Camp Sancta Maria – Welcome Packet
THINGS TO BRING TO CAMP:
Before you arrive at CSM, you should have already registered your camper and paid your tuition in full. The following list contains items needed at check‐in. All of the forms can be found by logging into your family account at https://campsself.active.com/CampSanctaMaria or by downloading them from our website at: www.campsanctamaria.org.
- Suitable funds for your camper’s spending account.
- Your camper’s physical examination form signed by a physician.
- A front and back copy of your health insurance card.
- A signed “Daily Medication” and “Over the Counter and As‐Needed Medications” sheets. These sheets acknowledge that you, as legal
guardian, are aware of and accept all of the rules and regulations of Camp Sancta Maria. These sheets also detail the medication that can be administered to your child.
- If your child is taking medication, make sure he/she has a full supply for their entire stay. If this is not the case, please notify the camp health officer during check‐in. MEDICATION MUST BE IN ORIGINAL PACKAGING.
- Completed Otsego Memorial Hospital “Consent to Use & Disclose Health Information” & HIPAA Form.
- Primary Insurance Holder Information form.
CHECK-IN
Boys’ 1-week and 2-week Camps: Check-in on Sunday afternoon starts at 1:00 pm and ends at 3:00 pm. We are unable to accommodate early arrivals. Please make sure you have your payment balance and a doctor-signed physical health form with you. Please be sure your child has eaten lunch before arriving at Camp, as no lunch will be provided on check-in day. Dinner will be provided at 6 p.m. If you need to arrive later than 3:00 p.m., please notify the camp office at 231-546-3878. We begin camper activities at 3:30 p.m.
Girls’ Camp: Check-in on Sunday afternoon starts at 1:00 pm and ends at 3:00 pm. We are unable to accommodate early arrivals. Please make sure you have your payment balance and doctor-signed physical health form with you. Please be sure your child has eaten lunch before arriving at Camp, as no lunch will be provided on check-in day. Dinner will be provided at 6:00 p.m. If you need to arrive later than 4:00 p.m., please contact the camp office at 231-546-3878. We begin camper activities at 3:30 p.m.
Parent & Child Weekends: Check-in on Friday evening starts at 7:00 pm. We are unable to accommodate early arrivals. Please be sure you and your child have eaten dinner before arriving at Camp, as no dinner will be provided on check-in day. If you need to arrive later than 8:00 p.m., please contact the camp office at 231-546-3878.
CHECK-OUT
The following sessions will check out on Sunday at 10:30 am:
- All 2-week camps
- Mini Camps A, B, C, D, E and F
These sessions will check out on Saturday at 1:00 pm:
- Boys Mini Camp G
- Boys Horse Camp
- Boys Ropes Adventure Camp
- All Girls Camp
For Sessions 1, 2, 3 & Mini‐Camps B, D, & F
On the last Saturday of the traditional two‐week camp, we host an open house for parents and families to see what their child has been doing throughout their stay at camp. Open House will begin Saturday, July 6/ July 20/ and August 3 at 6:30 p.m.
When you arrive at CSM for Open House you will be greeted by a staff member and checked in. Your camper will meet you near St. Luke’s cabin. There will be a number of planned activities such as horseback rides in our riding rings, climbing the rock wall and heading down the zip line. Your camper will also be able to show you around the grounds and tell you about all the things he experienced. At about 8:15 p.m. there will be a bonfire and award ceremony, followed by our evening chapel service. At 9:30 p.m. parents depart for local accommodations and the campers proceed to the camp party for such traditions as Baked Alaska! Sunday morning, we celebrate Mass in CSM’s chapel at 9:15 a.m. All families are welcome and encouraged to attend! Check‐out begins at 10:30 a.m.
For Mini‐Camps A, C, and E
The last Sunday morning (Sunday June 30, July 14, and July 28) of the session we celebrate Mass in CSM’s chapel at 9:15 a.m. All families are welcome and encouraged to attend! At 10:30 a.m. check‐out begins.
Mini‐Camp G/Boys’ Horse Camp/Boys’ Ropes Adventure Camp
NOTE: These sessions end on Saturday, August 10, not Sunday, August 11. Campers will head to lunch at 12:00 p.m. and at 1 p.m. parents will arrive and check‐out will begin. We ask that you help your child to collect all of his belongings and move out of the cabin by 2 p.m.
Girls’ Camp/Girls’ Horse Camp
NOTE: These sessions end on Saturdays, not Sundays.
Campers will attend morning Mass and regular morning programs. At 12:00 p.m. campers will head to lunch and at 1:00 p.m. parents arrive and check‐out begins. We ask that you help your child to collect all of her belongings and move out of the cabin by 2 p.m.
CAMPER EXPENSE ACCOUNT:
Upon arrival at Camp Sancta Maria, you may set up a camper expense account for your child with the camp staff. They will ask you for a grand total of how much you would like to deposit into your camper’s account and then subdivide it into the categories listed below. Your camper’s accounts will be tracked throughout their stay, and any remaining balance will be returned to you at check‐out.If your child overdraws his/her account, we will make note of it and settle the debt before you leave. If he/she doesn’t spend all of money provided, we will issue a refund at check‐out or you may donate the balance to our Camper Scholarship Fund.
Camper Expenses
- Mackinac Island Transportation Fee $45 (Required)
- Craft Fee (Girls Horse and Girls' Regular Campers Only) $15 (Required)
- Mackinac Island Spending Money $20 (Optional, suggested)
- Camp Store Account $5‐$10 (Optional; suggested)
- Cabin Photo $12 (Optional, flat fee)
- Email Printing Service Fee $5 (Optional, flat fee–to receive email only. Campers are not able to email back.)
MAIL/COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR CAMPER:
While your child is at Camp Sancta Maria, we encourage you to keep in contact with them. The preferable methods of communication are letters and e‐mails. Email: [email protected] (Note: there is a $5 fee for email activation. Be sure to include your camper’s name and cabin in the subject line of the email.) Your child can send letters but not email.
When sending mail or packages:
Camper Name
Camp Sancta Maria Camper Cabin
5361 West M‐32 Gaylord, MI 49735
IMPORTANT NOTE: Be sure to emphasize WEST M-32, as the same address exists on East M-32 which is not Camp related.
Please note that it is helpful to pre‐address and stamp envelopes for your child’s convenience in sending letters home. We encourage the children to write letters regularly. In some cases, bringing campers to camp armed with copies of this letter will ensure that mom and dad hear from their camper. Otherwise, campers may overlook writing since they are having so much fun at camp.
While your son/daughter is at camp, we are not able to facilitate phone communication with home, unless it is an emergency or a special circumstance. If you have concerns about your child while he/she is away, please feel free to call our camp office, so we can check on him or her. We will call you back as promptly as we can with a thorough progress report. We want your child’s camping experience to be as rewarding as possible.
We distribute mail and e‐mails once per day. We do not allow personal faxes to be sent to campers. The CSM fax line is for business purposes only. When emailing your child, please do not send attachments or photos. These cannot be printed. Emails are printed and distributed by office staff.
DIRECTIONS TO CAMP
Our address is 5361 WEST M‐32, Gaylord, NOT 5361 EAST M‐32. This is particularly important when utilizing a GPS or navigation system, so be alert. As you are heading west out of Gaylord, you will see Meijer and Kohl’s.
Continue going West on M‐32. You will go around a big curve, and then once you go over a hill, on the left side you will see our long white fence line, rock pillars, black gate and our sign. Feel free to call the office at 248-822-8199 or 231-546-3878 if you are not able to find our location.