Back to School, Scatico Style
Something fun for your library shelf!
Girls Assistant Head Counselor Jane Rosenfeld WROTE A BOOK! Who's in Charge of New York State? A Kid’s Guide to the State Government is an engaging, clear and informative look at how New York State government works— from what the Governor does, to who writes our laws. A back to school and Nov 3 election day power duo!!
Leaning into “Sit on Your Hands” Moments
This summer, Rachel Levey had the double “first-time” experience of a new Scatico staff role (as a Mental Health Specialist) and a new Scatico parent (her daughter was an SIT). After Closing Day she found herself reflecting on how she could “milk” some of the positive strides she saw her daughter and so many Scatico kids make over the summer, and how to carry these soft and hard skills into the school year. She shares her thoughts, below…
“Who is this child and what have you done with my daughter?” That was my first thought when Sasha (almost 7), arrived home from SIT week, and asked me to play soccer outside. Sasha is normally a pop music, dancing, dress-up in sequins kinda kid, so her request to play sports took me by surprise. This wasn’t the only indication that an alien may have taken over her soul. Less resistance to cleaning her room. More independence in the kitchen.
Now don’t get me wrong, the end of camp still came with some emotional regressions (which is totally normal), but the positive skill development that I observed was awesome. How could I recreate some of that Scatico magic that fosters independence, structure and confidence? Well unless I get a random, cool 20 year old to live in my house and install a bugle system that will be hard. BUT I could be intentional in my awareness of the skills, my communication with her about the skills, and my own resistance to doing the skills for her. In addition to being a first time Scatico parent, it was my first year as the camp Mental Health Specialist, so I did a lot of observing. Here are some skills I saw in action at camp:
Trying new activities
Trying new foods
Making of beds
Cleaning cabins
Daily showering
Personal hygiene
Brushing hair
Choosing appropriate clothing for the weather/activity
Managing belongings
Managing clean and dirty laundry
Now let’s be realistic. Your kid is coming home from Scatico, not Emily Post Camp. In many instances you might see your kid even more regressed because they are a bit burnt out by the independence. However, there will be small moments that come up where you will have an opportunity to promote the above skills. I once heard a parent educator refer to these moments as “sit on your hands moments.” If you’re used to brushing your daughter’s hair when she gets out of the shower, sit on your hands and see what she does. If you’re used to picking up your son’s clothes off his bedroom floor, maybe pause and ask him, “At camp, how did you know which clothes to put in your laundry versus put back on the shelf?”
Naturally, with older kids this will look different but the opportunities for “sit on your hands” moments will come. Maybe it’s holding back from fixing a mistake your child makes. Or letting your kid work through their own complicated schedule, and what to prioritize, without you teeing it up for them. Or encouraging them to have the hard conversation with a teacher or coach without you running interference.
As the school year unfolds, and camp further recedes into the rearview mirror, we inevitably fall back into our home life habits. Picking up after our kids. Screen time to decompress. Very packed schedules and juggling logistics. As a parent my goal is to identify the moments to tap back into “camp self,” even if just through small questions like, “ If this was camp free play right now, what would you do?” Come January, I can only hope she’s still asking to play soccer!
Three Scatico Lessons We Can Bring Home
In the end of summer Scatico Memories booklet, Audrey, Kerri, and Jane reflected on the components of the camp experience that best capture “Scatico Magic”. Their words remind us of things we can do year-round:
Be the best cheerleader on the sidelines
Embrace the moments when things don’t go as we hoped
Jump into new experiences
Kerri: Scatico Magic is the Crowd
One of the things I found myself noticing most this summer wasn't always the Nat star making back-to-back three-point shots, the Greatest Showman performer belting out the first notes of a solo, or the winners of the Golden Paintbrush jumping up and down at the Art Show. Instead, my eyes kept drifting to the audience. I watched friends cheering and clapping, counselors beaming with pride, campers jumping up and down for someone else's success. The loudest applause often came from the people who had nothing to gain except the joy of seeing someone they care about shine.
There is something deeply special about a community that celebrates one another this way. We often think of summer as a time to discover our own talents, accomplish new goals, or step into the spotlight. And this is definitely an important part of the experience. But perhaps an equally important lesson is learning how to be in the crowd— to encourage, to support, and to take genuine pride in someone else's accomplishments. When we celebrate our friends' victories as enthusiastically as our own, we create a culture where everyone feels seen, valued, and inspired to keep growing. As another summer comes to a close, I hope our campers carry that spirit with them. Remember that sometimes the greatest contribution we can make is simply to cheer wholeheartedly for the people around us.
Audrey: Scatico Magic is Finding Joy in the Unplanned
On July 4th, there was a first in my Scatico career: a washed-out talent show. At the height of the storm, the camp huddled in the pavilion, clustered by group, awaiting instructions. As I stood weighing our next moves, someone approached me and said, “This must be stressful.” I looked around. I was soaking wet. Water was flooding the court. Nicki was sprinting through the rain to get popsicles. DLs were hurriedly packing away sound equipment. Booms of thunder interrupted conversations and thoughts. The anticipated Fourth of July Talent Show, a beloved summer highlight, was very clearly not going to happen that night. But I answered honestly: "Not really."
Looking around, expecting to see panic and disarray, I observed something else. Campers who had been preparing acts grabbed their guitars and played for swaying audiences. Counselors comforted and distracted campers who were scared of the thunder. There was cross divisional karaoke and dance circles, Asa claps and games of telephone. And echoing above the relentless pattering of rain was a whole lot of laughter. On paper this moment was an example of everything at camp going wrong; a canceled full-camp event with no clear next steps or obvious solution. But in practice, it felt like an example of camp going exactly right.
This is the magic of Scatico’s community: the best moments are rarely the ones we plan for. The magic is in the unexpected and spontaneous and even in what happens when the plan falls apart.
Jane: Scatico Magic is Trying New Things
As I look back on this summer, I am flooded with happiness thinking about what a GREAT summer it was. One of my favorite things about camp is that the traditions we love all started because someone was willing to try something new.
I remember in one of our first DL meetings, a few DLs shared the idea of a new evening activity: Dancing with the Senior Staff. As a lover of all things Lip Sync Battle, dance battle, and anything involving a big group performance, I was BEYOND excited. But beyond my own excitement, the idea reminded me of something much bigger. Throughout Scatico’s history, someone has always had the courage to suggest a new idea. Whether it was Lip Sync Battle, Family Feud, or even TEAMS or Divisional Sing, those ideas have become traditions that bring us together as a Girls’ Side.
Camp is all about trying new things. Whether we realize it or not, every time you step onto a stage, learn a new skill, cheer someone on, or take a chance in front of your friends, you become a little more confident and a little more yourself. That’s the magic of camp!
I hope that when you look back on Summer 2026, you remember not only the moments when you tried something new, but also the moments when you watched someone else take that leap. Maybe you joined in, maybe you cheered from the audience, or maybe you just looked around and realized how lucky you were to be part of it. Those are the moments when camp magic happens, and sometimes those are the moments when new traditions are born.
Keep trying new things throughout the year, and I can’t wait to create new traditions in 2027.