Hey Y’all!

Some Ilvermorny headcanons

First and foremost, every day is cranberry pie day

While students do have robes, the clothes they wear underneath the robes are not uniforms. There is an eclectic mix of tastes, from the very serious horned serpent who wears button-downs and ties every day, to the wampus who has enchanted their graphic t-shirt to move, to the thunderbirds and pukwudgies who mutually exist solely for sweater weather.

Every year on James Steward’s birthday, there is a school-sponsored cranberry pie bake-off. Pukwudgie house nearly always wins. Once, thunderbird won and good lord you would think it was the civil war all over again

There are a lot of local professors, of course, so you get some really thick Boston accents, but there are also professors with southern belle accents who serve iced tea in class, professors with Canadian accents, professors with midwest accents, several Native American professors with smooth, lulling accents, and some Mexican professors who slip into Spanish when they get super excited about their subject. There was a visiting professor from Ireland once, and 96% of female students (and some male students) had major crushes on him.

Wampus house is where you go to get body-crushing, soul-lifting hugs

Horned serpents may be scholars, but they are also some of the keenest observers. They watch the whole school from afar and quietly play matchmaker to all of their friends. No one suspects them because - what, horned serpent? No. They don’t know about emotions. Meanwhile, the house president makes a killing on the bet she made to predict the homecoming king/queen. 

Thanksgiving at Ilvermorny is a spectacle that has to be seen to be believed. It’s almost bigger than Christmas. The thanksgiving feasts at Ilvermorny put Hogwarts to shame. Turkey, ham, real cranberry sauce, pies - oh my god so many pies. They’ve got cider, and tea, and cocoa like you wouldn’t believe. There are New English dishes and Southern dishes and Native dishes and Mexican dishes and Canadian dishes and West Coast dishes - essentially it’s a gigantic continental potluck, and it goes on all day long. Also, their pumpkin juice tastes 1000 times better.

While things like dueling and fighting with wands may be frowned upon at Hogwarts, at Ilvermorny it’s kind of just assumed that stuff happens, and the profs are very chill about it. “Just don’t kill each other okay” “just take it outside” “no casting destruction spells indoors” “bring some band-aids with you” “if you break your nose don’t bleed on your homework”

Pukwudgies are a pretty agreeable house over all, if not a bit salty and surly around the edges, they’ll still help you with your homework and bring you soup when you’ve got a cold. But all bets are off when they step onto the lacrosse field. Maybe its a pride thing, but pukwudgies are frikkin animals when playing lacrosse.

Wampus beats pukwudgie at lacrosse fairly often. They don’t actually practice that much, they just kind of win.

This fact has fueled a sports rivalry - friendly in wampus’ eyes, bloodthirsty in pukwudgie’s eyes. 

At wampus/pukwudgie games, horned serpents sell special blends of popcorn. Thunderbirds purchase, hoard, and eat 89% of this popcorn.

Horned serpents and pukwudgies often, though not always, end up having an unspoken rivalry in potions class.

Contrary to popular belief, wampus is not full of athletic jocks. However, they are the most body-positive of all of the schools, and, somewhat ironically to the stereotype, will never judge anyone for their athletic ability. They want everyone to be able to enjoy athleticism and bravery and adventure in the ways they are most able and gifted.

That being said, they do have the kind of student body who, if called upon, could become a minute militia.

When there is a freak hurricane or tornado headed headed for the school, it will be a wampus student who is patrolling the halls and telling students where to go for safety. If there is a bully in school, you had better bet your bottom dollar that s/he will be beaten to a pulp by the next day, and it will be a wampus student sporting mysteriously bloody knuckles.

Pukwudgies are the ones who patch up the bully; they might accidentally wind the bandages a little too tight.

Thunderbirds love a good game of hide-and-seek. They have a tradition of, every halloween, playing hide-and-seek in the dark in the woods.

Horned serpents are the students least often caught for sneaking in contraband into school. Caught being the key word. Most students learn at some point in their education that if you want a nice stiff drink, you go to horned serpent. During secret designated holidays, horned serpent common room turns into a speakeasy. 

Unexpectedly, it is pukwudgies who carry the most weapons and dangerous materials on their person at any given time. If a group of Ilvermorny students were going through a security check, it would be the pukwudgies held at the line while they emptied their pockets (bigger on the inside, of course) of various poisons and weapons. When asked, they would just shrug and say “just in case”.

The town around Ilvermorny is home to several franchised chain restaurants that, although they are no-maj brands, have been taken over by Ilvermorny alumni and thus serve predominantly wizarding patrons. Cups levitate to customers in the Starbucks, there are magic-only options on the menu; the chik-fil-a floor sweeps itself; at dominos the pizzas assemble themselves while the one clerk waits, bored, at the register. There are in-house cues for magic patrons whenever a no-maj walks in. The clerk rings a bell or taps loudly on the counter, or yells out an order than is actually a code word for stop doing magic stuff. It’s like red light green light.

There are some old service tunnels beneath the school left over from WWII and the Cold War. They’re like a labyrinth, and Thunderbird has a monopoly on the maps to the tunnels. Some of the more obscure tunnels have large rooms that are perfect for parties and impromptu speakeasies (lookin at you, horned serpent). Thunderbirds will rent out these rooms to fellow students at a fair and competitive rate.

Unlike hogwarts, Ilvermorny students are more apt to use modern technology. Electrics can be weird around witches and wizards, but they still enjoy a lot of no-maj programming. They use computers instead of quills (but still have to print off their essays, ugh,) and listen to music, and watch TV.

Star Trek has long been a school cult favorite. Pukwudgies have adopted Bones as their pop culture mascot; Kirk is Thunderbird’s, Spock, horned serpent. Wampus vacillates on which of these three they like most, though it must be said, when they start watching Next Gen, many wampus students find themselves enamored with Worf,

There has only been one no-maj to ever make it past the magic shields of Ilvermorny unaided. This instance was in 1985. His name was Chad, who at the time was 1) stoned out of his mind and 2) delivering chinese takeout to a horned serpent pulling an all-nighter. School admin found out later, and there was hell to pay. They never did track down Chad to wipe his memory.

Pukwudgie house does have more than its fair share of healers, so they are definitely the ones to go to for cold remedies, home made soup, the best cures for menstrual cramps, and really good back rubs.

However, they are also the ones to go to for less medical remedies: the best hot cocoa, the most gourmet teas, and home made food.

Each house has a class president who is elected for a two-year term (unless they’re a final year student, in which case they will serve one before being taken over by their VP). They have some influence within their houses, but never as much as they’d like. For instance, the thunderbird president once attempted to institute mid-day dancing parties, but school admin said no.

Pukwudgies are usually not super athletic, but are often very good at things like darts, archery, and waterbaloon fights.

Wampus takes ultimate frisbee very, very seriously.

Thunderbird hosts an ongoing scavenger hunt throughout the semester.

The women of horned serpent blow off steam and the stuffy acadmic pressures of their house by making pillow forts and watching rom coms with each other.

Back in the eighties some wizard created a magic version of D&D, and it has become a weekend favorite of many students across all of the houses.

After graduation, instead of having a class ring, it has become tradition for Ilvermorny students to make a pendant out of their golden cloak buttons.

Ilvermorny may be separated by inter-house squabbles much like at Hogwarts, but at the end of the day, they all leave school wearing the same blue and cranberry robes, sporting the same skill with a wand, raised to the same scrappy, witty, mod-podge tenacity that American witches and wizards embody so well.

I have $24 to last me til Friday, what should I buy with it?

Practice SELF CARE!

Hey! So I just got hired as leadership director at a new camp and I feel super anxious and unqualified for it. I’ve been a uc and a ul but I’m still very nervous to have this new leadership position. Do you have any advice/wisdom/literally anything pls help

Hello anon! Sorry it’s been a bit, I’ve been on a 2200 mile road trip with my best friend. 

First, congratulations! My summer as leadership director was my favorite summer ever and I look back on it fondly. I do remember feeling overwhelmed and underqualified when I started too. I had only ever been a UC at a day camp, so this was a big change. 

I think my biggest piece of advice is to take time and bond with your kids. Learn more about them than their names and where they’re from. And encourage them to bond with each other. Your goal should be to make a community, and you should be part of it. And the friendships they make with each other will last for years. 

One of your jobs is to be a mentor. You’re teaching them things, yes, but they are also learning by your example. They’re going to pick up on the things you do, good and bad. They will know when you are happy, when you are stressed, when you are excited to be somewhere, when you would rather be curled in your sleeping bag instead of chugging coffee in the vain hopes of waking up. So be conscious of that.

CITs are older, so they want to be seen as mature. So being honest with them is really important. Like my year we were all very clear with the CITs that being a counselor, while very rewarding, is stressful. And they learned that first hand, but we didn’t sugar coat it much if at all. When they decided to prank me by making me think one of them cut their hand open (like bad), we had a very frank discussion about why that wasn’t a good choice and what it really feels like when you think one of your campers is seriously injured. When we did night debriefs and they inevitably turned the question back on me, I answered. And when they saw that my eyes were puffy because I had been crying on my break and they asked about it, we talked about that too. Obviously I did not tell them all of the things that happened at camp or were happening with me, but I did try to be as honest as possible with them.

Part of your job that you might not have thought about is that it is now your job to protect your CITs. I love all the counselors at camp and they are absolutely, 110% wonderful. But their priority is their own campers, not necessarily the CITs. So it’s your job to make sure that they don’t get thrown in over their heads because that can happen. We as counselors get thrown into all sorts of situations, but we have admin to help out. That’s your responsibility to your CITs. 

I love the CITs so much and I hope that you will have as great an experience as leadership director as I did. You’re always welcome to message me too. I wish you the best of summers.

CBM Essentials

Our list of popular items that aren’t on the main packing list!

Chaco’s- this is by far the most important item on the list. Chaco’s are worn all day, every day by almost everyone aside from that one weird staff member with a pair of Teva’s. Why? They’re the most comfortable and versatile shoes out there. Just make sure that you give yourself a few weeks before camp to break them in to avoid blisters.

Flannels- Flannels are also very important to bring because of their many uses. They’re perfect for when it gets cold at night and in the morning, and for a wide variety of dress up days. The possibilities are endless.

Knee socks- Perfect to wear with your Chaco’s in the morning and make any dress up day outfit stand out in a crowd. Make sure that you have them in different colors for color war!

Nike Shorts- Jean shorts and fancy clothes are not necessary at camp besides services. You’ll need double what you think you need when it comes to nike shorts. You go through them super quickly since the dirtiness of camp doesn’t make re-wearing clothes too easy.

A decked out Nalgene- One of the marks of a super cool camper or staff member is a Nalgene covered in stickers. It just is. The more, the most different the better.

Long Sleeve Shirts- Perfect for nighttime activities and mornings. Always worn with nike shorts, never anything else. Theres nothing comfier than an old long sleeve shirt to keep you stylish and cozy.

Bandanas- Bring bandanas and bring lots of different colors. Having a variety of colors and patterns makes everything easier when it comes to color war and dress up days.

Patriotic attire- In the world of summer sleep away camp, patriotic and red white and blue is certainly not just for the fourth of July. An ENO- This is the second most important item on the list. No explanation needed whatsoever.

Things To Do/Not To Do Your Break

All staff are required to have daily breaks, as well as a weekend or days off between sessions in most cases. At my camp (a girl scout camp) we get a two hour break every day, and then Friday nights, Saturday, and Sunday morning off. 

When it comes to being a counselor and working with groups of children all day everyday, you only have so much patience and love and time to give. I like to call this ‘counselor juice’. Its your fuel for the day, and as the day goes on you run lower and lower and until you crash, but hopefully that’s not until bed time. This is why we have breaks during the day, to recharge our battery and fill the tank again. With this in mind, the lists begin! 

Things to doo:

start your laundry, eat foods, take a nap, and hydrate <– all the obvious things. these are important to maintain healthy and happy and to stay clothed throughout the week.

color! coloring can be v relaxing and honestly spending an entire break coloring is so peaceful. coloring books are NOT just for kids! 

leave camp. okay so not everyone can leave, some camps have a no leaving policy if the nearest town is an hour away or something cuz people often come back late and that’s not good. but if you’re allowed to leave camp then go thrifting or get ice cream or rent a movie or something fun! just make sure to scrub the dirt tan off first ;D

watch a movie/binge watch a tv show! i like to download a bunch of movies so i have options and don’t have to worry about having wifi. 

hangout with other staff and complain about your kids. it’s okay to complain about your campers. its okay to  eat your feelings in stickers. these things are okay, just make sure you don’t do it within ear shot of any campers. 

have a mini spa! use a smell good foot scrub, exfoliating face mask, and munch of some cucumbers! it’s important to treat yourself and keep your body healthy. 

practice religion/spirituality. this is v important to some people and just because you’re at camp doesn’t mean you have to neglect your faith. take time to pray and worship whatever it is you believe in. not everybody choose to or have the opportunities to work at a spiritual camp, but they still want to feel connected to their faith. and on the same note, DON’T JUDGE PEOPLE FOR PRAYING OR CHANTING OR WHATEVER THIS COUNTRY IS ABOUT RELIGIOUS FREEDOM DONT BE A MEANIE. 

eat ice cream/popsicles/other cold summer foods. it’s too hot to live off corndogs and mac n cheese all summer. cool down your body with something sweet and frozen!

write letters like you promised! write to your mommy and tell her you loves her much and you’re not dead yet. she’ll appreciate it :)

go for a walk or hike. i know you’re walking around all day, leading games and going on hikes with your kids, but going by yourself and taking your time can be really relaxing. you don’t have to lead any songs or count your campers every 5 minutes. you can just enjoy the sounds of nature.

Things NOT to do:

hangout with your campers. i know you love them to pieces and you’re probably actually not all that tired or needing space, but you do. please take your break. 

hangout with someone else’s campers. you love kids! that’s great! so do i! but just because they aren’t your assigned kids that week/session/whatever and you don’t technically have to be in charge, it’s still not a good idea. you’ll end up using all your counselor juice (ability to stay calm and cool and not grouchy, you only have so much for a day) on kids who aren’t even yours and then you’ll have not much left for your kids, who need it all! go take your break away from children

call your significant other. if your boo is not keen on you being away as it is, and you are sort of in a fight, don’t call them on your break! there are a few reasons why: you don’t have that much time and you probs have more to do. fighting is stressful and you don’t wanna come back from your break to be more stressed than when you left! you and your kids don’t deserve that! cell reception at camp suuuuuucks and if you get cut off that can makes matters worse. and lastly, fighting with a time limit is no way to fight. 

eat a massive meal. okay sooo if you struggle to eat on the camp’s schedule and you tend to skip meals maybe you should eat your meals differently, and breaks are a good time for that. however, if you DO eat with everyone else, don’t eat big bowls of soup or a whole sammich during your break! eat all the candy you want and drink all the juice you can get your hands on, but if you eat a lot during your breaks you won’t want anything at the next meal and that’s no bueno, plus stomach aches suck!

start your break early/end your break late. this is sooo uncool of you. it does happen on accident, especially if you decide to nap during your break, BUT THIS IF WHY YOU HAVE A WATCH AND PHONE. SET AN ALARM AND DON’T BE LATE CUZ THERE ARE OTHERS WAITING ON YOU. 

make important phone calls. okay so this might sound silly but here’s why i avoid making important phone calls on my breaks and try to save them for the weekend. with importance can come bad news and if your break is only an hour and you get bad news (your pet died/you didn’t get the job/your bf left you) that is NOT enough time to be upset and grieve and then be okay! you need more time! be kind to yourself and leave the Real World stresses right there in the Real World.

do only your laundry or shower. so you should do things that make you feel good on your breaks. laundry is great and 110% necessary, but if shouldn’t do it everyday break every day. try to do laundry once, maybe twice a week, and spend the rest of the time doing something more fun and relaxing! same for showering. don’t spend you entire break showering. 

spend your entire break swimming/rock wall/achery/etc. i love camp activities as much as the next dude, HOWEVER kids are most likely gonna be doing those activities and like i’ve mentioned before, you don’t wanna spend your breaks with other children! doing this once a week or every once in a while isn’t terrible, especially if your week is ‘lightweight’ and your kids aren’t as aggressive or whiny. if you’re really itching to go swimming see about going when a small group is going or when the CITs are. CITs are like slightly younger cousins who are actually kind of cool to hang with, and so are their counselors! 

do what’s right for your mind and body. if you’re not well, you aren’t able to give your all to your kids and they miss out. 

do you boo, do you.

-Sulcata

What is your favorite thing to do with campers to pass time?

Can you post a really good packing list? including some fun items or things I would never think of. Thank you so much!! your blog is great and helpful

Thank you anon! I’m glad that you like my blog!

Here’s my packing list/suggestions.

Clothes:

Socks. A lot. Fun socks, if you can.

Old camp t-shirts. I pretty much wear only camp shirts, and you’re guaranteed that they’re camp appropriate.

Shorts and pants, in whatever style floats your boat. I like cargo - cargo shorts, cargo pants. They’re comfy and all the pockets are really useful. I also wear jeans a lot too. Make sure your shorts aren’t too short, especially if your camp has a stricter dress code.

Overalls. Comfy, lots of pockets, and fun.

A swim suit or two (depends on how much swimming there is at your camp).

Swim shirt (everybody)/swim shorts (peeps wearing the one-piece swim suits). This is a matter of personal preference, but I really like having extra covering and it’s less to put sunscreen on. Plus, less of a chance of sunburn. 

Hats. Sun hats, ball caps, beanies, weird hats, etc. 

Bandannas. I have a thing for bandannas, so I bring a bunch, but not everyone does. I use them for headbands, as a hair cover/hat, as a decoration. They’re super useful. 

A couple of sweatshirts/flannels/sweaters.

A long sleeve shirt (or two)

Raincoat! 

A regular coat (unless your regular coat is also a 

Shoes! Hiking boots, sturdy sneakers, flipflops for the shower, whatever sandals/water shoes you can have at waterfront.

PJs/sweatpants. I am forever happy that I brought sweatpants to camp last summer.I also have a rubber duckie onsie. I don’t actually sleep in it, it’s just for dress-up days.

Weird clothes you have laying around - I’ve got a cape, a Harry Potter tie, purple tie-dyed leggings, costume jewelery, extra crazy mismatched socks, and a crazy abstract space dress (it was part of a Luna Lovegood cosplay). 

*these clothes reflect the camp that I work at, which gets really cold. You might need to adjust if you work in somewhere really hot/muggy all the time. Also, we have a fairly conservative dress code. 

Other stuff

A headlamp AND a flashlightI have a lantern that I use in my tent and I really like that too.

Sunscreen, bugspray, chapstick (lots of chapsticks, you will loose them)

Your general toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste/toothbrush, hair brush, sanitary items, etc)

Stationary/notebooks, envelopes, postcards, and stamps

A camera!

Your trusty sleeping bag, a pillow, and perhaps a blanket too

A sturdy backpack

2 towels - one for lake, one for showers

2-3 water bottles. No they don’t need to be name brand Nalgenes, just make sure they’re sturdy and don’t leak. Bonus points if you put stickers on them.

Sunglasses

Laundry bag

Rubbermaid tote (to put all of this in)

Mess kit (if you need one)

Comfort items - I posted about self-soothing a little bit ago. I bring things like tea and a stuffed bunny. I’m bringing a few sensory items to put in a place that all the CITs can get to too.

Lotion. With all the hand washing and sanitizing, your hands will dry out. 

A journal. I write down the funny things and the things that I need to tell someone, but can’t for confidentiality reasons. 

A clipboard. I like the ones that close and open. They’re waterproof and hold a lot of stuff. My phone actually fits into mine along with a ton of paperwork. I also decorate it with camp photos, camper notes, and stickers. 

Sharpies

A multi-tool (think heavy duty Swiss army knife). Ask about your camp’s policy. 

Hairbands - if you have long hair

Kleenex packs to stash in your backpack.

I might come back and edit/add to this later.

What I want to teach my CITs

This is the earliest post in my drafts, started way back in September of 2015, when I first started this blog. And I wanted to share it with you now, with some new additions. 

There are some things I want to teach my leadership girls while they’re at camp.

1. Camp is where girls go to escape the real world. Let them.

2. It’s ok if you are at camp to escape the real world too.

3. It’s ok to be overwhelmed. Just try not to let your girls see.

4. It’s ok to be confused, to need to ask questions. You will learn something everyday, no matter how long you have been at camp. 

5. You will wonder what you are sending your kids home to. Is it the same love and acceptance of camp? Is it ambivalence? Is it something else entirely?

6. You will wonder because children say things. They trust you and so they tell you things. And because you see things, you watch how they act. And you will wonder.

7. You will never forget your campers. I remember campers from when I was a program aid, ten years ago, and I remember the name of every CIT from this summer (2015). 

8. You will want to share life lessons with your campers, things you wish someone would have told you at their age. But then you realize that it’s camp and you can’t tell them. And so you hope they will learn on their own.

9. You will make mistakes, at camp and in life. I’ve made mistakes, I still make them. You just have to learn from them. 

10. You will change while you are at camp. It is our experiences that shape us and camp is an experience with a shape that isn’t found anywhere else in the world.

11. Camp songs will be stuck in your head forever. 

12. You will work with girls from all walks of life, all different experiences. Learn compassion.

13. You are loved and you are valid. Being a teenager is hard. Being a young adult is hard. But you’re not alone in this world. 

14. Camp is an amazing place. Cherish it while you can because one day, not as far in the future as you may think, it won’t be in your life but will instead be a memory.

What to bring to camp: clothing/ bedding

* Please note: this is based off my own experience at my camp, which is in the midwest so we have pretty hot days, rain, and occasionally some cooler nights. Campers arrive on Sundays and stay until Friday afternoons when they go home, and we sleep in cabins with beds throughout the week. Counselors get Friday nights, all of Saturdays, and a few hours on Sunday mornings off before a new group of campers arrive. Counselors also get a two hour break on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Counselors also have access to free laundry facilities on camp, or if you are local you can go home to do laundry if you want to. You may need to altar this list depending on your camp’s schedule*

** Also note that my camp has rules about how we bring out clothes to camp. Everybody, campers and counselors included has to bring all clothes and bedding in mesh laundry bags so they can be heated to kill any potential bed bugs. After the heating process, counselors are free to keep their belongings in suitcases, or plastic drawers if they choose (I like plastic drawers). They also have rules against open toed shoes, where you can only wear them if you are going to or from the river or pool area, or are at the river or pool area, so that is why I don’t have things like Tevas on the list.**

> 7 t shirts (my camp provides uniform t shirts after staff training, so if yours does and you are local 4 of these can go home after you get your uniform shirts)

> 7 athletic shorts

> 1 pair of cargo/ khaki shorts (my camp requires them for drop off/ pickup days)

> 2 weeks worth of socks

> 2 weeks worth of underwear

> 1 week of sports bras (if applicable)

> 3 pairs of leggings/ jeans

> 2-3 jackets/ hoodies (I include a rain jacket as one of these)

> 2-3 nights worth of sleepwear

> 2-3 swimsuits

> 3-4 towels

> 2 pairs of running shoes

> 1 pair of easy dry water shoes/ flip-flops

(the next part of the list is optional, but I recommend them)

> 1-2 colored shirts for team games (if you have consistent teams and, you already know your team color)

> 1-2 white pieces to tie-die (depending on how often your camp does it, mine is not very often)

> 1 pair of rain boots

> 1 pair of random shoes (i.e. converse, vans, toms, or something of the sort)

> 2-3 shirts for time off (you can use the 3 remaining shirts from the first line of the list, or you can opt for slightly nicer shirts, but nothing fancy)

> 2-3 shorts for time off (again you can use athletic shorts if you want, but I like to have some jean shorts for fun)

> baseball cap(s)

> 2-4 simple dress up items (i.e. cape, flower crown, funny hat, tutu, etc)

(I am also including bedding materials because I feel like this is where they will best fit)

> 1 pillow

> 1 pillow case

> 1 sleeping bag

> 1-2 blankets (or 1 comforter)

> 1 set of sheets (optional but recommended)

Please let me know if you feel I forgot anything that you would consider important