Hello Parent,
Thanks for signing up your children to our awesome circus camp, we can’t wait to see you all next week.
As you know this year with the pandemic there are a few extra protocol, please read this full letter carefully since the Ontario Public Health has imposed rules for day camps and want to make sure everyone knows what to expect.
Here is your daily morning link for:
-Submitting the mandatory self pre-screening (timestamp is sent to us when you submit this form)
-Any cancelation due to weather or covid will be posted on that page with as much notice as possible
We recommend bookmarking it on your browser tab and setting a daily reminder alarm on your phone. We, unfortunately, will have to deny entry to anyone who has not pre-screened at home before coming. Please don’t foget.
Given the extra covid guidelines this year, please read the following information very carefully.
1. Prepare your child for the new covid protocols
Talk to your child about physical distancing at 2 meters from other participants during camp to minimize covid contagion risks, let them know that the coaches will be reminding them. Please have them practice coughing and sneezing etiquette (walking a few step away when possible, turning head away, coughing in the elbow or in the shirt front). Touching their face should also be avoided. Also they will not be able to share equipment or food during the week (except siblings).
2. Mandatory pre-screening each morning before coming:
The Ontario Public Health regulations for day camps this summer impose that we ask parents to pre-screen their child every morning at home before coming to the camp and that we deny access to anyone who has not submitted the form from home before coming each day. You must take your child’s temperature and fill out the form online before coming in to attest that your child doesn’t have any covid symptoms. Anyone having symptoms or who has been exposed to some who tested positive for covid in the last 14 days will be denied. If your child has no symptom please submit the form, if they do have any symptoms or have had direct contact in the last 14 days then do not submit the form, they cannot come in that day and are requested to go for COVID testing, please contact us if this is the case. Please let us know if your child has seasonal allergies or asthma or a usual reason they might cause them to sneeze or have trouble breathing.
3. Pick and drop –off
- The church parking lot is off-limits
- Please use the park entrance 49 Appleford to enter the camp behind the church
- When dropping off your child please wait until one of our staff has checked and made sure that we have received the pre-screening form
- Morning drop-off will be between 8:45am and 9:15am, please let us know if you need to arrive earlier
- For those not in post-care pick up will be between 3:45pm and 4:00pm
- For those in post-care you have until 5:30pm
Parents are not permitted into the camp ‘zone’. Please stay on the outside of the camp tents and area for the campers pernals items and please respect physical distancing when picking up or dropping off.
4. End of the week show.
Group 1 will perform what they learned for the parent on Friday at 3:30 and group 2 at 4:00pm
5. Weather and emergencies
The camp will run rain or shine under our tent covers. In the case that weather look dangerous, lightning or strong winds, the camp will be canceled that day, we will indicate any possible cancelation at the top of the screening form so you are sure to see it in the morning before coming. In the case that the camp is canceled due to extreme weather we will offer one-hour sessions each half-day of circus games online on our zoom format. In the case that there is suddenly lightning that looks like it might last a while we will head into the church for cover and call the parent for immediate pick-up. This will be the only occasion we might enter the church.
6. Starting to show symptoms during the day
If a child begins to show symptoms during the day they will distanced as best as we can from the group and the parent or emergency contacts will be called for immediate pick, please ensure that someone at any given time could come pick up the child.
7. Mask are optional for staff and children
If a child begins to show symptoms or if proximity cannot be helped such as a first aid situation, they will be offered a mask but they won’t be forced to wear one. We understand for some children this can be very unpleasant and so we use distancing as much as possible. Masks will not be worn during acrobatic activities for safety reasons.
8. Gloves
Gloves are not recommended since they will be cumbersome for learning the circus skills and regular hand sanitation is more efficient for reducing contagion risks.
9. Buying circus equipment
Children will have their props for use during the camp, should they wish to buy their own props, t-shirts or water bottles these are available but must be purchased online through the website at least the day before. No cash will be taken onsite.
10. Items to bring:
See Check list
11. More circus?!
Your child loved the circus camp and wants to do more? Feel free to sign up for a second week and they can continue to develop their skills. We offer weekly circus classes for children as well as classes for adults all summer at the Ottawa Circus School! Check out our schedule: https://ottawacircusschool.com/schedule/