Dear Staff,
As we turn the corner into May, our new families are preparing for the summer with both excitement and nerves. Here are some questions I've gotten this week: How does laundry work? Is it okay if my camper brings a few extra pillows to camp? How does daily medication work?
I'm sure many of you, new and returning staff, are thinking about questions you have in advance of the summer. This Weekly Call is focused on illuminating the hidden curriculum, or Ghostlight 101, so staff feel ready to arrive at camp and ready to welcome our new campers as well. It also includes some information about Mental Health First Aid training to help support our campers this summer.
Your friends,
Alexa & the Ghostlight Team
Scene: The Pav
Time: Day 1 of Session 1. End of Breakfast.
At the head of the Pav stands SPENCER. He raises his hand and a hush falls over the crowd.
SPENCER: Good morning, Ghostlight!
HALF THE CROWD: Good morning, Spencer!
SPENCER: Today is going to be a great Ghostlight day. First up this morning we have Audition Workshops.
Someone drops a cup on the floor by accident.
HALF THE CROWD: Rutabaga!
SPENCER AND HALF THE CROWD: Have a glorious Ghostlight g'day!
Thanks for reading our short play (shoutout to the playwright, Chris). You may have noticed some unfamiliar references. Here's a few you might be curious about:
- 🥗 Pav — The Pavilion, or Pav for short, is our dining hall.
- 🙋 Half the Crowd — Our returning campers will be thrilled to be back at camp, and they'll be excited to help teach everyone about Ghostlight traditions.
- 📄 Audition Workshops — The morning of Audition Day is called Audition Workshops. Here, campers travel around to sing, dance, and perform a monologue in small groups. In the afternoon, they visit each show.
- 🧄 Rutabaga — You might hear this shouted if someone drops a dish or a cup in the Pavilion.
- 👋 A Glorious Ghostlight G'Day — We have announcements at the end of each meal, and they typically end with a catchphrase said by the announcer and the rest of camp to indicate that the meal is over and it's time to head out.
📖 The Hidden Curriculum, or Ghostlight 101
Illuminating the hidden curriculum, or the unspoken lessons about a place, is a key piece of welcoming new campers and staff to Ghostlight. At camp, the hidden curriculum includes traditions, rituals, and jokes that carry over from one summer to the next.
To help our new community members feel included and at home, we devote time in the first few days to camp tours, explaining our camp schedule, and bringing everyone in on jokes. Here are a few specific ways we, and all of you, will help illuminate the hidden curriuculum, or Ghostlight 101, for our campers:
- Hang daily schedules around camp so campers always know where to go next. Our schedules are posted in the Pavilion, Office, Studios, and Theater.
- Use your first night in the cabin, first rehearsal, or first class to go over how things in that space will work. Share things like when to expect breaks, what campers should bring to a class, and where the nearest bathroom can be located.
- Make space for questions. Encourage campers to let you know when they don't know what something means or are in need of some support.
New staff will learn more about camp's hidden curriculum through the Ghostlight 101 module of our pre-camp online. staff training. Click here to join and complete the Ghostlight 101 module along with others about Safety at Camp, Appropriate Camper Interactions, Slack, and more. Here's a few bonus pieces of Ghostlight 101:
- 🔥 CIT, or Counselor in Training — This program is for campers entering their senior year of high school and marks their final year as campers at Ghostlight. CITs are leaders around camp and have some special activities as well.
- 🌹 Roses and Thorns — A nighttime favorite at Ghostlight. Once campers are ready for bed, they take turns sharing a rose (a highlight from the day), a thorn (something that was a bit challenging), and a bud (something they are looking forward to).
- 🧇 Joy's Diner — On Sundays, we have a special late breakfast including toast, waffles, and omelets made to order by non-cabin staff members. There's typically music playing, and it's a great way to end the week.
🧠 Mental Health First Aid
Mental Health First Aid teaches participants to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health challenges. The course covers common signs and symptoms, how to interact with a person in crisis, and how to connect others to professional, peer, and social support.
During staff training, we'll cover the basics of Mental Health First Aid and other strategies for supporting campers. If you're interested in taking a full course, check out the following opportunities — including some youth-specific courses focused on supporting children and adolescents. After completing a Mental Health First Aid training, upload your certificate to the Staff Dashboard so we can give you a shoutout!
- The Mental Health Association in New York State (MHANYS) offers free virtual Mental Health First Aid courses to those in New York. Upcoming courses are on May 14/15 (5:30pm-8:30pm both days), May 22/23 (9:00am-12:00pm both days), and June 4/5 (1:00pm-4:00pm both days).
- The National Alliance on Mental Illness in Maine is offering in-person Youth Mental Health First Aid on May 29 from 9:00am-3:00pm at the York Public Library.
- The American Camp Association, New England is offering a free virtual Youth Mental Health First Aid course on May 21 from 9:00am-3:15pm. This course is waitlist only.
- Additional courses are available on the Mental Health First Aid website.
🗂️ Message Archive
You can easily find all our previous emails on the Messages and Updates page here.