June 5, 2020
Hello Camp Community,
It is with deep disappointment that Fessenden Summer Camps has made the difficult decision to postpone camp until 2021. We thank you for your patience and support while we worked and researched how we might have been able to offer a safe, fun, and enriching camp experience.
The state of Massachusetts released its summer camps guidelines this week. Given the many additional requirements, we would not be able to implement all of the necessary health and safety protocols and provide a quality experience for campers and staff, as we also prepare to open school in the fall. We will greatly miss all the campers, families, and staff who make our summers so special.
We will immediately begin the process of offering refunds and credits. For registered families, please log into your CampInTouch account and complete the “2020 Camp Refund Form” to choose the option for paid deposits and tuition that is best for your family. Please see our COVID-19 Response FAQs below for details about our refund policies and options, as well as other questions you may have.
We are saddened that we cannot be together at camp this summer, but we look forward to better times ahead and especially to reuniting for an awesome summer next year.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us.
Be safe. Be kind. Have fun! And be well this summer.
Rusty and the Fessenden Summer Camps Team
You can choose from the following two options:
- Request a full refund including your deposit; or
- Roll over your deposit to summer 2021. (This option locks in the 2020 tuition rate for summer 2021.)
Registered families please log into your CampInTouch account and go to the Forms and Documents section. Please complete the “2020 Camp Refund Form” for each registered camper in your family and select the refund or credit option that is best for you.
No. You will have to reregister to select your weeks and programs. You will have the opportunity to register during early registration, which will provide you first access to pick the weeks and programs you want before registration is opened up to other families. For families that choose this option, enrollment during early registration will be on a first come, first served basis.
We know this is difficult news and may be hard for some of your children to process. Below are a few of the resources that may be helpful. Please feel free to reach out to us directly. We are more than happy to talk with you and your child as your child processes his/her feelings and emotions.
Each camp is different and has its own unique program and facility considerations. Ultimately each camp needs to assess its individual ability to operate this summer subject to its state and local regulations. We feel that we have made the best decision for our camp community and institution.
Thank you to all previously-registered camp families who offered feedback about this topic via our exploratory survey in April. Based on feedback from that survey, we will not be offering virtual programming. We will look for ways to connect with our camp families throughout the summer via our social media.
At Fessenden, we often have other youth programs using our facilities at various points during the summer. If the state’s reopening plan allows, we plan to continue to offer the campus as a resource for outside youth programs. These organizations serve participants who would only be on campus for a small portion of the day, and the safe operating guidelines are less restrictive to the operation of these specialized programs.
All campers who are currently enrolled in our first-year CIT program or were invited to join the program will be automatically invited to join our second-year CIT program in 2021. Those currently enrolled in our second-year CIT program or who were invited to join the program will receive information in the fall about how to apply to become a staff member in 2021.