Dear  JCC Summer Camps Family,  
 
Thank you for your patience as we continue to evaluate and plan for the upcoming summer at the J CC. At the end of last week, Governor DeWine made the announcement that summer day camps would be allowed to run this summer under newly released guidelines. Our internal conversations with our camp committee and board of trustees have been focused on figuring out the best way to fulfill your essential childcare needs, provide your children with meaningful summer experiences filled with much needed socialization, and do so in a safe and healthy environment.  Our commitment to providing such summer programming remains, though it will need to be very different from past summers.  

We recognize that many of you are returning to work and that summer child care will be a critical need; for many that has traditionally been met at the J in one of our camp programs.  Our JCC Summer Camps are one-of-a-kind, with a special and unique brand that has developed and evolved for years. Our brand is known for high quality early childhood educational experiences and summer camp programs for older children that involve bringing together large groups of campers, traveling to outside venues, and interacting with an array of third-party vendors. Many of these experiences, however, are not conducive to the guidelines set forth by the Governor, nor our commitment to implementing essential health and safety guidelines for the JCC.  

While we will be offering a summer option, w e have come to the disappointing realization that the COVID-19 pandemic will prohibit us from offering our traditional JCC Summer Camps program for 2020. Camp Yeladim, Camp Ora, Camp Chaverim, Camp Arye, Camp Hoover and all specialty camp programs will not be offered this summer. However, the JCC is pleased to offer a new and reimagined JCC 2020 SUMMER EXPERIENCE as an essential service to support those families who have a critical need for childcare.   

This decision was  not made lightly and we recognize that this may be disappointing to many of our families and children. The JCC 2020 SUMMER EXPERIENCE program is being designed to provide fun activities in small groups that allow the health and safety of campers and staff to be a top priority.  

Our  JCC 2020 SUMMER EXPERIENCE program will replace the traditional JCC Summer Camp for children entering 1st through 6th grade. There will be limited spaces available and priority registration will be given to families that were already enrolled in JCC Summer Camps. The JCC’s Early Childhood Program will operate a parallel summer program for infants through children entering kindergarten. This program is only open to existing preschool families.   
 
What is different about the JCC 2020 SUMMER EXPERIENCE program?    

  • Dates & Pricing
  • Depending on demand, tentative dates for the JCC 2020 SUMMER EXPERIENCE will be June 15-July 31, 2020
  • For Pricing - this will be released with registration materials early next week.

  • Camp Yeladim, Camp Ora, Camp Chaverim, Camp Hoover, Camp Arye and Specialty Camps are suspended until the summer of 2021 
  • We will regrettably be unable to provide our Camp Arye inclusion program, given the restrictions we have in place due to COVID-19 guidelines from the State of Ohio. We are heartbroken by this decision. Camp Arye remains such an important piece of our summer camp experience and we look forward to resuming the program in the summer of 2021. 
  • Two sites 
  • This summer, there will be two sites serving children entering 1st grade through 6th grade: JCC College Avenue and Hoover. Hoover will service families in the North. There will be limited spaces at each site. 
  • The Hoover site will NOT have ropes course, boating or archery. Free swimming will be available at Hoover if allowed by the State of Ohio. 
  • JCC 2020 SUMMER EXPERIENCE hours and staggered drop-off/pick-up times  
  • At this time, we are not able to offer AM/PM care, and the JCC 2020 SUMMER EXPERIENCE day will be from 8:30 am-4:00 pm.  
  • We will have staggered drop-off/pick-up times based on each child’s group assignment to enable physical distancing. 
  • Smaller, separated groups 
  • All children will be in group ‘pods’ of 10; 8-9 children with 1-2 counselors. 
  • Each group will be a self-contained ‘pod’ and will not combine with the other ‘pods’ over the course of the day.   
  • Diverse activities  
  • Activities including arts, sports, games, dance, Israel/Judaics will be conducted in each individual ‘pod’ by their assigned counselors. 
  • Daily medical screening 
  • JCC 2020 SUMMER EXPERIENCE staff will perform a basic medical screening each day at drop-off. 
  • All children will be screened upon arrival with a temperature check (using a thermal ‘no touch’ scan thermometer. No child or staff with a temperature at or above 100 degrees will be admitted to the program for the day. 
  • New eligibility requirements 
  • In order to attend JCC 2020 SUMMER EXPERIENCE, each family will need to complete their CampDoc medical history, as well as the following JCC of Greater Columbus policy question. This question must be answered at the beginning of each week:   
  • Has your child been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 14 days?  
  • If answered yes, your child will not be allowed to attend the program that week.  
  • Face mask requirements  
  • Staff will be required to wear masks at drop-off, pick-up and during any indoor activities. Subject to change based on the guidelines from the State of Ohio. 
  • All children are required to bring a mask in their bag and will be required to wear them for any indoor activities.   
  • Transportation 
  • There will be no bus transportation offered this summer due to social distancing guideline restrictions. 
  • Parents will drop off and pick up their child(ren) at the same location.   
  • Maintaining a healthy environment 
  • Frequent cleaning of hands using both hand sanitizer and soap/water per the guidelines from the State of Ohio Department of Health. 
  • JCC of Greater Columbus maintenance staff and JCC 2020 SUMMER EXPERIENCE staff will ensure heightened cleaning measures of areas used by the camp program throughout the day.  
  • General program changes  
  • Awaiting clarification from State of Ohio if swimming is allowed. If swimming is allowed, we will offer a modified swim schedule with free swim one time a day. 
  • No swim lessons will be provided.  
  • All off-site field trips will be suspended.  
  • All on-site visiting programs will be suspended.  
  • All overnights, late nights, and cook-outs will be suspended. 
  • No large group program gatherings will be planned. 
  • No partial week or partial day sign up. Five-day, full day, full-week option only.  
  • Meals and Snacks  
  • Individually plated kosher lunch will be available for purchase at College Avenue site only - $30 per week. 
  • Two kosher snacks will be provided daily at both sites: am: fresh fruit and pm: individually packaged snacks. 
  • Campers will eat with their designated groups. 
  • Scholarships 
  • The JCC of Greater Columbus will have a limited amount of scholarship funds available. Additional information about applying for scholarships will be sent out with the registration information. 
  • Tentative rainy-day policy 
  • In the event that rain is forecasted for the entire day, the JCC might be forced to cancel that day’s program. This policy is necessary in order to adhere to ‘social distancing’ guidelines from the State of Ohio and the importance of limiting indoor time.  
 
Registration  
Registration information , which will include final pricing, timing and the start date for JCC 2020 SUMMER EXPERIENCE, will be emailed to you early next week.  
 
What does this mean for families currently enrolled in JCC Summer Camps?  
All families currently registered for JCC Summer Camps with children entering 1 st  grade through  6 th  grade  will be eligible to enroll in our JCC 2020 SUMMER EXPERIENCE. The JCC preschool will be providing a summer program for  existing  rising kindergarten families. Unfortunately, at this time the JCC will not be accepting any rising kindergartners that are not currently enrolled in our preschool program. Priority will be given to families based upon when they initially registered for JCC Summer Camps. Families will need to complete a new registration, which will be sent out early next week in a registration email. If you choose to enroll, your existing fees paid will be applied to your balance. If you enrolled in any of our camp programs and opt not to enroll in our JCC 2020 SUMMER EXPERIENCE, 100% of your fees will be refunded to you.    
 
Thank you for your understanding, support and patience as we all adapt to a new normal. We look forward to providing a JCC 2020 SUMMER EXPERIENCE that provides nurturing and fun experiences while maintaining the highest standards for health and safety. We hope you and your children decide to join us for the JCC’s 2020 SUMMER EXPERIENCE. We understand this is an unprecedented time for our JCC families, the community, and the world at large. Please reach out to Taryn Terwilliger at  [email protected]  with any questions or concerns.  
   
Sincerely, 
 
Ronnie Conn, COO 
Suzanne Ecker, JCC Summer Camps  Committee Chair  
Taryn Terwilliger, Director of JCC Summer Camps 
1125 College Ave
Columbus, OH 43209
614.231.2731