Communication at Camp
Phone Calls
You may telephone us anytime during camp. Leave a message and the appropriate person will return your call as soon as possible. Our goal is to partner with our parents and do everything we can to help provide a successful, happy experience for your child. However, we do not allow parents to speak with campers on the phone except during an emergency. Direct parental phone calls may trigger homesickness or interfere with camper adjustment and scheduled activities that have already been established. The most meaningful communication with your child comes from letter writing, emails, or a fax.
Campers love getting mail! Each day they hope for a note from home, so write soon and regularly; encourage relatives to do the same. If mail arrives prior to your child’s session, we will hold it until the first full day of the session. You may also leave a few letters in the office on opening day to be put into the camp mail over the first few days of the session.
If you would like to send emails to your camper, you can do so through your camp account (login to access). Emails are printed and delivered daily by 1pm. You can include fun stationery, word games, set up guest accounts for relatives or friends, and even receive an emailed copy of your camper’s handwritten reply. Emails are $1 each. Please do not send attachments with an email as we will not be able to download them.
No Packages please!
Receiving mail is important for campers to feel connected with those they love. However, mail can also easily become competitive. In order to avoid camper’s comparing what they receive in the mail, we ask that you inform all those who will be sending mail to the campers to please only send letters; do not include small items such as pencils, hair ties, or candy. Please do not send packages. Any packages or gifts that are sent to camp will be held until Closing Day and given back to the parent.
Forget something?
If your child forgets an important item and you’d like to ship it to camp, please address it to the attention of Anne Bullard, Director. Otherwise, the package will not be delivered. If addressed to Anne, we will open the package and deliver the contents to your child.
Birthdays
Having a birthday at camp is always special and exciting! The entire camp celebrates your child’s birthday with a personalized song and a cake for your child and his/her cabin. You may leave a present (please no food) for your child on Opening Day which will be delivered on his/her birthday. A small gift such as a game, markers, bubbles, etc. for the cabin group is also a nice idea. We can not deliver food to campers, if sent as a birthday present.
Feedback and Suggestions
We are always open to feedback and suggestions from our campers and families and hope you will take the time to share it with us. Every child and family experiences camp in a different way, and it is helpful for our growth to hear the positive aspects of our program and the areas in which we can grow.
After your child’s session, you will receive an online questionnaire designed to provide feedback about your child’s experience at camp. We appreciate you and your child taking the time to complete the form together. Your family’s input helps us continue to do the best possible job at Gwynn Valley. Thank you for taking the time to complete the survey.
“We are so grateful for them to be able to ‘Do what they do at Gwynn Valley’. As a parent, I know that means having a safe place to challenge themselves, experience new things, be in nature, be part of traditions, make friends and so much more!”