camp mention the lengthy drop-off procedure they go through every morning by asking mandatory questions and taking everyone’s temperature before they get out of their car, this year they’ve also had to split into more groups, that being only 15 kids for 2 counsellors. They note the biggest change this summer to be the constraint that groups within the camp must stick together rather than the usual participation of camp-wide activities.
Watch the video above to hear the full story.
https://www.westislandblog.com/how-west-island-community-pools-are-operating-this-summer-season/
