Dear Parents, 

 

We are counting down the days to camp (34 days till first session!!!) and we can't wait to see all the smiling faces get off the bus. The excitement grows every day while the nervousness slowly fade away. Both you and your child may be worried about staying in touch. In this second prep email leading up to camp, we would like to tell you about the way we communicate with everyone during the summer. By the end of this email, the only concern you might have is that your child will be having too much fun to write to you from Waupaca (Note: we will certainly do our best to have your child write home at least twice a week).

 

Quick Camp Communication  

CYJ Midwest will be using text messaging this summer to connect with parents regarding transportation changes, arrivals to and departures from camp, and any other quick information you might need to know.

 

Sending Email & Checking out Photos

You can email your child while they are at camp. Since your child does not have internet access, we print out the emails that you send through our online system to give to your child at camp.

 

Simply sign in to your CampInTouch account by  clicking here . On your welcome page, please click send an email. Your camper(s) should appear. Type a message and hit send. We will print out your email and your child will receive it with the regular mail.

 

Each parent will need to use CampStamps to send emails to their camper(s). This service is included in your tuition.

 

Please limit emails to one per day . Each email prints on a full page. Limiting your emails helps us reduce waste. 

 

Every day you may  log in  to your CampInTouch account and you will find "extras" like photos and more (except of course, on Shabbat). We will also post pictures and short videos to our Facebook page, so don't forget to like us here.

 

Sending Snail Mail

As we stated earlier, we try very hard to make sure your child writes home twice a week. Some campers love writing letters, while others would rather not take the time. It is helpful if you include pre-addressed envelopes or postcards in your child's camp bag to make this "outdated" concept of letter-writing as easy as possible for your child.

 

Mail is delivered every day at camp, except Shabbat. We do encourage you to write rather than email as often as you can. Trust us when we say your child's face will light up when they receive an envelope at mail time. Children are smart and know how easy it is to send an email and appreciate a "real" letter. As a reminder, send your camper a letter or two before camp begins (Mail in Waupaca can be slow!) so that they'll have a letter waiting for them at camp. 

 

Sending packages to your camper

The number of packages campers receive causes unnecessary rivalries among campers and undue pressure on parents, which is why we only allow each camper to receive one package per week. At the end of each session, much of the trash left by campers consists of broken or discarded toys.

 

Only packages with reading material should be sent to campers. There are, of course, exceptions to this. If you would like to send something for your child's bunk to enjoy together, let us know to expect it. We are happy to share ideas for items a bunk can enjoy together. 

If you get a letter asking for a replacement of an essential item, like toothpaste, odds are that we noticed and we have already replaced it. Call before you send these items.  Our goal is to relieve campers of package-anxiety, relieve parents of the pressure to send them, and reduce the amount of waste generated from packages consisting largely of toys that break or get tossed. 

 

As always, we must ask you not to send food of any kind, including candy and gum.  As you know, we open all packages , and every summer we come to recognize the tricks used in hiding contraband between the pages of a book or inside a stuffed animal.  These treats may seem harmless to you as parents, but they may violate camp's kosher rules and will most likely invite bugs and critters into your child's bunk.  We must also protect those campers with severe allergies from being exposed to food which might be dangerous to them. 

 

Please send all mail and packages to:

Camper's Name (Bunk # - if known)

c/o Camp Young Judaea Midwest

E989 Stratton Lake Rd

Waupaca, WI 54981

Our Office is Moving to Camp

Talking to Camp

Our medical staff is happy to speak with you before camp regarding your camper's medicine or health concerns. If you would like to speak with one of our medical staff, please email Robin at  [email protected] . We will set up a meeting for you.

 

Robin and Lee are always available to speak with you. We take great pride in our reputation for knowing our campers and ensuring that their individual needs are met. You should feel free to contact us with any concerns before or during the summer.

 

We look forward to welcoming all of our campers to CYJ!

  

Robin, Lee, and  the CYJ Midwest Team