Summer Camps - Ellington CMSconnection.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/news/...Apr 29, 2016 ·...

Alexandria Gazette Packet ● April 2016 ● Summer Camps ● Education & Activities ● 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com online at www.connectionnewspapers.comLocal Media Connection LLC

Gazette PacketAlexandriaAlexandria

Gazette Packet

Education&ActivitiesSummer●Camps

Education&ActivitiesSummer●Camps2016

2 ● Summer Camps ● Education & Activities ● April 2016 ● Alexandria Gazette Packet www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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Summer●CampsiEducation&Activities

By Jeanne Theismann

Gazette Packet

Albert Einstein did it. So did MarkZuckerburg, Denzel Washington,Lady Gaga and Sandra DayO’Conner. What do they have in

common with millions of other childrenacross the nation?

They all attended summer camp.“In our summer camps we try to create a

safe environment for kids to express theircreativity,” said Michael Page, the summercamps coordinator for The Little Theatre ofAlexandria. “Most classes focus on perfor-mance while others work on storytellingthrough play. But they all help kids grow inself–-confidence while having fun.”

According to the American Camp Asso-ciation, research shows that camp experi-

ences often increase a child’s confidence,self-–esteem, social skills, independence,leadership qualities, adventurousness andconnection to nature.

First Lady Michelle Obama served as asummer camp counselor, an important roleas children learn new skills and developinterpersonal relationships.

“We also have a new Counselor in Train-ing camp for high schoolers,” Page said.“This class is for students who are interestedin furthering their education and getting achance to work in a leadership role in a the-atrical setting. We also try to find a nicebalance for all of our campers – those whohave been coming for many years and thosewho are just starting in theatre. It’s a greatexperience for everyone involved.”

Local summer camps offer traditional andnontraditional learning experiences.

Theater and ArtThe Art League offers a range of weekly camps for all ages, includingteens, from June 20– to Aug. 19.

Jewelry camp is a popular class at the Art League.

See Banishing Boredom, Page 3

Alexandria Gazette Packet ● April 2016 ● Summer Camps ● Education & Activities ● 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com


A large variety of summer camp classesare available at LTA for preschool through8 the Counselor in Training class open to 9through Sept. 2. For more information orto register, contact Michael Page [email protected] or visitwww.thelittletheatre.com.

Extended child care is also available from8 to 9 a.m. and from 3:30 to 6 p.m. at acost of $10 per hour. Child care registra-tion is done by phone after camp registra-tion is completed. Call 703–-683-–5778,extension 2, for more details.

For budding Picassos, the Del Ray Arti-sans invites campers ages 8 to 14 to spenda week creating art with professional artistinstruction. All artist supplies, as well aslunch and snacks, are provided. There willalso be a one–-day-–only gallery show heldJuly 23 and July 30 to show off the stu-dents’ work from their week of camp. Thefirst camp session will be held July 18 ––22 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily followed bya second camp July 25 – 29.

Art Camp will be held at the Del Ray Ar-tisans gallery at the Nicholas A. ColasantoCenter, 2704 Mount Vernon Ave. For moreinformation, contact the Art Camp Admin-istrator/Youth Programs Director [email protected].

For campers ages 5 to 15, The Art Leagueoffers weekly half-–day or full-–day campsin painting, photography, jewelry, ceramics,sculpture, fiber, drawing, cartoons andmore.

Weekly sessions begin June 20 and runthrough Aug. 19 at The Art League’s Madi-son Annex in Old Town. Visitwww.theartleague.org for more informa-tion.

The City of Alexandria Department ofRecreation, Parks and Cultural Activitiesoffers a traditional slate of outdoor andsports related camps. But for those that as-

pire to be the next Bill Gates, there are alsocamps for video game design and develop-ment, 3D game design, Minecraft anima-tion, chess camp and Jedi engineering withLEGO to name a few.

Registration for the city’s 2016 summercamp programs is open to both Alexandriaresidents and nonresidents and can be doneonline or in person at the Lee Center, 1108Jefferson St. A complete Summer Campsguide is available atwww.alexandriava.gov/recreation and free

From Page 2

Banishing Boredom with Arts

Students at the Art League’s fibre camp show off their crafts.

Classes at TheLittle Theatreof Alexandriaare availablefor students asyoung as 3years old andrun from June6 to –Sept. 2.

printed brochures are available at City Hall,recreation centers and public libraries.

The Summer of Smiles Summer CampsGuide contains a variety of camps availableto youth ages 2–17, including sports, dance,creative arts, computer, chess, enrichment,nature, adventure,

Out of School Time (residents only) and

classic camps. An index lists camps avail-able by week offered and age group. Call703–746–5414 for more information.

“The Little Theatre creates a wonderfullearning environment for students of allages,” Page said.

“A camp experience is one of tremendousgrowth for any child.”

The Little Theatre of Alexandria offers the largest variety of summer drama camps in the area for preschoolto 8th grade level children. Classes run June 6– to Sept. 2.

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By Marilyn Campbell

The Connection

This summer dozensof elementaryschool-aged chil-dren will travel back

in time to the Colonial Erawhere, among other things,they’ll learn to spin cotton intocloth for garments.

Learning how to run a lem-onade stand like a Fortune 500company and use the profits toinvest in the stock market willbe on the agenda for other lo-cal children. Both activities areoffered by local specialty campsaimed at giving children oppor-tunities to explore their inter-ests in a way that they cannotduring the school year.

“I think summer camps are agreat way to promote thrivingif it is done right,” said CarolynLorente, Ph.D., Professor of Psy-chology at Northern VirginiaCommunity College in Alexan-dria and a camp consultant.“During the school year, thereis so much emphasis on testingthat the creative and collabora-tive nature of children gets lost.A great camp can create spacefor our children to flourish.”

SPECIALTY CAMPS offeryoung campers a chance to fo-cus on a specific area of inter-est such as cooking, financialliteracy and even gaming.

For example, Spark BusinessAcademy, a Northern Virginia basedorganization that teaches financial lit-eracy to young students, is offering itsFuture Millionaires Camp in Arling-ton. Students learn about money con-cepts that range from setting up a lem-onade stand that makes a profit to un-derstanding the stock market.

“The name is definitely tongue incheek,” said Chuchi Arevalo, theorganization’s founder. “We teach per-sonal finance, leadership and innova-

tion. We give them life skills that they aren’tlearning in school and promote financialliteracy that is fun even for students in firstand second grade.”

RISING FIFTH- and sixth-grade studentswill get a chance to take a trip back in timethis summer at Mount Vernon’s Camp Wash-ington. During each of the three one-weeksessions, campers explore the history ofGeorge Washington’s estate and learn abouthis legacy.

From farming and spinning fibers intocloth to making ice cream and meeting theestate’s heritage breed animals, hands-onactivities will give campers a glimpse ofmany aspects of early American life atMount Vernon.

“The summer camp is designed to helpengage students while having fun,” saidMelissa Wood, spokeswoman for MountVernon. “[It] gives kids the opportunity togo behind the scenes and experience his-tory in their own backyard.”

Campers can explore diverse interests in specialty summer camps.

From Colonial History to Future Entrepreneurs

Photo courtesy of Visit Fairfax

Camp Washington at Mount Vernon gives campers a glimpse of earlyAmerican life.

Photo courtesy of Mason Game & Technology Academy

Students in the Mason Game & Technology Academy Summer Camp will beoffered classes in Game Design, Creation and Entrepreneurship, Minecraftand Cyber Defense.

YOUNG GAME DESIGN aficionados canspend the summer with Mason Game &Technology Academy’s (MGTA) camps. Stu-dents take classes such as Game Design,Creation and Entrepreneurship, Minecraftand Cyber Defense.

“We run our classes at Mason in Fairfax,Loudoun, and Prince William,” said VeraLichtenberg, Director of the Mason Game& Technology Academy at George MasonUniversity.

“We also do a great deal of communityoutreach to train teachers, engageunderserved students, and generally, helpstudents realize that Game Design is a STEMfield that not only engages those who lovetechnology, but also those on the artisticside: writers, music composers [and]designers.Ó

MGTA is part of the Mason ComputerGame Design Program and the CommunityOutreach Youth Program for the VirginiaSerious Game Institute.

For More InformationGame and TechnologySummer Camps

potomacacademy.gmu.edu/mgta/summer/

Future Millionaires Bootcamp/Stock Market Acres

moneynewsforkids.com/

Camp Washington and more atMount Vernon

www.mountvernon.org/plan-your-visit/calendar/events/camp-washington-summer-day-camp-at-mount-vernon/

“During the schoolyear, there is so muchemphasis on testingthat the creative andcollaborative natureof children gets lost.”

— Carolyn Lorente, Ph.D.


Community Partner

www.campagnacenter.org – 703-549-0111

www.PotomacAcademy.org

[email protected]

School

Notes

Suzanne Ketcham, of Alexan-dria, was named to the dean’s listat Salisbury University (Salisbury,Md.) for the fall 2015 semester.

Erin McCarty, Alexandria resi-dent and a student at Pratt Insti-tute (Brooklyn, N.Y.), was namedto the president’s list in the fall2015 semester.

Megan Jackson, of Alexan-dria, earned honor roll distinctionfor the fall 2015 semester in theCollege of Liberal Arts & Sciencesat the University of Kansas(Lawrence, Kan.).

Cullen Scheland, of Alexan-dria, has been named to the 2015fall semester dean’s list atLafayette College (Easton, Pa.).Scheland is a graduate of Ameri-can International School.

The following Alexandria-areastudents have been named toClemson University’s (Clemson,S.C.) dean’s list for the fall 2015semester: Ann ElizabethBarletta; majoring in politicalscience; Elise Margaret Bell,majoring in political science;Sydney Elaine Fenstermaker,majoring in bioengineering; An-drew R. Perham, majoring incivil engineering; and Kristin AnnaSnow, majoring in communicationstudies.

Madison Hardimon, a mem-ber of the class of 2016, from Al-exandria, has been named to thefall 2015 dean’s list at Loyola Uni-versity Maryland (Baltimore).

Hailee Reeder, of Alexandria,participated in the seventh annualIntercollegiate Art Competition, ajuried exhibit of artwork by stu-dents from Abilene colleges anduniversities, at the Center for Con-temporary Art in Abilene. Entrieswere juried by professional, con-temporary artists.

John Mulberger, of Alexan-dria, a student at FairleighDickinson University’s FlorhamCampus (Madison, N.J.) has beennamed to the honors list for thefall 2015 semester.

Dawit Tsigie, of Alexandria,was named to the Cornell College(Mount Vernon, Iowa) dean’s listfor the fall 2015 semester. Tsigieearned honors.

Carla Cisneros, of Alexandria,was one of eight Mary BaldwinCollege Staunton, Va.) studentswho attended this year’s Algernon

See Notes, Camps Page 7



By Marilyn Campbell

The Connection

One summer Ana Lado createda summer camp activity forstudents at her neighborhoodpool. The Marymount profes-

sor set up a picnic area, and included ac-tivities and books. Her plan was to engagethe students and give them the opportunityto read and build reading skills while stillenjoying fun activities traditionally associ-ated with summer.

“I got six kids who were older to read tosix kindergartners. I chose kids who hadpotential, but who were at risk,” said AnaLado, Ph.D., professor of Education atMarymount University in Arlington. “Read-ing with a kindergartner or first grader for15 minutes got the students reading andbuilt their confidence.”

This summer Lado and her colleagues atMarymount are offering “3E: Explore, En-rich, Enjoy,” one of several area camps withan academic component. Their goal is toenable students to brush up on, gain ormaintain academic skills in a relaxed envi-ronment.

Marymount’s 3E camp enables campersto choose what they focus on at camp. Inaddition to traditional camp activities, thecamp will include academic projects likeexploring science through nature and elec-tronic gadgets, studying math by makingboats, language arts by writing their ownstories and fine arts by creating plays andcartoons.

For those who want an in-depth reviewof a school subject and the chance to par-ticipate in hands-on summer camp activi-ties, academic camps fill both needs.

“[Academic camps] supplement what stu-dents are getting during the school year andallow them to experience subjects and top-ics that they’re not getting in public school,”said Dan Stalcup, Associate Director forFairfax Collegiate, a Herndon-based orga-nization that offers summer programs forstudents entering third through ninth grade.

Programs at Fairfax Collegiate run thegamut from filmmaking and robotics toengineering and classic children’s literature.For example, third and fourth grade stu-dents can learn to craft their own short sto-ries during a Story Writing course in Alex-andria, Chantilly and Ashburn.

Campers who enjoy reading and want todelve into award-winning novels by authorssuch as Madeleine L’Engle or Rebecca Steadcan take “Reading Newbury Winners” withsessions in Chantilly, Ashburn, Fairfax,McLean and Reston. Students can spendtwo weeks reading books that have been

awarded the Newbery Medalfor excellence in literature forchildren.

Fifth and sixth graders wholove math and want to honetheir analytical and logicalthinking skills can spend theirtime engaging in chess,Stratego and

other mind-bending activi-ties in the “Brain Games”camp, which will be offered inChantilly, Reston, Herndon,McLean, Alexandria andOakton.

Future detectives might en-joy taking a forensic scienceclass in Alexandria, Chantilly,Herndon, Ashburn, FallsChurch and McLean. “Stu-dents learn about the sciencein criminal justice, like blood-typing and fingerprinting by actually doingthe experiments and seeing them in action,”said Stalcup.

“Students get a lot of personal attentionbecause the classes are small, and the in-structors either have or are pursing a de-gree in the topic they’re teaching,” saidStalcup. “They’re all very passionate aboutthe subject they’re teaching.”

Academic camps might be a good fit forstudents who are curious about a particu-lar area of study. “Many parents want some-thing that is both fun and educational,meaning it will help their child keep [busy]and develop skills needed during the schoolyear,” said Tina M. Morris, Child Develop-ment Programs Consultant at George Ma-son University. “I think both parents and

educators realize that summer vacationdoes not have to be a break from learning.”

The decision to send a child to a campthat focuses on reading, science, math oranother school subject instead of a purelyrecreational camp is a personal one, saysLado. “There are some kids who can visittheir grandparents in Maine all summer andthey come back to school in the fall and pickup where they left off,” she said. “Then thereare other kids who can’t pick up easily.Those are the kids who would benefit froman academic program.”

Students appreciate the ability to focuson one subject in a relaxed atmosphere inan academic camp. “If kids are taking a sub-ject at a fast-clip pace, but they don’t dowell, they miss key skills. The next year they

move to a higher levelclass, but the sameproblem still exists,”said Lado. “When they

take a week or two dur-ing the summer and im-merse themselves in asubject, they go strongerinto the next school year.In camp, it’s the onlything they’re doing aca-demically and they canconcentrate on it. ”

For example, The Ma-deira School in McLeanis offering summer pro-grams in Trigonometryand Geometry. “Thesecourses are intended foradvancement into higherlevel math classes, andbased on our classestaught during the aca-demic year,” said AshleySmith, Associate Direc-tor of Communications

at Madeira. “A student who is inter-ested in math and wishes to advanceto higher levels will benefit, as wellas students who need a refresher or abetter understanding before movingahead.”

When choosing an academic camp,parents should look for camps that arenot all work and no play. “I want tomake sure it has a healthy balance ofrecreational and educational enrich-ment activities,” said Morris. “If thecampers are enjoying the activitiesand the counselors are skilled, theprogram should, as a natural effect,promote the building of positive rela-tionships with their peers and theircounselors.”

Local camps helpstudents maintainschool skills in arelaxed environment.

Academic Camps Combine Education and Fun

Photo courtesy of Marymount University

Kara Dedon, a Marymount University graduate student, will be the director of theschool’s camp.

Photo courtesy of Fairfax Collegiate

A fifth grade student learns about the structure of thehuman heart during a Human Biology and Anatomy atFairfax Collegiate.

“I think bothparents andeducators realizethat summervacation doesnot have to be abreak fromlearning.”

— Tina M. Morris, ChildDevelopment Programs

Consultant at GeorgeMason University.


FITZPATRICK HOOPS

www.fitzpatrickhoops.com

LimitedFall Openings inPreschool and

Jr. Kindergarten!Call today!

703-549-5067www.graceschoolalex.org3601 Russell Rd., Alexandria, VA

GraceEpiscopal

School

Bishop Ireton High School

To receive a brochure, please e-mailPeter Hamer, Summer Camps

Director, at: [email protected] Don’t delay, sign up today!

Register online:www.bishopireton.org

JOIN THE FUN THIS SUMMER!

Cardinal Camps - Summer 2016

Bishop Ireton High School will offer the followingcamps this summer at our campus in Alexandria:

Camps available for grades 1–12!

Girls’ CampsBasketball (2 sessions)Lacrosse (1 session)Volleyball (2 sessions)

Boys’ CampsBaseball (1 session)Basketball (2 sessions)Lacrosse (2 sessions)

Co-ed CampsTheater (2 sessions)Soccer (4 sessions)

The Center for Ballet Arts, Inc.

3955 Pender Drive, Suite 105, Fairfax, VA 22030 Call: 703-273-5344thecenterforballetarts.com

Invites you to our Summer Intensive Session

July 11th through August 13th

Ballet, Pointe,

Modern, Jazz, Tap,

Core Strengthening

& Full-Day Children’s

Summer Dance camps

The Center for Ballet Arts, Inc.

Rock of Ages MusicA Music Center In

The Heart of Del Ray!

114 E. Del Ray Ave.Alexandria, VA 22301

703-838-2130

Summer Rock Camps

Private Lessons

Group Lessons

Retail

Rental Instruments

Recording Studio

Sydney Sullivan Ignite Retreat Oct.16-18 at Kanuga Conference Cen-ter in Hendersonville, N.C.

Lara Barth, of Alexandria, wasrecently initiated into The HonorSociety of Phi Kappa Phi, thenation’s oldest and most selectivecollegiate honor society for all aca-demic disciplines. Barth was initi-ated at College of Charleston.

Molly Adler, daughter of ReidAdler and Jacqueline Arnold ofAlexandria, has been named aFulbright Fellow to teach Englishin Russia for the 2015-2016 aca-demic year. Adler studied Interna-tional Business and Russian atJuniata College in Huntingdon,Pa., earning a bachelor’s degree inMay. Adler gained internationalexperience at Juniata College. Af-ter her freshman year, she spent amonth at a language institute inSt. Petersburg, Russia as part of theCollege’s Bard-Smolny Program.

Bishop Ireton High School se-nior Isabel Anderson has beenawarded a President’s VolunteerService Award for her service. Theaward, which recognizes Ameri-cans who have volunteered signifi-cant amounts of time to serve theircommunities and their country,

was granted by The PrudentialSpirit of Community Awards pro-gram on behalf of President BarackObama. Bishop Ireton nominatedIsabel for national honors in rec-ognition of her volunteer service.Anderson started the Charitythrough Medicine Club at BishopIreton. Club members visit andhold events for sick children atGeorgetown University Hospital.

Hailee Reeder, of Alexandria,received awards at the 2016McMurry Student Art Competi-tion, a juried exhibit of artworknow on display in the Amy GravesRyan Fine Arts Gallery. Reeder re-ceived awards for Abilene Frame-n-Art Award for Live for the Lightbut Remember the Night/2ndPlace - Advanced Ceramics/HM -Advanced Ceramics/HM - Ad-vanced Photography.

Nasser Yasin, of Alexandria,has been named to the dean’s listfor the mid-term spring 2015-2016academic year at Wentworth Mili-tary Academy and College (Lex-ington, Mo.).

David Blake and Ryan Landhave been named to the provost’slist for Term 3 of the 2015/2016academic year at Troy University(Troy, Ala.).

School Notes

From Camps Page 5

To honor Mom on Mother’s Day, send us yourfavorite snapshots of you with your Mom and TheAlexandria Gazette Packet will publish them in ourMother’s Day issue. Be sure to include some infor-mation about what’s going on in the photo, plusyour name and phone number and town of resi-dence. To e-mail digital photos, send to:www.connectionnewspapers.com/mothersday

Or to mail photo prints, send to:The Alexandria Gazette Packet,

“Me and My Mom Photo Gallery,”1606 King St., Alexandria, VA 22314

Photo prints will be returned to you if you includea stamped, self-addressed envelope, but pleasedon’t send us anything irreplaceable.

“Me and My Mom”


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Summer Camps - Ellington CMSconnection.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/news/...Apr 29, 2016 ·...

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