Gathering the threads

[alt_sinistra]

My, I've been swamped the past days! Fortunately, the details are mostly settled, and we're in the final stages of selecting the older students for the YPL trip this summer.

A few notes of interest:
- The vast majority of this year's first years have signed up. I'm delighted. (If you have not yet done so, and are interested, please do so by Friday evening so I can make final arrangements.)

- We're arranging a suitable number of Wizarding tents (able to sleep 4-5 people each), but are still in need of one or two more. If your family has one they can spare, please let me know.

- The trip will, in fact, be the first week in August. We'll be going to Cornwall, which has a great deal of magical history, and some fascinating ecology.

- We'll be arranging transportation to a central point through the help of various Ministry employees, and using a port-key from there.

- I've had a few inquiries about pets. If you are able to keep track of your pet and can take full responsibility for their food, waste, and well-being, you are welcome to bring them. If you're not sure you can do this, please leave them at home for the week.

- There will be a meeting in the next few weeks to discuss other details like what to bring, our planned events, and so forth. Keep an eye out on this journal for details. (And speaking of journals, you should plan to bring them: I will be posting a brief daily update throughout the week to keep your families updated as well.)

Now, I must go and continue grading the last round of star charts. The top one, here, seems to have confused the Pleides rather badly somehow.

Comments

[alt_narcissa]

Our son will be able to bring his own pavilion. It sleeps six comfortably.

[alt_harry]

May I stay with him, Mrs Malfoy or ought I be asking Professor Sinistra?

[alt_narcissa]

I had a feeling you and Draco would want to stay together! Especially as you will not have seen much of each other for the first part of the holidays.

It's certainly all right with me; Draco may invite boys whom he chooses to stay in his own tent. However, the programme may have some ideas about mixing you up a bit. We must defer to your Professor if that is so.

[alt_sinistra]

It is an excellent question, of course.

We'll be talking more about this in our upcoming meeting, but we will be mixing things up during the daytime trips. For the evenings, however, I think it's far best if people can have a say in who shares their sleeping space.

We do expect to have full tents - no sense in bringing more than we have to. Each tent will also include an older student. (So, for example, in your generous offer, your tent would hold five first year boys and one older student to supervise.) But within that, I'm glad to start by having students work out groupings that they would enjoy.

[alt_narcissa]

I'm glad to hear it. I'm certain my sister would not have put you in charge had you not displayed such sensible attitudes, but knowing the goals of the programme I feared it might have been determined to force the issue somewhat by randomising the sleeping assignments.

[alt_padma]

August? The holidays are practicly over by then. It's so far away!

Professor, are we supposed to bring our trunks? My dad said he thought we'd be hiking, but Mum says we'll only be going out for short trips and coming back to a regular, um, base camp.

Oh, and yeah, do we get to pick whose in our tents, Miss?

Oh, and also, what about broomsticks? Some of the others were asking. We don't have to fly, do we?

[alt_sinistra]

We'll probably be in two different base camp locations over the week (so one for a few days, another for a few days), but there will also be short hikes. We'll be talking about what to bring in our meeting.

As I said above, I'm happy to let you choose who to share a tent with in some limits (all tents need to be full, and there'll be an older student in with you.)

As far as brooms - it will depend to some extent on the older students selected, and how good a flyer they are. We obviously want someone available to help out if there any problems. You won't have to fly, but there are a couple of side trips we're considering that would only be possible for people with brooms. Our thought would be to split the group at those times.