The best way to ensure letters are delivered to your camper on time is for you to personally bring prepared items with you during check-in on Sunday. They can be dropped off by the trading post during check-in. Include your camper's name and cabin number on the mail!

If sending a letter to your camper through the mail, it is best to mail the letter a week in advance to ensure delivery before the end of the week. 

Campers will also have the opportunity to write letters home, so it is helpful to provide your camper with self-addressed stamped envelopes.

To send your camper an email, log into your UltraCamp account and click on "Email a Camper" before purchasing an email for $1. You can create a Friend Account so family and friends can also send emails.

Please do not include candy, food, or gum in a package for your camper. We have many campers with dietary restrictions and want to avoid allergic reactions due to food sent to a camper. We do offer Camp Tekakwitha care packages  for you to purchase through UltraCamp or at check-in on Sunday! 

Before the summer begins, our full staff is thoroughly trained in ways to establish safe and constructive communities with their cabin of campers and throughout camp.  Specifically, Camp Tekakwitha staff are trained in community building, risk management, mental health training, CPR and first aid, skills to meet emotional and physical needs of campers, emergency procedures, and more.

All staff also complete Virtus training through the Diocese of Green Bay's safe environment office.  Through Virtus, all staff members are screened through background checks and interviews, and they complete various training sessions to ensure camper safety.

Two registered nurses are on-site during each week of camp. These nurses take care of administering medications and caring for sick or injured campers.

Medication is kept locked by the nurses, who monitor distribution.  All medication (including prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, and vitamins) must be in the original container (as purchased or issued). Prescription containers must detail the child’s name, name of the medication, dosage directions, and the name of the person ordering the medication.

In case of emergency, campers are taken to ThedaCare or Prevea in Shawano. Emergency transportation is also available from Shawano. Should any serious accident or illness occur at camp, parents or guardians are notified immediately.

Our staff remain vigilant of the weather at all times through weather radars, apps, and forecasts.  

If thunder is heard, lightning is seen, or radar indicates an approaching storm, all outdoor programming moves to an indoor location.  Campers and staff remain indoors until 30 minutes after the last lightning strike.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM/TORNADO

We err on the side of caution in all instances of inclement weather. This includes pulling campers to covered shelter as soon as thunder is heard (even when no imminent danger above), shifting to a “rain plan” for program rotations to keep them out of any danger, and deferring to activities (board games, dance parties, etc.) in the Thunderdome before storms even become severe. Our Thunderdome building is one of our newest buildings at Camp and is a FEMA-approved shelter for severe weather or other imminent threats. In the case of tornadoes, it is the safest place to be as it is a brick building with metal window security barriers that roll down. 

Our staff is trained to keep campers calm with a variety of peaceful activities while in shelter.  Our camp director and summer camp director will continue to monitor the storm via radio, radar, and live video feeds while campers are sheltering.  Campers will stay in any necessary shelter until 30 minutes after the last lightning strike as long as the camp grounds are safe.

HIGH HEAT

With heat indexes over 90*, we provide alternate programming schedules for campers to still enjoy all the fun of Camp but to be in the water or in cooler building spaces. The main lodge, nurse’s lodge, and thunderdome are all air-conditioned buildings for breaks from the heat. We encourage increased fluid intake, provide Gatorade for electrolyte replenishing, and add additional fans to cabin spaces for cooling. Counselors are advised to be attentive to campers to notice any initial signs of heat-related illness. 

FLOODING CONCERN

We do not discount this possibility, but flooding is a very low risk for Camp Tekakwitha. All buildings are clear on the FEMA flood map, and our main lodge is elevated and at least 100 yards from the lakefront. There is no moving water source nearby, and our lake is connected to a variety of others for balance in drainage. We are prepared to move campers if necessary but want to reassure you of these variables that contribute to safety and can help ease your mind.

Our admin team serves as the primary monitors of the weather through NOAA weather radio and other alerts along with physical signs. 

Our admin team is made up of three people (McKenna, Kaitlynn, and Abby) who are all on-site during the day with at least one on-site overnight. Our summer lead team of 7 people serves as an extension of our office staff who are there to help support the campers and staff through schedule shifts, transitions, and overall safety needs.

At Camp Tek, each cabin counselor (3 per cabin) has a walkie talkie which is our primary means of communication at any time of the day. These do not rely on cell or Wi-Fi service, and we expect that they are on and able to be heard 24/7. Be reassured that our “little” Camp is also a gift! Our “main camp” is all concentrated in a very small radius for communication and awareness of happenings across the grounds. 

As parents, in the event of severe weather, you will receive a variety of communications from our camp team.  

We send text communication to you as parents (with the number designated on your UltraCamp account) if we have determined the need to take shelter. We follow up with a text or email to confirm that all is well – along with a media post confirming the same.