Summer Explorations 2011 – Kindergarten/1st Grade

Visit our Summer Explorations Day Camp General Information page for additional details.

Registration Form

Click HERE for the Registration Form (for Preschool & Elementary classes)

Class Descriptions

Session 1: May 31 – June 10

a.m. Fairies & Sprites & Elves, Oh My! – Ms. Joy Summerlin, B.S.

Children’s literature is full of tiny characters called by different names. We’ll learn about these unique characters and the role they play in folklore in different countries. Arts and crafts will be the key to creating these tiny folks.

a.m. Intro to Spanish – Mrs. Kerri Lowery, M.S.

We’ll learn a wide range of Spanish vocabulary through fun games, puzzles, arts and crafts projects. Two weeks of daily practice will give students 40 hour of instruction to learn to speak and understand some basic Spanish.

p.m. Insects, Spiders & Creepy Crawlers – Mrs. Margaret Hill, M.S., Ed.S.

Insects are among the most numerous animals on Earth. Join us to learn about these fascinating creatures as you develop your scientific skills. Be ready for a hands-on experience as we work like Entomologists. Learn the three main groups of winged insects found in Alabama and much more.

p.m. Amazing Math Facts – Mrs. Kiesha Matthews, M.S.

It is amazing what we can do in 40 hours! We’ll be working to improve math skills in subtraction, addition, multiplication, data interpretation, money skills and probability. It is amazing how much math we use in our everyday life so we’ll be looking for those practical applications, too. We’ll be using every kind of math manipulative to understand these concepts. Wouldn’t it be great to be an amazing mathematician?

Session 2: June 13 – 24

a.m. Marvelous Math – Mrs. Margaret Hill, M.S., Ed.S.

Join us to develop your math and problem-solving skills. Everyday, we’ll engage in fun, meaningful, hands-on math activities and math projects. All types of math manipulatives will help develop a deep understanding of number sense. We’ll sing, compute, draw, and eat math! After all, math is marvelous.

a.m. How It’s Made – Mrs. Tiffany Cross, M.S.

We will be scientists, engineers, teachers, explorers as we discover the amazing ways of how things around us are made. From food to highway bridges and skyscrapers, we will investigate and observe How It’s Made!

p.m. Hands-On Musical Instruments – Mrs. Sheila Hallman, M.S.

Each day, students will be introduced to a different instrument to have the opportunity to play them and hear the notes they can make. We’ll discuss different genres of music and the instruments that are used for each. Many listening experiences will be provided so that students learn to recognize the music of famous composers. We’ll learn the vocabulary and learn to find the instruments in the symphony, quartet and marching band.

p.m. Fun Chinese – Mrs. Wan-Ching Chen Wang, M.S.

A native of Taiwan, Mrs. Wang grew up speaking Chinese. She is the Director of our popular “Chinese Camp” held in 2009. Fun Chinese is a beginner half-day camp for children ages 5 to first-grade. In addition to daily camp activities, campers will learn how to read, write and hold basic daily conversations in Mandarin Chinese. This two-week language session provides an interesting look into the Chinese culture and the most spoken language in the world.

Session 3: June 27 – July 8

(holiday on 4th of July)

a.m. Wild, Wacky Weather – Ms. Hannah Box, M.S.

Children will explore the wild and wacky weather we have here in Alabama and on our planet, Earth. We’ll learn how different weather patterns change our landscape. We’ll deal with fears about storms. Lots of new vocabulary and geography will be explored as we learn about careers in the field of weather.

a.m. A Book A Day – Mrs. Sheila Hallman, M.S.

Ten books will inspire us as we engage in an Author study to learn about the talented writers of children’s books. We’ll produce art to mimic the original work of the illustrator, enjoy music, and food experiences, too. This unique approach to literacy helps students enjoy reading.

p.m. Music Makers/Kindermusik – Ms. Hillary Burke, B.A.

Students will learn concepts of beginning music theory, music history- exploringthe lives of composers like Mozart, Beethoven, and Handel. We’ll work on basic musicianship skills. We will play and learn about several instruments- drums, piano, Lummi sticks, castanets plus make a few instruments of our own. We will have fun singing while working on musical ear-training, recognizing musical patterns, and developing the “human instrument”- the voice.

p.m. Planet Neighbors – Mrs. Dydrea Pittman, M.S.

What do you know about the planets? Shoot for the moon, if you miss, you will be among the stars and planets. Come join us for a two week adventure that will be out of this world. Take an exciting ride through our solar system and create your space suit along the way. Rocket from planet to planet as we explore the planets in this summer journey.

Session 4: July 11 – July 22

a.m. Soaring through the Solar System – Ms. Hannah Box, M.S.

Children will learn about the solar system we call home, the Milky Way. We’ll make a journey through space to learn about each planet and their moons and the vast distances between. Books, photos, films, food experiences, songs, and math will be integrated into this two-week journey as we learn about our sun, the planets, comets and asteroids of our solar system.

a.m. Promise Puppets: Playing with Purpose – Ms. Mary Whitman, B.S.

From poetry lover to problem solver– puppets can do it all. Let these loveable creations help you practice good manners, learn how to value others, and develop your character. Start a friendship club with your personal puppet pal. Go on a scavenger hunt to gather materials to make your own puppets. Enter a competition to design a puppet for a specific character. Do animals or people tell the story better? Experiment with various types of stages. Puppets will bring out your personality strengths and reinforce positive behavior.

p.m. Arts & Crafts – Ms. Spencer, M.S.

If you are tired of just using CRAYONS and MARKERS and COLORED PENCILS for your creative masterpieces during your school year, come join me this summer to make and use acrylic paints, glow in the darks, paper mache, recyclable materials, tissue paper, silly straws, and many more unique works of art! Everyday is a new adventure and we are going to use our imaginations to create arts and crafts.

p.m. I Spy: Secret Science Agents – Ms. Mary Whitman, B.S.

Do you have what it takes to be a great detective? How keen are yourobservation skills? Does the thought of a ‘stake out’ thrill you? Then combine your secret agent cleverness with scientific technology to tell the story of what’s happening in your world. Phenology is the study of life cycle events in plants and animals. By daily noticing and recording what’s going on in an outdoor or indoor garden, via artistic and written journaling, and use of scientific tools, you’ll be on the cutting edge for tracking global warming.

Session 5: July 25 – August 5

a.m. Super Science – Mrs. Margaret Hill, M.S., Ed.S.

What do scientists do? What tools do they use for finding answers? In this class, students will use the methods scientists use to answer questions about the world around us. Each day, we’ll explore hands-on investigations into magnets, rocks & minerals, simple machines, electricity, color & light, the senses, and optical illusions. We’ll use microscopes, a telescope and some kitchen chemistry to find the answers. Research indicates that if a child is not interested in Science before the third grade, then he/she probably won’t be for life. This is your child’s chance to learn to observe, measure and record data, use microscopes, analyze and interpret results.

a.m. Playful Puppets/Powerful Communicators – Ms. Mary Whitman, B.S.

Maybe you thought they were cute, scary or downright funny, but did you know puppets have served a significant role in history? These manipulated objects not only told stories to entertain young and old, but they also communicated powerful cultural messages. Hear about their origin. Make your own. Learn basic puppeteer tips. Lip sync to your favorite songs. Whether an impromptu dialogue between your knife and fork or a three-person string and rod contraption, explore this art form and release your inner voice.

p.m. Calling All Authors & Illustrators — Ms. Hannah Box, M.S.

We’ll learn about current best selling authors of children’s books and the illustrators whose drawings help tell the story, too. Children will read and observe the work of Eric Carle, Leo Lionni, Chris Van Allsburg, Dr. Seuss, Patricia Polacco, Alexandra Day and Shel Silverstein. We will discuss how authors take an idea and transform it into a book that we find at bookstores. As we learn about the writing and illustration process, the students will create their own books and illustrate them.

p.m. Movies: Classics vs. Cartoons – Ms. Mary Whitman, B.S.

Music + Art + Drama + Dance= Musical Theater! It’s the casting call for all young singers, actors and dancers. Enjoy retelling the story from your favorite film like “The Sound of Music” or “Shrek”. Belt out those beloved tunes, design your own backdrops, and kick up your heels. Learn dramatic skills with fun games, and role playing with amusing props. Make believe can come alive as you step into character. Go behind the scenes and learn how to create and star in your own production.