Questions about Registration
Can I request that my child be paired with a friend?
Of course! When you register for camp, there will be a section where you can request up to two friends for your child. We can guarantee that your child’s first request will be honored, and we will do our best to ensure the second request as well. Please note that a little over a third of our campers come solo – to ensure these campers also have the opportunity to make new friends and have a fantastic camp experience, we can only guarantee one friend request per child. Please contact us if you have any questions.
My child has food allergies or dietary restrictions; Who do I need to tell and when should I notify them?
Great news – we can provide a variety of common food allergies! We can handle nut and peanut allergies, vegetarian, gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, and egg-free diets quite easily. There is a section on the Health Form for listing food allergies and/or dietary restrictions; please be as detailed as possible, and if we have questions, we will call you the week prior to your child’s arrival at camp. If you have further questions or if your child has a unique allergy, you are welcome to call our office at 540.687.6262.
Where do I get a copy of the Health Form?
We have integrated the Health Form into our online registration, which means you’ll fill it out while registering your child. To access the Health Form: 1) Go to http://camphighroad.campbrainregistration.com 2) Login to your account 3) Scroll to "View My Registrations," then click on "View Registration Details" 4) Select Health Form on the right-hand side under Forms. 5) Fill out and submit no later than 10 days prior to your child's session.
Does the Health Form have to be signed by a Doctor?
The Health Form does not need to be signed by a doctor. However, please make sure it is signed by a parent/legal guardian of the child.
Questions about Our Staff
What is the camp to counselor ratio?
For all camper ages, we have a maximum 7 campers to 1 counselor ratio. However, quite often we are to provide a smaller ratio of 5 or 6 campers to 1 counselor.
How do you select your counselors?
Camp Highroad’s counselors are carefully selected from among a pool of new applicants and returning staff. All of them go through a careful screening process that includes an application with essay questions, an hour-long in-person or Skype interview, phone calls to three references (a supervisor, a spiritual leader, and a childcare reference), and a background check. All of our counselors must be high school graduates; the average age of our counselors is 20. We do hire around twenty high school juniors and seniors to be Counselors-in-Training (CITs) each summer; these CITs go through the same rigorous screening process to work with our elementary campers. When screening applicants, we look for people who follow Jesus through regular personal Bible reading, church or campus ministry involvement, Christian service, and a life oriented around God’s teachings. We’re also looking for those with a hard work ethic, a teachable spirit, good interpersonal communication skills, an enthusiastically positive attitude, and willingness to be flexible. Finally, we give priority to those who have previous experience working with children or teens. All our staff undergo a 5 to 14 day training session before camp starts (length dependent on staff position). Senior staff members spend time with counselors throughout the summer to ensure they continue to meet the high standards we require, and we solicit and act on feedback from parents about counselors’ performance.
Can I request a particular counselor for my child?
Unfortunately, we do not take counselor requests. Counselor assignments vary each week based on registration numbers, staff member health & morale, vacations or doctor’s appointments, and a number of other factors, so we cannot guarantee that we will be able to place your child with a particular counselor.
Questions Before Camp
Can we visit camp before camp starts?
Yes! You are welcome to contact our office to schedule a tour between 9am-3.30pm, Monday through Friday; call or email at 540-687-6262 or summercamp@camphighroad.org.
Where can I find a list of what to pack?
The packing list can be found on the Summer Camp Page.
What is your cancellation and refund policy?
If something arises and your child is unable to attend the session registered for, please call the registrar at 540-687-6262 so we can try to arrange a different session for your child. Refunds are issued only if you cancel more than fifteen (15) days prior to the first day of your child’s session, unless there is a medical emergency/illness, family death, or military transfer. Please note that there is a $50 processing fee for cancellations (this fee will be waived in the case of medical emergency/illness, family death, or military transfer).
Questions During Camp
Can my child bring a cell phone?
Camp Highroad has a no-cell-phone policy for our campers. For a full explanation, please see our Cell Phone Policy.
Can my child call me?
We do not allow campers free access to phones, texting, email or the internet, so your child will not be able to contact you whenever they desire. If a child feels a strong need to call home, we encourage sharing that need with her or his counselors & team leader; the team leader will discuss with the child and then contact the parents via phone to discuss whether you think it would be helpful for your child to call home. If so, we will schedule a time for your child to call you. If you have any concerns about your child during the week, please feel free to contact our office at 540.687.6262 or summercamp@camphighroad.org, and we will arrange for a team leader to call you with a report on your child.
Can I call my child?
Summer camp is a fantastic opportunity for your child to experience independence and develop their interpersonal skills in a safe, caring, and supervised environment. With that in mind, we encourage you to limit contact with your child for the 5 days they are at camp in order to create space for your child to learn some independence. If anything of concern with your child arises (such as homesickness, not eating, not connecting with their group, not feeling well, behavior issues), one of our team leaders will contact you via phone. If an emergency arises and you must reach your child, please call or text 703-943-0809, and we will arrange a phone call with your child as soon as possible (typically within an hour, depending on where your child is on camp).
Can I send mail to my child?
You are welcome to send letters and packages via postal mail; the address is “Camper’s Name – Camper’s Unit,” c/o Camp Highroad, 21164 Steptoe Hill Rd, Middleburg, VA 20117. For example: Chrissy Schneider – Trailblazers 3 c/o Camp Highroad 21164 Steptoe Hill Rd Middleburg, VA 20117
My child is a picky eater, what if they don't like the food?
We aim to create a child-friendly menu for our camps! For lunches & dinners, your child can expect to eat things like chicken nuggets, beef or chicken tacos, pulled pork sandwiches, pasta with tomato sauce, ham or turkey sandwiches, hot dogs, grilled chicken sandwiches, hamburgers, and the like. Some side dishes include French fries, garlic bread, tater tots, salad, broccoli, peas, pasta salad, or chips. Breakfasts can include muffins, eggs, bagels, waffles, donuts, or French toast, and are always served with cereal, yogurt, and fruit available. We also serve an evening snack, which ranges from pretzels to mozzarella sticks to chips and of course, s’mores on the last night. If your child simply cannot find anything to eat, they are welcome to ask for a cheese or jelly sandwich; please note that we cannot serve peanut butter as some of our campers have severe peanut allergies. If your child does not eat anything for two consecutive meals, one of our team leaders will call you.
What will my child be doing while at camp?
Each age group has different activities available and a slightly different schedule. The most detailed information on your child’s camp experience, can be found in the “Camp Descriptions”.
We are not Christians - How much religious content does your camp have?
We welcome all campers to Highroad regardless of their religious beliefs – it is our mission, as a ministry of the United Methodist Church, to provide a welcoming, safe and caring environment for people of all backgrounds. As a Christian summer camp, we do encourage our staff to incorporate the Bible and teachings about Jesus into various activities. Probably about 50% of the weekly activities have some type of religious content. However, we never force campers to recite a creed or to accept Christian beliefs; rather, we encourage them to explore what the Bible says and to make their own decisions about Christianity.
What if my child becomes homesick?
Homesickness is real, so we train our counselors, leadership and clinic staff how to recognize and lovingly care for homesick campers. Our goal is to create an accepting, engaging and fast-paced camp experience that helps campers to focus on the present moment. If your child is homesick beyond the first 24 hours, one of our team leaders will call you to discuss some ideas. We like to say that we are on a team with each child’s parents to create a fantastic camp experience for that child, and we want to ‘pool our resources’ to help your child overcome homesickness.
My child lost something during camp, how do I retrieve it?
We strongly encourage you to have your child’s name on anything of value that she or he brings to camp; with over 300 people on-site daily across 600+ acres, we have many lost items…some of which are never actually found. You may email us a description of the lost item, and we will let you know if we have found it! Please note that all unclaimed lost and found items will be donated to charity 14 days after the end of each week of camp (for example, items left during the week of June 16-21 will be donated on July 5).