Countdown to Summer!

We’re 29 days away from the start of our 113^th camping season. And we can’t wait!
We have an incredible array of campers and staff coming this season—and we have made some exciting improvements in our camp facilities to ensure that, while we’re still the oldest continuously-operated boys camp in the midwest, we’re still making the necessary improvements to keep camp awesome. Just wait until you see the TWO new cabins we’ve built!
Right now we’re starting to review travel plans, consider cabin assignments and order t-shirts. If you haven’t finished filling out your forms, we encourage you to do so as soon as possible. We especially need to know if your son is going to be riding the bus by May 25. If your son will be taking prescription medication, you are required to register them with CampRx. Those directions can be found in the forms section of the website. We stock most over-the-counter medications like Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Benedryl, etc. at the infirmary to be distributed by our health staff.
If your son’s physical isn’t until closer to the start of camp, that’s OK! While we’d prefer to have them in as soon as possible, we understand the headaches joys of trying to get your kids into the doctor during this busy time. Please make sure to photo copy both front and back of your insurance card and to sign the bottom of that form. That is the medical release form.
Finally, we have two helpful resources that will be like gold to you—especially if you’re a first-time Highlands parent. That is the Highlands Handbook and the Packing List, both of which are located in the Forms and Documents section in the parent log in page. Almost any question you have can be answered in the Handbook. Mail, email, packages, homesickness, medication – you name it – it’s in there.
We are so excited for this upcoming season. We’ve got another incredible lineup on the staff, including a few new faces that I know are going to be awesome fits at Highlands. And we’ve still got a few spaces in our first term—so if you know some great young guy that would benefit from the Highlands experience, send them our way!
We can’t wait for another incredible season at Camp Highlands!
Better. Worthwhile. Highlands.
–Andy

Dear Moms and Dads,
I just wanted to introduce myself and let you know a few things about communication at Camp. My name is Tracy Bachmann. I am the person that you will be hearing from when you read our daily blog during camp. As a mom, I understand how important it is to feel connected! I’m in the office every day answering the phone, shepherding emails and making Camp Facebook updates. Communication is my passion!
A few things I’d like you to know:
• Feel free to call or email me any time. Do not hesitate to ask for an update on your camper – I’m happy to make inquiries and give you a report. I am in the office all morning long, and much of the afternoon. If we are not at the phone, leave a message and we will call you back shortly.
• We make frequent blog posts all week long reporting on the weather, fun stuff going on at Camp, what the boys are eating for lunch and MORE. It’s a great way to feel connected to your camper, as well as a great way to relive the memories once he’s home from Camp.
• Sign in to the gallery on the website.  We upload photos often. We try our best to get as many faces as possible on there, if you don’t see your child don’t worry.
• If you’d like to email your son, we are now using a new email system through your CampMinder account. We sent a lengthy email about how to set this up earlier this week. Please call if you have any questions.
• Like us on Facebook! We will be making daily posts there. Tell your friends and family! It’s a great way for them to stay connected with your camper, too!
• Follow us on Twitter @CampHighlands  and on Instagram too! (ok, full disclosure, I even have several Highlands Pinterest boards!
We so appreciate your son’s attendance at Camp Highlands. We try our best to keep you informed about what’s going on at Camp. If you have ideas about things you’d like us to report on, just let me know! I love hearing from parents, and am always available for a chat. If you have any concerns at all just give me a ring.
Sincerely,
Tracy B.
P.S. I’ll be sending my 10 year old, Stella Plum, off to four weeks of camp in July for her third summer. I completely understand the mix of excitement and apprehension about shipping a child off to camp. So, seriously, if you’re worried, please call me! I can run recon for you and let you know how that boy of yours is doing!

Make new friends, but keep the old… It’s a favorite song at Sunday night sing – which you can learn more about at this year’s Chicagoland meet and greet! Here are the details:
Saturday, March 8, 201410 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
The Rench home
150 N. Main St., Glen Ellyn
Parking on Fairview just south of their lovely home
Please RSVP to Tracy.
Whether this is your 39th season, you’re enrolled this summer for the first time, or you are just looking for more information about CH, we’d love to see you there!
We will:
• Watch videos from last summer
• Staff will be on hand to answer all of your questions
• Catch up on all the latest CH news
• Enjoy some punch and cookies, see old friends or make some new friends before camp this summer
This is a fun and easy way for you to introduce some of your friends to the world of Camp Highlands, so bring a guest with you. You can link to the Facebook event page and share it with your friends. 
We hope to see you there!

Dear Moms and Dads,
I just wanted to introduce myself and let you know a few things about communication at Camp. My name is Tracy Bachmann. I’m Andy’s wife and Mike and Sharon’s daughter-in-law (not to mention Judah, Stella and Remy’s mom). I am the person that you will be hearing from when you read our daily blog during camp. As a mom, I understand how important it is to feel connected! I’m in the office every day answering the phone, shepherding emails and making Camp Facebook updates. Communication is my passion! I’m also wearing the new hat of database wrangler (yippee kai yay), and I’m still learning the ins and outs of this great system. Please bear with us as we live through our first summer with CampMinder.
A few things I’d like you to know:
• Feel free to call or email me any time. Do not hesitate to ask for an update on your camper – I’m happy to make inquiries and give you a report. I am in the office all morning long, and much of the afternoon. If we are not at the phone, leave a message and we will call you back shortly.
• We make frequent blog posts all week long reporting on the weather, fun stuff going on at Camp, what the boys are eating for lunch and MORE. It’s a great way to feel connected to your camper, as well as a great way to relive the memories once he’s home from Camp.
• Sign in to the gallery on the website.  We upload photos often. We try our best to get as many faces as possible on there, if you don’t see your child don’t worry.
• If you’d like to email your son, please use our two-way email system through Bunk1. Just click on the “send an email” link on the home page of camphighlands.com. I can usually answer questions you have about this system, and their customer service is great.
• Like us on Facebook! We will be making daily posts there. Tell your friends and family! It’s a great way for them to stay connected with your camper, too!
• Follow us on Twitter @CampHighlands  and on Instagram too! (ok, full disclosure, I even have several Highlands Pinterest boards!
We so appreciate your son’s attendance at Camp Highlands. We try our best to keep you informed about what’s going on at Camp. If you have ideas about things you’d like us to report on, just let me know! I love hearing from parents, and am always available for a chat. If you have any concerns at all just give me a ring.
Sincerely,
Tracy B.
P.S. I’ll be sending my 8 year old, Stella Plum, off to four weeks of camp in July. I completely understand the mix of excitement and apprehension about shipping a child off to camp. So, seriously, if you’re worried, please call me! I can run recon for you and let you know how that boy of yours is doing!
 

Hello Highlands Moms (and Dads too),
Just a few words to you from a Highlands mom who has been around for a while. As camp time nears, I know that your and your son’s thoughts will be turning to Camp Highlands. We are so glad that he will be with us this summer.
I have been re-reading the comments from the parent response forms that we sent out at the end of last summer. Those comments help us know that we are on the right track. Your son will learn much while he is here– learning to take responsibility – learning to put his energy to the good — and learning what it means to be a Worthwhile man.
Mike and I have been in your shoes. It was a little easier to send our sons Tim and Andy to camp. They were at Highlands and we had selected and knew all of the staff. But when we took our daughter Laura to her camp — that was another story! Her first year, as we reached the gates of her new camp she started sobbing. That did it for me. I was a wreck for the first week she was there. I’m a worrier, how about you?
I am writing to assure you that your son will be in good hands!  We have an absolutely wonderful staff! We can assure you of that, because we know them. Our staff is an amazing blend of teachers and college students. Our main criterion in staffing is selecting “nice people.” Your son will have a ball!
We care about your son, and will do all that we can to help him have a great time. Andy, Tracy, Mike and I think about the boys as our own while they are at camp. Please know that we stay on top of any “homesick” situation, and help boys work through any adjustment problems. There are surprisingly few.
A friend here in Western Springs was telling me how nervous she was because her daughter is going away to camp for the first time. I told her what I want to tell you: Don’t hesitate to call if you have a concern about your child. We are in and out of the office every day, so chances are good that you will reach a Bachmann when you call. We also check the answering machine throughout the day. One of us will follow up on any question or concern, and get back to you with an up-to-the minute report. The office number is 715-542-3443.
Thank you for the confidence you show in all of us on the Highlands staff. We are looking forward to a terrific summer with your son!
Sincerely,
Sharon Bachmann