Camp Policies

View our menus here!

Sage Dining Services, our food service team, will provide campers with snacks and lunch each day. Meals will be served to campers individually by the dining staff.

Lunches will be served indoors. Most campers will have the opportunity to enjoy their lunch outdoors as weather permits. All indoor dining locations have been designed to allow for proper physical distancing between campers while eating. 

Campers who have marked that their child follows a vegetarian diet will have access to the vegetarian option of the day in our serving line, typically found to the right of our main meal. The health history form is available to fill out on your Camp InTouch account and is due on June 1.

Families who would prefer not to use dining service this year may send their child to camp with a lunch and snack as long as the food is nut-free. There will be no discount to the camp fee if you decide not to use this service, and we are unable to provide refrigeration for personal lunches or snacks. If you choose to send in a lunch, please reach out to your child's camp director via email to confirm that a lunch will be coming in so they know to look for it at lunchtime.

If you have any questions about the food or snacks at camp, please email Mike Chen.

• Each camp will have a reduced capacity to ensure that proper physical distancing can be in place. 
• Campers will be placed in groups of no more than 12 children of a similar age and will stay with that group throughout the day.
• In some certain programming, group size can increase to a total of 25.
• Each group of twelve will have three to four counselors assigned to those groups, who will travel solely with those campers throughout the day.
• Though we accept group requests and do our best to accommodate them in the best way we can, group requests MUST come prior to the start of camp. Please fill out the new group request form on your file to let us know who you would like your child to be grouped with at camp.

Bus transportation returns to our camp community in 2022! Use of the bus service, powered by Local Motion, is a la carte and will cost $75/week.

Families may select this service at the time of registration and will be first come, first served. Specific bus stops will be released in the new year. At this time, we anticipate that bus routes will include service to the following areas:

• Beacon Hill
• Brookline
• Charlestown
• Chestnut Hill
• Dedham
• South End
• Needham
• Newton
• Wellesley
• West Roxbury

You may also choose to enroll in Club A.C., our extended day option, through the camper application to be able to pick up as late as 5:30 p.m. Our regular day runs between 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

The pool will be sectioned off to adhere to COVID-19 guidelines. Each section will be able to accommodate one group of campers. Every camper will have the opportunity to swim every day!

As always, campers will go through a swim test on Monday to assess their swim level. If a camper successfully passes the swim test, they will be given a green swim bracelet to indicate that they are able to swim in the deep end. Campers who do not pass the swim test will stay on the shallow side of the pool and will be given a red swim bracelet so our lifeguards and their counselors will know that they should not swim into the deep end. Campers with a red swim bracelet will be able to retest throughout the week as their swim ability grows.

Unless there is an emergency, lifeguards will patrol from the side of the pool to avoid unnecessary contact between groups visiting the water. Counselors will swim with their groups to provide extra eyes and safety in the water.

At this time, only our Junior and Day Camps will have swim lessons available during the camp day. Learn more about the Junior Camp swim lessons here. 

Camp hours

• Dexter Southfield's camp day runs between 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
  • Parents may choose to drop off as early as 7:30 p.m.
  • Families who need extra time at camp after our typical 3:30 p.m. pick-up time may enroll their child in Club A.C. for a fee of $25/day (pending availability).
• An example of each camp's daily schedule can be found by clicking on any of our programs on the 2021 Camp Offerings page.
• Every Monday, we have an orientation for all campers, new and old, to introduce them to each other and to their counselors and head staff to explain how things work and where to go while helping them get comfortable with camp and others in their group.

Absences

• If your child will be absent on any day, please call (617) 751-3625 or email summer@dextersouthfield.org and your child's camp director to report the absence.
• If we do not hear from you about your child's absence, a camp representative will call the number on file to check in.

Late arrivals

• Any camper arriving after 8:15 a.m. should report to the Clay Center to be signed in. 
• Arriving late is a large disruption to our day and oftentimes makes transitioning into activities difficult for your camper and their group. Though we understand that one-time appointments happen throughout the camp season, we ask that your family does everything they can to arrive on time. 
• A representative from your child's camp will walk your child to their next activity.

Early pick-ups

• Children who need to be picked up prior to the end of the day must be signed out from the Clay Center.
• All pick-ups must occur prior to 2:30 p.m.
• Please email summer@dextersouthfield.org and your child's camp director to confirm their early pick-up time before 2:00 p.m. 

Every camper has multiple forms that must be filled out by June 1. All forms are available on your online account. The required forms are online-only OR, in the case of the immunization record and date of last physical from your doctor, can be uploaded as a PDF.

Our required forms include:

• Camper application
• Online health history
• Group requests
• Authorized grownups
• Participant Authorization and Release
• Immunization record (with date of last physical)
  • Immunization records (only complete with the date of your child's last physical from within the last 18 months) may be uploaded as a PDF to your account or emailed to campnurse@dextersouthfield.org. 

Having trouble understanding if something is still due? Please use this key:

• Gray "uploaded" or "uploaded from CIT" tag
  • It has been received and will be checked for accuracy.
  • Don't worry: we will be in touch if we need more information!
• Red "incomplete" tag
  • Don't panic! This tag shows that we either need more information or know you're working on this. 
  • You will hear from a camp representative to let you know why this form is incomplete before this tag is applied.
• Green "rcvd" tag
  • This is all set. Thank you for taking taking the time to complete this!

View the camp pages listed on our 2021 Camp Offerings to see the packing list for each of our camps. Each list can be found at the bottom of the page.

In addition to the items on those lists, we ask the following:

• Label all items that you send to camp!
• Please send your child to camp with a face mask.
• Since we are spending time both inside and outside, please wear sneakers or close-toed shoes, not flip flops or sandals without a heel strap! This will keep campers safe and able to participate in all activities. 
• Please apply sunscreen before your camper arrives to camp in the morning and send in a labeled supply in your child's backpack so we can reapply throughout the day and after swimming.
• Camp can be a messy place! We highly encourage you to send your child to camp in play clothes so they can confidently take part in all activities without worry that their nice clothes may come home messier than intended.
• We highly encourage you to send your child with a backpack or drawstring bag each day so we can help keep your camper organized as well as send home any artwork or other projects.
• For safety and to avoid temptation, campers should not bring valuables to camp. Cell phones and other electronics are not permitted during camp hours.

This summer, we will have a one-way route in and out of campus. Cars will enter through our main gate and traffic will be directed to the appropriate drop-off and pick-up areas on campus. As per the Board of Health guidelines, parents and visitors are required to stay in their vehicles and will not be allowed to visit campers during the day. All vehicles will then exit campus down St. Paul's Avenue to Newton Street.

This year's drop-off points are as follows. Please see all of these spaces on our campus map.

• Sohier building (point 14 on the map): Junior Camp, Day Camp, and Musical Theater Camp
• Lower parking lot (the "P" located just below point 9 on the map): Sci-Tech Camp, Girls in Science, and Field Trip Week
• Fieldhouse (point 5 on the map): Hockey Camp, Soccer Camp, Sports & Adventures Camp, Flag Football, and Tennis Camp

Pick-up Cards

• You will be sent a pick-up card that should be printed, filled in with your child’s name, and placed on the dashboard of your vehicle on each Friday that your child is signed up for camp.
• Each child will need a separate pick-up card, and anyone listed on your child's authorized grown-ups form should be forwarded the pass to display on their dashboard.

Drop-off

• Camp families may drop off their child at 7:30 a.m. at the earliest.
• Otherwise, please plan to arrive between 8:00 and 8:15 a.m. for drop-off, where counselors will greet campers and direct them to the proper location.

Pick-up

• Pick-up is at 3:30 p.m. each day. As campers will make their way to the designated pickup areas starting at 3:15 p.m., we ask that you plan to arrive on campus starting at that time.
• As part of the pick-up process, you will need a valid driver’s license. A representative from camp to meet you at your car and make sure that your child is signed out.
• For all of our campers' safety (as well as your own!) we ask that you wait to pull out of line until the area in front of you is clear of other cars. The traffic guards on campus will help guide you through any potential congestion on your way out of camp. 
• Please be sure to stay in your car and follow the pickup line around in your camper’s designated pickup area.
• If you need to add someone to your child's authorized grown-ups list, you may do so at any time through the forms & documents page on your Camp InTouch account. This form is at the very bottom of the page and can be added to at any point throughout the summer.

Club A.C. pick-up

• Campers who have been signed up for Club A.C. through Camp InTouch will be escorted to the Clay Center Dining Hall at at 3:15 p.m.
• Campers can be picked up at any time prior to 5:30 p.m. each day. 

 

Our staff is made up of a mix of people who love to work with kids. Camp directors and activity specialists have backgrounds working with students at either Dexter Southfield or other schools in our area. They share their knowledge and enthusiasm for the camp experience with group leaders, lifeguards, and counselors who are studying education or have worked at camps in the past, and can't wait to help your child have a wonderful summer. Our camp also gives opportunities  Counselors-in-Training, ages 14-16, to learn about working at camp from the counselors and group leaders that they are paired with so they can eventually transition into seasoned counselors at our camp. 

Our ratio is typically 1 counselor to every 5 children, though our Junior Camp has a ratio of 1:4. All staff are background checked and must provide and receive references prior to beginning their camp experience.

If you have any questions about any of our staffing policies, please reach out to Ian Moorhouse.

Hoping to contact a camp director? Please use the email addresses below for assistance.

• Heather Nappi, Junior Camp
• Katie McLean, Day Camp
• Kevin McLean, Sci-Tech Camp
• Katie Watrous, Girls in Science
• Sam Gacicia, Hockey Camp
• Sydnee Villa, Sports & Adventures and Field Trip Week
• Lena Doten, Musical Theater Camp
• Brian Pazdziorny, Flag Football, Soccer, and Tennis Camps
• Rachel Czubryt, Club A.C.

Other helpful resources:

• Barbara, Mike and Julia, Camp Health Office 
• Rachel and Kelsy, Camp Office representatives
• Curtis Fazen, Pool Director
• Michaela Ferro,  Behavior Specialist
• Ian Moorhouse, Director of Operations

We are following the following guidelines as issued by the State of Massachusetts and the town of Brookline.

Campers & Staff

• Masks are required to be worn indoors by all campers and staff when social distancing cannot be maintained.
  • Additionally, masks are optional when playing a sport indoors, including tennis and ice hockey. 
• Wearing masks is optional in all outdoor settings for all campers and staff. 
• Families are required to provide a mask or face covering for their child. If your child's mask needs replacing during the day, one will be provided by the camp.

 

All campers and staff will complete a daily wellness check before entering camp. Families should expect the following every morning:

• When dropping off your camper, you will be asked to review a list of symptoms to ensure everyone in your household is not experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19. Nobody knows your health better than you do! If at any point you or your camper feel sick, please do not come to camp. Symptoms that should prevent you from coming to campus include body temperature of over 100.4 degrees (fever), unusual headache, unusual soreness, or other symptoms that you do not normally experience. 
• Please do not leave your vehicle in the drop-off/pick-up line. Our staff will assist you and your camper. 

Key information to keep our community safe:

• There will be three medical professionals on campus each day.
• We know your child is already a handwashing pro, but please know that we will encourage your camper to refrain from touching their face and wash their hands often. Counselors for each group will enter the bathrooms and handwashing stations to help facilitate this process so we can ensure that every camper washes their hands after using the bathroom, before and after meals and snacks, and as they leave an activity area. 
• If any camper reports COVID-19 associated symptoms throughout the day, the camper will be evaluated by our medical team. The decision to send a child home or to return them to their group will be made based on the child's general wellness and/or observation of any COVID-19 symptoms.
• Any camper who has a fever of 100.4 degrees or more and/or exhibits true symptoms of COVID-19 will not be allowed to return to camp until they are able to provide a negative COVID-19 PCR test.
• Campers who test positive for COVID-19 will not be allowed to return to camp until advised by their local board of public health. 
• Campers who are determined to be close contacts of people who test positive for COVID-19 will not be allowed to return to camp for 10 days OR 7 days following a negative COVID-19 (PCR) test collected 5 days after exposure. 
  • Review Massachusetts quarantine guidelines here.
• As a guiding principle, campers will also be reminded to keep a three-foot distance from other campers and staff, though help will be provided from the counselors within your children's group in situations where extra help is needed (skate tying included!).
• All families coming to camp this summer must abide by the most current version of the Massachusetts travel order.
• There will be no COVID-19 testing available on campus.

Please help us keep our entire camp community safe. Should you, your children, or another member of your household develop symptoms of COVID-19 or come in close contact with a person diagnosed with or under monitoring for COVID-19, please contact the medical team. If required to quarantine during their time at camp, families will receive a pro-rated refund based on the number of days that they were able to attend in that week. 

We know: the idea that your child will be blocked from running to their friend for a huge hug after not seeing each other in months is disheartening. Camp is about maintaining those connections, and we are going to work through the social distancing awkwardness the best that we possibly can. 

Just as we did last year, we strongly recommend that you chat with your child before camp to help them remember that distancing is helpful, since campers will be reminded to keep a six-foot distance as a guiding principle. However, we are structuring our groups a little differently this year and asking for group requests in advance so we can maintain those memorable moments in the best way that we can. 

Counselors working with your child's hockey group will still be there to help tie skates. Junior Campers will still be able to hold their counselor's hand to hold if they are having a particularly nervous moment. Your camper's teammate will still celebrate your child's amazing goal out on the fields. Though there is no mud run this year, kids will come home with a new sense of confidence about something they tried and giggling about the joke their counselor told them. 

We hear you: we know that this will be hard, and we are ready and willing to work through this with your camper to make this summer a memorable experience.

We have a nurse and two EMTs on campus during the summer to help you with any medical concerns.

• The health office can be reached at (617) 751-3611 or campnurse@dextersouthfield.org.  
• Please send any medications/EpiPens in a clear Ziploc bag with your child. Please reach out with any questions about medications.
• If you have questions about our policies relating to mask-wearing or COVID-19, please review them above.
• In accordance with the Brookline Health Department’s guidelines, please keep your child at home if he/she is not feeling well. If you are unsure if you should send your child to camp, please contact the health office.
• Please read the following notice provided to families from the Massachusetts Board of Health about Meningococcal Disease and immunization.