Camp FAQ |
| Q: | My child has never been to camp and doesn’t know anyone, will your counselors know what to do? |
| A: | Yes! Every session has a mix of new and returning campers. Camp Westwind has built its reputation as a warm, welcoming place for every child by paying careful attention to the emotional experience of each and every camper. Our community philosophy brings kids of diverse experience and backgrounds together and facilitates deep and lasting friendships. Remember, everyone has a first summer at camp.
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| Q: | I’m worried my child will be homesick, are you ready for this? |
| A: | It is our goal for each camper to have a good time at camp. Homesickness is possible though usually does not become a significant hindrance to a campers experience. It is our policy to try to work through homesickness by keeping campers involved and busy. Usually in this way campers begin to have so much fun that the homesickness fades. If the homesickness persists our camp staff may decide to call you to consult about what course of action you would like us to pursue. In most circumstances phoning home to talk with mom or dad does not help. It actually intensifies the feelings. This is one of the reasons we do not allow cell phones. Your camper’s growth toward independence and happiness are of the utmost important to us, and we always do our best to balance the two.
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| Q: | My kids are really picky eaters, will they like the food at camp? |
| A: | Yes! We are prepared for a variety of diets including vegetarian, gluten free, and lactose intolerant as well as other allergy restrictions. We allow parents to send food with their campers that will be kept in the kitchen. Meals are served family style which encourages campers to try things they may not have otherwise. We have a salad bar with a wide variety of options including proteins (both meat and non-meat). In addition to the main entrees there is always peanut butter (or sunflower seed butter) and jelly for personal sandwich making. Please call (541) 994-2383 with specific needs/questions.
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| Q: | I haven’t received any information about camp since registering, where can I get an information packet? |
| A: | If you select "Document Center" in the left side bar you will see links to the Handbooks.
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| Q: | Where can I find the bus / car drop off / pick up schedule? |
| A: | This information is in the Camper Handbook which can be downloaded from the "Document Center" in the left side bar.
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| Q: | What if I need to bring my child late or pick them up early? |
| A: | The unique location of Camp Westwind is part of what makes camp so magical—it also makes accommodating late arrivals and early departures difficult. While we want to make attending your campers scheduled session a reality we understand that there are extreme cases (car trouble, medical emergencies, etc) that can make it difficult. Your request for special accommodations for late arrival and early departure must be made to the Camp Director by email or phone and may require a fee and are not a guarantee. Another option is to transfer sessions. The transfer fee is $15. Our refund policy stands, regardless of summer activities that may arise with little notice.
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| Q: | What should I pack? |
| A: | The packing lists are part of the Camper Handbook located in the "Document Center" found on the left side bar.
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| Q: | Can I set up multiple family registrations? |
| A: | Signing up multiple family members from the same household on one account works great. However, multiple campers from different households on your account increases the challenge to keep all the mail and / or email going to the correct address. If you sign up three children from three families you will be the person receiving all the mail and ultimately responsible to see that the fees are paid.
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| Q: | What if my child wants to go with a friend? |
| A: | As a part of the registration process there is a section where you may indicate a cabin mate request. We do our best to accommodate every request however we cannot put two campers of the opposite gender together in a cabin nor will we put two campers together that are more than one grade apart (i.e. we will not put a 5th grader in a cabin with a 7th grader). If you feel you have a special reason that we should make an exception please contact us at (541) 994-2383 or email sarah@westwind.org
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| Q: | My child takes medications, how will that be handled? |
| A: | Each camper meets with our camp nurse at the beginning of the session and goes over any medical needs including medications. All medications (including vitamins and supplements) are turned in to the nurse and dispensed at the appropriate times. Exceptions to this would be inhalers and EpiPens or any other medication that might be needed in an emergency. Please contact us at (541) 994-2383 or info@westwind.org if you have any concerns.
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| Q: | If I cancel my camp reservation can I get my money back? |
| A: | You can get a refund less the non-refundable deposit ($75/youth and teen sessions, $100/family camps) when there is either:
a doctor’s written statement indicating illness or injury prior to the beginning of the camp session or a death certificate of a family member within 10 days of your camp session
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| Q: | What if I want to cancel and don’t meet the above criteria? |
| A: | Otherwise, you will get a refund, less your deposit ($75/youth and teen sessions, $100/family camps), as follows:
four weeks prior to camp: full camp fee (minus the deposit)
three weeks prior to camp: 50% of camp fee (minus the deposit)
two weeks prior to camp: 25% of camp fee (minus the deposit)
less than two weeks prior to camp: no refund
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| Q: | What if my child gets sick while at camp? |
| A: | Campers sent home due to illness will receive a prorated refund based on the amount of time spent at camp. This does not include homesickness for which there is no refund.
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| Q: | What if my child is sent home for behavioral issues? |
| A: | Campers who are sent home for failure to comply with camp policies will not receive a refund and parents will assume responsibility for the camper’s prompt transportation from camp. This includes disruptive behavior and putting their own safety or the safety of others at risk.
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| Q: | What if I need to transfer my camper to a different session? |
| A: | A $15 transfer fee will be applied to each camper that changes sessions.
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| Q: | How much money should I send for the camp store and what is available for purchase? |
| A: | The average store account is $25 unless you pre-ordered a t-shirt or sweatshirt, then the average is $10. The store stocks several souvenir items ranging in cost from $5-$35. We do not sell snacks in the store.
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| Q: | What is your refund policy if they don’t spend all their money? |
| A: | Each Camper account will hold any unused funds for future sessions. If you would like to receive a refund, for any amount over $5, please contact Sarah at sarah@westwind.org.
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| Q: | How do I email my child? |
| A: | One way email is available for purchase on our registration website. It is $8 for unlimited emails from one email account. If you would like additional email accounts to be able to send email to your camper they can be added for $2 each. The week prior to your camper’s session you will receive an email with instructions on how to send the emails.
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| Q: | Why do I have to pay to email my child? |
| A: | With an average of over 100 campers a week – the daily volume of emails we receive can be a costly and time consuming process to compensate for the work hours, ink, and paper used to offer this service. Thanks for your understanding!
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| Q: | What is your mailing address for me to send mail to my child? |
| A: | Camp Westwind
Session #
Camper’s name
PO Box 408
Otis, OR 97368
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| Q: | My camper lost something at camp, what do I do? |
| A: | Missing something? Please call the camp office at (541) 994-2383 and we will see if we have it. If an item has been located we will be happy to make arrangements for its return.
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| Q: | I hear you have a photo gallery, where can I find it? |
| A: | Each day our Media Specialist uploads photos taken that day to our Flickr account. To see these photos click http://www.flickr.com/photos/campwestwind/sets.
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