DS has gone to a one month sleep away camp for the last 3 years. It is great for his self-confidence, and we, I must admit, like the break.
He has attended Brehm (in Carbondale, IL) and Kildonan/Dunnabeck in the Hudson Valley.
We’ve looked at a variety of camps, but so many seem to be:
. filled with little kids-as a teen, DS would like to have more teen buddies.
. skewed towards kids with major behavioral or academic issues. DS reads at the 7th grade level, but he holds his own academically and his teachers speak well of him. We’d like some academics, but it doesn’t have to be the sole focus.
. very, very sporty. DS is more artsy.
Any ideas or recommendations would be much appreciated.
Wolfeboro Camp School is an amazing summer program unlike any of its kind. Many of the faculty and staff are long term, and all are devoted to making the experience positive for each student. My daughter has attended 4 summers with great success and prep for the upcoming school year. We tried one other local summer program in between the 1st and 2nd summer but found their program so specialized and geared to their Full time program, she couldn’t apply what or how she learned to her school elesewhere. We initally had her attend WCS to see how she learned in a smaller classroom coming from public school. It was a great fit giving her the chance to ask more questions and work with the teachers one-on-one, and helped her transition to a boarding school. She loved having a roommate and the challenges and fun of sleeping in a tent. One of the best features of the school is they continue to teach with a very traditional and successful style - no electronics. Students learn alot in the 5 weeks, sometimes more than they’ve learned in a year at prep school. White board, chalk board, books, paper and pencil, lots of interactive discussions and study hall, an effective process. Students are permitted use of their cell phone now to call friends and family but with limited minutes to use it. My daughter was upset to hear they added cell phone use, she was quite happy calling me on the payphones on each campus and respecting the no electronic rule. The teachers handwrite weekly reports given to the students to discuss with the teachers and can be scanned and sent to parents. Thorough end of summer reports are sent to parents. There are alot of activities including learning to canoe, kayak, sail, swim, court and fieild sports, dance, singing, workout room, crafts, pottery, and art. My daughter participated in many skills we never thought she’d try and made us 2 bowls. Weekends include mountain climbing, water & amusement parks, and movies. An onsite carnival with blowups, tugawar, cotton candy, ice cream truck surprise days, and other fun field games is great for making new friends. Hanging out at the Coop is fun for them chatting and playing ping pong. It may seem strict to some, but the rules are there to keep kids safe and on schedule. Academic support is included in each class through the teaching methods applied. Planners are used and my daughter chose to take a new one to school this year to use along with her Mac online school planner. She knows it’s effective. Also, it’s better for your student stay at camp and experience the weekends with their friends. Many parents take their kids home for the weekend. That doesn’t let the student continue to experience WCS for what it’s worth and what it means. Occasional one-day visits are fine on Parent’s weekend, but the kids love their park bus trips off campus. The school takes great care of them and the campus is beautiful. My daughter even likes the food there better sometimes than her Fall school menu and enjoys helping out as a waiter in their family style sitdown meals.
Note: Sorry for the long story. I really beilieve in this summer school’s program because I’ve seen such great growth, maturity, academic achievement and social improvements in my daughter as a result. She loves it there.